Two weeks later, Hiei went an entire day without throwing up. Shiori was delighted. "How many weeks are you?" she asked for the first time, suddenly realizing she had assumed Hiei wasn't very far along.
"Fifteen weeks," Hiei muttered. He was willing to tell her the truth since Kurama trusted her so completely, but that didn't mean he wanted to answer questions any more than he had before.
Shiori's eyes widened. "We need to get moving then, if we want to get Shuichi's stepfather out of the house before you start showing." Her eyes sparkled. "Oh, I'm so excited!"
Hiei ground his teeth together as he contemplated her words. What Shiori didn't realize was that he could already see the changes in his body. No one else would, except perhaps Kurama, if Kurama ever saw him shirtless. His stomach was no longer completely flat with well-defined muscles. Instead, it was very slightly rounded and almost all the definition had disappeared. It sickened him.
A month later, Shiori was still rushing around, happier than Kurama had ever seen her. He couldn't say the same of himself or Hiei. What they hadn't told Shiori was that there was at least a fifty percent chance Hiei would die in childbirth. But the knowledge was taking its toll on Kurama, as were Hiei's mood swings. They were both worried about the idea of being parents, both fearful for Hiei's life, both on edge because of Hiei's haywire hormones.
By now, Kurama could see the swelling beneath Hiei's shirt. Hiei was not happy about it. He was even less happy when Keiko stopped by to see Kurama. When she saw Hiei was there, she was even happier. Kurama hadn't told them Hiei was staying with him. He just had to keep Yusuke and Kuwabara away. He had a suspicion, however, that the girls would act like Shiori.
Sure enough, when she entered and saw Hiei, she was startled. "Hiei! Kurama didn't say you were staying here." She turned a glare on Kurama, but it only lasted a moment before she turned back to Hiei. "How are you feeling?"
"Humiliated."
Keiko's face was confused. Kurama supplied an answer to the unspoken question, "Pregnancy is generally considered a feminine process, Keiko. And Shiori's already giving him—and the baby—far more attention than he would like."
Keiko nodded then asked quietly, "Hiei, please don't kill me for asking, but can I…?" She reached out towards him, indicating she wanted to feel his swollen stomach.
"No," Hiei snapped, turning away from her and holding his belly as though to protect it from the human girl.
Keiko's face fell, but Kurama reassured her, "Don't feel bad, Keiko. He hasn't given my mother a chance either. In fact, the only time he allows me to touch his stomach is when he's asleep."
"Excuse me?" Hiei demanded.
Kurama shrugged. "If you'd let me when you were awake, I wouldn't need to resort to stealth. It's my kid too."
Hiei glared, then muttered, "You're not the one carrying the damn thing."
Keiko hit him on the back of the head. "Don't talk about him that way!" Then she turned to Kurama and said, "I've convinced Yusuke to put off the wedding for a while."
"Why?" Kurama asked.
"We want the two of you to be there," she said exasperated. "And Hiei obviously doesn't want anyone to know, so we can't have it until after he's born. Of course," she added slyly, "I'd like to know how you intend to keep it a secret once you have a crying baby in your arms. Once you have a toddler running around."
"You don't need to try so hard, Keiko," Kurama sighed. "We decided to keep the child. Whether or not Hiei—never mind."
"Whether or not Hiei what?" Keiko demanded.
"Ow!" Hiei suddenly interrupted.
Keiko looked at him. Assuming it was because she had slapped him, she said, "That was more than a little belated, Hiei. Don't try to pretend it actually hurt you, either."
Hiei ignored her, looking down at himself. "Hiei?" Kurama asked. "Is something wrong?"
Hiei continued staring down for a moment, then he shook his head. When he looked up at Kurama, there was a small, slightly awed smile on his face. "It kicked." His voice held more wonder than Kurama would have imagined Hiei was capable of possessing. "For the first time, it kicked."
Keiko looked like she was going to burst with excitement. "I have to go tell the others!" She quickly kissed them each on the cheek and departed before either had a chance to stop her.
Hiei was staring down at his rounded belly once again. "Tell who?" he asked.
"Shizuru and Botan, I assume," Kurama answered. He stepped toward Hiei and pulled his lover into a hug. Hiei rested his head on Kurama's shoulder, wrapping his arms around Kurama's waist. Kurama went on, "And she's right, you know. We won't be able to keep it a secret forever. We won't even be able to keep it a secret for very long." Kurama felt Hiei's nod on his shoulder. Then Kurama asked, "We'll need to tell them eventually. Do you want to tell them now or later?"
"Later." Hiei's answer was definitive. "I'm going to get enough crap from the two of them for being able to get pregnant in the first place. There is no way I am letting them see me like this."
Kurama chuckled quietly, swaying from side to side, almost as though he was listening to music only he could hear. Hiei winced as the child kicked again. "Hiei," Kurama said slowly.
"Yeah?"
"The kid hasn't even been born yet and it already wants to be in the middle of everything," Kurama murmured, putting his forehead to Hiei's. "It can't walk or talk or even breathe on its own yet and it's already interrupting my moment alone with you."
"You felt that too?" Hiei asked.
Kurama nodded. "And there is something… thrilling about it. It's not just an idea anymore. You are actually supporting something that's alive."
"A parasite?" Hiei asked.
"Sure," Kurama laughed. Then he pressed his lips to Hiei's in a manner that wasn't anything like the passionate ones that had resulted in the pregnancy. It was caring and gentle and supportive. And watching from the doorway, Shiori saw all the love in the world passing between the two men dancing to silent music in her living room.