Chapter Fourteen
Aya slowly walked through the through the Koneko and up the stairs to the only place he had felt at home since Takatori had attacked his family. It felt strange to be back at a place he had no hope of ever returning to when he left.
What was even stranger for Aya was the feeling of Youji's arm around his waist as he was guided towards the kitchen. He sat down in his old chair and Youji placed a cup of tea in front of him.
It all felt so strange for Aya to be home again.
Time passed as it has a habit of doing so. November soon gave way to the bitter cold of December. Aya's bump grew as Youji became obsessed with the impending birth of his first born child by reading any book ever published on the topic of child birth and developing a habit of quoting rather disgusting facts during dinner until it got to the point where Omi and Ken went out for dinner so they could at least eat a full meal without wanting to throw it back up again. Time passed and life went on without incident.
Aya was staring out of the window at the snow fluttering past the window when Omi entered the room.
"Aya-kun," Omi said as he approached, "how are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine thank you Omi. Just pregnant and fat with a desire to pee every five minutes but what do you expect when you have an unborn baby squishing you're bladder 24 hours a day," Aya snapped
"Oh," said Omi unsure what to say getting a little bit more information than he had hoped for.
"It's December. I want a tree," Aya said as he crossed his arms over his chest and turned to look at Omi
"Sorry Aya-kun?" Omi asked confused
"A Christmas tree. You know big green, pointy, covered in tinsel and lights" Aya replied sarcastically.
"I know but you normally don't like all that type of stuff. You complain and say they are a waste of money and smell and do nothing but cause a mess." Omi suddenly noticed the temperature of the room drop dramatically and the glare Aya was currently shooting him would have killed if possible. Remembering that Aya was currently pregnant, meaning he was full of strange hormones making him very susceptible to mood swings decided it might be the best time to change the way he was going with his sentence very quickly. "We can have a tree if you want one. I'll get Ken to get one."
"No," Aya stated coldly. "I want to go and get one."
"But Aya-kun you're in no condition to be going out to get a tree!" Omi said
"I'm not an invalid," Aya snapped "just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm incapable of doing things! Just because I'm big and fat and hopeless doesn't mean I'm incapable of doing things," Aya suddenly became saddened and his eyes filled with tears. "I can still do things" he said sniffling. He turned to face the window again.
Omi stood watching the back of Aya in shock. He's just displayed more emotion in five minutes than in the entire time Omi had known him and it took a few minutes to process is all.
Omi was unsure wither or not to put his arm around Aya like he would do with Ken or Youji when they was upset. It wasn't something normally done with Aya and now with the current mood swings....well Omi didn't want to get his head bitten off! He settled on lightly patting him on the back.
"Aya-kun," Omi paused for a second wondering if he was doing the safe thing considering Aya's current state, "you're not fat! You're just five months pregnant! And I'm sure you can still do things. You're not hopeless!"
"Yes I am fat! I'm fat and unattractive!" Aya, well Aya wailed much to the surprise of Omi who stood with his mouth open wide before he remembered himself.
"Wh-what gives you that idea?" Omi stuttered totally lost at what to stay to an overly-emotionally and scary Aya
"Youji," Aya said remorsefully
"Why? What has Youji done to make you think like that?" Omi asked totally confused by the situation, wondering if he'd slipped and banged his head at some point or if he'd accidentally stabbed himself with one of his tranquiliser dart and was having some weird hallucination.
"He doesn't touch me like he used to He hasn't since I came back. He doesn't like me now that I'm burdening him with," Aya indicated his stomach, "with this. He hates me"
"You know that's not true Aya-kun! He loves you and he can't wait for the baby to be born! If you want proof that he loves you I can tell you the mess you left him in when you left!" Omi released that wasn't the best thing to say to cheer up Aya. "Maybe you should try talking to Youji instead of bottling it all inside. I'm sure he'll be able to tell you what's wrong." Omi quickly added, "which I'm sure there isn't anything wrong!"
"But what if there is something wrong and the answer he gives me isn't the one
I want to hear," Aya replied and Omi anticipated tears
"I'm sure it wont be," Omi tried to reassure Aya, "I'm sure he'll tell it it's just your hormones playing up or some other silly thing he's learnt from reading all those books. Anyway," Omi said to change the conversation, "I thought you wanted a tree? Shall we go get one? We can get it decorated before the others come home"
This seemed to have the effect Omi had hoped for and cheered Aya up. "We'll need to buy some decorations. The few we have are falling to pieces," Aya said as he headed towards the door, back to his usual stoic self.
"Mood swings," Omi muttered before heading after Aya.
While Omi and Aya headed off to get the tree Youji was in the process of dragging Ken all over Tokyo trying to find Aya the perfect Christmas present.
"Come on Youji!" Ken said tiredly, "we've looked all over!"
"I know but we haven't found it yet!" Youji said as he walked into one of the huge department store, highly decorated with Christmas decorations and packed with Christmas shopping.
"Found what?" Ken questioned
"The perfect present!" Youji said like a man processed, which also described most of the people in the shop.
They headed through the sports section and Ken got distracted by looking at a display of Football merchandise. "Why don't you get him one of these football DVD's?" Ken asked as he longingly looked at the display
"Ken I'm buying for Aya, you know the man I love, not you, a man I'm currently only just tolerating!" Youji glared at him
"Sorry," Ken said sarcastically, "I was just trying to help!"
"Sorry. I just want to get something that is perfect. It's our first Christmas together"
"You were together last Christmas," Ken said confused, "we all were. We had that mission involving that....dude"
"I know but last year we weren't together as a couple and he wasn't having my baby," Youji said as he weaved through the crowd as Ken struggled to get through the vast numbers of shopping.
"I still can't get over that. It was such a surprise," Ken said as he rubbed the back of his head accidentally hitting another shopper.
"It seemed to only surprise you KenKen," Youji said, "even Omi knew something was going on between me and Aya. I swear that Chibi isn't as innocent as he likes to make out"
"How are things between you and Aya?" Ken asked still surprised by that turn of events
"There going well." Youji paused before continuing, "considering he's pregnant and all. I mean I knew Aya could do emotions. I'd seen him do them once or twice but recently. He's going crazy. He's been having quite strange mood swings"
"Uh-huh," Ken said not sure what to say on the topic of male pregnancy and an Aya with emotions. There were things that didn't happen in the world. Then again monsters weren't meant to happen in the world and yet he'd faced them.
"I must get him something perfect to show him I'm glad he came back and how much I love him and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him and the baby!" Youji lead the way to the exit to the shop and back onto the busy road.
"Wow. Who would have thought the day would have come when Youji would want to settle down with one person for the rest of his life and had marriage and kids and stuff"
"KenKen, men can't get married" Youji paused for a second, "although that could work!" Youji headed off towards another shop and found the perfect gift.
It was up to Omi to drag the 6 ft tree up the stairs and into the living room seeing as Aya couldn't do it in his 'delicate position' (Aya's words, not Omi's). Omi was then forced to move the tree to various parts of the living room before Aya was finally satisfied with a spot. (A spot that he's already said 'no' to 4 times). Aya then spent the rest of the afternoon decorating the tree while Omi collapsed in a chair, tired out from lugging the giant tree around.
"Done," Aya said as he finished the tree and placed the star on top.
Omi looked at the tress and smiled at the serene look on Aya's face as he played with a decoration. "It looks good Aya-kun"
"It reminds me of when I was younger and we always had a tree at home. Aya-chan always used to love the glitz of Christmas," Aya said barely above a whisper
"I'm sure she'll see another Christmas Aya-kun. She'll get better soon." Omi said as he heard the front door open. "It sounds that Youji-kun and Ken-kun have arrived home. I suppose it's time for me to start dinner"
Aya stood gazing at the tree, being slowly hypnotised by the slow, blinking, white lights. He never noticed Youji entering the room until he wrapped his arms around his waist.
"Hello, how are you feeling?" Youji asked as he kissed Aya's neck
"Do you regret me coming back?" Aya asked, terrified
"Of course not!" Youji said surprised, "what would give you that idea?"
"You've been treating my differently since I got back. It's almost like you don't want to touch me," Aya said quietly
"I'm touching you now," Youji said as he squeezed Aya's waist tighter to prove his point.'
"I know but you haven't been doing anything more. You hug me but you don't even kiss me as much as you did before. Admit it I'm fat and repulsive and you regret me coming back!"
"Aya I love you more everyday that goes past! I don't regret you coming back. I hated it when you went. If I've not been as affectionate, well you are pregnant. I don't what to do something to hurt you or the baby," Youji said at a total loss. He turned Aya around and kissed him, deeply, on the lips. "Anyway, I like this tree. I thought you didn't like trees?"
"I decided we could have one this year," Aya shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal
"Well I'm glad. Christmas isn't Christmas without a tree" Youji said
Omi entered the room with a confused look on his face. "Um...Youji-kun? Is everything ok with Ken-kun? He's....well, he's sat in the kitchen and he won't stop giggling"
"Ah, when we were giving out mulled wine. He doesn't seem capable of holding much alcohol!"
"You mean he's drunk?" Omi asked shocked
"Yes. I'm afraid so." Youji replied trying not to laugh, "It was rather funny him trying to sing carols very loudly and badly on the way home."
Omi sighed, "I'll put him to bed," he said before he left the room.
To be continued
Yay!! I updated and it sucks!!
Enjoy the suckage!!