So, this took me awhile. I actually had a bit of writers block recently after some bad critiques from my creative writing club, and honestly, being told politely that your stuff sucks and you should stick to reading other people's work instead of writing anything... It hurts. But, I couldn't help but write more of this nearly finished chapter. I literally only had about 500 more words until I called this one done.
I don't own the characters, just the plot.
He stood there in the doorway of his new place of residence. The four bedroom house he just co-signed on depleted his bank account, but, honestly, he knew he would never go back on that. He got to move in first so most of the boxes scattered throughout the house were his so far; he grinned at the room around him before making his way upstairs to start organizing.
He was given a month off of work and the band gigs to get the house, get it in order, and move in and then help Mai move in. He knew that she would need them all to move her stuff since she was an emotional rollercoaster lately, she had more things than he did as well. Being near seven months pregnant was taking its toll on the whole team; but he would not change it for anything.
He sighed as he finished the room he was in, the room that would be his, and moved to stand in front of the window as he looked out to the street. He couldn't help but remember how he got to this point and was saddened by the circumstances.
For an entire week after claiming Yasu's body in the morgue Mai would be either locked in her room that BSPR was paying for while they were in town or crying her eyes out. Ayako had it rough when trying to get her to eat. Masako's snarky and rude comments the entire week were the only thing that seemed to work to get through to her.
It wasn't until they were on the plane going home that he had really any time to spend with her. She'd spent the week in a room, with Ayako, Masako or Madoka. She did not seem comfortable with any of the guys for some reason though. It was not until he had pulled up and was helping her carry her stuff into their apartment that he found out why.
She paused at her front door and pulled her keys out before sighing and shifting to look at him. She eyed him once before nodding, unlocking the door, and ushering them both in before just dropping everything in the hallway. He followed her lead and was about to turn and ask her if she needed anything when he noticed she was not there. Shutting the door behind him he walked in further to see her sitting on the couch.
"Mai, I'm leaving. Do you need anything first though?" She looked up at him sighing as she did and motioned him to the other side of the couch.
"We need to talk." He nodded and did as she requested.
"Sure, what's up Mai?" He plopped down and waited, a smile on his face but she could tell he was not feeling it.
"I know what Yasu told you, before he moved on. I want you to know you are relieved of the duty to protect 'his family as if it's your own'." She had such a serious look upon her face when she said those words that he did not know whether to be offended or not.
"Whether Yasu told me to or not, I would have anyway. Did he tell you everything? Did he tell you the part where he asked me to be the devoted husband and father he couldn't be?" Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head. "He asked something major of me Mai, I promised I would do what you would allow me to, and I still will." He turned to face her fully and held his hands up in a 'look at me' gesture. "I may not be what you want, and I don't expect to take Yasu's place. I only ask you to let me help you with your child.
I'll be the father he or she will need, but I could never be the man for you. Only Yasu filled that spot. Mai, I don't see you that way, and even if the little one calls me 'Uncle Hōshō' I'm fine with that so long as I can help take care of them so you don't have to alone." She had tears running down her face by the time he was done and he pulled her into a hug, smoothing a hand over her hair.
They had sat like that for a long time before she finally calmed down and they talked over exactly what it was they were going to do and how to work the arrangement. She had also admitted that being around the other guys and him just reminded her of Yasu too much so she had avoided them.
It had taken them time to find what they needed but he had, only a week ago. It was a last minute house back on the market because the people who were going to buy it did not want it anymore. He knew nothing else of the situation than that and he bought it as soon as they could gather the money and paperwork together.
He turned from the window and made his way out into the hall before glancing around. The bathroom was between his room and the master room, Mai's room is the bedroom across from his, the master room was going to be the office, and the baby would be sharing with Mai until they felt comfortable with the baby being on its own, maybe closer to a year. When they felt ok with it they were going to put the baby in the nursery between Mai's room and the master room. He turned away from the rooms and made his way downstairs to get started on the living room.
By the time he got the couch situated and was working on getting the T.V. set up it was some time in the evening when he heard the door open. It was a slight sound so until he was being spoken to it did not register in his mind in the least.
"Hōshō, what're you doing?" He jumped, banged his head on the edge of the T.V., shifted to make sure the T.V. wouldn't fall and then breathed a sigh of relief before turning to look at Mai.
To him she was lovely at this stage of pregnancy, her hair was up in a ponytail, hands laying across the top of her protruding stomach, smile on her face. It had been months before she had smiled again, but he was glad she was doing so again. He caught sight of her backpack with her and he grew curious, she only brought that with her if she intended to stay the night.
"I'm getting the T.V. set up. Are you staying the night here?" She nodded and his eyes widened when he realized her bed had yet to be moved over. "You can stay in my room then, I have it all made up already. I'll stay on the couch. He knew she was going to argue the point but with a quick, sharp look she just nodded.
"I brought food with me, but I left it in the car. Would you mind getting it?" He nodded, leaned over, and moved a few wires before plugging one last thing in and putting his tools down.
"Go ahead and have a seat, and I'll bring in the food, we can watch a movie while we eat." He was out the door before she could reply and was back within moments with the food. They settled and began to eat while making plans about moving her stuff over; the prospect of a movie forgotten.
"Hōshō … what are we going to do with my couch?" She inquired and he looked at her in confusion.
"Ah… I seem to have forgotten you have a couch as well. Uhm, well, we can move this couch up to the office for when we have guests over, use your more modern and newer couch in here."
"What about the table?" He nodded at that because he never had a kitchen table, he just always ate watching the T.V.
"No problem there, I don't own one, so yours will work out nicely. We'll combine our kitchen ware, and bathroom stuff as well. I think one of the last things we will truly need to buy is the baby's furniture. Once we get everything moved in we can take stock of what we need. If we have too much we can donate it I 'm sure." She had grown quiet but nodded, it sounded logical to her, but she could not help but be sad about the whole thing once again. He noticed the change but did not say anything; when she got like this it was better to let her think her way out of it.
"I think I'll go to bed soon, after I clean up." He nodded and stood before moving past her. He stood behind the couch where she was sitting and just looked at her a moment. On impulse he leaned over, slid an arm around her collarbone to grasp her shoulder, and placed a kiss on her head. He held her there a moment before making his way to his room to get a change of clothes to sleep in since Mai would be taking his bedroom over until they brought hers in.
She knew he was trying, she knew he was smiling for her and staying strong when she could not. She also knew that she could not do this without him or the rest of SPR. The one thing that she really did not know was how he seemed to be lately. She could see his eyes darken sometimes, or feel more meaning in his hugs. There was something now, something there that was not before, and she was apprehensive about what it could be.
She did not want to betray Yasu's memory, and she felt that by just living with Hōshō, she was doing just that. Logically she realized she was being childish, and the logical thing was to live with someone. Hōshō was the only one that fit.
Masako lived with her parents still, she was engaged to someone and would be living with him after they married.
Ayako was never home, always with SPR or the hospital.
Naru and Lin lived together when they were in Japan.
Madoka lived in England still.
John lived in the church if he was in Japan, he had taken to being a traveling priest recently; when not on jobs with SPR.
So Hōshō was the only person she really knew that she could live with and she was certainly not going to pass up the chance for help while being a soon to be single mother.
She rolled over and sat up to stare out of the window as much as possible from her position on the bed. The stars were barely visible through the haze of city lights and the sounds of the still awake city were distracting her from her thoughts.
Once more though, the tears slid down her cheeks but she did not reach up to wipe them away. Awhile later a creek near the door had her looking that direction, wondering what the noise could have been. A moment later her door began to slide open slowly and she stared wide eyed as a dark silhouette appeared. It moved slowly a few more feet into the room before pausing and turning her direction fully.
"Mai? What are you doing up?" Her jaw fell open as Hōshō moved closer to the bed where she could see him a bit better with the light from outside.
"I was thinking." He could hear the tears and exhaustion in her voice and he moved to sit next to her on the bed. He set himself against the head board and opened his arms to her. She moved into them so that her back was to his chest and he held her like that conveying to her comfort. She knew this but she could not help but feel more from the embrace and; ashamed of that; the tears' flow increased until she was openly sobbing.
They had fallen asleep like that and it was not until his phone began to go off some time into the morning that they stirred. He moved slowly as to not wake her more and assisted her as she shifted so that she was laying down and under the covers. He grabbed his now silent phone and made his way down stairs. He had initially went for his phone last night when he realized he had left it and knew he would be expecting a few calls in the morning. He just had not been expecting her to be awake or crying.
Once he was in the kitchen he started his coffee maker and returned the call he had missed before instantly regretting it.
"What are you doing taking so long in calling me back? I thought I told you I'd call at a certain time. That means you should be awake to answer when I call!" The high pitched and harsh voice of Ayako yelled at him through the receiver and he sighed.
"Sorry, chill. I left my phone in my room and Mai was in there, I had to be quiet. What did you want to talk about this early anyway?" He knew he sounded tired and her groan of frustration really was not helping the headache that was forming. He stretched and went about finding where his coffee cups had gone to.
"Mai's there? Good. We're all coming over to your new house. Lin wants to make sure we secure it and place wards and charms up. We need you both there, so don't leave." He groaned and stopped his search momentarily.
"Does this include blood wards?" A grunt for an answer and he rubbed his eyes. "Does that mean I can't have coffee until you're done?"
"Coffee?! Seriously? Are you just getting up? Why you lazy old man!" He pulled the phone from his ear as she continued to yell at him through the receiver and he sighed before cutting her off.
"Can you just answer the question? Coffee or no?"
"No. You'll have to wait until we are done drawing your blood. Make sure Mai is awake too." She paused and he heard a voice in the back ground. "We'll be bringing food as well. Naru wants tea when we get there." She hung up and he stared at his phone in shock before stuffing it in his pajama pockets and grumbling an 'of course he does'. He glanced down at the box he was standing in front of and grinned.
Ten minutes later he was opening the bedroom door and moving to the bed where he slowly and carefully sat on the edge. He reached out and made to nudge Mai but she shifted at the same time and he paused to just look at her.
Even sleeping she looked exhausted and he could tell that not just the pregnancy was taking its toll but the stress of doing it all without Yasu was as well. Since they had begun dating they had been inseparable.
They never saw one without the other and it was not long before they were living together and once or twice he had caught wind of them discussing a wedding. He could see how alone she felt just by her face most of the time but when she was asleep, one hand always looked like it was reaching for someone that was no longer there, it was even more obvious.
"Hōshō?" He blinked before blushing at being caught staring. He rubbed the back of his neck and gave a small grin before standing and moving to the door while she made to sit up.
"Sorry to wake you, but everyone is on their way over. Apparently Naru wants his tea." She dropped back to the bed with a groan.
"Alright, I'll be down in a minute." He nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.
