The Past You Leave Behind
The Past You Leave Behind
Chapter 21
Kurama ushered Yusuke and Keiko into the kitchen. Saiyana gestured to Kuwabara to precede her into the kitchen. He crossed his arms over his chest in a defiant pose. Saiyana grabbed his ear and pulled. "No fair!" he cried "Only my sister does that to me!" She dragged him out behind her.
She gave Kuwabara's ear a twist and let him go, as she pushed him into the kitchen and closed the door. Kuwabara was holding his ear. "Why'd you do that?" he said as he looked at her accusingly. She pushed him backward and he fell into a chair. Her face only inches from his, she said. "You are acting like a child." "He should have told her!" he shouted. His face fell, "He should have told me."
"You would have known from the start if you had stayed to see the end of the tape." Yusuke said, although he was feeling a little guilty for not telling him after all these years. He'd finally told Keiko, but she had agreed not to tell Yukina. He thought that was probably more from her fear of Hiei than any other reason. "So once again, everybody knows but me, huh? Do you all think that I'm too stupid to be trusted with a secret?"
Saiyana twisted his ear again. "Ouch! Stop that!" "Now, you are being stupid. Can you say that you would have kept this from Yukina, knowing how much she wanted to find her brother?" He looked at the floor. "Of course I would have told her. She deserved to know." "And Hiei's feelings didn't matter at all did they? Yukina has told you of the circumstances of their birth, and why her brother was cast out. Can't you understand just a little of his side? You grew up knowing your parents and your sister. You wake up every morning knowing that they love you. You have never doubted your place in the world. Can you even begin to imagine the things he had to do, just to stay alive? Can you imagine living every day of your life knowing that your own people tried to murder you?"
"Grow up, Kuwabara. The world isn't all rosy. Your honor code only allows for black and white. There are a million shades of gray in the middle and you have to get used to it if you're going to survive. Yukina is very happy to have found her brother at last. She doesn't blame him for not telling her, and you shouldn't either. He did what he thought was right for her protection. Whether it was, or not; is not for us to judge. Maybe he was a little afraid. That's not for us to judge either. Be happy for them, and move on."
Kuwabara was quiet for a long time. He looked up at Saiyana. "You even sound like my sister, " he said. "I never looked at this from his point of view. Maybe I would've done the same if I really thought she was better off not knowing." She smiled and ruffled his hair. "Welcome to adulthood. Sucks, doesn't it?" He grinned and stood up. She let him this time. He pushed open the kitchen door.
Hiei and Yukina were sitting on the couch holding hands. Their tears had stopped, but a small fortune in tear gems were scattered about, some white, some black. Kuwabara walked up to Hiei and held out his hand. "I'm sorry. I had no right. You're my friend and I kind of forgot that for a while." Hiei looked up at him. "Hn. My sister loves you, so I guess I have to tolerate you." He took the outstretched hand. Yukina squealed. "I'm so happy!" Both men smiled at her with love in their eyes.
Saiyana and the others came back into the living room. She smiled at her mate. He smiled back. Yukina looked up at Saiyana. Her smile was radiant. She jumped off the couch and hugged Saiyana. "I have a sister!" Saiyana hugged her back. She heard Hiei's voice in her head. "I am glad you made me tell her, Onna." "Somehow, I don't think I MADE you do anything. But I'll take the credit anyway." "Hn."
"I have asked Yukina to come stay with us, Onna. She will be better protected there." Hiei said. Kuwabara started to protest. Saiyana smiled. "You're right. Kuwabara can stay as well. We have plenty of room and that way he won't have to worry about her."
Hiei scowled and Saiyana arched a brow at him. "Fine! But they aren't staying in the same room." Yukina giggled and Kuwabara turned three shades of red. "I wasn't thinking of that." Saiyana whispered in his ear on her way to the kitchen. "Of course you weren't." His ears turned the same shade as his face.
Kurama was laughing heartily. Yusuke slapped Kuwabara on the back. "You know, I think the one thing that you haven't thought of yet, is that when you finally get around to asking her, Hiei is going to be your brother-in-law." Howls of laughter were heard as Hiei said, "Over his dead body!" and Kuwabara's eyes grew wide as he said, "Holy shit!"
To be continued….