Six months after Shuichi had fallen into a coma, Yusuke received a call from the hospital informing him that he'd woken up. Yusuke was at work and dropped everything to go to the hospital, leaving a stammering Kuwabara to explain his absence to Koenma.
When he arrived he found a nurse tending to Shuichi. Shuichi turned his head when Yusuke entered the room. The nurse turned as well, smiling at him. She patted Shuichi's shoulder.
"Your friend is here now," she told Shuichi. She started towards Yusuke. She lowered her voice when she spoke to him. "He can't speak very well so try to encourage him to rest," she told him. "Don't let him overexert himself."
"Is he okay?" Yusuke whispered back, concerned.
"He's fine," she assured him. "Just remember what I told you about his voice. His doctor will be by tonight to explain things to you in detail."
Yusuke nodded and stepped aside to let her pass. Shuichi's eyes followed her as she left and then moved back to Yusuke. Yusuke sat down in the chair beside the bed and laid his hand on Shuichi's thin wrist.
"Good to see you, man," he said, swallowing a lump in his throat.
Shuichi smiled, reaching over with his other hand to rest it on Yusuke's hand.
"Your boyfriend will be by later," Yusuke told him.
Shuichi's eyes widened. He opened his mouth but couldn't form any kind of coherent sound.
"Hey, hey, calm down," Yusuke told him. "It's okay. Calm down." Shuichi's fingers clenched around Yusuke's wrist. "Easy, man, easy. I'll get you a notepad later so we can talk, all right? Just relax."
Shuichi did relax, his grip loosening on Yusuke's wrist.
"I, ah, got some news for you," Yusuke said, hoping to cheer Shuichi up. Shuichi's green eyes focused on him intently.
"Keiko's gonna be so mad at me for telling you when she's not here," Yusuke continued. Shuichi raised one eyebrow in a silent inquiry. "We got married," Yusuke told him. "And she's pregnant."
A moment later Shuichi was struggling to sit up, his hands clinging to Yusuke's shirt as he tried to hug him. Yusuke stood, leaning over him and laughing as he tried not to jostle the cords attached to Shuichi. Shuichi managed to awkwardly get an arm around his shoulders. He pressed his forehead against Yusuke's chest. He remained like that for a few seconds, fingers curled in the fabric of Yusuke's shirt.
When he pulled back Yusuke saw that Shuichi was smiling broadly.
"You missed all the celebration," Yusuke told him. "But we decided to postpone the whole white wedding shit until you woke up. It wouldn't have felt right without you there." He resumed his seat in the chair, patting Shuichi's arm. "Who else is gonna be my best man?"
Shuichi made a choked noise, tears beginning to spill down his cheeks.
"Shit, man, don't do that," Yusuke complained. "It's over now, okay? They got the bastards. Sekyo and Karasu are both in jail. You're safe."
Shuichi nodded, scrubbing at his eyes with his hand, but it still took some time for the tears to stop. Yusuke could feel wetness stinging his own eyes but he held them back and concentrated on comforting his friend. He could cry later, when he was alone and Shuichi would not be there to see.
-0-
Yusuke could have called Hiei at his work or Yukina at their home to inform them of Shuichi's awakening but he decided to keep it a surprise. Hiei showed up at the hospital expecting to find Shuichi asleep as he had been during all of his previous visits. He was stunned to see Shuichi awake and sitting up, propped up by pillows, with Yusuke sitting beside the bed.
Shuichi looked just as stunned to see him. His mouth opened then closed.
"And that's my cue to leave," Yusuke said with a grin. He patted Shuichi on the shoulder as he stood. "Don't get up to anything naughty while I'm not here. I'll be back later, Shuichi."
He paused beside Hiei before leaving. "He can't talk right now," Yusuke informed him. "I'm gonna get him a notepad later."
Hiei frowned but nodded. He took Yusuke's previous spot beside the bed. Shuichi gave him an uncertain look. Hiei waited until he was sure that Yusuke was gone before he spoke. He closed his fingers around Shuichi's wrist.
"I owe you an apology," he said quietly. "I never wanted to break up with you. I only did it because Sekyo asked me to."
Shuichi's eyes turned steely and he tried to jerk his hand from Hiei's grip but Hiei held on. "Just wait," he snapped. "I haven't explained everything yet."
Shuichi's sour expression told him that the redhead probably wasn't interested in his explanation but he plunged on anyway. "He told me that he could find my sister," he informed Shuichi.
Shuichi stilled, his expression changing to one of confusion.
"She's been missing for a long time," Hiei said. "I've been looking for her for years. I've finally found her. She's home and safe."
Shuichi leaned back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling, his lips pressed in a thin line. Then he closed his eyes.
"I know I hurt you," Hiei said softly. "And I don't blame you for being angry at me. But I didn't have a lot of choice. I was in a really difficult position."
Shuichi turned his head to regard him, his expression unreadable. Finally, after several long seconds of thought, he nodded.
Hiei scowled. "What does that mean?" He demanded.
A small smile flitted across Shuichi's face. He reached over and took hold of Hiei's wrist. Hiei allowed Shuichi to tug it free from where it was still curled around his own wrist and lifted it. Shuichi brought it to his lips and planted a soft kiss on it.
Hiei's breath caught. Did that mean that Shuichi understood? That he forgave him?
"Thank you," he whispered. He felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He'd been carrying around the guilt for so long that he'd forgotten how it felt to be free of it. He didn't deserve this wonderful man.
-0-
Hiei paused at the doorway of Shuichi's room, frowning when he realised that Shuichi wasn't alone. The woman sitting on the chair beside his bed was not dressed like a nurse and Hiei had never seen her before. Shuichi smiled at him and raised one hand, waving him in. Hiei noticed as he approached to stand beside the bed that a notepad rested on Shuichi's lap.
Hiei stared at the woman with narrowed eyes. She smiled Kindly at him.
"Hello. I am Aki Hirashi," she greeted him. "Are you a friend of Mr. Minamino's?"
Shuichi wrote something on the notepad and held it up for the woman to see.
"Ah," she said. "Boyfriend. I see. I'd like to speak with you later, if that's alright with you."
"Why?" Hiei demanded. He ignored Shuichi's reproachful look. He knew that he was being rude but he still didn't know why this woman was there.
Her tone softened when she answered him. "I am a counsellor," she said. "I work with police officers who've been through traumatic events. Mr. Koenma asked me to speak to Mr. Minamino."
"I still don't see why you need to speak to me," Hiei told her. Shuichi swatted at his arm, clearly annoyed with him. He was frowning up at Hiei.
Aki looked between them. "Perhaps I should leave the two of you to talk," she suggested. "It was lovely meeting both of you. Please think about what I've said, Mr. Minamino." She took a card from her pocket and set it on the table before leaving the room.
Hiei took her chair. "All right, what was that about?" He grumbled. "Why does she need to talk to me?"
Shuichi's pen hovered over the notepad. Hiei watched as he started to bite his bottom lip anxiously.
"Out with it," he said sternly.
Shuichi's eyes flicked briefly to him before returning to the paper. He slowly began to write. When he handed the notepad to Hiei, his hand was shaking slightly.
Three words were written there in Shuichi's neat writing and they sent a chill through Hiei.
'I was raped' was all it said.
Hiei looked back up at Shuichi. Shuichi had turned his face away, staring towards the window.
For a moment Hiei didn't know what to say. Finally he said, "I'm sorry." He'd known that Shuichi had been tortured but hadn't realised that it had gone further than that.
Tears began to spill silently down Shuichi's cheeks. He reached out one hand and snatched the notebook from Hiei. He tore the top sheet of paper from the book and let the book fall to his lap. Then he tore the piece of paper into pieces. He let them fall on the sheet, He still wouldn't look at Hiei.
Hiei didn't know what to say but he also didn't want to leave Shuichi alone. They sat in silence for a long time.
-0-
Over the coming days, Shuichi's voice slowly returned, though he was unable to speak loudly or for long periods of time.
"You're just trying to get out of the wedding speeches," Yusuke scolded him as they sat waiting for the doctor to arrive and discharge Shuichi from the hospital.
Shuichi smirked at him. "Perhaps I could create a slide presentation instead?" He suggested. "Complete with embarrassing childhood photos."
Kuwabara guffawed. "You have embarrassing photos?" he demanded. "You have to share them, man."
"No!" Yusuke exclaimed. "You don't really, do you, man?" he asked Shuichi worriedly. Shuichi simply smiled back at him innocently. Yusuke turned his eyes to Hiei, who was leaning against the windowsill and ignoring them. "He doesn't, does he?" he asked.
"How would I know?" Hiei demanded. "I haven't been through his crap."
Shuichi's belongings had been moved into Hiei's house when they'd realised that the rent on his apartment couldn't be paid. Yusuke had been going to pay for storage but Hiei had suggested that they just leave it in his house, since he had the room. Shuichi would be staying with Hiei until he found another apartment.
The doctor entered the room then and began lecturing Shuichi on how to care for his foot and his throat. Shuichi dutifully listened but Yusuke doubted that he was taking much of it in since his eyes had glazed over slightly. Hiei had approached the bed and was now standing beside it, his hand gripping Shuichi's as he stared at the doctor.
"Well, I suppose I can let you go now," the doctor said. "It seems like you have a lot of people to help you."
Shuichi smiled. "Yes, I do," he agreed.
Shuichi asked everyone to leave while he changed into a set of clothes more suitable for being outdoors than the pyjamas he'd had on. Hiei tried to help him walk down the hall but Shuichi insisted that he was fine and stubbornly relied solely on his walking cane for the entire walk. By the time they reached Hiei's car, Shuichi was panting. He didn't object when Hiei opened the door for him and slid into the passenger seat with relief, leaning his cane against his leg.
"Take care of yourself, man," Yusuke told him. "Call me later, okay?"
Shuichi gave him a warm smile. "Of course," he said. From behind Yusuke, Kuwabara waved at him.
-0-
Shuichi had never seen Hiei's house before. As they pulled into the driveway, he gave Hiei a disapproving look. Hiei caught the look from the corner of his eye as he parked the car.
"What?" He asked.
"The garden," Shuichi said flatly,
"What about it?" Hiei asked.
Shuichi paused, considering his phrasing. Hiei switched off the motor and sat there, waiting for Shuichi to continue.
Finally he said, "Have you ever heard of weeding?"
Hiei glared at him. "Smartass," he muttered as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "I'm busy, okay?"
"I'm not," Shuichi murmured. Koenma had given him two months off with the option of extending the time if Shuichi felt he needed it. He was uncertain if he would ever be able to do field work again, as his foot could make him a liability. The thought of working behind a desk permanently didn't appeal to him though. He was tentatively considering a change in career but was hesitant to make any rash decisions. He'd resolved to use the time off to think about it and see what transpired.
"Don't you dare," Hiei snapped. "You're supposed to be resting."
Shuichi shrugged. "I'll be careful," he said. "I'll probably need help with the taller plants but once those have been taken care of, the ones close to the ground won't be a problem for me. I can sit down and rest my foot while I'm weeding and pruning them."
Hiei got out of the car and stomped around to the passenger side. Shuichi was already halfway out of the car by the time Hiei reached him, his hand gripping his cane as he got to his feet. Hiei shut the door behind him.
"You're going to kill yourself," he muttered to Shuichi as he took the man's arm, ignoring Shuichi's protest and guiding him to the house. Yukina stood on the porch, bathed in soft light. She was wearing an apron and she gave them a broad smile as they approached.
"Come in," she said, ushering both of them into the warmth of the house. "You're just in time. I just finished cooking dinner."
Shuichi's mouth began watering at her words. He'd been lucky enough to sample Yukina's cooking when she'd brought him some meals while he was in the hospital and he had to admit that Hiei was not exaggerating her skill.
"That sounds … won... derful," he managed to get out. His voice was getting raspy again. He coughed. Hiei gave him a concerned look.
"Shut up," he told him. "You're not allowed to talk for the rest of the evening."
Shuichi rolled his eyes at the ceiling. Then he mouthed, "Yes, sir," at Hiei. Hiei was no lip-reader but Shuichi's expression and exaggerated lip movements clued him in to what Shuichi was saying.
"Glad to know you still remember your place," Hiei chuckled. Yukina gave them a confused look but Hiei shook his head, deciding to leave the explanations for later. She would find out the nature of their relationship soon enough but tonight wasn't really the time for explanations. Hiei just wanted to enjoy the evening.
-0-
Several days later Shuichi was snuggled up against Hiei as they watched television in the living room. They had the house to themselves as Yukina was spending the night with Keiko. Yusuke had invited them to stay at Kuwabara's with him but they had declined.
Hiei ran his fingers through Shuichi's hair as Shuichi rested his cheek against Hiei's shoulder. The television was on but the sound was low as neither of them were really interested in the movie anymore.
"My boss Koenma called me today," Shuichi murmured.
Hiei frowned. "What did he want?" he demanded. "You can't go back to work yet."
Shuichi shifted so that he was sitting beside Hiei with his head resting against the back of the couch. "He wants to charge Karasu for what he did to me," he said. "He thinks that we can use it to put Karasu away for a lot longer. But I have to testify."
"Are you going to do it?" Hiei asked. "It won't be easy."
Shuichi smiled bitterly. "Yes, I know," he said. "But I think I have to."
"You don't have to do anything," Hiei snapped at him. "They can't force you."
Shuichi gave him a surprised look. "I didn't mean it quite like that," he told him. His smile had shifted to one that held mild amusement. "I meant that I feel like I have to do it for me." He laid his head back on Hiei's shoulder.
"I see. Well, if that's what you want to do…" Hiei resumed stroking Shuichi's hair again.
"You know…" Shuichi said quietly after several minutes had passed.
"Mmmm," Hiei said, not really listening to him. He'd begun to doze off.
Shuichi raised his head to stare at Hiei, shifting a little. Hiei used the arm he'd had wrapped around Shuichi to pull him closer.
"We should have the wedding here," Shuichi said.
Hiei was suddenly wide awake. He glared at Shuichi. "Here?" he demanded incredulously.
Shuichi's smile was angelic and it sent a shiver down Hiei's spine. He was quickly learning that this particular look never boded well for him.
"It's perfect," Shuichi said. "The backyard is large enough. And I should be able to get the garden into shape by spring."
"Assuming I let you work in the garden," Hiei scowled at him.
Shuichi chose to ignore his comment, continuing. "The baby should be here by then as well," he said.
Hiei groaned, realising that Shuichi was set on this course of action. And he knew his sister well enough to know that she would be ecstatic over the idea when Shuichi presented it to her. Which he undoubtedly would, with or without Hiei's permission.
Hiei gave Shuichi's hair a gentle tug. It had grown longer during his hospitalisation and Shuichi had yet to have it cut. "You're impossible, you know that," he mumbled. "How the hell do you always seem to get your way?"
Shuichi smirked. "I'm just that good," he told Hiei.
"If you weren't injured I'd spank you," Hiei scowled.
"Don't let that stop you," Shuichi laughed. Then he coughed and Hiei gave him a concerned look. He retrieved a bottle of water from the coffee table and shoved it at Shuichi. Shuichi took several gulps before handing the bottle back. He took a few deep breaths before laying his head back on Hiei's shoulder.
"You still want to?" Hiei asked him, surprised. "Resume our… activities?"
He felt Shuichi nod against his shoulder. "After a little… renegotiation," he said hoarsely.
"Renegotiation?" Hiei asked nervously, wondering what Shuichi had in mind.
Shuichi sat up and took another sip from the water bottle before he reached for the notepad that had been sitting beside the bottle. He wrote for several seconds before handing it to Hiei.
Hiei read, 'No more clubs, no tying my feet.' Hiei assumed that the second part had to do with Shuichi's sore foot.
He nodded. "And?" he asked.
Shuichi took the notepad back, adding something below what he'd already written.
'Don't leave me alone while tied up.'
Hiei was surprised at the last one. "That sounds fair enough," he said. "Anything else?"
Shuichi shrugged. Hiei held the notepad out to him but he shook his head. "Enough. For now," he said. "I need time to think." His voice was raspy and he raised his hand to his throat, rubbing it as if it were irritating him. Hiei put the notepad back on the table.
"Take your time. There's no rush," he told him. "I'm not going anywhere." Privately he was glad that Shuichi planned to think about it more. He felt that Shuichi still had issues that he needed to work out.
Shuichi set the water bottle back onto the coffee table after taking another sip. Then he rested his head on Hiei's shoulder again. One hand reached up to play idly with the buttons on Hiei's shirt.
"Neither am I," Shuichi mumbled. Hiei smiled, though he knew Shuichi couldn't see it. Shuichi snaked his left arm around Hiei's waist.
Hiei rested his cheek against Shuichi's mane of red hair, the scent of Shuichi's rose scented shampoo teasing his nose.
He picked up the remote and began flicking through the channels. By the time he'd found a documentary to watch, Shuichi was snoring softly.