A Lover's Destiny

Chapter 20- The Silence of the Answer

~*~*The Next Week*~*~

Yukina was sitting on the bed playing with Myou's arms.

Myou giggled cutely.

Hikari was sitting on her bed, playing with Shuurin.

Shuurin blinked and smiled.

She smiled and played with his arms.

Haya was sprawled out on Hiei's pillow.

Hikari looked at Haya and chuckled.

Haya tilted her head and laughed. She sucked on her toes.

Hikari smiled.

Haya tried to sit up. She was a bit wobbly but she grabbed onto Hikari's arm. She seemed proud of herself that she had gotten at least that far.

Hikari smiled. Watching Haya. 'I remember Naturo could talk the second day... Haya can barely even sit up... so weird...'

Shuurin giggled.

Hikari smiled, holding his hands.

Hiei heard him laughing. He walked into the room.

"Too much happiness." he joked smiling.

She chuckled.

Hiei grinned. He picked up Haya who smiled and kicked her legs happily.

"D-dada......" she mumbled between giggles.

Hiei almost fell over.

Hikari smiled.

'Compose yourself...you can't fall over while holding the child.' Hiei thought to himself.

Hiei looked over at Hikari as if expecting Shuurin to say something as well.

Hikari smiled, wanting to see if Shuurin would say anything.

Shuurin sat there silent.

Hikari smiled.

Hiei looked at Shuurin. "I'm surprised he hasn't said anything. Naturo was talking by two days and Haya by a week...but he doesn't seem to be responding to sound like those two..."

Hikari nodded. "Oh well... hopefully he will talk in a little while..."

Hiei nodded unconvinced.

She thought something was wrong with Shuurin but wouldn't say anything.

Hiei thought the same but he didn't want to worry Hikari.

~*~*A Week Later*~*~

Hikari held Shuurin in her arms as usual. "Shuurin... look at me if you can hear me... do something..." she said quietly. She was worried he wasn't healthy but she still hadn't said anything to Hiei.

Shuurin was interested in something else. He didn't respond.

Hikari's eyes filled with more worry. "Shuurin... please... look at me..."

No response still.

Hiei and Kurama stepped into the room. Hiei kneeled down next to Hikari.

Hikari's eyes were filled with tears. She knew something was wrong with Shuurin.

Hiei clapped his hands so loudly that Haya began to cry.

Shuurin still didn't respond.

Hikari got an idea. She wanted to see if Shuurin would respond to something visible. She ran a finger a few inches in front of Shuurin's face to see if he would respond to that.

He grasped her finger.

Hikari looked at Hiei. "H-Hiei... I... I think he can't h-hear..." she said as tears were in her eyes.

Kurama nodded sadly. "Just as I suspected. Shuurin hasn't responded to any of the noises for the past 2 weeks. He's deaf I'm afraid." Kurama said.

Hikari's eyes filled with even more tears.

Kurama struck an idea. "Have you heard of sign language?"

Hiei had a blank, confused look on his face.

"What about you Hikari?" he asked her.

Hikari looked at Kurama. "Er... I know some..." she said. She had learned it a while ago when she knew a person who had been deaf.

Kurama smiled slightly. "Good. Then it shouldn't all be new to you."

She smiled a little bit. Her hands were shaking because she was so worried and scared that Shuurin would never be able to hear...

Hiei was worried sick too. But would never be so weak in ego as to show it.

A few tears fell down her face. 'Why couldn't I go deaf? Why did my child have to...' she thought silently.

Hiei saw the look on her face.

Kurama thought it best if he left them alone.

Hikari's eyes went emotionless as she just stared into space.

"Hikari. We can teach him sign language. I'll have to learn as well...but if it helps our child. You know I'd be willing to throw away my life as you would too." Hiei said. Even though he couldn't tell if she was hearing the words issuing from his mouth.

Hikari didn't even hear what he said. She opened her mouth to say something but just a quiet sob came out.

Hiei embraced her softly. He nuzzled the side of her head with his. "Everything will be alright..."

Hikari put her head to his chest and cried into his chest.

She still held Shuurin.

Hiei stroked her hair gently.

He looked at Shuurin. 'You'll speak to us someday. I swear it.'

She cried into his chest. "I-I d-don't u-u-understand w-why i-it c-c-couldn't h-have j-just b-been m-me..." she sobbed into his chest. She knew Shuurin had been deaf but hearing someone else say it made it sink in.

Hiei kissed the side of her head. "I know. I thought the same thing. Why it had to be Shuurin and not some other ningen's child."

She sighed.

She slowly pulled away from Hiei's chest and she just sat back, thinking silently. She stared into space, going emotionless.

Hiei sighed. 'Why couldn't it have been me? It would have saved Hikari a lot of pain.'

'At least it wasn't Hiei... if it was... I don't think I would be able to live...' she thought showing no emotion what-so-ever.

Hiei couldn't tell what she was thinking at all. He stared into her eyes and saw nothing...nothing but emptiness.

She stared back into his eyes but it was like she wasn't even looking at anything... there was no focus in her eyes... it was eerie, like she was just staring right through him.

Hiei felt her head. Shuurin was falling asleep. He sat up but kept almost falling over as he tried to close his eyes. His will was too much for him.

Hikari didn't even notice anything that was happening.

Hiei put his hand on Shuurin and laid him down on top of Hikari. He fell asleep immediately.

He then placed Haya on top of her as well and picked all three of them up at once.

He was worried about Hikari. 'I didn't know she would take it this hard.' he thought.

Hikari shook a tiny bit, still showing no emotion. She didn't know what to do... so many thoughts were coming into her mind, she didn't have a clue of what to do. Her eyes, still emptiness.

Hiei carried them to their room and laid them all in bed. He put Haya and Shuurin in their crib and crawled into bed along with Hikari. He wrapped his arm around her waist.

She looked up at the ceiling, not even responding. Every breath she took made her chest feel like it was ready to cave in on her.

Hiei removed his arm and turned around. He laid on his side facing the window.

She shook a bit. "H-Hiei..." she sobbed out and went and hugged him. She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Hiei knew this. He turned around and wrapped both his arms around her. "I know. I know." he said trying to hush her crying.

She whimpered a bit, putting her head to his chest, tears falling down her face.

Hiei held her head to his chest. He wanted to calm her so badly...but he didn't know how. "I-I love you Hikari."

Hikari's crying calmed down a bit.

Hiei held her closer. He wasn't sure if this was the right thing to say but he said it anyway. "It could be worse Hikari."

Hikari cried more, just thinking about it. It wasn't the right thing to say.

Hiei sighed. "I'm sorry." he said and he let go of her. He turned the opposite direction and on to his side again.

She put her hands around his stomach, just wanting to be held.

Hiei turned around and sat up. He pulled her into his lap.

She instantly cuddled to him and put her head to his chest.

Hiei stroked her hair. "Tomorrow we'll begin the sign language...or whatever it's called. Someday our child will hear. I promise."

She nodded slowly.

"I know... I love you..." she mumbled and did the signs for 'I love you'.

Hiei smiled slightly. "I guess it's a start. I know nothing." he said sighing. "You'll be teaching me just as much as you do him."

She smiled very very faintly.

Hiei laid back down in bed still holding Hikari. "Now. You need to sleep."

Hikari sighed. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

Hiei did as well.

Hikari kept trying to sleep but she couldn't really.

Hiei felt her moving in bed.

He rubbed her sides gently.

She tossed and turned a bit but finally relaxed. Still not asleep.

Hiei finally fell asleep.

~*~*Morning*~*~

All night, Hikari had been awake. Unable to sleep.

Haya woke up screaming.

Hikari opened her eyes and ran over to Haya and picked her up.

"M-momma..." she said cuddling to Hikari.

Hikari held her, sighing. Very tired. She sat down on the edge of the bed and rocked her back and forth softly, singing very softly.

Shuurin continued to sleep peacefully.

Haya's crying hadn't bothered him at all.

Haya fell asleep holding on to Hikari's clothes.

Hikari sighed, continuing to rock her back and forth until she was sure Haya was asleep. She walked over and placed Haya in the crib and climbed back into bed, very tired.

Haya rolled over and held on to Shuurin's arm.

Hikari looked over at them and watched them with a frown. She was sad Shuurin hadn't woken up from that... even though it sounded weird to wish he had...

Shuurin began to whimper. Haya was squeezing too hard but she didn't notice because she was asleep.

Hikari went over and blinked. She took Haya's arm off of Shuurin and picked him up and began to sing as a reflex. She stopped, remembering he couldn't hear.

Shuurin looked around. He could feel the vibrations of her singing and when she stopped he began to cry.

She blinked and began to sing again.

Shuurin sighed and started to fall asleep. He held onto Hikari's finger.

Hikari continued to sing. She sat down on the bed, wondering why he had cried when she stopped singing.

Shuurin continued to sleep peacefully.

Hiei woke up. It was beginning to get light outside.

He sat up and held his head.

Hikari slowly stopped singing.

She watched Shuurin silently.

Shuurin whimpered a bit. Hiei held his head still. He had a major head ache from lack of sleep.

Hikari frowned, hearing Shuurin whimper. Her head hurt a whole whole lot from no sleep and she showed that she was tired. She was swaying a bit. She began to sing again.

Shuurin calmed down a bit.

She continued to sing softly.

Shuurin sighed, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Hikari stopped singing, laid him back down in the crib and laid down in bed.

Hiei wrapped his arm around her waist again.

She nuzzled into him tiredly.

He yawned. Sure he had gotten sleep but not enough to brag about. "Go ahead and sleep. I'll take care of them." he muttered.

She shook her head. "No... I'll stay awake... you sleep..."

Hiei sat up and pushed her into the bed gently. "No. You need your sleep more than I do. Just go to bed already." he said sternly but kindly.

She moved, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her head hurt but she tried to ignore it. "No. You sleep..." she wasn't going to fall back asleep. No matter what he tried.

Hiei sighed. "Then I wont sleep either." he said stubbornly.

She looked into his eyes. "No. Sleep!" she said, aggravated.

Hiei looked out the window. "Its morning Hikari..." he said quietly.

She sighed.

Haya moved slightly in her sleep.

Hiei stood up and walked briskly toward the door. "I think it's time for breakfast." he said quietly. So quietly it was barely audible to human ears.

Hikari nodded tiredly and stood.

She was so tired, she was swaying slightly.

'If only she would listen to me. She'd be a lot better off.' Hiei thought to himself.

She walked over next to him. Trying not to show she was tired.

He noticed and picked her up in his arms and carried her down the stairs, leaving Naturo in bed and the twins asleep.

She blinked, looking up at him.

Hiei was tired but he didn't want to show it. He brought her downstairs and to the breakfast table.

Kurama had to make breakfast by himself nowadays since Yukina wasn't around anymore.

Hikari knew Hiei was tired and it made her frown. She didn't want him to be tired and to be taking care of her.

Hiei tried as hard as he could not to show his fatigue but he was failing miserably. He decided he didn't want anything to eat and sat at the table with nothing in front of him.

Hikari wasn't hungry at all, just extremely tired but trying not to show it. She was trying as hard as humanily... er... demonily possible to not show how tired she was but was failing just as bad as Hiei.

Kurama turned around and looked at the two. 'Man...look at them...I bet they haven't gotten a wink of sleep.' he thought.

'Maybe I should help them with the children some night.'

Hikari yawned softly.

She looked out the window, thinking about the twins. Thinking mainly about Shuurin.

Shuurin started crying and Hiei was about to get up before Kurama's hand landed on his shoulder. "I'll take care of him." he said confidently as he set the breakfast on the table between the two, even though he knew they wouldn't eat it.

Hikari looked at Kurama. She wanted to go take care of Shuurin. She stood. "Kurama.... I will go take care of him..." she said as she swayed slightly.

"Y-you mean you want to? Alright...I wont stand in your way." he said as he walked and sat down at the table.

She walked up the stairs and walked into Hiei and her room. She took Shuurin in her arms, started to sing weakly.

Hiei put his elbows on the table and rested his head on his hands. 'How am I going to get through to her? She doesn't have to do everything.' he thought.

Hikari continued to sing softly/weakly, swaying slightly.

She sat down on the bed, unsure if she would be able to stand for much longer.

Shuurin smiled. He wasn't exactly tired. Haya on the other hand was still asleep and had a look of content on her face.

Hikari smiled and kissed him on his forehead.

He giggled and grasped part of her shirt in his tiny hand.

She smiled a bit more.

Hiei was still downstairs and Kurama had left the room to go get something.

He came back in with about 6 books in his arms.

Hikari smiled softly. "Do you want to go downstairs with mommy?" she asked Shuurin.

Shuurin smiled.

Hikari slapped herself mentally, remembering Shuurin couldn't hear her. She smiled and got up and went back down to the kitchen. Swaying slightly.

Hiei saw her coming down the stairs. He sighed.

Kurama was waiting for her to sit down because he had something he wanted to show them.

Hikari walked over and sat down. She looked both tired and weak.

Kurama set the books on the table. Their titles were Working With Deaf Children, A History of Deaf Demons, Sign Language for Dummies, Demons Who Can't Hear, Demon Signlanguage, and What to do if Your Demon Baby is Born Deaf

"If you cant tell from reading the titles on these books, I took a quick trip to Makai last night and borrowed them from the Makai library."