Urges Chapter 6

Warnings, disclaimers, you know the drill

Sorry for being a bit late. Halloween tends to get the best of me.

Kurama left the demonling to wash up, instructing him to try and relax, and headed downstairs. Shizuru was on the couch reading the morning paper, a cigarette hanging from her mouth.

"Morning Foxy, you sleep well?" She asked, folding her paper down to look at him.

"Very well, thank you." He looked with some distaste at the ring of smoke that drifted around her.

"Where's Kazuma?"

"He's had a bit of a rough morning. Stomach's bothering him. He's cleaning himself up and hopefully relaxing a little.

"Morning sickness?"

"Yeah."

"Hm." The elder Kuwabara turned back at her paper.

"Um. Shizuru, may I speak with you about something?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"Well..." The fox sat on the arm of a chair and meshed his fingers together thoughtfully. "It's about your smoking."

"Oh? What about it? You've never brought it up before. "

"You see...there wasn't as much of a reason to bring it up before. It's just that now...your brother's pregnant. Second hand smoke can be very harmful, especially to growing fetus and I'm not comfortable with you smoking around Kuwabara while he's expecting. This is going to be a fragile pregnancy to begin with; anything that can cause extra complications which can be avoided, should be." Shizuru frowned, carefully holding her vice between her fingers.

"So you're saying I should quit."

"Not necessarily. You could simply refrain from smoking in the house and around your brother if you'd like. But, if you feel you want to quit, just know I will willingly help you, in any way I can, to do so." The woman sat in silence for a moment, before grinding the cigarette in an ashtray.

"Let me think it over a little. I promise I won't smoke around Kazuma until I figure out what I want to do."

"Thank you Shizuru."

"I'm not doing this for you fox-boy, especially when you're still in the running for having knocked up my baby brother. No, this is for Kazuma and Kazuma alone. I've seen him get excited more times then I can count, but yesterday was different. Yesterday, I saw him, for the first time in my life, truly and completely happy. I'm not about to ruin that for him."

"Ruin what for who?" The psychic walked in toweling off his wet orange curls. He had donned his Megalica shirt and a pair so sweatpants for the time being.

"Oh, it's nothing." Kurama answered, putting on a smile. "Now, didn't I tell you you should try and relax some?"

'Yeah, but I'm fine now. Just hungry."

"Kuwabara. I think we should wait a little on the food until we know that your stomach has truly settled. You're going to be much more sensitive to particular tastes and odors for a while. It's probably not wise to test what you can and can't handle so soon after an upset."

"Quit worrying. My stomach never betrays me when I'm hungry." Kuwabara said confidently as he walked over to the refrigerator.

"Kazuma, I really think you should listen to what Kurama is saying. He knows what he's talking about."

"Why would he know?" The demonling mused as his fished around in the fridge, finally selecting a white takeout box. "He's never been pregnant." He popped the box open eagerly, only to drop it instantly at the overwhelming smell and make a mad dash to the bathroom.

"I tried to warn him."

"You did. You would know after all." The fox sighed.

"Does he even know I'm a doctor now?"

"Probably not."

"You're a doctor?"

"Yes, I'm a doctor. I've told you this."

"When?"

"When I first become one. At your 21st birthday. Which was three years ago!" Kuwabara shank back at the kitsune's temper.

"Kurama." Shizuru sternly warned.

"Sorry...sorry." The red-head pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a bit nauseous from their link. Lovely. Self-induced couvades syndrome. At least he wouldn't be the only one to experience this. Yusuke and Hiei would get their fair share in due time. "I didn't mean to yell, I'm just...not feeling too well myself." The ginger frowned then hesitantly touched the link point on his chest questioningly. Kurama nodded a little, indicating to the other that this was indeed the reason for his discomfort.

"Ya know, maybe be should both lie down. Foxy here isn't looking too hot and he's right, I shouldn't be eating just yet."

"Whatever. I'm going for a walk. Just behave yourselves." Kurama half-smirked as they walked back upstairs.

"You don't think I'm hot?" Kuwabara blushed.

"Shut up, you know what I meant."

A week passed and it had become a usual habit for Kurama to sleep with Kuwabara at nights. As intimate as this would seem, the fox was doing this simply for the ginger's comfort. They had gone with sleeping separately at the beginning, which had been fine, until the nightmares started. Kuwabara began being tormented by violent, disturbing dreams which often caused him to wake suddenly, crying out, in a cold sweat.

The first time it happened, Kurama had quickly broken from sleep, thinking they were being attacked and fearing for their lives. In seconds, he had produced his whip and switched on the lights only to find a shaken but very apologetic demonling before him. He had then blearily consented to stay in the man's bed for the night. Both of them were out cold 'til morning. The following nights, he'd wake up finding the ginger trying to snuggle in with him on the floor after another night terror. Finally, the kitsune gave up and agreed to moved into Kuwabara's bed for the remainder of the month. The arrangement insured them both with a relatively deep sleep and is had become a bit of an amusement to see just how and where they'd wake up in the morning.

Speaking of mornings, Kuwabara spent most of them in the bathroom. He was usually rushing to a bathroom around nine in the morning and occasionally late afternoon, but sometimes the morning sickness would get him at stranger times. Like 2am. One time when this happened, Kurama (who was half asleep at the time) had followed the sick man, who had jolted from the bed, to try to help. They had both been so out of sorts that the red-head fell asleep in the bathroom and once he was done, Kuwabara had, without thinking, dragged the unconscious kitsune back by the ankle. It was the only time Kurama had ever woken up wondering why he had a rug-burn covering one side of his face.

Happenings aside, everything seemed to be working out. Kurama had helped the psychic figure out what he could and couldn't stomach and devised as healthy diet for him. Kuwabara had begun eating several smaller meals a day as opposed to three big ones. Things were going well.

The second week brought the first scare in the pregnancy since the initial discovery. Kurama had been sitting in the living room, working on his laptop when a surge of extreme discomfort shot through him. From the link. The fox had rushed to find the man when Kuwabara stumbled into the room, clutching the doorframe. The smell of blood hit the kitsune's nose, the demonling's pants soaked in it.

"Kuwabara!" He quickly moved to help his friend to the sofa only to make it to the floor beside it. The psychic leaned against its frame wincing. "What is it Kuwabara?" He was loosing blood, from where, Kurama wasn't completely sure. "What happened!"

"Oh god, this hurts so bad!" The ginger replied through clenched teeth. "It feels like someone's trying to rip a hole into me between my crotch and my ass! Ack-" He bit into a pained growl, but the red-head was able to sigh in relief. "What the fuck are you so damn calm about! I'm fucking bleeding and a lot of pain!"

"But you're not in too much danger. Neither is your child."

"Just tell me what's goin' on! Agh!..ow..."

"Your body's making a way out."

"A way out?..oh." He glanced down at his crotch. "It still hurts."

"I can imagine. Best thing I can recommend is to sit in a hot shower until it finishes forming the birth canal. That should help relieve some of the pain and wash away the blood. I'll check you ever once you're done to make sure you haven't lost too much for your vial fluids and everything else is in working order." The ginger blushed.

"You mean...you're gonna have to look down there?"

"I'm a doctor Kuwabara. I do things like that for a living. I'm strictly professional when it comes to it, I promise."

"Alright...I guess so..."

"Now you get in that shower. I need to go down to my clinic to get a few things. This means you won't be getting any energy from me for a few minutes, understand?" The shakily got up and nodded.

"It's alright. I'll be fine."

"I'll be back soon. Be careful." Without thinking, Kurama kissed the demonling on cheek before heading out the door. He realized it seconds later and paused, confused. Why had he done that? It was like action hadn't even belonged to him, he'd just done it. Could that have been something Kuwabara had wanted to do or wanted him to do rather? His brows furrowed as he walked. You would have to want something pretty badly to cause someone else to act on it. Was...the ginger falling in love with him? The fox shook the thought away. He wasn't sure he could handle that just yet.

The fox sighed. What was he thinking when he told Kuwabara he could get a few things to make sure he was alright? There was no way he could give the ginger a proper checkup doing that. The psychic would have to come here. Annoyed at his error, the kitsune begrudgingly picked up his phone and dialed the number.

"Hello?" The fox winced. Kuwabara sounded a bit strained.

"Kuwabara? It's Kurama. I'm down here at the clinic and I've realized it wouldn't be practical to drag half my equipment there. Not to mention that would force me leave a few things that I'd really want with me."

"So you need me to come there?"

"I don't know, can you manage that? I mean, has the bleeding stopped? Are you in to much pain to come on your own? I can barrow a co-worker's car if you need me to come get you."

"Can you? I don't think walking's a good idea right now."

"Okay, just sit tight. I'll be there soon."

"Right...See ya." The line went dead. Kurama hurried to the lobby where the attendant sat behind the counter. She seemed surprised him.

"Dr. Minamino, I didn't know you were here! Is something wrong?" All the clinic workers hadn't seen him for about a week. He had been analyzing data and submitting reports from Kuawbara's home, but he hadn't come in. No one questioned it these days as this wasn't unusual. He was often on missions for days at a time, but always made up for it with diligent work upon his return. It was, however, unusual for him to be absent for more than a week on short notice, but still produce reports at the same time.

"In a way Mitsuki. I've been staying with an friend who's been through an experimental surgery recently. He's currently experiencing something that I don't think it going to be dangerous to him, but I just want to make sure. Thing is, he can't walk very well at the moment, so could I borrow your car?"

"What? Oh! Yes, sure. Of course. Let me just get my keys.." She rifled through her purse for a moment, finding them and handing them to the demon (not that she knew that).

"Thank you so much!" He said, heading toward the door. "I'll buy you lunch tomorrow to make it up, promise!" The woman giggled as he ran out. That man was so handsome.

Kuwabara looked uncomfortable and embarrassed as they drove down the road. Part of it was the remaining pain and part of it the awkwardness of Kurama having had to half carry him to the car. Most of it, however, was the fact that he was still bleeding when Kurama arrived and the ginger couldn't figure out a way to make it stop until the fox had hesitantly suggested (from outside the bathroom) that maybe he should use some of Shizuru's... feminine things to stop him from bleeding on his pants.

"Feeling any better?" Kurama asked carefully and got a shrug in return. The psychic was still a deep red and was fidgeting. If the fox weren't so worried, he'd find it amusing that his friend was so calm about being pregnant, as if it was completely normal, but was so freaked out at the idea of wearing a pad. Kurama had to admit, there were some big differences between a child-bearing male demon's reproductive cycle and a human female's, but it was still pretty funny.

As he had hoped, everything was fine. The bleeding would most likely stop by tomorrow and things would be able to return to as normal as they could get these days. The moment Kurama told the man he'd finished his examination, Kuwabara had pulled his underwear on as fast as he could, his face as red as a beet. Once he got everything on, Kurama helped him back to the car, letting Mitsuki drive as it was the end of her shift so she could just drop them off and go home.

The next two weeks after passed relatively smoothly. Kuwabara and Kurama were close enough that you would think they were a married couple if you didn't know them. That being said, aside from Kurama providing comfort wherever it was needed, the unusual relationship was without romance, save one day. The second to last day. The two had been relaxing in their room, Kurama on the floor with his computer and Kuwa stretched out with his stomach up on his bed, his tail draped lazily over the edge. The ginger was obviously thinking about, perhaps considering, something, his eyebrows knitting together every so often. The fox had been feeling a gush of many conflicted things from the man, but wasn't about to pry.

"Hey Kurama? I have a question..." He finally asked slowly. Kurama could tell he was unsure.

"Of course. What is it?" He closed his laptop, giving the pregnant man his full attention.

"Can I...kiss you?" He hadn't been expecting that.

"Kiss me?"

"Um. Yeah. Just sort of a test."

"A test?"

"To see if...you know, I really am gay. I want to see if I still like kissing a guy without being affected by weird, sexy, plant smoke." The fox could see the logic in it and to be honest, he wouldn't actually mind kissing Kuwabara.

"So you're still having doubts then?"

"Some. I just want to be sure, if you can understand that. I mean, if don't want to I'm okay with that too. It would just really clear some things up for me. So yeah..." Kurama kissed him without a second thought. Kuwabara pulled the read-head closer. They both loved every minute of it. Hiei, however, did not.