In a Period of Nine Months, a yu yu hakusho fanfic

Sort of inspired by John Krasinski's new film, "Away We Go", mostly because it came to me when I saw it. It's a pretty good, cute movie and it has some really great quotes. If you have the means, I recommend it.

It's another Kurama/Shizuru fic by yours truly. I have developed a fascination with this pairing since I began The Impalpable Ash (yes, I am pimping that story, check it out on my profile!) and I wanted to write another one just because.

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There was a party for Yusuke's twenty-first birthday and she half remembers going home with a redhead and she rolls over and finds herself in Kurama's bed.

He's on his back beside her, staring up at the ceiling with one arm crooked behind his head and the other splayed out across his bare stomach and her eyes travel down his torso to discover he is, in fact, naked (and she is too, but she hasn't noticed it yet so she's still calm). She blinks and asks, "Did we have sex?"

It's so point blank she expects him to be surprised, but he merely chuckles and closes his eyes, "Does that bother you?"

She cocks her head, half understanding what he means, then, "No."

"Good."

They have a quiet breakfast together and they don't really talk because the two of them, they've never needed words.

He's not her boyfriend or anything; he's just a guy she gets along well with. Though, things have changed since the party, and it's small, subtle things that mean something she's not quite sure about yet. They didn't have dinner at all pre-sex, but now they do on occasion and it's sort of perfect. They don't kiss though, or hold hands, or anything else that normal couples do, but like she said, they're not in a relationship. They do talk though and it's stimulating conversation and they are good friends.

They don't really mention the sex, she doubts he can remember it either, but she suspects it was good, because there's always been a physical chemistry between them, but it's heightened since that night.

Her period's late a month post-one night stand and she starts getting nervous.

She waits a week, then goes to the drug store by herself and keeps looking over her shoulder, half expecting someone who knows her, someone who knows both of them, to come in and see the incriminating box in her hand because she's sort of paranoid like that. She gets so worked up she leaves the store at a run before the bewildered cashier can give her the twenty seven cents in change and she's fleeing blindly through the streets until she finds her way back to her apartment somehow and locks the door behind her when she finally manages to make her shaking hand push the key into the hole.

She wants a cigarette as she paces in front of her bathroom door, but rational fear makes her hold off and finally she's opening the door, tearing open the box, and this is it.

Keiko wants to have some sort of stupid reunion at her family's ramen shop and Shizuru almost refuses until the girl mentions, in passing, that Kurama will be there.

She agrees seconds later and it never occurs to her that maybe, just maybe, Keiko knows that there might be something between the two of them.

Kazuma is loud and has an arm around Yukina and Yusuke is drunk and trying to climb on a counter. Shizuru sits in one of the booths in a corner with Kurama and the fox is smirking at his former teammate's actions with something akin to nostalgia in his eyes and he hasn't looked at her since they entered the shop.

"You're going to be a father," she tells him flat out. He doesn't meet her gaze and he doesn't seem surprised.

"I know," he breathes and this just proves that they're growing up.

She decides on a whim and on a Tuesday to quit her job as a bartender and, when her boss, a grimy, large old man with a serious attitude problem puts up a fight, she cites pregnancy and he backs off with wide eyes on her stomach. She doesn't get any benefits from the job anyways and Kurama's already mentioned covering the birth and medical expenses with his insurance and there's no reason for her to keep a crappy gig if she doesn't like it anyways.

Besides, she's sort of got savings and she's got no doubt Kurama will have her back on this one.

It's been over two months, she's starting to show and Kurama starts coming around her apartment.

The first time, she opens the door and gives him an incredulous look. He shrugs.

"It's my son."

She smirks because she sort of, maybe disagrees, "Think it's a boy?"

"Know," he corrects off handedly, his fingers brushing her stomach.

One night, when he takes her out on one of their rapidly accumulating dinners, she tells him she thinks they're having a daughter and not a son.

He laughs and insists they dance when a love song comes on and she really doesn't know what to make of that.

They haven't told anyone and she doesn't really want to and Kurama hasn't voiced an opinion, so she assumes he feels the same. It's sort of just between them and he takes to bringing her books on dealing with pregnancy and she takes to calling him and putting the phone on her stomach.

It's been three months, she buys blue footsie pajamas and when he sees them, he smirks his triumph.

"Names," he says one day while he's sitting on her couch and she's drinking some weird, herbal mixture he insists will help the baby. She blinks at him, then looks back down at the tea cup of greenish liquid he prepared for her.

"Dunno," she grumbles and this is strangely awkward (and a little too intimate for her tastes).

He drops it.

Kazuma tries to kill Kurama two days before it's been four months when he barges into Shizuru's apartment and finds the redhead with his left ear to her stomach, trying to hear the baby or whatever. He stares at the two of them at first because he obviously doesn't quite know what to make of what he sees, but then, after he manages to stutter, "What are you doing?" she drops a bombshell she probably should have mentioned before he probably assumed she was getting fat.

"I'm pregnant," she says casually, "its Kurama's."

Of course, Kazuma doesn't take it well and it takes around two hours to get him breathing normally and Kurama's still keeping his distance even then because no one can deny that when the words sunk in, the taller boy went for the fox's throat. And she's kind of pissed about it because she's the older one and she doesn't need her baby brother to fight her battles and anyway she thinks that Kurama will be a brilliant father. Kazuma grudgingly agrees when she says goodbye to him in the hallway (Kurama's still inside, they all figure it's safer that way) and then he asks about the redhead's intentions.

She stares, quizzical, because the thought had never occurred to her before right then.

They decide to tell everyone after Kazuma and do it in pieces.

Yusuke is the first, because he's Kurama's second best friend and he's going to be one half of the whole god parent thing (they might have agreed to this ten minutes before telling the brunette, but they'd never admit that out loud) and after he gets over the whole, "Holy crap, you two had sex?" thing and his need to tell her that, "I thought you were just gaining a bunch of weight," he's genuinely happy for them and is perfectly willing to be a god parent.

Shizuru breathes easier and it gets much simpler after that.

The last person they tell, incidentally, is Kurama's mother and Shiori is half stunned that Kurama has a girlfriend she doesn't know about (that was how he introduced her: his girlfriend. She doesn't really get that.) and half tearful with joy over the fact that she's getting a grand kid. She pets and coos over Shizuru's swelling stomach and tells the baby that she loves it.

"Him," Shizuru corrects distractedly because she's watching Kurama watch his mother and she sees so much love in his eyes she's glad it's him.

His step father, who is in the background and looking slightly uncomfortable, asks about how serious they are in their relationship because, she supposes, he's old fashioned like that.

Kurama dodges easily and for some reason it gives Shizuru a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that has nothing to do with the baby.

Keiko, who's going to be god mother, asks permission to throw a bridal shower. She allows it if only to get her mind off her new obsession: her baby's father's intentions. Keiko, Botan, and Yukina are perfect distractions because they insist on planning three months in advance and she has to keep them in check, you know.

She thinks, or rather feels, like Kurama's got stuff on his mind. He doesn't really look at her, though he does fixate on her stomach, it's the only part of her he consciously makes an effort to acknowledge. Sure, he greets her and mumbles out the occasional, required response to the questions she's taken to throwing at him, but it's an empty relationship and it's starting to make her sick.

She takes to avoiding him simply to avoid the way he looks right through her, though such a feat is almost impossible seeing as he is technically a fox, she's carrying his kid, and he can pick up a particular person's body odor across a city. But he must sense she needs time to herself, because for some reason he respects her need to get the hell away.

Its times like these she wishes they do actually talk, because then whatever the problem is would be out in the open rather than lurking beneath the surface.

She lets it slip to Keiko that she and Kurama are getting frighteningly awkward, hoping for sage advice from someone who's dealt with a person who, though he does it with different presentation, operates on more or less the same wavelength as the fox. Keiko smiles vaguely and replies, "Shizuru, it's so obvious he's in love with you and you're in love with him," and Shizuru stares, stunned, and her thoughts take her to a place she's been avoiding for more than just five months.

If Keiko thinks that will comfort her, she's got another thing coming and Shizuru wants to lock the fox out of her apartment when he shows up the next weekend bearing some more of the herbal tea stuff and a sheepish smile when it becomes clear she's glaring through the peep hole at him.

"Shizuru," he says, softly, yet loudly enough to carry through the wood and she sighs, rolls her eyes in frustration, and opens the door. He hands her the tea, which she immediately starts to sip if only to provide herself with a distraction and when she lowers the cup he's holding up a bouquet of pink roses and, as horribly clichéd as it is, she sort of melts at the sight.

"For me?" she's trying to be sarcastic, but the whole breathless thing makes it come out like a nervous school girl's saying it and she can't hide that grimace.

He smiles weakly, "Yes," he's got this weird, contemplative look on his face, "Sort of an apology. I've had a lot on my mind."

"Right," she grumbles moodily, but she takes the flowers anyways, gingerly, because they're just so dainty and feminine and she can't resist.

Two days after that he shows up with a similar offering and asks her to move in with him.

After she nearly passes out (she blames it on the baby and he nods, but it's clear he knows she's lying) and he guides her over to her threadbare couch and places one hand on her rapidly expanding stomach and the other on the back of her neck, she agrees in what could be called a reluctant tone (if you didn't know her at all). He grins and offers to call movers and she shrugs, because his apartment's kind of nicer and she doesn't really like all of her stupid, bland furniture and the only thing she really wants to keep is her mattress because it's sort of molded to her, in a weird, lumpy way.

She's living with him by the end of the week and Shiori stops by to cook every other night because she's grandmotherly like that.

Genkai isn't exactly a midwife, but she insists she's got baby talents (whatever that means) and does this weird, pseudo scientific, psychic evaluation that involves a machine she claims is an ultra sound but doesn't look like any of the ones Shizuru's seen at her doctor's and a lot of poking and prodding.

The conclusion is the kid's got a little (or a lot, depending on how you classify taking after your part demon father on the spiritual front, though not on the physical) kitsune in him and Kurama smirks at Genkai and asks if Koenma sent her just to make sure there won't be an issue like the boy popping out with fox ears, or a tail, or both. The old woman doesn't deny it and Shizuru feels kind of awkward because maybe just going to a human doctor had been stupid and she should have thought about what could have happened first, like accidentally providing proof that demons do exist.

"Just how irresponsible does he think I am?" Kurama demands with mock offense, "I took a good, long look before she went to the doctors."

"Did you really?" Shizuru glares but is secretly (or maybe not so) happy that he did, "And you didn't tell me?"

"It didn't matter," Kurama shrugs casually, "He looks human."

She supposes that's good to know and she really did pick a good man to have a baby with, accidental or not.

Shiori and Hakatana come over one afternoon to baby proof the apartment and it's extremely awkward because Kurama's at work. Of course the (sort of evil) step father deigns it appropriate to ask about their relationship when the king of half truths and brilliant avoidances is not there and his first question is, "How long had you two been together when," he gestures awkwardly to the lump that will become his step grandson (even the title's awkward). She's not quite sure of what to say because she doesn't live the same proper existence that he does.

She settles on eight months eventually and later, when she tells Kurama, he laughs.

"I told him the exact same thing," he tells her and there's a sort of revelation in that.

Eight months before the one night stand, they had had drinks together in a bar in the south side of Tokyo while Shizuru had been on reconnaissance for her boss and scoping out the more famous bars in the city and their techniques and Kurama had been on a business trip or something and they had both ended up in the same hotel on the same floor and had decided to spend their one night in the capital together.

She had thought it could qualify as a first (and only) date and he had done the same.

Weird, but nice, and she smirks at him and feels like she's won the lottery.

"Shizuru," Kurama says one evening while they sit out on his-their patio and his hand is resting gently on her stomach, "Marry me."

She's completely caught off guard and it shows in the way she bolts into an upright position and he's suddenly on his feet, pushing her back into the reclining lawn chair with concerned eyes.

"Calm down, it's a simple request."

She disagrees, that statement is a half lie. Sure it is a request, but there is nothing simple about it, "I will not," she hisses, suddenly angry he'd dare patronize her like this, "marry someone who doesn't love me."

To her surprise, he sort of smiles and his hand is cupping her cheek and he's looming over her, "I know you won't," he says softly and she wants to believe what he's impling so badly it hurts.

But still, "Let me get back to you," she murmurs and he doesn't look at all surprised.

"Names," Kurama says again a week post-marriage proposal.

It doesn't get awkward again, but she's at a loss.

"I honestly don't know. What do you think?"

He opens his mouth, closes it, and she realizes she's caught the brilliant Kurama in the act of trying to hide the fact that he, in fact, has no idea either. She smirks and he frowns in mock annoyance.

"I suppose," he picks at the end of the blanket she's resting under, it's kind of getting chilly outside, "we could always go the whole naming our children after our friends route."

Something about the way he says it, not in just the distracted, thoughtful way, but with a hint of intent and a spark in his eyes that, decidedly, hadn't been there two seconds ago, makes her think he's planning on having more kids with her. She stares at him, incredulous.

"You want to name him Yusuke? Or Hiei?"

Kurama scrunches up his face.

"No, you're right. Bad idea."

She sighs and rests her chin on the back of the couch, staring out the window at the dying sunset, "We could always wait, you know," she says slowly and he looks half intrigued, half amused by whatever weird thoughts are working their way through his fox head, "Maybe when we see him a name will come to us?"

He shrugs, "Maybe."

The baby shower is small and Keiko, Yukina, Botan, and Genkai are the only people invited and she likes it that way.

"This is so exciting!" Botan's fawning over her now swollen stomach and starts speaking in baby gibberish and Yukina's staring at her like she's grown a second head.

"Well," Shizuru places the wipe warmer Keiko brought for her aside, "at least now he'll know who is Auntie Botan is right of the bat," the grim reaper looks up at her, confused and then quickly turns insulted.

"Hey!"

She shrugs, "I'm not saying it's a bad thing."

She gets clothes, and a stroller, and Genkai tosses her something that looks suspiciously like a training gi, not that she really minds. Then, to her surprise and Keiko's horror, Koenma literally pops in (sporting his teenage form today and she wonders what's up with that) and stands sort of awkwardly over her, staring at her stomach.

"I'm supposed to give you warnings about how to control your demon baby," he shifts uncomfortably and Shizuru snorts a little bitterly because she now has confirmation of her long harbored suspicion that Enma sucks, "But I'm sure Kurama can handle it."

"Yeah," she agrees vaguely and stares defiantly up at him even though she knows he's not really on his father's side on this one.

"And," he fingers the bottom of his tunic and casts Botan a nervous look and the blue haired girl's expression is severe and Shizuru, grinning, makes a mental note to tease the crap out of her friend later because she's been predicating this one for a long time and Yusuke may or may not owe her a hundred yen and seven packs of cigarettes (she needs to remember to change that part of the deal, she can't smoke with a baby around). "You know, I'm happy for you two."

Her mouth is twitching, but she manages to stop the threatening onslaught of laughter.

"Thank you, Koenma," she smiles and he pats her stomach and leaves.

Keiko and Yusuke get engaged at the end of the month and she's asked to be Maid of Honor (the wedding's way after her due date, of course) and she agrees whole heartedly and Kurama asks her again, that night, to be his wife.

She scowls at him, "I told you."

He shrugs, "I told you."

She's still refusing to believe it, more out of self preservation than anything, but the rational side to her brain is telling her that really, she's being kind of stupid and a little bit of a brat.

"You know," Kurama says one day when he returns from work, "this is sort of our sixteen month anniversary."

"Really?" Shizuru already knows this and she doesn't know why she puts on the ignorant front.

"Yes," he's not taking off his coat, she notices.

"And?" Shizuru's lounging around in pajamas and looking horribly pregnant at this point.

"And we're going to celebrate," he approaches, takes her wrists in his hands, and begins to heft her to her feet.

"Celebrate," she echoes, "our sort of sixteen month anniversary?"

He smirks, "Yes. And just as a heads up, I'm going to get down on one knee and ask you to marry me again."

Shizuru scowls, "I'll probably say no." She should really get dressed if the fact that Kurama's obviously not going to change out of his suit is any indication. She starts towards her bedroom.

"I know," he says to her back, "but I'm still going to give you the ring," she spins in the doorway to stare at him and he simply looks back at her like he's got nothing else in the world to look at or something equally clichéd.

He makes good on his promise and it sits on her nightstand and is always on the back of her mind now. It's a petite and beautifully simple diamond ring and she's kind of fixated, but she's not going to admit it, much less to him.

Of course, she knows what he's doing, especially after he starts kissing her cheek every chance he gets and it's so obvious that one time, just once, on a lark, she turns her head and makes it mouth to mouth just to spite him.

It backfires in a hideous way.

His lips are so horribly perfect against her own that it takes all of ten seconds for her to melt between his hands and he literally has to hold her on her feet with firm grips on each of her upper arms. If there wasn't a third trimester of a stomach between them, she would have tried to take it further and, as it is, when she regains the use of her limbs she pulls him closer.

Of course, when it breaks, she stalks away, but not before she catches the look of utter contentment on his face and her resolve takes an alarming blow to the gut.

One night, while sitting and staring at nothing and trying not to watch Kurama read, she says, "I don't regret this."

She can feel his emerald gaze burning into the side of her head, unrelenting, "Nor do I."

"And I'm glad it was you."

He doesn't ask and she doesn't mention it. There is a pause.

"Shizuru," he says finally, "I love you."

She goes into labor exactly two weeks before her due date, but it doesn't bother her because she's sure he's fine.

Keiko is with her in the apartment when her water breaks and drives her to the hospital where Kurama is waiting and pacing and he actually looks nervous for once.

"Relax," she whispers to him while the nurses check her in, "It's going to be fine."

"I'd feel better if you married me," he says flatly, his hand digging almost painfully into her shoulder and his gaze on the far, blank white wall. She's slightly caught off guard because this sort of isn't the time.

"Why? It's not like either of us is going to leave him."

"I know," he sighs heavily, "It's just…I don't know. You're very hard to read, you know that?"

Shizuru's staring at him now and the nurse is telling her that she needs to go to a room. She's not ready yet, though, because this is more than he's let on in the near eight years she's known him.

"What do you mean?" she gasps, because the labor pains are back after a brief reprieve. He doesn't answer right away and the nurse is getting impatient.

"I told you how I feel and I meant it," his gaze drops to hers and the power behind it nearly knocks her out of the wheel chair she's sitting in, "But Shizuru, I can't tell how you feel. I've never been able to. And I can't shake the thought that you're with me because of just the baby and nothing more," he pauses, looking awkward, "You know?"

She's floored, because she had always thought that she was the only one with the insecure feelings and all that other nonsense. Then another stab of pain hits her and she lets out what could be heard as both a moan and a laugh.

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

He blinks. The nurse has stopped insisting she get to her room and she, along with several of her colleagues are watching the proceedings intently and Shizuru wonders, for a split second of humor, if this is better than their soap operas.

"I'll marry you," she tells him and his face splits into a beautiful smile and the nurses are sighing and it's actually perfect until another stab of reality hits her in the form of a violent contraction.

"You have to go," he breathes and turns a look on one of the nurses, signaling that he's said all he needs to. There's an awkward pause because she jams her foot between one of the wheels in the floor and she's not done talking yet.

"I love you."

"Yeah," Kurama is shooing the nurses and kicks her foot out of the way for good measure, "I know."

Fin.