Chapter Ten
The nurse led them both into a room with white painted walls and green carpeted floor with the only items inside the room being a wooden table with two green leather couches on either side and a potted plant.
"Just take a seat boys, the doctor will be with you in a moment" Kise and Aomine smiled at the nurse as she left and sat down on the couch nearest the wall. Kise held his hands in his lap and began to bounce his knees up and down, slightly on edge. Aomine placed a reassuring hand on top of Kise's and said, "it's ok to be nervous".
"I'm not nervous" responded Kise somewhat unconvincingly. Aomine didn't reply, tightening his grip on Kise's hands as the blonde continued to tap his feet. "Why would I be nervous? I'm not nervous. Are you nervous?" Before Aomine could respond, Kise was responding for him, "of course you're not nervous". That wasn't true. Aomine was just as nervous as Kise was but he also knew that if he had shown how nervous he had been up until that point, Kise wouldn't have made it that far.
The sound of the door opening brought Aomine out of his thoughts and the pair stood up to greet their MOP. It would be safe to say that Dr Tanaka was not what Aomine was expecting and from the look on Kise's face, he wasn't exactly what he was expecting either. The first noticeable thing was his age. Dr Tanaka was young. Very young. Aomine placed him around his mid-twenties, late twenties at a push. Surely that was too young to be a qualified Male Obstetrics Practitioner? Aomine could tell that Kise was thinking along the same wave length, as he watched him stare suspiciously at the young man walking towards them with his hand outstretched, wearing green scrubs and a white coat.
"Hello gentleman, I'm Itsumi Tanaka, your MOP" his voice was friendly enough. Aomine was the first to take shake his hand, "nice to meet you Dr Tanaka", followed by Kise who took a more tentative approach.
"Please take a seat" offered the young doctor, clearly unperturbed by Kise's obvious unease.
"So which one of you is Kise-kun?" asked Dr Tanaka. Kise glanced at Aomine, who responded with a warm smile and a slight nod of the head before he raised his hand.
"Then that means you must be Aomine-kun?"
"yep that's me" replied Aomine. He found himself warming towards the young obstetrician. He appreciated how he had treated them as individuals and with respect and had not looked down on them as a pair of young teenage boys who had gotten themselves into a sticky situation. Kise however remained unconvinced.
"I hear you know Dr Suzuki?" asked Tanaka, making polite conversation.
"Yes we do" replied Aomine, "he recommended you to us. He said you were great at what you did and that you would be perfect for us". It was true that upon leaving the hospital Dr Suzuki had given them Tanaka's number, advising them to at least try him out and if they didn't like him they could always switch to someone else. Dr Suzuki himself wasn't an MOP therefore wasn't qualified to monitor the pregnancy. The two teens needed someone they could relate to and trust and Dr Suzuki believed that the young MOP was exactly right for them.
"So Kise-kun you are 9 weeks pregnant correct?" asked Dr Tanaka as he flipped through Kise's file.
"Yes" replied Kise.
"And from what I gather you only found out you were pregnant after going through settling?"
Kise nodded. Tanaka let out a low whistle as he closed Kise's folder. "That must have been quite a shock."
"A little bit" answered Kise, his tone barely bordering on polite.
"Yeah having been through settling myself, trust me I know what you're talking about. Ok well maybe it wasn't exactly the same as I knew I was pregnant, but still you can never be prepared for what's in store. Even the toughest guy in the world will cry when going through that shit believe me".
Aomine noticed the sudden shift and change in Kise's demeanour. Whether it was a ploy to finally gain his trust or a total coincidence, Tanaka had finally grabbed Kise's attention.
"You're a carrier? You carried…?" asked Kise, eyes laden with curiosity.
"Yes I did" beamed the young doctor, "twins". This time it was Aomine's turn to visibly pale.
"T-twins?" he asked.
"Yep two twin boys. Here..." Tanaka pulled a small photo from his breast pocket and handed it to the boys. Kise looked at it with inquisitive eyes whilst Aomine was still trying to get over the shock of someone so young and male having carried two babies at the same time.
Kise was engrossed and wanted to know more, "how old were you?" he asked as he handed back the photo.
"I was 19 when I found out I was pregnant and had just started my degree at Tokyo University. My partner didn't go to uni, he had a full time job. One weekend he came to visit me and 5 weeks later I was taking a pregnancy test. That was nine years ago."
"So you went back to university?" asked a transfixed Kise.
"Yes I did. My family were extremely supportive and helped a lot. Without them or my partner I wouldn't have been able to go back to school and do the job I wanted to do the most."
Kise smiled. Aomine was thrilled to see him finally relax. He then understood why Dr Suzuki had chosen Dr Tanaka. He was exactly what Kise needed. Having gone through a very similar situation himself made Dr Tanaka relatable. Aomine knew that Kise was worried about the future and what it would mean for him and his family. He could see the relief flood through him as he saw first-hand that having a baby (or two) at a young age did not mean that you couldn't achieve your dreams.
"So Kise-kun this is your first prenatal appointment?" asked Dr Tanaka.
"Yes, I had a check-up after my settling to make sure everything was ok with the baby. They said everything was fine." Kise's responses were notably more polite.
"Ok sounds great. After this we will go next door and you will have your first examination. That will include measurements, blood tests, some prodding but I'll fill you in on the details later. For now, I would like you to have a look at these". Tanaka placed two folders on the table in front of them. Aomine and Kise picked up their respective folders and began to leaf through them whilst Tanaka explained their content.
"These folders will basically tell you everything you need to know about what to expect over the next 7 months. They are slightly different. Kise-san the one you have is targeted towards the father carrying the baby and informs you of the ins and outs of your pregnancy. The things you can do, the things you can't do, what to watch out for as your pregnancy progresses, how your body will change, diet regimes, exercise etc. It goes all the way up to the time of delivery and also helps make your birth planning easier. And Aomine-kun…" Tanaka pointed towards the folder Aomine was currently making his way through, "your guide is aimed at the non- carrier expectant father. What to expect in the different stages of the pregnancy, how to deal with them, how to support your partner through the highs and the lows; and believe me there will be highs and lows and what is absolutely key is that you are there for one another. Communication is vital. And that is why in both packs you will find various numbers and emails of support groups and psychiatrists aimed at pregnant carriers and non-carrier expectant fathers. I strongly recommend the group sessions as you will get a chance to meet people in the same situation as yourselves. There are also numbers and addresses for birthing classes. Do you have any questions so far?"
Kise and Aomine looked at one another, and shook their heads. Dr Tanaka took this as a cue to continue. "There will be appointments every four weeks to check on how things are progressing. This will increase to every two weeks in your third trimester and then to weekly appointments in the weeks leading up to the birth. All the information you need including important dates are in your folders. I would also like to recommend that you start a diary". Kise looked up from his reading.
"A diary?" he asked.
"Keeping a diary can be very useful and therapeutic. Male pregnancy is still somewhat of an unknown quantity and a diary can help gather as much information on each individual pregnancy as possible so we can further improve our knowledge and understanding of it more. I highly recommend that you give it a chance. Write down everything you're feeling physically and mentally, what you're eating, every time you feel the baby kick…every bit of information you give us will help determine if there is anything wrong." Kise nodded and placed one hand protectively over his bump. If keeping a diary would help keep his baby healthy then he had no problem with it.
"The same goes for you Aomine-kun." Aomine looked slightly bemused. He understood why Kise had to keep one but him? Dr Tanaka laughed at the expression on Aomine's face, knowing exactly what was going on inside the boys head. "Believe it or not Aomine-kun, your role in the upcoming months will be pivotal. Pregnancy can be a very emotional and difficult time. Kise-kun's body will be going through plenty of changes both physically and emotionally and it is your job to be there for him. I cannot stress enough how vital it is that you support one another. Listen to one another, talk to one another, lean on one another. A diary could prove to be very therapeutic for you Aomine-kun. It will also help keep a track of things. Two pairs of eyes are better than one after all".
Aomine turned to look at Kise, placing his hand on top of the blonde's and squeezing it tight. Dr Tanaka was right. Kise needed him now more than ever. Kise was the one carrying their child and he didn't need people breaking down around him. Aomine needed to be Kise's strength. He wanted to be he his support, his rock. Aomine was there to be the brave, strong one so Kise wouldn't have to be. He was filled with an overwhelming desire to protect both his boyfriend and their unborn baby. He was going to do everything in his power to make sure that no harm would come to his family. He stared into those golden eyes devotedly and said, "yeah, I can do that". Kise smiled and squeezed Aomine's hand in response. He also went beet red and could feel the traitor tears threatening to make an appearance. His tear ducts were clearly out of control.
Dr Tanaka smiled. "Well, you say that now Aomine-kun but wait until the hormones and the cravings kick in and you find yourself sleeping on the couch after being blamed for not loving your partner all because you wouldn't go get mango mochi at 3 o'clock in the morning." Dr Tanaka smiled fondly at the memory clearly running through his mind right at that moment.
"I would never do that to you baby" Kise stated, patting Aomine's hand reassuringly.
Dr Tanaka laughed, "just give it a few months and then we'll see how far Aomine-kun's patience really stretches". Aomine didn't know whether to laugh or be scared. He knew there would be hormones and mood swings involved but surely it wouldn't be that bad? Pre-pregnancy Kise was hormonal enough.
"Ok, before we move onto the examination, there are a few issues I would like to address. Both of which I'm pretty sure you are already aware of". Kise and Aomine shifted in their seats, noting the serious tone to Dr Tanaka's voice.
"Ok.." replied Kise nervously, his hold on Aomine's hand becoming tighter.
"Ok, the first and obvious one is basketball. Now Kise-kun I'm sure you understand where I'm going with this?" Kise nodded. There was a look of sadness in his eyes.
"I'm not going to lie to you, it will be difficult, giving up something you love and having to watch others play from the side lines. It hurts it really does, believe me I know. But when you feel like absolute crap and think to yourself 'one basket wouldn't hurt' just remember who you are doing it for." Dr Tanaka pointed to Kise's abdomen, "when you feel your baby move for the first time everything else will become so insignificant, you won't even think twice about playing basketball." Kise stared at the ground and nodded in response. Aomine leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head. They both knew that this was coming but it was still difficult to process.
"The other thing I would like to discuss is school. Are you planning on staying in school Kise-kun?"
"I have an appointment with my dad and the head teacher tomorrow to see if I can stay on for as long as possible."
Dr Tanaka nodded his head. He knew all too well the difficulties of being a male pregnant teenager. Things were going to be difficult enough and any unnecessary added stress would be dangerous for both Kise and the baby. Even though society was much more lenient and accepting towards male pregnancy, (much more than when he was carrying), there were still those who thought it unnatural and the pair would have to stick together to overcome the inevitable prejudices that unfortunately still existed. The judgments people passed on you and the looks you got were enough to make even the strongest of people crack. He for one knew that if his partner hadn't been there for him during his pregnancy, Tanaka and their twins probably wouldn't have made it. He decided to wait until after a decision had been made before pressing the issue further. "Ok…well unless you have any more questions we can move next door for your examination," he said, his voice assuming its usual cheery tone.
"Actually…I do have one question" asked Aomine. Kise turned to look at him curiously. "Is there anything we can't do when we have sex?" Kise's head all but exploded as he felt the blood rush to his temples. He couldn't believe he had asked that with a straight face!
Dr Tanaka smiled. "It's a good question and a very common one." Kise couldn't bear to look his MOP in the eye as he continued, "as long as it isn't anything too excessive then everything should be ok; basically if it hurts, don't do it." Kise didn't think it was possible for him to blush any more than he was at that moment until Dr Tanaka decided to add, "there is a section in your folders all about having sex when pregnant. Including a list of positions". By this point Kise could almost feel the steam shooting out of his ears. Aomine however was clearly far more concerned about his sex life, as he began to hunt for the aforementioned page with earnest. If Kise wasn't too embarrassed he would've snatched the folder from his hands and smacked him over the head with it.
"Why don't we go and get the examination over and done with before Kise-kun spontaneously combusts" chuckled Dr Tanaka as he stood up from his seat. Aomine joined in with the chuckling and said, "yeah I think that would be a good idea". He stood up and offered Kise a hand off the couch. However Kise didn't find the teasing about his current state of embarrassment amusing in the least and refused Aomine's help and stood up on his own. Besides, he was pregnant, not an invalid. This seemed to amuse Aomine even further as he put an arm around his pouting boyfriend and they followed Dr Tanaka out of the office.
The examination went by rather quickly. Quicker than Kise thought it would. Dr Tanaka measured his weight and height and had a feel of Kise's swollen abdomen. However, it was Kise's turn to laugh when Aomine claimed to need the toilet, excusing himself from the room, when a nurse came in to take Kise's blood, only to return once all traces of needles and blood had been removed. The blonde found it hilarious that Aomine could sit through films about people being eaten by flesh eating zombies with blood spurting everywhere and not even flinch but when it came to the real thing he was the biggest chicken ever.
The examination ended, Dr Tanaka was pleased with the way things were going and Kise and the baby were given a full bill of health. Before leaving the hospital, Dr Tanaka had given the boys his number telling them to phone him day or night if they ever had any questions or were worried about anything at all. He emphasised that it was more important for them to phone and it turn out to be nothing rather than them not phoning and it turn out to be something fatal. With future appointments booked the pair left the hospital hand in hand, both in full agreement that Dr Tanaka was the perfect MOP for them.
A/N
Hello everyone! Hope all is well on this wonderful "sunny" day. To all of you in those wonderfully warm and dry countries….I am insanely jealous. The rain doesn't know whether it is coming or going here. Meh.
Thanks everyone for reading! I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record but knowing people are enjoying the story makes me so happy and makes me want to keep on writing.
TheReihani- thanks again deary :)
Blank Angel- first of all: Ahhhhhh I can't believe I was spelling your name wrong! Haha I was convinced that it said Black Angel. Sorry! That's the last time I write anything at 4 in the morning haha. Thankyou for your wonderful review as always! I hope this chapter was to your liking :)
Angel yao- thanks again for your advice and wonderful words :) I re-read everything hundreds of times before I post but there is always something that creeps in. Sometimes I think it is my laptop doing it to me on purpose haha
BeliefInFlower- Im glad you're enjoying it! I was kinda worried it was getting a bit too serious at one point haha. I'm not the greatest at writing comedy and fluffy moments but im trying my best!
Anyway guys, this chapter is a bit long and a bit wordy and was a pain to write but it got there in the end. Let me know what you think!
Love you all 3
RH
x
