Chapter Thirty-Eight

Kise took off his coat, hung it on the back of his chair and sat down.

"I took the liberty of ordering you a water. I hope that's ok?"

Kise spotted the glass sat on the table in front of him, "that's fine, thankyou." Kise picked up the glass and took a sip.

"Would you like something to eat?"

Kise put his glass down and shook his head, "oh no thankyou, I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure?" asked Akihiko, "you need to make sure you're eating properly. You're not only eating for one anymore you know."

"Oh I eat plenty don't worry."

"Ok."

The truth was, Kise was too nervous to eat even if he'd wanted to. However, he didn't really want to risk throwing it all back up again over the older man's very shiny and clearly very expensive black shoes.

"Thankyou for meeting with me today Kise-kun. No doubt you are wondering why I called you here?"

"The thought had crossed my mind. I must admit, I was surprised to get your call. I didn't know you had my number."

Akihiko smiled, "you'll be surprised at how easy it is to get a hold of someone's personal details these days."

"Oh I can imagine…" Kise wasn't too sure how to respond to that but he had no doubt that Aomine-san had no trouble getting in touch with anyone he wanted.

"I trust that Daiki doesn't know about this little meeting?" asked Akihiko, his hands resting on his lap.

Kise shook his head, "no."

Akihiko smiled. "Good. It'll be easier to talk this way."

Even though Kise didn't say anything and although he hated to admit it, he knew that Aomine-san was right. The only reason he hadn't told Aomine about the phone call was because he knew how his boyfriend would react. Kise had no doubt that Aomine would've tried to stop him from coming or, in failing that, would've insisted that he came along as well, making things more difficult for everyone. It was definitely easier this way.

"A lot sure has changed since the last time we met" said Akihiko, "how are you Kise-kun? How's school and home? Good I hope."

"I'm fine thankyou. And you're right, a lot has changed. But home and school are ok, thankyou for asking."

"I'm glad to hear that. I can only imagine how difficult things have been. Being seventeen and pregnant is not an easy feat. I hope you're taking care of yourself."

Kise was slightly taken aback by the blue haired man's apparent concern, "I am sir. According to my MOP, everything's fine. I'm almost 20 weeks and there's been no complications…"

"And how has school been?"

"It can be difficult at times but I still have my friends, my parents and Aominecchi of course. They've all been great. Things are easier knowing that I have them by my side."

Akihiko smiled, "good. I'm glad. Support is a very important factor in any pregnancy."

Kise didn't say anything. Akihiko continued, "which brings me to the reason of why I called you here today." He then reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a white envelope. He placed the envelope on the table.

Kise stared at the envelope in confusion.

"Go ahead," gestured Akihiko, "open it."

With some hesitation, Kise reached across the table and picked up the envelope. It was plain with nothing written on the front and hadn't been sealed. He reached inside and pulled out a cheque made out to him and Aomine. His eyes went wide. He then looked back at Akihiko and said, "err, excuse me Aomine-san, I don't understand, there must be some kind of mistake…"

Akihiko smiled, his hands still folded neatly on his lap, "there is no mistake. It's exactly what it looks like. Consider it my gift to you, for my grandchild."

"But sir…this is a lot of money…I can't accept this…" Kise continued to stare dumbstruck at the cheque in his hand.

Akihiko sighed and began fixing the cuffs of his suit jacket as he spoke, "I have made a lot of mistakes in my life Kise-kun. The biggest being getting married and starting a family. I love my children don't get me wrong, but I'm not a family man and never have been. I was forced into a marriage I never wanted and conformed to the societal values expected of me even though I knew no good would come of it. Yet I went through with it anyway. The first few years were ok and I actually thought that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. But after Haruko was born, I realised what a grave mistake I had made. As a result, I put my family through hell. I chose my work over my marriage and worked away from home as much as possible. And now, after twenty years, I'm finally doing the one thing I should have done in the first place." Akihiko stopped talking for a moment to take a drink of water. Kise remained silent, not quite believing what he was hearing. Akihiko put down his glass and continued from where he'd left off, "do I regret what I've done? Yes, in a way, but there's no use in thinking about that now. It's not as if anything is going to change. The present is what's most important. The next generation and making sure that history doesn't repeat itself." Akihiko's eyes glanced at Kise's stomach before returning his gaze, "I want to be a part of my grandchild's life. I want to help you in any way I can to ensure that my future grandchildren are taken care of. If you'll let me."

Kise didn't know what to say. Akihiko remained quiet, allowing him to gather his thoughts. It was a lot to process after all. After a while, Kise cleared his throat and went with, "thankyou for sharing that with me Aomine-san. And I'm glad that you want to be part of the baby's life but…shouldn't you really be telling Aominecchi all of this instead of me?"

Akihiko smiled and leaned back into his chair, "my son is a good kid Kise-kun. But he's stubborn, unyielding and there's no way he would listen to me. My son sees me only as the villain; the guy that ruined his childhood. I think you know that and that's why you're here. He will not understand nor choose to understand anything I have to say. He's just too stubborn. He's like his mother that way."

Kise looked at the cheque sat on top of the envelope. He closed his eyes, placed one hand on top of his bump and took a deep breath. Once his resolve had been set, he opened his eyes and looked at Aomine-san. "Ok" he said, "thankyou very much for the cheque, it means a lot. And so does your support. I want you to be a part of your grandchild's life, of course I do. And I will accept the money but only if Aominecchi accepts it too. I'm not going to lie to him about this and he isn't going to like it. I'll try to convince him as much as I can but this is between you and him and I can only do so much. The rest is up to him."

Akihiko smiled and nodded, "I thought you would say something like that. And I understand. You do what you can. Daiki listens to you after all. I'm sure you'll be able to convince him."

Kise didn't say anything. There was no way it was going to be that easy but he chose to keep that to himself.

"You're a good kid Kise-kun" said Akihiko, gesturing to the waiter for the bill, "you're mature with a responsible head on your shoulders. My grandchild is in good hands." Once the bill was paid for, Akihiko stood up and proceeded to put on his long black coat. He then reached into his wallet and pulled out a glossy black business card. "You can reach me anytime on this number. Call me if you ever need anything."

Kise took the card and nodded, "thankyou."

Akihiko smiled and bowed and left.

Kise left The Grinning Cat five minutes later. Once outside he buttoned up his coat and placed one hand on top of his stomach, allowing time for reality to sink in. When he was satisfied that what had just happened was not part of some weird dream, Kise took out his phone and began typing. He sent his text message, placed both hands inside his pockets and made his way down town.

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"You are such a cheat!" proclaimed Momoi as they walked out of the arcade.

Aomine laughed, "when have you ever beaten me at Guitar Hero?"

"That's not the point! You know I can't do Freebird yet you chose it anyway!"

"Well you know what they say about exploiting your enemy's weaknesses."

"Whatever" Momoi folded her arms and turned away. In that moment, Aomine's phone vibrated. He read the incoming text and made a quick reply before putting his phone back in his pocket and wrapping one arm around his best friend's sulking shoulders.

"So…you owe me a burger."

"Oh fine!" Momoi replied, storming ahead and leaving Aomine to follow laughing and shaking his head.

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Kise was in the kitchen pouring orange juice into two glasses. He was deliberately taking his time in preparing the drinks, the sound of Angry Birds being played could be heard coming from down the hall. Kise stared silently at the orange liquid, the surface smooth and calm, unlike the butterflies fluttering inside his own stomach. Kise placed a hand on top of The Bump and inhaled slowly. He then picked up the glasses and made his way to the living room.

"Yes!" exclaimed Aomine, fist pumped in the air, "take that Candy Land! Oh cheers babe." Aomine picked up the glass Kise had put on the table and took a long gulp. Kise remained where he was, standing on the other side of the table, waiting for his boyfriend to finish.

"Ah, that was good" said Aomine with a satisfied gasp. He put the glass on the table and wiped the remaining juice from his lips. "You ok babe?"

"I'm fine" replied Kise, not moving. Realising that he was on the very verge of backing out, Kise dipped his hand into his back pocket and pulled out the white envelope. "Actually," he said holding it in front of him, "there's something I want to show you."

"Ok…"

Aomine watched as Kise took something out of the envelope and placed it on the table in front of him. The bluenette leant forward, confused, and picked up the slip of paper. His eyes went wide.

"Whoa. That's a lot of zeros." He then looked at Kise, "where did you get this?"

"From your dad."

Aomine's expression instantly altered. His eyes became hard and his mouth tightened into a thin line. He tossed the cheque back onto the table, as if holding it any longer would give him some sort of nasty disease. Neither one said anything. Aomine remained on the couch, his head bowed, hands together on this lap. Kise was beginning to wonder whether he was going to say anything at all.

"Aominecchi?"

"When?" said Aomine, finally looking at Kise.

"This afternoon" replied the blonde.

"So… your mystery friend was…?"

Kise nodded. Aomine shook his head in disbelief. "So, tell me… did you guys have fun? Did you enjoy sneaking around behind my back, talking about me and making jokes about my pathetic little life?"

"You know it wasn't like that" responded Kise as calmly as he could.

"Oh really? Then what was it Kise? Because from where I'm sitting it looks like my boyfriend has been lying to me for the past two days, going behind my back and keeping secrets from me."

"I wanted to tell you…"

"Then why didn't you?"

Kise could feel the anger rising in his boyfriend's voice. Trying to keep things calm he said, "because I knew how you'd react. Quite similar to how you're reacting now. There was never going to be a right time to tell you, but I am telling you now."

"I am not accepting this money" declared Aomine, pointing at the cheque on the table, "there's no way."

Kise had expected this and tried to reason with him, "Aominecchi, we need that money."

"No we don't" retorted the bluenette, standing up and moving away from the couch, "we don't need anything from him."

"Then what are we going to do?"

"We'll figure something out."

"How? With your job? I have no money coming in, what you make is barely enough and what happens when it's all gone? What then? How are we going to live?"

Aomine didn't say anything but his expression remained stern and unmoving.

"We need all the help we can get," continued Kise, "even if it means swallowing our pride and doing something we don't want to do."

Aomine shook his head, "that man has never given anything to anyone. He doesn't know how!"

"He said he wants to be a part of his grandchild's life. He wants to help in any way he can."

"What? And this is his way of showing it? Oh this is ridiculous! Can't you see what he's doing? You can't trust him!"

"I know what he's done and I know what he's capable of. But this will get nowhere without trust and second chances. Our families are already screwed up. I will not have our baby raised in a broken home; a home where not even their own family can get along. We both know what that's like. And if this is the first step towards making amends then we need to take it."

It was a couple of seconds before Aomine replied, "Kise…I'm sorry but...it's too late for second chances."

Kise didn't say anything. The pair continued to look at one another, a sad look in both their eyes before Aomine turned around, walked out of the living room and out the front door.

Kise didn't try to stop him. He closed his eyes and listened as the front door closed shut. He knew that it wasn't going to be easy. And even though it went pretty much the way he had expected, he still couldn't prevent the tears falling from his eyes.

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Aomine Akihiko was in his hotel room, sat on one of the cushioned chairs surrounding the plasma screen TV, a book in one hand, a glass of malt whiskey in the other. He wasn't surprised or startled when the hotel-room door was thrown open and a very angry looking seventeen year old came marching into the room.

"I had a feeling you'd show up" said the blue haired man, closing his book and placing both the book and whiskey on the end table next to him.

"We are not accepting that cheque" said Aomine through gritted teeth.

"Kise-kun said that you would react this way. Tell me, how does he feel about this decision?"

The mere mention of Kise's name was enough to send Aomine over the edge, "don't you dare say his name. Don't you dare! What? You knew I would never accept the money, so you thought you'd weasel your way in and manipulate Kise instead?! Is that it?!"

Akihiko didn't say anything. He chose to remain seated. And smiled.

Aomine shook his head in anger, "I'm telling you now, we are not accepting that money. We don't want or need your help."

"That's not what Kise-kun thinks. And are you sure that you're not letting your personal feelings get in the way here?"

"Stop saying his name!" Aomine fumed, he was this close to hitting him. "Did you seriously think that with a few nice words and a lump of cash, you could buy yourself back into our lives? Where the fuck have you been my entire life? You sit there talking about amends and wanting to start afresh…well sorry dad…it's seventeen years too late for that. I want nothing to do with you."

After a moment of heavy silence, Aomine turned to leave.

"You're making a big mistake Daiki" Akihiko called after him, "think about what you're doing. Think about the future." But Aomine wasn't listening and he slammed the door on his way out.

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"You have reached the voicemail messaging service of-"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Kise hung up. He had been trying to get a hold of his boyfriend for the past hour and even though Kise had expected Aomine to remain incognito for a while, not knowing where his boyfriend was or what he was doing still worried the blonde.

"Still no word?" asked Hiroshi, coming into the living room. He had just got back from a 12-hour shift at the plant and was still wearing his navy blue security uniform.

"No" Kise replied, shaking his head. He sat down on the couch and placed a hand on top of his baby bump, clearly visible from underneath his light blue t-shirt.

Hiroshi maneuvered around the coffee table and sat down next to him, "if you don't mind me asking…what exactly did you two fight about?"

"Oh you know…just the usual family drama getting in the way of everything…again." Kise sighed and waited a moment before continuing, "I met with Aomine-san today" he said, his head bowed, eyes focusing on the hand rubbing gentle circles across his stomach. He then reached into his back pocket and pulled out the cheque he had received that afternoon and the cause of his and Aomine's argument. He handed it to his dad.

Hiroshi let out a low whistle, "that's a lot of money. Aomine-san gave you this? That's very generous of him."

Kise nodded, "I know. And it is a lot of money. A lot of money we could really do with. He said that he wanted to make amends and be a part of his grandchild's life. I mean, who am I to deny him that?"

Hiroshi chose not to say anything. He knew that there was more his son wanted to say and waited for him to gather his thoughts together and form them into words.

"But of course Aominecchi wants nothing to do with his dad" continued Kise, "and he refuses to accept the money or any other kind of help. He doesn't trust his dad, he doesn't want to trust his dad. And who can blame him? It's just…I really want everyone to get along. I don't want to be one of those families that doesn't talk to one another. I don't know what to do anymore…"

Hiroshi looked at the cheque in his hand and said, "it's a difficult one. These things are never easy, especially when family's involved. I think the best thing you can do right now is wait. This is a lot to process and there's a lot to think about. Aomine-kun needs time alone to think things over and figure out what it is he actually wants and when he does, you'll both know what to do. These things always sort themselves out eventually, you'll see. You just have to be patient."

Kise nodded and smiled. "Ok" he said, his voice quiet.

"You better put this somewhere safe…" said Hiroshi, handing Kise the cheque, "you might need it."

"Thanks dad."

Hiroshi placed a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder before pushing himself off the couch and making his way upstairs to change.

Kise slumped further back into the couch, both hands resting on top of The Bump. He could feel tiny movements coming from within and despite everything, the blonde couldn't help but smile.

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It was eight o'clock and Aomine was sat on a bench in the middle of the park, facing a children's play had spent the last hour playing basketball with a bunch of strangers on the outdoor basketball court. After beating them more than once, Aomine'd had enough and had begun to wander meaninglessly around town with no particular destination in mind. But, before he knew it, he had ended up at the recently refurbished playground his mum used to take him to when he was little.

The park was empty with only the occasional dog walker or cyclist passing by. In his haste to leave Kise's he had forgotten his jacket and was now beginning to feel the chill of the cold winter air. Aomine stuffed his hands into his jumper pockets and tried to ignore the cold sensation creeping through his fingertips.

The gate to the playground creaked open and Aomine watched as a young girl made her way excitedly towards the climbing frame, an older man followed slowly behind. They were both wrapped up in winter gear, the young girl donning a red and black spotty rain coat, white gloves and woolly hat with red wellingtons on her feet patterned with a dozen lady birds. Her shoulder length brown hair tumbled past her ears as she began climbing the metal frame.

"Be careful now" called the older man before looking around and walking towards the bench Aomine was currently sat on. Aomine looked away and pretended not to notice as the man sat down next to him. The pair sat in silence, not saying a word to one another. Out of the corner of his eye, Aomine glanced the older man watching the girl on the climbing frame, the expression on his face showing the kind of adoration and love only grandparents were capable of making.

Aomine looked from the grey haired man to the little girl now swinging on the monkey bars.

"How old is she?" he asked.

"Seven" replied the old man, warmly.

"Is she your granddaughter?"

The man nodded, "my first. She's my son's daughter. Her mother left soon after she was born. She stays with us when my son can't get home from work on time."

Aomine didn't reply, his attention now on the seven year old running towards them, her cheeks red and one arm outstretched.

"Look grandpa! Look, look!" She stopped in front of her granddad and showed him the tiny ladybird she had balancing on her fingertip.

"Oh wow! Would you look at that!" responded the old man, brightly, "it's just like the ones on your boots, isn't it Sakura! Now, why don't you go and place him on a leaf somewhere? Be careful now, he needs to find his way home after all."

"Ok! I'll make sure he's safe so that no one will stand on him!" and with that little Sakura went running back across the playground.

Aomine stayed quiet. He was too absorbed in the scene playing out in front of him. However, instead of seeing little Sakura-chan in her rain coat running beneath a darkening sky, he saw Kise, his blonde hair blowing in the breeze, his smile radiant as he picked up the little girl running towards him, hair the colour of honey. He watched as Kise spun her around and gave her a big kiss. It was a bright summers' day, the trees were a lush green, the sky a crystal blue. Aomine saw a little boy, slightly older than the girl, with hair the colour of night and tanned skin effortlessly swinging on the monkey bars behind them, as if he had been doing it all his life. When he reached the end, he jumped off and landed nimbly on his feet before running across the playground towards the gate on the other side. Aomine's gaze followed his son and watched as he made his way up to the couple who had just walked in, ice-creams in hand. His eyes went wide at the sight of his mum and dad. The pair of them happy, smiling and together. He watched as his mum bent down and gave the little lad his ice-cream whilst his dad made his way across the playground to where Kise and their daughter were waiting.

Aomine could not take his eyes away, completely and utterly entranced. He was sure that what he was seeing wasn't real, but he didn't care. He continued to watch as more people joined them on the playground; first Haruko and her boyfriend. Then Hiroshi-san and Shimizu-san, followed by Satsuki, Tetsu and Kagami and the rest of the guys from their teams. Tetsuya Number Two was also there. All of them were together as one big family.

Aomine closed his eyes, a small smile played on his lips. It was as if something unexplainable had moved inside him and all the answers he had been seeking had come falling into his lap. When he opened his eyes, Sakura-chan and her ladybird wellingtons were coming down the blue metal slide, landing with a slight thump at the bottom.

With a new found certainty, he turned to the old man sat next to him and said, "you have a beautiful granddaughter sir."

The old man turned to Aomine and smiled, "thankyou young man."

Aomine nodded in response before getting up and making his way towards the gate. On his way there he took out his phone and searched through his contacts. Without hesitating he hit the call button, knowing exactly what it was he was going to do.

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"Thankyou for coming down" said Aomine as he sat down opposite his dad.

"No problem" replied Akihiko. They were both sat in the quiet lobby of the Sheridan Hotel.

"I know it's late so I'll keep this brief…" stated Aomine, "I don't like you. I've spent the best part of my life resenting and hating you. We have next to no relationship and have nothing in common. I've regarded you only as the man who married my mum and got her pregnant, that's all. And personally, I don't think that is going to change any time soon. I don't think we'll ever be capable of having a normal father-son relationship. However… whatever is happening between you and me isn't important anymore. My number one priority is to my family; to Kise and my child. I would like my son or daughter to grow up in a nice, normal, stable environment. Not one full of resentment and regret. So, for the sake of my family's future, I am willing to give this a shot. And accept your help."

Akihiko waited a moment before saying, "so you'll accept the cheque?"

Aomine nodded, "yes. I was too caught up in my own anger towards you to see what's most important. But I've had some time to think. And I've decided that none of that matters anymore. What does matter is this…" Aomine reached into his back pocket and pulled out a copy of Kise's second scan. He placed the scan in the middle of the table and slid it towards his dad. Akihiko didn't move to pick it up but stared at it without saying a word. His eyes were filled with a softness Aomine had never seen before and the smile gracing his lips wasn't the same hollow smile Aomine had been subject to his entire life. Instead, it reminded him of the old man sitting on the bench in the park. It was the smile of a grandfather seeing his grandchild for the first time.

After a few moments, Akihiko said "do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

Aomine shook his head, "no. We've decided to wait."

Akihiko smiled.

"Remember dad," said Aomine, "I'm doing this for them, not us. You want to be a part of your grandchild's life, that's fine. But this isn't about us."

"I understand. You've grown up Daiki. Just don't make the same mistakes I did."

"Don't worry, I won't."

Aomine reached across the table and retrieved the scan. He then slid his chair back and stood up. "That's all I wanted to say. See ya dad."

"Good bye son."

And with that, Aomine left the lobby and headed home.

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Kise was in the living room. It was almost ten and his dad had already gone to bed. Kise was ready for bed, dressed in a pair of old sweats and black t-shirt, but he couldn't sleep. So, instead he was sat on the couch, TV on, packet of biscuits open on the table in front of him. He knew that he shouldn't be eating them and could already start to feel the baby beginning to wake up inside him thanks to the late night sugar intake, but he didn't care. It helped take his mind of things. Kind of.

He was sprawled out on the couch watching some late night game-show. Kise didn't really care much for game-shows or anything remotely resembling day time television but there was nothing else on.

"Haruki Mako" he said to himself, answering the question on the screen. The contestant (a stout man with a comb-over), said something completely different. "That's wrong" responded Kise lazily, not really surprised at the man's ignorance. He'd not gotten a single question right all round.

Just as they were moving onto the next question, there was a knock at the front door. Kise sat up and stared at the door as if looking at it long enough would make it transparent and he would be able to see who was standing on the other side. Kise could feel his heart-beat begin to speed up. He switched off the TV, threw off the blanket draped over his legs and hurried towards the door. Without hesitating, he opened it.

"Hey" said Aomine.

"Hey" replied Kise.

The pair stared at each other for a moment.

"So…" smiled the bluenette, "can I come in?"

Kise couldn't help but laugh. He then pulled his boyfriend into a warm embrace. The pair stayed in each other's arms, holding each other tight as if they hadn't seen one another in over a month let alone a few hours.

When they finally parted, Kise reached up and placed a gentle kiss on his boyfriend's lips before leading him into the house and closing the door behind them.

A/N

Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter : )

xx sHioN- Hello! We'll just have to wait till after the baby's born to find out ;) Hope you enjoyed this chapter : D

Shadow of an Echo- Thankyou darling! Hope you enjoyed this one just as much :D

Angel yao- Hiroshi is amazing haha. He always seems to know what to say…I hope you liked this one! : D

carmenfantasy- Hello! Thankyou for stopping by! I'm glad you really like it! I hope you liked this chapter too : D

Lawlipop- Hey! She said "And the baby…if you ask me, having this baby is the greatest thing that has ever happened to you" at the end of the previous paragraph so when she says, "I do I really do" it's in response to Aomine's confused look regarding what she had just said…I hope that makes sense haha. Sorry if it didn't come across that way! I hope you liked this chapter : D

KneelingAngel- Hahaha your comment made me laugh ; ) I hope you liked this one : D

silverblade12- Hey! I'm sorry you waited so long! And for this one too! But I'm glad it made you happy : ) And I LOVE The Tyrant Who Falls In Love! Hope you liked this chapter : D

Guest- Thankyou! Hope you liked this one : D

Sakurako196- Wow I bet that took you a long time! But thankyou! I'm glad you're enjoying it! Hope you liked this one : D

This might be the last update for a while I'm afraid : ( I'm going to try my hardest to get as much out as possible but I'm going to be rather busy over these next few weeks. But hopefully it won't be too long!

THANKYOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR BEING SO WONDERFUL AND PATIENT!

I LOVE YOU ALL!

RH

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