"What about this one, Kazuma?" Yukina asked. She twirled about in front of Kuwabara, showing off her dress. It was a baby blue V-necked, long-sleeved dress sporting a pattern of navy blue flowers, and complimented the ice maiden's fair complexion.
"Do you like it?" Kuwabara asked. She nodded. "Well, I like it too. Let's get it."
"Are you sure it isn't too expensive?"
"Eh, no problem." He waved off the price- his job at the pet store was good pay. Plus he got to play with the kittens. Though he wasn't too crazy about cleaning out all the cages.
After paying for the dress they left the store and wandered around the city for awhile, then Yukina pointed out a movie poster and asked if he'd like to see it.
Kuwabara looked and swallowed. He had no clue when, but at some point in time Keiko must have gotten hold of Yukina and rubbed off her taste in movies on the Koorime. This was an Arabic movie called The White Balloon. He forced a smile (though it looked more like a grimace). "Sure, why not?"
The movie turned out to not be as bad as he'd thought. Yukina apparently enjoyed it. When it ended the couple resumed wandering the streets aimlessly. Autumn's shift had completed for the year and She was now holding the door open for Winter. With every step they took they could hear the crackling of dead, dried-out leaves under their feet. The air, no longer crisp and cool, was frigid, and as the Sun began to set they could see their breath. Nightfall was swiftly approaching, and as they were returning to the Temple they saw Yusuke. He was entering a drug store and replacing the woman behind the counter.
Yukina gave Kuwabara a perplexed look. "Doesn't Yusuke work at the ramen shop?"
"He does," Kuwabara replied distractedly. Yusuke hated working as it was. Why was he working in a drug store too?
"Are he and Keiko in financial trouble?"
"I don't know. Maybe." He made a mental note to ask Yusuke about it next time he had a free minute.
By the time they had returned to the Temple it was pitch black out and really cold. Kuwabara offered Yukina his jacket, but she politely declined. Being an ice maiden, these temperatures were of no matter to her.
Upon ascending the steps they saw a strange shadow lurking on the Temple's west side. It was too tall to be Genkai, and as they came closer Kuwabara could sense two profound traces of strange youki. He furrowed his brow and cautioned Yukina to go inside. The Koorime protested, but at his insistence complied.
He cautiously approached the creature, assuming the other demon was hidden deeper in the shadows. Making no sound, he rolled up his right sleeve, debating whether he should simply knock out the demon with his fist or take it out with his Spirit Sword. Recalling the tragedy with the Butchers (how could he forget?) he wasn't keen on taking risks.
The thing turned around and he was going to strike, but stopped short when it spoke:
"Kuwabara, what on Earth are you doing?" He widened his eyes and took a step back.
"K-Kurama?" He heard a rattle, and he was hit with a bright light.
"Sorry about that." The light was taken off him, and a moment later the redhead's face was illuminated by the flashlight. "Genkai insisted I bring this out with me so I didn't trip over anything."
The carrot-top suddenly felt sick. He'd almost done…well, he wasn't sure what he would have done, but he'd almost done something to a pregnant friend. "Well, what the hell are you doing out here anyway!" he said angrily, shaken over what might have happened. "I mean, it's dark out, it's really cold, it's supposed to snow-" he broke off as he hit the ground, having tripped over something.
"Here," Kurama handed him the flashlight. "I don't need it, but perhaps you could make some use of it?" Kuwabara supposed that, as Foxes are nocturnal creatures, Kurama could see perfectly well in the dark. He reluctantly took the flashlight and looked for what it was he'd tirpped over.
He recoiled whent the light fell on a familiar formation of polished black marble. "Eeeewww…" he muttered under his breath. Even while dead, Hiei still painted him as a clumsy idiot. "Uhm, sorry," he said sheepishly to Kurama. "I didn't realize you were, uhm-"
"Talking to him," the Kitsune finished. "I was talking to him." He sounded embarrassed. "I realize it's rather pointless- I mean, I know it's only his body resting here, not him, his spirit- but for some reason I…"
"Never mind," Kuwabara said. "That's what graves are for." He shone the light over Kurama, noticing how the front of his coat bulged at the abdomen. He must have been staring, for Kurama began to look uneasy and turned so his stomach was less visible. "Oh, uhm, sorry," he mumbled. "So, uhm, do you , uh, want to talk about it?" He received a shake of the head, meaning no. Damn. No one had succeeded in getting Kurama to openly discuss the event or any of his feelings toward it. He'd constructed a sort of wall around himself that none of his friends or family could get through. "Okay, uhm, would you like any company?"
"I appreciate the offer. But I'd rather not, thank you."
"You're sure? It's pretty cold out."
"I'll be fine." Kurama's tone told Kuwabara his friend was in no mood for further argument.
"Uhm, okay," he said meekly. He made to go inside the Temple, when he realized something. "Wait a minute…" he said, coming back to the grave.
Kurama looked up and quirked an eyebrow. "Yes?" he asked, sounding annoyed.
"I sensed two demons; where are they?"
For a moment Kurama said nothing. Then he afforded a small laugh. "They're right here, Kuwabara." The Fox grabbed his hand and guided it to his round stomach.
"Oh…" It'd never occurred to him that Kurama's babies were demons. He'd just thought of them as babies. "Then, how come I don't sense you?"
"I believe Yukina's waiting for you," Kurama said flatly. Kuwabara decided it best not to further agitate the Fox, and retreated inside.
"What'd you do, forget where the door was?"
"What the-!" he exclaimed, hearing his sister's voice. "What are you doing here?"
"I gave Kurama a ride because it's cold out and he didn't want to bug his parents."
"Oh…"
"Yukina said you were confronting someone outside. You didn't try fighting Kurama, did you? I'd hate to have to take you to the hospital after he was finished with you."
"Shut up! I didn't know it was him. I couldn't sense him, just two strange youki."
"Gee, twins generally mean two, genius…"
"I know that!" he growled. "But I still don't understand why I couldn't sense him…" He trailed off and took a seat. "So, I'm getting a ride home, right?"
"No, I'm going to leave my baby brother to walk home in the cold. Yes, you'll get a ride, but don't count on a warm one. Kurama started to freak out every time I rolled the windows up."
"It's a side effect of the pregnancy," Genkai said, upon seeing Kuwabara's face. "A circumstance I came across while researching called 'Den Syndrome'. The mother Fox feels the need to take refuge in an environment she- or he, in this case- feels most comfortable with. Kurama's instincts are driving him to seek the outdoors, causing him to grow stir-crazy. The only con is that Kurama's unconscious of this. The ordeal's putting him on edge, though he doesn't realize it."
"This Den Syndrome thing won't hurt him, will it?"
"Being indoors and away from the Nature he's currently craving may cause him some stress, which can prove harmful given his current condition. I've already spoken with his mother about improvising, as he can't walk out in broad daylight without provoking some curiosity. If all else fails he'll be brought out here to stay until he gives birth. We'll just have to see what happens."
"Do you know if he's having boys or girls, or both?" Yukina asked.
Genkai shook her head. "And he's already informed me he doesn't want to know until they're born."
"More power to him I suppose" Shizuru said, looking at her watch. "I doubt I'd have the patience to wait that long." She rose and checked outside. "Kurama! Do you plan on being home before midnight?"
The Fox finally agreed to leave and got in the car. The ride, though freezing, went smoothly until they were arriving to the outskirts of town. Kurama let out a yelp and clutched his stomach. "What's wrong?" Kuwabara asked nervously.
"Pull over!" he pleaded. Shizuru complied and slammed on the breaks. Kurama bolted out of the car, collapsed onto his knees, and heaved out the contents of his stomach all over the side of the road. After several minutes had passed and the Fox still hadn't returned to the car, the siblings Kuwabara went out to check on him.
As they were no longer in the car, they failed to hear the news report on the radio:
"And after four months of inactivity it appears the Mushiyori Butcher has struck again. Thirty-year-old Rioko Ono was discovered dead in her apartment this morning. The body was identified by Ono's dental records. Authorities say Ono was literally cut to shreds, as though with a bladed weapon…"