#minamino tsubaki

[unlockthelore]

Can you imagine Kurama and Hiei's baby being very fussy and won't fall asleep, so Hiei brings their child to sleep in the bed with them and Hiei falls asleep on Kurama while the baby falls asleep on Hiei's chest? Ughhhh the domestic bliss! How cute would that be? Family all cuddled up together? My poor heart

Sentimentality

A fox’s whine lurches Hiei out of a hazy sleep, glimmers of dreams sloshing about his waking mind as the whines continue in earnest. They’re not so loud that he couldn’t drown them out if he tried but his body rises automatically. Instinct falling in place of logic as he dragged himself from the warmth of Kurama’s arms, settling the blankets around the fox’s shoulders, his knuckles brushing against his cheek before he pulled away entirely.

It isn’t until Kurama no longer stirs or seems to reach for him that he slips away from their bed to the bassinet set beneath the night flowers blooming off in the corner. Particles of dull amber drizzle over the bassinet, disappearing when they touched outstretched chubby fingers waving listlessly through the air. Kurama’s energy began to quiver as the whines continued.

“Tsubaki,” Hiei muttered, slipping his hands into the bassinet to lift her, one tucked beneath her head and the other beneath her legs. He’d practiced the motion so often with Shiori that it seemed almost second nature to cradle her to his chest. A dull simmering of pride drowned out by her weeping. Claws, barely there but sharpened enough to scratch, hooking in the skin of Hiei’s shoulders as he adjusted her to lie with her head against the hollow of his throat. “Sssh… Tsubaki…”

Her ears flicked as he murmured an encouraging hush, pressing back to her head as the beginnings of her tail’s wisps curled against his wrist. It amazed him how small she was. How easily she could fit in the palms of his hands and against his chest.

The beginnings of a youko’s life were unknown to him, Reikai archives frankly useless, and Kurama’s own memories were faint at best. To see it first hand was both humbling and interesting although he fumbled often in trying to pacify her needs.

Gradually, her whines subsided and the pricking pain of her claws receded, the muscle pulled tight in his chest loosened its hold.

One day, you’ll hear a cry that will render your heart to pieces.

At the time, he felt Mukuro’s words were facetious. Or referring to the troublesome period in his relationship with Kurama. It wasn’t until they were born that he deduced she may have meant something else entirely. Though with how cryptic Mukuro was, trying to divulge a straight answer for her meanings was impossible.

“Are you done crying?” Hiei asked, practically hearing the chorus of cries from their friends about how rude he was to his own children. He rolled his eyes at the thought, bouncing Tsubaki lightly. Golden eyes blinked up at him, trusting with unbiased affections. They understood what he meant. And that is all that mattered.

Tsubaki tugged lightly at the longer ends of his hair and Hiei suppressed a wince, shifting his head from one side to the other to avoid her grabbing hands. “Aaah!” She shrieked, smacking her hands against his shoulder and Hiei hushed her, glancing aside when he heard a groan from Kurama.

“If you wake your father, we are both never hearing the end of it,” Hiei reminds, narrowing his eyes at her. She blinked at him once then twice before patting her small hands against his cheek. Seeming to try and explore his face with curious fingers sweeping across his nose to his mouth and jaw.

Hiei sighed. The small hints of Kurama he saw in their children told him numerous things. They were vivacious, charismatic, and explorative even at a young age. Which meant he would likely not be having any sleep for the time being. Without Tsubaki beneath the blooms, the night flowers slowly began to close their buds and regress into their dormant form.

The light in the room dimmed with only the barest slivers of moonlight streaming between the curtains. Hiei turned to check on Kurama, somewhat amused as the fox had rolled onto his back, his red hair splayed beneath his head and curling sweetly beneath his chin. With his face lax, and eyes closed, he seemed every bit his age.

But it was the scars, faint and numerous, on his chest arms and back that told part of the story of the hardships he faced.

A sharp tug dredges him out of his thoughts and to Tsubaki’s face, her mouth split into a smile showing the beginnings of fangs. She had such an expressive face and Hiei often wondered what it was that she was thinking. Though he refused to use the Jagan on her or her brothers until they were of age to tell him, he did have his guesses. Rubbing his fingers through her fluffy dark hair, he pressed a kiss to her crown.

“You may be comfortable but I’m not.” Hiei shuffled over to his bedside and clambered up as easily as he could with his hands occupied. Kurama’s chest seeming a better place to sleep than any, and with the closeness to her other father, Tsubaki reaches out to curl her fingers in his hair and rub her hands along his arms. “He won’t wake if you do that.”

With a little nudge, she returned to the center of his chest where she puttered about with the tear gem resting between his pectorals. Holding it in her mouth and bringing it dangerously close to her lips although seeming to second-guess it when he raised a brow. Understanding glints in her eyes, so much like Kurama that he almost pauses when they flicker green for half a second, returning to gold as she makes a game of patting her hands along his chest.

His eyelids feel heavy but he found determination in keeping his eyes on her. Watching as she went through the motions of entertaining herself between playing with his hair and the tear gem, or babbling to him about nonsensical things he couldn’t wrap his head around but listened to nonetheless.

It’s almost laughable. Years ago, he would never have deigned to hold a child like this or listen to one’s blithering but he found himself enraptured in hers. Kurama’s chest slowly rising and falling beneath his head, his heartbeat’s even cadence providing a lullaby.

Hiei wasn’t sure when his eyes slipped shut but when he opened them and glanced down, Tsubaki was fast asleep with her cheek smushed against his chest. Claws resting just shy of his heart, her ears flicking, smoky wisps of a still-forming tail curling in the moonlight. Hiei huffed gently, finding himself trapped between Kurama and her, let alone the statement of it all.

Tipping his head to one side, his eyes half-lidded as he watched the light paint sharp shadows on Kurama’s features, Hiei smiled and closed his eyes.

[delicatetrashcrusade]

Single dad yaoi

I don’t know why, but I’m not really into omegaverse, but I do really like when two dads raise a cute kid or two, so here is my master list of all the cute single dad yaoi you might need in your life (no omegaverse):

Sorenari ni Shinken Nandesu- Asou Kai

Gochisou-sama- Cj Michalski

Koishite Daddy- Kitazawa Kyou

Love Kids!!- Kitazawa Kyou

Sukijanai Kedo Aishteru- Minamino Mashiro

Ikumen Datte Koishimasu- Mishima Kazuhiko

Koisuru Barairo Tenchou- Mochimeko

Ikumen After- Kodaka Kazuma

Nobara- Kumota Haruko

Oya no Kao ga Mite Mitai- Tsugaru

Motoyan Papa to Hitsuji-sensei- Mizuki Tama

Tenjou no Shita ni Koi- Ichikawa Ichi

Tsubaki Biyori- Isino Aya

Seishun Catharsis- Katsuragi

Kozure Ookami- Inoue Satou

Sensei wa Butchozura Shite Yatte Kuru- Kurusu Haiji

Ookami Papa wa Hitsuji  Tsura Shite Yatte  Kuru- Kurusu Haiji

some of these aren’t necessarily single dads, but they are all at least looking after a kid and they are all super dang cute

[unlockthelore]

Die For You

Perhaps it was bad form to tell his infant daughter he would kill for her but Hiei’s done worse.

Part of the Smile Bomb series. For more updates, follow the smile bomb tag on this blog.

Crickets begin chirping in the low lush grass dotted with vibrant flowers glowing silver in the dim. Kurama's energy radiates from every inch of their home's surroundings with his plants standing guard over the forest's edge, soaking in the fading rays of sunlight as the evening dwindles into night. Leaning with his back against the wooden doorway, the wind chimes sing and join the symphony of his sons' quiet snores and the distant clicking of Kurama's keyboard as he works diligently in his study. Warm gusts of wind ruffle his hair and whips it back from his forehead, barely obscuring his view of the small youko perched in his lap.

His daughter ― the novelty of such a phrase bringing a smile to Hiei's face ― running her tiny hands up the length of his arm. Scars, raised jagged skin that hadn't quite healed right, examined thoughtfully with her curious golden eyes. Small claws scraping against them until her attention is stolen by the dragon shifting across Hiei's skin. Swimming past the scars and weaving around them, allowing her to chase it fruitfully, a squeal of delight parting her lips and warming her face when she caught its tail or its head. The Dragon peeling from his skin enough to give her a solid hold and she laughs, mesmerized by the game.

An appeased purr answering in the back of Hiei's mind.

The Dragon calls her name when Hiei's mind is idle. Beckons her when her attention shifts and she begins to fuss, unsure of where to keep her mind, but quick to address when a point of interest is given. It amazes Hiei how much of Kurama he sees in her. From the quirk of her smile to the color of her eyes, but he is there too. For the better, he deduces, because nothing associated with his daughter could be considered otherwise. Her hair is raven black with a blueish-tinge just like his own, and Hiei counts his blessing that she hadn't inherited the white discloration in his bangs.

To Hiei, that is where the similarities end but Kurama was quick to point out others. She preferred to be held but only on her own terms. Displeasure was made quickly and loudly known. Her small and strong lungs were used without hesitation. As vocal as her father, Kurama mused when Hiei scowled at the comparison, unable to keep his agitated expression with Kurama's spatter of kisses along his cheek.

With shadow creeping from the sun's retreat over the horizon, the sky tinges an orange-scarlet and he's briefly reminded of the Makai. Adoration blooms and sits heavy in his chest with the thought of Kurama able to run freely in his demon form. Their daughter, perhaps a bit bigger, tumbling with him in the grass. Silver and black mingling together, two sides of the same coin. He'd seen Kurama's smile in his other form, fallen in love with him just as quickly, and relished seeing it once more.

「 One day, I will take you there, Tsubaki. You and your brothers will be able to run to your heart's content and I will watch over you. 」

Tsubaki doesn't hear his thoughts. Her fists balled in Hiei's tanktop and pulling it until he's sure the fabric would give. Kurama tells him he should remind the children to be gentle when they tear at his clothes ― and Hiei reminds that Kurama is rarely so kind to his clothes either. It earns a rare shade of red across the fox's cheeks, a moment of speechlessness, and Hiei feels fulfilled with simply the thought of it.

Seldom does Hiei find his love for her — for all of them — to be overwhelming and all-encompassing, rendering his senses and the world to narrow down to only this small being who relied on him to live. It astonishes him. Was he this small when his mother's people cast him from the mountain peak of Hyouga? He could hardly imagine doing so to Tsubaki and with a sideways glance at his sons, their hands linked even in their sleep, he couldn't imagine them being separated.

Dreams of bringing them to the Makai are soured by the thought of his and Kurama's enemies. Harm would come to his children later in their lives, it was inevitable, and Hiei steeled himself at the thought. But while they were like this — needing his protection and his guidance ― he would tear the realms asunder for them.

Hiei gazes down at Tsubaki and the steady game of tug and release she plays with his tanktop, now stretched to the point where it won't return its usual form. He doesn't have the heart to interrupt her and delights in the gentle wiggle of the ears atop her head. The wisps of her still-forming tail difficult to see in the low light. Compared to Kurama's four, her one is quite small but she has time to grow and grow she will.

Offering his hand to her, a smile creeps onto his lips when she wraps her small fingers around his thumb. A gut-wrenching throb threatens to shake his frame but he holds fast so he won't jostle her. His fingers curling around her arm, guiding it to his lips to leave a few kisses along her skin, watching her eyes light up and follow him. Her smile, wide and with tiny fangs, almost making him want to bare his own to make her laugh.

"I would die for you, you know," Hiei tells her without ceremony, hearing the monotone of his words but the ferocity of them is hidden deep in his chest.

It startles him. Not as much as his love for her but the implication. He'd fought tooth and nail, with blood, sweat, and arguably tears — all so that he could continue existing when fate deemed it he should not. And yet, this small being who'd barely existed for more than a few months could inspire him to lay down his life.

Ridiculous.

As if responding to him, Tsubaki makes a soft noise and her ears twitch, pricking with attention as she regards him — and Hiei falls in love all over again.

The television dully displays a commercial for a television show that he knows his sons would enjoy. If not for being caught so deeply in the throes of sleep, they might have been bouncing around the living room singing the theme song at the top of their lungs. Hiei smiles down at them, tucking Asahi's foot beneath the blanket with a little nudge and curling a knuckle in Kagerou's hair. Silver strands looping around the crook of Hiei's finger and slipping away when he pulled his hand back. Much as he enjoyed the silence of their naps and the quiet their home provided, he preferred their noise and fervor.

"Ieee!" Tsubaki tugs at the strap of his tanktop, bringing Hiei back to reality. She waits patiently as he returns to looking at her and quietly stares back with her golden eyes blinking minutely.

"What were we talking about?" Hiei mutters, thinking it over before his lips parted with a sigh. That's right. "You may not understand the seriousness of it, but know there are only a small number of souls who have such an honor. I've had my share of protecting the realms and fighting for nameless whelps."

Yuusuke seemed to have it in mind that he "tagged along" on their adventures simply because he cared. Sentiment aside, Hiei couldn't say it was far from the truth. They had grown on him like fungus did a rock. He shuddered to think of what would happen if something befell any of them and he could have done something, but chose not.

A few slaps against his shoulder dragged him away from his thoughts and to Tsubaki. Her babbling filling the silence and drowning out the droning of the anchorman, something about rain lost in Hiei's mind as he tries to deduce what his daughter is saying. Lifting her her until they stared eye to eye, her small feet balancing on his thighs as he held her upright.

"What are you saying…"

It occurs to Hiei for not the first time that he could simply use the Jagan and do away with the mystery. He refuses. It's a curious thing but he didn't want to intrude on their minds. Not even his sons. Using the Jagan on them was prohbitied untl his children were old enough to regard him with some semblance of emotion not brought on by their neediness of him. Whether they loved him or abhorred him would be the difference of whether he'd request access to speaking to them telepathically.

So far though, Hiei found himself addicted to having their love and appreciation simply for being their father. It chilled him to think there would be a day when it was otherwiise.

Pinpricks of pain sank into the bridge of his nose and Hiei flared his nostrils in response, earning a squeal. Steam fanning across the palm of Tsubaki's hand evaporated into the open air and Hiei smiled. Allowing another huff and then another to ellicit giggles from his daughter as she tried to catch the vapor in her hands, failing and deciding to clamp her hand over his nose instead. As annoying as it was to have to breathe through his mouth for the few precious seconds it took to pry her hand from his nose, it was worth it for that wide smile.

Curling his fingers around her tiny fist, dotting her wrist with little kisses before he lifted her over his head.

"Your enemies are my enemies, anyone who attempts to harm you is good as dead."

To others, those words would inspire alarm.

To Tsubaki, it inspired laughter and only strengthened Hiei's resolve.

Her hands reached for him and he brought her closer, cradling her to his chest with his hand to her back and the other beneath her head. Letting her hands explore his face, grab at his nose, explore his jawline, tug at the length of the hair spilling over his ward.

The pain mattered little compared to her joy, and Hiei was used to pain ― giving and receiving — and he would suffer it for her smile. Rubbing his nose against her own, her eyes close reflexively as she laughs.

"I'll summon the Dragon of the Darkness Flame all for you. Raze the realms to ash, anything you like."

Hiei's voice is soft and meant for her ears alone, although in the silence, it feels as if the world is listening. Good, he thinks ruefully. Let all the realms hear. If any harm befell his children, hell would be razed.

Tsubaki continues exploring his face but now she makes soft purring noises, contement rolling off her in waves. Her aura reminding him of a flower gradually blooming, a summer storm and a sunshower. Basking in it is enough to bring him peace and he feels shaken to know how easily it comes. Without a word, she can soothe his flames, reminding Hiei all the while of Kurama with her purring and the gentle touches to his skin.

"Action suits me better than words. But your father --- your father can string sentences together to inspire fear in the heart of even the strongest of souls, but he can also be gentle."

Stories do Kurama little justice. He is a gentle soul with the ability to be harsh and unforgiving. His limits have been pushed and tested and proven, but he always has righted himself. Falliable though he may be, his short-comings only inspired Hiei to love him harder. Making up for where he lacked. Holding tight where Kurama was crumbling.

Golden eyes shine, and Hiei sighs.

"Will you be like me or him…?" He asks gently, tipping his head to one side to press a kiss to Tsubaki's cheek. A short pause follows as she nuzzles him, cooing softly and babbling as she reaches for him. Hiei's eyes searching her small form, finding the parts of her that reminds him of Kurama quickly. Only at the gentle pat of her hand does he speak. "… No, you're like your father. There's too much love in you to be like me."

There was so much of him that was ugly. Twisted beyond recognition. He was cold at the core no matter how warm his body ran. Death and destruction were notions he welcomed rather than balked at. Even this idyllic peace they dwelled in was one he looked at with apprehension. He could see the good in a "good" thing but he also knew there were things lurking. It was his job to be ready for when they made themselves known.

Not only for their ragtag team but Kurama and the family they made. It was what he was meant to do. Hiei was sure of it.

Cuddling Tsubaki close to him, the scent of a sunshower in her hair, Hiei sighed. "He would disagree, you know…” A soft chuckle choked out as he shook his head. “He seems to think I'm affectionate."

"Because you are."

Kurama's voice streaks through the open air and lashes deep in Hiei's chest, his head whipping around to find Kurama leaning against the doorway at the other side of the room. Comfortable and assured, wholly unabashed and somewhat smug, his arms folded across his chest and eyes half-lidded. Blood rushes to Hiei’s cheeks as Kurama strolls over to them, stopping shortly to tuck the blanket around the dozing boys, giving both a light peck to the head.

「 How long were you there? 」

Attempting to hide his mortification is a tactic long wasted on Kurama. With his intuitiveness and sheer knowledge of Hiei’s mannerisms, he sees through it immediately and gives a cheeky smile as he nestles at Hiei’s side. Tsubaki’s ears perking, leaning forward at the sound of his voice, her noises a bit louder as she clenches a fistful of Hiei’s shirt and tries to balance herself with a hand outstretched to Kurama.

「 Long enough to hear you threaten her enemies. 」

Kurama smiles warmly, tucking his thumb in the palm of Tsubaki’s hand. His other hand snaking around Hiei’s back to rest at his stomach. A solid warmth pressing against Hiei’s shoulder as Kurama leant forward to press kisses to Tsubaki’s head.

Nose wrinkled and glare scathing, Hiei tries his best to keep his annoyance brewing at Kurama’s lack of transparency but it drains from him quickly at the sight of the fox’s eyes, golden and bright, meeting Tsubaki’s own. A loud squeal from her bringing forth a new wave of emotion too deep for Hiei to stoke the flames of indignant fury.

「 What have I told you about hiding your energy? 」

「 Forgive me, you were having a conversation and I didn't want to interrupt. 」

Shuffling aside, Hiei finds the solid press of Kurama’s chest to his back far more appealing than the wooden frame of the sliding door. A light kiss meanders along the curve of his shoulder, dark red hair tickling his cheek as he twists his head away to avoid Kurama’s lips at his cheek. The fox huffs a laugh, warm breath sending shivers down Hiei’s spine but his attention is stolen by Tsubaki’s babbling. Kurama engaging her in a bit of conversation lost on Hiei as he adjusts her in his lap.

Knees drawn close to his chest and tiny feet firmly planted against his stomach, Tsubaki is given a full view of both of them with Kurama peeking at her over Hiei’s shoulder. A small game of “hide and seek” awkwardly played but no less adored. Pride swells in Hiei’s chest when he hears the quiet shuffle of vines and whispering leaves, the plants hung and gathered around their home drawing nearer as they could at the sound of their daughter’s laughter.

Just as she glows with mirth, the plants react in kind, soaking in her joy and dancing to the currents of energy wafting from her. Hiei sighs when the emotions grow too deep for him to keep them inside, attempting to take a breath to sustain himself and gather air where love and devotion threatened to smother him.

「 She can't speak. I love everything about her and she can't even say a word. 」

Kurama is his best source of information in times such as this. He can make sense of the feelings deep inside of Hiei’s chest, and on the off chance he can’t, he can at least provide solace. A quick squeeze around his middle, a comforting pressure that nearly chokes out the rest of the words hidden in Hiei’s chest, but no less appreciated.

「 She's our daughter. 」

This time, when Kurama’s lips brush against his cheek, Hiei doesn’t turn his head away. Accepting the featherlight kisses to his cheekbones and his jawline, melting under the ones behind his ear.

「 She loves you just as much. 」

Hiei’s heart stammers in beating and he gazes down at Tsubaki. Undeterred by her fathers’ affections, her attention shifts to the vine hanging overhead. It twists and turns, gathering around her fingertips allowing her to hold tight with her small fist. Her eyes are lit with curiosity but her touch is gentle. Almost instinctively. As if she knows too much pressure will bring harm and just enough will guarantee the reaction she desires. It’s so strange.

「 How do you know? 」

「 Can't you tell? 」

Tipping his head enough to glimpse Kurama from the corner of his eye, Hiei scoffs. If he could tell then what would be the purpose in asking him? Kurama arches a brow and Hiei sighs. Not wanting to start a verbal spat with him or let him see too deeply into why he worries.

Tsubaki is none the wiser. Her attention stolen entirely by the flowers and the vines coming to greet her. Blooms on the vines flourishing beneath her light touches and grateful as they wind gently around her wrist, brushing against her fingers and hugging close to her.

Hiei sighs. Would a day come where she no longer looked at things like this? Where she regarded him with contempt for everything he did in the past? For what Kurama had done with the plants that adored her? Would his own standoffishness and habit of silence deter her more than e dear?

Worry and unrest churned in his stomach. His heart aching. These days would always remembered but they were fleeting. The boys were growing like weeds and so would Tsubaki. He only wished this time would slow so he could cherish every moment a bit longer.

Tsubaki tilted her head head up and the vine wrapped around her wrist pulled away, her hands reaching out to him.

「 She knows when you're worried. 」

Hiei resists the urge to flinch but he does tense. Enough for Kurama to raise his head from his shoulder and Tsubaki to whimper. Leaning down to rest his head in her hands, he closes his eyes when she nuzzles him, unable to look into her eyes and lie.

「 I told her, she's like you. 」

「 You could always tell when I was lost in my own head. 」

「 As if it was hard? 」

The nuzzling continued along with a soft purr. Hiei pressing kisses to her cheek and murmuring in words from a Makai dialect, promising her that he was fine and thanking her for saving him. Tsubaki’s answering hum comes with a light scratch of her claws against his cheek but he can’t find it in himself care.

「 She takes after you as well, Hiei. We made them together. Never forget that. 」

Kurama squeezes him around his waist and the feelings he hid so deeply in his chest begin to bubble up to his throat. He would die for his children and their enemies were his own but they weren’t the only ones. He would lay down his life for Kurama, fight all of his enemies physically and mentally if it meant securing another sunrise with him.

「 … It's hard to remember. They're so… good. 」

Hiei glances back at him, hugging Tsubaki close to his chest and listening to her gentle cooing. A light kiss pressed to the top of her head and her ears twitching as she nuzzled close to him. Sparing a glance at Kurama, Hiei sighs.

「 Almost everything good in my life, I attribute to you. 」

Kurama’s hand cups his chin and tips his head up. Hiei’s eyebrow raising until he’s pulled into a kiss. Senses short-circuiting with the quirk work Kurama makes of his defenses, kissing him deeply and drowning out the world. A sharp nip to his lower lip startles him, his lips parting and Kurama’s tongue delves past. Muffled groans becoming soft sighs as they part, heated breaths and panting between them.

What was just happened…?

Meeting Kurama’s eyes, Hiei sees the gold flickering amidst the green.

"S-Sorry…" Kurama mutters, his voice a bit rougher with a timbre that reminds Hiei of the Youko. “… You were being sweet again.”

Hiei huffed, quirking a smile. “I thought you didn’t like sweet things…”

“I’m starting to have a taste for them,” Kurama grins, his lips a bit wet but his tongue swipes along the bottom one and Hiei smiles as he leans in again

Tsubaki’s hand patting Hiei’s cheek to gain his attention and Kurama sighing softly when Hiei turns away.

“I’m sorry,” Hiei says, though he doesn’t sound sorry in the slightest even to his own ears. Far too amused with Kurama’s pouting, his chin resting on Hiei’s shoulder. And Tsubaki’s smiling, unaware of the moment she interrupted. “Your father is distracting.”

[unlockthelore]

Being Human

While on a family drive, Kurama and Hiei have a little talk as they enjoy the quiet.

Part of the Smile Bomb series. For more updates, follow smile bomb on this blog.

Lazy afternoons have grown on Kurama exponentially since he had someone to spend them with. Quiet could be stifling when alone but a companionable silence, where no words had to be said to entertain or convey, was blissful.

It was through Kuronue that Kurama learned how rewarding it was to simply bask in the presence of another.

And it was in loving Hiei that Kurama found it plausible to believe he deserved to exist as he was.

Riddled with guilt from the past, enduring through the present, and looking forward to the future — a future with a family of his and Hiei’s making, their fates forever intertwined on the path they walked.

There were bumps in the road, pitfalls and obstacles neither of them anticipated but dragged one another through. Stress-filled nights becoming sullen mornings filled with fleeting thoughts where Kurama wondered if this would be another opportunity he ruined and if Hiei would be another soul to scorn his very existence.

Kurama was never more happy to be wrong.

Hiei stayed, infinitely patient with his short-comings and careful to pick apart fact from fiction. Unraveling the stories of Youko Kurama to find the merged soul beneath. No longer entirely the man he once was, someone entirely new — and Hiei adored him.

Enough to step out of his comfort zone.

To try something new.

Often, Kurama thought back to how they met. His interest in Hiei growing steadily with each passing day. Lazy afternoons spent together on opposite sides of his childhood bedroom, feet of distance between them, were better than the ones he spent alone. Craving the shadow he’d come to acquaint with fondness.

Emotions buried deep in Kurama’s chest rattling him to his core with how utterly helpless he was in the wake of Hiei’s smile, hearing a bubble of laughter, his jokes light and charmingly arid — and those brief moments where he was genuine enough to steal Kurama’s breath away.

Oh, he was helpless in the best and worst of ways — loving Hiei set Kurama on the path to do reckless things. But it also left the universe feeling right if only for a moment, letting Kurama believe he could forgive himself for his past transgressions and that he deserved the hard-won peace they fought for.

─── 幽☆遊☆白書

「 They’re sleeping… 」

Hiei’s voice rouses Kurama from his thoughts with a pleasant hum. Temporarily diverting his attention from the winding mountainside road to his Mate’s half-asleep form, curled up in the passenger seat with his hand wedged between his head and the window. With Kurama’s window rolled down, the wind whips through his hair and tousles Hiei’s own eliciting a jaw-cracking yawn that Kurama finds all the more charming with Hiei’s heavy-lidded eyes. He seems seconds from dropping into sleep and Kurama smiles fondly, stealing a glance at the rearview mirror at the three sleeping children practically piled on one another as they slept.

「 They are and so were you… 」

「 I wasn’t sleeping… 」

The days are growing warmer and with times’ passage, so does Hiei. It shows in the joining of his eyebrows and the sly glance from the corner of his eye. A stifled yawn with the heel of his hand pressed to his lips and his eyes crinkling at the corners.

「 I was resting my eyes. 」

Utterly fond and amused, Kurama returns the smile and glances aside.

「 If you say so… we’ll be home soon so feel free to rest a little longer. 」

This time, Hiei yawned and Kurama chose not to comment on his tiredness. Stealing glances at his Mate as he curled up with his knees pressing closer to his stomach and arm tucked beneath his head. In the dim fading sunlight, the Dragon’s mark shifts. Ink swimming across Hiei’s skin from wrist to upper bicep in a faint violet glow melding with the fire demon’s crimson-orange aura.

Kurama neglects to tell him but Hiei does remind him of the afternoon. A beautiful time, filled with longing and anticipation, for the night often brought adventure and danger for him. Dappled with oranges, violets and reds, a time to be cherished but also fleeting.

Like a shadow.

“Mm… Kurama,” Hiei sighs, crimson peering at him from beneath dark bangs. “Does this feel… human to you?”

Kurama smiled to himself, pleased with the soft adoration in the way Hiei uttered his name, and the implication in the fire demon’s question. “In a way.”

“In a way?” Hiei asks, shifting enough that his back nearly rests against the door, his hand tugging at the seatbelt to give him as much room as it could. Kurama shooting him a sideways glance, not wanting it to be broken like the first time. Hiei waved him off with a roll of his eyes, settling before giving him a pointed look to continue.

“The actions of it,” Kurama clarified, glancing up in the rearview mirror in time to see their daughter curl closer to one of her brothers.

Hiei inclined his head, dark hair flattening against the window as he rested his head against it. “Are they bad? The actions of it…” He asks, and if Kurama wasn’t keen on picking out the inflections in his words, he would have thought he was being facetiously sarcastic.

Subtle reminders speak to Hiei’s insecurities and Kurama assuages them the best he can. He enjoyed these simple moments where the world wasn’t in peril, the universe seemed aligned, and they could just be as a family.

“No,” Kurama answered softly, pretending not to notice the relief ease Hiei’s stiffened posture. Even now in times of fleeting peace, Hiei still becomes like this but with the life he lead, Kurama can’t blame him. “I cherish this life with our family. It’s freeing and they are full of surprises. I wouldn’t trade these moments for anything.”

Hiei’s silence is charged and Kurama can tell there’s a number of questions and phrases on his tongue. Some of them may be sentimental, to which he ducks his head to avoid something. This shyness is adorable and endearing to Kurama even now. One day, Hiei may grow accustomed to the weight of his love for him but until then, he cherishes the reddened flush to his cheeks as his ears pink at the tips.

When words find him, Hiei scoffs and rests his hand over his stomach, tipping his chin toward Kurama. “Until there’s a road trip and Asahi starts asking if we’re there yet.”

Kurama chuckled, shaking his head. A quick glance stolen at Asahi with his mouth hanging open and breaths soft. Splayed out like a starfish despite sitting upright with his seatbelt keeping him in place.

“He tires out just as easily as the other two,” Kurama says, stealing a glance at Hiei. His eyes softening when he catches the fire demon leaning over to adjust the blanket around the trio.

“It isn’t the worst place to sleep..” Hiei sighs, settling in his seat as he stretched his arms over his head, clearly more awake than before. “And they sleep like that anywhere.”

“As do you.”

“I do not.”

Kurama smiles to himself, aware of Hiei’s eyes on him as he does. “Of course not.”

Car rides always made Hiei restless but fussing over the children seemed to soothe his nerves. Their arguments, effortlessly light, and less angry words and terse statements than it is playful barbs and nudging never fails to put Hiei in a good mood. A small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, softer in the sunshine. Unable to lean closer and steal a kiss from him, Kurama settles his hand on top of Hiei’s own and the fire demon accommodates by turning his hand palm-up, lacing their fingers together.

They hold like that for a moment. Hiei’s sigh, soft and barely a breath, catching Kurama’s heartbeat as the fire demon glances at him with a slight smile.

“You’re lucky.” Hiei squeezes Kurama’s hand, carefully unlacing their fingers one by one with the warmth of his touch leaving Kurama yearning but accepting.

“Love you too, Hiei.”

There would be time for that later when their children were asleep in their beds and the night was theirs. For now, Kurama turned the car onto a familiar road lined with trees with low-hanging boughs. Spindly branches quickly parting at the familiar sight of their car and the woods seeming to call to him as he drove. Behind the vehicle, the pathway closed as the trees resumed their vigilant guard, boughs lowering and blocking a path otherwise inaccessible to anyone but them.

It had taken some doing to construct their home. Countless hours spent with friends and family, laughing and working together, with some unexpected faces pitching in. Kurama didn’t know much of home construction outside of his dens but a den wouldn’t be a suitable place to raise a child in Ningenkai. And there was something about having a home with Hiei that touched all the right places emotionally.

Hiei agreed to a home in the mountains, it was further from the city but nothing they couldn’t remedy with a quick run or a drive. Puu was also amenable to carrying the children with as many snacks as they spoiled him with. And with the only humans wandering on the mountain being campers who kept to themselves, directed off paths that would lead them to the Minamino household — it was safe for them to be themselves.

Kurama enjoyed taking his demon form and basking in the sunlight with his sons and daughter eager to wrestle with him in the grass. Hiei looking on from the tree, leaping down at their children’s insistence and darting away as they tried to catch him.

A light brush of fingers against his wrist drew Kurama from his thoughts and he glanced down, finding Hiei’s hand tracing a path from his wrist to the crook of his elbow then back. Lingering longer than necessary over Kurama’s pulse point before his hand wrapped around his wrist, giving a gentle squeeze then easing away.

Kurama tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat. Focusing on the looming height of their home as they approached the yard, thickets of trees parting and easing their gnarled roots from the car’s path.

Their home isn’t little by any stretch of the imagination. Kuwabara once telling him that it was close to being like a castle although Kurama thought it was an exaggeration. Hiei found the sentiment hilarious, stating that it was a castle fit for a king. Kurama was quick to remind him that if he was a king then so was Hiei, his beloved husband. The fire demon’s flustered expression kept him warm for many nights after.

Parking outside, the grass forgives the car’s tires as it does every time, growing healthy around it in a lush sea of green as if welcoming them home. Kurama opens his car door and smiles fondly as he crouches down to brush his fingers against the blades of grass nearest to him, sending a jolt of his youki into the earth. Rising to his feet, he closed the driver’s door behind him and went to open the back door.

Hiei steps out of the car and Kurama can hear his door closing but the fire demon takes longer to come and retrieve one of the children. His gaze lingering on the sky above, distant and thoughtful. As if he were seconds from disappearing into the aether. Kurama’s heart aches and he lays his hand on the roof of the car, thinking to call Hiei’s name. Crimson eyes flick toward him and fall heavy-lidded, Hiei waving off the unspoken concern and going to open the back door.

It’s simple. It’s undeniably simple. Yet it makes Kurama fall for him all over again. Hiei, folding the blanket the children rested on, and tucking it in the back window. Retrieving Asahi who flung his arm over Hiei’s shoulder narrowly catching him in the cheek, his head jammed against the side of Hiei’s neck, fluffy red hair flattened by Hiei’s cheek resting atop his head.

「 I can take Kage if you want to take Tsubaki.. 」

Kagerou is difficult to unlatch from Tsubaki’s side, his hold on her hand tightening when Kurama attempted to ease them apart. His short silver hair had fallen out of its ponytail and Kurama feels along the seat for his hair tie, pocketing it. Kagerou’s grumbling continuing as he was lifted into Kurama’s arms.

Tsubaki’s sniffling started once Kagerou was pulled away, pawing around in the warmed spots where her brothers once were. Her hand squeezing Kurama’s when he reached for her, carefully tucking his arm around her to draw her into his embrace. It takes a moment for him to adjust with both children attempting to curl up to him. Kagerou reaching for Tsubaki, comforted when his hand rested atop her own curled in the front of Kurama’s button-down shirt.

Tsubaki’s dark hair and twitching ears brushing against the underside of Kurama’s chin, her tail swaying as she slept, thumping against his arm now and again.

Thankfully, Hiei opened the front door and pulled off his shoes and Asahi’s before turning back to help Kurama with Tsubaki and Kagerou’s. Showing his gratitude with a smile and a light kiss to the top of Hiei’s head, Kurama walked on as the fire demon pinked in the face. Otherwise saying nothing as he followed after him.

Kurama has the easiest time with tucking Kagerou and Tsubaki beneath the comforter but when he turned back to Hiei, he tried not to laugh at Asahi’s impression of a koala clinging to Hiei’s front. Despite Hiei’s best efforts, Asahi seemed determined to cling to him and even nuzzled his face against his neck. The budding agitation in Hiei’s youki melting away as he patted the boy’s back.

「 Do you need some assistance? 」

Hiei glanced toward him, a scowl forming on his lips until they parted with a sigh. “If you wouldn’t mind,” he said aloud, only adding to Kurama’s mirth.

It takes a few light tickles to his side for Asahi to dislodge from Hiei in favor of curling close to Kurama. In almost record time, he’s tucked beside his siblings and snoozing away, a small smile on his face as he slept. Hiei knelt down beside Kurama, unnecessarily smoothing out the comforter. Waiting until Kurama kissed the top of their heads and turned away to the door to lean down and press a kiss of his own to the childrens’ heads.

Stepping out into the hall with Hiei, the door was left ajar behind them with the afternoon freed until their children inevitably rose for dinner. Kurama pressed his finger to the underside of his chin, thinking to himself what they could have.

“I don’t think this is… terrible.”

Hiei’s voice brings him to reality and he glances bucket the fire demon, finding him staring at the room door with a steely expression. His hand resting on the handle as if ready to open it once more or linger outside as he did when they were infants. Lowering his finger from his chin, Kurama offered his hand to Hiei.

“No?”

Seconds pass, and slowly Hiei registers the offer, taking Kurama’s hand in his own. In the dim, his wedding band is a dark mass against the length of his fingers but a welcomed one. Kurama lifting his hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to it, delighted by Hiei wearing it. When was in Makai or working, it was kept on a chain as the fire demon showed him once when he was affixing the ring to it after an irritating battle with an errant demon near the barrier.

While with them, it seemed to have a permanent place on his finger. Long enough for there to be an indent when Hiei took it off.

“We aren’t human but… being human isn’t bad…” Hiei continued, contemplative and thoughtful, with an undertone of certainty that drags Kurama into the moment with him. “With you… with them.”

Hiei’s disdain for humans was no surprise to Kurama. Nor was his lack of belief in their ferocity and tenacity to live. However, time in Ningenkai changed them both and their perception of what they knew. Seeing Hiei change so much on his own and as a result of his actions was both nerve-wracking and praise-worthy. Stepping forward, Kurama held out his hands as he let go of Hiei’s own, wrapping his arms around him and drawing him into an embrace. A muffled half-hearted protest lost in a sigh. Hiei’s hand resting at Kurama’s hip and the other lingering at the small of his back.

“It’s nice to pretend now and again,” Kurama sighs into Hiei’s hair, combing his fingers through the soft thick black locks.

Hiei gave a deep lilting hum in response. “Only that we’re not pretending,” he replies simply, as if the words don’t confuse Kurama as much as they enrapture him. “All of this is real…” His hands press to Kurama’s lower back and he pulls away enough for their eyes to meet. A determined and adoring look so quietly intense that Kurama thinks to kiss him but Hiei’s hand keeps him at bay, fingers pressed between their lips.

“We don’t have to be human to appreciate what humans take for granted. You taught me that.”

Kurama sighs, placing a lighter kiss against Hiei’s fingers, no less loving as he listened to the sharp throb of Hiei’s heartbeat. “You’ve come a long way,” Kurama murmurs, trailing his kisses to the fire demon’s palm then the pulse point at his wrist. Hiei’s fingers tangling in Kurama’s hair, brushing lightly against his cheek as Hiei pulled him in.

“And you’ll carry me the rest of the way,” Hiei answered, their lips barely catching when the fire demon’s voice deadened. “Just this once. And if you tell anyone, I will kill you.”

“Of course,” Kurama scoffed, slotting their lips together in a kiss long awaited. Hiei’s indignant response drowned out by a soft groan, hands tugging at Kurama’s hair, eliciting a pleasant throaty hum.

「 I hate that smile.. 」

Even if he couldn’t see it, a smile rests heavily in Hiei’s voice and Kurama threatens to break the kiss with how much he was smiling in return.

「 I love you too… 」

The kiss ends at that. Peeking from beneath his eyelashes, Kurama pulled away enough to see the smile on Hiei’s lips. A hushed whisper of affection warming Kurama’s lips with a tender catch in Hiei’s voice, their lips meeting again.

“I love you too.”

[unlockthelore]

A Grandmother’s Love

Beneath an endless sky, a grandmother recounts a tale to a curious kit drifting off to sleep.

Chapter 9 of A Mother’s Love on Ao3. For more updates, follow the a mother’s love tag on this blog.

Kurama sighed softly as he stepped past the door’s threshold, greeted by his plants hanging low over the doorway, vines brushing against his cheek and the tips of his fingers as he reached to wind them around his hand. It hadn’t been a stressful day per se but he was grateful to be home. Working at Kazuya’s firm took a great deal of patience with his chattier co-workers and messier ones. Kurama didn’t take pleasure in pointing out someone’s mistakes but when his father’s reputation and livelihood was on the line, it was worth the ire and dirty glances as he passed by. Glancing down at the shoes neatly arranged in the entry hall, he smiled softly.

Hiei’s weren’t there but that was to be expected, with the fire demon’s journey to Alaric he would be gone for a few more days. Three smaller pairs were lined up side by side, one carrying the scent of ash and when Kurama bent low to turn them over, he sighed. The soles had been burnt out completely to where he could see through them. Thankfully the others were in good condition although scuffed with dirt and well-worn. And the fourth pair were a soft white cloth-like slip-on shoes that he knew quite well.

Toeing off his own shoes, he set them aside and made his way inside, following the familiar trails of youki condensed in certain spots in his home. Abandoning his work bag on the chair in the living room, he smiled faintly as he leant against the doorway.

“You didn’t have to stay, mother.”

In the middle of the living room, arranging pillows upon a futon big enough to fit five people, was the youko demoness in all her glory. His mother was as beautiful as the day that he lost her with a softness characteristic of her human form. She didn’t seem surprised by his presence and golden eyes met his own as she peered over her shoulder, smiling softly. Fluffing the last of the pillows, she laid it down and pulled back a corner of the flower-printed comforter before sitting down beside the bedding with her tails swishing through the air lazily.

“The children were with me throughout the day and Tsubaki was excited to see my original form,” she explained with nonchalant airs, although Kurama could see the slight thrill in the way her tails flicked at the thought. “A sleepover is the least I could do.”

Kurama felt a curl of warmth in the pit of his stomach at how at peace his mother appeared. It took her time to acclimate to changing between forms and the differences between her senses. During that time, much had changed and there was no shortage of worries but he was hard-pressed not to leave her side.

They came to an agreement early on during their talks of life and the future. Staying in the Ningenkai until little Shuuichi and Kazuya passed seemed to be the best recourse, and though the thought of losing half their family was saddening — their family grew significantly.

Kurama had Hiei to thank for that and Shiori as well. If she hadn’t raised him how she did, he might have not thought such things possible. Even then, their children wouldn’t exist without Hiei’s involvement and though the fire demon would accept no thanks out loud — Kurama would continue to thank him for all his days.

If it wasn’t for him aiding Kurama in saving Shiori’s life, he would have lost his mother entirely.

If it wasn’t for her giving her life for him as a kit, he could have died in the Makai before his life truly began.

“Kurama.”

He lifted his head, eyes widening as she held her hands out to him with a slight tip of the head. The gesture was familiar. His eyes misting over as he stood upright and slowly approached her, sinking to his knees as her hand wrapped around his wrist and guided him to lay his head in her lap. Another pillow procured from the couch set in her lap and he nestled his cheek against it. Almost feeling as if he were a small child again, resting on the plush leaves that she’d grown for his comfort.

Claws expertly ran through his hair and brushed along his cheek, the underside of his jaw and over his ears. Soothing gestures easing tension from his body as he sprawled out with his mother rubbing soothing circles against his back.

“I’m not a child, mother…” Kurama muttered uselessly. Her deep chuckle, like the rumbling of thunder, and tails brushing against him as she hugged him closer.

“You are my child, little one,” she says, and the words seep deep into Kurama’s mind and remind him of times that were simpler. Ones that he yearned for and felt were lost to him. “You worked hard, now rest.”

For a moment, he thought to take her up on her offer until he heard the quick thumping of little feet. Three sets of them by his count. Opening one eye, two small figures rushed down the steps with a third leaping down. The darkness of the hallway obscuring them from view though he felt the three youki signatures as clear as day.

“Are you sure that you’ll be able to get them to sleep?” Kurama mused playfully, glancing up at his mother, her golden eyes trained on the small figures squabbling in the darkness.

Shiori winked at him and patted the top of his head. “I have my ways.”

As they came closer into the living room’s dim lighting, a soft sigh and a muffled yell brought a smile to Kurama’s face.

“Dad’s home,” one voice, warm and excitable, whispered.

“Yeah, so you don’t have to yell,” another voice, cool and patient, muttered in return.

“Lemme down,” a third ordered, smaller than the previous two and determined.

From the corner of his eye, Kurama could see a dark blur as a tiny presence leapt onto the bedding beside him. Opening his eyes a bit wider, he smiled at the young Youko curled up with her claws tucked in the comforter and ears pressed to her head. Her tail flicking through the air and swaying from one side to the other, a warmth radiating along with the smell of a shampoo and wash mixture that Kurama concocted.

Her eyes opened and she glanced at him, golden irises visible beneath a mass of dark hair, her flower-printed pajamas almost dwarfing her. The buttons done awkwardly and Kurama’s eyes crinkled at the sight as his mother reached out to help her button them properly.

“Dad?” She asked quietly, leaning closer to Kurama and tipping her head to one side, blinking at him curiously. “Are you awake?”

Overhead, Kurama could hear his mother’s chuckling and saw her hand brush beneath the girl’s chin, tipping her head up.

“He’s a bit tired, Tsubaki,” Shiori explained, easing the girl beneath the blankets and petting her head. “Little dreamers have to sleep, you know.”

“But dad isn’t little and ’m not sleepy,” Tsubaki whined and Kurama could feel the familiar argument budding.

At the girl’s side, the comforter was tugged down as two boys settled in beside her. They looked up at Shiori inquisitively, seeming poised to join their sister in her argument to stay up longer. Closing his eyes, Kurama breathed in deeply as his mother ran her fingers through his hair with a lilting hum.

“But if you don’t sleep, you won’t be able to hear the story of the sunstone…”

Kurama smiled softly as he heard his daughter and his sons’ interested gasps, feeling the warmth in Shiori’s youki at her grandchildren’s excitement. It would be another night with stories told before the children fell asleep and though he’d heard this one plenty of times, he was happy to listen again.