Disclaimers are necessary for poor writers.

Warning: some cursing

(A/N: thanks a bunch for Blossomwitch for being my beta!

One of Those nights

It was one of those nights again where Shiori would wake up frantically in the middle of the night to realize that her son was missing. She’d agonize about her carelessness as a mother and why Shuiichi always seemed to want to escape from home until Hatanaka would her and tell her to go back to sleep.

“He’ll be back tomorrow.”

And he always was.

But that did not stop her from getting worried. Shuiichi was a good son who aimed to please her. His seemingly perfect nature was perplexing, but his odd habits left much to be desired.

For example, why did he always seem to disappear?

And then there was his choice of friends.

Gossiping was a way of life in their spic and span neighborhood, and although Shiori never engaged in those activities, she was not deaf. She had heard about the stories about his son and how ‘helpless and vulnerable’ he was to his delinquent friends’ influences.

“One day it’ll be him, loitering about the streets smoking after having skipped school. I’ve always known that no one could be that perfect. If only Shiori kept a closer leash to her son. Honestly, she lets him loose. Hasn’t anyone heard of rules and restrictions anymore?”

“She probably believed that she didn’t need to set limits. She deserves it for thinking too highly of herself and her son.”

“And that red hair… there is no way that could be natural.”

Envy is not a thing to behold and admire.

She understood her son was a unique individual who valued his privacy. Even as a child Shuiichi grew up fiercely independent. When she protected him from getting hurt she did not receive a word of thanks from him. Her son had only looked at her, perplexed.

As if asking why.

Not wanting to lose what little hold she had on her son as a mother, she gave him his space and did not question why his friends would slip and call him ‘Kurama’, why he never showed interest to the girls that followed him like a plague except to tolerate them nicely, and why he disappeared for weeks (sometimes months) at a time with those obscure ‘school project’ excuses that only he seemed to know about.

Why was it that despite her son’s trademark red hair that served as a beacon signaling his position, she never won a game of hide and seek with him? How did he disappear?

He appeased her and obsessed over every tiny detail when it came to her welfare, but she did not know what his condition was. He seemed healthy enough, but what did she know? Sometimes she wished her son could be more… normal. Someone who made mistakes in front of her.

Someone who cried when he was sad, angry, or frustrated.

Someone who did not keep secrets.

It is a frightening thing to discover that your own child is a virtual stranger.

One night (early morning actually) she heard the screen door open followed by footsteps. Was it Shuiichi? Shiori wondered. She had never caught him sneaking back into the house, so she had no way to evaluate whose footsteps these were.

Someone giggled breathlessly.

“Shh! Kurama dammit they could wake up!”

That sounded like one of Shuuichi’s friends.

“Lighten up, Yusuke. They won’t wake up… they never do…”

That was her son.

Startled at the detection of her son’s presence, she shot up and attempted to hurry and bombard him with a flurry of questions that deserved to be answered. Attempted is the key word as a hand shot out to stop her from reaching the door. Confusion marked her features as she stared at her husband.

“Don’t let them know you know.”

Face set in grim determination, Shiori nodded and stayed still until she heard them slog their way to her son’s room. The door closed with barely a sound and there was still silence. Finally, someone started to speak. Shiori held her ear against the wall to listen. Hatanaka followed suit.

“Shit, Kurama, you’re bleeding all over the place,” was the hurried and apprehensive whisper. Bleeding? Again Hatanaka had to stop her from crying out in concern. “This isn’t like you to space out, especially when you’re fighting.”

“Don’t forget to clean the bloodstains on your way out, Yusuke. It gets harder to clean when the blood’s all dried up,” Shuiichi – no, Kurama – answered lightheartedly.

“I think the lack of blood’s getting to you. Now why don’t you shut up so I can bandage you up and fix you like new,” Yusuke admonished.

“I’m supposed to be the resident caretaker of the group.” She could just hear her son pout. Shiori fought to keep a smile off her face.

“If you keep getting your ass beat then we won’t have a caretaker,” Yusuke snapped.

“Sorry, Yusuke,” replied her son in a sing-song voice.

Shiori heard Yusuke curse at his son’s incapability to take anything seriously.

“The fox seems to have suicidal tendencies whenever we’re out the battlefield.”

“Hiei! How nice of you to join us through the window!” Kurama exclaimed.

The aforementioned Hiei snorted disapprovingly. “How is he, Detective?”

“Delirious apparently,” Yusuke observed. “Quiet down, Kurama! You’ll wake up the dead!”

“You’re dead, Yusuke. I mean you died. I died too… did you die too, Hiei? And Koenma and Botan are pretty much dead too. Kuwabara pretended to die, but that still counts as dead as well. Hey! Yusuke cheated! He died twice! That’s not fair!” the smartest member of their group babbled on.

“If you don’t shut up and let me tend to your wounds then soon you’re going to catch up with my score,” Yusuke said heatedly.

Her son quieted down.

“You’re quite the model citizen, aren’t you?” Hiei observed cynically.

“That’s why I don’t tell ka-san anything…” was a low murmur.

That atmosphere had grown tense. Shiori wondered how she realized that. Would she finally find out something?

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. Believe me, she’s happier not knowing.”

“Fox, she does not know and yet the enemy has used her against you countless times! I know you want to protect her but throwing your life away every single time her name’s mentioned is extremely foolish! You’re lucky you’re alive. She’s become a liability to you”

“Wouldn’t say that, Hiei. Kurama gets pretty nasty once his mommy’s involved. But Kurama, listen to Mr. Family Guy over here. He has a point. Maybe it’s time your mother shared in your secrets.”

“I could lose her.” Shiori’s eyes widened at the admission.

“She’ll lose you if you screw up one more time because someone threatens her life again while we’re on a mission.”

Her son did not answer back.

“This is hopeless. Why am I telling you this? You’re supposed to be the smart one. Figure this out on your own, Kurama. We can’t have you dying early on us.” The tone softened. “We just want you safe. It must be hell trying to keep secrets from your own mother. I don’t keep anything from Atsuko, but then again she’s too drunk most of the time to realize what I’m saying.”

“Thank you, Yusuke.”

“I have to get going now. Wouldn’t want to meet a gang on the way home, you know. They could gang up on me and beat my ass.”

That statement was obviously meant as a joke since she heard laughter follow.

“Yusuke, the – “

“I’ll clean up the blood, Kurama. Wash your sheets and clothes or throw them away before your mother gets up tomorrow. I mean today.”

“Thank you again.”

The door to her son’s room opened once more and footsteps made their way down the stairs.

“Next time act less like the Oaf, Fox,” Hiei gruffly said although it came out softer than expected.

“Thank you, Hiei.”

“Hn. Whatever.”

Then the voices were gone.

Shiori pulled herself away from the wall.

“What do you think they could be doing?” Hatanaka asked her.

Shaking her head, she answered. “I don’t know, but we can keep tonight a secret, can’t we?”

Her husband, though baffled, nodded at her request.

Shiori smiled. When he was ready, Kurama would talk to her. He would confide in her and she in him.

Then she would finally know who her son really is.

Kurama.

It sounded better than Shuuichi anyway. More natural.

Shiori knew she would be waking up late today.

END

(A/N: Is anyone going to notice how come no one realized Shiori and her hubby were awake? Let’s say the battle drained them… reviews feed hungry writers. This fic started out as a breeding plot bunny.