It's a bit different to that last two chapters, and it's the only chapter with diary-writing. But I think it came out non-too shabby.

Changes.

Older and wiser golden eyes smiled. To be honest, Rei had no idea what possessed him to read through his old journal…and maybe old wasn't the right word. The journal wasn't something frequently used, but it still held a great importance. His first kiss, first time, the 'I love you', the decision to buy a home together…

Everything he wanted to document. Freeze in time. It was all in that square shaped black book.

Insecurities. Of his doubts and dreams, hopes. Once, he had feared everything. Always doubting, always insecure. But, what teenager didn't go through that? Before he and Kai became Kai and Rei, he had written at least once a week, sometimes even once a day. There was so much new back then. So many changes. All ready to be documented and processed into his small book.

Rei sighed, his hand unconsciously drifting to his abdomen. He shook his head, grabbing a pen and added a new entry, of old times, in his battered journal. To clarify, before he too, forgot.

31/12 2005, midday.

My ears rung for a week. Mao's shrill voice isn't kind on the hearing, especially not mine, anyway. The bruise of Rai's fist connecting with my cheek took a week longer to fade away. I wonder how long it was until he could walk properly again?

On a sadder note, unfortunately I had been correct about their reactions if they were to find out about us. Maybe it wasn't sad. In a way, their reactions just showed us that they weren't true friends, and the few that were, remained. Through thick and thin, it's said.

All of my childhood friends…I might as well be buried already. I suppose that was the 'fuck' that was going on. I only wish they could've handled it. Accepted it. How couldn't they? Is the concept of love that foreign to villagers of a society were everything is pre-decided by elders? It was only the truth. Love…

I knew, even then, that Rai had his suspicions about where my tendencies lay, but that kiss…that kiss was the final straw. Being the grandson of the head chief, he had, and still has, the authority to banish anyone from returning 'home'.

I was a bit sad, not because of the banishment preventing me from meeting my friends and family, because I had none. Not after that. It was more because I would never again see the beautiful nature; the trees and little rivers, the mountains…wake to see the sun on a winter's morning.

I think Kai took it harder than me. It hurt him through me, and I wasn't as hurt. He expected retribution of some kind, and got none from his own remaining relatives. But through me.

His family, and if not by blood then by heart. The original Neoborgs. There were never caring parents or younger brothers and sisters in the abbey. Just them, as a team, under the guidance of Yuriy, to look after each other. And now…all of a sudden there was. A rapidly expanding family…

Out of our old team, the only one who didn't really mind was Kyouju. In the argument that ensued between Kai and Takao, it was ultimately Hitoshi who stepped in to stop it. And not in a way Takao favoured.

Hitoshi, was, and still is, involved with Brooklyn, and the Kinomiyas haven't spoken since. I don't know how Kinomiya jii-san feels about it; all I know is that he never once spoke up on either side. The silent spectator.

While the majority of them ignore us, Chief and Hitoshi call every now and then. Just to say hello, update us on their families, Kyouju on his wife, Ming Ming, and Hitoshi on Brooklyn and their twins, Sunow and Yukiko, we on our family life, and make sure we're alright and that there still isn't a change of heart towards us 'fags'. Tell us they're happy, that we're happy. How wonderful it would be to see each other again. We know we won't, we live too far apart, but the illusion of the possibility is nice to have. It brings hope.

The Majestics were an odd bunch. In fact, Olivier is currently dating Ivan, and has been doing so the past two and a half years. Robert and Johnny have something going on as well, but well…they're odd.

The American team proclaimed us sinners of the holy bible, it's funny how they never struck me as religious. We haven't heard from them since either. Complaining? No. Hypocritical bunch. They weren't even there when it happened, but once Max told his mother…we had to buy a new computer. It got, infested.

Brooklyn's former team didn't really care one way or the other. Mystel moved in with Sergei a couple of years ago, and only last year had a baby. Apparently they started seeing each other during the BEGA days, and have been together since then…almost six years. All though, compared to Yuriy and Boris, who started to date roughly somewhere around the ice age, that's nothing. It surprised me at first, but they have never actually been separated. Never. They've always been together. Before the abbey, during the abbey, after the abbey. Still together. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is, and if they aren't soul mates, I don't know who are.

Boris didn't kill me when Yuriy pleased, and far too smugly, informed him of the encounter. Bastard kissed me as well, so frustrating at times, those two.

We did actually get a cat, not a Russian blue though. A stray kitten sleeping next to my bike…I couldn't just leave it, so I brought her home. She's roughly three years, black, white, and grey with the odd spot of orange here and there. She's lovely! Her name's Mishmash. Three guesses as to who named her. Honestly, Kai has no style. Or imagination. Hopefully, he won't name any of our children by their appearances.

But…he'll do. He'll do just fine, my man.

Now, how to tell Kai the good news…

On a second note, how would Rei Hiwatari sound? Or Rei Kon Hiwatari…maybe Kai could take my name…naah. He's too much of a manly man to do that…oh…the village withdrew my right to the name Kon, didn't they? Well…

Can you imagine it, on the shelves in the bookstores, Rei Hiwatari? The bestseller of all times. But then, I'd actually have to write a book, too…a nice thought though. The story of Rei Hiwatari…

Rei grinned, fangs peaking out, and put down the pen. His writing had improved, and he was very content with that. It still wavered, but it was improving. "Kai?"

A grey head poked around the doorframe. "Yes Rei?"

"Which sounds best, Rei Hiwatari or Rei Kon Hiwatari?"

"Wh-What?"Rei smiled apprehensively, biting his lip.

"Which sounds best-?" Rei wondered why Kai had to look so bloody gorgeous and adorable when he was confused, and it helped easing his nerves.

"I heard…but what? Why?" Kai cocked his head, drying his hands on the apron he was wearing, having been interrupted in the middle of washing the dishes.

Rei smiled nervously, and shakily reached out for Kai's hand, placing it on his abdomen, taking a leap. "I'm pregnant Kai."

Thump!

"Kai!" Gasping, Rei rushed over to the passed out form of his boyfriend. Kneeling, he placed Kai's head in his lap. "Kai? C'me on, love…" His lover moaned, eyelashes fluttering as crimson orbs struggled to open. "Hey…" Rei felt the worry left him; he was flooded with relief at the sight of his lover's heavy lidded gaze.

"Hi." Kai stroked Rei's cheek with a trembling hand.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah…I-" The red eyes gazing into his own somewhat unfocusedly filled with hope. "Are you really-?" Rei nodded, smiling. "Oh…" Kai closed his eyes, a dopey smile etched on his face. "…m'daddy…a baby…" The Russian's eyes shot open. "We're having a baby!" Then Rei was the one lying on the floor, smothered with kisses from a delighted, exited Russian.

The last of Rei's tension disappeared, not that he ever truly believed that Kai would abandon him, quite the opposite, but it was still nice to know for sure. Nice to be reassured.

Yuriy was currently walking/waddling around looking as if he'd stuffed a growing football under his shirt…Rei wasn't stupid; he knew what the soft sighs and dreamy smiles Kai emitted were about. The slate haired man wanted a baby. It was so obvious. Kai always managed to find an excuse to 'feel it', and he'd been wearing a very pleased grin the whole week after Boris and Yuriy told him that sometime during April Kai would be an uncle.

It was strange how a man who was feared by children, appeared to detest them, could have such a want for a baby.

The recent discovery of the male neko-jins' 'special-surviving-development' only further added to Kai's want; a baby created by both of them, without medical aid and ridiculously high hospital fees, which would've been their case. Human technology and medicines didn't always work on neko-jin. The more neko-jin that left the village because of their homosexuality, the more frequent their natural pregnancies became. It was almost as if sodomising had been forbidden because of that, in order to suppress and destroy.

The only downside with the male neko-jins' ability to reproduce was that not everyone had it, not all could endure it. Sometimes, it had been suppressed for too long, and the neko-jin in question lost the ability. It had dampened Kai's spirits, not that he admitted it, but it was obvious to those who knew him. Rei wanted to be able to promise Kai a baby, and now he could. His body hadn't been neglected for long enough, thankfully.

Their baby. Their own little angel, waiting to be born in approximately seven months…

Groaning mentally, Rei belatedly realised what he'd given himself into. Kai was going to pamper him to death, worrying like a mother hen and insist on doing everything for him, even going as far as carrying him everywhere. The Russian was ridiculously protective and paranoid.

"You're not upset then?"

Kai shook his head, the narrowed eyes berating him for even suggesting that he would be. "No, I love you, so, so, very much." He caressed Rei's still flat tummy gently, softly. "How could I not? You're making my deepest dream come true Rei…you're giving me a family, my family... I'm going to be a dad…" Rei' eyes filled with tears of joy at the sight of Kai's shiny, bright, teary eyes, his loving words and soft rubbing. He looked so happy...

"I love you too."

A couple of tear-filled moments later, Kai sniffled laughingly, a couple of tears still escaping his eyes. "I've never cried with happiness before…" Rei smiled gently, drying Kai's tears, hearing what Kai wasn't saying. He probably hadn't cried at all since he was a child.

"You're such a baka, Kai." He sought out Kai's lips with his own for a brief kiss. "We have to get married." Kai blinked, not comprehending. "I will not have my baby born out of wedlock, Kai! We're getting married."

Shuffling back, Kai stood up. "On your feet, Kon."

Rei winced, Kai never called him by his last name. Not since before that dreadful tournament in Russia all those years ago… Rising, he kept his head lowered, arms automatically placed protectively around his stomach.

"Wait here. Don't move." The Russian walked out of the room, and into the study. He came back a few minutes later. Rei hadn't moved an inch. Kai smiled weakly, took a deep breath. Then he kneeled.

Rei gasped, his hands flying up to cover his mouth. "K-Kai?"

The kneeling man offered a nervous smile. "Rei…I love you." Reaching into his pocket, Kai shakily withdrew a beautiful ring. Tears of happiness and love started to fall from shining amber depths. "Be mine?"

"Y-Yes!" Rei fell to his knees, sobbing, almost hugging Kai to death. "G-Gods how I l-love you…you i-idiot! L-Leaving me l-like that, I-I thought-…H-Hiwatari…"

Rei's mindless rambling made little to no sense to Kai. "You're such a drama queen…what?"

"N-No, I want t-to be R-Rei Hiwatari."

"Oh." Rei nodded, still crying, and peaked at his ring finger over Kai's shoulder. He never got a proper look at it before. "…It's so b-beautiful!"

"Platinum and a ruby." To Rei, that sounded awfully expensive. But it was too beautiful for him to care, and frankly, he was too happy. The simple platinum bond gleamed, and the ruby sparkled, shaped like the brightest star. "It was my mama's."

"Oh K-Kai!"

"It's alright. She would've wanted you to have it, only you…my beautiful, shining Rei…"

Rei sniffled, snuggling closer. "I'm not wearing a dress, Kai. I want a kimono…" Pregnancy didn't make him a woman, and neither Yuriy nor Boris had worn one.

"You'll be gorgeous, like always…" Smiling softly to himself, Kai slowly and carefully manoeuvred them into a lying position, with Rei curled up on his chest like an oversized kitten. The image of Rei in a beautiful white kimono, showing the tines hint of a bump. "How far along are you?"

"Hm? Kai…oh, just over two months." Rei happily snuggled closer to Kai, relishing in the warmth and love that radiated from him in waves. He purred as one of Kai's hands made it to his stomach, stroking the soft skin under his shirt.

"When will you start to show?"

"Some time after third month, probably during the fourth, since it's my, my first time, our first child…"

"…Oh…then I'll-we'll see the baby? We'll have to have the wedding soon, then?"

"Yeah…I'll be fat." Rei pulled a face. The Russian sighed dreamily, thinking that soon he'd be able to feel their baby kick and moving about…a goofy smirk slowly planted itself on Kai's face, the picture of Rei in his head growing.

"No, you'll be lovely." My own tubby neko-jin…"Can I tell Yuriy?" The Hiwatari decided to take Rei's laughter as a 'yes', and pulled out his mobile, speed dialling the pregnant redhead.

"He-"

"Yuriy!"

"Hi Kai…wait, stop. I'm tired, my feet ache, my back is literally killing me and I have a major headache. Let me in!"

"In? Where-?"

"Outside your front door. Open it! Now! Consider that an order, Hiwatari!" Kai's eyebrows rose in bewilderment.

"It's open, besides-" Beep, beep. "He hung up…" Patting Kai's chest, snuggled up on Kai's it as he were, his head resting close to Kai's, Rei overheard the short conversation.

"He's tired."

"More like grumpy…"

"Actually, the accurate word would be pregnant. Now get me some pineapple!"

Rei and Kai stared at each other with amused horror. "We don't have pineapple."

The redhead puffed his cheeks, his eyes cool eyes narrowing. "What do you mean you don't have pineapple!" Intervening before Yuriy threw a temper tantrum, Kai blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"We're getting married!"

Yuriy stopped mid-rant, his mouth halfway open. "Say what-? Married?" The pregnant man suddenly squealed, his face splitting in two, smiling widely. "That's wonderful, and about time too. I was talking to Borya the other day, and he thought…I don't actually remember what he said, but it's about time. And I'm sure he would agree. When? I can come, right? I'll be your best man, Kai? Won't I? And-"

"In a month." Rei's quiet voice interrupted, making Yuriy startle, then frown.

"Why so soon?" The standing Russian offered a hand, helping Rei up. The moment his feet came in contact with the ground, Rei swayed, groaning he clutched his mouth and rushed for the bathroom. Seconds later the sound of heaving reached their ears.

Yuriy's eyes widened as realisation dawned. "You-! Oh my god! You're having a baby!"

15/2 2006, morning.

The sun shining directly at him was slowly forcing his consciousness to the surface of his sleep induced brain. Groaning, Rei stretched, feeling distinctly sore and curled up closer to the source of warmth. "Kai…" And tried to let sleep claim him again.

Kai sleepily clutched his husband of a day closer, a grin on his face, eyes sparkling happily, groggy as they were. "Love you…" Rei stirred, fighting his waking body. His half awake mind heard Kai chuckle, and felt a hand stroking the soft skin on his back. Ever so slowly, amber eyes fluttered open. Sighing happily, he leaned in and tenderly kissed Kai. "How're you feeling?"

"Sore, tired…happy…"

"No regrets?" The newly named Hiwatari smiled, silently waving goodbye to the name Kon and everything associated with it again, just like he had done the previous day when he agreed to be Kai's and Kai's alone. I do…

"No…maybe that we didn't do it earlier."

"Why?" Rei whined and wrinkled his nose up.

"I'm fat!" Smirking, Kai shook his head.

"No you're not, love…" Gently pushing his lover to lie on his back, Kai pushed down the blankets to reveal Rei's stomach. "You're beautiful." The Russian ran his hand over the exposed abdomen, gently rubbing the slight swell of it and revelling in it. "That's our baby…"

Their peaceful moment was abruptly shattered by the sound of a ringing phone. Grumbling, Kai reached out and grabbed the cordless phone on his bedside table. "Kai speaking."

"Good morning." Kai froze, that voice…

"Grandfather?" Hearing that one word made Rei's heart stop beating.

"Ah, I see you still remember me."

"What do you want?" Kai growled, fast growing annoyed.

"Am I not allowed to congratulate my heir in his marriage?"

"How-?"

"Don't think you can hide anything from me, boy. At least your partner had enough sense to marry you. What ever possessed you to take a poor, homeless mountain brat for a husband?"

"Because I love him! Don't even think-"

"That I can intervene? I let you marry, didn't I?"

"…what?" Kai blinked, suddenly breathless.

"I could've stopped this if I wanted to, and yet I didn't."

Click.

"Wait!" Kai stared at the phone in disbelief and sighed.

"Kai?" Startling, Kai turned at the sound of the weak whisper, and found himself face to face with crying, sad amber eyes. "Don't leave me…" Kai shook his head, opening his arms. They were immediately filled. Hormonal out-burst? Or genuine fear?

"Of course I won't. I couldn't. I love you." The neko-jin clung to him, crying in the crook of his neck.

"But-"

"It's alright…he gave us his blessing…I think…" Cradling his mate close, he rubbed Rei's back in comfort until he calmed down.

"H-He won't s-separate us?" Rei sniffled, staring up at Kai with watery eyes, bottom lip trembling.

"No." Definitely hormonal. Kai pursed his lips. Were they as easily swayed as Yuriy's?

Rei felt lips search out his own and hungrily kissed back, moaning as Kai's tongue found its way into his mouth. Kai planted lingering kisses down the soft column of Rei's throat, delighted in the way his lover reacted, inwardly praising himself. "Kai…"

Rei's breath hitched…there was something about Kai's kisses, his very touch. His insides were doing flip-flops, and there was a fluttering sensation in his stomach, as if something was moving, softly stroking. The same feeling he'd felt on and off the past two weeks…

Rei's eyes flew open. "Oh my god." Kai's hands…Kai's hands were nowhere near his stomach, and the wedding had been yesterday, meaning it wasn't nerves... "I- It's moving, Kai…"

"Wha-?" Kai's nipping of Rei's collarbone came to a halt, and Rei slowly guided one of his hands to rest on his abdomen.

There it was again, that slight movement, fluttering like butterflies just beneath his skin.

"Oh…" Kai's expression was blank, tentative. He slowly slid down Rei's body, and gently lay his head on the swell. In response the unborn baby moved again, just under Kai's cheek. "Our baby…I- this is for real…" A tear escaped the corner of his eye, smiling he kissed Rei's stomach, making sure that he covered every little inch with butterfly light kisses. "Love you."

Rei threw his head back and moaned loudly. Kai's mouth wasn't on his stomach anymore.

I think you can imagine the rest...heh. ' if not, I'm sure you can find a story somewhere to do it for you…

Next chapter…baby-boom? Until then, ta.

R&R, please.