The Forgotten Child
Chapter 7
written by Kat Aubuchon
edited by Windlily
Hiei tried to keep the smile off his face as
he listened to Kurama talk nonsense to their
child. He was babbling on about pigs and markets
and generally making a fool of himself. Hiei had
always known that Kurama liked kids. He had
watched him play with his nieces and nephews and
the Urameshi twins, but he had never been down
right sappy before.
Hiei allowed himself a very small grin. He
had felt the house shake earlier and it had
awakened him from his deep sleep. With a half
open ear he had listened to the argument down the
hall, but the distance and the many walls that
separated them had kept him from understanding
what had been said.
Yukina and Keiko had left them alone to go
see what was going on and told Kurama to get some
rest himself. The stubborn fox told them he would
and then had spent the next hour counting fingers
and toes! Hiei felt the bed move a little as
Kurama finally climbed under the covers. He kept
his eyes closed and continued to pretend he was
asleep as Kurama counted fingers and toes for the
fifth time that night.
"You know, Kurama, the boy has the same
number of fingers and toes he had five minutes
ago," Hiei said quietly as he opened his eyes.
Hiei looked into Kurama's amused green eyes
and the damn fox actually *winked* at him! He
tried to rescue his son from the mad youko but
Kurama saw what he was trying to do and pulled the
boy close to his chest.
"Oh no you don't! Me and him have been
bonding while you were sleeping and he likes
having his toes counted just fine," Kurama said
with a pout as he looked down at his son. "Isn't
that right, sweetness?"
Hiei followed Kurama's gaze down to the
loosely wrapped bundle on the bed between them.
Two chubby hands were holding the edge of the
softly colored square of fabric Hiei recognized as
Koori's old blanket and his tiny feet poked out of
the bottom. His son's jet black hair was sticking
out in every direction available, but so silky and
fine that just the breath from Kurama's whispered
question stirred them into movement.
Their son's face was too round to have come
from Hiei's side or from Kurama's youko side. The
little brat looked exactly like the pictures
Shiori had shown him of when 'Shuuichi' was born,
except for the black hair for course. If the
pictures weren't enough to convince Hiei that the
boy took after Kurama's human side, the bright
green eyes that glared back at Kurama was proof in
itself. Hiei chuckled despite himself at his
son's excellent timing.
"Yeah, looks like he loves it," he said
dryly.
"He was fine before you woke up and scared
him," Kurama grumbled.
Hiei gave him a grunt and then tried to sit
up. As soon as his head came off the pillow he
knew it had been a mistake to move. His head
started to pound and his whole body felt like pins
were being poked into his skin. Kurama put a
restraining hand on Hiei's shoulder but the fire
demon just pushed it away.
"You shouldn't get up Hiei. You need to
rest," Kurama pleaded with him.
"What I need is to move around a little. I
think every limb I have is in a cationic sleep
state," he groaned as he pushed himself from the
bed.
Hiei made it to the window and sat heavily on
the wide sill. It was open and he turned his face
into the breeze that stirred the strands of hair
on his forehead. He closed his eyes and let the
warm air seep into and relax his tired body. He
had almost fallen back asleep on his window perch
when he heard Kurama sob softly.
"I'd thought that I'd lost you... both of
you," Kurama mumbled into the soft blanket that
surrounded their son.
Hiei opened his eyes just enough to be able
to see Kurama curled tightly around the sleeping
baby. He could see the sparkle of his tears
soaking into the fabric of the blanket at his
cheek. Hiei realized that Kurama wasn't speaking
to him, but to the baby. Kurama probably thought
that he was asleep.
"I was going crazy thinking that I had lost
you, that I might never even get the chance to see
you."
Hiei felt his heart stop and then painfully
start again with an aching thud. He knew that
Kurama's words were meant only for their son's
ears, but still they stabbed like poison daggers
into his soul. Hiei was carried away into misery
as he listened to Kurama's whispered thanks to a
deity he didn't recognize. As each word fell in
the otherwise quiet room, Hiei felt every ounce
the bastard he was.
Kurama had unwittingly brought Hiei's biggest
fear to the forefront.
He had asked himself that same question for
almost fourteen years. Ever since the first day he
realized that the overwhelming sense of loss that
had been haunting him was caused by a child he had
left to die. It had been the day that Yukina had
'delivered' Kiseki that Hiei had begun to really
understand what had happened to him three years
earlier. The temperament changes, the strange
urges, the absolutely consuming need to hide and
finally the cold fog that muddled his memory and
created the detachment that allowed him to leave
his first born child in the cave where it had been
born and not look back. It had taken three days
for that strange fog in his head to fade and it
was quickly replaced with the terrifying
realization that he had lost something very
important to him.
For the next three days he had searched for
what was missing, not even certain of what 'it'
was. It had rained those three days, heavy sheets
of warm summer rain that drenched him completely,
but did not stop his search. At the end of the
third day he resigned himself to the fact that he
wasn't going to find what he was looking for and
returned to Kurama's waiting arms.
He couldn't count the number of times he'd
lain awake at night watching Kurama sleep,
wondering what their first child looked like.
There were so many times that he wanted to tell
him about the baby. Especially on the warm summer
nights that surrounded what would have been the
child's birthday. He wished that he had told
Kurama the moment he had realized what had
happened to him and the baby. He selfishly wanted
someone to share his grief with, but this silent
suffering was his self-inflicted punishment for
what he had done.
Hiei listened to Kurama's even breathing and
knew that his overexcited lover had finally fallen
asleep. He slipped silently from the window and
made his way over to the bed. He pulled his son
gently from Kurama's loose grip, taking care not
to wake his lover, then held the child awkwardly
to his chest. He ignored his fatigue as he went
back to the window and reclaimed his perch.
He then held his son out in front of him and
marveled at the huge green eyes that blinked back.
Hiei had no clue how to hold a new born baby and
wished now that he had given in to his sister when
she had tried to make him hold Koori. After a few
experimental positions he finally just turned his
son around and put him close to his heart. He
found that if he reclined back far enough he could
support the tiny body on his chest easily with one
hand and now they could both see the glittering
stars.
When he got them both settled, he stroked
back the feather light hairs that were constantly
shifting in the breeze back from the baby's face,
then looked back up at the stars. He searched the
sky until he found the star he was looking for and
gave a soft sigh.
"I know I haven't talked to you for awhile,
but there have been a lot changes lately. There's
someone I want you to met," Hiei whispered into
the breeze.
He adjusted his hold on his son and hoisted
him straighter on his chest as he tried to swallow
the lump that was lodged painfully in his throat
but it wouldn't move. He gave up trying and
continued.
"This is your baby bother. I haven't given
him a name yet. I do have one in mind, but I have
to ask your father if it is OK," he paused to
fight to moisture that was gathering in his eyes
and tried once again to clear his throat.
"I'm sorry that you never got a proper name,
but I didn't feel worthy of naming a child I'd
abandoned."
Hiei looked down at his now sleeping child
and repeatedly stroked him. His fingers ran
lightly from the top of his head and over his tiny
face then over his round belly. "You don't have to
worry about this little one ever being alone. He
has his father and more aunts, uncles and cousins
than he could possibly want."
The breeze picked up to a gentle wind and
carried the scent of heavy, rain clogged clouds.
Hiei could tell that by tomorrow they would have
heavy rain fall, just like the ones he had
searched through almost seventeen years ago.
"You'll be..." Hiei stopped and corrected
himself, " You would have been seventeen next
month. Your father probably would have planned
some kind of silly party and invited his mother
and all your friends. I think you would have
liked knowing your crazy youko father. I know he
would have liked to have known you."
Hiei pulled his son higher and tighter to his
chest. He placed his chin on the top of the
infant's head and rubbed it against the black
silky strands there. He looked back to the star
he had picked as a substitute of his lost child.
"Anyway, I've picked out a name for this
little brat. I was thinking of calling him,
Kyuukai. What do you think?" Hiei asked into the
night.
"I think it's a wonderful name, Hiei, and it
suits him well," Kurama whispered behind him.
Hiei sat perfectly still in shock. He felt
Kurama's hand on his shoulder and he began to
shake so badly he thought he might drop his son.
Kurama came to stand where he could see Hiei's
face, but the fire demon refused to met his eyes.
Kurama placed a gentle but firm hand on his cheek
and made him look him in the eye.
"I also think that we have a lot to talk
about, but right now I want to know which one,"
Kurama stated cryptically.
Hiei just blinked back him, uncomprehending.
"Which one, what?" he asked.
A sad but soft smile curled Kurama's lips as
he came around behind Hiei and lifted both him and
the baby he held into his lap. Kurama adjusted
himself on the window sill so that they were all
looking out into the night sky.
"I want to know which one is our child,"
Kurama whispered in to Hiei's hair as he made a
sweeping gesture out the window.
It took a minute for Hiei to understand that
Kurama was talking about the star. He looked back
into the sky as one single tear escaped to fall as
a small gem into the baby's hair. He lifted his
hand to point at a place low on the horizon.
"The one just over the trees. It's twinkling
blue and then red," he told him.
Kurama's fingers laced into his own over
their sleeping son's chest and he gave a gentle
squeeze.
"It's beautiful."
============
end chapter 7
Well another sleepless night, another chapter!
Hope you like! Comments and replies welcome.
The following is just because my mother told me to:
Kitsuryuu- combo of kitsune (fox) and ryuu
(dragon)
Kiseki- miracle
Mechiko- actually I pulled this one right out of
my baby book it means the righteous way. They list
it as one of the more popular Japanese names. I thought
that Keiko would put her foot down and give one of
her children a normal name. ^_^
Maryoku- magic user/maker
Arashi- storm
Fuyu- winter
Koori- ice
Kyuukai- long cherished hope
Kat
Chapter 7
written by Kat Aubuchon
edited by Windlily
Hiei tried to keep the smile off his face as
he listened to Kurama talk nonsense to their
child. He was babbling on about pigs and markets
and generally making a fool of himself. Hiei had
always known that Kurama liked kids. He had
watched him play with his nieces and nephews and
the Urameshi twins, but he had never been down
right sappy before.
Hiei allowed himself a very small grin. He
had felt the house shake earlier and it had
awakened him from his deep sleep. With a half
open ear he had listened to the argument down the
hall, but the distance and the many walls that
separated them had kept him from understanding
what had been said.
Yukina and Keiko had left them alone to go
see what was going on and told Kurama to get some
rest himself. The stubborn fox told them he would
and then had spent the next hour counting fingers
and toes! Hiei felt the bed move a little as
Kurama finally climbed under the covers. He kept
his eyes closed and continued to pretend he was
asleep as Kurama counted fingers and toes for the
fifth time that night.
"You know, Kurama, the boy has the same
number of fingers and toes he had five minutes
ago," Hiei said quietly as he opened his eyes.
Hiei looked into Kurama's amused green eyes
and the damn fox actually *winked* at him! He
tried to rescue his son from the mad youko but
Kurama saw what he was trying to do and pulled the
boy close to his chest.
"Oh no you don't! Me and him have been
bonding while you were sleeping and he likes
having his toes counted just fine," Kurama said
with a pout as he looked down at his son. "Isn't
that right, sweetness?"
Hiei followed Kurama's gaze down to the
loosely wrapped bundle on the bed between them.
Two chubby hands were holding the edge of the
softly colored square of fabric Hiei recognized as
Koori's old blanket and his tiny feet poked out of
the bottom. His son's jet black hair was sticking
out in every direction available, but so silky and
fine that just the breath from Kurama's whispered
question stirred them into movement.
Their son's face was too round to have come
from Hiei's side or from Kurama's youko side. The
little brat looked exactly like the pictures
Shiori had shown him of when 'Shuuichi' was born,
except for the black hair for course. If the
pictures weren't enough to convince Hiei that the
boy took after Kurama's human side, the bright
green eyes that glared back at Kurama was proof in
itself. Hiei chuckled despite himself at his
son's excellent timing.
"Yeah, looks like he loves it," he said
dryly.
"He was fine before you woke up and scared
him," Kurama grumbled.
Hiei gave him a grunt and then tried to sit
up. As soon as his head came off the pillow he
knew it had been a mistake to move. His head
started to pound and his whole body felt like pins
were being poked into his skin. Kurama put a
restraining hand on Hiei's shoulder but the fire
demon just pushed it away.
"You shouldn't get up Hiei. You need to
rest," Kurama pleaded with him.
"What I need is to move around a little. I
think every limb I have is in a cationic sleep
state," he groaned as he pushed himself from the
bed.
Hiei made it to the window and sat heavily on
the wide sill. It was open and he turned his face
into the breeze that stirred the strands of hair
on his forehead. He closed his eyes and let the
warm air seep into and relax his tired body. He
had almost fallen back asleep on his window perch
when he heard Kurama sob softly.
"I'd thought that I'd lost you... both of
you," Kurama mumbled into the soft blanket that
surrounded their son.
Hiei opened his eyes just enough to be able
to see Kurama curled tightly around the sleeping
baby. He could see the sparkle of his tears
soaking into the fabric of the blanket at his
cheek. Hiei realized that Kurama wasn't speaking
to him, but to the baby. Kurama probably thought
that he was asleep.
"I was going crazy thinking that I had lost
you, that I might never even get the chance to see
you."
Hiei felt his heart stop and then painfully
start again with an aching thud. He knew that
Kurama's words were meant only for their son's
ears, but still they stabbed like poison daggers
into his soul. Hiei was carried away into misery
as he listened to Kurama's whispered thanks to a
deity he didn't recognize. As each word fell in
the otherwise quiet room, Hiei felt every ounce
the bastard he was.
Kurama had unwittingly brought Hiei's biggest
fear to the forefront.
He had asked himself that same question for
almost fourteen years. Ever since the first day he
realized that the overwhelming sense of loss that
had been haunting him was caused by a child he had
left to die. It had been the day that Yukina had
'delivered' Kiseki that Hiei had begun to really
understand what had happened to him three years
earlier. The temperament changes, the strange
urges, the absolutely consuming need to hide and
finally the cold fog that muddled his memory and
created the detachment that allowed him to leave
his first born child in the cave where it had been
born and not look back. It had taken three days
for that strange fog in his head to fade and it
was quickly replaced with the terrifying
realization that he had lost something very
important to him.
For the next three days he had searched for
what was missing, not even certain of what 'it'
was. It had rained those three days, heavy sheets
of warm summer rain that drenched him completely,
but did not stop his search. At the end of the
third day he resigned himself to the fact that he
wasn't going to find what he was looking for and
returned to Kurama's waiting arms.
He couldn't count the number of times he'd
lain awake at night watching Kurama sleep,
wondering what their first child looked like.
There were so many times that he wanted to tell
him about the baby. Especially on the warm summer
nights that surrounded what would have been the
child's birthday. He wished that he had told
Kurama the moment he had realized what had
happened to him and the baby. He selfishly wanted
someone to share his grief with, but this silent
suffering was his self-inflicted punishment for
what he had done.
Hiei listened to Kurama's even breathing and
knew that his overexcited lover had finally fallen
asleep. He slipped silently from the window and
made his way over to the bed. He pulled his son
gently from Kurama's loose grip, taking care not
to wake his lover, then held the child awkwardly
to his chest. He ignored his fatigue as he went
back to the window and reclaimed his perch.
He then held his son out in front of him and
marveled at the huge green eyes that blinked back.
Hiei had no clue how to hold a new born baby and
wished now that he had given in to his sister when
she had tried to make him hold Koori. After a few
experimental positions he finally just turned his
son around and put him close to his heart. He
found that if he reclined back far enough he could
support the tiny body on his chest easily with one
hand and now they could both see the glittering
stars.
When he got them both settled, he stroked
back the feather light hairs that were constantly
shifting in the breeze back from the baby's face,
then looked back up at the stars. He searched the
sky until he found the star he was looking for and
gave a soft sigh.
"I know I haven't talked to you for awhile,
but there have been a lot changes lately. There's
someone I want you to met," Hiei whispered into
the breeze.
He adjusted his hold on his son and hoisted
him straighter on his chest as he tried to swallow
the lump that was lodged painfully in his throat
but it wouldn't move. He gave up trying and
continued.
"This is your baby bother. I haven't given
him a name yet. I do have one in mind, but I have
to ask your father if it is OK," he paused to
fight to moisture that was gathering in his eyes
and tried once again to clear his throat.
"I'm sorry that you never got a proper name,
but I didn't feel worthy of naming a child I'd
abandoned."
Hiei looked down at his now sleeping child
and repeatedly stroked him. His fingers ran
lightly from the top of his head and over his tiny
face then over his round belly. "You don't have to
worry about this little one ever being alone. He
has his father and more aunts, uncles and cousins
than he could possibly want."
The breeze picked up to a gentle wind and
carried the scent of heavy, rain clogged clouds.
Hiei could tell that by tomorrow they would have
heavy rain fall, just like the ones he had
searched through almost seventeen years ago.
"You'll be..." Hiei stopped and corrected
himself, " You would have been seventeen next
month. Your father probably would have planned
some kind of silly party and invited his mother
and all your friends. I think you would have
liked knowing your crazy youko father. I know he
would have liked to have known you."
Hiei pulled his son higher and tighter to his
chest. He placed his chin on the top of the
infant's head and rubbed it against the black
silky strands there. He looked back to the star
he had picked as a substitute of his lost child.
"Anyway, I've picked out a name for this
little brat. I was thinking of calling him,
Kyuukai. What do you think?" Hiei asked into the
night.
"I think it's a wonderful name, Hiei, and it
suits him well," Kurama whispered behind him.
Hiei sat perfectly still in shock. He felt
Kurama's hand on his shoulder and he began to
shake so badly he thought he might drop his son.
Kurama came to stand where he could see Hiei's
face, but the fire demon refused to met his eyes.
Kurama placed a gentle but firm hand on his cheek
and made him look him in the eye.
"I also think that we have a lot to talk
about, but right now I want to know which one,"
Kurama stated cryptically.
Hiei just blinked back him, uncomprehending.
"Which one, what?" he asked.
A sad but soft smile curled Kurama's lips as
he came around behind Hiei and lifted both him and
the baby he held into his lap. Kurama adjusted
himself on the window sill so that they were all
looking out into the night sky.
"I want to know which one is our child,"
Kurama whispered in to Hiei's hair as he made a
sweeping gesture out the window.
It took a minute for Hiei to understand that
Kurama was talking about the star. He looked back
into the sky as one single tear escaped to fall as
a small gem into the baby's hair. He lifted his
hand to point at a place low on the horizon.
"The one just over the trees. It's twinkling
blue and then red," he told him.
Kurama's fingers laced into his own over
their sleeping son's chest and he gave a gentle
squeeze.
"It's beautiful."
============
end chapter 7
Well another sleepless night, another chapter!
Hope you like! Comments and replies welcome.
The following is just because my mother told me to:
Kitsuryuu- combo of kitsune (fox) and ryuu
(dragon)
Kiseki- miracle
Mechiko- actually I pulled this one right out of
my baby book it means the righteous way. They list
it as one of the more popular Japanese names. I thought
that Keiko would put her foot down and give one of
her children a normal name. ^_^
Maryoku- magic user/maker
Arashi- storm
Fuyu- winter
Koori- ice
Kyuukai- long cherished hope
Kat