Under the Rose  

Fanfic by Sandy Youko    

Three  

There was just a faint click when the doorknob was turned and the door was pushed open. All of it was still unnoticed to both lovers who were fully dedicated one to the other.

But then another click followed, flooding the bedroom with the sudden lamp light which disclosed their intimacy in a cruel manner.

There was no sound, no movement, nothing. The whole scene seemed to have frozen in time and space. Kurama's body reacted with a tense spasm of pure fright. His muscles were tight in tense knots, and his fingers clung to Hiei's in a terrified grasp, so firm that his nails bit the skin of his youkai.

The heat of arousal, which burned on his low abdomen had turned into a cold , painful mass, so chilling that seemed made of ice. He could not breathe. Instead of opening his eyes to the disgraceful reality, the youko shut them more firmly yet, and his lips let out an involuntary, almost mute plead for mercy. When he imagined with the eyes of his mind the ugly scene his stepfather was witnessing,  his face burned with the utmost shame.

Gods! He might have forgotten to lock the damned door!!

There were years passed in that same routine; years spent being always careful enough to lock his bedroom door. It was done in an automatic mode, he didn't even need to think about it. It was so instinctive that he might have taken it for granted and allow his great craving for Hiei to cause him to overlook it...

Such a disgrace...

He sensed Hiei slipping off  his body very calmly, with a slow retreat. It was the youkai who pulled the sheets to protect the nudity of their bodies before the Ningen man's eyes.

Kurama heard the screams against him. They were crude words and an enraged scolding which was so shocking to his ears that he hid his face against the pillow even further, cuddling to himself under the covers, trembling with fear and confusion.

He was called names, said to have brought shame and disgrace, accused of profaning his mother's home with the most odious act.

Fag - it was the word Hatanaka-san used. He also added such qualifiers as indecent pervert and  child molester... He shouted it very loud, but Kurama heard Hiei reply, louder yet that he was not a child. His lover's low, commanding voice echoed within the small room harsher than the Ningen's one.

No, he could not let things escape control... A confrontation between Hiei and his stepfather could be too disastrous...

His chin quivered; but Kurama managed heroically to hold back his cry. He sat up, aware of the kind hand Hiei placed on his naked shoulder, just to make him sure he was there, by his side, supporting him with his strong presence. He could feel Hiei was itching to reach for the sword he left by the bed and persuade Hatanaka-san, with a glare and a curse, to withdraw his insults.

He'd laugh at the thought if the situation were not so grievous.

All the time he avoided opening his eyes yet, too embarrassed to stare at Hatanaka-san. And he heard further sounds, and a commotion reaching them through the corridor. He recognized his mother's voice, and Shuuichi's child-like and yet concerned voice, both of them asking for him, confused with what was going on...

Kurama turned his face down, hiding his face behind his falling strands of hair, and caught his breath, stricken with disgust for that whole situation, when he heard his stepfather's severe comments.

First he shouted at Shuuichi, dispatching him to his room at once.

There were protests, more angry orders coming from Hatanaka, the sound of a door slammed shut, and then the loving tone of voice of his mother, which was, despite her extreme politeness, growing nervous and impatient.

"Your dear son is naked in bed with another boy! They were doing the most dirty thing anyone could imagine, here, under our roof!"

Kurama trembled, and he could just thank heavens he was not staring at his mother at that very moment...

The woman's voice was low and soft, like a shy excuse, so soft Kurama could not hear her exact words in reply. But he knew, he knew deep in his soul she would try her best to stand by him.

"Did you know about your son's ways? This is an outrage! How can you be so lenient about this? Don't you think about Shuuichi-chan?"

His heart ached when the sharp accusation cut the air, hitting him like a slap in the face. It was unfair; it was directed toward Shiori, not towards him! He could never stand that.

Kurama opened his eyes.

First he looked at Hiei and tears rolled down his face.

The youkai had eyes for him only. It was then that Kurama noticed they were still holding hands. It was the warm, steady touch of his lover that made the redhead realize how intensely he trembled, and how cold his body had become with the shock.

Hiei reached out to caress his face, with a touch unbelievably soft. The Fire Demon didn't know much about Ningen social and family conventions, but he did know that it was a serious transgression; it was one thing Kurama had feared for his whole human life since they had started that relationship.

Poor fox... Hiei always presumed so many lies would end badly; but not that bad...

"Be brave, fox." The youkai murmured to his partner, with a loving, supportive stare.

It was only then that Kurama managed to gaze at his stepfather.

He trembled, and his stomach ached with an intense nervousness. His mouth was dry and his throat clenched in an involuntary spasm.

His stepfather was standing in the doorway, right in the way not to allow Shiori to enter. He watched him pulling someone away from the door; surely his mother Shiori, as Hatanaka-san exclaimed loudly the scene before his eyes was far too gruesome for any decent woman to watch.

Then Hatanaka-san, who had always been so calm, so polite, glared at Kurama with very cruel eyes.

"Hatanaka-san, I..."

He cut Kurama's shy attempt to defend himself, with a dry command.

"Pull yourself together and go downstairs. You have much to explain."
 
A mute pain cut through Kurama's chest, when he saw the man turn his back on him, leave and  close the door after himself. He knew from that point on his life as Shuuichi Minamino would undergo the most hard and radical change ever.

His face was all wet. He brushed the tears away with the back of his hand, shivering when he felt Hiei's hand fondling his hair, with careful strokes.

He gazed at Hiei's eyes, but could bear it for only an instant - He could not stand the sight of his own sorrow mirrored in Hiei's grievous, concerned expression.

The youkai knew how painful it all was.

The caress of Hiei's fingers moved along the contour of his face, and the tip of his fingers drew a delicate line along his moistened cheek. Although the youkai said nothing, his red eyes shone with a deep, sorrowful feeling as he supported Kurama sweetly.

"It's all over, Hiei..."Kurama murmured, blinking tearful eyes. He sniffled the remnants of his crying then, and just cuddled to himself, bowing due to the extreme weight growing in his chest and dragging him, his soul, his mood, his eyes, downwards, to the most torturing pits of despair. "How will I face kaasan?"

"You will face her by my side. That's how."

Hiei's hands wrapped Kurama's shoulders, bringing him close for an embrace. The redhead was so pained that he showed no resistance at all; and also he showed no warmth, and no response - it was like hugging a rag doll...

The youkai looked around. He knew that would happen sooner or later. No one, not even Youko Kurama could lie to so many people over such a long period of time; He'd end up slipping, eventually.

Hiei gave Kurama a light kiss on his lips, surprising himself with the coldness of his lover's mouth.

The redhead stood up, very slowly, as if every small gesture was almost too painful to be bearable. With care, and with the most dejected expression Hiei had ever seen, he started to gather the clothes thrown onto the floor, making a pile of Hiei's black ones on the bed, and then getting dressed with his own ones.

Hiei's eyes followed the fox, and the youkai started to get really upset. It was worse than the extreme depression he recalled Kurama had suffered years ago, when his mother was ill. By that time the redhead had been too despondent, too preoccupied, merged into the darkest and most torturing emotions all the while... Now Kurama  had that same type of vague, empty expression hazing his eyes. The emerald green eyes he loved so much were lifeless, displaying too much sorrow and despair.

But now it seemed worse yet, because there was guilt and shame added to it...

Not to mention the pain... Hiei could feel the redhead's pain in his own body; it was enough to look at Kurama to be infected by his grief, and to be affected by the monstrous pain growing in him, and spreading all around, like a menacing shadow.

Kurama looked at Hiei from the corner of his eyes as he buttoned his shirt up. Even from the distance they could hear very well Hatanaka-san's loud enraged remarks about what he had just seen, and about Shiori's guilt in failing to bring up an honorable son.

Hiei could not avoid an ugly scowl. Hn. How dared that man state Kurama was not honourable? Just on the contrary! If he could just teach that damned Ningen a  lesson...

"I have to stand up for my mother. My stepfather is most likely to blame her for everything."

More angry-voiced comments reached their ears. It was all too loud. Kurama could never have imagined such a kind and polite man raising his voice so violently like that.

Underlying the man's protests they could perceive a muffled, continuous sweet voice; a sweet, pleading sound, uttered by Shiori. They could not distinguish the words, as Shiori kept such a soft, delicate tone, but they could apprehend the meaning anyway.

"He's disrespecting her." Kurama added, zipping his trousers up.

His mother had always been so kind. He could not forget the fact she had known about his love for Hiei, and that she had accepted the fact. Shiori deserved not to be treated so bluntly, with no consideration. She had been one of the best things in his whole life... He could not allow such a man to treat her like that.

Kurama breathed in deeply. He knew he was wrong; he knew he had been too abusive bringing his relationship with Hiei inside his home with no permission. But then he was the one to blame, he was the one to be censured, not Shiori...

There had never been anyone with such goodness like his mother in his whole life; counting Youko and Ningen years. Kurama was convinced he could not allow anyone disrespect her in her own house, inside the house which had belonged to his father.

Hiei stood up, getting dressed in no more than an instant. He cared not to remain barefoot. Soon his boots marked the sound of his steps as he stood beside Kurama.

"Wait here."

Hiei made a scowl. Hn... He would never let Kurama face that disgusting Ningen man on his own.

"You're not on your own, fox. If he says something against me, I want to be there to defend myself!"

"Hiei! He's my stepfather, you can't..."

"No chance. I'm with you; I go with you."
 
Kurama acquiesced, and a bittersweet smile touched his lips very slightly.
He had no means to prevent Hiei from following him, and to be true, he preferred to have the youkai by his side, so he'd have a loving friend to support him. Hiei could not add much insult to injury now. Kurama was very aware his days as the respectful Shuuichi Minamino were over within that  family; at least on the part of his stepfather.

The youkai reached out for his sheathed sword, tying it to his belts. Then he carelessly dressed his cloak over all, showing himself  ready to go.

Kurama said nothing. How to protest? Hiei had such a loving, caring attitude insisting on being by his side... All he could do was to show a faint, pained smile, but which still carried traces of contentment, and bring the youkai along.

A light touch over one shoulder guided Hiei outside, and Kurama followed the way out of his room with dolorous, thoughtful steps.

Now there was a depressing silence outside. He could hear no more screams and violent, severe accusations. They could only hear a mild, low sobbing, and some sniffling sounds.

Kurama's hand closed tighter onto Hiei's shoulder. The fact that Hatanaka-san had made his mother cry struck him violently, causing him real, acute pain.

He exchanged one desolate look with Hiei, as they reached the corridor.

"He can't do that to her, Hiei... I should..." 

Hiei's eyes twinkled, and Kurama snapped silent when they heard the sound of a door pushed open, and perceived someone moving, trying to hide back.

Hiei's hand instinctively reached for his sword, almost  revealing the long blade before the frightened boy's eyes. He was half-way, hiding behind his bedroom door, watching them through a small crack as he kept the door ajar.

"Shuuichi, what's going on? You've got daddy really pissed!"

Kurama just offered the boy a tired expression, filled with an anguished sorrow. In a way it had been better to be caught in the act by his stepfather; if Shuuichi-chan was the one to discover him and Hiei doing it, he would never be able to forgive himself...

"I screwed it all up, Shuiichi. It's all you need to know."

"Hey! Who are you?" The kid asked bluntly, glaring Hiei while pointing a finger at him. "You're not my brother's friend! I don't know you!"

Hiei just offered the boy a side glance, standing very erect, with a superior frown.

"Hn... Stupid Ningen...."

"Just do what Hatanaka-san told you, Shuuichi. Go back to your room, and stay there!" Kurama exclaimed, starting to get really exasperated with that whole situation. He pushed his brother back to his own room, and slammed the door shut.

Curiosity could end up killing his small brother; he could feel Hiei was getting dangerously close to his limits...

To Be Continued.... 

Characters are property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Jump Comics, and Studio Pierrot. The events portrayed are not necessarily present in the original series Yu Yu Hakusho