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Chapter 10; Into the Night: Part One
Hadiya had one dress she'd never worn before. It was red… A deep, sanguine color, sleeveless, with gathering down each side that made it cling to her like a second skin. She'd bought it the year before Zafir was born while shopping with her sister, imagining herself going to fancy restaurants with Malik and rubbing other women's noses in the fact she was married to one of, if not the only perfect man in existence.
Now, going through her closet and packing away the things that wouldn't fit her for at least another year or more, Hadiya came across this dress, holding it out with one hand the other on her stomach, she let out a sad sigh.
Malik, who had been neatly folding things into a lavender plastic storage box glanced up and spotted her. "What is it?"
She hummed; "I've had this for almost three years now and haven't worn it." A sigh; "There's no need to keep it."
His lower lip poked out dramatically, eyes narrowed and Hadiya was reminded that he was just full of the strangest, and cutest expressions.
"You look good in red…"
"I've had it for three years and it's still got the tag on it."
"Does it still fit?"
She pursed her lips and looked at him over her shoulder; "Have you seen the size of my waist?" She turned and showcased it like Vanna White.
Twins grew at the same rate as a single baby, but the fact there was two of them, well… Not that Malik would complain. He had always thought pregnant women were, for lack of a better word… hot. Hadiya doubly so.
"It's stretchy," he motioned to it with a folded blouse; "See if it still fits."
She rolled her eyes and disappeared into the bathroom with it. There was no way it would still fit, stretchiness notwithstanding.
She pulled her shirt off and stepped out of her slacks, taking a moment to admire the proud jutting bowl of her belly for a moment before she slipped the dress off its hanger and over her head.
It slid over her stomach, the gathering leaving an attractive rippled effect, hugging her body tightly all the way to her hips where it flared into the skirt.
Huh, it did still fit… It just made it very obvious that she was pregnant.
She turned left and right scrutinizing her reflection before with a surprised, albeit happy smile she stepped out of the bathroom and did a slow spin, arms up—
And Malik was standing there grinning, holding her coat at the ready.
"W-what are you doing?"
"The kids are at your parents', Altair and Ezio are monopolizing the TV." His grin widened. "We've only got so long left until the babies come, we should enjoy having free time that you're not feeling poorly, when we get it… And seeing as you're already dressed for the occasion…"
She narrowed her eyes; "You sneaky, sneaky man." Hands propped on her hips she approached and kissed him quickly before shrugging into her coat and picking through the shoes she'd piled on the bed for a pair that wouldn't hurt her feet. She settled on black flats with good soles and a nice squishy arch support.
Altair was lying on the couch, his head on Ezio's lap when they came down the steps. He looked up, blinked and grinned broadly. He tapped Ezio's thigh, drawing the younger man's attention away from the movie.
Ezio turned and whistled low; "Nice dress."
Altair wrinkled his brow playfully; "Hey, Malik, you're not gonna wear that are you? I'm not tryin' to interfere or anything but—" He bared his teeth.
Malik froze and looked down at himself. There was absolutely nothing wrong with what he was wearing. Hadiya's mother had made that sweater for him, thank you very much, it was soft and his favorite shade of black. He scowled at Altair warningly. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."
Altair made a flourishing hand gesture as if he were bowing and yawned widely. "I'm gettin' there… Of course, shopping all day was probably premature—"
"I told you so," Ezio swatted the side of his head. "And now you'll be awake all night because you've done nothing but sleep since we got back."
Altair leaned his head back and grinned that crooked grin of his, trailing his finger up and down the length of Ezio's forearm.
Ezio tried to ignore him and turned his attention to Malik; "So, you got a hot date or something?"
Malik blushed, Hadiya practically preened; "He can be very spontaneous when he wants to be."
Altair didn't let slip that Malik was probably just doing it in hopes of getting laid, but he sent the other a meaningful look and the printer's cheeks went even redder.
Ezio smiled and scratched gently through Altair's hair; "We should go on a date again sometime, it was fun."
Altair shrugged, "How 'bout now? I could eat something… Burgers?"
Hadiya rolled her eyes; "That is not a date."
Ezio shrugged; "Doesn't bother me."
Malik snorted and lifted his chin while Hadiya straightened his collar; "Altair doesn't have a romantic bone in his body."
Hadiya smiled and patted his chest affectionately; "Oh, yes, you're Mister Romance, we all know."
Altair snorted. "Is that what the 'R' in his name means? I thought it meant 'Rasheed'."
Malik scowled. "This is what you stoop to? Shall I tell Ezio what was originally on your birth certificate?"
Altair held up his hands in surrender.
Ezio thought it was all amusing and continued combing his fingers through Altair's hair. "I don't have a middle name," He sounded smug.
Altair rolled his eyes; "My name was almost eight words long at first, so be glad of that," He pushed himself up and stretched, cracking his back and giving Ezio's thigh an affectionate squeeze; "Burgers?"
"Burgers."
Malik groaned; "You are not going to Burger King on a date, you are not teenagers!"
"Then what would you suggest, Mister Romance?" Altair narrowed his eyes.
Malik bristled and was preparing to say something degrading when Hadiya put both hands on his face and squished his cheeks together until he looked like a Cabbage Patch doll with a goatee. "Why don't they come with us. A double date, we haven't been on a double date since we WERE teenagers," She cooed and pressed a few sweet coaxing kisses to Malik's nose and face.
Altair nudged Ezio again and leaned close whispering; "Watch closely, THIS is how the Master works."
Malik seemed to go red as a brick, he scowled and tried not to look at Hadiya, grumbled and wrinkled his nose, shaking his head while Hadiya kissed and petted and cooed in Swahili.
Ezio had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing aloud.
Malik squirmed and shook his head again, trying not to look his wife in the face, "No… no," and his hand slid around Hadiya's waist and dangerously close to the back of her skirt. She allowed him one good grope before she whispered something soundlessly into his ear. His eyes rolled back in his head. She swatted his fingers sharply and he seemed to bark in a high pitched voice; "FINE!" He cleared his throat and tried again; "Fine, they can come…" He staggered back a few paces and Altair was thoroughly amused to see him trying to pull the flaps of his coat closed over the lump in his slacks.
Hadiya seemed pleased beyond words and merely gave Malik a long, heavy lidded look that promised he would be rewarded for his generosity, later.
Altair was a little irritated at having to change clothes. He complained that his shirt choked him and his belt nudged his bandaging too much, but the moment he saw Ezio come out of the bathroom wearing a borrowed pair of Malik's slacks he decided he could handle anything. Ezio looked damned good in all black, even if he was still wearing his Vans with the red laces.
Oh, yes… Ezio looked good and the excited smile on his face only made it better. He dragged his brush through his hair and tied it back then brushed imaginary lint from Altair's shirt and tried to straighten his irreparably mussed hair. "If you didn't wear a hood all the time your hair wouldn't do this, you know… Observe," He motioned to the back of his own head.
Altair shrugged. "I'm gonna shave it in a few days anyway so it doesn't matter—"
Ezio looked up at him sternly. "You're what?"
"Nuthin."
Ezio and Hadiya talked quietly while Malik drove and Altair watched the city pass by the window. They talked about the pregnancy, had she felt the babies moving yet, had Malik craved anything REALLY unusual. Was she excited or nervous? Was Malik excited or nervous? What was it like being pregnant?
"It's very tiring…" She said as they climbed out of the car, "This is one of the first evenings I've actually felt well enough to do anything—Oh, is that music?" Hadiya's face lit up, "Dancing? They have dancing?"
Malik looked Altair in the face and grinned deviously as he passed.
POINT ONE; Malik
The restaurant itself was dimly lit, tables recessed into little niches in the wall with decorative curtains to promote a sense of privacy, intimacy. Candles on each table in colorful little votive glasses—Ezio had the almost uncontrollable urge to steal the one on their table because it was the same color blue-green his mother had painted the kitchen—He leaned to the side and whispered that to Altair, who chuckled quietly, lips curled up into a smile.
There was dancing, much to Hadiya's delight, and a small live band playing lively music in the far end of the room as a few couples danced. She moved excitedly in her seat in time with it as the waiter—a tall, thin young man with tousled dark hair—arranged a series of water glasses on the table for them and said he would be back shortly for their orders.
Ezio peered at the menu and practically drooled. He elbowed Altair gently in the side and pointed; "You want this, trust me. It's beef, not pork—It's so good it will give your taste buds orgasms."
"Oh, I think I'd like that as well," Hadiya said calmly.
Malik choked on his water and very nearly spat but choked it down and tried to ignore the amused look on his wife's face.
The server came around a few minutes later and took their orders then disappeared again.
Hadiya's mouth was moving, her expression pinched in concentration; "I can't quite get it… What's the timing on this song?"
Malik closed his eyes and listened for a few seconds then began tapping his fingers on the tabletop in; "Salsa beat… A little faster than we're used to, though everyone else seems to think it's a slow cha-cha…"
Ezio smiled; "You dance?"
Malik hummed in the affirmative, eyes still closed; "You?"
"No… I really don't think you'd call what I do dancing."
"Couldn't be any worse than Altair… He looks like someone's electrocuted a zombie," Malik rolled his shoulders forward and bobbed back and forth in his seat. Hadiya nearly choked on her water trying to stifle her laughter.
Altair scowled; "I do not, I can dance well enough."
Malik shook his head, "You THINK you can dance, whether or not you actually CAN, still remains to be seen. All evidence so far points to the negative."
"Is that a challenge?" Altair showed his teeth, it was too devious to be a smile.
Hadiya hummed and swallowed her drink; "Oh, no… Nonono, no challenges, last time you two got into a competition you both wound up in the hospital!"
Ezio's eyes widened. "You fought?"
"And I won!" Altair said smugly.
"You cheated," Malik said and pointed at the end of Altair's nose. "You purposefully knocked me down."
"I did not, you fell on me, but I still held out longer than you did."
"What are you talking about?"
"Extreme Twister… I am much more flexible than Cranky Britches over there, even with one arm tied behind my back."
Malik rolled his eyes, "He knocked my hand from under me and we both fell. It was a tie!"
"No no no, I won! I actually got my foot on the blue and was free standing, you tried—your hand slipped and you fell on me!" Altair narrowed his eyes, "It threw my back out and he broke his nose when his face hit my head… It took three washings to get the blood out of my hair."
"Awww," Malik cooed; "Poor little princess had to wash her hair."
They glared at one another silently for a few seconds, Malik swirling his water around in his glass— then they were both laughing.
Hadiya seemed to wipe mental sweat from her brow and gave Ezio a look over the rim of her glass that said; 'Crisis averted, commence business as usual.'
"Alright, fine, go show off," Altair waved toward the dance floor dismissively.
Hadiya was already on her feet, pulling Malik by his sleeve.
Ezio watched them go, cheek propped on his hand. "You know, this is kind of fun… It's nice to have someone else to talk to."
"You're saying my conversation is boring?" His lips quirked up amusedly.
"No, it's… it's just nice, to see someone else being romantic… it kind of—I don't know— kind of makes you want to feel that way too."
"Oh, so you wanna be romantic? Candles and flowers and fancy dinners?" He drew little curling patterns on Ezio's empty hand with the tip of a finger.
"Not all the time, but—maybe—every so often it could be fun… When I was little my parents would have Date Night every month. My uncle would come over to watch us one Friday night—we'd eat junk food and watch scary movies while he slept on the couch—and they would go on a date and stay in a hotel… If I'm not mistaken that's how Petruccio came into existence—"
Altair laughed.
Ezio took a drink and pointed toward the dance floor; "Oh, look!"
Malik and Hadiya had taken the floor, off to one side so not to be obtrusive and surprisingly, Malik was a pretty good dancer. Ezio remembered watching Dancing With the Stars with his family and hummed approvingly, "He's not bad! Not bad at all!"
"Just hope they don't start playing Tango music… Jesus, Tango is how Kalila, Gadil and Zafir came into existence, and that is not something anyone needs to see."
Ezio rolled his eyes; "It can't be that bad."
"Oh, it's not bad at all… It's fucking awesome, that's the problem… Malik is GOOD at Tango… And from what I hear, he's also pretty good at the horizontal hustle, but—"
Ezio cackled and had to cover his mouth to keep quiet.
Altair was red in the face as he motioned to them trying to keep himself from grinning; "It's the hips, see? It's all in the hips."
Oh, Ezio saw alright, he could barely look away. "Hmm, maybe he can give me a few pointers… for you know, dancing."
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