Hiei was not feeling better, even after a week of being sick. It was going on one in the afternoon and he was stuck in bed, watching ningen TV. During the commercial break of a program he was watching, a commercial came on, showing the types of animals ningens normally kept as pets, like dogs and cats. But they were alone, in cages or tied up, and they all looked sad, lonely, and scared. Most were shivering in the cold, and the sad piano music playing in the background didn't help.

But it was when the narrator started talking about how the animals spent every day fighting for their lives, that they were always cold and alone, that Hiei found himself fighting back tears. He found it confusing; all this misery had nothing to do with him, and yet he was still getting upset. Maybe it was just because he was so tired, but he wasn't used to his emotions being this close to the surface…

"Honey?"

Startled out of his tears, Hiei turned to see his husband standing in the doorway. Kurama didn't really call him "honey" a whole lot, so this was odd behavior; in fact, his whole demeanor seemed to have changed. It was difficult for Hiei to say how, exactly, because Kurama had never been an easy read. But something was just different about him. And given Hiei's current condition, that was probably a bad sign. Hiei remembered that Shizuru had spiritual powers just like Kuwabara's; what if she could sense that something was really wrong with him? What if he was a dead man walking? Had Kurama already come to terms with it?

"You don't normally call me honey," Hiei pointed out. "What's going on?"

"What's going on? Well, you're trusting today," said Kurama, sitting down on the bed and giving Hiei a snuggle. "Can't I be affectionate with my own husband?"

"No," said Hiei, shaking him off. "Not until you tell me why you're acting so damn weird all of a sudden. What did Shizuru tell you?"

"I thought you might ask that." Kurama gave Hiei a smile. "Don't worry. She didn't tell me you were dying, if that's what you're worried about."

Hiei felt his cheeks blush. Kurama always seemed to know what he was thinking. "What did she say, then?"

"I'll tell you, I promise, but first I need you to come outside with me," said Kurama, holding out his hand. "There's something I really need you to see."

"Can't you just tell me about it?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"I don't want to," said Hiei, definitely nervous now.

"Please, love?" Kurama implored him. "It's important."

Love? Did Kurama just call him love? Okay, something was definitely wrong. Hiei swallowed. The last thing he wanted to do was see whatever Kurama wanted to show him, but he could tell he wasn't going to win this argument, so he turned the TV off and sighed.

"Oh…okay," he mumbled. Kurama started to help him get out of bed, but he pulled his arm away. "Let me go! I can walk on my own."

"As you wish," said Kurama, still smiling, but Hiei started to feel a little dizzy again, and as they got to the top of the stairs, something inside Hiei just didn't let him risk it.

"I-I guess I could use a little help," he admitted, holding out his arm, and together they walked down the stairs and out of the house. Kurama led Hiei out to a peaceful spot in their backyard and pointed down at the ground, where Hiei could see the freshly turned earth. He figured Kurama wanted him to ask what it was for, so he did.

"I'm so glad you asked," Kurama said serenely. "In this spot, I have planted the seeds for the Tree of Life."

"What's that?"

"It's a rare and rather obscure species of Makaian tree, but incredibly useful when you need it," Kurama explained. "Its bark and leaves can be used for a variety of teas and home remedies, and it's been known to grow overnight and live for centuries. But what really makes it special is the fact that it can't grow without the presence of life. And that's how it got its name."

"Well, what does it have to do with me?" Hiei said nervously, trying to guess what Kurama meant. "Is that tree supposed to heal me or something?"

"When I said it needs the presence of life to grow, I didn't just mean any life," said Kurama, but when Hiei still looked confused, he held onto Hiei's hands and took a deep breath. "Hiei, I think you might be pregnant."

"I…I might be what?!"

"Pregnant," Kurama repeated. "Shizuru and I were talking it over, and we realized that all of your symptoms point to a new pregnancy. The sickness, the constant bathroom trips, the fatigue…all classic signs. And you've missed your fertile window."

"I could be having it now," Hiei protested. "My power level is way lower than usual. Even lower than it normally is during the fertile window."

"That doesn't really help your case, Hiei, but even if it did, you aren't showing any of the other signs of fertility," Kurama reminded him. "Your temperature is different, your scent is different, your energy is off, and you haven't asked me to have sex even once."

"Well, maybe the fertile window is next week or something."

"In all the years we've known each other, Hiei, you've never been late."

Hiei found himself blushing again, realizing that of course Kurama, with his excellent sense of smell, would have been able to tell when he was fertile and when he wasn't, even before they got together. And now that they were together, leave it to Kurama to keep better track of Hiei's reproductive cycles than Hiei did. He never thought to keep track of where he was on a calendar or anything; he'd learned to recognize the signs that meant he was fertile, and as long as they seemed to happen on a regular basis, he figured he'd be all right. But apparently Kurama had been tracking them down practically to the day.

"Are you able to tell when everyone is fertile, or just me?" Hiei grouched.

"Unfortunately, it's everyone, and it's not just when they're fertile, either," said Kurama. "I can tell you a lot of girls in my school lied about a certain something to get out of gym class."

"Well, if you still have the nose of a fox, and you're able to pick up on things like that, you should also have been able to tell if I was pregnant," said Hiei.

"We only did it four weeks ago, and the scent of a pregnant demon doesn't become distinguishable until the seventh or eighth week at best," Kurama told him. "Even for me."

"But…but we used a condom!" Hiei insisted. Right now, he was trying to think of anything he could to disprove Kurama's theory.

"I have to admit, we acted irresponsibly that day," said Kurama. "That condom was old, expired. They do become less effective over time. And we know for a fact that you were at the absolute peak of fertility on the day we did it without the potion."

Well, there was no denying that. Hiei still remembered the desperate horniness he felt every month around this time, and he knew he wasn't feeling anything close to it right now.

"I…I can't be pregnant," Hiei said in a small voice. "I just can't. It's impossible."

"It's not only possible, Hiei, but incredibly likely." Kurama's voice was a little firmer. "Now, don't you want to know what the Tree of Life does?"

"I don't care about your dumb tree!" Hiei was beginning to panic. "I want a second opinion! There's got to be another explanation!"

"That's what the tree is going to tell us," Kurama said patiently, setting one hand on Hiei's shaking shoulder. "I want you to take a deep breath, okay? Just calm down and listen to me. Please."

Hiei took a few deep breaths, then said, "Fine. What does it do?"

"Well, this tree needs a certain hormone to grow, a hormone that your body only makes during pregnancy," Kurama explained. "It can be found in your blood and urine. So next time you have to go, do it out here, right in this spot. If the tree grows tomorrow, you're pregnant, and if it doesn't, you're not pregnant, and we're going to need to look into what else might be wrong."

"You're sure it's not Makai Flu?" Hiei was barely listening. "Or Makai Fever?"

"Hiei, think about what you're saying!" Kurama said incredulously. "Your symptoms don't match with Makai Flu, and you'd better hope you don't have Makai Fever. You're too young to have been there, but five hundred years ago, there was an epidemic that wiped out a third of the demon population. Would you really rather have your skin turn black and fall off, or bleed from your mouth or your rectum, followed by a painful death, than be pregnant?"

"I don't know, I just don't want to be pregnant!"

"This is a big change, love, I know, but whether the tree grows or not, I'll be here for you," Kurama reassured him. There was that love again. "Whatever happens, we can deal with it together."

Hiei looked down at the ground again and swallowed. "Promise?"

"Promise." Kurama gave Hiei a slight smile, his hands in the pockets of his coat. "If I headed inside to give you some privacy, would you be able to take the test right now?"

"Probably," said Hiei, shrugging. "I mean…I can try."

"All right, then, I'll see you inside," said Kurama, giving Hiei a small kiss on the cheek and walking into the house. If he wasn't imagining it, Hiei thought he saw a slight spring in his step, which was strange. Hiei didn't understand what there was to be happy about in such a time of worry. If this tree grew after Hiei "watered" it, that would mean their lives were heading in a new, terrifying direction.

…

When he got back into the house, Kurama put some tea on for him and Hiei, and he got three water bottles out of their drink refrigerator, too. Now that he was probably pregnant, Hiei needed to keep his fluid intake up. Kurama knew, of course, that there was a chance Hiei wasn't pregnant, and he was getting his hopes up for nothing. But he tried to focus on the positives. The thought of having a new baby with Hiei made him feel downright giddy, and he was actually whistling along with the teakettle when Hiei came in the door. But Hiei looked so sullen that he quickly stopped.

"I couldn't," said Hiei, looking a little embarrassed as he plopped himself down into a kitchen chair. "I…I got nervous."

"That's understandable," said Kurama. "As long as you do it before bedtime, it's okay, since the tree just needs to grow overnight."

"Is that why you're trying to fill me up with liquids?" said Hiei, looking at the water bottles. "I'm sure the test will be wrong if I'm peeing mostly water and tea."

"That's true of the pregnancy tests humans buy at drugstores," Kurama told him, getting their teacups ready. "But my tree can detect much lower traces of the hormone it needs to get a positive result, so you'd have to drink three or four of these water bottles in order for it to be inaccurate."

"Then why are you making me drink so much?"

"Because it's my baby, too," said Kurama, setting a fresh cup of tea in front of Hiei. "I need to make sure you both stay healthy, and that includes staying hydrated."

Hiei took a sip of his tea and instantly paled. "Too sweet."

"Just take deep breaths," said Kurama. "I'll fix it."

After he opened a window, Kurama remade the tea while Hiei took deep breaths to keep from throwing up what little sips he'd taken. The second time, he said it was too plain, so Kurama added a little salt, and Hiei finally seemed to be happy with that. Salt in tea seemed kind of gross to Kurama's tastes, but he was willing to do whatever it took to soothe Hiei's stomach. And if Hiei really was pregnant, he would probably have some weird cravings down the line, so Kurama might as well get used to it.

"I really don't think I can take that test, Kurama," said Hiei finally, in between sips of salted tea. "I'm too scared."

"But think about what that means, Hiei," said Kurama gently. "If you really didn't think you were pregnant, you wouldn't be scared of taking the test. If you're scared of what the results will be, it means you know deep down, as I do, that you really are pregnant. It's a mother's intuition, that's all."

Hiei just stared out the kitchen window. Kurama could see the sweat glistening on his brow, even though it was October.

"Tell me, Hiei," said Kurama. "In all of our years together, have I ever really let you down? Even once?"

"Maybe there were a few little times, but nothing big," Hiei admitted. "And there were many more times when you saved my ass."

"Right," said Kurama. "So if you're pregnant, and you aren't sure what to do next, do you really think I'll let you down this time? Do you really think I won't do everything in my power to help you? I made a promise to you, and I meant it. Like I said, this is my baby too."

Hiei shut his eyes and sighed.

"You're right," he said quietly. "If I didn't already have some feeling…that I was pregnant…I would have taken that test by now, just to prove you wrong."

"So maybe you should go out and try it again," Kurama said, as gently as possible, "and hopefully you won't have as much trouble getting started this time. Would you like me to run you a nice hot bath for when you come back?"

"Actually…that sounds great," said Hiei, perking up ever so slightly. "Will you come in the water, too?"

"Of course."

With that, Hiei ran outside to pee in the yard, while Kurama headed upstairs to start the bath. Hiei was starting to smell a little funny because he hadn't showered in a few days, which was mainly why Kurama had suggested the bath. But he also figured some time together naked was just what they needed.

I can't believe we're going to have a baby! Our own little baby! Kurama thought to himself as he ran his hand under the tap to make sure the bathwater was the right temperature, then added in some floral-scented bubble bath he'd made himself. He felt like his ecstaticity was going to bubble over at any second, too, but he knew he had to stay calm until they found out the results of the test.

Hiei definitely seemed worried, which Kurama could totally understand. After all, he was the one who was actually pregnant, and this was a huge change in their lives. But he was equally certain that once Hiei was able to see the tree actually growing, and had a chance to process everything, he would be happy about it, too. Then they could start preparing for their new life, just the three of them. Kurama beamed and repeated the phrase in his mind. Just the three of us.

"I'm back."

"Hi, honey," Kurama replied, quickly wiping the smile off his face, because again, he didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. "How did it go?"

"I guess we won't know until tomorrow," said Hiei, which Kurama took to mean that at least he'd actually watered the tree this time. "Do I smell bubble bath?"

"Sorry, honey," Kurama told him. "Wrong scent?"

"No…" Hiei took a deep sniff. "I like it. Roses, right?"

"Exactly," said Kurama. "I see your sense of smell has gotten keener."

Once the smaller demon had all his clothes off, Kurama helped him into the water and placed a warm washcloth over the Jagan so it wouldn't get soap or hair products in it.

"That feels great," Hiei moaned, sinking deeper into the bubbles, all the way up to his neck.

"Which shampoo and conditioner do you want to use for your hair?" Kurama asked. "Nothing with a heavy scent, right?"

Hiei smiled and nodded, closing his eyes in relaxation. "Pick one that smells like roses."

"You're the boss," said Kurama, and Hiei's smile grew wider. Kurama shampooed Hiei's hair first, rinsing away a few days' worth of sweat, dirt, and grease. Then he conditioned it to make the spiky raven locks soft yet strong, plus easier to comb. Then he got to washing Hiei's body next, from head to toe. Kurama was using rose-scented bar soap to do this, because roses seemed to be a smell Hiei could easily tolerate, even in pregnancy.

"I love the smell of that soap," Hiei declared.

"Thank you, but after this bath, you're going to smell like me," Kurama joked.

"Would that be so bad?" Hiei said back. "You always smell good."

Not too much later, when Kurama washed him "down there," Hiei seemed to be enjoying it, so Kurama drew it out. In fact, judging by his body's reaction, Hiei was definitely enjoying it.

"Well, well…" Kurama grinned. "You really needed to be washed down there, didn't you?"

Hiei reached up and tugged hard on a strand of Kurama's long hair, almost pulling him face-first into the water. Even though his clothes were wet and so was his hair, Kurama couldn't help but laugh. Once he'd grabbed the soap again and given Hiei a kiss on the forehead, he got to washing again, this time being sure to "clean" the parts where Hiei liked it most. Once all the washing was done, Kurama peeled off all his clothes and joined his husband in the water.

"It's too bad these bath bubbles are so thick," Hiei said snarkily. "I can't see a thing."

"You sick bastard," Kurama teased.

Normally, when the two of them took a bath together, they would end up making out at the very least, and probably doing more than that. But there was such a tenderness in Kurama that he just couldn't seem to explain. He pulled his husband closer and cuddled him, running his fingers through his wet hair, savoring the feeling of their skin touching in the warm water.

"Kurama," said Hiei, who wasn't struggling to get away, but still seemed confused. "What's the matter with you? You're acting really weird."

"I just love you, that's all," Kurama replied, giving Hiei a kiss on the shoulder, but that wasn't the full extent of it.

Ever since the possibility of Hiei's pregnancy came on his radar, Kurama had felt even more loving towards the smaller demon than before. Every time he looked at Hiei, all he could think about was the tiny new life growing inside him, and it was still so overwhelming.

And he had become more protective of Hiei, too, even over the course of only one afternoon. One of the things he liked about Hiei was that he was no "damsel in distress." If there was some kind of threat, it wouldn't be Kurama trying to defeat it while a helpless Hiei was being held as bait. They would fight it together until the very end. If Kurama's life partner was someone who could protect himself, that was one less thing he had to worry about.

But now, it wasn't just Hiei, it was a helpless baby, which Kurama definitely knew was there, even if he couldn't yet smell it or sense its individual energy print. And now, even though Hiei was still perfectly capable of defending himself, those who even attempted to harm him were at risk for a flesh-eating plant to rip through their bodies in a hideous display of Kurama's particular brand of caring, while Kurama himself sat by and sipped his tea. And he wouldn't feel sorry about that for even one second.