In all my fics so far I've portrayed Shiori as supportive of his demon heritage and his relationship with Hiei, but I thought it would be interesting to see how it would be if it was the other way around. Thus 'Acceptance' was born! Hope you enjoy it ^^
"Shuichi how could you?!" Shiori fumed, flailing her arms in the air in a vain attempt to vent her frustration. Kurama was standing in the doorway to their living room, having just changed. He had finally been caught in the act.
"Mother, let me explain." He said, and was mildly thankful when she didn't let him, because he had no idea how he would have done anyway.
"No, Shuichi! Haven't I raised you well? Don't you like other girls? And Hiei, of all people! Oh, what did I do wrong?!" Shiori wailed, plopping down onto the sofa and covering her face with her hands.
"Mother – there's nothing wrong with me." Kurama said gently, trying to calm her.
"Yes there is! If you came out right, then you wouldn't have been doing… You wouldn't have been doing anything!" Kurama sighed. This was not going to be an easy night. Walking towards her, he was surprised when she stood up and backed away.
"Mother…" He said, stopping.
"No! Get out! Get out of this house and don't come back! You hear me?! Get out!" She almost screeched, and Kurama felt his heart break. With tears blurring his eyes he reached out to touch her. Her palm connected firmly with his cheek, and he stared at the wall that he was now facing. The tears slipped from his eyes, his reddening cheek pulsing ferociously.
"Mother, please!" He begged, but she lifted her hand again. He backed away.
"Get out! You aren't my son!" She shouted, and Kurama flinched. She was right. Maybe her real son would have been better all along… Washed anew with raw feelings about destroying the life of not only this woman's foetus, but also her life as well, he turned and left the house.
Shaking and sobbing, Shiori slumped to the floor.
"Whoa. Isn't that Kurama?" Kuwabara asked, pointing in the direction of the red-haired boy sitting at the bottom of a tree in the park.
"Sure is. What's the big deal? He likes peace, and the trees here… Oh." Yuusuke said, noticing the tears still flooding down the smooth features of the fox-demon.
"I don't do emotion stuff. See ya, Urameshii." Kuwabara slapped Yuusuke's shoulder and then walked off, leaving a very confused Yuusuke to deal with the obviously distraught red-head.
Walking up slowly, he edged closer until he was standing before Kurama, but Kurama didn't even look up.
"Uh… Hey, Kurama." Yuusuke said.
"Yuusuke." Kurama acknowledged, voice wavering slightly.
"Uh… everything alright?"
"No." Kurama stated flatly, and Yuusuke looked around as if expecting an answer to fly out at him.
"Oh… Umm…" Yuusuke said, struggling for words.
"Can I stay with you for a while, Yuusuke?" Kurama asked, suddenly. Staring, Yuusuke frowned.
"Why? Don't you live with Shiori?" He asked, confused. He didn't know how to deal with emotions very well either. Usually he'd just pound the person. He knew Kurama wouldn't stand for that, though. Anyway, somehow he knew already that Kurama wouldn't fight back. That just made the whole thing pointless.
"…Not anymore." Kurama said, and Yuusuke stared. "She kicked me out. Can I stay? Just for a few weeks until the end of high school, and then I'll go to Makai."
"What are you saying, Kurama?!" Yuusuke exclaimed, at a total loss. "Why on earth did she kick you out?!"
"…She finally walked in on Hiei and I." Kurama said, and Yuusuke suddenly understood.
"…Oh." There was a long pause. "Well, you'll have to live with my Mum being around all the time, but you can come stay if you want." Yuusuke said, and Kurama finally looked up. Yuusuke bit his lip. Kurama's cheek was bright red.
"Thank you." Kurama said, smiling half-heartedly.
"…Sure. But, you know… You should try and talk it out with her…" Yuusuke said uncertainly. Kurama averted his gaze.
"Shiori has made up her mind. Going back now will only make it worse."
"Alright then Kurama… Come on home." Yuusuke said, helping Kurama to his feet.
"Yeah, kicked out." Yuusuke said to Kuwabara, Botan and Koenma.
"What for?" Koenma asked, incredulous.
"For getting it on with Hiei, I think." Yuusuke said flatly, and ignored Botan as her mouth fell open.
"Hiei and Kurama? "Getting it on"? You're kidding?" Yuusuke could understand her disbelief, but now wasn't the time.
"So he's staying with you? For how long?" Kuwabara asked.
"That's what I'm worried about. He said until the end of school, then he'll go back to the Makai."
"Go back? But doesn't that mean abandoning his human form for good? What does Hiei think?" Koenma asked.
"Hiei went back to the Makai already – I don't know." Yuusuke said, knowing that Hiei was most likely to steer clear until the whole thing had blown over. Only this time it didn't look like it would.
"So… He's really going to go through with it? Then why bother to finish school?" Kuwabara asked.
"It's obvious he still loves Shiori. He probably doesn't want to stain her reputation by giving up school. If he leaves at the end of the year, she can tell people he's moved away for work if she wants too. I think that part of him hopes that she'll change her mind too." Yuusuke said quietly, and they all nodded.
"So what can we do?" Botan asked hesitantly.
"I don't see anything we can do. This is Kurama's affair, and we can't change Shiori's mind." Koenma said reasonably.
"We could talk to Shiori." Botan suggested hopefully, but Yuusuke shook his head.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why on earth not?" Botan asked, surprised.
"…She hit him." Yuusuke whispered, and there was a long silence.
"You're sure?" Botan asked, biting her lip.
"Positive. Hard enough to bruise, I'll bet…" Yuusuke added. He wasn't going to tell them, but he didn't want anyone to confront Shiori. It was Kurama's choice. They couldn't force the matter. Shiori had to want to make the first step. He'd gone over there the night he'd found Kurama and slipped a note through the door to say where he was staying, just in case she wanted to visit him…
"Well… We'll have to leave it to Shiori then." Koenma stated. "No one's to interfere unless Kurama asks directly, understood?" He asked, looking around the nodding heads and then nodding himself. "Alright then." He said, and disappeared. Botan looked at Kuwabara and Yuusuke.
"Well now what do we do?" She asked.
"Nothin' we can do. I'm going home." Kuwabara stated. "Urameshii, you should go back." He said.
"Why?" Yuusuke asked, having been hoping to stay out for a bit.
"You kiddin'?" Kuwabara asked, amazed. "Yer jus' gonna leave Kurama with yer ma all night?"
"Point taken." Yuusuke agreed, and was quick to excuse himself and stride in the direction of his flat.
"Oh well. Back to work, I suppose." Botan said, and disappeared as Kuwabara made his way back to his own place.
Omg another one?! Please forgive meeeeee xD I found this one in an old folder (again) and decided to do some more on it, and make it into a bigger story. Hope you like, please review ^^
In all honesty the next chapter probably won't come for a while… Sorry about that ^^;;