On his fifteenth week of pregnancy, Hiei was still amazed at how different he felt. Not only did he have more energy than he had during his first trimester, but he even had more energy than his pre-pregnant self. Thankfully, there were many outlets for this energy, mostly involving exercise, training, and certainly running around outside. In fact, these days, he spent almost all of his time outdoors. When he was indoors, he was likely to be using his extra energy for certain other activities.

For Hiei, superspeed had always made his feet the most reliable form of transport, but it was also just fun. He loved to feel the wind rushing through his hair, the soles of his shoes slapping the ground, the way the entire world seemed to slow down. He thought he would get tired after a few laps around the house, but he didn't.

Another thing he did was fight. Kurama had gotten him a punching bag, which he hung from the Tree of Life, and spent some time with each day. But his fighting wasn't limited to inanimate objects; Kurama, as the father of the baby, seemed reluctant to fight, but Yusuke was all too glad to have a sparring partner. Once they had set down the ground rules (no energy-based attacks like Spirit Gun, and nothing too rough), they spent most afternoons keeping their fighting skills in shape. Hiei was pleased that even though his pregnancy took up some of his youki, he could still hold his own in a fight. Yusuke and Keiko would often come to visit so that Yusuke could fight Hiei in the backyard while Kurama and Keiko had tea, and that was what they were doing today.

Hiei had just knocked Yusuke onto the ground with a powerful punch and was waiting for him to get up when he heard Kurama calling his name.

"Sorry, Yusuke, but we'll have to continue this later," Hiei told his friend, and in an instant he was at the backdoor, where Kurama was waiting with Keiko. Both of them were smiling.

"Is your mom here?" Hiei asked. "Today's the day she said she would take us to the baby shrine."

"Yes, Suitengu," Kurama confirmed. "But first, she has a present for you."

"Have you told her she doesn't need to go through all this trouble for me?" Hiei said calmly, his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants.

"Try telling that to her," Kurama said quietly, a soft smile on his face as his mom walked into the room, wearing her winter gear (Hiei had almost forgotten how easily humans were susceptible to the elements), and holding a wrapped package.

"Hiei!" she said happily, giving him a tight hug. "How are you, dear? And how's the little one?"

"We're fine," Hiei told her. "Just like yesterday, and the day before that."

"I'll go and collect Yusuke," said Keiko, stepping out into the backyard. "Have a nice time."

"Aren't you going to ask her what she brought for you, Hiei?" said Kurama in his mind-your-manners voice.

"Oh…right," said Hiei, taking the package from her. "What is it?"

"You'll have to unwrap it first, dear."

Hiei unwrapped the present and found himself holding an obi, a belt for a kimono.

"Well, I don't really wear kimonos, but maybe I could give it to my sister or something," Hiei told her matter-of-factly. However, he knew he had made a massive social blunder when he saw Kurama wince as if someone had just given him a wicked pinch. Shiori, though, seemed undeterred.

"It's a special obi for pregnant women—or men, in your case," she explained. "It helps with things like posture and backache. But it's also good for keeping the baby warm and protecting it from falls."

"I'm a fire demon, so I won't have any trouble keeping the baby warm, and since it's a demon, an ordinary fall won't hurt it," Hiei reassured her. Kurama put his face in his hands.

"Hiei, just put it on before I die of secondhand embarrassment," he said. It was only then that Hiei realized he was being rude by turning down the gift. Gifts were one human custom he had trouble understanding; humans seemed to exchange gifts a lot, especially when entering each other's houses, whereas in Makai, you were lucky if infringing on someone else's territory didn't get you killed. So he accepted the gift, but before he could try it on, Shiori shook her head, still smiling.

"You put the haraobi on when we get to your ceremony," she told him. "It's called Obiwai."

"So where is this place, anyway?" Hiei asked, as they walked through the kitchen and into the foyer, right by the front door.

"It's in downtown Tokyo, so it won't be a long way, but you should use the bathroom before we go," Shiori told him.

"Right, I will," Hiei agreed. She really does understand pregnancy, he thought.

Once Hiei answered nature's call, they left the house, then took the car to the train station. The cold air didn't bother Hiei, but even though he tried to accept humans for Kurama's sake, he could never really change his opinion that they were inferior. They died from falls, from extreme temperatures, and from minor scratches; even heat could make them lose consciousness! It was actually kind of pathetic. And now he'd learned that pregnant humans needed to wear a special obi to keep their unborns safe.

Demons, to be sure, were extremely protective of their offspring, but it could be that humans were, too. Hiei had recently learned that most humans gave birth in hospitals—just another example of how human and demon culture were so often at odds with one another. When the time came for demons to deliver, they'd usually just squat down and push wherever they found themselves at that particular moment. Usually this process occurred in woodland, tundra, or a body of water, as many demons preferred to live outside.

But, thought Hiei as Kurama helped him onto the train with a gentle smile, I'd rather live in his world than live without him in mine.

The train ride was short, just as predicted, and they ended up at the temple in no time. It was busy; they were going on December 21, which, according to Shiori, was a lucky "Dog Day." This was because dogs supposedly had easy births, and praying for a safe childbirth and a healthy baby on this day would be lucky. They would also come back to give thanks after the baby was born.

There were lots of pregnant women at the temple, and lots of moms with their new babies, too. Often, their partners were with them, and sometimes a mother or grandmother came along as well. Shiori looked nostalgic, remembering when she had come here for Kurama. Everyone seemed focused on their own children, so nobody really questioned Hiei.

Kurama, Shiori, and Hiei headed inside the building. It was a temple that kind of reminded Hiei of Genkai's home, but bigger. One of the first things they encountered was a statue of a mother dog and her puppy.

"Remember, dogs have easy births," Shiori reminded them.

Hiei paid very close attention to what Shiori told him when they stopped at the dog statue. First, he touched the cold stone statue, then one of the twelve markers, the one that corresponded to the year the baby would be born. But what to say? Kurama and especially Shiori were both watching him expectantly.

"Lucky dog," Hiei said finally, "please let me have a safe delivery, and a healthy child."

"Good!" Shiori looked ecstatic and gave Hiei another hug. "Now it's almost time for your Obiwai ceremony…Oh, I just can't wait."

It was supposed to ensure a healthy delivery, but Hiei didn't know how much the special obi would do. Considering how it was designed, it would probably help support his body in the later months. But would it really help the baby come safely? Hiei finally decided that if there was a chance that something would help the baby, he would do it. But he was nervous.

"I don't know," said Kurama, when Hiei voiced his thoughts. "Do you think they'll find out you aren't really a woman?"

"No, not in this getup."

"You got me there," Kurama admitted. "That disguise is foolproof."

Hiei was not a fan of things that were pink, and especially not things that were girly, but he wanted to make this day convincing. The last thing he wanted was people staring and wondering what was in his pants. So he had donned a frilly pink maternity blouse with some black yoga pants and women's flats. Needless to say, his Hiruseki stone was good for the look, too, as a necklace. He had drawn the line at wearing makeup or clip-on earrings, but he was still satisfied with the look. And it wasn't just the costume, either. His body actually was beginning to look more female, thanks to the ninshinsu, which released copious amounts of estrogen and progesterone every day.

The most obvious change was that his breasts were really coming in. He had already gone up a cup size in the past three weeks, and they had changed in other ways, too—not just the fact that they felt wonderful when stimulated, but also that they seemed to be…well, perkier than usual. The pecs Hiei had developed and maintained by staying in top physical condition were gone, replaced by a chest that was beginning to look more female by the day. His abs, needless to say, were long gone, replaced by his baby bump. His voice was slightly higher, too, thanks again to the female hormones, though if you weren't listening for it, you probably wouldn't notice.

Anyway, Hiei's ceremony was beginning, so he went into the temple with his husband and mother-in-law. The ceremony was meaningful and enjoyable in itself, and Hiei's disguise did come through for him. Nobody seemed suspicious, perhaps because his pregnant belly and developing breasts were as real as it got. The monks blessed the haraobi and helped him on with it, and he was told to wear it every day until his baby was born.

"Thank you," said Hiei, though he didn't promise anything, in case he grew tired of it.

Hiei was noticing how Kurama's mom seemed almost as excited about the pregnancy as he was. When he mentioned it to Kurama while Shiori was at the snack bar and they were waiting by a statue of a fertility goddess, Kurama said it was because since she had no daughters or daughters-in-law, she probably didn't think she was ever going to get to be involved in a pregnancy as a grandma, and now she was.

"That might be part of why she accepted the truth about us being demons so easily," he mused. "I suppose she realizes that we're still two of her loved ones, just the same. You know she was just scared at first, right?"

"I just hope she knows that I would never use the powers of the Jagan on you," said Hiei, "and I certainly wouldn't use them to make you have sex with me."

"If I'm not mistaken, lesser demons like that can't survive the operation anyway."

"Right." Hiei nodded once. "It has a mind of its own, in a way. If it has the opportunity to rid the world of a piece of scum like that, it will take it."

"Shuichi! Hiei!" They were interrupted by Shiori returning from the snack bar with a tray of food. "I got your favorites!"

"Thanks, Mom," said Kurama gratefully, but he caught the problem too late; by the time he realized that the tray was loaded with sweets, Hiei had already emptied his stomach all over himself, the ground, and the stone statue, helpless to stop it. There was no way Shiori could have known, but pregnant Hiei couldn't even stand the thought of sweets, much less the smell and sight of them.

"What's the matter, Hiei?" said Shiori. "Are you sick?"

"No, sweets are his food aversion, Mom," Kurama said helplessly, and he went to haul Hiei into the bathroom to get cleaned up, but which one to use? Should they risk blowing Hiei's cover?

"I'll take him to the bathroom, dear," Shiori told Kurama, and off they went.

"That stuff had better not be out there when I get back!" Hiei hollered, as everyone stared.

"Don't worry about it!" called Kurama.

Hiei had never been in a public women's bathroom before. Truth be told, he didn't really use public bathrooms much in general, but he'd been in the men's a couple times, mostly during his pregnancy when he wasn't so good at holding it. This bathroom didn't look too different, except there were no urinals, for obvious reasons.

Unfortunately, Hiei coughed and felt sick all over again when they got inside, because somebody had been spraying air freshener everywhere. Lemon-scented! So it was another trip into one of the stalls before Hiei finally walked out, feeling disgusting.

"I thought this shit was over," he complained to Shiori. "But it's just something about…see? I can't even say the word. All I really want is meat and salt. Or meat with salt on it."

"It's just those pesky pregnancy hormones," she replied. "Hmm…I'm going to have to wash this shirt when we get home. Water alone isn't going to do it."

"I'm not going to wear it again anyway, it's pink. Might as well just toss it."

"You don't want to go home already, do you?" Shiori asked, pursing her lips. "I could buy you a new shirt to wear for the day."

"Please! No," said Hiei. Even though he didn't want to ruin this day, he was starting to get a little tired of Shiori constantly fawning over him. It was clear now where Kurama had gotten his nurturing side; his mom was the same way, except about a thousand times worse. And now she had a grandchild to nurture, too. "I know I said I needed a mom, but I don't need a nurse. I don't want any attention. I-I just need to be alone."

There was that familiar feeling of tears again, but Hiei was determined to fight them back. This was just ridiculous. Recently he had been feeling so good, and now this one embarrassing thing happened and he was all upset over it! What was the matter with him, anyway?

"I understand, Hiei," said Shiori gently, setting one hand on his shoulder. "But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me."

"Wait, you aren't…are you mad?" Hiei asked tentatively, and he looked down at his feet. "I-I know you were just trying to be helpful."

"No, I'm really not," she said. "I'm a mom, you know that, and sometimes you do need time away from it all."

"Time away from Kurama?" said Hiei with a bit of a smirk. "Well, at certain times I know what you mean. With the two of you around, the little one has no choice but to be born healthy, shrine or no."

"Kurama?" said Shiori, confused, and that was when Hiei realized he'd forgotten to use Kurama's human name—not that he had ever been fond of doing so, but until now, Kurama had good reason to insist on it.

"It's Kurama's demon name," Hiei explained. "The name he had before he was reborn as a human. Don't tell me he didn't tell you about that."

"Oh, he certainly did, Hiei, but he didn't tell me he had another name." Shiori frowned thoughtfully. "I suppose it only makes sense that he got a name from…" Suddenly, her face fell. "From his mother."

Hiei's eyebrows raised.

"I suppose he misses her," she said sadly, looking down at the ground. This realization that Kurama had a whole different life couldn't be easy for her. "Does he speak of her often?"

"Not nearly as much as he speaks of you." Hiei smiled a little and joined her by the door. "Look. Kurama had been away from his demon mother and on his own for a very, very long time before he came to your world. He had a great many demons at his command, but very few people he truly loved and trusted. He loved only twice, me and one other demon, who died long before I was born. But out of everyone he's commanded, worked with, or fought, you're the one who made the most difference in his life."

"Me?" said Shiori. "But…"

"I hope you aren't as shocked as you seem," Hiei told her. "Didn't you ever wonder how you mysteriously recovered from your illness seven years ago? Kurama did that for you, and almost at the cost of his life. I was very surprised he survived it, myself. It's something he never would have done in his original demon form, especially not for a human. And for a demon who's lived thousands of years, I think it's pretty impressive that you managed to change him so much in only fifteen."

Hiei remembered something Kurama had told him not so long ago: By touching just one life, you can touch many others as well, like ripples on the water.

"I know he thinks of you as his mother," said Hiei. "Didn't he tell you the only reason he stayed in the human world was so he could be with you? If it weren't for his infernal love of this world that you instilled in him, we'd be living among demons." Hiei paused and added softly, "If it weren't for him, I'd still be living among demons, and I wouldn't be very happy. Kurama made me happy where I am today, but only because you made him happy first.

"When my own baby is born, I can only hope to have that kind of influence on it," said Hiei. The reason he kept talking was because Kurama's mom was just standing there, tears in her eyes. Was she really so surprised? Didn't she know how much Kurama loved her? Maybe she really was just trying her best. "I-I mean, maybe it will just hate me, but…"

"It wouldn't hate you, Hiei," Shiori said finally. "To think I touched my son's life deeper than I ever could have imagined…Was he really thousands of years old?"

"Yes," said Hiei. "I'm only a little over one hundred years old. Kurama has centuries of wisdom stored up that I don't. But that's the best thing, I think. We both have a lot to learn from each other, so it never gets boring with him. You never want to look at the person you're going to marry and see a copy of yourself. Trust me on this one."

"I do," Shiori reassured him tearfully. "Now, let's get out of here."

When they got back to the statue, Kurama was waiting there with a shopping bag. Hiei asked him what was inside of it.

"I'm glad you asked," Kurama replied. "This is another thing expectant moms usually buy here. It's an amulet, another sort of charm for the hopes of a safe delivery and a healthy baby."

"Well, it's like I told your mom earlier," said Hiei, taking the amulet in his hands and examining it carefully. "With you two around, the baby has no choice."

…

Several days later, Hiei and Kurama cuddled up before the fire as a winter blizzard raged outside. They never had to use wood, because Hiei could instantly light a fire in the grate, one so full and crackling contentedly that one would think it had been burning for hours. Hiei's body was so very warm, as a fire demon's should be, and Kurama loved cuddling up to him on cold nights like this.

"Hiei, do you remember that Christmas is coming up soon?" Kurama asked, giving his beloved a small kiss on top of his head.

"I think so," said Hiei. "That's a human holiday, isn't it?"

"Right." Kurama nodded. "So I was thinking that maybe, this year, we could invite everyone over for Christmas. Even some of our friends from Makai. It'll certainly be better than Halloween."

"Yeah, and this time I won't have to wear a stupid costume," Hiei agreed.

"Sure you will," Kurama teased. "You'll have to wear a Santa costume, with a nice little Santa hat to go with it. You're going to look even cuter than usual…if that's possible."

Hiei looked up at Kurama and glowered, but Kurama was trying to fight back a laugh. Teasing Hiei was great fun, and he was one of the very few selection of people who could do it without ending up with a sword at his throat.

"I'm not doing that, and I'm not cute," said Hiei.

"Whatever floats your boat," Kurama told him, grinning. "But you know…this will be our baby's first Christmas. And you can see that bump so clearly now."

Hiei set both hands on top of his clearly protruding belly. "It's weird being pregnant."

"I can only imagine." Kurama kissed Hiei again, this time on the cheek, and they continued their cuddling, as the blizzard showed no sign of stopping, and the fire burned on.