Love Letter from Thief X

Riki Yanase

"Name… Ayumi Arasake… Date… 1st of July…" I mumbled to myself as I filled in an application form in the dining room.

I have been married to Riki Yanase for half a year now. We have been living in an apartment together that is near both our workplaces. Usually we ate in Boss' place but now a worrywart Riki has been making me all my meals meticulously.

A week ago, I had found myself to be feeling rather tired and listless. A trip to the doctor had me diagnosed that I am actually pregnant, for two months at that. It has been joyous celebrations one after the next and I couldn't be any happier to have found out that I am carrying the child of my beloved.

Riki walked over and took a glance at the form, before sternly correcting me. "Ayumi Yanase."

"I-I know!" I blushed for a while as I quickly erased my last name. Well, it was out of habit and it will really certainly take a while for me to get used to my husband's surname.

"You still haven't gotten used to it yet? Mrs Yanase." Riki teased, a mischievous grin playing on his lips, as he emphasized on his last two words.

"It-it's just that I-" As I tried to argue, Riki bent down and swiftly silenced me with a rough kiss on the lips.

I pushed him back before pouting, "It isn't fair!"

"I have to take advantage now, while I still can." Riki snorted, taking the paperwork from me and taking a thorough look at it.

"…Yoga classes?" Riki murmured while reading the form. "For two?!" His voice half yelled as he stared at the form wide in shock.

I grinned at him," Yep, honey."

"So tell me, what am I doing here, right now?" Riki sighed in defeat. I had half dragged him to the yoga class, which was for preparation for our first child.

As much as Riki is excited and over the moon for our baby, he seems to have this mind-set that yoga classes are inappropriate for male.

"Oh come on." I frowned, "There's like, other males here too." I gestured to the rest of the class, other husbands who had come to accompany their wives.

The two of us were sitting on the marbled floor inside a large room side by side. I had signed up for a weekly Sunday class inside this shopping mall, a mother care centre specially catered for expecting women. I had signed Riki up too, a rather unwilling husband I must say.

"Yeah, like, two or three of them." Riki rebutted.

I don't really understand why Riki was acting uncomfortably.

"Riki." I squeezed his hand tightly, "What had happened to the man giving me a two hour lecture about loving our child and to nurture our child in the best possible way?"

"That was…" Riki faltered in his reply.

The class ended after tedious two hours. I did yoga with postures that were supposed to help in strengthening my body and to improve my circulation. Basically, the class was to help me to prepare for my pregnancy and for the due date, whether physically or mentally, and under the assistance of an experienced instructor.

Riki, who had hitched breathing the whole time, was supposed to aid me and not distract me. He had looked like the one who is carrying the child, with his nervous demeanour.

As we walked out to the mall, taking our lunch after the class, I couldn't help myself but to ask.

"So, Riki. What had happened to that arrogant and overly confident man I know?"

Riki's fork paused in mid-air as he replied, his tone rather soft. "I am scared."

"Scared?" I raised my eyebrows quizzically.

Riki nodded, "… I am worried. I didn't really want to attend the yoga class as I am not prepared. To see and meet other women, who are reaching the end of their pregnancy term. To listen to their chatters about all the problems and implications. I… don't know. I am excited, but I am afraid too."

I stopped chewing altogether, my mind piecing together the puzzle. I felt warm inside, as I thought of how Riki was actually worried for our child. I didn't understand why he didn't want to accompany me to this pregnancy help class too, but now I know.

Riki wasn't ready at all, and as much as he wants to be excited, somehow in a corner of his heart, he was afraid. Riki was worried that he couldn't be the perfect father, for our first child, our new-born.

Furthermore, for some odd reasons, Riki was extremely cautious for me now. It was as if, he was afraid that I might lose the child anytime by accident.

"Riki." I answered gently. "We will do just fine. Our child will be the healthiest, most adorable kid there ever will be. You will be the greatest father ever."

"…Heh. Look at me." Riki smiled in exasperation, "I am supposed to be the strong one for you. But you ended up, having to comfort me."

I giggled at his sudden child-like composure, "Well, sometimes, my husband is such a scaredy cat, I have to do this."

Silly boy, our baby and I aren't going anywhere, without you at the very least.

"…The truth is I heard a lot of stuffs, like how easily it is to have a miscarriage." Riki suddenly voiced his concern, his tone meek.

My eyebrows furrowed, "Hey, didn't we promised not to mention any of those inauspicious stuffs?"

And then something clicked inside my brain.

"What information has Takuto been feeding you with?"

I had been eating home cook for few weeks now. Riki had been preparing them, all three meals, 'cooked with love and care' as quoted from the chef himself.

Riki had been preparing lunchboxes for my meals in my workplace and the food were always extra nutritious, or in another way, laden with vegetables and meat. The lunchbox was always filled to the brim, with a small bowl of miso soup coming together with it.

I could feel Riki's love and affection for me, as he would always quietly wake up an hour earlier to prepare the food. On top of that, he would always try to get as much off days as possible, to accompany me, bringing me to places for sightseeing.

"We wouldn't have any more chances to do this after our child arrives." Riki would insist whenever I told him to focus on his work.

Riki had wanted our family to be the two of us for the time being. Although our baby's arrival was not entirely unwelcomed, it was certainly untimely. Riki hadn't enjoyed our honeymoon enough yet and I, too, feel the same way.

Today, we are having our dinner at Boss' restaurant, Le Renard Noir, and I am currently six months pregnant.

With my ever growing belly, it is indeed difficult to move about but not entirely impossible. Riki, the usual worrywart, was actually suggesting me to stay at home and quit my job. It had, of course, resulted in an argument, which hadn't actually been resolved yet.

Riki is always claiming that he is earning more than enough for the two of us. Of course, the opinionated and great Ayumi, me, is passionate about my work as well despite the lesser pay.

And thus, we had decided to bring our quarrel to a resolution at the court, to the group of judges, which is the rest of the Black Foxes.

We gave complimentary greetings, the usual snarky replies from Takuto, flirtatious words from Hiro, the kind greetings from Kenshi and the caring advices from Boss.

"You look beautiful as always, Ayumi~" Hiro waved excitedly as he spotted us at the doorway.

I grinned back, "Thank you." Hearing words like that had actually comforted me and boost my depleting self-esteem.

Ranko wasn't exactly helping as a friend, who had reminded me that a woman after childbirth would look, ah, not as beautiful anymore, in a nicer term of words.

"Pig." Takuto glanced at me curtly before going back to devour his one true love, pork noodles.

Boss shook his head, "Takkun." He chided gently as he placed two bowls of steaming pork noodles before us.

Riki frowned, "Still the same as always, aren't you."

The banter continued for a while as Riki started to nit-pick on Takuto's lack of relationship, with Hiro offering essentially useless pieces of love advice.

"Takuto, I think you should go out and explore the world more." Boss, trying to be helpful, chirped in excitement.

Boss was starting to elaborate about this travelling group that he had recently formed with his neighbouring friends, and that Takuto could always join if he like.

Taktuo choked, as he spluttered out crude words. "Shut up, nobody asked you, beardless."

That conversation ended promptly, just like that, as even Kenshi patted Boss' back in sympathy.

Then, Riki and I brought up our topic that we hadn't actually been able to resolve for days.

"Hmm, I think Ayumi should indeed take leave from work." Boss answered thoughtfully, "I don't think that it is wise to request for her to stay at home permanently. You should take into consideration about Ayu-chan's passion and love for artworks."

I nodded in agreement. For once in a long time, Boss had actually said something wise.

"Don't forget that Ayumi's work as a museum curator was actually what it led us to meet her." Kenshi smiled.

Hiro raised his hand in the air, as if answering a question. "Yeah! Ayu-chan can be a part-timer or something like that, after our baby fox –"

"Baby fox is such an unfavourable nickname!"

"Well, your child is bound to be part of us anyway."

"But-"

I coughed, trying to get Hiro to finish his sentence.

"Oh, and then you should discuss more in depth after the baby is here. Riki, you must remember Ayu-chan's feelings and her love for art!" Hiro grinned, "And of course, Uncle Hiro is more than happy to babysit for the two of you."

"Me too!" Boss seconded with vigour.

Riki coolly rejected Boss, "No."

As Riki's face scrunched deep in concentration, I can see that he is actually taking others' opinions seriously, including Hiro's who had offered to help us take care of the child.

"Takuto, what do you think?"

"I don't know. The two of you should both quit your jobs." Takuto barely glance at us as he typed vigorously away on his laptop, trying to finish his work. "Happy couples should blow up."

"That last sentence was unnecessary!" Hiro prodded Takuto's shoulder playfully, "Oh well, it seems that Takkun is jealous that our precious jewel had chosen Riki instead of him."

Takuto's face reddened as he argued weakly, "I am not!"

Riki ignored their chatter as he pulled me out of the chair gently. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate that. Let's go home now."

"…So what is the precious jewel they were talking about?" I asked Riki after a while, to which Riki only smirked and shrugged.

We took a detour, instead of taking Riki's car back home immediately, for a short walk in the neighbourhood park nearby.

There was a full moon hanging high up in the sky, illuminating the park in a soft warm glow. There was a gentle breeze, as a musty earth smell enveloped us.

"A-choo." I sneezed, suddenly feeling cold from the wind.

Riki took off his jacket, bundling me in it. "Do you want to go back now?" He asked, his dark eyes concerned as he stare at me.

I shook my head, wanting to enjoy the cooling environment a bit more. A park was the closest place I have ever gotten near to nature in weeks.

We sat down on a park bench, quietly staring at the empty children's playground in front of us.

"I am sorry," Riki whispered, intertwining my fingers with his tightly.

I smiled, "It's fine. I can understand where your concerns are coming from."

"We will work everything out, after our baby is here. For now, I will simply task myself to make you the happiest woman on Earth." There's a new determination in his voice as he spoke out loud, "and then the happiest mother in the world."

I giggled in reminisce, feeling the puppy love all over again when we had just started dating. When Riki had asked for me on a date, and when he had proposed to me.

"Yeah, well, you better keep your promise."

Riki smiled in return, before turning to kiss me deeply on the lips.

"I love you so much, and our little gem too."

Riki placed his hands on my protruding belly protectively, and I knew that this man is everything that I could have ever asked for.

"I love you too."

BONUS:

"Riki! What are you doing?!" I opened my mouth wide in shock as I turned to find my husband.

We were currently shopping in a departmental store for baby clothes. And Riki had just taken a basket full of clothes and baby items, without my knowledge.

"Didn't you say that you want to keep the gender of our baby a secret until the day of birth itself?" Riki frowned as he questioned me instead.

"Yeah?"

"So, I wouldn't know what type of clothes to choose. Isn't it better if I get both gender clothes?"

"…Riki, no." I calmly replied, clutching a beige onesie.

"This!" I held the clothing up to show the neutral colours that I have like and chosen.

Riki shook his head incredulously, "No way!"

I took a quick glance and noticed the different colours of the clothing he took. There's basically the seven colours of the rainbow, from flamboyant red, to dark navy blue and a light baby pink.

"Riki!"

"…What?" Riki asked in annoyance, as he picked out yet another pair of shoes and put it on the ever increasing pile.

Sometimes, I had felt like the man in the relationship, as I had preferred simplicity while Riki wanted everything to be nicely done and pedantically chosen.

The day then ended with Riki's insistence of buying the whole stack in the basket, and we had actually brought home ten onesies, five pairs of shoes, three different types of texture towels and four different coloured pacifiers.

And Riki wasn't even done yet.

Look likes our little baby is going to be spoiled rotten by Riki.