Summers in the Makai were always very hot and sticky. This particular summer was turning out to be no exception - it was brutal. Lots and lots of humid, blistering days followed by thunderstorm after thunderstorm in the evenings. The Kurama-Hiei family was trying to take it all in stride. Actually, they were stuck taking most of it inside. The children were getting on each other's nerves and it was all Kurama and Hiei could do to keep them from really hurting each other. What was normally a comfortable dwelling was becoming a prison for four rambunctious demon-children.
When the weather finally broke, Kurama suggested they all take a day off and go down to the shore and enjoy the cooler breezes and change of scenery. Hiei, who was never really fond of the ocean, actually agreed to this idea without a long argument from Kurama. While it was true that Hiei soaked up the heat as any fire demon would, he had to admit that a day at the beach would actually be nice change of pace from the endless "Mine! Mine! Mine!" or "He stole my Wuzzy!" or "Make her give it back!" that was echoing through their cramped home.
The family found a wonderfully secluded spot on a patch of Makai shoreline that was quiet enough for Hiei and just pretty enough for Kurama to enjoy. The older boys, Yoji and Ryu, were already off looking for something to kill while Rami and her twin brother Hi were kept a little closer to their fathers. The beach could present a problem if an annoying youkai decided to bother the family; if their access to land was cut off for any reason, that only left the water. Since several members of the K&H family were more fire demon than youko, it could pose a problem. However, today was going to be somewhat quiet - or, so one thought...
Rami and Hi had become quite competitive in recent months, one always trying to outdo the other or get more attention from their fathers than the other. It was a constant "she has more than I do" or "how come he gets to ride on your shoulders". Kurama and Hiei were at their wits end with all the whining! Today was no exception. Kurama had finally plopped both the kits down on a blanket not far from where he and Hiei were resting. Both children were wearing the same light clothing that was sheer enough to let in the breeze but still protected their bodies from the sand and sun.
"Now sit here and play nice, or neither of you will get any dinner when we get home!" Kurama had said quite sternly. As he headed back to the blanket where Hiei was snoozing he shook his head and frowned. Rami had always held a special place in Kurama's heart and, while he loved all his children dearly, he often found himself treating her a little differently being that she was the only girl in the family. But even he was losing his patience with these argumentative kits. He would try to think of a way to let her know she was special without letting on to Hi, if possible. He snuggled up close to Hiei and let his mind wander as soft sea breezes played with his silver mane. Occasionally, a stronger breeze would drift across the sleeping lovers causing Kurama's tail to gently tease Hiei's legs.
Today's competition was going to be a little different. Hi and Rami sat next to each other working on their respective sand castles, each playing with their respectively stolen toy shovels and buckets. Hi looked around for something he had that Rami didn't. Finding nothing worth arguing about within his reach, he suddenly came upon an idea. A very mischievous smile slipped across his face.
"I have two of these," Hi said as he pointed to the little pink nipples on his chest.
Rami looked down as her own chest and said "Big deal. I have two of those things, too" and she continued to dig in her area, humming to herself.
Hi scrunched up his face as he looked around his body for a new idea.
"Lookit here," he said. "I have one of these" pointing now to his belly-button.
"Duh! I have one of those, too" Rami replied, sticking out her tongue and rolling her eyes. This game was getting so-o-o boring, she thought.
Hi made quite a pout as he folded his arms across his chest and scowled with a "hmph". "There must be something I have that she doesn't have" he thought. It didn't seem to bother him that she had a tail and he didn't. Afterall, Kurama-touchan had a tail and he didn't, and all the other boys had...ah-hah!...that's IT! Then, like a light-bulb over his head, he came up with just the difference and he stood up.
"I have one of these!" Hi exclaimed as he proudly dropped his pants and put his hands on his hips, displaying his...well, his...you know...his private part to his sister.
"Oh, yeah? Well, I..." Rami started to say as she got up to face her twin. She pulled the front of her trousers away from her tummy and looked inside. "I...I..." Rami's little face began to crumble as her lower lip started to tremble. She burst into tears as she went running for her youko father. "Kurama-touchan!" she cried, as she fell onto the blanket where her fathers were snuggling and clung to Kurama as she sobbed on his shoulder, telling him of the "unfair differences" she had just encountered with her brother. Hi couldn't quite hear what was being said as he sat back down, but he could see Kurama stroking Rami's silver hair and whispering in her ear. Kurama must have said something that pleased both himself and Rami, because she quickly jumped up, gave him a quick kiss on the nose, and came sauntering back to where she and Hi had been building their castles. Hiei, propped up on an elbow, was glaring down at Kurama, one eyebrow up and the other eye squinted, as he tried to suppress a smile. Kurama, of course, had a very innocent look on his face as he shrugged "What?" and then resumed his snuggling.
"Well?" Hi asked, ready for the challenge, as Rami sat back down.
Rami gave a very contented sigh as she resumed her digging. "Kurama-touchan told me that when I grow up, with all that I have, I can get one of those anytime I want!"
And that put an end to the competition for the day.
The End
Copyright 1998 Julie Farel
Yu Yu Hakusho characters are owned and controlled by Yoshihiro Togashi/Shueisha, Fuji Television and Studio Pierrot. I created the kids, so there!