Yoji looked up into the clear evening sky from the safety of his tree branch perch and sighed. The chir of Makai night creatures filled the air with a soothing hum. The evening dew delicately coaxed the last aromatic fragrances out of Makai flowers just before they closed up, as day settled quietly into night. A gentle breeze carried these sounds and smells deep into the senses of the half-youko/half-Koorime child, and he closed his eyes, locking all of this into his memory. Under normal circumstances, the young youkai would be safe and snug in the tree house at the end of the meadow, the evening symphony lulling him to sleep. But tonight, he had decided it was time to leave his suddenly unbearably crowded home. A rustling noise from behind the tree caused Yoji to turn and look.
"You can come out now, touchan, I know you're there," the raven-haired child announced angrily, glancing over his shoulder into the bushes behind him. Kurama stood up with his hands on his hips, a sheepish grin etched on his face.
"Gee, I thought I was hiding really well," Kurama said with a wink. "I didn't think you noticed I was here." The Youko made his way out of the bushes, brushing some leaves and burrs from his clothing, not taking his eyes off his eldest son. "When did you figure out I was following you?"
Yoji clicked his tongue sarcastically and grumbled something to himself. He swung his legs around and jumped down, landing effortlessly in front of his kitsune father. He held on tightly to his wooden katana that had a small parcel tied to one end. "About two miles back. You make so much noise, ya' know, anyone around here could hear you." Then, Yoji slung the wooden sword over his shoulder and continued walking through the forest, away from Kurama. The Youko watched Yoji walk away for a moment, then ran up to join him.
"I see you're taking a trip," Kurama observed, finally catching up to Yoji. The kitsune put his hands behind his back and casually walked alongside the fuming little youkai, occasionally kicking a small stone here, a twig there. Yoji didn't look at his father. He just stared at the ground in front of him as he walked.
"No one will miss me," he mumbled.
"Ah," Kurama nodded. "I see. So you're running away from home...."
"Hai."
"Don't like it there anymore, ne? People treating you rotten?"
"No."
"I know," Kurama teased, "not enough food?"
"No!"
"Uncomfortable bed?"
"No!!" Yoji grumbled, rolling his eyes again. The responses were getting a little more whiny now.
"Perhaps...too many brothers and sisters?" Kurama asked softly, slowing his pace. Yoji stopped in his tracks and chewed on his lower lip. Kurama walked in front of his son and knelt down, leaning back on his heels. He looked up into the pouting face of his little boy and tilted his head.
"Things getting too much at home, ne, Yoji-chan?" Kurama asked, taking the sword gently out of his child's hands, placing it on the ground. Yoji stared at his feet, scowling. The youko took hold of Yoji's hands, rubbing the soft skin with his thumbs.
"Why did you have to have them, too?" Yoji asked, still not looking at his father's beautiful face. He didn't dare make eye contact. He wanted to stay angry for a little while longer. "Things were just fine without them."
Kurama chuckled softly, looking over his son's body, just to make sure nothing had happened to him in the short time he was missing from home. The youko had sensed something was up for a few days, when he saw Yoji gathering a few belongings and hiding them under his clothes, tucking them in the corner. But, as usual, the newborn twins and Ryu were occupying so much of Hiei's and Kurama's time that the youko simply forgot about it. It wasn't until dinner tonight, when Yoji was nowhere to be found, that Kurama realized what was going on.
"Hiei and I wanted to give you some brothers and sisters, kawaii-hito. We thought you'd be lonely all by yourself." Kurama brushed a bit of dirt off Yoji's pants leg. An cool, evening breeze gently lifted Kurama's silver mane and tail, blowing some silk over his shoulders and hip. Yoji's blue starburst bangs fluttered in his eyes, a few stray strands catching on his face. Kurama reached up and moved them away, giving him an opportunity to caress his troubled child's cheek. The youko felt a rush of emotion in his chest as he stroked the smooth, pale forehead, thinking how much he looked like Hiei. Sulked a little too much like him, too, he smiled to himself. Yoji continued to scowl, though he didn't pull away from his father's warm hand.
"They get in the way," Yoji growled, finally looking down into Kurama's golden eyes. "They're so noisy, and they get into my things. And I hate having to take care of them." His breathing was getting a little ragged as he tried to keep his emotions in check.
Kurama rubbed Yoji's cheek, pulling his son closer to him. "I know Hiei and I ask you to help us lots of times, Yoji-chan, but we thought you didn't mind. You're so good at helping out. You're the big brother, you know. Your brothers and sister look up to you." Yoji began toeing the ground, his angry scowl giving way to a unhappy frown. "We thought you liked to help us. It made you seem so grownup."
"Sometimes...sometimes I don't want to help," Yoji whispered. "Sometimes...I just want you guys to play with me...like you used to...before they came." The young youkai absent-mindedly began to twirl a few strands of Kurama's silver mane.
"You're right, kawaii-hito," Kurama replied, rubbing the side of Yoji's arm, studying the small oni's face. "Hiei and I should take time to play with you." Yoji's cheeks flushed, his little chin beginning to quiver.
"Gomen nasai," Kurama said softly, feeling a lump in his throat as he looked at his son's sad face. "We didn't realize that we stopped spending time with you because you're always there, helping us out. We should have noticed it much sooner." Yoji began to sniffle. "We made a mistake. If we promise to spend more time with just you, all alone, would you consider coming back home?"
Yoji nodded, his golden-red eyes filling with tears.
"Would you like to come home now, Yo-chan?" Kurama whispered. "I know everybody misses you already."
Yoji nodded, his little fists rubbing his eyes in an effort to stop the tears.
"Wanna' ride?" Kurama asked, stretching out his arms, smiling up at his son.
"H-Hai," Yoji's voice cracked, hugging Kurama tightly about the neck. Kurama closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek against his son's soft, spiky hair, inhaling his familiar scent. He lifted Yoji up, tucking the sword with its parcel under his arm, and carried his little boy home, feeling the child's hot tears against his throat. Yoji wrapped his legs around Kurama's waist and clutched his hair. His soft, whimpering cries were muffled by the fabric of Kurama's clothing.
As they walked through the forest, the trees and plants seemed to welcome the two back home. Branches bent to the side, and bushes leaned away, making a path in the dark for the two youkai. Then the foliage moved back, covering all traces of their steps. Yoji nuzzled his face into Kurama's neck and sighed, his breath still hitched. The tall kitsune kissed his son on the forehead and spoke softly.
"You know that Ryu, and Rami and Hi love you, ne?" Yoji nodded, his eyes beginning to close after such a long, stressful day.
"Do you know how much Hiei and I love you?" Kurama asked, as the stars sparkled their light down from the ebony sky, lighting the way home.
"Tell me again," Yoji murmured sleepily into the youko's chest. Kurama smiled, telling his son of how he was born, how happy they were to have such a wonderful little aka-chan, and how they would all cry if he ever ran away again. Yoji became very heavy in his father's arms as he fell deeply asleep, holding tightly onto Kurama's hair.
Hiei was sitting against the large tree next to their dwelling when the two youkais made their way through the clearing. The fire demon knew his fox was much better at verbal communication then he was, so he offered to stay behind and watch over the other youngsters while Kurama went off in search of their son. The youko stood before him, tightly hugging their first-born. Hiei stretched out his arms, and Kurama placed the sleepy child into his other father's waiting caress. Yoji stirred, looked at Hiei through slitted eyes, and smiled, giving him a light kiss on the cheek before settling onto the Koorime's shoulder with a contented sigh. Hiei rubbed his son's back with one hand while tightly holding him close with the other. Kurama sat down next to his life partner and leaned his head against Hiei's other shoulder.
"He was just feeling a little lonely, that's all," the youko said, yawning. Kurama closed his eyes, nestling into Hiei's body, resting a hand on their sleeping little youkai. Hiei closed his eyes as well, and the three demons were serenaded to sleep by a gentle Makai lullaby.
The End
Copyright 1998 Julie Farel
Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Togashi Yoshihiro, Jump Comics, and Studio Pierrot. Yoji, Ryu, Rami and Hi are the creation and property of the author.