Hello all! Been a while!
As such, here's a long chapter! I hope you enjoy it!
Once again, thank you to those who left comments! I really appreciate it!
Let's get straight to it!
Chapter 11
Sweet Pea
A month had passed since Ben dared to touch Ray's hair as a big 'fuck you' (as Kai had seen it)...
...Or was simply getting a leaf out his hair (as Ray had seen it).
Since then, a day hadn't gone by without some kind of argument...
And the arguments always circled back at the same thing.
Ben.
Ray was really getting to the end of his tether with it...
Granted, Ben was demanding of Ray's time...frequently asking him to come over to discuss something or other about the tournament or talk strategy.
….to be honest, deep down, Ray knew he should say no sometimes and spend time with Kai...
But he was just becoming so unbearable to be around.
Mood swing after mood swing.
Floods of tears out of nowhere.
Blind panic about the baby...which Ray really did feel for him about...but what the hell was he supposed to do about it when Kai would never listen to him?
And if not all that, it was Ben. Ben. Ben. Ben. Ben....
He also knew deep down none of those things were really Kai's fault (minus Ben...). He was a male...and coming up six months pregnant...
That would mess with you somewhat...
But...he just wasn't Kai right now...
Kai was at the end of his tether as well...to a point where he felt his sanity was starting to fray.
Ray was constantly off with that...prick...leaving him at home to take care of...everything like the Good. Frickin'. Housewife. that he was reluctantly becoming...
Not that he begrudged doing his share of housework...he'd always liked a clean house...but Ray's contributions had become minimal of late..
And with his ever-expanding belly...things were getting more and more difficult...not that Ray seemed to care about that...
Women had been right all along...men were assholes...all for the making it...not so much for the rest...he thought bitterly to himself as he hung out the bedsheets to dry.
The only thing keeping him sane was Aoba. He spent as much time with him as Ray did with Ben.
His tense, uptight, stressed feeling he had constantly at home seemed to vanish when it was just him and Aoba. He felt somewhat human again with him.
Maybe because Aoba actually had an idea of what he was going through and didn't give him a hopeless look of 'you're insane...' when he confided in him...unlike some people...
But Ben and Ray weren't the only ones wearing him down...
He was also having to deal with...himself.
Since witnessing Yi being born, he'd had several horrible, vivid nightmares in which he was in labor ...and it always went horribly wrong.
He'd wake up in pure fits of panic to a point where he was near hysterical.
Rei would always try and calm him down and tell him he was fine, but what the hell did he know?!
Unfortunately...things were about to get worse.
It was about 5am. Ray slept soundly while Kai's brow furrowed and his body twitched.
He began to toss and turn, beads of sweat starting to form on his brow.
Before long his eyes snapped open as he sat bolt upright gasping.
"Ray!? Ray!?" he cried out as he shook him violently.
Ray also startled awake.
"What?! What is it?!" he responded groggily, sounding just as panicked at the sudden shaking.
"We gotta go see Tao, right now! Something's wrong!"
Ray was suddenly wide awake and sat up in an instant.
"What is it!? Something hurting?"
"I had a dream...something is wrong, I know it! It came out...I held it...but it wasn't...things were missing...it's arms weren't right..." he stuttered out hysterically.
Rei felt his entire body sigh.
…..another god damn dream.
"...Calm down...it was just a dream, all right?" he said calmly.
Kai snapped and got angry in amongst the panic.
"You always say that! But what if it isn't, Ray?! What if this is a sign that something is very wrong?!"
"It was a dream! Tao and Aoba say you're coming along nicely...they'd know if something was up..." he argued, trying his best to sound supportive, despite being tired of having this conversation yet again.
Kai leaned over and hit his arm.
"And how the hell would they know if it has everything it should?! You guys don't even have that...baby...x-ray thing in this backwards fucking place! What, they can see through the skin, can they!? Your sight is that good?!" he yelled enraged.
Ray would have felt annoyed...but unfortunately, something Kai said had tickled him.
"...Baby x-ray?" he said with a slight chuckle, "what the hell is a baby x-ray?"
Kai nearly blew his top.
"...That fucking...thing! They show the baby on a screen!"
"...You mean an ultrasound?" Ray smirked.
"Probably!?" Kai yelled back frustrated.
"...I think I like baby x-ray better..."
Kai growled and threw off his bed covers, throwing his legs over the side and standing himself up to look at his asshole fiancée, who seemed to find this all amusing.
"Do not make fun of me, Ray! How can you lay there and joke about this?! What the hell is the matter with you?!"
Ray groaned as he pressed his hands in to his eyes.
"Kai, please...it's 5am...you had a bad dream, it wasn't real...can we please go back to sleep? Some of us have training today..." he said tiredly.
Kai boiled over.
"...Fine...that's just fine...go back to sleep, your highness! I'll just go and make sure our unborn child is all right..."
Ray took his hands off his eyes and gave him a warning look.
"...Again...5am Kai...you're not going and waking Tao or Aoba up because you had a nightmare...now get back in to bed and pull yourself together!" he snapped, "and before you start going off at me, maybe you need a slight reality check...the only thing that's dangerous for the baby here is you getting so stressed out over nothing!"
"So I'm hurting our baby now?!"
"Oh, Jesus Christ!" Ray yelled, "Enough! You know that's not what I'm saying! I'm saying it's not doing you or the baby any good by getting so worked up! Now, for the last time! Shut up and get back in bed!"
Kai folded his arms and glared.
"Why the hell would I get back in to bed with a guy who thinks it's hilarious that I'm going to give birth to a deformed kid!? Go ahead and laugh! We'll see if you're still laughing when a weird...half-human, half-neko with a big head that...that... climbs walls pops out of me!" he hissed angrily, while trying to get the image of the girl from the Exocist out his head.
Ray frowned. Was that a dig at Neko people? And was he being serious with this shit?
"...What kind of creatures do you think we are?"
Kai balled his fists.
"If I were to judge the whole Neko race based on you, the worst kind!" he yelled back.
"...I can't climb walls, Kai..." he said, unamused.
"You sure drive me up them, though!" Kai continued to argue.
Ray rolled his eyes.
"...You're not the one being woken up at 5am..."
"And you're not the one carrying a mutant baby!"
Ray was done...so thought he'd do his best to show him how silly he was being...
"Sure Kai...we're having a half-human, half-neko baby with a really big head, eyes too close together...one fang in the centre of it's mouth..."
Kai glared furiously.
"Don't you dare make fun of me..."
"...we'll call it Sweet Pea...it'll only eat chicken heads..."
"Fine! You go ahead and laugh, Ray!" Kai spat venomously as he turned on his heel.
"...Where do you think you're going?" Ray asked tiredly.
Kai stopped and turned back.
"OUT!"
Another sigh left Ray's throat.
"It's 5am...it's still dark out...everyone is asleep, but fine...go ahead! But when I'm right and Tao yells at you for interrupting his beauty sleep, I won't say I told you so..."
Kai frowned stubbornly.
"I'm going! And when I come back and inform you our child has a nose where an eye should be, you can FUCK YOURSELF!" he near enough screamed before stomping out a grabbing the door to slam it.
..Ray couldn't believe that conversation had just happened...
"...a mutant baby would be better than a fucking crazy person..." he muttered as he rolled back over.
The door opened in an instant.
"You say something?!" his livid voice challenged.
"I said be careful! It's dark and muddy out! Love you, bye!"
"You're such a dick!" he yelled back before slamming the door a second time.
...Ray was glad they didn't have neighbours...
Kai didn't even bother changing from his pyjamas...just slipped on his shoes and stormed out.
...Most people wore shit that looked like pyjamas in this god damn place anyway!
Ray was such an asshole!
How could he laugh at him like that!?
What if that dream really was his body's way of telling him something was wrong? Everyone kept telling him to 'listen to his body' and rest when he felt the need to...so why was it crazy to be frightened by this?!
He was a human male...what was growing in his body was not meant to be there...why was it such a ridiculous notion that something would go wrong?
Steam continued to shoot from his ears as he marched his way down the dirt path and finally made it to Tao's.
He went up to the door and knocked...and waited.
As the wait became long, he looked around.
...It really was still dark...
….Maybe this was a bit much...
But he had to know...
So he knocked again, harder.
He looked up and saw a light flick on in the window.
Thank god.
He waited a few more moments before the door was pulled open, revealing the short man in a robe looking...uglier than normal in his sleepy state.
"...There's no t'ai chi class today, Kai..." he grumbled angrily.
...Once a week Tao was able to sleep in later than 4am. It was something he looked forward to greatly.
"...I know...I'm sorry to wake you Master Tao..." he said politely, trying to sweeten the sour look on his face.
"Why did you wake me?" he asked calmly through a yawn.
He ran his hands over his belly and felt himself panic again.
"...I think there's something wrong with the baby..."
Tao was suddenly awake.
"...What happened?!"
"...Nothing...I..." he said sheepishly as he realised...Ray may have been right.
"...Have you not felt it moving?" Tao asked after several moments of silence.
"...It kicked last night..."
"...Any pain?"
"...No..."
Tao lifted a brow.
"...I had a...dream...it came out...deformed..." he tried to explain...without sounding nuts...
Tao's concern left his face and turned annoyed.
"...This couldn't wait until I got to the clinic at 9?"
His tone sent a shiver down Kai's spine.
"...You don't understand, something is wrong!" he protested.
"Unless you're bleeding or in pain, you're fine until 9am!" Tao snapped, "I don't get out of bed for anything less than an emergency on Sunday's, Kai!" he said with a raised voice before slamming the door.
Kai winced as the force of the door slamming blew a slight gust of air in his face...he was mad...just like Ray said he'd be...
Now what? He couldn't go home and tell Ray he was right...
...Aoba was usually up at this time...
Maybe he could walk by...see if a light was on.
As he walked over to the familiar house. There was light.
Oh thank god, he was up!
He gently tapped on the door, to which an inquisitive looking Aoba opened the door.
"...Kai? What are you doing here at this time?"
"...I'm sorry! I really need you to take a look at me..."
Aoba frowned and invited him in to the quiet house, the rest of his family asleep upstairs.
He brought him in to the living room and sat him down.
Kai explained what happened.
Aoba obliged and had him lay on the floor so he could give him a prod and a poke to put his mind at ease...
"...Does it hurt here?" he asked as he pressed down.
"...More sensitive than hurt...why?! Is something up!?"
"No, no...you're good...everything seems in order to me..."
Kai brought himself up and leaned back on his hands.
"...But how do you know everything is where it should be? That it has everything it should...?"
Aoba sighed.
"...I promise it has all its limbs...you wouldn't feel it kicking if it didn't."
"...and what about like...having a huge head or...too many eyes or something?!"
Aoba gave him a sympathetic look.
"I'm sure that dream was unpleasant...but I really don't think you need to worry. If you really can't get it out your head, you'll need to see Tao..."
"...Already tried that..." Kai said sheepishly.
"...When?"
"...About ten minutes before I came here..."
Aoba gasped.
"Tao doesn't get out of bed for anything less than an emergency on Sundays..." he said, horrified.
"...That's what he told me before slamming the door in my face..."
"...You might want to grovel before you ask him to check you over again..."
Kai nodded before looking back up at Aoba.
"...Am I nuts?"
Aoba's brow furrowed awkwardly as he tilted his head.
"...I wouldn't say nuts...just...a little too quick to panic?"
"But those dreams! Why do I keep getting them?!" Kai protested.
"...Look, you're not the first pregnant person that's panicked at everything and anything...especially with the first baby...I had my moments with Mei, too...you're probably getting those dreams because you're scared and it's playing on your mind. It's not an omen that your kid has no legs..."
Kai let out a deep sigh...maybe he was right...
Aoba's concerned look stayed on his face.
Kai had been over practically every day...and asked him out of the blue questions every single day.
He genuinely didn't mind. He really liked Kai and enjoyed his company...but he was worried. He seemed to be going a little AWOL the past weeks.
"...How's things with you and Ray?" he asked.
He hadn't wanted to pry before..If Kai had wanted to talk to him about it, he was sure he would. But he had a feeling things weren't great at home...why else would he be over so much?
Not to mention he had something new to complain about Ben most days...
Kai tensed.
"...Fine..."
"...You sure about that?"
Kai averted his eyes.
"...I guess I just don't see much of him recently..."
"Oh?"
"...He trains a lot..."
"You're usually there too though, right?"
"...I'm physically there...yes..." he answered bitterly...he usually just sat at the side and felt cast out, "but he usually has to go do other things with him after..."
Aoba frowned harder.
"Like what?"
"Your guess is as good as mine..." he answered with a tone even more bitter.
"...And when you are together...?" he asked.
"...All we do is fight..." he admitted finally.
Aoba's sympathetic face returned as he took Kai's arm and helped him up before bringing him back to he couch.
"...Tell me about it..."
Kai resisted a few more times before finally giving in and telling him everything.
It didn't take too long before the waterworks came.
Aoba handed him a box of tissues and rubbed his back as he told him everything.
It sounded like things were getting a little out of hand...Kai was seeming to be getting way too hormonal and Ray wasn't able to deal with it. Kai panicked and Ray didn't give him the support or reassurance he needed.
….and his good buddy Ben was not helping with any of it...when Kai talked about his little jabs that looked innocent to everyone else...he knew he wasn't being too sensitive there...he knew what he was like...
He felt for both...he knew hormones sucked...and seemed to be smashing him hard...but dealing with a hormonal person was no picnic either...
But ditching him every day to do...whatever with Ben and leaving him to do all the house stuff? ...Come on...
Even just leaving him period...he probably wouldn't flap so much if Ray was a little more supportive...
Maybe he should talk to him...or have Shou do it...one dad to another who knows what it's like to deal with it.
...But then, maybe it wasn't their place to interfere...maybe it was best to just have an open door when he needed it.
By the time they'd finished talking, the sun was up and the family had woken up.
Kai got up to leave them to it.
"...Why don't you join us for breakfast?" Aoba offered, "Then I'll go with you to the clinic and we'll show you once and for all he's fine..."
"...The baby or Tao?" Kai laughed as he finished drying his eyes.
"Both..."Aoba smirked back, "Don't mind Tao...he won't hold it against you."
They went to the kitchen and Kai helped prepare breakfast.
Shou came in carrying Mei not long after and gave Aoba a questioning look as to why Kai was there...to which Aoba gave him the 'I'll tell you later' face.
Mei on the other hand, was over the moon that Uncle Kai was making her breakfast.
As they finished up, Aoba took his husband aside and gave him a brief run-down and asked him to watch the kids while he took Kai to the clinic.
Shou was more than happy to do so...
The two of them waited until the nurse called them in.
As they walked in and clocked eyes on Tao, Kai immediately stiffened.
"Now it's a more sociable hour...what seems to be the problem?" Tao asked in a much more chipper manner than their previous encounter.
"...I'm really sorry about this morning..." Kai said with genuine remorse, "...I just keep having really bad dreams and..."
Tao waved it off.
"...and they frightened you. That I understand...but coming to my door before sunrise was maybe a little excessive..."
"...It won't happen again..."
"Good. Now, up on the table, let's have a look at you..."
Kai hopped onto the table and lay back again, letting Tao poke and prod him as Aoba had.
"Any nausea?"
"No..."
"Headaches?"
"...sometimes."
Tao nodded and pulled out a blood pressure monitor, ripping open the Velcro and wrapping it round his upper arm tightly.
As he pumped, he continued to ask him questions.
"Feeling tired?"
"Yes."
"Dizzy?"
"...A little light-headed sometimes, doesn't last long."
Tao nodded and Kai felt the belt around his arm getting tighter and tighter.
Aoba peered over at the monitor and frowned to match Tao's.
After a little while of quiet, Tao finally stopped and ripped it back off.
"...Feeling stressed?"
He tensed.
"...Not overly..."
Tao and Aoba cocked a brow.
"...You're still involved in training the team, are you not?"
"...Not overly..." he spat as it touched a nerve.
"But you still participate most days?"
"Yes."
"...I'm going to have to insist you stop completely...for a short while at least..."
"What?!" he blurted out as he sat up, "Why?!"
"...Your baby is fine. You, on the other hand, don't seem to be. Judging by the incident at my door this morning and the reading the blood monitor just gave me, it sounds like your stress levels are too high. If you really want to keep your baby healthy, you're going to have to relax and take it easy...I'll check your blood pressure again in a few days, but right now it's way too high for my liking."
Kai swung his legs over the side of the table.
"I can't resign! Not completely!"
"...Why not?" Tao asked, confused, "Isn't the team being lead by a stand in while you're expecting?"
"Yes! But..."
He couldn't tell Tao about the Ben drama.
Aoba knew though. He put a hand on his shoulder.
"...Kai, maybe it's for the best, huh? All it does is upset you when you go..."
"I am not handing my team over..." he growled before turning back to Tao.
"...That really isn't necessary...I promise to take it easier outside training!"
Tao looked stern.
"You came to me this morning in fear that there was something wrong with your child...I've done as you asked and made sure everything is in order...and now you don't take my advice?"
"I'm not saying I won't take your-"
"Three weeks. No training. End of discussion." Tao said firmly, "The rainy season is also starting..even more reason not to. Don't want you out catching your death. After three weeks I'll check you again and let you know if I deem you fit to return."
Before he had a chance to argue, Tao jumped off his stool and walked to the door, opening it.
"Good day to you, gentleman..."
Aoba tugged Kai's shirt. Tao wasn't someone you pushed. He knew that all too well.
They walked out the clinic and Aoba shuddered at the tense atmosphere.
"...It's only three weeks..."
"Three weeks is plenty of time to ruin everything!" Kai yelled back in an instant.
"...Hey...don't get mad at me, not my fault your blood pressure is through the roof..."
Kai stopped and sighed.
"...I know...I'm sorry...What the hell am I going to do though?" he asked, hopelessness in his voice.
Three weeks was ample time for them all to realise...
They didn't need him at all...
Aoba walked him home, hating the silence as the whole way.
As they got to the door, Kai thanked him for everything and invited him in for tea as Aoba always did for him.
He accepted.
As they walked in, Kai noticed Ray's shoes were gone.
He'd already left for training...
He checked his phone...no message.
Really? He'd been gone hours and to the hospital and not even a message asking if he was all right...?
He walked in to the kitchen, followed by Aoba and felt himself stiffen.
…Apparently Ray had made himself breakfast...
And a mess...
The sink full of dirty bowls, plates and pans and the surfaces hadn't been wiped down...
"...Sorry about the mess..." Kai apologised, embarrassed.
"No problem..." Aoba said kindly before guiding him to the kitchen table, "Come on, Flappy! Have a seat...I'll make the tea!" he offered in a more chipper voice.
"I've got it! I'm not an invalid!" he snapped.
Aoba held up his hands and let him do it...it was his house, after all.
Kai quickly washed the dishes while the water boiled...
"So..." Aoba said, trying to change the subject, "Did Tao tell you when you're starting the classes?"
Kai turned to look over his shoulder.
"Classes?"
"Yeh! Like...breathing techniques and stuff for labor!"
Kai turned his whole body as his face fell.
Was he kidding?!
Fucking Lemaze classes?!
Great...why didn't the world just rip off his dick, shove him in a dress and an apron and hand him a recipe for the best apple pie!?
Aoba burst out laughing at his face.
"Don't look like that! I know it's not exactly the coolest thing to do...but when the time comes, you'll thank us...and it's not just that, we teach basic infant first aid and care and stuff like that...I think it would be good for you."
Kai still looked less than pleased.
"...But...already?"
"That's why I asked if he'd mentioned it...you probably won't start for another month...just wondered if he'd brought it up.
"No...he hasn't..." he said bluntly as he brought over two cups of tea and sat himself down.
Aoba changed the subject and made small talk with him before Kai shivered.
"...you cold?" he asked.
"No, not at all."
"Be right back, gonna grab a sweater."
"Sure thing..."
Kai took himself out the kitchen and up the stairs to his room to find a sweater.
As he came back down, the door opened.
Ray stepped in, lifting his head to see him coming down the stairs and let out a smug smile.
"So...How's Sweet Pea? Growing claws?"
Kai slowed his steps as his eyes narrowed.
THAT was how he was greeting him?
No 'Was everything all right?'
As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he did what he automatically did with Ray when he really lost his temper.
He rushed forward and shoved him as hard as he could.
"Fuck you, Ray! I'm glad this is all so funny to you!" he yelled.
Ray's back slammed against the door and his eyes widened slightly before frowning.
"Maybe if you quit being so ridiculous, I wouldn't have a reason to poke fun, would I?" he said with a provoking smirk.
Kai's eyes watered.
"Why is it so ridiculous to give a shit if our baby is OK?! You're seriously not even going to ask if it went all right?!"
Ray huffed as he hung up his jacket before turning back to him and folding his arms.
"...High blood pressure...too much stress...three weeks off coming to training...I told you getting yourself so worked up wasn't good for you, didn't I?" he reeled off as he stepped inside.
Kai's frown disappeared.
"...How...?"
"I went to see Tao after we were done training to apologise for you acting a lunatic this morning...he filled me in."
The frown came back.
"So...instead of, oh I don't know, coming with me and supporting me, you waited until later to apologise for me like I'm a naughty child?!"
Ray shrugged.
"...I had training."
Kai felt rage bubble.
Of course, training came first...
"...Everything all right...?" came Aoba's voice from behind them.
Ray looked at him and frowned, not expecting him to be there.
"...Fine...What are you doing here?" he asked almost cooly.
"I took Kai to the clinic and then brought him home..." he answered just as coldly as he folded his arms and gave him a look.
After everything Kai had told him, Ray wasn't his favorite person right now.
Ray frowned at Kai.
"...You had to drag him in to your nonsense, too?"
Aoba cleared his throat sternly.
"...He didn't drag me in to anything...I offered...he needed someone to be there with him..."
Ray scoffed.
"Oh, come on, Aoba! You know he's just overreacting...don't encourage him..."
Aoba's eyes narrowed.
"Tell you what, Ray...you grow a life in your gut...then come back and tell us when you do or don't need support..."
Ray near enough glared at him.
Aoba took this as the time to leave.
"...My door is always open..." he said to Kai before going past Ray and taking his leave.
As soon as the door closed, Ray's glare went to Kai.
Just what he needed...the head of the Mommy Club judging him...
"...Let me guess, you two have been clucking about what an asshole I am because I didn't pander to your little flap-attack?" he bit, annoyed.
Kai bit the inside of his cheek.
He was soooo sick of crying.
But his chest felt so heavy.
Ray seemed different recently...it wasn't nice at all.
"You know...I really thought something was wrong with our baby..." he said as he held his gaze with him, "I honestly thought something wasn't right...I was terrified...and all you could do was mock me?"
Ray sighed...feeling slightly guilty...
"...But you panic over every little thing...especially these dreams of yours...it's getting excessive..."
Kai glowered at him.
Ray never used to be such an...ass.
"...You know, every since you've been hanging out with Ben, you've become a real jerk, you know that?!"
Ray let out a growl of frustration.
"Do not even say that name...I can't handle another argument about him! You know, I'm actually glad you got prescribed three weeks off, because I think you need to stay out of our way for now!"
He regretted those words as soon as he said them and saw Kai's hurt reaction.
"...I didn't mean it like that..." he said immediately in a softer voice.
Kai's eyes watered harder.
"...Yes, you did..."
Ray sighed once again as his face softened and he put his hands on his hips.
"...I just think its for the best...you're not yourself right now..."
As hard as he resisted, he couldn't stop one tear from escaping as he turned to go back upstairs.
"...Neither are you..." he answered back as he went up.
Ray watched him go...once again, not in the mood to go after him. What would the point be?
Kai sat at the edge of his bed and willed himself not to cry.
Honestly, he probably didn't even cry this much when he was a baby...it was maddening, but just happened.
He felt himself getting worked up again...now Ray knew he was off training, he couldn't just ignore Tao's orders like he'd planned to...
This was probably the end of the road for him...almost a month off...he'd be coming up seven months by that point...would they want him back for two months before he popped?
It's not like he'd be able to go back to it right away after it was born...
As he felt himself getting more and more upset, he made himself get up and draw a bath. He had listened to Tao...if calming down and relaxing would benefit the baby, he needed to do it.
He stripped and sat himself in the warm water before sinking in to it...waiting.
Usually the warm water set the baby off.
He waited.
And waited.
Nothing.
He felt fear in the pit of his gut.
"Hey..." he said with a warning tone as he poked his belly, "wake up..."
He jabbed a few more times until he felt a wriggle and let out a relieved sigh.
"...Don't do that to me..." he scolded.
Maybe Ray and the others was right...maybe he was too quick to panic.
...But had everyone forgotten not two months ago he was kidnapped by actual lunatics who were going to bring on a miscarriage?
Thirty seconds was all that guy needed...if Ray had come in thirty seconds later, their baby would have died.
It was close...too close.
He'd never been more hopeless and terrified in his life. Until then, he wasn't even sure he wanted this kid...
But like the saying goes, you don't know what you've got until you lose it.
What were the chances that a group of weirdos would abduct him and pull that?
If that could happen, why couldn't other things happen?
All he was trying to do was look out for his child and protect it...which was hard to do when it was inside you...
Every single person he met here gave him the 'wow, I've never heard of a non-neko male getting pregnant!'.
Yeh! No shit! 'Cause men aren't supposed to bare children! So why was it considered excessive to be concerned that it wasn't cookin' the way it was meant to?!
How could Ray be so relaxed and worry free?
And how dare he point the finger and say he wasn't himself.
No. He wasn't. Wanna know why, Ray?!
Because YOU went and put the biggest responsibility there is inside him.
He almost lost it once, he couldn't bare to go through that again. The guilt was too much.
It was down to him to protect it. If anything happened to it, it would be his fault..
He got snapped out his thoughts when he heard the front door open and close.
…There went Ray.
"Have fun with Ben..." he thought to himself bitterly before his brow furrowed.
He ran his warm hands over his belly.
As days went on, the more he felt on his own in all this...
While the baby depended on him, he didn't feel like he had Ray to depend on any more.
...Thank god he had Aoba at least...
He soaked in the bath a little while longer before realising it wasn't helping...
He got himself out, dried and dressed and took himself downstairs...
He had laundry to do...
Ben waved as he saw Ray approaching.
"Yo! Ready to get some food?"
"Yeh..." Ray said in a less than enthusiastic voice.
"...What's up?" Ben asked at hearing his tone.
Ray huffed. He wasn't in the mood to go over it all again.
"...Trouble with the old ball and chain, huh?" Ben made an intelligent guess.
Ray nodded.
"Well...you're with me now! Forget about him!" he said cheerfully as he clapped him on the back.
Ray gave him a small smile...
They went and got food at one of the only places in the village to get it before going back to Ben's to talk tournament.
….which turned in to talk about times gone by...
….which turned in to stories about their travels.
Before they knew it, it was dark out.
Ray looked up at the clock and sighed.
Ben was so easy to talk to. And a lot of fun. He didn't realise how much he'd missed him.
But...he couldn't stay here forever.
"...I guess I'd better get back to the 'ball and chain' as you put it..." he said sadly.
He really didn't want to go home...
Ben looked him up and down.
"...Or...you could come have a few drinks with me at Old Man Chen's place..." he said with a smirk.
Ray hesitated.
"Come oooon..." Ben coaxed, "You telling me your little princess can't handle being by himself for a few more hours? Seriously, when do you get to unwind recently? You're either training or at his beck and call..."
...Twenty minutes later, they were both sat at the small bar of Old Man Chen's...
...with a bottle of their strongest Baiju.
The pair of them necked one within minutes and Ben clapped him on the back once again as he poured him another.
"Come on, Ray...get it down you...god knows you've earned it!" he said as he slid the glass in front of him.
Ray took it and looked at it...he knew deep down he really shouldn't...but he needed it...
He picked up the glass and chugged it, slamming the glass back down in front of Ben as he coughed and spluttered.
"Pour me another..." he gasped through the dry burn in his throat.
"Haaaaaa! That's my boy!" Ben laughed in praise, "I knew you weren't boring like the others..."
Ray made a face as he took another swig.
"You really think I'm a boring, no-fun bitch huh?"
Ben snorted.
"...Well...When you're with Kai, you kind of are...no offence, bro..."
Ray leaned his elbows on the bar and sighed, swirling his glass.
"It wasn't always like that..."
Ben took a swig of his own and cocked a brow.
"Honeymoon phase never lasts, Ray...that's why I keep mine short and sweet...peace out before we're wearing matching clothes and watching Grey's Anatomy...eating some weird pasta dish we made together..."
Ray suppressed a laugh and rolled his eyes, "...Might be a bit late for me there..." he sighed as he poured himself his fourth.
"Maybe so..." Ben agreed before smirking at him, "bet you regret not wrapping it up now, huh?"
Ray laughed and punched his arm playfully.
"I thought we were here to talk about other things, Mr. Single..."
"We were supposed to..." Ben laughed as he rubbed the spot Ray punched, "but you're not focussed because of whatever is going on with you and the princess...Come on, I'm your friend! You can tell me about it..."
Ray sighed and grabbed Ben's glass and picking up the bottle.
"You might need one of these then..." he said as he topped him up and slid it back to him.
"...I don't know what's happened to him...it's like...like he isn't himself any more. We fight over and over about the same stuff, it's just non stop! ….And don't even get me started on our sex life..." he added bitterly.
Ben lit up like a kid at Christmas, but tried very hard to keep his face composed with friendly concern.
"...are you saying he's not putting out?"
Ray rolled his eyes, the warmth and buzz of the alcohol loosening his lips and dissolving his filter.
"Not putting out...not putting in...and he wonders why I'm so uptight all the damn time! Like...hello, let me bang you once in a while and I might be a bit more relaxed! ...I swear I haven't had to jerk off this much since I was single..."
Ben shook his head in disapproval.
"That is messed up...You shouldn't have to put up with that! You know what they say about the pregnant men...all you gotta do is flash them your goods and they fall to their knees with their mouths wide open..." he added crudely.
"Heh...every time he opens his mouth, he just bitches..." he replied in a slight growl.
Ben bit the inside of his cheek to stop a laugh...this was gold.
"I have to say..." he started again, "Before I came here, I was always given the impression Kai was a strong, silent guy with balls for days...have to say I'm disappointed..."
Ray nodded through a sip.
"Oh, he was...and he did...until an alien or something inhabited his body...you know, he made some pretty outlandish comments about our race today..."
Ben cocked a brow.
"Oh?"
"He thinks our kid is some mutant creature that will climb the walls..." he said as he rolled his eyes yet again, "so I nicknamed it Sweet Pea..."
Ben spat out some of his drink before erupting in to loud laughter, slapping the bar.
"What!? What the hell?!"
Ray started to laugh with him.
"Oh yeh...and get this...He was freaking out about it not having its limbs. Like, you're the one carrying it, you feel it kicking all the time, how can it kick if it doesn't have it's damn feet!"
Alcohol surging through the pair of them, their laughter got so loud and obnoxious, they were gaining awkward stares from the other patrons.
Ben continued to slap the bar as he laughed, loving hearing how messed up he was.
"Stop! Stoooop! I can't breathe!" he gasped, "Are you serious!?"
Ray attempted to take a swig, but Ben's laughter caused him to start again.
"He woke me up at 5am this morning with it...then the dumbass went and woke up Tao!" he howled.
"NOOO! He didn't! Tao doesn't get out of bed on Sundays..the whole village knows that!" he laughed, "What is wrong with this dude, unstable much?!"
Ray shook his head as the laughter finally died down.
"...I'm surprised he's still among the living..." he said sadly, laughter gone as he looked back down at the bar and sighed.
Ben draped an arm round him and poured him yet another.
"Listen to me, Ray...don't take his crap...if he wants to act like a deranged mental patient, let him! He sounds like he's doing it all for attention...probably because he's jealous you're still on the team and he isn't."
"...I don't think he's jealous of me..." Ray said uncertainly as he leaned in to Ben's hold.
"Of course he's jealous! I see it! I didn't want to say anything because that's your guy and all...but he kind of scares me...like when I took that leaf out your hair, I honestly thought he was going to go for me!"
Ray cringed.
"Oh my god, I forgot all about that. He had no right to do that to you, you were just helping. What an ass... it's not his hair it's mine dammit!"
Ben chuckled.
"It's cool...but just saying...that's one example of many...see it in his eyes, man...something isn't right there..."
"You think so?" he asked as he met his eyes.
"I know so! Like you said, your hair...he's that possessive he thinks he's owns you?"
"I.. I wouldn't say he thinks that..."
"...you sure about that?" he asked as he arched a brow.
Ray paused and frowned. "I don't know... Maybe...he gets so uptight if I leave the house, or when I'm with you..." he began, getting angry as he thought about it, "what the hells his problem? I'm not his slave, I can do whatever the hell I want, be with who I want. It's not like I try to stop him from hanging out with Aoba..."
Ben grinned...this was perfect...Kai was jealous of him and he'd brought him to his next victim nicely.
"He does? ...that's just weird...and...about Aoba...nahhh maybe I shouldn't tell you..."
Ray snapped his eyes to him again, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Tell me what?"
Ben feigned reluctance.
"...well...I don't want to stir the pot...I never said anything to anyone to keep the peace, ya know?...But I think I have an idea of one of the reasons Kai's become such a...bitch"
Ray's eyes widened at him as he thought it over, still gripping Ben's shoulder.
"You think Aoba is the reason?"
Ben shrugged. "All I'll say is this...remember how tight Shou and I used to be?"
Ray nodded. "Yeah, I do... Really thought you two would have become something if I'm going to be honest with you...before he fell for Aoba..."
Ben felt himself stiffen and his chest stung...he did too... he cleared his throat.
"Well...let's just say once they started dating...Shou suddenly stopped hanging out as much...then they got married and it became even less...once Mei came along, if I so much as looked at Shou, Aoba gave me the look... Would not surprise me if he's planting little seeds in your man's head...be careful there..."
Ray frowned and rubbed his arm. "I had no idea, I thought you two were still alright... If Aoba did that, then he might be... Fuck him, right?"
Ben lifted his hand to his shoulder and rubbed Ray's arm "...I know he's a friend of yours but...he's trouble...and manipulative...don't you think it's weird Kai spends time with the baby expert and suddenly the guy you describe as being tough as nails is reduced to freaking out about having a deformed kid? ...Where do you think he'd get a bizarre idea like that?"
Ray frowned harder as the cogs in his head turned. "You would think Aoba would be able to tell him that's not how it works. Aoba's got two kids of his own, he knows how it happens and what to expect! I can't believe he'd do that to him!"
Ben shook his head, "He gets off on being a momma hen, Ray...always has...he scared Kai, Kai keeps running to him crying for comfort... And gets to be the hero when big bad Ray doesn't put up with it... Come to think of it...why else did he make you guys go see the birth? Bit weird...hasn't known you guys that long...probably wanted Kai to freak out...bet it wasn't exactly pretty... Fuck...makes my balls shrivel up just thinking about it..."
Ray made a face as he recalled it, come to think of it...Kai hadn't been right since seeing that. It made sense...
"What a fucking asshole!" he yelled as he pushed himself off the bar top, wobbling, "Go fucking teach him!"
Ben reached out to steady him, "Whoa, whoa! Steady, Ray...don't go in guns blazing..."
"Well... S'monbodies gotta do it." he slurred, hardly able to stand...let alone talk, "That prick messing with Kai. MY Kai! Who the fuck does he thinks he is? Huh?!"
The other patrons looked around and frowned.
"I know, I know!" Ben soothed, "But trust me, he'll turn it around on you! And then he'll only turn Kai against you and put you in bad with Shou...'
Ray grumbled and sat back down, his world spinning on him, making him place his forehead into his hands.
"Fucking bitches... All of em..."
"Yeh...tell me about it...something about babies turns them weird... The best thing you can do is stay firm and not bow down to his shit... Aoba may be the ringleader...but Kai isn't stupid, either...he knows he can make you out to be the bad guy for not pandering to poor pregnant him...like he's a delicate flower now... All because he can't stand not being on the team...or that he's not your number one priority all the time...make a stand! Be a man!"
Ray felt himself get riled up, pushing himself from the bar again.
"I AM the man!" he cried out powerfully.
Suddenly, bile rose up into his throat...to avoid Ben he turned to his other side, projectile vomiting right near the gentleman to his left, who jumped back so he didn't get splashed.
Ben's jaw dropped before he howled laughing. He stood up and grabbed Ray's shoulders.
"Sorry sir...please don't be mad...hormonal pregnant wife at home..."
The elderly man looked disgusted and shook his head.
"...Maybe should be at home with her then instead of getting blind drunk..."
Ray looked livid.
"Don't fuckin.. tell me... what to..."
He was cut off by another wave of vomit leaving his throat.
"...Poor woman..." the old man sympathised, "you ought to be ashamed! You too for encouraging him!" he barked at Ben.
"Ahhhh lighten up, grandpa! Come on Ray, let's get out of here...bored of this place..."
He grabbed Ray's arm and dragged him out, leaving behind Ray's acidic puke all over the bar.
….Ray drunkenly flipped off the old man as he was dragged out.
Ben dragged him home, laughing at Ray babbling shit about Kai and Aoba the whole way...
They finally made it to his door. He brought up the old man again...after he fell on his ass in the doorway.
"That fucking prick! This place is so borrringgg, now I remember why I left!"
"Exactly!" Ben agreed, "Everyone is boring here!"
Ray looked up at him, a slight dreamy glaze across his eyes.
"Not you though... god I missed you."
Ben smirked...Ray had been touching him and giving him eyes all night...if he'd wanted him, he could have had him...part of him was tempted...just because he could...
"Missed you too...you were never boring either...don't let them make you one of them..."
Ray waved his hand at him, pushing himself to stand and placed both hands on both shoulders. "They can't make me, know why?"
Ben smirked, having a feeling he knew what was coming next "why Ray?"
Ray let out a belch, smirking back at him. "Cus I'M THE MAAAAN!" he sung.
Ben punched his arm and laughed.
"That's right! YOU THE MAN, RAY!"
Ray continued to sing it as he opened the door, heading inside
"Allright...night...thanks a lot, Ben!"
"Welcome! And Ray?"
Ray's head stuck back out through the door.
"Hm?"
Ben gave him a smirk.
"...send my love to Sweet Pea, ha?"
He tried to suppress the laugh...but it came barrelling out anyway.
"Of course! Uncle Ben!"
Ben grinned like a Cheshire Cat as he left...that was a perfect evening.
Kai stirred from his sleep as he heard loud banging and clattering downstairs.
He rubbed his eyes and checked the clock before feeling wide awake...and angry.
1am...
"Ohhhh Honey! I'm home!" he heard Ray's jovial and slurred voice from the hallway, followed by a thud.
"...And I'm in need of your assistance it seems."
His eyes widened...was this fucker drunk?!
He threw back the covers and stormed to the top of the stairs, folding his arms and looking down at him,glaring.
Ray looked up and grinned, he loved that bump...
"Heyyy Kai baby, and... baby... I fell and I can't get up..." he said as he laughed.
Kai glared harder.
"Get your ass up here before I hurt you! Do you know what time it is!?"
Ray looked at his wrist to an imaginary watch. "It's a quarter past ahhhh, freckle and a hair."
Kai's eye twitched, not finding this amusing at all.
"Very funny! Let me guess, painted the backwards village red with Ben!?"
Ray cocked a confused brow at him
"With what paint?... Seriously though babe, I can't get up."
Kai took in a deep, annoyed inhale as he stepped down the stairs, holding his belly as he tried to crouch
Ray put an arm around his shoulders and let Kai take him to the bed, getting practically thrown down on it.
"...You are unbelievable..." Kai said angrily.
Ray let out a sloppy smile.
"Noooo, I'm the MAN!"
Kai scoffed angrily.
"Oh yeh! What a man you are! How lucky am I!?"
Ray's smile grew.
"Pretty damn lucky, you know how popular I was here?"
Kai's eye twitched again as Ray continued to rub him the wrong way.
"Is that right? Well, they can have you!"
Ray pouted.
"But I don't want them... Not when I have you and Sweet Pea..." he slurred affectionately as he went to touch Kai's stomach.
Kai felt a burst of anger...he was still mocking him!?
He brought his arm back and gave him a firm slap across the face.
"Ow... The hell was that for?!"
"Call it that again! See what happens!" he yelled as he raised his arm again in threat.
Ray suddenly felt more sober.
"It's my kid Kai, I can call it whatever I want!"
"The hell you can! I'm the one growing it! You start acting like a father and maybe you get that right!"
Ray rolled his eyes.
"If it wasn't for me it wouldn't be there in the first place! And don't start that bullshit with me! I've done plenty for you!"
"EXACTLY!" Kai yelled, "This is all your fault! And all you've done for me lately is make everything harder!"
Ray huffed...here we go again...
"Ohhh, because you've been such a saint lately!"
"Ha! Glad you noticed! I'm the one cleaning this place and keeping everything going while you go TRAINING...if that's what you're even doing"
Ray's eyes narrowed at the implication.
"Of course it's what I'm doing you idiot, what else would I be doing?! And oh boy, the great Kai Hiwatari had to do house work..."
Kai grit his teeth as a growl escaped his throat.
"In case you hadn't noticed..." he said as he put both hands on stomach, "I can't do some of it!"
Ray huffed.
"You're not always going to be able to play the pregnant card Kai..."
Kai's jaw dropped...speechless as he stared at him. Did he really just say that to him?
Ray knew he'd overstepped a line...he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Fuck..."
Kai continued to stare at him silently for a moment.
"...I hate you..." he said finally, keeping his gaze...saying it with actual feeling.
Ray shook his head.
"Yeah?" he slurred as he hung his head, "What else is new?"
Kai felt his eyes well up, upset and angry. Ray was treating everything like a big joke...
He felt himself snap...he wanted to punch the living shit out of him...which wasn't an option.
So instead, he grabbed his pillow and began beating him repeatedly as hard as he could.
"I. HATE. YOU!"
Ray was startled by the sudden attack, trying to block the swings, but unable to react fast enough to stop getting the shit beat out of.
"Stop it Kai! You're going to hurt the baby!" he pleaded.
Kai continued to keep screaming that he hated him over and over, the swings gradually getting weaker as he started to cry, frustrated.
Ray sat back up once the pillow stops swinging, looking at Kai as he stood there panting and in tears. Guilt sank in to him as he stared at the pathetic state he'd been reduced to.
"God Kai, you really are unhinged..."
Kai glared through his tears, feeling desperate.
"Stop it! Stop saying that! I'm not crazy!"
"Really?" he questioned, "...because from what happened this morning to now says otherwise..."
Kai's eyes became vicious as he lifted the pillow and beat him again.
"If I'm nuts it's because of YOU!"
Ray had enough...of everything. He snatched the pillow out of his hold, standing himself up and grabbing his wrists in a death like hold, eyes slit and piercing.
"Stop blaming me for every god damn thing that's going wrong here! I'm not the source of all your problems, but you keep making me out to be the enemy Kai! We're supposed to do this together dammit, not go at each other's throats all the damn time. It's not my fault you can't see past your fucking ego to just sit on the sidelines during training, when you know it's better for the baby. It's not my damn fault you keep having outlandish dreams that mean NOTHING! So before you try and pin this all on me, when really all I've done is try and be there for you, you should sit back and take a good HARD look in a damn mirror!"
Kai tried to struggleout his hold.
"That is bullshit! You've done fuck all for me! You made the monumental mistake of fucking me without protection and got us in to this! You don't want to deal with it, so you don't! And this has nothing to do with my ego! I'd be fine with it if it weren't for that fucking asshole!
Ray's grip got tighter, eyes slitting harder as his fangs started to bear.
"I have done everything I can for you! Did you listen to me this morning when I told you everything was fine? NO! You had to go to Tao, and then fucking Aoba! You can't trust me when it matters, so don't blame me when I'm at the end of my rope with this bullshit! If you're not willing to listen to me then there isn't anything I can do for you!"
He got angry and threw his hands away from his hold.
"And Ben has NOTHING to do with this, and you fucking know it Kai! Of course it has to do with your ego, you see it as you're being replaced permanently, and that has NEVER been the case Kai. It's temporary, once this tournament is over and done with, so is Ben! We know that, he knows that, it's YOU who has yet to accept it and that's no one's fault but your own!"
Kai's face contorted in to anger as he growled, frustrated.
He lost his temper at the accusation and lost his resistance, and actually began to hit him.
"None of this would have happened if it weren't for you!" he yelled as he swung,
"You ruined my fucking life and now you're blaming me for it!? Why should I listen to you when you never listen to me!? I was terrified this morning and you laughed at me! And when are you going to open your eyes?! He wants my place Ray!" he yelled as he got more and more upset. "You refuse to see it! He wants me out! He's turning you against me! All this started to fall apart when HE came!"
Ray pushed him off, just hard enough to get away from him.
"Here we go again, right there, you're NOT listening to me! He has nothing to do with this!" He yelled as his body shook, unable to take this any more.
"I'm over this Kai, I can't keep arguing in circles with you if you won't listen to a damn thing I say! And before you get all bent out of shape for me laughing at you...you're the one who insulted my entire race!"
Kai raised his hands and looked at him like he was insane for once,
"What the fuck are you talking about?! I never said shit about your race!"
"Oh really!? Didn't you say something about if you were to judge us as a whole based on me we're the 'worst kind'? Not to mention you made stupid accusations about how our child would be when it was born and 'climb walls' like some kind of mutant!"
Kai shook angrily.
Ray. Never. Listened.
"Yeh! Judging by you, the absolute worst! Because you fucking suck! You misunderstood because all you wanna hear is me being an asshole! I made those comments because I'm terrified something is going wrong!"
Ray growled, frustrated, his eyes slit once and fangs bared, pointing to them.
"This is all that they may get for being half Neko! Just this Kai! No wall climbing, no third eye, no nothing! Ten fingers and ten toes, two legs and two arms! You were pretty clear when you said it was deformed, as if being part Neko was the cause of it."
Kai shook harder before he exploded.
"That's not what I meant!"
"Then what is it?!"
"I'm not Neko, Ray! I'm not supposed to carry children!" he practically screamed, before taking a few deep breaths and feeling all the fear and worry come back.
His voice softened.
"...What if my body isn't doing what it's supposed to?"
Ray's face softened too as he looked at him with guilt...he really had gotten the wrong end of the stick on this...he'd thought this whole time, Kai was freaking out because their child would be a weird human-neko hybrid...which had hurt him.
He sighed heavily before closing his eyes, letting them go back to normal and stepped up to him.
"If it wasn't doing what it needed to, Tao and Aoba would have told you... It probably wouldn't have even worked to begin with..."
He went to touch him, but pulled back.
"I'm sorry, I really am... Getting you pregnant and all... But I'm trying Kai... I really am... I'm just... I can't help you when you don't listen to me."
Kai sniffed as he felt himself get emotional.
Ray's words did actually make him feel a little better...he was right...if his body wasn't working the way it should, he probably wouldn't have made it this far...
But he just couldn't forgive him for laughing at him...making him feel small, stupid...and insane.
"Trying my ass! I'm just a joke to you!" he snivelled as he grabbed the blanket and his pillow from the bed.
"I can't even look at you...I'm sleeping on the couch tonight..." he hiccuped as he grabbed Ray's pillow, too and held it up to him.
"...and Sweet Pea needs this more than you do...drunken asshole..."
Ray gave up...mentally face-palming...he was impossible...and he just didn't have it in him to argue any more...
"Alright, fine. Enjoy your sleep..."
Kai glared.
"Oh, we will! And try not to throw up on yourself again! Can smell it on you...disgusting..." he spat as he stormed out the room.
Ray rolled his eyes yet again...going to the bathroom and slamming the door shut.
Kai lay himself on the couch...already knowing this was a mistake.
He wriggled to try and make himself comfortable, taking 'daddy's' pillow and putting it under his bump.
….Still not comfortable...
He took Ray's pillow and put it between his legs.
...Better, but still not comfortable..
Still better than sleeping next to it upstairs...
He'd get him back for all this...
End of Chapter 11!
I know that was long, but I hope you enjoyed it!
Who's in the right, who's in the wrong?
Is Ben the asshole or is Aoba?
Hmmmmmmmm...
See you next time!
Any comments would be appreciated!
Thanks for reading!