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.

Author's Note

Before anyone asks, yes, I wrote this instead of sleeping. It was inspired by an ask someone sent me on Tumblr which was super sweet. I rarely get those so I really wanted to see what I could do with this. And it was a nice way to start my morning and write more YYH things. Anyhow, Hiei seems to be the go-to for picking up the kids when they're fussing during the night. Which comes with its own set of problems considering why.

Also, it's sweet that Kurama feels secure enough that he doesn't wake up at the slightest noise. Bonus of having people you trust around you and a pretty good security system if you ask me.

Anywho, as always, you can find me on most social media at unlockthelore. If you want to check out my original fiction, find me on Tapas, where I'm writing Legend of the Four Elemental Heroes.

Thank you so much!