Part Thirty-one: Home Again
Oto is gently bouncing Ryan on his knee when he gets an unexpected and quite unwelcome intruder in the living room. "Where the hell is Kuwaba…who the hell is the midget?" Yusuke demands.
"I would ask that you watch your language around my nephew, Yusuke," Oto says irritably, "Kuwabara is out with Ani."
"If this is your nephew that would make him Ani's son…how is that possible?"
"That is, quite frankly, none of your business," Oto answers feeling his tenuous hold on his temper slipping, "Leave now, Urameshi, I don't want you here."
"Does Kuwabara know about this?"
"Yes."
"So he knows that your brother gets around?"
Before Oto can react, Itsuki, who almost appears out of no where, gently picks up Ryan. The Yaminade silently carries the small child out of the room letting Oto and Yusuke have their fight. "My brother is NO whore!" Oto snarls standing up. His fists clench and he is highly tempted to sock Yusuke in the mouth.
"Then how do you explain that child?" Yusuke demands.
"Sakyo RAPED him!" Oto says angrily, "but then you would know nothing of that, would you! Get the hell out of this house and away from my family before I spatter you across the damn Makai!"
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Upstairs, Itsuki cradles Ryan to him as he sits down on the bed. The small child looks at him. "Why unca Oto so mad?" he asks.
"The person downstairs said something mean about your mom," Itsuki answers, "Your uncle doesn't take to kindly to people saying that about him."
"Why is your tummy round?" Ryan asks suddenly staring at him.
"I'm having a child of my own," Itsuki answers with a soft smile.
"Oh, wow."
"Yes, in a little over five months there is going to be a new arrival," Shinobu remarks walking in. he smiles at the child.
"I heard that mommy is especting…wight?"
"Yes, you are going to be a big brother in a little over seven months."
"My mommy and daddy won't forget 'bout me, will they?"
"Of course not, Ryan," Itsuki assures him, "You're parents love you too much for that."
"Mommy is comin' home soon, isn' he?"
"Your parents will be arriving in a little under four minutes," Itsuki answers smiling at him.
"Weally?"
"Yes, really. I am psychic, I know these things." He smiles as he watches the small boy's eyes light up. He had really, really missed his parents the passed week. Itsuki hopes that Ani is finally through with the issues plaguing him. Suddenly he tilts his head.
"Something wrong?" Shinobu inquires.
"No, Kurama, Kuronue, Bui, Hiei, and Genkai are free," he answers smiling, "I have a feeling we're going to have a large party on our hands soon."
"I only hope that Yusuke keeps his mouth shut because if Ani or Kuwabara hear him, I would hate to see what they could do to him while angry."
"Well that will be his burden to bear, no one else's."
Shinobu goes to reply but the familiar sound of Kuwabara's voice halts him. "Daddy!" Ryan exclaims squirming in Itsuki's lap. The teal-haired demon closes his eyes before smiling and gently setting the child down. Ryan is immediately out the door and he hears him heading down the stairs.
"He sure is cute," Shinobu remarks.
"Yes, yes he is," Itsuki answers, "Do you think we're ready to be parents, Shinobu?"
"I think so. Are you having second thoughts?"
"No, I just wonder if we will make good parents. I haven't had much in the way of experience and your parents well…" he trails off.
"I know neither of us have had good examples to take from but we'll figure it out. I mean, we aren't the only ones who seem to not really know what it is they are doing."
"True enough. You should have watched Oto cleaning up Ryan after his accident," the Yaminade says suddenly before chuckling.
"Why?"
"Because Ryan decided it would be fun to splash him. I don't know which of them was more soaked by the time it was all done."
Shinobu smiles softly. "You're right, I would have loved to see that. He must have looked really hot wet."
Itsuki chuckles at Shinobu's words. Ever since they had moved in, both had found themselves attracted to Oto though neither were in any hurry to tell the burly demon that. They contented themselves with merely watching him though they would love to do so much more.
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After entering the house and finding Yusuke there, Kuwabara calmly grabs the demon's shoulder before spinning him around and telling him that if he doesn't leave the premises within the next forty seconds, he would leave it in pieces. With a heated glare sent at his friend, Yusuke leaves. Kuwabara rolls his eyes. "I definitely don't miss that," he tells Ani.
The smaller demon goes to agree when a small voice shrieks, "Mommy, daddy, you're home!" Ani soon finds his arms full of his three-year-old son.
"Yes, we're home, sweet-heart," Ani murmurs cradling him close, "I am sorry if I scared you."
"You didn' scare me. I just worried that you wasn' comin' home," the three-year-old says.
"I would never abandon you willingly, Ryan, never," Ani promises.
The three-year-old looks up. "Hi, daddy," he greets.
Kuwabara smiles. "How's my little man? Did you behave for your uncle?"
"Yes…'cept I sorta wet the bed once," he admits.
"It's alright, there was no harm done," Oto says.
"Of course not," Kuwabara agrees, "It happens at your age."
"Wow, we definitely missed something," a familiar voice says.
"Bui!" Kuwabara says spinning around. The blue-haired demon smiles sheepishly.
"Umm, hi," he greets.
"Who you?" Ryan demands looking up at him.
"Ryan, this is Bui. Bui, this is my son, Ryan," Ani says. Bui looks confused.
"We'll explain later," Kuwabara tells him. The blue-haired demon nods his head and walks all the way in allowing Kurama and Kuronue into the house. Both demons look exhausted and in need of rest, and Kuronue still looks a bit injured.
"You two go on upstairs and rest," Oto tells them, "I'll have Karasu continue to look after your sons."
"Okay," Kurama murmurs sleepily. Both demons stumble a bit on their way up to their rooms but they eventually make it.
"Hiei, you are welcome to stay if you like," Ani says noticing the fire-demon in the doorway. He looks at him and at the child in his arms.
"He's nothing like his father," he remarks slowly walking in.
"No, he doesn't seem to be."
"I am…glad things are working out with you and Kuwabara."
"Thank you, Hiei," Kuwabara murmurs honored that the fire-demon was actually voicing what he felt, "There is an empty room on the second floor. It is the fourth one on the right." He hides a smile at the relieved look on the fire-demon's face before he disappears up the stairs in a blur.
"He's not comfortable admitting his emotions," Ani remarks.
"No, but little by little he does," Kuwabara answers, "We just have to learn how to make him feel comfortable enough to do so."
"Is he a fwiend?" Ryan asks.
"Yes, Hiei is a friend. He just doesn't know how to talk to people."
"Oh."
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Kurama sinks down onto the bed before having his arms full of Kuronue.
"After we rest, we are talking to Karasu, right?" the bat-demon murmurs.
"Yes, though I am not sure what to say to him," the now redheaded human admits.
"Well, how about; Hey sexy, ya wanna join us in bed?" Kuronue teases.
"Kuro!"
"What?" the bat-demon asks.
"That was completely uncalled for and you know it!"
"Well, he is."
"That is beside the point!"
"Is it?"
"YES!"
"You need to relax before you send yourself into a fit. I was joking. That would not be a good way to start a conversation."
"No, no it wouldn't. I was thinking that we sit him down in the living room and try and see what it is he feels for me and whether or not he might ever be able to like you."
"Is disliking me even possible?"
"KURONUE!"
"Oh sorry, that was uncalled for, wasn't it?"
"Do I even have to answer that question?"
"No…I guess not. So we sit him down and ask him whether or not he could ever get fond of me? Sounds like a plan to me," Kuronue murmurs yawning.
"That's what we'll do…after we rest for a good few days," Kurama mumbles as he begins to drift off towards sleep. He doesn't hear Kuronue's soft laughter as his mind finally shuts off though his mate soon follows.