One more week…one more week…The words swirled around and around in Hiei's head like an angry bird, night and day. It certainly seemed to be clear to the baby, who was kicking more than ever. Would he really be big enough to come out by the end of next week? Was this whole pregnancy thing finally going to be over?

Hiei felt that it was good to have Kurama sleeping next to him again, despite all the extra help they both needed right now. Someday Hiei would be his normal self again, after all, and he could be the one to help Kurama…if Kurama didn't recover, too. Hiei hoped he would. But the whole thing seemed to make him rethink his whole life, especially because he never thought he would lose Kurama, at least not in that manner.

What about all the people he had killed? He was lucky enough to have his husband by his side again, but what about all the demons whose fathers and husbands and brothers and sons never came home at night? Of all the demons he had killed, how many had families with children? How many had babies? Each demon he killed wasn't just an obstacle in his path. Each one was a person, with a story, and who knows how many connections. When someone died, they weren't the only ones who suffered. The countless people who cared about them suffered just as much, maybe even more. Was Hiei really all that different from the man who had fled the scene of Kurama's car accident? If it had been a stranger, would he have done the same?

No, of course not, Hiei thought to himself. And even if I had, I wouldn't have had any choice. That's just how Makai was back then. Everyone for themselves.

Hiei twisted restlessly around in bed, lying on his side, not because it was the most comfortable position, but because it was the least uncomfortable.

But then, maybe there's a reason it was so messed up, he couldn't help thinking. What if Makai was only that way because nobody ever tried to make it better? Isn't that what King Enki is trying to do? Use his kingly power to improve our homeland?

In addition to that, even if Hiei had taken demons from their friends, families, and lovers, Kurama always said it was never too late to change. Hiei never thought he would be married to anyone, and he certainly didn't think he'd be pregnant. But that was the thing about Kurama; he was the one person Hiei could never figure out, no matter how hard he tried, and it was impossible to hide anything from him. Not even the Jagan could read his mind; the layers were incredibly complex and deep, more so than Hiei had ever thought possible. If the Jagan were to "read" anything from Kurama's mind, it would be because Kurama had knowingly allowed it. The truth that Kurama could still kill Hiei, even now, was a bit terrifying, but it was intoxicating, too. And the fact that Kurama clearly had no intention to kill Hiei—the fact that he was so much in love—made the fox-demon even more of an enigma.

"I love you, Kurama," Hiei whispered, running his hands through Kurama's hair. It was so soft and thick, and it smelled wonderful.

"I love you too, Hiei…" Kurama was asleep, but he still answered. Hiei tried to wrap his arms around him, but he couldn't reach because his belly got in the way. And he couldn't even sleep, because the baby's kicks kept him awake. At least when he was born, he would keep everyone awake, not just Hiei.

…

It was Shiori's turn to take care of them that morning, as usual. Kurama had convinced her to let him start making the meals again, although she had to help him out at times. What he really hated was that he couldn't shower or get dressed on his own, even though he was an adult. His mom said she didn't mind, but that wasn't the point. It wouldn't be so bad if it was Hiei, because they were married, and it was their job to help each other. But needing his mom's help at an age when he should be helping her was another thing.

And speaking of that, not only could Kurama not take care of himself, but he couldn't take care of Hiei, either, the way he wanted to. Hiei needed help with the same things he did, and Kurama couldn't help him. If he could tolerate everything else about his new condition, not being able to help Hiei and the baby was the one thing he just couldn't stand. It was what kept him going back to physical therapy; it was what kept him up at night as he tried to at least wiggle his toes; it was what made him determined to someday learn to walk again and be independent once more.

After lunchtime, Shiori left, and they were fine on their own until Yukina came over to cook dinner. But she brought some of their friends along so that they could have a casual dinner party. Kurama had the feeling she was doing it to cheer him up, and possibly make him feel needed, since she was much more willing to let him help with the cooking than Shiori was.

Hiei's back was hurting him, and Botan was feeling sick as a dog, so they decided to eat in the living room. Homura was there with Ru-Ru, and Shizuru came with Botan, while Yusuke came with Keiko, and Kuwabara of course came with Yukina. Homura sat in the old easy chair next to the couch with Ru-Ru on his lap; Botan lay on the couch, moaning; Shizuru was next to her, stroking her hair, with Hiei on the other side of Shizuru; Kuwabara was on the floor leaning up against the couch with Yukina, Yusuke, and Keiko next to him; and Kurama, of course, sat in the wheelchair. They were making small talk in between bites when Yusuke's communication mirror started ringing. Everyone else stopped talking as he got up to take it outside, but before long he was back in.

"It's Touya," he said, setting the communicator down on the coffee table. "He's on speakerphone."

"Hi, everyone," came Touya's voice from the mirror. "I've got good news! Jin and I have a lot more details about our coming wedding. Jin wants Yusuke to be his attendant, and I want you to be my attendant, Kurama."

"I'm honored, Touya, but haven't you heard of my…condition?" Kurama asked.

"We'll make allowances for it," Touya replied. "Anyway, it's a traditional demon wedding, so you should dress accordingly. We've decided to skip the big party at the end, because I'm still going to be pregnant and Hiei will probably still be recovering—"

"What do you mean, 'still recovering'?" Hiei interrupted. "When exactly are you planning on doing this?"

"June 26," said Touya. "So your baby should be almost two weeks old."

"I'll be fine by then," Hiei declared. "Just a few days is more than enough time to recover."

"If you're certain." Touya sounded unsure, but he didn't press the matter further. "Anyway, we're having it in the Northern Highlands—do you all know where that is?"

"I do," said Kurama. "But I'm not sure how many people will turn up if that's your venue. The Northern Highlands are the coldest tundra in Makai, with constant snowstorms and a blanket of snow year-round. Sort of like Antarctica in Ningenkai."

"Yes, exactly, it's perfect," said Touya. "I grew up there."

"If it's like Antarctica, how are your human guests supposed to stay warm?" said Kuwabara. "Like me and Keiko? And my sister?"

"I guess I didn't think of that," Touya admitted. "There are a lot of demons who wouldn't be able to tolerate that sort of weather, either. But I can't think of anywhere else to do it."

"May I suggest the Green Forest?" said Kurama. "That's where I grew up. If you have your wedding there, you'll have a lot of kitsune guests. They'll flock to a wedding like moths to a flame, I'm sure, and I can introduce you to some old friends of mine."

"Yes, and it's where Denki and I lived before Ru-Ru was born," Homura added. "It should be beautiful this time of year. The weather is never too severe either way."

"Before Ru-Ru was born?" said Hiei, looking at Homura. "Why did you leave?"

"We moved just after she was born," Homura replied, the smile on his face faltering. "After…well, you know…I couldn't bring myself to stay. But it would be a very nice place to get married."

"All right, I'll ask Jin," said Touya. "But you two, Kurama and Yusuke, you're willing to be the attendants?"

"I would love to," Kurama told him. "Yusuke?"

"Sure," said Yusuke.

Once Touya hung up, they all had something new to discuss.

"Why is Touya having the wedding before the baby's born?" said Kuwabara. "I mean, how is he going to fit into a tuxedo?"

"Your head is awfully big for such a small brain," Hiei said irritably. "He's not going to be wearing one."

"In a traditional demon wedding, everyone wears kimonos representing the colors of whatever clan they belong to," Kurama explained. "Like some of us did at Shizuru and Botan's wedding, remember? And it actually seems smarter to have the wedding before the baby comes. That's one less thing they have to worry about during the ceremony."

"Oh yeah," said Kuwabara, but Hiei seemed to have drifted off into space, staring out the window, his hands rubbing his belly. If he had to guess, Kurama would have said his husband was thinking about how their baby would be born by the time Jin and Touya had their wedding, if he came on time. To some degree, it felt like the baby had taken forever, but yet somehow, it also seemed crazy that he was coming so soon, especially since Kurama had been in a coma for a few weeks out of the pregnancy.

"I suppose you're just going to wear your old black kimono again, Hiei?" Kurama teased, trying to bring him back to Earth.

"Oh, no, that won't do," said Homura. "I'm going to get him a red one, just like mine. It's time he wore colors to represent his clan—red, with black trim, for the Children of the Fire Gods."

"And you're going to get me one, too, right, Touchan?" Ru-Ru chirped.

"I daresay my younger daughter would look beautiful in a red-and-black kimono," said Homura, giving her a kiss; she purred and waved her fluffy tail, golden but for the white tip. "You may be a kitsune, but you're a fire demon, too."

"That will work just fine," Kurama told them. "Kitsunes don't have any rules about clan color."

"Ice apparitions will always wear ice-blue," said Yukina. "Kazuma, you'll come as my companion, won't you?"

"Yeah!" Kuwabara said, squeezing her hand, and Kurama saw Homura smile. He knew the older fire demon approved of Kuwabara's marriage to Yukina.

"I won't be able to try it on until the baby is born," said Hiei. "What if it doesn't fit?"

"We have two weeks to find you a kimono that fits perfectly, Hiei," Homura told him. "I'll take care of everything."

Kurama glanced at Hiei, trying to picture him in a fire demon's traditional kimono. For as long as they had known each other, Hiei almost always wore black, a color usually associated with loners and outcasts. Getting him a red kimono would signify not just the fact that he was no longer pregnant, but it would also show that he had a demon clan to which he belonged. Kurama felt a little bad for him, since he looked so uncertain, but at the same time he was happy, because at least he could help Hiei deal with life changes like these. Even if his body was physically injured, he could still be there emotionally.

Once everyone but Yukina had left, and all the dishes were done, Hiei and Kurama were left alone in the living room to talk things over.

"I didn't want to say it when everyone else was here, but I'm still worried the kimono won't fit me," Hiei confessed. "I mean…we both know I gained more weight than I'm supposed to. I might still be fat once the baby is born."

"You've lost weight since, though," Kurama reminded him. "Dr. Setchi said you were at a healthier weight because you're eating healthier foods, just as she recommended. And even if you have a little extra baby weight after the birth, you can always lose it later on."

"What if we're too busy taking care of the baby?"

"That's why there's two of us," Kurama replied, reaching over and squeezing Hiei's hand.