Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Coming Clean ❯ Losing Ground ( Chapter 25 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: This story was written by me, mhmartini, for enjoyment purposes only. All characters taken from a show/series/book/etc. are property of their respective creators; I am only borrowing them. Original characters are mine. The storyline is mine. I am making no money from this endeavor. The only �profit� involved is the joy of writing and the reviews of my readers. No copyright infringement is intended.

Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.16.2005 | Updated On: 06.03.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 791 | Status: Completed

Kurama held Hiei close and rocked gently until the fire demon's breathing settled into a slow, even rhythm. "Hiei?" he asked gently, never breaking the slow back and forth motion.

"Yes, Kurama?" Hiei answered softly.

"I won't leave you," the fox said firmly, yet tenderly.

"I know Kurama. I just...I..." Hiei struggled to find words to say what he was feeling. Finally, he just said it. "I'm scared, Fox. I'm alone in here. I can feel you out there, and I trust you. But in here everything gets distorted. I can't even move. I feel so useless. I would abandon me, so I'm terrified that everyone else will...that you will, even though I know you won't. I'm sorry, Kurama."

"Shh. No, Hiei. Don't be sorry. It's okay for you to feel these things. I'll try to stay by you more," Kurama reassured the smaller demon, nuzzling lightly into Hiei's neck. The hiyoukai sighed at the gentle cuddle. Kurama went no further than that, just snuggling his lover, and letting Hiei feel his presence.

After a few more minutes, a voice from the kitchen interrupted them, "Shuuichi! Hiei! Lunch is ready!" With a quick kiss on Hiei's neck, Kurama lifted the youkai and carried him to the living room.

Shiori watched her son settle the paralyzed demon on the couch. At first she was confused. Why were they going into the living room and not the kitchen? But a quick look back at the table and chairs answered that question. The sofa had arms and a soft back and throw pillows that could be used to prop up Hiei's immobile form. He would fall right off a kitchen chair, since he lacked the ability to right himself if he tipped sideways. Without a word, Shiori began to carry the lunch plates into the living room.

Kurama took Hiei's plate and began to feed him. Shiori watched her son with mixed emotions. She was very proud of him for his courage in this situation, but she knew that he would not last long like this. No one would. The meal continued like this in silence.

A short time after they had finished their meal, a knocked sounded at the door. Kurama arose and answered it, leaving Hiei comfortably snuggled into a mountain of pillows on the couch. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Kuwabara and Yukina standing there.

"Kuwabara, Yukina, what a pleasant surprise. Please, come in," Kurama greeted them, loudly enough for Hiei to hear who was visiting. The two entered. Yukina immediately went to her brother's side.

"Brother, you are awake?" she said softly.

"Yes," Hiei replied.

Yukina smiled and laid her hand gently on Hiei's arm. A sudden draining feeling swept through the ice maiden as the residual effects of the wards caused a dip in her youki. She withdrew her hand with a gasp.

"What happened?" Hiei asked. When no immediate answer came, he asked louder, "Yukina? What happened? Are you alright?"

"I am fine, Brother," the koorime responded sadly. "I just felt the power left in your body from those wards. I'm sorry to have alarmed you." Hiei did not respond to this.

Kurama began to clear the lunch dishes and heat some water for tea to serve to his guests. Shiori followed him into the kitchen. "Shuuichi?" she asked softly.

"Yes, Mother?" Kurama replied sweetly.

"You haven't eaten yet," she pointed out, gesturing at the still full plate the kitsune held. "You fed Hiei, but what about your lunch?"

Kurama looked at his plate. "I'm not hungry right now, Mother," he said.

"Shuuichi, you have to eat." When Kurama started to argue, Shiori just pointed at the table. "Sit. Eat. Now," she said in the Mother Voice. Meekly, Kurama sat and nibbled at his food. Shiori cleaned up the rest of the dishes, brewed the tea, and took a tea tray into the living room to serve the guests.

Shiori returned a few minutes later to find that her son had eaten three mouthfuls of lunch. "Mother, really, I cannot eat right now," he said softly when she fixed him with a Look. Kurama looked at her innocently. He dared not tell her how nauseous he was getting from the few bites he had taken, for fear she would worry even more about him. He was not the one who needed care right now; Hiei was.

"Fine. I will wrap it and put it in the fridge. I want you to promise me you will take care of yourself, Shuuichi." Kurama nodded wordlessly. Shiori hugged him affectionately, and then stored the food while the kitsune joined his guests in the other room.

Kuwabara and Yukina stayed for a few hours. Yukina always sat near her brother, just out of touch. She wanted to touch him, to put an arm around him or support him with some physical gesture, but she was unable to have any contact with him until the wards had completely worn off. Kuwabara, to his benefit, did not make a single rude or hostile comment. While many considered him a low class street punk, he was perfectly capable of acting mature and polite when he wanted to. He felt now was not a good time to pick a fight with the incapacitated demon.

During the course of the afternoon, Yusuke called during his break at the ramen shop. He wanted to see if Hiei had awakened and if Kurama wanted him to stop by with some ramen later on. Kurama politely declined. Yusuke was forced to cut the call short when a large party came in for dinner, but made Kurama promise to call him if the demons needed anything.

Kurama hung up the phone and leaned heavily against the wall. He hated making promises he knew he couldn't keep. His secret lover was his responsibility. Hiei had been hurt by Kurama's adversary in an attempt to demoralize the fox. Hiei's condition was Kurama's fault as far as the kitsune was concerned. To delegate Hiei's care to another would not only deeply hurt the hiyoukai emotionally, it would be shirking his responsibility. Kurama gathered himself for a moment before shaking off these thoughts and returning to the guests. Luckily no one had noticed his brief lapse in composure.

Finally, as the sun was beginning to set, the human and the ice maiden said goodbye and left. Although Kurama enjoyed their visit, he really wanted some time alone with his lover, time to hold Hiei and reassure him. He could not do this if there were guests. A voice broke through his thoughts.

"Shuuichi? Hiei? What would you two like for dinner?" Shiori asked, heading into the kitchen.

"Mother, that isn't necessary, I can cook for us," the kitsune objected.

"I know you can. I want to help you," Shiori said sweetly. Giving up, Kurama just shrugged. Sitting on the sofa, he gathered Hiei into his arms and began to rock the small demon gently, supporting his head as if holding a baby. Hiei seemed comforted by this, and when Shiori brought out three plates of food for dinner, Kurama was reluctant to let go of his treasure.

When they had finished eating, Shiori cleared the plates from the living room. In the kitchen she stood staring at the almost full plate before her. She had tried to get her son to eat, but he always made himself busy with feeding Hiei or conversing with them. He had artfully avoided eating once again. Instead of wrapping the food, Shiori instead left the plate on the counter.

"Shuuichi? Would you please come here a moment?" she called pleasantly. Slowly, Kurama stood and resituated Hiei on the mountain of throw pillows.

"I'll be right back, Love," he whispered, kissing Hiei's cheek softly.

"Okay," Hiei replied. The hiyoukai seemed better able to deal with short-term absences as long as he could hear Kurama's voice. Kurama made his way into the kitchen.

"Yes, Mother?" he asked politely.

"Shuuichi, Sweetheart, you are going to eat your dinner right now," Shiori said, guiding the kitsune by his arm to a chair, seating him, and placing the meal in front of him. When he tried to protest she cut him off. "Enough! You made excuses to skip lunch. I know you have your hands full right now, but you have to take care of yourself. Now, eat." Kurama recognized her tone as one that would not be argued with, and he reluctantly began to eat, ignoring the nausea the food caused him.

Finally, Shiori was satisfied that her son was not about to starve to death in the next few hours. Kurama arose slowly, careful not to jar his roiling stomach. He went back out to the couch again to hold Hiei. The fire demon looked very nervous, having been left alone for about twenty minutes. The fox gently cuddled the hiyoukai to him.

As Shiori came out of the kitchen she said, "Shuuichi, I can make up a bed for myself on the couch if you'd like."

"No, Mother," Kurama said, but stopped when his stomach lurched upwards uncomfortably. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "I believe we will be fine alone tonight."

"But, Sweetheart, I want to help," Shiori protested, unwilling to leave her son alone with his burden.

"Mother, I appreciate the offer, really. But I do believe it would be better if you were to go back home tonight. Hiei and I need some time to just be together," Kurama insisted. Shiori looked at the two sitting on the couch. She knew they were demons, many years older than herself. But to her eyes they were small, childlike, and lost in the enormity of the task before them: coping with this situation. She was going to argue some more, but her son's eyes plead with her to leave it be. Finally she admitted defeat.

"Alright, Son. I will go home. I want you to call me if you need anything, no matter what time it is. Promise me," Shiori said. Kurama nodded, unable to voice the lie to his own mother. "Okay. I'll be back in the morning..."

"No, Mother. Please. I will call you in the morning, but I don't think it will be necessary for you to come over," Kurama said with a quick motion of his eyes to the hiyoukai in his lap. Shiori appraised him for a few minutes.

"We'll talk it about it on the phone tomorrow, Shuuichi. Goodnight, Sweetheart, Hiei. I hope you feel better soon," Shiori said before she showed herself out.

When his mother was finally gone, Kurama felt very alone. Although Hiei was in his arms, he was lonely. He missed the times he and Hiei had enjoyed together before... As his stomach lurched again, Kurama quickly arose and resettled Hiei. "Love, I have to go to the bathroom. I promise I will be right back. Please don't get upset," he said quickly, and he practically ran to the lavatory. He shut the door firmly behind him and made it to the commode just in time for the first wave of nausea to wrack his body. Kneeling, he purged himself of the dinner he had forced down.

After the heaves subsided, Kurama rested his head against the cool porcelain. He was sweating and shaking. He raised himself unsteadily to his feet and went to the sink. In the mirror his countenance was pale and slightly green. He knew he should not have eaten, but he was not given much choice in the matter. Clumsily he took out his toothbrush and quickly brushed his teeth.

When he returned to the living room he heard a small voice calling out timidly, "Kurama?" every few seconds. Closing his eyes, he returned to the couch to reassure his lover that he had not run off.

Kurama held Hiei on the couch for a long time. After his initial sickness, he only felt slightly ill, and the room had stopped spinning so fast. He just chalked it up to stress and perhaps some lingering effects of his previous concussion. Luckily Hiei's senses were still dulled by the effects of the perception ward, and the hiyoukai never noticed his lover's distressed state.

When the small fire youkai had fallen asleep in Kurama's arms, he gently lifted the demon and carried him to bed. Once they were both tucked under the covers together, Kurama steeled himself for another sleepless night of comforting his beloved.

When the morning sun peeked into the window, it illuminated two forms. One slept soundly, unmoving in the embrace of the other. Weary green eyes watched the slumbering one closely, alert for any signs of fright. Numerous times over the night Hiei had begun to moan in remembered pain. A few times he called out loudly for Kurama. Several times he had whimpered pitifully. Kurama had soothed him time and again, speaking to him, reassuring him, and gently stroking his hair. Hiei was finally resting peacefully, but the kitsune had not slept a wink. Taking a few deep breaths, Kurama arose and carried his still-sleeping lover to the living room again.

When Hiei was comfortably settled, and still quite asleep, Kurama went into the kitchen to get a drink. Despite brushing his teeth, the fox's throat was dry and his mouth had a filmy, sickly taste to it. He got himself a glass of water. Before he could swallow the first sip he quickly spit it into the sink as his stomach heaved at the mere thought of ingestion. Shaking, Kurama poured the rest of the water away. He was concerned about his inability to hold anything down. Before he could give it much thought, though, a noise from the living room called his attention. Hiei was waking up.

Returning to the living room, Kurama sat next to Hiei as the fire demon slowly returned to consciousness. When the sightless crimson eyes opened, Kurama greeted his lover softly, "Good morning, Love. How do you feel?"

"Warm," Hiei replied sleepily with a smile. The hiyoukai was obviously comfortable among the pillows. "Kurama?" he asked softly.

"Yes, Love?" the kitsune answered.

"I'm sorry. I know you won't leave me. I don't want to make you stay by my side every minute of every day," the half koorime began.

"Hiei, there is no place I would rather be," Kurama assured him, gently running slender fingers through the dark locks. "This is where I belong." Relief washed over Hiei's face as his smile widened. "Will you be alright, Love, while I make you breakfast?" the fox asked.

"Yes," Hiei replied, still smiling.

Kurama spoke to Hiei intermittently as he prepared some food for the hiyoukai. From time to time, the kitsune would have to stop speaking and step away from the food as a wave of nausea flooded him. He wasn't sure why he was so sick. When the feeling passed he would continue with breakfast and with the conversation.

Finally, the food was ready. Kurama carried it into the living room and placed it on the table. "Are you ready to eat?" he asked his lover.

"Shouldn't you call your mother first, Fox?" Hiei suggested.

Kurama nearly jumped. He had completely forgotten about calling Shiori, something very unlike him. He most certainly did not want his mother to just come by this morning. She had a way of knowing whenever he felt ill, and now was not a good time to worry her like that. The fox decided his only option was to try to talk her out of visiting until he felt better. Taking a deep breath, he dialed the number.

"Moshi moshi, Hatanaka residence, Shiori speaking," came her cheerful voice over the line.

"Good morning, Mother," Kurama said in as strong a voice as he could.

"Shuuichi! How are you? How is Hiei? Should I come over?" the voice rushed out.

"No, Mother. We're just fine. Yes, much better today. No, we just woke up and we have not eaten breakfast. Yes, I will. I will. Mother, I will. Yes. I will! Okay, thank you. No, no, I will call you tomorrow. Yes, sooner if we need anything. Yes, I love you, too, Mother. Yes. Goodbye." Kurama hung up the phone with a sigh. Settling himself once again behind Hiei, the fox began to feed the fire demon.

When Hiei's plate was empty, Kurama just placed it on the table and held his beloved in a gentle embrace. The two sat in silence for a while. As comfortable as this position was, eventually it got boring.

"Hiei?' Kurama called gently.

"Yes?" Hiei answered.

"I know a few books that I think you would like. If you want, I could read them to you. I think it will be relaxing," the kitsune suggested.

"I suppose," Hiei replied. Very carefully, Kurama extricated himself from behind the fire demon, and went to the bookshelf to fetch several novels. He also got some tea for Hiei and brought everything back to the couch. The entire time, he continued speaking to Hiei, so the other would know where he was. Finally, the two were back in their comfortable positions, with a large stack of books before them. Before he could begin reading, however, Hiei interrupted him.

"Fox? Why do you not want your mother to be here?" Hiei asked as Kurama opened the first book.

"Hiei, you wouldn't understand. I love her dearly, but I am not four years old, and sometimes I think she forgets that. I think we need some us time right now, and we won't get that if she feels she has to take care of us constantly," Kurama explained.

"Us time. I like that," Hiei mused. Kurama smiled. Hiei was becoming much more open than he had been; he was sharing his emotions through the expression on his face and in words. The change made Kurama feel good. Clearing his throat, the kitsune began to read aloud.