A/N: My friends, we are nearing the end of this story. It will end sometime after the Kazehaya baby is born, but we have another 4-5 chapters before that, maybe even more. Hope you stay tuned to the end! As always, thank you so much for all the reviews, favs and follows, they really mean a lot to me! Enjoy!
"Chizuru you need to practice keeping your eyes open in photos." Ryu said bluntly. He was looking over some of the pictures from their engagement and he had noticed that she blinked on quite a lot of them.
"My eyes are sensitive, I can't help it." Chizu complained and looked over his shoulder at the pictures. She cringed inwardly when she noticed how bad her eyes had looked. Her mascara had been smudged from crying and her eyes were red and puffy.
"Maybe you shouldn't sit so close to the TV." Her fiancé looked up at her. Lately she had been squinting badly and he suggested she go see an optician, but she had refused for no apparent reason.
"But that's the perfect spot for watching TV! You are close enough that you don't get distracted by surroundings, but also far enough back that you don't get a kink in your neck. It is also the perfect distance for going to the kitchen and grabbing food during commercials and making it back before the show starts again." Chizu breakdown sounded like she had put a lot of thought into choosing her spot, but Ryu knew it was only a habit from her childhood that she hadn't gotten rid of.
"If you say so." Ryu decided that he would set up an appointment with an optician and get her eyes checked anyway.
"You'd think they have been married for years from the way they bicker." Ayane leaned over and whispered to Sawako, who in turn nodded furiously. They were gathered at Ryu's place to celebrate and they were still finishing up the feast that had been prepared for them.
After taking a degree in business and management, Chizu had hired some people for the ramen shop to help Ryu's dad and they had all been ecstatic when they heard about the proposal. She had spent the evening discreetly glancing at the ring on her finger, which meant that everyone had noticed her doing it. The shy that formed on her face whenever she caught sight of the ring, melted everyone's heart.
"What kind of wedding do you want?" Sawako had been itching to find out and finally asked when it was only her, Ayane and Chizu left.
"A summer one! Maybe it'll be held outside, but I am still not sure. I also have to run it by Ryu first and hear what he thinks." Chizu popped a strawberry into her mouth. The ladies had retired to Chizu's house after finishing the food. Shouta had stayed to help Ryu clean up and sent Sawako away with her friends.
The pregnant one had been planning far ahead from the moment she found out what Ryu's plan was, so she had put it on herself to make some desserts that she knew Chizu loved – that and she had been craving strawberries the whole day. She had simply bought a lot of strawberries, melted some chocolate and dipped them into it. Ayane had helped too by making sure Sawako only ate the strawberries that were separated into a bowl meant for her.
"I don't think Ryu cares as long as you are happy." Ayane replied and reached for another strawberry. She had to give it to Sawako, dipping them in chocolate was a brilliant idea.
"I can't believe he actually asked me." Chizu could still not believe her eyes and looked at her ring in her finger again. It was so beautiful and fit her taste so perfectly that she had to wonder if Ryu had seen some of the pictures she had secretly looked up once or twice.
"It was about time." Ayane grumbled and reached for another strawberry, but found the bowl to be empty. A thought struck and the brunette looked to at Sawako, who had been awfully quiet for a while now. Sawako could feel Ayane's eyes boring into her and decidedly looked down at her lap.
"Sawako, honey, where are the strawberries?" Ayane asked so sweetly, chills ran down Sawako's and Chizu's spines at the same time.
"….-te them…?" Sawako mumbled unintelligently and kept her eyes down. She could feel beads of sweat form on her forehead, but Ayane's aura had turned icy at the other side of the table.
"What was that?" The brunette asked in the same cheery voice that made Chizu fear for her life.
"I ate them…" Sawako seemed to grow smaller under Ayane's gaze and the noirette finally looked up to see Ayane's eyes narrow into slits. She looked over at Chizu pleadingly, hoping to be saved from Ayane's wrath.
"Isn't it fine Ayane? It's a happy occasion after all… and Sawako is eating for two and she must have been under a lot of stress lately… you know with her job and this and her pregnancy cravings…" Chizu trailed off uncertainly. Ayane was like a ticking bomb. Cut the right wire and she would diffuse, but cut the wrong one and the whole situation blew up.
"Do you have any idea how many of those damn strawberries she has eaten today? Over twenty! No healthy person should eat that many and being four months pregnant, she should be thinking about the baby's health more than anything!" Chizu had cut the wrong wire.
"But I was hungry." Sawako defended weakly. One look at Ayane and she wished she had kept silent.
"We just ate!" Ayane exclaimed. She couldn't believe that her friend already was hungry again less than an hour after the feast. Being pregnant really changed you as a person.
"Remind me to warn Ibusaki about her temper." Chizu pretended to whisper to Sawako, who had to clap a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Ayane was already pissed, they didn't need to make it worse, but it was hard not to burst out laughing. Chizu was the first one to crack and Sawako followed suit. Even Ayane couldn't help but chuckle. She really loved her two weirdos.
"I don't think I could get angry at him. He's too sweet." Ayane finally said after the two others calmed down. She absentmindedly stirred her drink and looked at her friends through her lashes. Sawako sobered up immediately and Chizu looked contemplative.
"To me it looks like he tries to respect your boundaries and not fight about trivial matters. I think he's a mature person who doesn't see the point in arguing for no reason." Sawako contemplated. She really didn't know him well enough to be certain, but from the conversations they'd had, he was respectful and kind to anyone he met.
"Don't you think it's because he tries his best to make sure you're happy? I've never seen a guy go out of his way to get you a book from your favorite author that you didn't previously own." Chizu added. She remembered Ibusaki telling about his favorite books and when Ayane told about hers, he asked if she'd read a certain one. When she didn't have, he showed up the following day with a new book for her.
"I guess I'm not used to being pampered that much. He really spoils me. Just yesterday he asked if I wanted to go somewhere for a weekend-trip, and I didn't know what to say. I mean, we're not really dating – we're still getting to know each other, but isn't that a bit too intimate?" The brunette exhaled slowly after finishing her stream of words. From her friends' expressions, it wasn't too intimate.
"Did you tell him no?" Chizu asked. She was impressed that Ibusaki had managed to ask Ayane so early in their relationship.
"Well, no, I told him I'd think about it." Ayane replied, which impressed Chizu even more. Kudos to him for not getting shut down right away.
"Do you want to go?" Sawako asked curiously. She could see that Ayane was conflicted, but she honestly felt like the brunette was holding herself back. She had experienced many hardships over the past few years, so it made sense that she guarded her heart, but Sawako was afraid she was getting too comfortable in her protective shell.
"I don't know, honestly. I don't hate the idea, but it just feels like it's too early. We're not even formally dating yet so I don't know how to feel about it." The brunette explained. She felt so stupid for saying it out loud, but they were her best friends. If she didn't ask for their advice, who else would she go to?
"Then tell him that. Simple." Chizu said confidently. She wanted to support Ayane from the bottom of her heart, but right now she was being silly. Ibusaki wasn't out to break her heart, and her hesitance was completely justified, but Chizu agreed with Sawako that Ayane was too defensive. Poor Ibusaki, he had to be very patient with her, but knowing the guy, he was probably ready to wait for years.
"How is that a solution?" Ayane asked, her voice getting shrill. She emptied her drink and filled up the glass once more, waiting for Chizu to elaborate.
"Look, the problems you had with Kento could probably have been solved if you two were able to speak from the heart. I'm telling you, Ibusaki won't get mad at you for not wanting to go right away, but you have to let him know, otherwise he won't be able to figure out how to deal with you." Chizu spoke calmly and it actually surprised both of her friends how true her words were. Being in a steady relationship for so many years had taught her a thing or two about honest communication, which were coming in handy.
"Since when did you get so wise?" Ayane asked after a few seconds of stunned silence, making Sawako snort from laughter. Chizu looked confused for a second, but was quick to shake it off.
"I've always been! It's just easier to express now that I'm an adult." The bubbly sandy-blonde grinned cheekily. She was telling the truth, though. In high school she hadn't been able to express herself clearly and she had worked on that for many years to reach this point in time.
"It's true. Chizu-chan always knew what to do even if she didn't know what to say." Sawako added lightly. She kept thinking of how much they'd all changed over the past couple of years and was pleasantly surprised every time.
"Alright relationship experts, what do I do next?" Ayane finally gave up and slumped down in her seat. This was the best advice she was going to get, might as well take advantage of it.
The door to the hospital room was slightly open when Sawako and Shouta hurried inside. They had received a call from Shouta's mother that morning, telling them that his father had been admitted to the hospital again. The nurses said it pneumonia and that he would be cleared in a few days, but it didn't prevent Mamoru's family from worrying.
"You made it sound like I was dying." Shouta's father complained loudly to his wife, who looked equally annoyed as he sounded.
"No, you are making it sound like that. You never take your health seriously and when something happens you are too dramatic." She replied and looked up to see the newcomers.
"Ah, there comes my grandchild and its parents." Mamoru instantly brightened up when he saw Sawako approach the bed. The noirette smiled at his harmless jab and smiled at him.
"How are you feeling?" She asked gently and took a seat beside his bed. They had hurried out the door and driven as fast as they could, so Sawako was feeling a little out of breath.
"Nothing to worry about, kiddo. I've dealt with worse." Her father-in-law raised a fist in a display of strength and had to stifle a cough.
"Why do you only speak nicely to Sawako?" Shouta asked as he walked over to his mother's side. She looked at her husband to hear his response.
"Because she's the only one I like. My two sons are good-for-nothing. Well, at least you've given me a grandchild." Mamoru seemed to be enjoying himself whenever he teased Shouta, but he never said anything hurtful.
"That's what I thought." Shouta replied dryly, but the corner of his mouth still twitched in amusement. He was glad to see his old man in high spirits. Sawako looked up at him and met his eyes with a bright smile.
There you have it folks! I will try my best to update semi-weekly, wish me luck (=w=)/