Chapter 26

A/N: Greetings followers, commenters and readers! And welcome back! (^_^)

So… My wedding is over, and everything went well, aside from a few minor issues

I haven't written anymore on my stories, sadly, though I'm most likely going to write a vampire fic set in a crossover Cardcaptor Sakura X xxxHolic X Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle universe soon

I do have a couple of more chapters ready for this story, but when they are uploaded, it may take me a while to find the inspiration to continue it, though I will try to do so

For now, I hope you enjoy this newest chapter

Please, don't forget to R&R ! :)

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= 26 =

"Where the hell were you Yuma!?" Kari exclaimed, as she slapped her hands onto the frame of the hospital bed angrily. Yuma moaned, clutching a hand at his chest. "I… I'm sorry Kari!" he responded, but then he groaned again, closing his eyes tightly shut. He was feeling sick and after his trip to Astral World and back, his head felt like it was splitting apart.

Astral was sitting on the side of the bed, hand over Yumas on the sheets. He felt extremely weak, and he unconsciously held a protective hand over his stomach, but his eyes were focused on Yuma, sensing that the human was once again, struggling with nausea.

"Remember to breathe deeply Yuma" he said in a voice marked by his current state. "Yeah…" Yuma moaned, attempting to steady his breathing.

"Do you realize how worried we all were?!" Kari continued "I had to leave work early because I got a call my little brother had vanished from the hospital that was treating him for a severe illness! So you better start talking dweep! Where, the hell, were you?!".

"I… I was taken to Astral World, okay Kari! Happy now?!" Yuma replied, voice angry. Moments later, he leaned over the side of the bed and threw up on the floor, making Astral move to get out of the way of the vomit.

"Oh dear. Yuma…" he said softly, offering the young man a piece of paper from the bedside table. Yuma used it to wipe bile away from the corners of his mouth, sending Astral a grateful glance before resting back in the hospital bed, closing his eyes.

Karis anger seemed to have evaporated somewhat at the sight of her brother once more emptying the contents of his stomach over the hospital floor. With a sigh, she went about cleaning it for the up-tenth time, so the kind nurse who attended him, wouldn't have to.

Astral sighed to himself, closing his eyes and leaning forward slightly, feeling like he was about to collapse. Yuma, sensing it across their bond, opened an eye half-way and glanced at him, moving a hand so he could touch Astrals wrist.

"You need to lie down Astral" he communicated through their minds "you're exhausted. I can feel how weak you are, and I know it's because of me. Come on… We have so much more we must take care of now after all". Astral turned his head and looked at him, seeing the faintest of smiles cross Yumas lips at his words, before he groaned under his breath and closed his eye again, moving an arm above his head as if inviting Astral to rest against him, like always.

The blue-skinned alien didn't wait long with complying with this invite. Yuma was right. If he didn't lie down now, he would collapse. So, with slow motions, he moved in the bed until he could place his head on the pillow beside Yumas, and a hand on his lovers' chest. The other hand he placed above his head, where he could entwine his and Yumas fingers gently.

Yuma smelled of sick, but Astral didn't care. He just wanted, needed, to be near him.

"Excuse me Miss Tsukumo" a light voice sounded and Astral heard footsteps approaching. "Visiting hours are over, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave now" the light voice said. Tanimas' voice.

"I… Of course Tanima. I'll just say goodnight to Yuma, and then I'll be off, alright?" Kari replied. Tanima nodded. Kari approached the bed and leaned down towards them. Caressing Yumas hair gently, she said in a low voice "we're not done talking about this yet Yuma… But try and get some sleep and something to eat as soon as you can, okay? Grandma and I… we miss you around the house. We'd like to be able to take you home soon, got it?".

Yuma didn't reply, but Astral glanced at her briefly, seeing the worry and sorrow in her features clearly, before closing his eyes again. Then he heard Kari swallow and move back across the floor, towards the door.

"You make sure to call us if ANYTHING happens, alright Tanima?" he heard her say and he heard Tanima agree to do so. Then they both left, and the door was closed behind them.

Astral sighed, once more moving a hand to his stomach. He still couldn't believe that Enna and Eliphas had discovered that he was with child, before he himself had. How could that be? How come he hadn't noticed? Or suspected anything?

He moistened his lips, then attempted to reach out with his mind for any presence within him, that didn't relate to Yuma, Eliphas or Enna. The connection to Yuma was bright and tempting, as though it was trying to get him to follow it, but Astral didn't let himself divert.

The connections to Enna and Eliphas were faint, currently inactive as far as he could tell, though they were undoubtedly there.

He searched deeper. And then, suddenly, he felt it. It was very faint, barely detectable, but it was there. New life. He sensed it deep within himself, but it did not reach back for him.

"It is still too soon" he thought to himself, feeling a tear forming at the corner of his eye. "It will need to grow quite a bit, before it can respond to me".

He swallowed. How were they gonna handle this? How would Yumas' family react, when they found out what had happened? What if they send Yuma away? Or separated them?

No. They wouldn't. They knew that him and Yuma depended on eachothers presence and strengths. They would never separate them, not even because of this. He was certain of it.

But what about their friends? Yumas, friends… Would they ditch him once they learned the truth? And what were the two of them going to do? Neither one of them had been prepared for this news and Yuma was still barely an adult himself, even if he was 'legal' as the young man had himself pointed out to Kari earlier.

What if he wasn't ready to be a father? Enna and Eliphas were right. Astral would never be able to raise a child alone, especially not when said child was half-human. And he wouldn't, couldn't, separate from Yuma, no matter what. So, essentially, he would be forcing Yuma to see the child every day, even should the other not wish to do so.

But Yuma had said he was ready for the challenge. That they would face it together, as always. So, obviously, he was intending to give it his best shot.

Or was he? Had he just been saying those things, or had he truly meant them? No, he had meant them. Thinking back on how Yuma spoke those words, Astral knew he had been honest. He wouldn't lie to him again. Not ever. Not after what happened last time.

But it would be quite the change in their lives. Yuma was still in school. How were they gonna do it?!

Yumas' family. They would help for sure, Astral figured, once they accepted what was. Haru had always been sweet and understanding. She would continue to be so, he was certain of it. But Kari… Now, that was another story.

She would probably blame him and accuse him of having trapped her brother. And in a way, she would be right, wouldn't she?

As Yuma drifted off beside him, and Astral himself started dozing off, these thoughts kept circling in the aliens' head, even following him in to his sleep…

He heard him scream. The sound resonated deep within his own soul, making his heart ache with pity and worry. He saw him twisting and turning, unable to find comfort or even a break from the pain. He heard his rapid breathing. His moans and cries. He felt his weakness. And he saw his skin being ripped open. And then… silence. No more sounds. Just quiet. A deep, disconcerting quiet.

And then he felt tears, running down his cheeks…

"Astral, NO!" he cried out and shot up in the hospital bed. He was panting rapidly, and his heart was hammering loudly in his ears. He was staring at nothing, though his eyes were wide open and shimmering with fear and his cheeks were wet.

"Yuma! Yuma, what is the matter?!" Astral asked, sitting next to him, one hand on the back of Yumas shoulder and the other on his thigh. He had been asleep, when suddenly Yuma shot up in the bed and a powerful wave of pure fear, struck the alien across their bond.

Looking at his partner now, he saw on him, and felt from him, overpowering anxiety and could even hear the others heart beating loudly in his chest.

He didn't know what was wrong, but he gathered that Yuma must have had some sort of nightmare and, judging from what he had gasped as he woke up, it must have had something to do with Astral himself.

"Yuma, please… I am here. Tell me what is wrong" he tried again, and slowly, Yuma turned his head to him, though he didn't seem to see him at first. Then his eyes suddenly focused on Astral, as though he only now noticed that he was there. And the next second, he had thrown his arms around Astrals waist and pulled him into a tight embrace, shivering noticeably.

"Astral… I was so scared! I thought you were… I heard you… I saw it! Astral" the young man said, voice thick with tears and shaking. "Oh Yuma… It is alright. I am here. I am not going anywhere. I love you, so much. I could never leave you. Please, calm down" Astral replied in a soft tone, one that had calmed Yuma many times in the past.

"I… I really felt like I'd lost you again" Yuma mumbled and Astral kissed his forehead, letting a hand caress Yumas back gently. "I know. You had a nightmare again. But it is alright… You haven't lost me" he responded and though it took a couple of minutes, Yuma finally stopped shaking and took a few deep breaths to get himself to stop sobbing.

Once he felt like he had his body and mind under relative control again, he sighed quietly and then lifted his head to meet Astrals eyes, loosening his tight hold around the other.

"Sorry…" he said in a low whisper, but Astral just send him a tender smile and moved his hands, to wipe away the tears now rapidly cooling on the cheeks of his other half. "It's okay Yuma. Do not be ashamed. After all, it is my fault that you suffer from these nightmares.

And we both know they tend to get worse in times of great stress for you. With the news we got a couple of days ago, I almost expected them to return. Come here" the blue-skinned being replied, pulling his lover in to a hug, though a less tight one, than what he had just experienced.

Yuma moistened his lips, closing his eyes and lowering his head again, resting it against Astrals chest.

"If the doctors knew about them, I'm sure they'd diagnose me with PTSD or something… I'm very grateful that you are always within immediate reach, when I…" he started, but then his voice faded again and Astral heard him swallow heavily.

Gently, he ran a hand through Yumas hair, caressing it tenderly. "It's okay my love" he said, voice low. He continued his usual rituals in calming Yuma down after one of his night-terrors, by kissing his temples and then moving a hand under his chin to make the other look at him once more.

"We're fine" Astral said, sending Yuma another smile.

Yuma nodded, as their eyes were locked on one another, and then he returned the smile with one of his own.

"We're fine" he repeated, voice gaining strength and confidence once more.

"That is exactly right" Astral replied, and Yumas smile widened, until finally, he started laughing.

"This is so stupid" he chastised himself "it was just a bad dream! What am I? 5 years old or something?! Thanks, Astral". With that, he wrapped an arm around Astrals neck and pulled himself up, so he could claim a passionate kiss from the aliens' lips.

Astral let him. He could feel that Yuma was still affected by his nightmare, but that he was feeling better than before. And anyways, Astral very much enjoyed the kiss too.

"In a couple of days, we'll be home again. Maybe you'll sleep better then" the alien said after a bit, and Yuma nodded.

"Maybe" he agreed "but I'm kind of worried about being back with the family 24/7. I mean, I hate lying to them and well… with your condition… How are we gonna tell them?".

Astral sighed. "I was just thinking of the same thing myself Yuma" he replied "however, I did not reach a conclusive answer. So, I am at as much of a loss as you are. I do believe we should be honest though. Your family deserves that".

"I agree" Yuma responded, looking thoughtful. Then he groaned, throwing his hands up on either side of his head. "Oh man, Kari is going to KILL me when she finds out! Maybe we should just run before the hospital releases me. I'd probably live longer that way!" he continued, looking like he was being tortured.

"Yuma!" Astral said, voice mildly scolding. "I know, I know! I was just joking Astral! We're not running away" Yuma replied, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "But dammit, I can't help but worry. I'm only 17! Fur sure, everyone thought Kari would be the one to become a parent by accident, not me.

And Mom and Dad have no idea what's been going on back here at home at all. Not about your time, what happened during it, my stay in the hospital, or this. And they won't know for a while still. Grandma says they shouldn't be home until at least another couple of months".

The young man silenced, groaning quietly as he closed his eyes and rested back in the bed. "We will tell your family of this, together. I understand that it worries you. I too am worried by it, but I have faith in them all. They will not be anything but supportive, once the news has a chance to sink in, I am certain of it" Astral said, lying down beside the other, though he kept his hands to himself.

"Man, I hope you're right Astral" Yuma replied, sighing quietly. Just a few more days. Then they'd finally be out of the hospital again. He could hardly wait…