A/N: IÕve decided to get into the story first and to save the responses to reviews for the end.
Weeks Later-
ÒKira, are you sick in there again?Ó Rei whined from his crouching position outside the locked bathroom door. For the second week this month Kira spent much of the morning hunched over the toilet bowl.
Kira felt bad about making him worry so much. ÒIÕll be out in a minute Rei,Ó she said when her episodes of hurling finally subsided. She figured sheÕd be out soon because she doubted that there was much else left in her stomach to throw up.
Rei winced and turned away from the door when another series of gut wrenching vomiting noises erupted again. The constant gut wrenching noises were almost too much to bear. It killed Rei to have to see Kira hurting so much and not be able to do anything to stop it.
The door squeaked open slowly and when Kira emerged from the bathroom her normally lively skin was drained dry of all color, the rings around her pale brown eyes were getting significantly darker and her lips were pursed tightly. Had the situation not been so serious Rei would have joked about it and said that she looked like a zombie.
ÒWhat do you think is causing this Kira? YouÕve been like this for quite a while,Ó Rei questioned, wrinkles forming on his forehead. Despite the fact that nothing Kira ate seemed to stay down she appeared to be gaining weight too. He couldnÕt quite put his finger on it, but something was going on with her, and it seemed to be more than just a flu or a stomach virus.
ÒItÕs probably the flu or something,Ó she replied weakly while she limped towards the bead. Kira began to feel unworthy of all this attention when he was the one overworking himself while she relaxed at home all day. ÒIÕll be fine Rei, you should get to work. YouÕll be late,Ó she breathed out, even walking was hard for her right now.
ÒAre you sure? I mean, I donÕt feel comfortable letting you stay home like this. I really doubt that this is the flu Kira, I mean itÕs the middle of summer...Ó Rei insisted. He stood in the center of the room half dressed with his hands settled on his hips as he peered over at her. Rei felt horrible about not having enough money to take her to the doctor to get everything checked out. He just moved out of his house a while ago and didnÕt want to call home for help already. Rei didnÕt want to give his father that kind of satisfaction.
Kira released the annoyed sigh that had been building up inside of her slowly. ÒDonÕt worry about it. IÕll call Harumi and ask her to stay over,Ó she suggested as she ushered him towards the door after he slipped on the t-shirt that was resting on the back of one of the dining room chairs.
ÒWhat!? Harumi!? How do you know her?Ó Rei asked, getting alarmed and wondering what kind of things Harumi been telling Kira.
ÒIÕll explain it to you in all due time. Come on, get to work already,Ó she said as she used the last of her strength to shove him out of the apartment and into the hallway.
ÒWhatever...Ó he replied, kissing her quickly on the cheek as he did every morning before leaving, and jogging up the hallway and down the stairs.
Kira let out a long sigh and rested against the door as she rested up for the walk back to her bed.
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ÒWhatÕs up Kira? IÕm sorry that I couldnÕt come sooner, but I came as soon as I got your urgent message,Ó a breathless Harumi said as she stepped inside of the one room apartment and rested her bag on one of the kitchen chairs.
Kira said nothing and stepped behind her short blonde haired friend and closed the door gently. She turned her back to the door and blushed an unnatural shade of red as she got ready to share something very personal.
ÒI... I um... I think IÕm pregnant...Ó she let out shyly, both nervous and anxious about how Harumi would react. At this very time she was very relieved to have a friend like her. Who else would she have been able to share this with had it not been for Harumi? Rei was great and all, but it was always nice to have a girl to talk to.
ÒWhat! Oh my god!Ó Harumi said excitedly as she pounced upon the smaller girl, swaying her back and forth. ÒDoes he know yet?Ó she asked as she pulled away so she could see KiraÕs face.
ÒNo, he doesnÕt know yet. I wasnÕt sure so I wanted to check before I let him know... I wanted you to be here with me,Ó Kira explained as she pulled a small rectangular box from a brown paper bag from beneath the bed.
ÒOkay then what are we waiting for? Go in there and check!!!Ó Harumi insisted as she walked over to the bathroom and held the door open for Kira, leaving no room for hesitation.
Kira took a deep breath and stepped into the bathroom. Never before had the tiled walls felt so confining, her heart felt like it was trying to burst out of her rib cage. She could believe that she was actually speculating whether she was pregnant or not. This certainly wasnÕt the best time to have to worry about things like this considering that she moved in with Rei recently and they werenÕt doing so well financially.
KiraÕs hands shook as she read the instructions on the side of the box and did as they said. After taking it out and reading the results her vision clouded over and her stomach began to hurt more than ever. She felt like she could have fainted right there and then.
A gasp escaped HarumiÕs lips when she saw Kira emerge from the bathroom. The answer to the question she was about to ask was written across KiraÕs face in bright neon letters. She was going to be an aunt! Harumi stepped towards Kira supportively and held her arms out for her as she prepared to jump around in circles squealing. To HarumiÕs surprise Kira dropped to her knees and broke down in tears.
ÒWhatÕs wrong Kira?Ó she asked as she kneeled down next to the smaller blonde who was clutching the test to her chest.
ÒWhatÕs wrong Kira? ArenÕt you happy?Ó she asked as she knelt down beside Kira and placed one arm around her.
After Kira stopped crying for a bit she wiped the tears from her cheeks and dried her hands on her t-shirt. ÒI canÕt have this baby,Ó Kira said strongly.
ÒWhat do you mean? You think Rei will get angry if he found out or something?Ó Harumi asked although she couldnÕt imagine Rei getting upset over something they both had equal roles in.
Kira simply shook her head against HarumiÕs shoulder. ÒNo itÕs not that, I know that Rei isnÕt like that. I just canÕt have the baby. IÕm not strong enough, IÕm not mother material. Besides all that we canÕt handle one right now. Rei works all day and night and barely has enough time to sleep at night simply to support me. I couldnÕt ask him to take care of a baby too.Ó
ÒYou wont have to worry about that for another nine months,Ó Harumi insisted, Kira seemed so weak both mentally and physically that it caused her to worry that Kira might do something foolish. ÒReiÕs a good guy, heÕll understand everything and heÕll take care of it. YouÕre in love with each other, youÕll figure something out.Ó
ÒI know he will, but I donÕt want him to end up hating me. He has everything, looks, charm, heÕs smart too. I feel like IÕm just weighing him down. HeÕd be so much better without me,Ó Kira complained, feeling like her heart was being torn to shreds. This sort of thing only seemed happened in books written to deter teens from having babies, Kira never thought that something like this could happen to them. ÒMaybe I can get rid of it before he notices... Pretend it never happened,Ó Kira said, her voice was frighteningly cool and relaxed.
Harumi frowned slightly. ÒThatÕs no way to go about it Kira, if he found out you went and did that without talking with him about it heÕd be furious. Just promise me youÕll talk to him before you decide what you want to do about the baby. You never know having it could be a good thing.Ó
ÒHey,Ó came the voice they both knew and loved. They were so wrapped up in their conversation they forgot that Rei was only working one shift today and didnÕt hear the front door creak open. ÒWhatÕs going on? Are you feeling any better Kira?Ó
ÒHey Rei, how are you? I havenÕt seen you in ages,Ó Harumi said nervously as she went up to Rei, hoping to distract him while Kira got rid of the evidence. This was a bit hard for her considering that Rei was almost one foot taller than her.
ÒIÕm good... um we saw each other two days ago at the video store. You come there every weekend,Ó Rei said as he scratched his head.
ÒOh really... I forgot... Um, IÕll see you guys later! Bye Kira, bye Rei,Ó she said quickly as she dashed out of the door. It was extremely hard to be in the same room with him without spreading the news. Keeping secrets had never been one of her strong points.
ÒIÕm home early, so what do you want to do today?Ó he asked, Rei was never the kind to just sit around the house all day doing nothing.
KiraÕs heart was beating erratically. She didnÕt know how long she could go without telling him the news, but didnÕt want to let it go yet because she hadnÕt figured out the perfect way to break it to him. ÒAnything you come up with would be fine,Ó Kira replied half heatedly.
Rei smiled at her and nodded. ÒI have the perfect place in mind. ItÕs the place where I found true love...Ó he said dreamily as though he was announcing the opening of a romantic movie.
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ÒAre we there yet?Ó Kira groaned as she allowed Rei to drag her down the street by the hand. She had to fight vigorously to shove thoughts of the baby growing inside her to the very back of her head. She decided that it would be best to wait until after they went to wherever he was dragging her.
ÒA couple more blocks!Ó he insisted with a smug smile, squeezing her hand slightly. ÒCome on, I know that you can keep up with me,Ó he said playfully as he pulled her to him and placed an arm around her waist. He was an extremely good mood that day.
She chuckled in response and leaned into his chest. ÒYou said we were a couple of blocks away fifteen minutes ago!Ó she replied, not having to pretend too much to be happy.
ÒHere we are,Ó he said finally as he stopped outside of a large building. He stood with his feet wide and his hands planted firmly on his waist proudly as though he had built it himself.
Kira looked up at the sign while holding her hands above her eyes to protect them from the brightly burning sun. ÒTokyo Fire BirdÕs Race Track...Ó she read, still not quite sure what they were doing here.
ÒYeah, letÕs go in. I got us tickets for todayÕs race,Ó he told her, flashing two rectangular sheets of paper before leading her inside.
Kira rolled her eyes at him. ÒA race track Rei? Why couldnÕt we have gone to an art expo or something...Ó
ÒArt expoÕs are boring!Ó Rei joked before bending down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. ÒJust kidding, you know I love you.Ó
Although Kira was a little upset with Rei she couldnÕt help but smile back at him because she knew it was true. SheÕd never really enjoyed watching races or sports and so she doubted that sheÕd have any fun here. She didnÕt complain any more though because she was content as long as Rei was happy. He deserved it after all the hours heÕd been putting in at work.
After Rei satisfied himself at the concession stands they got seated in the front rows of the motorcycle racing ring.
Kira looked left and right out of boredom, she wasnÕt really into racing. The people in the crowd varied greatly, there were large middle aged men in shirts that were too small, shorts that revealed too much with bottles of beer, there were also young women clad in the skimpiest of clothing cheering for their favorite racer and perhaps hoping for a chance to be invited to an after party, along with small families and boys with their fathers. ÒYou used to race motorcycles right?Ó she asked, trying to make conversation.
ÒYeah, back in California and a bit here in Japan,Ó Rei replied as he watched the ring anxiously, waiting for the racers to get out there. ÒAfter we get settled and all that I want to return to the racing track,Ó he said confidently.
Kira nodded, remembering Rei mentioning it one day in one of their sessions at the ward. She clamped her hands over her ears when they began to file out of the pits and line up at the starting line. She could have sworn that her eardrums would begin to bleed.
Minutes later the announcer began to call out and the people in the surrounding crowd jumped out of their seats and waved flags and yelling in excitement.
Rei however just stayed planted in his seat looking anxiously, as though he were out there himself. It made Kira sad to look at him, he seemed so lost in thought. Perhaps he felt trapped outside of the racing world and wished that he too was out there revving his bike. This made Kira feel sad too. Perhaps if it werenÕt for her heÕd be out there too.
Out of nowhere one cyclist went spinning out of control and fell of of his bike. The other racers missed hitting him by an inch. Everyone jumped out of their seats, gasping with surprise.
ÒNumber 13, Kentaro Akoshi, is out. The paramedics are rushing onto the scene,Ó said a loud booming voice over the loud speaker.
Kira watched in horror as they lifted his limp body unto a stretcher and carried him away. She then turned her attention to Rei, who was keen on watching the other racers and didnÕt even seem to have noticed the one who fell off of his bike. Kira wondered if he rode like that too, not really caring for his safety or the safety of others and just racing. She hoped not. Seeing just how dangerous the world of racing was she selfishly felt relieved that Rei wasnÕt pursuing a racing career now. She got worried and anxious about his safety whenever he wasnÕt at her side. It would probably kill nervous system her to have him out on a racetrack.
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ÒWhatÕs the matter Kira?Ó Rei questioned as they walked home holding hands underneath the bright and full moon. It was a beautiful summer night.
ÒHuh? What? Oh, itÕs nothing,Ó Kira replied with a faraway look in her eyes.
ÒThat race was amazing. Did you see Hamizaka out there, he almost blew his front tire and still made it to first place. IÕm telling you heÕs one of the greatest racers out there,Ó Rei raved for the umpteenth time since they left the track. ÒHeÕd better watch out when I get out there though.Ó
KiraÕs lips tightened. ÒWhat about the rider that fell? What will happen to him?Ó she asked softly, slightly frightened of the answer she may get in return.
ÒI dunno, anything could happen. An injured spinal cord can mean paralyzation from the neck down, or depending on how he fell it could just be few a broken bones, or a fractured wrist, or a broken leg, or he may have to get something amputated,Ó Rei explained shrugging his shoulders. It didnÕt seem like heÕd given much thought to the fallen racer.
ÒDonÕt you ever think about just how dangerous racing is?Ó Kira asked softly, trying not to sound confrontational. ÒI mean, anything could happen out there, you can fall and die in a split second...Ó Tears were welling up in her eyes.
ÒI mean I guess so, but thatÕs just a small part of racing you know... ItÕs the feeling that I live for,Ó he explained. ÒWhy, what brought this up all of a sudden?Ó he asked as he looked down at her. ÒAre you crying?!Ó
ÒNo, no itÕs nothing itÕs just that...Ó Kira began but couldnÕt quite finish. She knew that her time was coming up and that sheÕd have to tell him soon. Kira thought about holding off until she figured out the perfect way to break it to him, but then realized that no matter how she said it it meant the same thing.
ÒKira, what is it?Ó Rei asked sounding mildly alarmed as he took her hands in his.
She lifted her chin so that her eyes met his and fought the tears springing from the back of her eyes. ÒIÕm pregnant,Ó she finally explained, the tears breaking free and rolling down her cheeks and falling off of her chin. She silently prayed that heÕd be happy about it and make her feel better about it all.
He dropped her hands out of shock and opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it. Having never been forced to respond to such a thing Rei didnÕt know how to react and so he did nothing.
AuthorÕs Notes: IÕm sorry, another midbie length chapter. I updated quickly so, you canÕt really be angry about the length of the chapter. Yay, another monumental installment. KiraÕs pregnant! I bet that you guys werenÕt expecting that. See I put in some racing stuff! IÕm not too sure about whether or not Rei will get back out on the track... Let me know what you guys think? To race, or not to race that is the question... Please review, I spent forever trying to get this chapter up!!!
Response to Reviews:
Optical Illusions- Yay, IÕm glad that you liked the RxK fluff, when I saw the review notification I was getting ready to hold up my flame shield. Upper East Coast yay!!! ::Dances:: ::points to my I heart NYC t-shirt:: IÕm hoping that this chapter was lengthy review worthy. IÕll see you in the next chapter. ::Gives a silver sticker::
man- Perhaps itÕs not as difficult as I thought it was... IÕm pleased with the feedback I got so maybe IÕll write another one sometime ::Nods head:: Yeah IÕd like to see you write a Mars lemon, there arenÕt enough of them around here. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea... but IÕve got other plans for the story ::points up:: Maybe IÕll make a one shot about that or something ::shrugs:: I think that this is the longest review IÕve gotten from you so far ::hands a gold sticker::
MoonMaiden625- ::Bows:: ItÕs good to know that IÕm a decent lemon writer. Yeah itÕll be pretty explosive when both sides find out about what happened etc. IÕll see you in the next chapter.
Kitsunia- Yeah see, surprise number one ::points up:: and I have a few more up my sleeve. I think this story will be about 23-25 chapters long. Thanks again for reviewing.
verauko- Gaah! You ask for more! So demanding! Marriage maybe later... IÕm not sure. Baby, ::points up:: You read my mind. Remember itÕs not all about the cutesy stuff (I like torturing my favorite couple), so there will be a lot of rough times ahead with them. Thanks for the review!
Thanks to everyone else who reviewed!
Weeks Later-
ÒKira, are you sick in there again?Ó Rei whined from his crouching position outside the locked bathroom door. For the second week this month Kira spent much of the morning hunched over the toilet bowl.
Kira felt bad about making him worry so much. ÒIÕll be out in a minute Rei,Ó she said when her episodes of hurling finally subsided. She figured sheÕd be out soon because she doubted that there was much else left in her stomach to throw up.
Rei winced and turned away from the door when another series of gut wrenching vomiting noises erupted again. The constant gut wrenching noises were almost too much to bear. It killed Rei to have to see Kira hurting so much and not be able to do anything to stop it.
The door squeaked open slowly and when Kira emerged from the bathroom her normally lively skin was drained dry of all color, the rings around her pale brown eyes were getting significantly darker and her lips were pursed tightly. Had the situation not been so serious Rei would have joked about it and said that she looked like a zombie.
ÒWhat do you think is causing this Kira? YouÕve been like this for quite a while,Ó Rei questioned, wrinkles forming on his forehead. Despite the fact that nothing Kira ate seemed to stay down she appeared to be gaining weight too. He couldnÕt quite put his finger on it, but something was going on with her, and it seemed to be more than just a flu or a stomach virus.
ÒItÕs probably the flu or something,Ó she replied weakly while she limped towards the bead. Kira began to feel unworthy of all this attention when he was the one overworking himself while she relaxed at home all day. ÒIÕll be fine Rei, you should get to work. YouÕll be late,Ó she breathed out, even walking was hard for her right now.
ÒAre you sure? I mean, I donÕt feel comfortable letting you stay home like this. I really doubt that this is the flu Kira, I mean itÕs the middle of summer...Ó Rei insisted. He stood in the center of the room half dressed with his hands settled on his hips as he peered over at her. Rei felt horrible about not having enough money to take her to the doctor to get everything checked out. He just moved out of his house a while ago and didnÕt want to call home for help already. Rei didnÕt want to give his father that kind of satisfaction.
Kira released the annoyed sigh that had been building up inside of her slowly. ÒDonÕt worry about it. IÕll call Harumi and ask her to stay over,Ó she suggested as she ushered him towards the door after he slipped on the t-shirt that was resting on the back of one of the dining room chairs.
ÒWhat!? Harumi!? How do you know her?Ó Rei asked, getting alarmed and wondering what kind of things Harumi been telling Kira.
ÒIÕll explain it to you in all due time. Come on, get to work already,Ó she said as she used the last of her strength to shove him out of the apartment and into the hallway.
ÒWhatever...Ó he replied, kissing her quickly on the cheek as he did every morning before leaving, and jogging up the hallway and down the stairs.
Kira let out a long sigh and rested against the door as she rested up for the walk back to her bed.
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ÒWhatÕs up Kira? IÕm sorry that I couldnÕt come sooner, but I came as soon as I got your urgent message,Ó a breathless Harumi said as she stepped inside of the one room apartment and rested her bag on one of the kitchen chairs.
Kira said nothing and stepped behind her short blonde haired friend and closed the door gently. She turned her back to the door and blushed an unnatural shade of red as she got ready to share something very personal.
ÒI... I um... I think IÕm pregnant...Ó she let out shyly, both nervous and anxious about how Harumi would react. At this very time she was very relieved to have a friend like her. Who else would she have been able to share this with had it not been for Harumi? Rei was great and all, but it was always nice to have a girl to talk to.
ÒWhat! Oh my god!Ó Harumi said excitedly as she pounced upon the smaller girl, swaying her back and forth. ÒDoes he know yet?Ó she asked as she pulled away so she could see KiraÕs face.
ÒNo, he doesnÕt know yet. I wasnÕt sure so I wanted to check before I let him know... I wanted you to be here with me,Ó Kira explained as she pulled a small rectangular box from a brown paper bag from beneath the bed.
ÒOkay then what are we waiting for? Go in there and check!!!Ó Harumi insisted as she walked over to the bathroom and held the door open for Kira, leaving no room for hesitation.
Kira took a deep breath and stepped into the bathroom. Never before had the tiled walls felt so confining, her heart felt like it was trying to burst out of her rib cage. She could believe that she was actually speculating whether she was pregnant or not. This certainly wasnÕt the best time to have to worry about things like this considering that she moved in with Rei recently and they werenÕt doing so well financially.
KiraÕs hands shook as she read the instructions on the side of the box and did as they said. After taking it out and reading the results her vision clouded over and her stomach began to hurt more than ever. She felt like she could have fainted right there and then.
A gasp escaped HarumiÕs lips when she saw Kira emerge from the bathroom. The answer to the question she was about to ask was written across KiraÕs face in bright neon letters. She was going to be an aunt! Harumi stepped towards Kira supportively and held her arms out for her as she prepared to jump around in circles squealing. To HarumiÕs surprise Kira dropped to her knees and broke down in tears.
ÒWhatÕs wrong Kira?Ó she asked as she kneeled down next to the smaller blonde who was clutching the test to her chest.
ÒWhatÕs wrong Kira? ArenÕt you happy?Ó she asked as she knelt down beside Kira and placed one arm around her.
After Kira stopped crying for a bit she wiped the tears from her cheeks and dried her hands on her t-shirt. ÒI canÕt have this baby,Ó Kira said strongly.
ÒWhat do you mean? You think Rei will get angry if he found out or something?Ó Harumi asked although she couldnÕt imagine Rei getting upset over something they both had equal roles in.
Kira simply shook her head against HarumiÕs shoulder. ÒNo itÕs not that, I know that Rei isnÕt like that. I just canÕt have the baby. IÕm not strong enough, IÕm not mother material. Besides all that we canÕt handle one right now. Rei works all day and night and barely has enough time to sleep at night simply to support me. I couldnÕt ask him to take care of a baby too.Ó
ÒYou wont have to worry about that for another nine months,Ó Harumi insisted, Kira seemed so weak both mentally and physically that it caused her to worry that Kira might do something foolish. ÒReiÕs a good guy, heÕll understand everything and heÕll take care of it. YouÕre in love with each other, youÕll figure something out.Ó
ÒI know he will, but I donÕt want him to end up hating me. He has everything, looks, charm, heÕs smart too. I feel like IÕm just weighing him down. HeÕd be so much better without me,Ó Kira complained, feeling like her heart was being torn to shreds. This sort of thing only seemed happened in books written to deter teens from having babies, Kira never thought that something like this could happen to them. ÒMaybe I can get rid of it before he notices... Pretend it never happened,Ó Kira said, her voice was frighteningly cool and relaxed.
Harumi frowned slightly. ÒThatÕs no way to go about it Kira, if he found out you went and did that without talking with him about it heÕd be furious. Just promise me youÕll talk to him before you decide what you want to do about the baby. You never know having it could be a good thing.Ó
ÒHey,Ó came the voice they both knew and loved. They were so wrapped up in their conversation they forgot that Rei was only working one shift today and didnÕt hear the front door creak open. ÒWhatÕs going on? Are you feeling any better Kira?Ó
ÒHey Rei, how are you? I havenÕt seen you in ages,Ó Harumi said nervously as she went up to Rei, hoping to distract him while Kira got rid of the evidence. This was a bit hard for her considering that Rei was almost one foot taller than her.
ÒIÕm good... um we saw each other two days ago at the video store. You come there every weekend,Ó Rei said as he scratched his head.
ÒOh really... I forgot... Um, IÕll see you guys later! Bye Kira, bye Rei,Ó she said quickly as she dashed out of the door. It was extremely hard to be in the same room with him without spreading the news. Keeping secrets had never been one of her strong points.
ÒIÕm home early, so what do you want to do today?Ó he asked, Rei was never the kind to just sit around the house all day doing nothing.
KiraÕs heart was beating erratically. She didnÕt know how long she could go without telling him the news, but didnÕt want to let it go yet because she hadnÕt figured out the perfect way to break it to him. ÒAnything you come up with would be fine,Ó Kira replied half heatedly.
Rei smiled at her and nodded. ÒI have the perfect place in mind. ItÕs the place where I found true love...Ó he said dreamily as though he was announcing the opening of a romantic movie.
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ÒAre we there yet?Ó Kira groaned as she allowed Rei to drag her down the street by the hand. She had to fight vigorously to shove thoughts of the baby growing inside her to the very back of her head. She decided that it would be best to wait until after they went to wherever he was dragging her.
ÒA couple more blocks!Ó he insisted with a smug smile, squeezing her hand slightly. ÒCome on, I know that you can keep up with me,Ó he said playfully as he pulled her to him and placed an arm around her waist. He was an extremely good mood that day.
She chuckled in response and leaned into his chest. ÒYou said we were a couple of blocks away fifteen minutes ago!Ó she replied, not having to pretend too much to be happy.
ÒHere we are,Ó he said finally as he stopped outside of a large building. He stood with his feet wide and his hands planted firmly on his waist proudly as though he had built it himself.
Kira looked up at the sign while holding her hands above her eyes to protect them from the brightly burning sun. ÒTokyo Fire BirdÕs Race Track...Ó she read, still not quite sure what they were doing here.
ÒYeah, letÕs go in. I got us tickets for todayÕs race,Ó he told her, flashing two rectangular sheets of paper before leading her inside.
Kira rolled her eyes at him. ÒA race track Rei? Why couldnÕt we have gone to an art expo or something...Ó
ÒArt expoÕs are boring!Ó Rei joked before bending down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. ÒJust kidding, you know I love you.Ó
Although Kira was a little upset with Rei she couldnÕt help but smile back at him because she knew it was true. SheÕd never really enjoyed watching races or sports and so she doubted that sheÕd have any fun here. She didnÕt complain any more though because she was content as long as Rei was happy. He deserved it after all the hours heÕd been putting in at work.
After Rei satisfied himself at the concession stands they got seated in the front rows of the motorcycle racing ring.
Kira looked left and right out of boredom, she wasnÕt really into racing. The people in the crowd varied greatly, there were large middle aged men in shirts that were too small, shorts that revealed too much with bottles of beer, there were also young women clad in the skimpiest of clothing cheering for their favorite racer and perhaps hoping for a chance to be invited to an after party, along with small families and boys with their fathers. ÒYou used to race motorcycles right?Ó she asked, trying to make conversation.
ÒYeah, back in California and a bit here in Japan,Ó Rei replied as he watched the ring anxiously, waiting for the racers to get out there. ÒAfter we get settled and all that I want to return to the racing track,Ó he said confidently.
Kira nodded, remembering Rei mentioning it one day in one of their sessions at the ward. She clamped her hands over her ears when they began to file out of the pits and line up at the starting line. She could have sworn that her eardrums would begin to bleed.
Minutes later the announcer began to call out and the people in the surrounding crowd jumped out of their seats and waved flags and yelling in excitement.
Rei however just stayed planted in his seat looking anxiously, as though he were out there himself. It made Kira sad to look at him, he seemed so lost in thought. Perhaps he felt trapped outside of the racing world and wished that he too was out there revving his bike. This made Kira feel sad too. Perhaps if it werenÕt for her heÕd be out there too.
Out of nowhere one cyclist went spinning out of control and fell of of his bike. The other racers missed hitting him by an inch. Everyone jumped out of their seats, gasping with surprise.
ÒNumber 13, Kentaro Akoshi, is out. The paramedics are rushing onto the scene,Ó said a loud booming voice over the loud speaker.
Kira watched in horror as they lifted his limp body unto a stretcher and carried him away. She then turned her attention to Rei, who was keen on watching the other racers and didnÕt even seem to have noticed the one who fell off of his bike. Kira wondered if he rode like that too, not really caring for his safety or the safety of others and just racing. She hoped not. Seeing just how dangerous the world of racing was she selfishly felt relieved that Rei wasnÕt pursuing a racing career now. She got worried and anxious about his safety whenever he wasnÕt at her side. It would probably kill nervous system her to have him out on a racetrack.
*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*
ÒWhatÕs the matter Kira?Ó Rei questioned as they walked home holding hands underneath the bright and full moon. It was a beautiful summer night.
ÒHuh? What? Oh, itÕs nothing,Ó Kira replied with a faraway look in her eyes.
ÒThat race was amazing. Did you see Hamizaka out there, he almost blew his front tire and still made it to first place. IÕm telling you heÕs one of the greatest racers out there,Ó Rei raved for the umpteenth time since they left the track. ÒHeÕd better watch out when I get out there though.Ó
KiraÕs lips tightened. ÒWhat about the rider that fell? What will happen to him?Ó she asked softly, slightly frightened of the answer she may get in return.
ÒI dunno, anything could happen. An injured spinal cord can mean paralyzation from the neck down, or depending on how he fell it could just be few a broken bones, or a fractured wrist, or a broken leg, or he may have to get something amputated,Ó Rei explained shrugging his shoulders. It didnÕt seem like heÕd given much thought to the fallen racer.
ÒDonÕt you ever think about just how dangerous racing is?Ó Kira asked softly, trying not to sound confrontational. ÒI mean, anything could happen out there, you can fall and die in a split second...Ó Tears were welling up in her eyes.
ÒI mean I guess so, but thatÕs just a small part of racing you know... ItÕs the feeling that I live for,Ó he explained. ÒWhy, what brought this up all of a sudden?Ó he asked as he looked down at her. ÒAre you crying?!Ó
ÒNo, no itÕs nothing itÕs just that...Ó Kira began but couldnÕt quite finish. She knew that her time was coming up and that sheÕd have to tell him soon. Kira thought about holding off until she figured out the perfect way to break it to him, but then realized that no matter how she said it it meant the same thing.
ÒKira, what is it?Ó Rei asked sounding mildly alarmed as he took her hands in his.
She lifted her chin so that her eyes met his and fought the tears springing from the back of her eyes. ÒIÕm pregnant,Ó she finally explained, the tears breaking free and rolling down her cheeks and falling off of her chin. She silently prayed that heÕd be happy about it and make her feel better about it all.
He dropped her hands out of shock and opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it. Having never been forced to respond to such a thing Rei didnÕt know how to react and so he did nothing.
AuthorÕs Notes: IÕm sorry, another midbie length chapter. I updated quickly so, you canÕt really be angry about the length of the chapter. Yay, another monumental installment. KiraÕs pregnant! I bet that you guys werenÕt expecting that. See I put in some racing stuff! IÕm not too sure about whether or not Rei will get back out on the track... Let me know what you guys think? To race, or not to race that is the question... Please review, I spent forever trying to get this chapter up!!!
Response to Reviews:
Optical Illusions- Yay, IÕm glad that you liked the RxK fluff, when I saw the review notification I was getting ready to hold up my flame shield. Upper East Coast yay!!! ::Dances:: ::points to my I heart NYC t-shirt:: IÕm hoping that this chapter was lengthy review worthy. IÕll see you in the next chapter. ::Gives a silver sticker::
man- Perhaps itÕs not as difficult as I thought it was... IÕm pleased with the feedback I got so maybe IÕll write another one sometime ::Nods head:: Yeah IÕd like to see you write a Mars lemon, there arenÕt enough of them around here. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea... but IÕve got other plans for the story ::points up:: Maybe IÕll make a one shot about that or something ::shrugs:: I think that this is the longest review IÕve gotten from you so far ::hands a gold sticker::
MoonMaiden625- ::Bows:: ItÕs good to know that IÕm a decent lemon writer. Yeah itÕll be pretty explosive when both sides find out about what happened etc. IÕll see you in the next chapter.
Kitsunia- Yeah see, surprise number one ::points up:: and I have a few more up my sleeve. I think this story will be about 23-25 chapters long. Thanks again for reviewing.
verauko- Gaah! You ask for more! So demanding! Marriage maybe later... IÕm not sure. Baby, ::points up:: You read my mind. Remember itÕs not all about the cutesy stuff (I like torturing my favorite couple), so there will be a lot of rough times ahead with them. Thanks for the review!
Thanks to everyone else who reviewed!