Part Eighteen: Yet Another Pregnant Male and Of Course, More Denial.

Kuwabara doesn't know how long he just sits there staring up at the ceiling. It is only when Shizuru comes in that he's startled from his thoughts. "Kazuma, you've been up here for almost four hours. I think you should come down and eat something," she says softly.

"Okay," he answers as he slowly stands up. He follows her downstairs hardly actually realizing that is what he's doing. Mechanically, he sits down at the table and stares off into space.

"Kazuma," Shizuru calls to him. He snaps out of it and realizes that he has a plate in front of him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," he tells her.

"I think you need to. It is really bothering you."

"I'm not in love with him! I don't know why I would say that!"

"Are you sure of that?"

"Yes…no…I don't know!"

"All right, calm down, Kazuma. This isn't the end of the world. Take a deep breath and let's talk about this."

"I don't want to talk about this."

"You need to."

"I don't care! I don't want to talk about Ani!"

"You need to talk about him."

"Why?"

"Because it is obvious that you are feeling SOMETHING for him.

Why are you so against talking about this?"

"It's not normal."

"What's not normal?"

"You know what's not normal!" he says hotly. Shizuru chuckles softly.

"So, do you have something against Kurama then?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then why do you say it's not normal?"

"Because…because…I don't want to talk about this, Shizuru!"

"Kazuma, I know that you aren't happy with your abilities being what they are. I know that it angers you that you aren't like everyone else but someday you are going to have to accept that you AREN'T this world's definition of normal."

"Why can't I be? Why do I have to be this way? I never asked for this!"

"I know you didn't but fate saw fit to gift you with your abilities. You need to embrace everything you are or you are never going to be happy, baby-brother."

"I can't be in love with him! I have spent years hating him for what he did to me. I shouldn't feel this way about the demon who made me feel so helpless and so inadequate to protect myself!"

"Would you stop living by Yusuke's rules, Kazuma? When are you going to realize that you are never going to be happy until you stop living for everyone else and live for yourself?"

Kazuma looks away from her. He doesn't want to face the truth that he could possibly love the demon who is carrying his children. He doesn't want to know that the moment Ani gives birth that he is going to go back to hating and wanting him dead. It would hurt him far too much to see that. "I can't, Shizuru. He'll go back to hating me and I won't be able to stand it."

"You won't hurt any less if you tell him or not. I know that you are afraid of this. I have watched you. I knew you were falling for him after you told me about staying the night with him. You have to see that this isn't a bad thing."

"He'll never return the feelings…why do I want him to? He's the one person who in all the time I have been a spirit detective, has caused me the most pain. Why should I want to be in love with him? It doesn't make sense!"

"Love usually doesn't, baby-brother."

Kazuma sighs. "What do I do?"

"Listen to Oto and let your feelings reveal themselves as they will. You shouldn't rush these things. I know that you don't like this situation but you can't escape it, either. You'll have to decide how you deal with Yusuke on this. I don't think he's going to be very supportive at all."

"All right. I am going to go and see Ani. I need to apologize for just taking off on him like that. I hope he's okay."

"You do that. Call me later, okay?"

"Sure, sis," Kazuma responds before heading out of the kitchen. He hadn't touched his food but he figures he'd just eat later if his hunger decided it wanted to return. He had more important things to worry about then his need for sustenance at the moment.

He heads to the house and goes to ring the doorbell. Voices within catch his attention and he waits to reveal his presence. "You're kidding!" Kurama's voice carries outside to him, "This has to be the most fertile century for males. So when is Itsuki expecting?" Kuwabara is stunned. Itsuki was pregnant? That was incredible!

"In about five and a half months," he hears Shinobu respond. That meant that the day they met him Itsuki was a few months along already. That makes him wonder why Koenma never found out. He decides to find those answers out and rings the doorbell. In a moment, Oto opens the door.

"Kuwabara," he greets.

"Hello, Oto," the carrot-top answers, "May I come in?"

"I don't see why not. We're just in the middle of greeting a couple new guests. It seems that another old enemy of yours has gotten himself pregnant as well."

"So I have heard," Kuwabara answers following the burly demon into the living room. Itsuki is sitting on the couch next to Shinobu. "Well, I hear your expecting, Itsuki."

The Yaminade blushes as he nods. "We were shocked when we realized it," Shinobu comments.

"I can bet. It's not every day that you discover you're pregnant while being male," Kuwabara tells him.

"So we have heard."

"Does Koenma know?"

"No. Itsuki's been adamant about not letting him in on this secret and I don't blame him."

"Yes, if he had found out, Itsuki would have been dead," Yoko interjects.

"What does he not like about children born from two males?" Shinobu inquires.

"He said something about them being extremely powerful and a danger," Ani says from the doorway. The smaller demon looks at Kuwabara and the carrot-top decides that now was the time to make sure Ani knew it wasn't his fault he had fled from the area.

"I wanted to stop by and apologize," he tells him.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Kazuma."

"Yes, yes I do. I shouldn't have taken off like that without telling you the reason and making sure that you know it's not because of you. Yusuke is being an ass…like normal and I just didn't want to come to terms with what I had told him. I am still working through what I said but you aren't the cause of anything that happened."

"Are you sure? It seems to be that I am the reason you two are arguing," Ani responds.

"He needs to get over himself is what he needs to do. He can't see why I can so easily forgive you. He holds grudges…he always has."

"I still don't see why he should hold one towards Ani. From what I remember he never really came in contact with him," Yoko remarks.

"You're right, he didn't. He doesn't necessarily have the right to hold a grudge against someone but you know Yusuke. He holds grudges against those he thinks other people should be holding a grudge towards. It's stupid, really."

"I couldn't have guessed that."

"Quiet, fox."

"Hey, only Hiei calls me fox!"

Kuwabara smirks. "So? The shrimp isn't here right now is he?"

"I could call him up and tell him that you called me fox!"

"Oh, so you are going to resort to pouting?"

"I am NOT pouting!"

"Yes you are."

"No I am not!

"Yes, you are."

"No, I am not.

"Yes, you are."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"Oh, shut up, both of you!" Kuronue says with fond amusement.

"Stay out of this!" They both chorus. Kuronue sighs.

"I am so abused!"

"You are not abused," Yoko tells him.

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not."

Kuwabara watches as the lovers begin to argue back and forth. He finds himself smiling as he watches. 'They really love each other,' he thinks, 'Could Ani and I ever be like that?' He looks almost startled at his own thought. He knew that sometimes you could have hidden feelings but this was getting into the realm of freaky. He had to stop this before he took off again.

Ani is watching him and notices his slightly distressed state. He wonders just what it is that is causing the carrot-top to act that way. 'I bet it has something to do with a certain conversation he had yesterday with Yusuke,' he thinks. Recalling exactly what was said makes him feel just a tad bit…warm. 'I am not falling for Kuwabara! That is NOT happening!' He lets out an inaudible sigh. 'Oh, who am I kidding? I haven't tried to kill him yet, so obviously I am somewhat fond of the oaf.' This was not how he had wanted things to work out. It would be so much simpler if he continued to hate the carrot-top. It was what was expected from the two of them as they were longtime enemies of each other. What was not expected was for him to feel as he did about Kuwabara. He hadn't wanted to admit it but he had felt safest when wrapped in the youth's arms. It isn't something he wants to dwell on so he goes back to observing Kuwabara. His golden eyes widen as the youth suddenly stiffens and his eyes roll into the back of his head.

Luckily, Yoko moves in time to catch and set him gently down on the couch. "What happened?" Kuronue asks.

"He passed out," the silver-haired fox-demon responds checking him over to see if he could find the cause.

"You won't find a physical reason for him fainting," Karasu says softly, "He's turning into a demon."

"You noticed?" Ani inquires.

"Yes, I did. How did you know?"

"Koenma told me that while I was with him."

"He told you?"

"I was trying to persuade him to let me live. He told me he couldn't because he didn't have a one hundred percent guarantee that Kuwabara would remain good once his transformation was complete."

"What an idiot," Yoko mutters, "He should know Kuwabara better than that."

"So I told him," Ani answers, "Even I know him well enough to know that there won't be a change once he's completed his transformation. Kuwabara is far too honorable." He notices the strange looks sent his way. "What? Am I not allowed to notice things?"

"Brother…the way you talk about him," Oto says cautiously looking as if he was about to say something that might end up with him dead, "Well, it seems like you're…fond of him…really fond of him."

"What exactly are you implying, little brother?" Ani asks in a soft, silky, and very, very dangerous tone. Oto actually swallows nervously.

"Are you in love with him?" he inquires. The others prepare for an extremely bad reaction. They aren't disappointed.

"Excuse me? Excuse me! Where do you get off asking ME if I am in LOVE with Kuwabara? I am a DEMON you muscle-bound imbecile! Love is NOT what I am capable of!" he yells glaring at him. Oto looks, for the first time any of them can remember, terrified of his brother. Not a one of them can blame him because for being three feet tall, Ani is terrifying with his golden eyes blazing furiously and his aura glowing around him.

"Y-you…you…" Oto can't even manage to get a full sentence out and decides that it might be a good idea to shut up BEFORE his brother decides to skewer him.

"To finish your brother's sentence, Ani, you're in denial," Itsuki says calmly from the couch. He knows that off all of them, he's the one least likely to get skewered by the angry demon. He's right and Ani merely scowls at him before storming out of the room. The yaminade chuckles. "Isn't denial fun?" he asks looking at the others who just look at him like he's crazy. He starts laughing again.