Author's Note: Firstly, I would to offer my sincerest apologies to those who read that literary train wreck I published the first time for this chapter. Too late I realized I had made a horrible mistake, but hopefully this rewrite is much better. Secondly, I decided to take a light an fluffy approach to transitioning to the next part of the story arc. And third, I know this version is a lot shorter, but I hope that it's a whole lot sweeter.
Second, I will include my shout outs this time because I do value you, the reader, giving me your time and attention by reading this. I greatly appreciate the follows and favorites. I am incredibly grateful for the reviews. Thank you so much for the encouraging words, the polite criticism, and sharing your thoughts.
Thank you to AstroLibra, I am always happy to get your review right out of the gate; Terrence Johnny Stanford for your lengthy and in depth reviews. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Justtryingnameshere, hinatayvonne, Dark Mystique, Coolfire30, Blackrabbz76, and curlystruggle. I read all of your reviews and appreciate them all.
I hope you all like the new chapter. I'll admit I'm nervous about it after my first mess up so please be gentle when reviewing.
Melina gradually awakened, becoming aware of her hand still clutching Shoto's. She had not dreamed at all last night which was positively phenomenal. Better no dreams than disturbing, intrusive thoughts of the past that interrupted her sleep in one way or another on an almost nightly basis.
Apparently being close to him made her feel safe and secure, banishing any nightmares. Shoto seemed to have slept pretty well himself - and continued sleeping despite her staring at him.
Neither one of them had moved an inch during the night, both staying flat on their backs, their fingers interlocked. She carefully unhinged her fingers from his, clenching and unclenching them to work out the stiffness.
Sitting up, she cast a glimpse at Shoto's face. In the muted light he looked positively cherubic, his cheeks round and rosy and his lips poked out in a relaxed pout. He looked so childlike and much younger than his already tender age of sixteen years.
Her mind recalled the conversation with Enji Todoroki about the arranged marriage. Instead of a child bride, Shoto would be a child husband; a willing party to the marriage, but seriously?! What were those two thinking? The idea of taking such drastic measures to avoid shame and protect the family name did not make sense to her.
Who was she kidding? So many things did not make sense to her right now.
Melina leaned over to kiss Shoto on the cheek before sliding out of the bed. She grabbed her red silk robe off of the hook beside the door on her out of her room.
The polished wooden floor was smooth and cool under her bare feet. The house was so quiet, so tranquil. She had already grown to love this place. She looked forward to raising her child here.
Melina made her way to the kitchen where she knew Hana would be busy preparing a delicious breakfast. The woman was an amazing cook. The soft sound of dishes clattering lightly met her ears as she neared the kitchen. She could hear the crunch as a knife chopped through fresh crispy vegetables then the thump as the blade met the surface of the massive wooden chopping block.
"Good morning, Hana," she said, respectfully greeting the kind woman with a bow.
"Good morning, young Miss," the grandmotherly woman returned with a bow. "Will the young Master be taking breakfast with you this morning?"
"Yes, ma'am," she replied harking back to her Southern roots. They had their social customs to show respect, she had hers.
Melina poured herself a cup of water from the clear glass pitcher sitting on the butcher's block prep table laden with plates piled high with sliced vegetables and fruits prepped for use in the day's dishes. She snagged a pickled cucumber marinating in a bowl along with radishes and carrots.
Such a lovely display of colors and textures lay before her eyes. Everything smelled so fresh and healthy. She stole a piece of radish next. The vinegary tanginess offset the nausea swirling in her empty belly.
Hana playfully slapped the back of her hand when she reached for a carrot.
"Those are for lunch, young Miss. Here," she said, handing her a slice of ripe, juicy peach. "This is for breakfast. So are the cherries."
"Thank you." Melina popped the entire slice of peach into her mouth, reaching for a second slice.
"I am happy to see you have a good appetite this morning. I was beginning to worry about you. You have not been eating much lately due to the sickness," she said, beating eggs in a bowl. "Will the young Master be joining you in your sitting room for the morning meal? I assumed he would since he slept in your room last night."
Melina inhaled sharply sucking the copious amounts of peach juice down her throat. She sputtered and coughed, beating on her chest with her fist. Hana calmly picked up the glass of water, handing it to her. Although she knew the last thing she needed was more fluid, she tentatively sipped on the water in hopes of ceasing the coughing.
"Hana, I can explain - " Her words were cut short due to another fit of coughing.
"Please, don't young Miss. I have worked for this family for a very long time. I have heard many things and seen many things. It is not my duty to ask questions or pass judgment on those I serve. My duty is to take care of this family," she stated plainly. "You are a part of this family now."
A warm feeling spread throughout Melina's chest, covering her entire body like a soothing blanket. She loved being part of a family again. Soon she hoped to meet the rest of the family, but she knew Enji had good reasons not to let her officially be introduced to the other Todoroki children yet.
He had told her he needed time to make some amends of his own, to rebuild a connection with his children, before he introduced them to the American stranger who had unexpectedly become a permanent part of their lives. Whether she stayed or not, the baby would always be a Todoroki. Whatever happened, he did not want Fuyumi and Natusuo to resent her or the baby.
Enji Todoroki continued to shock her on a daily basis in all of the miraculous ways he was changing. He was becoming the family man he always wanted be down deep - way, way down deep. She earnestly believed the desire had always been there or none of this would be happening now. Her power of suggestion had only give him a nudge in the right direction.
That was something else he was right about. She never really had any unique, amazing quirk - only the power of suggestion to manipulate a person into acting on a desire they already had. The more easily her subject succumbed to her suggestions meant they were already inclined to commit those actions anyway as he had so indelicately pointed out to her.
"Young Miss?" Hana called to her, breaking through her musings.
"Hmmm...ma'am?" she asked.
"Breakfast will not be ready for almost another hour. I could make you some toast if you would like," Hana offered.
"Oh, no thank you. I had no idea it was still that early," Melina said, glancing at the clock on the stove that showed the time to be 6:37 in bright green letters. "I think I'll take a walk in the garden."
"Very good. A little walk in the fresh air will clear your mind and perk up your appetite."
Melina exited the kitchen through the back door. Although humid, the air was somewhat cool. Following the long, winding path through the different ornamental gardens, she found another oasis tucked into a back corner amid a grouping of large shade trees and clumps of Blood Grass so named due its stalks being bright red in color.
A pergola, an open-sided structure supported by pillars with a lattice framework over the top, sat in the middle of clusters of flowers in many shades of pinks, yellows, and blues planted in clay pots of varying sizes. A couple of the pots were almost as tall as her. A bamboo fountain was placed in front of the structure, fed by a little stream that disappeared through the thick bunches of Blood Grass. Most likely running downhill to irrigate the gardens below.
Melina sat down on one end of the beige cushioned outdoor couch under the pergola made of fragrant red cedar wood which gave her the impression it had recently been built. She wondered what other delightful little surprises she would find on the property if she took the time to explore it more.
The past several weeks before Shoto's arrival had been spent adjusting to her new living space. She was also getting to know her new 'Dad' who had the tendency to coddle her like a child which she found both endearing and disturbing. She never expected him becoming a grandpa would help further the rapid changes so drastically.
Enji took her shopping at least three times a week. If she offhandedly mentioned she liked something, it suddenly appeared in the house a few days later. That's probably where this little garden hideaway came from.
He pushed her into maternity shops and baby stores. She had not bought the first stitch of maternity clothing. So far she had avoided picking out furniture or any nursery items. Not even a stuffed animal has been purchased.
Although aware of her pregnancy, so far she had no daily reminders of the baby coming. She wanted to be happy about the baby; to experience the joy of looking forward to her advent into motherhood. The fear of having a miscarriage stayed in the back of her mind, needling her with doubts and stealing her joy. Not to mention when she thought about the baby, she thought about Dabi and that still hurt her heart.
Enji accused her of avoiding responsibility and acting like child. If anyone would know about those two things, he certainly would. But he was doing his best to recover from the damage of the past. He was trying to get past the wounds he caused his other children who would always bear the scars of his past mistakes.
Listening to the dribbling water and the rhythmic hollow thumping of the bamboo lever, Melina allowed her mind to drift to thoughts of the baby. Who would the baby look like? Would they favor her or Dabi more? Or would the child be a beautiful blend of the both of them? Perhaps a girl with her golden honey colored eyes and the Todoroki red hair, most likely the real color of Dabi's hair. Or maybe a boy with her black hair and Dabi's gorgeous blue-green eyes. She didn't care who the baby looked like really. Just as long as her baby arrived safe and healthy in five months.
The baby would be born in December. Would they arrive on Christmas Day? What a wonderful Christmas present! A name! A name needed to be picked out. Akane for a red headed girl. Or maybe Aiko would be better since the child would receive the love and affection of her entire family. Kazuki for a boy because he will bring peace and harmony to the Todoroki family. On and on her mind raced, flitting from one thought to the next.
"Melina?"
"Hmmm," she hummed in response, mulling over more names in head.
"Are you all right?" Shoto asked, sitting down beside her on the couch.
"I was just thinking," she answered, pulling her robe around her body self-consciously. "About the baby."
"Oh, I was hoping you were thinking about the proposal," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders.
"Proposal?" she murmured, perplexed.
When his eyebrow raised questioningly, she immediately knew what he meant.
"Oh, oh, oh...the arranged marriage. No, sweetheart, I haven't thought about it," she said, patting his hand that rested on her shoulder.
"Well, why not?"
"I've already told you I'm not doing that. That kind of marriage is more like a business deal. It also seems forced and going against at least one party's will. Besides, you're too young to legally get married."
"All we need is my Father's permission. I'm sure he would give it to us."
Every muscle in her body tensed. Yes, she was quite sure Enji would give his consent considering he had presented the arranged marriage to her as his idea. Him doing so made her wonder if he already knew she would be angry about the prospect and would rather her be angry with him instead of Shoto. Enji Todoroki was already stepping up in impressive ways to be a brand new and much better father, wanting to protect his children.
"What is the age when you no longer need parental consent to marry?" Melina asked Shoto.
"Eighteen," he answered quickly. "Why?"
"When we get married, I want it to be your decision, and your decision alone. I want to marry you without feeling like a pervert who is forcing you to do so under duress."
Melina turned to him so she could see his face when she put forth her own proposal for their future. She took one of his hands between hers, gazing directly into his dual colored eyes that held so many questions.
"How about this? After you turn eighteen, ask me to marry you," she suggested.
Strong emotion flashed through his eyes but disappeared before she could get a good read on his specific feelings. His face remained unsmiling, his eyes locked on hers, as he awaited more stipulations.
"When you propose, I want a ring. A nice one. A dozen roses, champagne, chocolate...the whole nine yards. I want you in a tuxedo and down on your knee...a sappy, old-fashioned American proposal."
The corner of his mouth twitched, but he refused to allow the smile to take hold. That expression reminded her so much of his brother causing her throat to constrict with tears she would not allow to fall. She waited for him to say something. Her eyes searched his that remained neutral, not giving her a hint as to what was going on inside of his head.
"Soooo...," she prompted him, still not getting an answer. "What do you think?"
"Okay," he replied gamely, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.
"Okay then. So no more talk about marriage?"
Melina let go of his hand reluctantly when he stood to his feet. She anxiously chewed her lower lip while watching him walk away from her. Her eyes riveted themselves to his back as he leaned against one of the wooden support beams of the pergola. Although he kept his back to her, she could tell he had his arms folded across his chest which told her he was putting his defenses up.
Please understand my feelings, Shoto. I want to do this the right way. Please, don't close yourself off to me, she begged him silently, biting her lip as her stomach nervously flipped and flopped like a fish out of water.
"I promise I won't ask you about getting married again since I already have my answer." He turned to face her, a small placid smile on his lips. "However, I reserve the right to talk about wedding plans."
Melina nodded and smiled.
"Fair enough."
"What do you think about a beach wedding? Me in jeans and a white button down shirt. No tie. No shoes. You in a pretty dress. Maybe something pink," he recommended. "Pink brings out your golden eyes."
Melina blushed from the heartfelt compliment.
"At sunset?" she added.
"At sunset," he agreed. "Just the family. Mom, Dad, Fuyumi, and Natsuo. All of us."
"I would really love that. I think it will be absolutely perfect."