DECEMBER 25, 1997—FIVE MONTHS LATER
The snowflakes swirled wildly outside as two sets of footprints crunched through the snow on the ground. It was growing dark out, seeing as it was the dead of winter, but lights shone through the windows of the house as they approached, including those of the big Christmas tree that stood so majestically in the living room. There was a wreath on the door, too, and a welcome mat with a snowman on it. There was no need to ring the doorbell, for as soon as they were about to do so, the door flung wide open.
"Shuichi, Hiei, please come in," said Shiori warmly, gesturing her son and son-in-law into the house. Hiei smiled and followed Kurama inside, Masaki still secured on his back in that white scarf he loved so much. Hiei, as a demon with ice maiden heritage, didn't need the scarf for himself.
Inside the house, Kurama's stepbrother was playing Christmas songs on the piano, and Yusuke and Kuwabara were already there with their wives, but other than that, nobody else on the guest list had arrived yet. Hiei could smell cookies baking, and he felt his mouth watering in anticipation. Masaki squealed behind him, but of course, five months was too early to give a baby demon any Ningenkai food. In fact, he hadn't even started on solids yet. But there was no need to rush.
Hiei walked over to the couch and sat down, then untied Masaki and held the baby in his arms, but still kept him wrapped in his white scarf. Kurama went to go help his mom in the kitchen after adding some presents underneath the tree. It pleased Hiei greatly to see how well he walked now. Not even a year after his accident, he was almost back to his old self, though he still did need some help now and again, usually over rough terrain. But there was never any doubt that he was still a force to be reckoned with.
It wasn't much later that the next two guests arrived—Homura and Ru-Ru, all the way from Makai. Ru-Ru apparently was no less rambunctious, since the very first thing she did upon arrival was pounce down from Homura's shoulders and speed all the way to Hiei, then jump up on the couch next to him, all within about five seconds.
"Can I hold him?" Ru-Ru asked. "PLEEEASSSE?!"
Hiei frowned. Ru-Ru had been asking to hold Masaki for quite some time, but they had never quite trusted her with it. But maybe, since it was Christmas, and she was almost four…
"Oh, all right," said Hiei. "But be careful."
Ru-Ru held her arms out, and Hiei supported the baby in her arms, so that she could hold him, but there was no danger of him getting injured. By the time Hiei had taken the baby back, Homura had made his way over to the couch and was sitting by them.
"This is your first Christmas, too, isn't it, Father?" Hiei said with a grin. "What do you think?"
"Well, I certainly like Ningenkai better in the summer," Homura replied with a laugh. "But I love the idea of Christmas, and Ru-Ru is excited to get presents."
"Presents!" Ru-Ru repeated. "Christmas is going to be fun!"
"Christmas is about more than presents, though," Homura told her. "It's about spending time with those you love. Right, Hiei?"
"Exactly," Hiei agreed. "I think Yukina put it nicely last year—it's a time humans set aside to love each other."
The next people to arrive were Shizuru and Botan, with their two-month-old daughter, Hana, in tow. Hiei got up to greet them, with Masaki still in his arms, because he knew Masaki would want to see her. Since they first met, Masaki and Hana had gotten along extremely well; in fact, she was the only one of Masaki's peers that he didn't seem to be afraid of. Although he was a few months older, Botan would bring Hana over to visit Masaki while Kurama and Shizuru were at work, and Masaki (who could sit up on his own now and almost crawl) would try to hand her toys while they were spending "tummy time" together on the floor. Once they were toddlers and a bit closer together in terms of developmental milestones, everyone was sure they would be best friends.
Hana had Botan's big purple eyes and pretty face, but although she was mostly a bald baby, what little hair she had was brown, like Shizuru's. She was wearing a red ribbon with gold trim, a white shirt with green Christmas trees on it, a red skirt, and white stockings with red shoes. (Botan loved buying outfits for her daughter, and Hana was rarely seen in the same outfit twice.)
Sure enough, as soon as he saw Hana, Masaki screeched in delight and waved his arms. Hana opened her eyes, blinked a little, then smiled at him, babbling happily.
"I guess they're saying 'Merry Christmas' in baby language," Botan joked, and Hiei laughed. Due to their children getting along so well, Hiei and Botan had been spending a lot of time together while their spouses worked, and they had eventually become friends. Hiei could never imagine anything romantic with Botan, but she got on his nerves a lot less.
Hiei set Masaki down on the carpet, and Botan did the same with Hana. Masaki was almost to the point that he could crawl; he had figured out the right position for his hands, but he hadn't quite been able to get his legs into the right position, so a lot of the time he would fall on his face, squeal and grunt a little, then hoist himself up and try again. Sure enough, that was what he did today, while Hana watched in interest. Hiei never got bored of watching Masaki, and it was amazing to see how much he could learn and grow in only the space of a few months. Being a stay-at-home dad while Kurama worked could sometimes be stressful, and Hiei made sure to take a break every Sunday when Kurama was home all day, but he was happy that he never had to miss out on any bonding time with his baby. First steps…first word…first car…he'd be there for it all.
Homura, meanwhile, had Ru-Ru on his shoulders again, while she touched the prickly branches on the Christmas tree, sort of like how when they were decorating the tree a few weeks earlier, he had held her up so she could place the star on top of the tree. When he bent down to examine the presents at the base of the tree, she raced into the kitchen, probably drawn in by the food smells.
Kurama came back in the room with some Christmas cookies while Hiei and Botan were watching the babies. Of course, Kurama warned everyone not to spoil their appetite for Christmas dinner, and of course, Hiei rolled his eyes and snatched a cookie right off the plate anyway.
"Yum," he said, taking a big bite out of it. "Christmas tastes good."
Kurama smiled and sat down on Hiei's other side. Masaki was chewing on a toy, but when Hana let out a little squeal, Masaki took it out of his mouth and offered her the spit-drenched piece of plastic. Hiei, Botan, and Kurama all cracked up laughing when she squealed again and batted at it with a tiny, closed fist, causing Masaki to drop it in shock.
There were a lot more presents this year, probably because they had four children (Masaki, Ru-Ru, Kazekori, and Hana) with them that they didn't have last year. After Yomi and Mukuro arrived with Shura, and Jin and Touya arrived with Kazekori (floating, as usual), it was finally time to open presents. Ru-Ru managed to make her way back into the living room for that, of course, since she was still excited for presents, even if that wasn't really the true meaning of Christmas.
For the adults, the system was the same as last year: everyone brought a gift, and everyone opened a gift. But each of the children had a lot of presents addressed to them specifically. Masaki got gifts from Shiori, Homura, Yusuke and Keiko, Jin and Touya, and both Kuwabara families. They took turns opening gifts, but when it was time for Masaki to open a gift (Hiei and Kurama helped a bit), the first one was from Shiori.
"Wow, look what your grandma knitted for you!" said Kurama, holding up Masaki's gift. "It's a brand-new red Christmas sweater!"
"Let's get that sweater on you, little one," said Hiei, and while the others were opening their gifts, he and Kurama tried their best to change Masaki out of his green Christmas tree T-shirt and into his new gift. It was like trying to put a sweater on an octopus.
"Now, isn't that just precious," said Shiori, once they had finally succeeded, and she held out her arms. Hiei passed the baby to Kurama, who passed him to his mom, and Shiori held Masaki on her lap while they continued opening gifts. Masaki's next gift was from Shizuru and Botan, but it was something Hiei didn't recognize. It looked sort of like a high chair, although not quite as high, and there were wheels at the bottom, with toys on the tray and above it.
"What is it?" Hiei asked.
"It's a walker, you silly Hiei!" Botan answered with a smile.
"I don't appreciate being called silly," he told her with a glare. "And this doesn't look like a walker to me."
"Not the kind I used to use, Hiei," said Kurama. "It's a baby walker. You put the baby in it, and he can get around without actually needing to balance. It will help get his leg muscles ready to walk for real, and his world will be so much bigger."
"Just make sure you give him plenty of time on the floor, still," said Shiori. "Otherwise, it might be more difficult for him to learn to walk on his own."
"Are you sure it's safe?" Hiei asked. "I've never seen one of these things before."
"Of course it's safe," Kurama replied, smiling. "I was thinking of getting one for him anyway. Do you want to let him try it out?"
"Well…all right," said Hiei. After all, it did sound nice for Masaki to be able to explore his world more, and it was important for him to learn how to walk. So he let Kurama set the baby in the walker. Masaki kicked his feet a little, as if he wasn't quite sure how to use them, but he was now a lot more mobile for when he was ready.
Hiei and Kurama watched Masaki get used to his new walker as they continued to open the baby's presents. Homura gave him a nice clay bowl he had made; Yusuke and Keiko got him some board books; Jin and Touya got him a music box; Yukina and Kuwabara got him a VHS of his favorite cartoon; Mukuro, Yomi, and Shura got him a pair of gloves and a hat, which Hiei thought was weird, because he didn't need them, but maybe they forgot. The best gift was probably the walker, which Masaki seemed to be enjoying, although he didn't stray too far from his family.
Once the gifts for the kids were opened, the adults started opening their gifts. Kurama and Hiei gave out Kurama's plant products, just like last year. Kurama got a tie, and Hiei got some scented candles. Homura was opening his gift (an avocado slicer, of all things) when Ru-Ru piped up, "Touchan, can I go to the kitchen to refill my orange juice?"
"All right, just be safe," he said, and she headed into the kitchen, her bushy tail held high. She caught Masaki's attention and (to Hiei's surprise) the walker picked up speed as he followed his young aunt. Hiei knew Masaki was too small to be racing around in a walker in the kitchen with nobody but Ru-Ru for company, so he got up to follow …but the scene that met him in the kitchen was an utter disaster. His cry of shock caused Homura to come running in, too.
Ru-Ru was perched on the kitchen island over a bottle of chocolate sauce, licking it off her fingers, but she stood up and stared at her father and older half-brother as they stood frozen in the doorway. Worse, the bottle of chocolate sauce had fallen on its side, still open, and it was dripping like a rainy awning all over poor Masaki, who had come to a stop right underneath it and was licking it off his fingers.
"Masaki!" said Hiei in dismay, rushing over to his son. "Look at you! You're covered in chocolate. And you even got it on your new red Christmas sweater! Kurama, get in here!"
Of course, Masaki seemed perfectly content, and Hiei had to grab his sticky fingers out of his mouth. Homura seemed angry at first, but all Ru-Ru had to say was "I'm sorry, Touchan," and give him her puppy-eyes stare, and he'd answer with, "Oh, you know I can't stay mad at you," and that would be that. The man was as soft as a marshmallow.
Kurama rushed into the room soon after he was called, and groaned at the sight. He took Masaki out of the walker and handed him to Hiei.
"I'll help clean up in the kitchen while you go give him a bath, okay?" said Kurama. "Masaki has just as many bath toys here as he does at home, and the baby shampoo I made for him is in my mom's medicine cabinet."
"All right, then, little one, let's get you cleaned up," Hiei said to Masaki as they headed for the upstairs bathroom, where Masaki could take his bath in the sink. The chocolate was all over his clothes, in his hair, and still on his fingers. Hiei had to keep taking them out of his mouth, but he couldn't help but smile through his annoyance. "You have sticky fingers, just like your daddy."
Hiei filled the sink in the upstairs bathroom with water, and used his powers to heat it up to a temperature that was comfortable, but not too hot. After undressing the baby and setting him in the water, leaving the sticky clothes aside, he added some bath toys, including a red plastic boat, a rubber duck that really quacked, and some flower-scented bubbles. Hiei used the detachable nozzle to get Masaki's hair wet, and then showed him the boat.
"Watch this," he said, and pressed the boat with his finger, down into the water. He held it there for a moment, then took his finger off so that the boat popped right up to the surface again. Masaki squealed in delight and clapped his hands.
Hiei did this for him about ten more times and the baby never got bored. When Hiei got a little tired of it, he picked up the rubber duck instead.
"All right, Masaki," he said. "What sound does a ducky make?"
Of course the baby didn't answer, but Hiei squeezed the rubber duck—Quack, quack! Quack, quack! Masaki screeched with laughter and splashed the water. Hiei handed the duck to him, and he squeezed it; the effect was even more exciting when he realized he made the duck quack. Hiei found himself laughing, too.
Masaki kept splashing the water while Hiei washed his hair, then used gentle baby soap to wash his body. During the whole process, of course, Hiei ended up getting almost as wet as the baby, from getting splashed multiple times. It was never just Masaki who got a bath!
"Hiei," said a voice from the doorway just as Hiei was rinsing the baby's hair, and he turned to see Kurama standing there. "Just so you know, Christmas dinner is starting soon. Need some help?"
"Sure…thanks," Hiei replied.
Kurama helped him rinse the baby shampoo out of Masaki's hair, then Hiei lifted the baby out of the sink, letting Kurama wrap him up in a fluffy towel. Kurama had also brought clothes and a fresh diaper, so when Masaki was all dressed, they took him downstairs, where the guests were already gathering around the dining room table.
By now, Hiei had gotten very good at one-armed breastfeeding, and he was glad for it, because Masaki got hungry for his own dinner halfway through the meal. Hiei was relieved that nobody said anything when he breastfed the baby at the table; in times before, when he had tried to do it in public, every so often someone would give him a disapproving look or make a rude comment. The most eventful instance of this was about a month ago, when they were with Yusuke and Keiko at a fast-food restaurant and some cranky old woman had informed Hiei that "the bathrooms are in the back." Overall a fight had started, culminating in Yusuke throwing the woman's pasta into the bathroom and asking her how she'd like to eat where people shit. Despite the fact that he'd been shaken up and a little hurt, Hiei found that pretty funny, even though Yusuke had ultimately been asked to vacate the premises.
Of course when Hiei was with family and friends, they wouldn't make rude comments, but he was pleased that they didn't just avert their eyes and pretend he didn't exist, either. It was no different than if he'd been feeding the baby a bottle, and Christmas dinner continued in a pleasant manner. They talked about a lot of things—how Hiei and Kurama had gotten their first tenants, a family of seven with a baby about Masaki's age, and older children who loved to play in the yard and climb the Tree of Life; how the demon who got so wealthy selling fragrances last Christmas had gone out of business; how well Kurama's store was doing; how Kurama was getting better every day and still working hard on recovery; how Hiei was doing as a stay-at-home dad; how Reikai was trying to create another baby the way Hana had been, with two moms, only this time with demon women; and, of course, everything about the babies was news!
Hiei noticed, though, that something was a little off with Keiko. She constantly left the table to use the bathroom, and Yusuke seemed to look a little nervous every time she did. Several times, she came back wiping her mouth, and throughout the night she had looked rather ill. Once dinner was over and the others were helping to clear the plates, Hiei cornered Yusuke, Masaki now full and sleepy in his arms.
"So," he said, "when were you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?" said Yusuke, staring at the ground.
"That your wife is pregnant!"
"Oh…" Yusuke looked up and stared at the wall, his face red. "Okay…she's due on July 5, 1998."
"Congratulations," said Hiei, then, "So…how do you feel?"
"Completely and utterly terrified," Yusuke replied with a nervous laugh. "But we weren't planning on telling anyone yet, so just try not to say anything, all right?"
"Your secret is safe with me, detective," said Hiei with a grin. "Although…do you mind if I tell Kurama? I tell him everything. Well, almost."
"Considering he's going to figure it out anyway…sure." Yusuke shrugged. "Thanks, Hiei."
Sure enough, when Hiei got to the table, he heard Kurama murmur, "She's pregnant, isn't she?"
"Due on July 5," Hiei murmured back. Despite him being the Jagan master in the family, Kurama was definitely the mind reader.
After dinner, everyone headed back to the living room for tea and relaxation. Kurama's stepbrother, Kokoda, played the piano, and his stepfather strummed an acoustic guitar while Keiko and Kurama sang songs in English (they were the only two that spoke it fluently). Hiei couldn't understand the words of the song, but he didn't need to; the two voices in harmony with each other were beautiful on their own.
Hiei looked around the room, feeling calm, enjoying the sound of the music and the soothing weight of the baby asleep on his chest. It was wonderful, he thought, to be in this room on a cold Christmas night surrounded by people he loved, and people who loved him—some he had known for a long time, like Yusuke and Kurama; others who hadn't been with him last year, like Homura and Ru-Ru; new babies, like Masaki, Kazekori, and Hana; and, of course, those who couldn't be with them, like Hina, still there in spirit.
In between verses, while Kokoda played a beautiful piano solo, Hiei couldn't help but focus on Kurama. The fox-demon almost looked like Christmas himself, with his red hair and green eyes, wearing the green and red striped tie he'd opened as a gift.
Hiei smiled at him, and Kurama smiled back, a smile that spread all the way to his eyes and lit up his whole face. No one made Kurama happy the way Hiei did—and, in turn, nobody made Hiei happy the way Kurama did. But it wouldn't stay simple that way anymore, because they weren't just a couple now. They were a family. And that happiness, that love, would live on in their family forever.
Merry Christmas, Kurama, Hiei thought, sending Kurama a telepathic message from across the room. I love you.
I love you too, Hiei, was the message he got back. Merry Christmas.
-the end-