Author's Note: Well it's official now. Also, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for continuing to read. Especially those that leave reviews; it is tremendously appreciated! You make my day just by reading this story!
"Kaere-chan! Where have you been? Are you alright?!"
The girl frowned and rubbed her ear. "Yeah…I'm fine, Chrome. Where are you?"
"I'm at the gate. Mukuro sent some things, but…oh! There are other people coming this way!" Chrome paused. "Are you really alright? I haven't heard from you in over a week, Kaere-chan! I was really worried! I thought something might have happened to you again!"
"I'm fine…honestly. Just a little tired." Kaere was sitting on the floor in the sitting room, her back leaned against the couch. She pushed herself to stand now and looked out the window at the gate. Sure enough, Chrome was standing there with a few wrapped parcels in her arms and the other girls were joining her. "Chrome…I'll be out in a minute so…can you tell the others not to freak out?"
"They don't know yet? About your housemates?"
"They don't know yet," she confirmed as she pulled on her coat. "I'll be right out…and I'm bringing someone with me…just hold on." Kaere put her phone away and glanced at Lussuria. He was standing in the doorway, pouting. "…what now?"
"Why wouldn't you let me bake your birthday cake, Kaerin~? It would have been so pretty!" he exclaimed.
She ruffled her hair and frowned. "Lussuria…I don't trust you. Come on." The girl glanced up at the streamers decorating the room. They were purple and black, as well as the balloons. It might have made her happy, but the fact that she was still locked in on her birthday made her irritated. I'm nineteen today. I should be able to go out with my friends. I sounded so stupid when I called and told them I couldn't leave the premises. It sounds like I'm in jail.
Lussuria walked outside with her and unlocked the gate to admit her friends. "Welcome, everyone~" he greeted them with a grin.
You're absolutely ridiculous. Her stomach twisted in knots and she frowned again. I don't like that feeling. It makes me nervous…She led the way into the house, feeling her stomach when she was sure that no one was looking. It's been a while though. What if…?
"Kae-chan! It's been so long since we last saw you!" Haru grabbed her in a hug, beaming. "You look so cute in that dress, Kae-chan! Haru is jealous!"
"Whoa. Are you not wearing gloves?" Hana grabbed her right hand, her eyebrows raising. "I don't think I've ever seen them before. They're freezing. Are you sick or something?"
She snorted. "Hana…when have I ever felt warm…?"
"Good point. Still, you seem different somehow."
"It's been a few weeks since we last saw her," Kyoko pointed out. She hugged Kaere and tilted her head. "You haven't been talking with Tsuna, have you? He's really worried."
Chrome awkwardly stood near the sitting room doorway, flinching when Fran and Belphegor pushed past her to enter the room. "Um…Kaere-chan, where should I put these?"
"Ah…the table over there…one second…" She managed to pull away from Haru and Kyoko, walking over to Chrome. "S-sorry I didn't call sooner…"
"N-no, it's fine! I mean…you're married now, right? Did he make it official?"
"Not yet…"
"Well there's still planning and stuff. I'm sure you've been busy. I heard a rumor that one of the Varia members caught a really bad stomach bug recently and-"
Kaere smiled sheepishly. "Oh…so you heard. Yeah that was…intentional…payback."
"For what he did?"
She nodded. "So Mukuro sent something…?"
"Oh! Yes, here it is." Chrome patted the smaller wrapped box. "I think he said it was for something…I don't really remember what it was. Something important though. He wanted me to be really careful with it."
Comforting. She looked to the cake that Hana was setting on the food table and smirked. Purple with black roses. The girl walked over and looked closer. "It's…almost too pretty to eat."
"I know, right? The bakery didn't want to put black roses on it so it took a lot of convincing. It's a cinnamon spice cake. You're always drinking cinnamon coffee, right?"
Kaere tilted her head. "Well…not recently…" She grimaced and nodded toward Lussuria. "I…don't trust him not to put something in it…"
"That's unsettling." Hana looked around the room. There were a couple of couches, a television, and some bookshelves. "This place seems kind of gaudy."
"I guess." She felt arms around her and frowned over her shoulder at Fran. "Um…can you not do that right now…?"
"I'm getting jealous, Kaere."
"Ushishishi~ The prince is also jealous. Let go of Kaere, peasant."
Hana raised an eyebrow and was about to say something when Chrome stepped in. "Um…I-I didn't get a hug yet." Her cheeks were pink as she spoke. "Can I…?"
Kaere hugged her, but it was incredibly awkward. Chrome's hold lingered for a moment, awed by the icy temperature of Kaere's body through her clothes. Wow this party is weird. She sat with her friends and opened the gifts, irritated when she came to Mukuro's present. It was a baby dress in black and dark blue. "What…the hell?"
"Mukuro said you would like it. I don't know why he sent something like that but…do you like it, Kaere-chan?" Chrome gave her a hopeful stare.
"Uh…yeah. It's nice." Kaere winced when she saw someone in the doorway. He walked over to the chair where she was sitting and lifted her, settling the girl in his lap. Her cheeks turned bright red. "Er…X-Xanxus…I-I thought you were still sleeping…"
"Why didn't you tell me it started?" he growled.
Kaere tried to ignore the way everyone was staring. "I…didn't want to wake you up."
The dress was taken from her hands and he held it up in the light, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell is this?"
"…someone sent it as a gift…"
A short, cruel laugh escaped him. "Too fucking early for this."
"Y-yeah…" She opened the other gifts and when Lussuria cut the birthday cake, she found herself still seated on the man's lap. "Xanxus…um…can I just hang out with my friends?"
He glared over at Fran and Belphegor. "If I leave, they leave."
"Th-that's fine…um…w-we'll spend time together later, okay?"
"Fine." He left, taking the two younger men with him.
Lussuria pouted. "Bossu just had to come in and ruin it."
I wouldn't say it's ruined. Kaere sipped her cinnamon tea and smirked. "So…what have I been missing?"
"Well the winter term started at the college," Hana answered. "Not that it matters. And that's pretty much it. Oh. I met a guy though. He's a senior and he's so cute."
"He has a goatee," Haru said with a disapproving frown.
"So what? He's still hot. I mean not like Kaere's fiancée, but-"
"Hang on…what did you just say?" The girl straightened in her seat, brow furrowed.
"I mean, your fiancée is hot. And when he pulled you into his lap. I was super jealous. He obviously loves you a lot. So have you broken in your new bed? Do you share a room?"
"I…don't want to answer that." Her face turned red instantly.
"He's hot though!"
"Stop saying that!" Kaere bit the inside of her cheek and scowled. "Just…can we talk about something else please? How is Tsuna?"
Now it was Kyoko and Haru that blushed. "He's fine," they both answered.
Hana rolled her eyes. "So Valentine's Day is coming up. Are you doing anything-?"
"Oh! I have the best idea ever!" Lussuria announced. Hana gave him a disgusted look, but he ignored it and chose to continue. "Why don't we all meet here and bake sweets for Valentine's Day~?" The girls stared at him blankly for a moment. "It will be fun!"
Haru clapped her hands excitedly. "That sounds perfect! Haru wants to come here to bake sweets for Valentine's Day!"
That won't be awkward? You and Kyoko baking something together for Tsuna and giving it to him? Kaere chose not to voice this question, not wanting to start trouble. Sitting beside her, Chrome frowned and bit her lower lip. "Ah…you can just bake something for fun…"
The girl tried to smile. "Yes, that could still be fun."
"It will be~" Lussuria assured her from Kaere's other side.
Hana crossed her arms. "Fine. But you're not getting anything."
"I wouldn't want anything from a hag like you anyway~"
Kaere lifted the baby dress again, examining it. The material was black satin with velveteen blue roses and lace. She thought for a moment about putting it against her stomach, but chose not to. What if…?
"Kaerin~ Are you thinking about your baby?"
"Wait a minute. You're pregnant?!" Hana demanded.
"No! I mean…i-it's not like…I've taken a test or anything so…a-and it would be weird anyway…right?" she tried to protest.
Chrome fidgeted beside her, her head down. "Um…maybe you should…just in case…"
"No…can we not talk about this, please? Can we just…enjoy my birthday party? I haven't seen any of you…in weeks…I haven't been able to leave…so…"
"Alright. Let's talk about sweets," Kyoko announced with a smile. "What should we make for Valentine's Day? I'd like to make a cake for Tsuna."
"Haru wants to make a cake also!"
Tsuna is going to get fat. Or sick. Kaere smirked and leaned back in her seat, enjoying the talk of food. Not that I could even eat a lot right now. I keep getting this pain…
"I'm making chocolates. Simple. Mature. Elegant." Hana was already looking through her phone for chocolate recipes.
"I'm making chocolate-dipped butter cookies," Lussuria declared.
Who are you making them for? The girl frowned and half-closed her eyes. "I guess…I could make cinnamon brown-sugar cookies…"
"For who?" The question came from more than one guest.
"…Xanxus…I guess…he's my fiancée so…"
The party ended a few hours later, after everyone had made solid plans for the day before Valentine's Day. Lussuria tidied up the sitting room with Fran and Belphegor watching. They had wandered back in to scavenge whatever treats might be left. The man glanced at Kaere, who was still sitting in the chair. "Well? Aren't you curious~?"
"…not really…I just feel tired…" she admitted. Kaere gathered her gifts and moved to leave, but her arm was caught by Lussuria.
"When you're done putting those away, try the second drawer in the bathroom counter."
She sighed in frustration, but gave up. If I do it, it will just show him that he's wrong. Squalo and Xanxus. I'll show all of them that they're wrong. Kaere put away the gifts and went into the bathroom. Inside the second drawer was a pregnancy test. For a brief moment, she wondered how long it had been there and tried to imagine him buying it at the pharmacy. That would be awkward, she thought with a smirk. The girl read the directions and did as they said, waiting a certain amount of time before looking at the stick. Her golden eyes widened and it slipped from her hands, hitting the floor quietly. What the hell?!
Kaere washed her hands and threw open the bathroom door. Anger was surging within her and she knew there was no calming down now. "What the hell?! What the fucking hell?" she growled. The girl saw Lussuria standing nearby, beaming. She slashed him across the cheek with a scalpel from her coat pocket and would have gone after Fran and Belphegor if she had not heard stomping in the hallway above her.
"Vooooiiii! Who's making all that noise?! I'm trying to-!" Squalo saw the fury in her eyes and shifted his gaze to her hands. In one hand, she held the bloody scalpel and in the other she held a pregnancy test. A grin spread across his face shortly before she charged up the stairs and tackled him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?! What are you grinning about? Do you even know what you've done, you idiot?" Kaere stabbed the scalpel into his gunshot wound from last week and twisted it. He grunted at the pain and writhed under her. When it dawned on her that it might be someone else's fault as well, she drew away from him. He was grinning again, delight clear in his eyes.
Kaere made her way upstairs now to the third floor and threw open the door to her fiancée's office. The scalpel flew from her hand and missed him completely. Xanxus was lounging behind his desk and smirked when he saw the look in her eyes. The test in her hand was thrown next, but he didn't have to look at it to know why she was mad. "D-don't look so proud of yourself," she growled. "I…can't believe you actually…" Her energy was fading quickly and Kaere sank to her knees. She felt tired and weak, her body trembling. I have to be careful now…don't I? It's there. It's really there. Her hand went to her lower stomach. There really is a tiny…baby…in there…right now…but how? How did this…actually happen…?
Xanxus walked around his desk and lifted Kaere in his arms. He settled back in his chair and let her rest against his chest. "Didn't I tell you?" he taunted.
She felt his hand over hers on her stomach and blushed pink. "I-I don't know…how to handle this…I've delivered babies for yakuza wives, but…I don't…"
"It's going to be fine." He smirked. "It's going to be perfect."
She let her eyes slide closed and wrapped her arms around his neck, soaking in the warmth from his skin. The girl rubbed her face against the side of his neck and sighed. "You…won't leave me behind…?"
"It's mine. You're mine. I wouldn't let someone else have you both, woman."
I'm yours…Her heart beat faster and she hoped he didn't notice. I'm yours…but what if the baby isn't? What if it's Squalo's child? What would you do? Would you kill us both? Would you leave us? What would happen to Squalo? But…at least now it isn't definite. It isn't guaranteed to be his or yours…it's just a mystery. She felt his arms tighten around her and he pressed a hard, possessive kiss to her lips.
