Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters. Just OCs and plot.
Stormie: *singsong voice* Guess what?
Kiyoshi: No…
Stormie: *still singsong voice* I'm back!
Kiyoshi: -_- Oh God, please no.
Stormie: And I've brought another story ^_^
Kiyoshi: No, no, no, no, no…
Stormie: So sit back, relax, and enjoy the first chapter!
Makoto: *looks to Kiyoshi* I think he fainted.
It was the first day of the rest of Emiko's and Makoto's lives.
The couple smiled happily as they signed the last paper in a huge packet in Spirit World. A decision had been made on their appeal. Joy was a word that could hardly contain their excitement.
They were about to become parents.
Now, to backtrack, it had been two whole years since the couple had mated, two years since Emiko's mother and father, Yoshezame and Hiei, had been mated. Her brother, Kiyoshi, had also mated with her best friend, Hintai. The family survived a huge ordeal together. Yoshezame was an ice maiden who had given birth to twins like Hiei's mother, Hina. She had wanted to raise her children together, but the ice maiden elders had gotten in the way. They ordered the death of her son, just as Hiei's death had been ordered. Rui, the maiden who had cast Hiei out of the land, brought this new "imiko" to the older fire demon. He raised Kiyoshi by himself. One day, the child wanted to meet his mother, and he asked Hiei to take him to the glacial village. The adoptive father was reluctant, but he had hoped for the best for the boy.
The worst happened.
Yoshezame was being watched by the elders. The threatened both her children, and she needed to get Kiyoshi to leave. Unfortunately, she used hateful words to send the boy she loved so much away. Emiko had been happy to have a brother, and she decided to leave with Kiyoshi and Hiei to get to know her twin. She was labeled a traitor.
The disheartened mother spent ten years incarcerated for allowing her daughter to leave. She was given a final request to make things right with her kids before facing her death sentence. None were willing to accept her until she finally came out with the whole truth. Once she had, her children and their father understood that she was just as much a victim as they were. It didn't mean they condoned her words, and Yoshezame did everything she could to prove that she never meant those harmful sentiments.
Eventually, they became a family in the truest sense, Hiei falling for Yoshezame and learning to forgive the woman. They mated around the same time their kids did, and eventually they married. Yoshezame, like Hiei, started carving a life for herself now that she was freed. As for the conditions of said freedom…
None of the imikos or those who chose to leave the glacial lands were ever to return, and, in exchange for their cooperation, if any other maidens gave birth to boys and wanted to raise their children together, then the elders would contact Koenma. The spirit detective gang would then go and escort the women to Human World where they could integrate into a more accepting society. Likewise, if there were mothers who did not want their sons, the children would be brought to Spirit World where the process of adoption could be started.
The cold-hearted witches had actually stuck to their part of the bargain. In the two year period, it was found the several of their "pure" maidens had found ways off of the island. Some had interacted with men and had become pregnant. There were even a few who had fallen in love with the men they were with, and not only did Spirit World escort the maiden, but their mates as well. Genkai's compound had become a go-between place for those looking to start new lives in Human World. It wasn't just subject to couples and their children, but also single-mothers just looking to escape with the children. The male babies that were not kept or wanted by their mother, they willingly put up for adoption, and that was the process Emiko and Makoto just completed.
"Congratulations, you two," Koenma fondly commended. "As soon as the babies are born, you two will be adopting your children."
Tears of joy filled Emiko's eyes, but she forced herself not to cry. She had become a lot better at keeping the crystals at bay which was better for the family as it meant less holes to dig. Makoto pulled her in for a gentle hug, a beaming smile on his face. They couldn't wait until their son and daughter finally came home. It was time to tell everyone their plans. They needed to celebrate.
Of all the days to be sick, Hintai was not pleased that it was the day of her last final. Earlier that morning, she had thrown up at least three times before she and Kiyoshi needed to get to the school. At first, her loving mate and husband really tried to convince her to contact the teachers and stay home. He would have stayed with her, she knew, but it was the last day. They didn't need incompletes hanging over them. She assured him she would eat light and drink water, then take the final and come straight home without waiting for him to finish his two exams.
So, she kept to her word. The last thing she needed was for him to worry, especially when she felt so much better by the time they got to the university. It was just what they needed before going their separate ways for testing. At least Hintai would then be free to go home and relax.
The two of them were living in the apartment where Kiyoshi and Emiko grew up with Hiei. After high school, neither twin wanted to leave their parents. Makoto and Hintai understood immensely. They had just gotten their mother back, and there was no reason to separate them from the family. There was so much lost time to make up for. Though cramped, both Hintai and Makoto decided they too would live at the apartment.
It had been about a year since Hintai and Kiyoshi had married and a half of a year since Emiko and Makoto had tied the knot also. Their families had grown close which was a huge relief. Hintai was certain her parents would flip over the whole fire and ice demon thing, but they had accepted Kiyoshi, Emiko, and their parents into their family. They still travelled quite often for her father's work, but they always made sure to come for holidays and get together with everyone when they returned from wherever they were. Existence had become peaceful.
When Hintai returned home, she decided to relax. Though she was feeling better, she couldn't be too careful. She had been under a lot of stress during the semester, and it was a huge relief to finally be over. Lying down on the bed, her eyes caught something out of place. A smile lit her features. She and Emiko had taken up scrapbooking during the semester as a form of stress relief, and one of hers was off the shelf. It was her high school rendition, lined with pictures from school spirit week, prom, graduation, and so many other things. Kiyoshi had to be the one to take it out. He usually did when he thought Hintai wasn't looking. He would always be the sentimental type, and Hintai loved him for it. As stressful as their years in high school had been, especially senior year with Yoshezame's appearance and the ice maidens crashing their graduation, it had been a really good time for all of them. They had made so many good memories that overshadowed the bad.
Hintai frowned at a couple of the early pictures for a moment, noticing Haruki beside their friend, Mel. Haruki had been their friend for the longest time, but in senior year he revealed himself to be a snake demon. He had gone after Kiyoshi, knowing he was Hiei's son. Apparently, these weak, low-leveled demons were sent after former thieves and their families. Hintai would never forget how much trouble that monster caused.
After some time, her mate's father and Uncle Kurama had determined that Haruki's goal was to get information on Kiyoshi and Emiko, as much as possible. He had befriended them to lure them into a false sense of security, and then, when he was ready to go somewhere with his findings, he tried to kill Kiyoshi. First, he tried to get him hooked on drugs, and despite Kiyoshi trying one pill, he had failed. Then he tried to drug him at Mel's party. It had been a nightmare. He had even gone so far as to brainwash two perfectly good students who looked thuggish in appearance and make everyone think they had changed him.
Of course, if it wasn't for Haruki, they wouldn't have met their friend Yuki, Mel's current fiancé. Everything had a way of working itself out, but there was still one lingering problem. The man who sent the snake demon would try again, and they had no idea when or where it would happen.
But Hintai refused to worry about that. Instead, she decided to reminisce more. Eventually, she dozed off, feeling completely drained of energy. Still, as she fell asleep, she wore a smile on her face.
"Thank you for your purchase," Kurama said to one of his patrons. "Come again."
The happy customer waved to the shopkeeper and left, humming merrily along. Other than that, it was a quiet day at the flower shop he now owned along with Hiei. The two had saved quite a bit over the years, even more after Yoshezame started working, and eventually the purchased the company from Kurama's stepfather. They were now even business partners while Hatanaka ran his other businesses.
Hiei came out from the back with more inventory to stock in the store. As quiet as it was now, it had been a mad dash earlier. Mother's Day was just around the corner. Hiei smirked at that. He couldn't wait to give Yoshezame her gift from him and the kids. Speaking of…
A bell chimed as the door to the shop opened, and Hiei looked over to see his mate. She smiled brightly in a way that always managed to set Hiei's soul on fire. "Good afternoon, boys."
"Yoshezame," Kurama greeted with a nod. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
The ice maiden looked over to her husband, and her expression matched his contented grin. "I was on lunch and wanted to see if you were busy."
Hiei looked over to his friend who nodded to him. "It seems like it's my lunch break, also. Where do you want to go?"
Yoshezame shrugged and said, "Why don't we walk around and see what catches our eye?"
"Sounds like a plan."
The couple roamed the blocks around the flower shop, hoping something would call to them. It wasn't unusual for their work days to go like this unless either of them were swamped and couldn't get away from work. Yoshezame and Rui, who had eventually accompanied them, were able to integrate into society perfectly. Rui had decided to attempt to make up for her past actions. She had gotten a job as a social worker, aiming to help children get out of terrible situations and get them into good homes like she had done for Kiyoshi. Likewise, Yoshezame hoped to make up for her mistakes by working in a foster home. She felt like she had been no better than the parents of those kids, having hurt Kiyoshi so badly and forced him away. Hers and Kiyoshi's relationship had improved immensely, and the almost twenty-year-old held no ill will to his mother. It didn't stop her from feeling such deep remorse. Some days, Kiyoshi would visit her at work and talk to and play with the kids. He was so proud of his mother for what she chose as her profession. Of course, he was completely oblivious to the reason why she made that choice.
"So, how has your day been?" Yoshezame asked her mate. He answered with a shrug, and she giggled at his non-committal answer.
"Busy," he told her, meeting her disbelieving gaze. "You happened to come at the break in the crowd."
Yoshezame smiled. "Have you heard from Kiyoshi today yet?"
Hiei shook his head. "He had a couple of finals. It could be a while."
The mother shook her head, chuckling at her own cluelessness. "I wish I understood that whole process. It seems so complicated."
"Well, they did grow up in this world preparing for challenges like this," Hiei remarked. "Not that I understand much of anything they ever brought home. The fox and the oaf were good for that."
Yoshezame loved hearing about the life her children and mate were able to lead before. For the longest time, she had felt guilt, but after some time that feeling left her. Her children were happy, and they made sure to include her in as many memories as possible. At least, she knew, that the time where she couldn't be there for them and couldn't protect them, they were safe. She cast a thankful glance over to Hiei. It was because of his selflessness and the help of his friends that her children had gotten to live a good life together. No matter what she endured, Yoshezame wouldn't have changed anything save her own words towards her innocent son and daughter.
"Hey," Hiei called, cutting through his wife's thoughts. Yoshezame halted next to him, looking at the sign to a somewhat fancy looking restaurant. "What about here?"
The woman smiled to the man she so luckily called her husband. "That would be nice, Hiei."
Kiyoshi returned to the apartment to find the place empty and quiet. He breathed out a sigh of relief, happy to be finished with the semester. His mind immediately went to Hintai, his mate having been ill. Checking his phone, he saw her text that she went home after her exam. She was probably resting.
Quietly, Kiyoshi headed upstairs carrying a plate of crackers and a glass of ginger ale to their room. The fire demon smiled at the sight of his love curled up in their bed, brown hair splayed around her head. She looked so beautiful and content asleep that Kiyoshi didn't want to wake her. Without a sound, he moved to place the crackers and soda on the nightstand. Then, he gave the woman a soft kiss on her forehead.
That was enough to cause Hintai to stir.
"Mm…Kiyoshi?" she murmured softly, not opening her eyes as she reached out to grab onto him.
Kiyoshi chuckled warmly. "Hey, Tai," he whispered, nuzzling her cheek with his nose. "I didn't mean to wake you. How are you feeling?"
"Better," she admitted, finally opening her amber eyes. "I stopped getting sick when we got to school, but when I came home I was insanely tired."
The fire demon frowned, looking to his hand skeptically before placing it on her forehead. He lowered his energy so that he'd actually be able to tell if the woman had a fever by touch. "Well, your temperature seems fine. Maybe you just needed to sleep it off."
"Yeah," Hintai agreed. "Maybe. Did your sister get home yet?" Kiyoshi shook his head. "I'm kind of surprised that she and Makoto dropped off the face of the Earth for a couple days. Did they say where they were taking a trip?"
"No idea," Kiyoshi admitted. "All I know is that they left after their finals ended a couple days ago, and said that they'd be back soon."
"I guess we'll find out at dinner tonight," the woman murmured, yawning and drifting off again. Kiyoshi pulled away, but she grabbed onto his arm. "Wait…can you stay with me?"
Kiyoshi smiled at the woman and took her hand and squeezed it. "Of course I can." He then got into the bed beside her, pulling her close. Hintai let out a contented sigh, and Kiyoshi felt completely at ease in her presence. She was the love of his life, so very important to him. He would never let her go, nor would he leave her to feel like garbage alone. "I love you, Tai."
"Mm, love you too, Kiyo."
When Emiko and Makoto showed up for dinner that night, there was something different about them, at least from what Hiei and Yoshezame could tell. Emiko's hugs lingered just a bit longer than normal, and her enthusiasm was evident. Both she and her mate seemed to be walking on air, the smiles never leaving their face.
That wasn't the only thing the parents noticed. As they passed food around, Hintai seemed to be eating a bit less, asking for ginger ale or seltzer. Kiyoshi seemed worried, and Hiei covertly used his Jagan, his eyes widening upon what he found. Clearly his son and daughter-in-law were completely oblivious, and so he smirked, watching his son comfort his woman and encourage her to eat.
Around the time they were ready for dessert, Emiko and Makoto finally decided to explain to everyone just where exactly they had been the last few days. "So, we're sure everyone is wondering why we left so abruptly after finals," Makoto started, his voice trailing off awkwardly as he met the speculating glance of his father-in-law.
"Yeah, we passed wondering after the first few hours, bro," Kiyoshi replied, smiling slightly. "Seriously, why didn't you tell me you were planning to abscond with my sister?"
"It wasn't exactly planned," Emiko stated softly, her voice filled with so much warmth and excitement. "And we weren't escaping or really taking a trip. We were in Spirit World?"
Yoshezame and Hiei both looked perplexed, exchanging wary glances with each other before regarding their daughter. "Why did you decide to go there?" Hiei questioned. Though he had long since had a better relationship with Spirit World, they had barely spoken with Koenma save anything to do with the arrangement with the ice maidens.
"Well," Makoto pointed out, his eyes lighting up, "I'm sure you all understand what's been happening with me and Emi as far as kids go. We haven't been able to…"
Yoshezame knew. Emiko was an ice maiden like her, and she had not reached her first hundred years. It meant that it would be impossible for her to conceive a child with her human mate. Even if there was the possibility that Makoto's lifespan would be slightly increased, most likely he still wouldn't be able to live that long. "I'm sorry…" she murmured softly.
Makoto grinned at the woman and said, "Don't be. We decided a little while back that we were going to adopt, anyway."
"Where does Spirit World come into play?" Hintai asked. "Couldn't you just go to an agency?"
Emiko shook her head. "I asked Koenma when Makoto and I decide to keep up posted on any adoptions through the glacial lands."
Her brother, mother, and father all looked completely surprised. Her parents smiled knowingly, exchanging silent glances conveying their pride while Kiyoshi and Hintai asked simultaneously, "Seriously?"
Emiko beamed so brightly and nodded. "Uh huh. There was a maiden who truly believed in the stance of the elders, but she also planned on not being a mother at all."
"How is that possible?" Hiei sniffed with derisive humor. "I'm sure she knows her biology well enough."
"We don't really know the specifics," Makoto stated. "Only that she planned on giving up both of her children for adoption. Koenma contacted us a couple of days ago to fill out the paperwork for everything. So, now it's official."
Emiko added, "As soon as the children are born, Koenma told us they're ours."
"Oh, sweetheart," Yoshezame chimed, getting up to embrace her daughter. "That's wonderful news."
Kiyoshi did the same, moving to embrace his best friend and brother. He clapped the man on the back, the two of them laughing. "Congratulations, brother. You're going to make a hell of a dad."
"Thanks, Kiyo," Makoto returned, eyeing Hiei who simply nodded at him.
Hintai went over to Emiko and Yoshezame, hugging her friend and offering her support. Yoshezame immediately sensed something off about Hintai, and she looked to her husband for confirmation, the fire demon nodding curtly causing the woman to smile.
Good news was about to follow all around.