Okay, so this one is a little shorter than the others - I've been trying to make a chapter at least a little bit longer than the previous one. This one's really short and I couldn't really think of anything to write in this one, but I knew that I wanted to end it the way I did. Yeah, I know Hiei's totally out of character in this - you don't need to tell me.:P I've been trying to keep him in character but it's really hard to write him in a romance like this. Keeping secrets are never good - they're eventually found out. I'm so glad that you guys really like this! Enjoy!:P
Hiei sat on the top of the toilet, tapping his foot against the lid. He was talking to Shizuru, waiting for her to get out of the shower. He cupped his chin in his hands, sighing impatiently.
"Why are you taking so long?"
"God, Hiei, I just got in a few minutes ago!"
He growled, leaning back against the wall. He folded his arms over his chest. They were going to the baby shower at Genkai's. He didn't even want to go – he didn't think a 'baby shower' was necessary.
"It's stupid!" He mumbled, stretching. "It will be boring."
"Hiei, please?" She asked from the shower, turning the water off. "Can't you just do it for me?"
"That idiot brother of yours is going to ruin it for me."
"Ruin it?" She pulled back the shower curtain a bit and reached out to grab her towel. "Why would he –"
"He's going to bad mouth the 'father' of the baby and make a fool out of himself in front of my sister."
"So? He always does that."
"It has gotten worse. He's talking about marrying her when he's older and promising that he won't treat her like the 'asshole that got his sister knocked up'."
He growled again, rolling his eyes. Shizuru stepped out of the shower, her hair wrapped up in the towel. Her skin had this certain glow to it. He eyed her nine-month pregnant stomach, the stretch marks that zigzagged around it. He felt this tightening in his chest; he couldn't wait. She was about to give birth any day now.
"Can't you just ignore it?" She asked, putting her bathrobe on.
"I've been ignoring it." He answered coldly. "I can't take it anymore."
"Please, Hiei?"
"No." He stood up on the toilet lid, putting his hands on his hips. "I don't want to be around him. I wouldn't even be able to be next to you. I would have to sit in the corner of the room, pretending that I don't want to be there."
She stared at him with wide eyes. She crossed her arms under her chest and rested them on her stomach, narrowing her eyes.
"Fine. I'm sick of trying to persuade you into doing something that you don't want to. If you don't want to be there – then don't."
She opened the door stomped out, leaving Hiei in the bathroom surrounded by billowing jasmine scented steam. She went to her room, slamming her door behind her. She grumbled to herself as she dressed.
The two had been fighting a lot as of lately. She had thought it was because she would be giving birth soon but Hiei was just being difficult with everything. He was acting like his old self again and that angered and worried her. He acted that way when it was just the two of them. Most nights, he didn't even come home. That worried her even more.
She heard the front door slam loudly and jumped. She sighed sadly, closing her eyes tightly. He had left – and was angry. Her cell phone rang, a happy little jingle that reminded her so much of the caller. She snatched the phone from her bed and flipped it open, putting it to her ear.
"Hey, Botan."
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, come get me."
"I'm already here!" Botan giggled, unlocking the front door. "Where's Hiei?"
Shizuru left her bedroom, the phone still at her ear. She stood in the hall, a hand on her hip. They smiled at each other and closed their phones.
"Hiei's not coming."
"Oh, no. Did you two have another fight?"
"Yeah. It was really stupid – he didn't want to go to the baby shower because Kazuma's still putting down the father of my baby. He said that Kazuma was going to make a huge fool of himself in front of Yukina."
"Oh, dear." Botan shook her head. "Well, maybe he'll calm down and he'll show up. He always does eventually."
"Maybe . . . I don't care." She shrugged, a sad smile on her face. "I don't want to ruin the party."
"Of course you won't!" Botan grabbed her friend by her hand and linked arms with her. "It's for you! And those little babies inside your tummy!"
Shizuru followed Botan outside of the apartment, smiling at Botan's giddy giggling.
Hiei grimaced as he sat in his favorite tree, silently cursing Shizuru and that damn baby shower. She had been annoying him lately and he just wanted to get away from her, so he went to his tree to think and sometimes take a little nap. He just wanted some peace and quiet.
'You should leave.'
He gasped, hearing that voice in his head. It had been gone for months and it chose now to return to him? Why?
"I can't." He whispered, breaking off a small branch from his tree.
'You should. You can't stand her anymore. You can't stand her brother. What if your child turns out like Kuwabara?'
"I can't just leave her." He slowly plucked the leaves from the branch as he thought. "I promised her that I wouldn't."
'She won't care. She doesn't care about you; she wants you to leave. She didn't want you at the baby shower.'
"I didn't want to go."
He shuffled the leaves then tore them up into little bits and tossed them up into the air, making them float around him like confetti. He really didn't want to be there, even if it was for his baby. He didn't want those looks from everyone, those snickers every time Kuwabara ripped on the baby's father.
Hiei sighed, closing his eyes. Kuwabara still didn't know; he didn't want him to. The time just wasn't right. But that was Hiei's excuse for everything lately. The time was never right.
'Just leave, Hiei.' The voice taunted in a singsong voice. 'Just leave and never, ever look back.'
He snapped the bare branch in half, his hands shaking. The thought kept swirling around his head, repeating itself over and over again as if it were some sort of sick mantra.
'Just leave, Hiei . . . Just leave and never, ever look back . . . Just leave, Hiei . . .'
He tossed the halves of the branch out the tree and reclined back, getting comfortable. He sighed deeply through his nose. He needed to sleep. Those thoughts were hurting his head, making him dizzy.
Botan held the door open for Shizuru, smiling widely at her as she walked in. Kuwabara jumped up from his spot next to Yukina and bounded over to his older sister. He dropped to his knees and put his hands on her stomach.
"Hey, little guy! It's your uncle Kazuma Kuwabara again!" He boomed excitedly at her stomach. "Can't wait to meet ya!"
Whack!
Kuwabara fell to the ground, a tiny red footprint on his forehead. Everyone chuckled as Kuwabara sat up. Yukina ran to him to help him up.
"Oh, Kazuma. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." He mumbled, getting up. "That kid's a beast!"
"You scared him!" Yusuke laughed, shoving Kuwabara from behind. "The only thing he could do was retaliate!"
"Whatta lil' punk." Kuwabara muttered; going back to the spot he and Yukina were sitting before.
Yusuke chuckled then turned to Shizuru. He cocked his head to the side, his eyebrows quirked in wonder and confusion. She could read his mind. He was wondering where Hiei was.
She gave a light shrug, her hands up in a way that said "I don't know". He nodded then smiled at her. He walked over to her and tried to put his arms around her in a hug. She chuckled, patting him on the back. Keiko giggled, looking at Shizuru's protruding pregnant stomach.
"Genkai, where are the peanuts?" Kurama asked, walking into the room. "Oh, Shizuru! You're here!"
He smiled at her but something in his beautiful green eyes glinted and she knew that he was thinking the same thing Yusuke had. His hair was growing back; it now exactly reached his shoulders. She smiled at him, shrugging lightly the way she had before. He nodded and turned his attention back to Genkai.
"Follow me." She said, turning to leave the room and jokingly calling over her shoulder as she did. "Hey, Shizuru, you want a beer?"
"Not right now, Genkai." Shizuru answered, a sad smile on her face as she sat down next to Botan.
"Who wants to play a game?" Botan asked, looking at everyone with her wide excited grin on her face.
Everyone groaned, rolling his or her eyes. Botan's smile vanished and she pouted, folding her arms over her chest with an 'Hmph!'
"Genkai just got DDR." Yusuke stated, throwing a look at Kuwabara.
"You wanna go?" Kuwabara asked with his goofy half smile on his face as he puffed his chest out and slapped it. "You want some of this?"
"Let's do this!"
Everyone watched at Yusuke and Kuwabara scrambled to the television, setting up the dance pads in front of it. They shook their heads as the two argued about what song they were going to 'dance off' to. Botan looked at Shizuru, Yukina and Keiko.
"You three must be so proud." She laughed as Shizuru tried to smack at her playfully.
"'Butterfly', Urameshi! 'Butterfly'!"
"Fuck that. That song's stupid. Let's pick 'Barbie Girl'."
"That's even worse!"
"Just pick a damn song and do it already!" Genkai shouted.
They grumbled and picked a random song. Everyone watched intently as the two teenagers battled it out on Dance, Dance Revolution. They discarded their shirts, working up an intense sweat as they tried to beat the other at another round.
"You're cheating!" Kuwabara whined, trying to push Yusuke off the pad.
"How can I cheat at this? I'm just following' the arrows, dipshit!"
Yusuke retorted, shoving Kuwabara hard. He stumbled and fell over on his back onto Yusuke. Yusuke growled and kicked his friend in the back with both legs, sending him flying.
"Get offa me!"
Kuwabara got to his feet, stumbling. He grabbed a handful of peanuts and tossed them at Yusuke. Yusuke lunged at Kuwabara, who yelped like a frightened Pomeranian. The scene was all too familiar to Shizuru. She looked to the door sadly, hoping it would open and Hiei would come in. She knew he wouldn't. She put a hand on her stomach, feeling the intense kicking. It was starting to hurt – she knew it had to be the boy.
"Just like his father." She thought grimly.
Hiei tossed around in the tree, pulling his knees up to his chest in the fetal position. He kicked hard at the branches in his way. He felt angry again; angry at Shizuru, angry at himself, at his future child, the spontaneous mistake that had taken place nine months earlier that had gotten him in this mess. He wanted to rip his hair out, scream, or kill something. Anything!
He hated himself. He wanted to hate Shizuru and the baby. He really wanted to leave, but he couldn't – he had promised not to and he never went back on a promise. He wanted to help take care of his child and he did love Shizuru. He groaned, digging his nails into his scalp. He wondered how or what she was doing at the baby shower.
Shizuru sighed sadly, closing her eyes. She missed Hiei and even if he were there and they wouldn't be ably to hold hands or kiss or be close, she still would have been a lot happier with him in the room while Yusuke and Kuwabara fought about something stupid.
She winced occasionally every time the kicking from her stomach came. It was starting to hurt. She wanted to grab that baby's foot in her hand and make him stop. She knew that he was going to be exactly like his father.
"Shit." She said softly.
"Are you okay?" Botan asked, looking at her friend.
"I'm fine." Shizuru nodded, forcing a pained smile. "The baby's just kicking . . . a lot."
"He probably wants out." Kuwabara stated.
"No shit?"
"Urameshi, I'll kick your ass!"
And then they were off again! Fighting over something so completely stupid as the baby wanting out. Shizuru got up, holding onto Botan for support.
"You okay?" She asked again.
"I'm fine, I just need to go to the bathroom."
"Do you need any help?" Botan asked, helping Shizuru to the bathroom.
"You didn't really give me any time to answer." Shizuru muttered through a smile.
"I'll wait out here, call me if you need anything." Botan said, closing the bathroom door behind her.
Shizuru looked at herself in the mirror, looking at her stomach. She really couldn't wait. She smiled then let a yawn slip out. She opened the bathroom door to see Botan standing there, a look on her face that asked Shizuru if she needed help.
"I am fine, Botan!" She laughed then yawned again. "I'm just getting really tired."
"Are you hungry? Do you need anything?"
"Botan, stop." She laughed. "I just need to sit down."
Botan helped Shizuru back to the group and eased her back down into her seat of the couch. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Shizuru. She laughed at them, waving a hand.
"Guys, cut it out! I'm fine, I don't need anything – maybe, some ice cream, but other than that – I'm fine!"
"Let's open presents!" Botan chirped, clapping her hands. "Open mine!"
"Botan, you've gotten the baby tons of things already."
"Oh, I know but I just couldn't resist!"
Botan thrust the small present at Shizuru, giggling. Everyone watched as Shizuru carefully tore the wrapping paper off and opened the box. She gasped as she picked up the creamy orange knit baby booties and held them in her hands.
"Oh, Botan . . . these are adorable."
"There's more!"
Shizuru picked out a pale green pair, a sky blue pair and a lavender pair. She blinked away tears, smiling. She looked up at Botan and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you so much for everything, Botan!" She mumbled into her friend's hair.
Shizuru tried to hold the tears back but gave up and sat back, hanging her head. She wiped at the tears that just kept coming. They really wouldn't stop. She missed Hiei; she needed him there. The baby kept kicking at her and it was really hurting.
Kuwabara sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. She sighed, her body shaking as she cried.
"Sis, what's wrong?"
He sounded so innocent, so sweet. She couldn't believe that she had kept the secret for nine long months. She sat up and looked at him, hiccupping.
"Kazuma . . . I have . . . to tell you something."
"What is it?"
Yusuke, Kurama, Botan and Genkai looked at each other. This couldn't happen now! Could it? This was exciting. They didn't know how Kuwabara was going to react. Shizuru opened her mouth to tell her brother about the father of the baby when Yukina and Keiko came out of the kitchen, holding a large cake.
"Who wants cake?" Keiko asked cheerfully.
Everyone turned to the two with the cake, semi-grateful and semi-angry with them. Shizuru and Kuwabara's faces lit up and they smiled.
"I do!" They said in unison.
The Kuwabaras loved cake – any kind except anything with coconut. It's super gross. Everyone sat around, talking softly as they ate cake and ice cream and watched Shizuru open the baby's presents. Blankets, toys and clothes surrounded her and her brother. She lifted her head, rubbing the soft silky material hem of the blue baby blanket in her hands. She smiled at them, a new strange happy look on her face.
"You guys want to know something really cool?" She asked, watching them all nod at her. "My water just broke."