Chapter Twenty-Six
Coach Harasawa watched from the side-lines as Touou Academy's power forward and star player scored his 20th point of the practice game so far. They had a match against Meisei High later on that day and the coach was pleased with the progress his team was making. Everyone was in good shape and their fundamentals and teamwork were solid. The addition of the two new starter players, Nishimura and Ando, had diversified the team's play and the older regulars had become true professionals of the game, making sure to perfect their play in every way they could.
Harasawa looked up into the stands and spotted the two men leaning over the railings; one dressed in a grey suit, the other wearing jeans and a jumper and scribbling into a note pad, both watching what was going on below. It's that time of year again huh? he sighed, before blowing on his whistle and calling everyone over.
"Great work guys," he said once everyone had gathered around, "don't forget, our match is at five so I want you to rest up and meet back here at four got it?"
"Yes sir!" bowed the team, before turning around and making their way towards the locker room.
"Aomine-kun? Do you have a moment?"
"Yeah coach, what is it?"
"Once you're ready, could you step into my office? There are a few things I would like to discuss with you."
"Ok"
Harasawa nodded and gave one last look up to the now empty stands before making his way into his office.
Ten minutes later and wearing his Touou tracksuit, Aomine was knocking on Coach Harasawa's door.
"Come in."
Aomine opened the door and walked inside.
"You wanted to see me coach?" he asked.
"Yes I did" replied Harasawa, standing up from behind his desk, "Aomine-kun, this is Nishiki-san from Spotlight Agencies..."
Aomine looked to where Coach Harasawa was pointing and spotted the man sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. He was wearing an expensive looking grey suit and had gone completely unnoticed by the blue haired teen when he'd entered the office.
"It's nice to meet you Aomine-kun!" greeted the thirty-something year old rising from his chair, right hand outstretched. Aomine, not all too sure what was going on, took his hand and shook it.
"Nishiki-san" he greeted politely, "wait…didn't I see you in the stands with some other guy?"
"Yes you did," smiled the man with exceptionally white teeth, "I was with a friend of mine who writes for Basketball Monthly. We both represent Spotlight Agencies and we're currently making our way around schools, recruiting new and interesting young talent like yourself. I've heard a lot about you Aomine-kun and I must admit, I'm impressed. I haven't seen talent quite like yours in a long time. Not since Kishimura Kei."
"You know Kishimura Kei?" asked Aomine, suddenly intrigued.
"Know him? Why, we recruited him! He woke up one morning the same as any other, a high school student just like you and once he joined our agency, he was playing for the Tokyo Tigers in front of hundreds and thousands of people by the time he was 19."
Aomine raised his eyebrows impressed.
"We've had our eye on you for a while now."
"Really?"
Nishiki nodded, "you're young, fresh, exciting. I see bright things in your future Aomine-kun. Very bright. And I don't just mean Japan. We're talking America, the NBA... and together, we can make it happen. We believe in you Aomine-kun. We believe in your talent."
Aomine stared at the man with shiny teeth and over produced hair, "err…thanks…" He then looked over at his coach who remained silent behind his desk.
"We want you Aomine-kun. We need you. And you need us." The talent rep reached into his suit pocket, pulled out his business card and handed it to Aomine. The card was glossy and somewhat over developed, just like the guy's hair. "I'm looking forward to watching you play later. But right now, I'm afraid I have another appointment to get to, so until then, Coach Harasawa, Aomine-kun, thankyou very much for your time. And Remember Aomine-kun, big and bright." The slightly over enthusiastic Nishiki- san then bowed and made his way out of the office.
After a few seconds, Aomine turned to his coach and said, "do you think that's his real hair?"
"They're all coming out of the woodwork now" sighed Harasawa, leaning back into his chair.
"Well…as interesting as that was, I better get going. You don't need me for anything else do you coach?"
"No, you can go."
"Cool" said Aomine, turning to leave.
"Aomine-kun… Spotlight Agencies won't be the last. It's that time of year again. There'll be others just like Nishiki-san. Scouts will be coming from all over the country to see you and they will offer you everything to get you on their side. Just be careful and think about your options thoroughly before making a decision."
"I will," Aomine responded, "thanks coach." And with that he left the office.
You have reached the voicemail messaging service of-
The bluenette sighed at the sound of the answering machine and put his phone back in his pocket. Aomine was on his way to Rosie's and had been wanting to get a hold of Kise to tell him all about his run in with the scout. He knew his boyfriend was busy but it didn't stop him from trying. Guess he would just have to wait until later on.
"Daiki!" exclaimed the red headed woman from behind the counter, "take a seat!"
"Cheers Rose" smiled Aomine as he walked across the diner and sat in the usual booth tucked in the corner.
"Flying solo tonight?" asked Rosie as she placed a glass of coke in front of him and sat down opposite, "where's Buttercup?"
"Buttercup is otherwise preoccupied. He's at this group meeting he wanted to check out. And since it's a half day and I couldn't be arsed going to geography, I decided to grace you with my presence."
"Yeah, more like my food" Rosie scoffed.
"That too. Then I'm gonna swing by the café and see if Sakurai-san needs any help. He'll probably say no but I'm gonna keep bugging him until he says yes. I need something to do in order to kill time. Plus, it's extra money."
"So what's this group meeting for?"
"It's one of those for pregnant carriers."
"Oh really?" Rosie beamed, "that's great! Good for him! And what about you? You not got one of those non-carrier meetings to go to?"
"Nah, sitting around with a bunch of people discussing how it feels to be a father isn't really my scene."
"Maybe you should give it a shot? Kise may be carrying your child, but he isn't the only one going through some stuff. You have a lot on your plate too. Maybe it would be good idea to speak to someone who understands what you're going through."
"Thanks Rose," said Aomine, "but like I said to Kise last night, I don't need a group to talk about my feelings. I have him and that's good enough for me."
Rosie had known the blue haired teen long enough to know when there was something bothering him and she had a feeling she knew what it was. "Ok, but if you do ever feel the need to talk to someone who isn't blonde and doesn't have the face of an angel, then you know where to find me."
Aomine smiled.
Rosie then pulled out her pad and pencil and said, "now, what will it be?"
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Kise looked up at the building in front of him. He had been standing there for ten minutes, fighting the urge to turn around and head back in the direction he'd just come from. Even though it was his idea and he'd insisted on coming alone, he was feeling really nervous. But before he lost his nerve completely, he took a deep breath, pushed open the double doors and went inside.
"Err…excuse me?" said Kise to the bored looking woman behind the reception desk, "I'm here for the Papa's To Be meeting?"
"Third floor, first door on your right" responded the receptionist, eyes glued on her brightly polished nails.
"Thanks"
Kise walked straight passed the lift and towards the stairs. Even though his morning sickness had eased off, there were still some things that sent Kise's stomach churning and tight spaces was one of them. However, by the time he reached the third floor he was somewhat out of breath and had to wait a couple of minutes before continuing. It also gave him time to remind himself about the things his body couldn't do anymore and walking up three flights of stairs was definitely one of them.
He stopped outside the first door on the right. On the front of the door was a piece of laminated paper with PAPA'S TO BE printed on the front. This is the right place, Kise thought, too late to back out now. And whilst trying desperately to cling onto that thought, he pushed down on the handle and opened the door.
The room was big and spacious with white painted walls and blue carpet. There was an assortment of green couches in one corner and a table of refreshments in another.
"You ok hun?"
Kise snapped out of whatever world he was currently in and turned towards the circle of chairs situated in the middle of the room, "why don't you take a seat?"
Kise nodded and sat down next to the older man wearing jeans and a woolly jumper, his hands resting on top of his very large and very pregnant stomach. Kise then proceeded to look around the rest of the circle. Besides him and the man sat next to him there was one other person in the room. Kise guessed his age to be somewhere around the mid-twenties and could just make out the slight hint of a bump poking out from underneath his t shirt.
"I'm Oshiro Goro," said the guy next to him, "and that over there is Akiyama Shin."
"Kise Ryouta"
"Nice to meet you Kise-kun. There was four of us, but Rei went and gave birth to a baby girl last Monday. Three weeks premature too."
"Three weeks?" repeated Kise, a little shocked, "are they ok?"
"Oh they're fine. Lungs like a lion apparently."
Kise smiled, "thank god."
Despite his appearance, Kise found himself warming up to the older man. Oshiro-san was big and broad and had a deep sounding voice; attributes Kise would never have associated with being a carrier. Akiyama-san on the other hand was more of Kise's build with brown hair and dressed all in black.
"So how many weeks are you Kise-kun?" asked Oshiro.
"I'm 15 weeks."
"Oh second trimester eh? I remember those days. Wait till you're 30 weeks and can no longer see your own feet. Shin over there is nine weeks. Went through settling two weeks ago."
"Yeah and I've told my boyfriend that he can fuck off if he thinks he's getting another one" piped a clearly disgruntled Akiyama-san from across the circle, "I ain't going through that shit twice, no fucking way."
"That's what I said when I had my first," laughed Oshiro, "and my second."
"This is your third?" asked Kise.
"It sure is. I have two boys at home. But this little one's a girl."
"What about you Kise-kun?" inquired Akiyama, "I'm taking it this is also your first?"
Kise nodded, "yeah, kind of unplanned."
"The first ones nearly always are" said Oshiro, "but just you wait. There is nothing quite like holding your baby in your arms for the first time. Nothing quite like it at all."
Kise smiled and placed his own hand on top of his baby bump. Even though the situation itself was slightly surreal (being in a room with a bunch of pregnant men wasn't something he'd ever imagined himself doing), he found it oddly comforting and could feel himself becoming more and more relaxed.
The sound of the door opening caught everyone's attention and in walked a middle aged man with gelled hair, tattooed arms and a piercing above his right eyebrow.
"Sorry I'm late guys," he said as he made his way over to one of the chairs and began removing his coat, "there was this whole thing involving me, a car parking space and this bitch driving a Toyota. I won't go into the details, but let's just say that if I ever see her again, she's gonna have more than a load of profanities hurled at her believe me."
"We have a new recruit today Tadao" announced Oshiro once the flamboyant man had sat down.
Tadao looked up from his bag and said, "oh we do? Oh yes! We do! Welcome!"
"That's Wakahisa Tadao" Oshiro explained to Kise, "founder of this little club. His dress sense matches his personality."
"Oi, I heard that you cheeky sod!"
"You were meant to."
Kise smiled and tried his hardest not to laugh.
"Well then, what's your name new recruit?" asked Tadao.
"Kise Ryouta"
"Kise-kun huh? Well, what you doin with your coat still on for? Come on, take it off, we're all friends here. We're just a bunch of pregnant gay men, nothing to be ashamed of." Once Kise had taken off his coat and placed it on the chair next to him, Tadao continued, "as Goro so wonderfully put it, my name is Tadao and I am the organiser of these meetings. We meet twice a week, Wednesday's and Saturday's, same time, same place. And don't feel like you have to come to both, but they're there if you need them. Anyway, I know Shima-kun isn't here yet, but I'm sure he will be soon, so let's get cracking shall we?"
Shima-kun? I wonder if that's him? Looking around at the three men in the room, none of them fit the bill for a sixteen year old pregnant teenager. Hopefully, this Shima-kun would be the one Nakamura-sensei was talking about and the reason Kise was there in the first place.
"Now then why don't we start with you Kise-kun?"
Kise looked up at the sound of his name being called into question.
"Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?"
Kise's mouth instantly went dry. He wasn't expecting to have to speak. The room went quiet as the group waited patiently for him to respond.
"Err…my name's Kise Ryouta, I'm 17 and I'm 15 weeks pregnant." Kise could feel himself going red. He felt rather daft and had no idea what to say next.
"15 weeks?! Wow," said Tadao, "I remember when I was 15 weeks carrying my second child. Fuck me."
"Tell me about it," responded Oshiro, "I was double your size with my first."
Kise lowered his head in an attempt to hide his face, having no doubt that it had turned a lovely shade of beetroot.
"So, you're still in school then Kise-kun?" asked Tadao.
Kise nodded, "yeah, I go to Kaijou High."
"Kaijou? That's interesting. And how are you finding it?"
"It's ok. I mean, it's difficult at times but other than that it's fine."
"And your family and friends? How have they been?"
"They've been great. It's just me and my dad and he's been really supportive. My friends too."
"That's great," smiled the man in the fluorescent pink shirt, "those are the types of people you want in your life. But just so you know, if you ever feel like you need to talk to someone, someone who can relate to what you're going through, even if it's just to listen, then that is what we're here for. We know what it's like to be discriminated against because we can have children. You don't have to go through this alone. You got that?"
"Yes. Thankyou."
There was truth in what Tadao had said. After all, no matter how supportive your friends and family were, unless one of them was male and pregnant, there was no way they could fully understand what it was you were going through. Just listening to the group made Kise more relaxed, knowing that he wasn't the only one to have been called names or treated like he had some sort of disease. And even though he was 17 and still in school, no one was judging him or prying him for any details. For Kise, it felt like he had finally found something he had been missing up until now.
15 minutes later, the door opened and someone all but tumbled into the room.
"Ahh! Shima-kun! Glad you could make it!" greeted Tadao.
"Sorry I'm late!" apologised the young boy with platinum blonde hair and flailing limbs.
"It's ok, go ahead and take a seat!"
Kise watched with wide eyes as the boy named Shima made his way towards the circle and sat down on one of the chairs opposite. With shaggy shoulder length hair and a slender frame, there was no doubt that this was the person he had come to meet.
"We have a new recruit Shima-kun," said Tadao from the top of the circle, "he's also from Kaijou High. Perhaps you know one another?"
Shima stopped rummaging through his bag and looked up. A look of complete shock and panic flicked across his face when he spotted Kise.
"Err...excuse me I just need to..." and with that, Shima got up and darted from the room.
"I'll be back in a minute…" said Tadao as he quickly followed.
The room went silent.
"Don't mind the lad Kise-kun," said Oshiro, "you just took him by surprise that's all. He'll be back in a minute."
Kise nodded.
"Do you know each other?" asked Akiyama.
Kise shook his head, "no."
"Well, it sure looks like he knows you."
The door opened and Shima and Tadao re-entered the room. The blonde kept his eyes on the floor as he made his way back to his seat and sat down.
"Ok then!" announced the effervescent leader, "where were we?"
Kise didn't say much during the rest of the meeting. He just sat back and listened as the group spoke about their families and Oshiro-san's upcoming scan. Listening to them talk, Kise could tell how much they cared for one another. Especially Shima. The way they treated him and looked out for him proved that he meant a great deal to everyone there. He was the youngest after all and Kise couldn't help but feel a certain protectiveness coming from the rest of the group.
At four o'clock the session drew to a close.
"Well that's it folks," said Tadao as he started to pack his bag, "I hope it was everything you dreamed of Kise-kun. And more. If you ever need to talk, here's my card, you can call at any time. The number is on the back. Hopefully we'll see you and the little one again!"
"Thankyou" Kise smiled.
"It was wonderful to meet you Kise-kun," said Oshiro as he put on his coat, "take care of yourself now."
"I will. Thankyou."
After saying goodbye to everyone (apart from Shima; he had vanishhed before Kise could get a chance to), the blonde gathered his things and left the building. Once outside, he took a deep breath and allowed the cool winter air to blow over him.
"Crap!"
Kise opened his eyes at the sound of various items falling to the floor. He turned to his left and saw someone in a striped purple and black hoodie bending down to pick up their fallen belongings.
"Here, let me help" said Kise, as he joined Shima on the ground and began to gather the contents of his bag.
"Thanks" said the blonde haired boy quietly. Once everything had been gathered and restored back in its rightful place, the two pregnant boys stood up. On closer inspection, Kise realised how delicate the 16 year old actually was. His blonde hair sat just above his shoulders, covering most of his face and was clipped back with clips the shape of ladybirds. His purple and black hoodie practically devoured his petite figure and almost hid his entire baby bump from view. His eyes were big and round and blue and when he smiled, tiny dimples formed in his cheeks. No wonder everyone feels so protective, thought the blonde.
"Shima-kun isn't it?" said Kise in an attempt to make conversation, "I'm Kise Ryouta. We go to the same school."
"I know who you are" replied Shima, finally looking Kise in the eye.
"You do?"
"Yeah. You're Kise Ryouta; super model, teen idol and Kaijou's very own Generation of Miracles. "
Kise didn't say anything, feeling rather embarrassed.
"I'm sorry about before," Shima continued, "I didn't mean to walk out like that, that was rude of me. I was just…caught by surprise. It's been so long since I've seen any one from school and of all the people I expected to see in there, you were definitely not one of them."
"Yeah I know what you mean," Kise replied, "I still find it hard to believe myself sometimes. So are you waiting for someone?"
"My aunt. She's picking me up. What about you?"
"I'm actually on my way into town. I'm meeting a friend and we're gonna go watch the Touou game. You should come! It would be great if we could talk and get to know one another. I can't tell you what a relief it is to finally meet you!"
Shima smiled and placed one hand over his stomach, "thanks but I don't really do well in crowds. Besides, I already told my aunt I'd help her out with some things around the house."
"That's ok. Tell you what, why don't you give me your number, I'll give you mine and we can arrange something for some other time?"
"Like what?" asked Shima.
"I don't know. Go for a drink? Somewhere quiet where we can talk. I have a feeling we have a lot in common."
Shima thought about it for a moment before replying, "ok. I guess we could do that."
"Great! Then what's your number?" Kise took out his phone and proceeded to type in Shima's mobile number. He then sent Shima a quick text, allowing him to save his own number into his phone.
Moments later, a black Nissan pulled up on opposite side of the road.
"That's my aunt" said Shima.
"Ok, then I'll text you…"
"Yeah" smiled the platinum blonde, "good luck in the Winter Cup."
"Thanks! We'll try our best!"
Shima nodded, looked both ways before crossing the road and climbed into his aunt's car.
Kise watched as the Nissan pulled away and disappeared down the road. He then looked at his phone and stared at the new contact he had just made. He smiled to himself, put his phone back in his pocket and with one hand covering The Bump, made his way into town.
A/N
Hello everyone! Sorry for the month long delay! I hope you all had a wonderful christmas and new year!
Shion Amamiya- hi! I read the first chapter of your story! It was really good. Has lots of potential! Just keep going the way you have been, maybe explore the different families and their reactions. And maybe what people at school think? I love MidoTaka! Keep it up :D I hope you enjoyed this chapter :D
Angel yao- I like angst too ; ) I hope you liked this chapter :D
Bellala99- Helloooo! Thankyou for your review! I know Mpreg isnt for everyone so I'm really pleased you are enjoying the story! There is nothing wrong with being a sadist ; ) I'm sure you're not the only one ; ) Hope you liked this chapter :D
Fushimisbutt- Heyyyy! Thankyou for your wonderful words! I'm glad you are enjoying even though it is mpreg : ) I hope you enjoyed this chapter : D
Blank Angel- Kise was called a freak because he's pregnant : ( some people are just too mean : ( I hope you liked this chapter! And Shima! : D
pjmlove- Hello! Thanks for your review! Im glad the story is changing your mind! I understand why mpreg isn't everyone, that's why im trying to make it as real as possible! And you are my 100th reviewer! So thankyou! I hope you liked this chapter :D
Guest- hello! Thanks for your review! I'm glad you are liking it! When you say Kise's friend who are you on about? No one knows Shima :) he isnt related to anyone in the story (besides his aunt). I hope that helps :) and i hope you liked this chapter :D
Thankyou everyone for your reviews! I am blown away by the support! Thankyou so much!
This chapter was a pain to write. It feels like ive been stuck in a room full of pregnant men for a month.
Oh and it's nice to see that I'm not the only one with a sadistic mind haha poor Kise!
Love you all!
RH
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