All secrets are meant to be told;
And thus the new journey begins . . .
Disclaimer: Kita doesn't own yuyu. So don't you/you sue.
Ok, I have a better border now n.n
Sugoi! lol
- . . . –- . . . -
n.n
the ff.net people CAN'T delete that one!! =n.n=
ok, moving on ( Oo;; )
(any confusion will hopefully be resolved in this chapter n.n;;;;; )
- . . . –- . . . -
A certain redhead was walking home, mulling over his own thoughts as the twilight grew darker; the sun fading. A small smile crept over his face as a hopeful supposition found its way into his mind . . .
Hiei might come back tonight . . .
The smile broadened, causing his step to quicken. He wanted to get back . . . oh, there was always the possibility that the fire youkai WOULDN'T be there, but . . . he really missed him.
His firefly . . .
It had been a few weeks since the Jaganshi's last visit, and he was (though not quite ready to admit it to his sarcastic lover) slightly worried. He had been living in the new apartment for about nine months (a.n./ 'wink' n.n;;) so the shorter demon could find the place easily enough by now . . . to an earlier thought, deep down he knew that Hiei was quite powerful, indeed, and could take care of himself, but . . . that didn't keep his emotions packed down. Kurama sighed, pushing a stray piece of fiery red hair out of his eyes as a gentle breeze blew. He walked down the roads of the city, passing alleys and shops on the sidewalk. The street lamps flickered on then, illuminating sparse patches of road with pale, yellow light at regular intervals . . .
Wait . . .
Not more than a few blocks from his apartment, the kitsune froze.
He sensed youki.
. . . . and it WASN'T Hiei.
The youko turned around slowly, his gaze shifting suspiciously over the alleyways . . . using his youki to carefully sweep around the area and then . . .
There.
He ran down the dark alleyway without another moment's hesitation, drawing a rose and holding it ready for any sudden action . . . when he came to the nearly pitch-black end of the passage, what he saw made the bile rise in his throat . . .
A girl . . . no . . . a woman? Kurama cursed under his breath at the sight . . .
A youkai had her pinned to the ground, hissing at her in the Makai tongue . . . all the while trying to pull something out of the screaming (and yet strangely silent) woman. There were blood and bodily fluids all over the dirty ground; making the gravelly dirt look slick. His past years as a youko coming in, he soon realized what the demon was saying . . .
"Give it to me, ningen!" The hulk growled, clawing at her and trying to pull whatever it was out of the woman's lower entrance . . . and she screamed again at the pain, her voice eerily silenced so all that Kurama saw was her mouth opening and her attempts to free herself. When the beginnings of a head began to show itself, Kurama was shocked out of his trance. In an instant the rose had been transformed, and the violator cut to pieces. The demon fell, dead, to the ground as the panting woman strained to force herself up to see her rescuer.
The youko-turned-ningen hurried to her side; holding her head up, finding that her skin was not only slick from the blood and fluids . . . but from sweat as well . . . a damp hand clenched in his shirt, and she spoke, her brown-red eyes pleading up to him, the dark brown hair matted and dirty . . . he had to get her to the hospital . . . but she was in no condition to . . .
"S—save . . . . th—them . . . . in—side . . . . "She breathed with difficulty, her eyes indicating the lower part of her body. The emerald gaze widened as he grasped the situation. Hurriedly, he shifted, growing some Makai plants to use as a pillow for her head . . . he placed himself, ready, at her entrance, where the child's head was still visible . . . Kurama took a deep breath.
"Now, Miss . . . please try to . . . push." She tried her greatest . . . as she desperately tried to free the life still barely within her . . . pushing as the kitsune sought to catch the new life once it was free . . .
After a few more insistent, encouraging words, and a great amount of effort, the child was out. He started crying immediately and Kurama winced at the sound so close to his sensitive ears. He made to give her the boy, but she shook her head, tears at the corners of her eyes.
"I—ie . . . there is . . . another . . . . "She gasped, wincing as another contraction ripped through her, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. Kurama carefully set the squealing boy down and readied himself to deliver the other sibling . . .
- . . . –- . . . -
Kurama trudged through the city, carrying the two sacred bundles in his arms, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes at remembrance of their dead mother . . .
(::flashback::)
The girl was out. He handed over the two children to their mother, and she held them close with her weak hands, looking up at her savior.
"What . . . are they?" She whispered, her breathing returning to normal even as her blood continued to flow out of her . . .
"They seem very healthy; a boy and a girl." Kurama stated with courage, though inside his heart was breaking at the sight of the sorrowful mother. She sighed, bringing the older boy to her face, kissing his brow gently.
"Amoto . . ." She said faintly, looking up at the redhead meaningfully. He assented quietly, and she turned her gaze to the younger sibling in her other arm, and gently kissed her daughter as well.
"Taori . . . "She whispered, looking up to Kurama again. He nodded, knowing this was the last thing she could give either of them . . . she sighed then, and her entire form went limp. He bowed his head in respect to her, then lifted his eyes after a few minutes, to take in the children. They were quiet now, even in their young, barely born minds they were aware of the still, less-warm form holding them . . . Kurama picked them up quietly, then had a Makai plant dispose of their mother; a large flowering tree sprouting in her place, beautiful in its foreign presence . . . honoring the death of the doomed mother . . .
(::end flaskback::)
And so now he was making his way to the hospital . . . mother or not, the children needed food.
- . . . –- . . . -
It was dark now; being past midnight. A soundless shadow flitted over the ningen homes to land in a tree outside a familiar third-story window. Hiei scoffed inwardly. Though he hated to admit it, the fox had made a good choice for his apartment; half of it happened to be shadowed by a tree; and one window was always unlocked; the opening just far enough away from the tree to prevent anyone . . . ah . . . HUMAN . . . sneaking in, but it was a bare jump for any youkai to make. He landed softly inside the small room; the tile clacking against his black boots. The Jaganshi opened the white door to exit the shower-room . . . not glancing back at the dark leaves fluttering in the breeze outside; the moon nearly full in the sky above . . .
He turned, walking down the hall to the kitsune's bedroom . . . but something chilled him. As the door opened slowly, he knew at once that the fox was NOT at home . . .
The spare moonbeams lay over the neatly made bed; mocking Hiei with the emptiness of the soft mattress. He growled under his breath, but allowed a small twinge of worry to surface in his mind . . . he wandered out to the kitchen, looking for a note of some kind . . . any indication of where the youko might be now . . . but . . . nothing . . .
Scoffing with impatience and irritation at his lover's . . . unusual . . . lack of responsibility . . . he uncovered his Jagan. Closing the crimson eyes, he concentrated on the fox's familiar ki to find him. The scenes shifted in his mind as he searched, flitting from one place in the city to the next, until, finally . . .
Opening his eyes with a hiss, he warded the third eye again, racing out the window into the night . . .
/ Baka kitsune . . . / he thought as he sped towards the ningen hospital, no small amount of fear clutching at his heart . . . / . . . what have you done now . . . ? /
Minutes later, a black shadow flitted to the receptionist's desk. She started out of her daydreams as he appeared soundlessly in front of the protective glass.
/ Had that boy been there before? / She thought, flustered. He snorted, reading her mind without effort.
"Minamino." He stated simply, but sharply. "Minamino Shuichi." She blinked at him and he growled this time. "Which room, onna?" She narrowed her eyes, but looked up the patient listings nonetheless . . . her brow furrowed . . .
"Hm . . . sorry to inform you, sir, but Minamino-san is not here." He growled, and she noticed the fingers of his right hand twitch.
"Baka onna." He spat. "He's HERE. I only ask WHERE. This hospital is YOUR responsibility to keep straight, is it not." She narrowed her eyes again and leaned forward, so her breath was fogging the glass on her side.
"And I told YOU that he's not. Believe me, this 'Minamino' person is NOT a patient here." This only caused Hiei's crimson eyes to darken further, and his hand edged toward his katana. The girl would have surely met her end, if but for . . .
"Hiei? HIEI!" A familiar alto voice called. The Jaganshi blinked, looking down the hall to see an easily recognizable fox waving at him as he ran closer. The kitsune stopped in front of the receptionist, giving the frustrated girl one of his heart-melting smiles.
"Gomen." She blinked, a faint blush painting her cheeks as the redhead smiled cheerfully at her.
"Y—You know him, sir?" He nodded, glancing down at the now-very-ticked-off fire demon. Hiei looked at her, still quite annoyed.
"Have you no memory, girl? Surely he mentioned his name upon coming here, baka . . ." He stated sharply, which caused her to again lean forward, not an inch from the glass.
"Well, ex-CUSE me, SIR." She exclaimed in frustration. "But MY shift just started not twenty minutes ago. Is it MY fault if your friend came in before I started working, hmm?" He blinked then, speechless at this onna ningen who dared speak to him in such a manner, but he soon recovered from his shock, his eyes narrowing dangerously as his hand finally grasped the hilt of his hidden katana.
"Onna—"He began, growling . . . but Kurama, sensing the danger, quickly put an arm around the Jaganshi, smiling brightly at the girl.
"Gomen again, Miss, but we had best be going. Ne, Hiei?" He practically pulled the irate fire youkai down the hall with him. "Arigato!" The redhead called back, and the girl slumped back in her seat . . .
"What a JERK . . ." She muttered under her breath, remembering the spiky- haired boy . . . then a dreamy smile crept onto her face as she recalled the redhead . . . "But the other one . . . what a HUNK . . ." She sighed happily, before deciding to return to her work.
- . . . –- . . . –
Hiei scoffed as Kurama led him down the white, sterilized halls. / It's like a jail in here . . . / He thought, comparing it to Reikai's prison cells . . . then the kitsune stopped, and Hiei walked past him for a bit, not noticing at first . . . then finally returning to the youko's side.
"Nani, kitsune." He asked without really asking. The red-haired fox shook his head in sadness, continuing to look through the thick glass. Hiei followed his gaze.
There were rows upon rows of small, ugly pink things. They looked squishy, and red as well. He snorted.
"Ugly little things. Now, kitsune—"He began, intending to ask the fox why he was here, if he wasn't hurt . . . (he hadn't sensed Shiori anywhere near, so he knew the reason wasn't that onna ningen's fragile health . . .)
"They're not ugly, Hiei." Kurama whispered, keeping his gaze on a certain pair; one girl and one boy; towards the back and in a linked crib/bed. Hiei scoffed again.
"Hn. Of course they are. What is this place, some ningen store for useless mortals?" He said insultingly. Kurama looked at him then, the green eyes hardening. Hiei was put to silence at the look in the normally gentle emerald eyes of his lover . . .
". . . Kurama . . . ? "The kitsune sighed, gesturing to the twins in the back of the room.
"Their mother is dead, Hiei." He said softly.
"And we should care?" The fire youkai answered, though not as sharply as he could have . . . Kurama was acting strange . . .
"Yes, Hiei, in fact we should." He glared at the shorter demon from the corner of his eye. "Because their mother was killed by a demon." Hiei scoffed.
"And YOU killed IT, I expect, fox?" Kurama nodded, his gaze drifting back to the two orphans.
"Hai. But it was too late for the mother—"He continued sadly. "I couldn't save her . . . "Hiei scoffed again, leaning against the glass, folding his arms across his chest and closing his eyes.
"Good riddance. Another ningen bites the dust." He was suddenly pushed against the hard glass, a rough hand catching a hold of his scarf and lifting him off his feet. In surprise and no little amount of shock he met the emerald eyes, now flecked with gold, burning into him with the fox's slow-kindled anger.
"Don't you EVER say that AGAIN, Hiei. Those two children are orphans; their mother was raped by a demon, then KILLED because of it. Can't you feel their youki even NOW, so close to them?" He hissed the words at the Jaganshi, the rage still burning in his beautiful eyes. Hiei was, once again, speechless . . . as he uncomfortably looked away from the angry green eyes of his lover. Kurama released him so that his feet touched the floor again. The kitsune massaged his right temple tiredly.
"Gomen, Hiei . . . it's just . . . I'm so tired and . . . it's so unfair . . . both of their parents . . ." He sighed. "The mother would have been a good one, I know . . . but their father . . ." Kurama shuddered slightly. "The father . . . would have KILLED them, most likely . . . there's no telling WHY he wanted the children in the first place . . ." Hiei scoffed again, but not as sharply this time, now cautious of awakening the fox's anger once again . . .
"So they're orphans, correct kitsune?" Kurama nodded, keeping his emerald eyes on the sleeping pair of infants. Hiei hissed, suddenly realizing what the fox was alluding to.
"No." He said flatly, and Kurama's green gaze turned to him, the slender brows coming together in confusion.
"'No' what, Hiei?" He asked, curious, but Hiei turned his gaze to the children now as well.
"We are NOT taking them in, fox." He stated firmly. Kurama's eyes widened as he looked back at the twins as well.
"Hiei . . . I'll . . . I'll admit . . . the thought DID cross my mind, but . . ."—Hiei listened attentively now—". . . but you're not AROUND enough for us to raise them, Hiei."—one black eyebrow rose. Did he just detect REGRET in the kitsune's tone?—". . . and I couldn't do it by myself . . . I have to pay the rent and . . . I can't exactly take MATERNITY leave, you know? You're in the Makai so much . . . it would be impossible to raise them correctly . . ." The kitsune heaved a sigh.
"It's such a shame . . . they're such beautiful children . . . and so powerful . . . not many people could take them in and survive, what with their demon heritage . . . they're BOUND to have powers we don't even know about yet . . ." He murmured thoughtfully. Hiei's eyes narrowed. He was starting to see what his fox was getting to . . . they had been friends for many years . . . and lovers for about one . . . although . . . he growled, ready to reinforce his decision.
"But . . ." Kurama continued, smiling down at the suspicious youkai, even though there was a note of sadness behind the cheerful demeanor. "I know it won't happen . . . so there is no use crying over spilt milk, ne, Hiei?" The redhead turned to walk down the hall, leaving the Jaganshi to stare and mull it over in his mind everything the fox had said. He scoffed, not moving from his spot, glaring into the maternity room.
"They're demons . . . ne Kurama?" The redhead stopped, looking back at his black-haired lover.
"Hai."
". . . and . . . they'd not interfere with any training, kitsune." The green eyes widened, he hardly dared to hope . . .
"Iie . . . they wouldn't . . ." Hiei scoffed.
"Hn. They're still ugly, though." Kurama smiled, going back and enveloping the fire demon in a warm embrace, chuckling into his koi's ear.
"They're just newborns, Hiei. They're SUPPOSED to look like that." He whispered with amusement.
". . . hn. Baka kitsune . . ." Kurama smiled brightly, hugging his koi even closer.
"Arigato, firefly." Hiei scoffed again at the nickname, not moving his gaze from the two infants sleeping peacefully, the innocent twins completely unaware of the gazes of their future parents . . .
- . . . –- . . . -
Kurama brought Hiei back to the apartment, brimming with happiness. They had settled the adoption papers, it was easy enough since no one knew the identity of the parents . . .
"Mmm, Hiei . . ." He cooed into his lover's ear when they walked into door, closing it securely. "I've missed you . . ."
"Hn." Kurama chuckled.
"Oh, now . . . don't be like THAT, firefly . . ." He whispered gently. "They're too young, they won't be released from the hospital for a few days, anyway . . ."
"Hn." Kurama shook his head, finally letting go and straightening.
"Well, if you're not going to be agreeable about this, I'm going to bed."
"Hn!" Kurama rolled his eyes as Hiei settled himself on the couch in the living room, and went off to take his shower.
He walked into their only bathroom, and locked the door. If Hiei was going to pout about this, then he didn't want any sneaky surprises to attempt to come in and try to get on his good side again. Sighing in exasperation, he shed his clothes and climbed into the shower. They had gotten a pretty good bargain for such an apartment . . . their one bathroom had a bath, with a shower nozzle attached to one wall, and a curtain draped over the one side of the tub that wasn't made of wall. It was . . . perfect . . . Kurama smiled as the warm water rushed over his skin, closing the green orbs as it washed over him, cleansing him in the best way possible . . .
"Hn. Enjoying yourself, fox?" A voice said in his ear, and a hand found its way around his waist while the other traced his chest from behind . . . "You should really think about locking the window when you take a shower, kitsune . . ." The deep voice chuckled, Hiei's hand still running up and down Kurama's already warm skin. The redhead smiled, shaking his head.
"Here to help me get clean, are you?" He replied, not minding the intrusion one bit . . . seems Hiei WASN'T in a pouting mood, after all . . .
"Hn . . ." His smile changed to a smirk as he caught the hand around his waist and squeezed some shampoo into it. A growl greeted his action and he laughed a bit.
"Now, Hiei, I DO need your help. It's just too long to clean by myself anymore, ne?" He teased, but gasped softly when the Jaganshi ignored him and instead suddenly hugged him. Kurama's eyes softened at the display of affection, and he turned so that Hiei was embracing him from the side, resting a hand on the fire demon's wet black hair. The half-koorime didn't look up.
"I thought you were dead, fox . . ." He whispered softly, burying his head in Kurama's chest. The kitsune, deeply touched by Hiei's sweet show of affection, hugged him back, kissing the tip of the white starburst in his koi's black hair.
"Now, now, firefly . . . go dry off, I'll be there shortly." Hiei nodded, and then was gone in an instant. With a sigh, Kurama finished his shower and dressed in his nightclothes (an oversized shirt and comfortable pajama pants), then turned off the lights in the apartment and headed for the bedroom. Hiei was sitting on the bed, staring at the floor, and Kurama slipped in beside him, resting a hand over the shorter demon's shoulders.
"You alright, koi?" He asked. Hiei was acting strange . . . not like his usual self . . . but the Jaganshi shook his head, and climbed under the covers. Kurama went and turned off the light, then also found his way back to the bed. The redhead enfolded the half-koorime in a warm embrace, whispering comforting words to him. Eventually Hiei turned back around, kissing the fox full on the lips, which Kurama returned without hesitation.
- . . . –- . . . -
"Oi! Hiei! Hi—AHH! AH! AH!!! HIEI!!" (a.n./ o.o;; )
"Hn—n . . . be . . . quiet . . . ki—kit—sune . . ."
- . . . — . . . -
The rest of the night was spent quickly, as the lovers began to prepare for two new little lives that were about to join their own . . .
- . . . –- . . . –
n.n;;
yup, I updated from the West Coast, lol!
n.n;;;
'cause I brought all my fanfiction disks with me and felt like writing!! =n.n=
you lucky, lucky readers, you! n.n
lolz
Well, ja ne, minna!
- Kita (PEACE!) out n.n
PS
Reviews would be . . . nice . . . o.o;;
Ja! n.n;;;
And thus the new journey begins . . .
Disclaimer: Kita doesn't own yuyu. So don't you/you sue.
Ok, I have a better border now n.n
Sugoi! lol
- . . . –- . . . -
n.n
the ff.net people CAN'T delete that one!! =n.n=
ok, moving on ( Oo;; )
(any confusion will hopefully be resolved in this chapter n.n;;;;; )
- . . . –- . . . -
A certain redhead was walking home, mulling over his own thoughts as the twilight grew darker; the sun fading. A small smile crept over his face as a hopeful supposition found its way into his mind . . .
Hiei might come back tonight . . .
The smile broadened, causing his step to quicken. He wanted to get back . . . oh, there was always the possibility that the fire youkai WOULDN'T be there, but . . . he really missed him.
His firefly . . .
It had been a few weeks since the Jaganshi's last visit, and he was (though not quite ready to admit it to his sarcastic lover) slightly worried. He had been living in the new apartment for about nine months (a.n./ 'wink' n.n;;) so the shorter demon could find the place easily enough by now . . . to an earlier thought, deep down he knew that Hiei was quite powerful, indeed, and could take care of himself, but . . . that didn't keep his emotions packed down. Kurama sighed, pushing a stray piece of fiery red hair out of his eyes as a gentle breeze blew. He walked down the roads of the city, passing alleys and shops on the sidewalk. The street lamps flickered on then, illuminating sparse patches of road with pale, yellow light at regular intervals . . .
Wait . . .
Not more than a few blocks from his apartment, the kitsune froze.
He sensed youki.
. . . . and it WASN'T Hiei.
The youko turned around slowly, his gaze shifting suspiciously over the alleyways . . . using his youki to carefully sweep around the area and then . . .
There.
He ran down the dark alleyway without another moment's hesitation, drawing a rose and holding it ready for any sudden action . . . when he came to the nearly pitch-black end of the passage, what he saw made the bile rise in his throat . . .
A girl . . . no . . . a woman? Kurama cursed under his breath at the sight . . .
A youkai had her pinned to the ground, hissing at her in the Makai tongue . . . all the while trying to pull something out of the screaming (and yet strangely silent) woman. There were blood and bodily fluids all over the dirty ground; making the gravelly dirt look slick. His past years as a youko coming in, he soon realized what the demon was saying . . .
"Give it to me, ningen!" The hulk growled, clawing at her and trying to pull whatever it was out of the woman's lower entrance . . . and she screamed again at the pain, her voice eerily silenced so all that Kurama saw was her mouth opening and her attempts to free herself. When the beginnings of a head began to show itself, Kurama was shocked out of his trance. In an instant the rose had been transformed, and the violator cut to pieces. The demon fell, dead, to the ground as the panting woman strained to force herself up to see her rescuer.
The youko-turned-ningen hurried to her side; holding her head up, finding that her skin was not only slick from the blood and fluids . . . but from sweat as well . . . a damp hand clenched in his shirt, and she spoke, her brown-red eyes pleading up to him, the dark brown hair matted and dirty . . . he had to get her to the hospital . . . but she was in no condition to . . .
"S—save . . . . th—them . . . . in—side . . . . "She breathed with difficulty, her eyes indicating the lower part of her body. The emerald gaze widened as he grasped the situation. Hurriedly, he shifted, growing some Makai plants to use as a pillow for her head . . . he placed himself, ready, at her entrance, where the child's head was still visible . . . Kurama took a deep breath.
"Now, Miss . . . please try to . . . push." She tried her greatest . . . as she desperately tried to free the life still barely within her . . . pushing as the kitsune sought to catch the new life once it was free . . .
After a few more insistent, encouraging words, and a great amount of effort, the child was out. He started crying immediately and Kurama winced at the sound so close to his sensitive ears. He made to give her the boy, but she shook her head, tears at the corners of her eyes.
"I—ie . . . there is . . . another . . . . "She gasped, wincing as another contraction ripped through her, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. Kurama carefully set the squealing boy down and readied himself to deliver the other sibling . . .
- . . . –- . . . -
Kurama trudged through the city, carrying the two sacred bundles in his arms, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes at remembrance of their dead mother . . .
(::flashback::)
The girl was out. He handed over the two children to their mother, and she held them close with her weak hands, looking up at her savior.
"What . . . are they?" She whispered, her breathing returning to normal even as her blood continued to flow out of her . . .
"They seem very healthy; a boy and a girl." Kurama stated with courage, though inside his heart was breaking at the sight of the sorrowful mother. She sighed, bringing the older boy to her face, kissing his brow gently.
"Amoto . . ." She said faintly, looking up at the redhead meaningfully. He assented quietly, and she turned her gaze to the younger sibling in her other arm, and gently kissed her daughter as well.
"Taori . . . "She whispered, looking up to Kurama again. He nodded, knowing this was the last thing she could give either of them . . . she sighed then, and her entire form went limp. He bowed his head in respect to her, then lifted his eyes after a few minutes, to take in the children. They were quiet now, even in their young, barely born minds they were aware of the still, less-warm form holding them . . . Kurama picked them up quietly, then had a Makai plant dispose of their mother; a large flowering tree sprouting in her place, beautiful in its foreign presence . . . honoring the death of the doomed mother . . .
(::end flaskback::)
And so now he was making his way to the hospital . . . mother or not, the children needed food.
- . . . –- . . . -
It was dark now; being past midnight. A soundless shadow flitted over the ningen homes to land in a tree outside a familiar third-story window. Hiei scoffed inwardly. Though he hated to admit it, the fox had made a good choice for his apartment; half of it happened to be shadowed by a tree; and one window was always unlocked; the opening just far enough away from the tree to prevent anyone . . . ah . . . HUMAN . . . sneaking in, but it was a bare jump for any youkai to make. He landed softly inside the small room; the tile clacking against his black boots. The Jaganshi opened the white door to exit the shower-room . . . not glancing back at the dark leaves fluttering in the breeze outside; the moon nearly full in the sky above . . .
He turned, walking down the hall to the kitsune's bedroom . . . but something chilled him. As the door opened slowly, he knew at once that the fox was NOT at home . . .
The spare moonbeams lay over the neatly made bed; mocking Hiei with the emptiness of the soft mattress. He growled under his breath, but allowed a small twinge of worry to surface in his mind . . . he wandered out to the kitchen, looking for a note of some kind . . . any indication of where the youko might be now . . . but . . . nothing . . .
Scoffing with impatience and irritation at his lover's . . . unusual . . . lack of responsibility . . . he uncovered his Jagan. Closing the crimson eyes, he concentrated on the fox's familiar ki to find him. The scenes shifted in his mind as he searched, flitting from one place in the city to the next, until, finally . . .
Opening his eyes with a hiss, he warded the third eye again, racing out the window into the night . . .
/ Baka kitsune . . . / he thought as he sped towards the ningen hospital, no small amount of fear clutching at his heart . . . / . . . what have you done now . . . ? /
Minutes later, a black shadow flitted to the receptionist's desk. She started out of her daydreams as he appeared soundlessly in front of the protective glass.
/ Had that boy been there before? / She thought, flustered. He snorted, reading her mind without effort.
"Minamino." He stated simply, but sharply. "Minamino Shuichi." She blinked at him and he growled this time. "Which room, onna?" She narrowed her eyes, but looked up the patient listings nonetheless . . . her brow furrowed . . .
"Hm . . . sorry to inform you, sir, but Minamino-san is not here." He growled, and she noticed the fingers of his right hand twitch.
"Baka onna." He spat. "He's HERE. I only ask WHERE. This hospital is YOUR responsibility to keep straight, is it not." She narrowed her eyes again and leaned forward, so her breath was fogging the glass on her side.
"And I told YOU that he's not. Believe me, this 'Minamino' person is NOT a patient here." This only caused Hiei's crimson eyes to darken further, and his hand edged toward his katana. The girl would have surely met her end, if but for . . .
"Hiei? HIEI!" A familiar alto voice called. The Jaganshi blinked, looking down the hall to see an easily recognizable fox waving at him as he ran closer. The kitsune stopped in front of the receptionist, giving the frustrated girl one of his heart-melting smiles.
"Gomen." She blinked, a faint blush painting her cheeks as the redhead smiled cheerfully at her.
"Y—You know him, sir?" He nodded, glancing down at the now-very-ticked-off fire demon. Hiei looked at her, still quite annoyed.
"Have you no memory, girl? Surely he mentioned his name upon coming here, baka . . ." He stated sharply, which caused her to again lean forward, not an inch from the glass.
"Well, ex-CUSE me, SIR." She exclaimed in frustration. "But MY shift just started not twenty minutes ago. Is it MY fault if your friend came in before I started working, hmm?" He blinked then, speechless at this onna ningen who dared speak to him in such a manner, but he soon recovered from his shock, his eyes narrowing dangerously as his hand finally grasped the hilt of his hidden katana.
"Onna—"He began, growling . . . but Kurama, sensing the danger, quickly put an arm around the Jaganshi, smiling brightly at the girl.
"Gomen again, Miss, but we had best be going. Ne, Hiei?" He practically pulled the irate fire youkai down the hall with him. "Arigato!" The redhead called back, and the girl slumped back in her seat . . .
"What a JERK . . ." She muttered under her breath, remembering the spiky- haired boy . . . then a dreamy smile crept onto her face as she recalled the redhead . . . "But the other one . . . what a HUNK . . ." She sighed happily, before deciding to return to her work.
- . . . –- . . . –
Hiei scoffed as Kurama led him down the white, sterilized halls. / It's like a jail in here . . . / He thought, comparing it to Reikai's prison cells . . . then the kitsune stopped, and Hiei walked past him for a bit, not noticing at first . . . then finally returning to the youko's side.
"Nani, kitsune." He asked without really asking. The red-haired fox shook his head in sadness, continuing to look through the thick glass. Hiei followed his gaze.
There were rows upon rows of small, ugly pink things. They looked squishy, and red as well. He snorted.
"Ugly little things. Now, kitsune—"He began, intending to ask the fox why he was here, if he wasn't hurt . . . (he hadn't sensed Shiori anywhere near, so he knew the reason wasn't that onna ningen's fragile health . . .)
"They're not ugly, Hiei." Kurama whispered, keeping his gaze on a certain pair; one girl and one boy; towards the back and in a linked crib/bed. Hiei scoffed again.
"Hn. Of course they are. What is this place, some ningen store for useless mortals?" He said insultingly. Kurama looked at him then, the green eyes hardening. Hiei was put to silence at the look in the normally gentle emerald eyes of his lover . . .
". . . Kurama . . . ? "The kitsune sighed, gesturing to the twins in the back of the room.
"Their mother is dead, Hiei." He said softly.
"And we should care?" The fire youkai answered, though not as sharply as he could have . . . Kurama was acting strange . . .
"Yes, Hiei, in fact we should." He glared at the shorter demon from the corner of his eye. "Because their mother was killed by a demon." Hiei scoffed.
"And YOU killed IT, I expect, fox?" Kurama nodded, his gaze drifting back to the two orphans.
"Hai. But it was too late for the mother—"He continued sadly. "I couldn't save her . . . "Hiei scoffed again, leaning against the glass, folding his arms across his chest and closing his eyes.
"Good riddance. Another ningen bites the dust." He was suddenly pushed against the hard glass, a rough hand catching a hold of his scarf and lifting him off his feet. In surprise and no little amount of shock he met the emerald eyes, now flecked with gold, burning into him with the fox's slow-kindled anger.
"Don't you EVER say that AGAIN, Hiei. Those two children are orphans; their mother was raped by a demon, then KILLED because of it. Can't you feel their youki even NOW, so close to them?" He hissed the words at the Jaganshi, the rage still burning in his beautiful eyes. Hiei was, once again, speechless . . . as he uncomfortably looked away from the angry green eyes of his lover. Kurama released him so that his feet touched the floor again. The kitsune massaged his right temple tiredly.
"Gomen, Hiei . . . it's just . . . I'm so tired and . . . it's so unfair . . . both of their parents . . ." He sighed. "The mother would have been a good one, I know . . . but their father . . ." Kurama shuddered slightly. "The father . . . would have KILLED them, most likely . . . there's no telling WHY he wanted the children in the first place . . ." Hiei scoffed again, but not as sharply this time, now cautious of awakening the fox's anger once again . . .
"So they're orphans, correct kitsune?" Kurama nodded, keeping his emerald eyes on the sleeping pair of infants. Hiei hissed, suddenly realizing what the fox was alluding to.
"No." He said flatly, and Kurama's green gaze turned to him, the slender brows coming together in confusion.
"'No' what, Hiei?" He asked, curious, but Hiei turned his gaze to the children now as well.
"We are NOT taking them in, fox." He stated firmly. Kurama's eyes widened as he looked back at the twins as well.
"Hiei . . . I'll . . . I'll admit . . . the thought DID cross my mind, but . . ."—Hiei listened attentively now—". . . but you're not AROUND enough for us to raise them, Hiei."—one black eyebrow rose. Did he just detect REGRET in the kitsune's tone?—". . . and I couldn't do it by myself . . . I have to pay the rent and . . . I can't exactly take MATERNITY leave, you know? You're in the Makai so much . . . it would be impossible to raise them correctly . . ." The kitsune heaved a sigh.
"It's such a shame . . . they're such beautiful children . . . and so powerful . . . not many people could take them in and survive, what with their demon heritage . . . they're BOUND to have powers we don't even know about yet . . ." He murmured thoughtfully. Hiei's eyes narrowed. He was starting to see what his fox was getting to . . . they had been friends for many years . . . and lovers for about one . . . although . . . he growled, ready to reinforce his decision.
"But . . ." Kurama continued, smiling down at the suspicious youkai, even though there was a note of sadness behind the cheerful demeanor. "I know it won't happen . . . so there is no use crying over spilt milk, ne, Hiei?" The redhead turned to walk down the hall, leaving the Jaganshi to stare and mull it over in his mind everything the fox had said. He scoffed, not moving from his spot, glaring into the maternity room.
"They're demons . . . ne Kurama?" The redhead stopped, looking back at his black-haired lover.
"Hai."
". . . and . . . they'd not interfere with any training, kitsune." The green eyes widened, he hardly dared to hope . . .
"Iie . . . they wouldn't . . ." Hiei scoffed.
"Hn. They're still ugly, though." Kurama smiled, going back and enveloping the fire demon in a warm embrace, chuckling into his koi's ear.
"They're just newborns, Hiei. They're SUPPOSED to look like that." He whispered with amusement.
". . . hn. Baka kitsune . . ." Kurama smiled brightly, hugging his koi even closer.
"Arigato, firefly." Hiei scoffed again at the nickname, not moving his gaze from the two infants sleeping peacefully, the innocent twins completely unaware of the gazes of their future parents . . .
- . . . –- . . . -
Kurama brought Hiei back to the apartment, brimming with happiness. They had settled the adoption papers, it was easy enough since no one knew the identity of the parents . . .
"Mmm, Hiei . . ." He cooed into his lover's ear when they walked into door, closing it securely. "I've missed you . . ."
"Hn." Kurama chuckled.
"Oh, now . . . don't be like THAT, firefly . . ." He whispered gently. "They're too young, they won't be released from the hospital for a few days, anyway . . ."
"Hn." Kurama shook his head, finally letting go and straightening.
"Well, if you're not going to be agreeable about this, I'm going to bed."
"Hn!" Kurama rolled his eyes as Hiei settled himself on the couch in the living room, and went off to take his shower.
He walked into their only bathroom, and locked the door. If Hiei was going to pout about this, then he didn't want any sneaky surprises to attempt to come in and try to get on his good side again. Sighing in exasperation, he shed his clothes and climbed into the shower. They had gotten a pretty good bargain for such an apartment . . . their one bathroom had a bath, with a shower nozzle attached to one wall, and a curtain draped over the one side of the tub that wasn't made of wall. It was . . . perfect . . . Kurama smiled as the warm water rushed over his skin, closing the green orbs as it washed over him, cleansing him in the best way possible . . .
"Hn. Enjoying yourself, fox?" A voice said in his ear, and a hand found its way around his waist while the other traced his chest from behind . . . "You should really think about locking the window when you take a shower, kitsune . . ." The deep voice chuckled, Hiei's hand still running up and down Kurama's already warm skin. The redhead smiled, shaking his head.
"Here to help me get clean, are you?" He replied, not minding the intrusion one bit . . . seems Hiei WASN'T in a pouting mood, after all . . .
"Hn . . ." His smile changed to a smirk as he caught the hand around his waist and squeezed some shampoo into it. A growl greeted his action and he laughed a bit.
"Now, Hiei, I DO need your help. It's just too long to clean by myself anymore, ne?" He teased, but gasped softly when the Jaganshi ignored him and instead suddenly hugged him. Kurama's eyes softened at the display of affection, and he turned so that Hiei was embracing him from the side, resting a hand on the fire demon's wet black hair. The half-koorime didn't look up.
"I thought you were dead, fox . . ." He whispered softly, burying his head in Kurama's chest. The kitsune, deeply touched by Hiei's sweet show of affection, hugged him back, kissing the tip of the white starburst in his koi's black hair.
"Now, now, firefly . . . go dry off, I'll be there shortly." Hiei nodded, and then was gone in an instant. With a sigh, Kurama finished his shower and dressed in his nightclothes (an oversized shirt and comfortable pajama pants), then turned off the lights in the apartment and headed for the bedroom. Hiei was sitting on the bed, staring at the floor, and Kurama slipped in beside him, resting a hand over the shorter demon's shoulders.
"You alright, koi?" He asked. Hiei was acting strange . . . not like his usual self . . . but the Jaganshi shook his head, and climbed under the covers. Kurama went and turned off the light, then also found his way back to the bed. The redhead enfolded the half-koorime in a warm embrace, whispering comforting words to him. Eventually Hiei turned back around, kissing the fox full on the lips, which Kurama returned without hesitation.
- . . . –- . . . -
"Oi! Hiei! Hi—AHH! AH! AH!!! HIEI!!" (a.n./ o.o;; )
"Hn—n . . . be . . . quiet . . . ki—kit—sune . . ."
- . . . — . . . -
The rest of the night was spent quickly, as the lovers began to prepare for two new little lives that were about to join their own . . .
- . . . –- . . . –
n.n;;
yup, I updated from the West Coast, lol!
n.n;;;
'cause I brought all my fanfiction disks with me and felt like writing!! =n.n=
you lucky, lucky readers, you! n.n
lolz
Well, ja ne, minna!
- Kita (PEACE!) out n.n
PS
Reviews would be . . . nice . . . o.o;;
Ja! n.n;;;