Chapter Four:

Let the rain fall, down

"Congratulations, Miller-san" Doctor Saito, looked up from the lab report in her hands, "you're going to be a mother"

Time stopped at those words, 'you're going to be a mother' her heart fell into the pit of her stomach. Oh god, she fucked up Toshi's a daddy. Does he want to be a father? Of course not, her finger drummed on her lap the man just turned forty. If he wanted a family he would have started one a long time ago. A sweet wife who could have meals on the table before he comes home from work. A few kids in their teens by now, Toshi would make a great father. Fable's hand ghosted over her stomach as a smile graced her face.

Only if he wanted a child.

You're putting too much stress on him.

He won't want it.

Too sickly.

Her hand fell to her side, tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. The dark-skin woman refused to cry. She'll just move out faster…then get a date, yeah. Then say the kid was some other guy from a one-night stand. Yep, sounds like a plan, Fable frowned it made her sound like a slut then again, this little one was made from a one-night stand. If you can call it that.

"Miller-San?" Her doctor's voice cut through her thoughts, "Did you hear anything that I even said?"

"Huh?" Fable blinked "umm…no sorry Doctor" Fable lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Thought so…as I was saying; I'd advise you to make your prenatal appointment as soon as possible" Doctor Saito, wrote down something on a piece of paper "It's very good that the pregnancy was a catch so early"

Doctor Saito handed Fable the piece of paper in her hand with a warm smile. Fable looked down that paper, it listed a few clinics that she trusted and some doctors that specialize in prenatal care.

"Thank you, Doctor" Fable placed the paper in her bag and bowed before leaving. Once outside the office she pulled her phone and pressed dial on one of her contacts.

"So, a kid, huh" the pastel clad woman, sat across from her friend with a tea cup in hand, before sipping it. Her hair color was slit in the middle left side baby powder blue, right a soft pink. Her baby doll dress was thick and poofy around her delicate frame.

"Yea" Fable looked down at her untouched cup of tea, instead of going back to Toshi's and facing the music. She went to Hachiko's to stall the inevitable from happening, "it…we weren't thinking straight"

"So, you fucked your friend, drunk" Hachiko placed the hot drink down, her dark eyes narrowing at her friend's foolishness, "I thought you were better than that"

Fable curled into herself. She agrees with everything Hachiko was saying but it still stung coming from someone so bubbly. The young woman just wanted someone to talk to before falling into the void. It was not possible to face Toshi yet, and act like everything was fine.

"Cotton-chan I love you…but that's the stupidest thing that could ever happen!" the woman said trying to keep her voice even, "god, I mean how could you! Do this to yourself and to him"

Fable squeezed her eyes shut, sucking air through her nose her body shook slightly. Hachiko is right! Toshi already has enough to worry about, now there's a child in the mix. Hot rivulets trailed down her cheeks, maybe it's best for not to tell him. After the kid won't look a thing like him she's black. How would Toshi know? He won't that's how…what he doesn't know won't hurt him.

"I won't tell him" Fable's voice cracked, "you're right it would be selfish to…he deserves better"

"Wait…that's not what I'm saying" Hachiko swooped in and hugged her friend, "tell him he needs to know"

"H…he's too nice…I-I'm gonna ruin his damn life" Fable gripped the front of her friend's dress, the waterfall of tears down rushing down her cheeks, "w-who knows…what a kid could do"

"Fable shut up," Hachiko placed a hand on top of her best friend's head, "it takes two, both of you fucked up really badly" her arms tighten around the shorter woman "I bet he'll want to know…you can't just act like this isn't happening…a good father can tell if the child is theirs"

"Oh, I don't think so" Fable laughed drily wiping her face with the back of her hand, "if I never tell him he'll never be wiser"

"Yagi isn't a fool! If that kid is a fraction of a good person that he is…he'll know" Hachiko whispered, "besides the math won't add up, honey". Fable sighed knowing the pastel clad woman had a point she won't be able to keep this a secret for long.

"Hachi, can I stay here for the night"

"Of course, Cotton-chan" Hachiko, grinned as she wiggled next to her friend, "So, you and Yagi-san"

"Yea…" Fable's face heated up slightly leaning away from her friend.

"How big was he?" Hachiko's fox like a face turned to something akin to Dr. Seuss's the Grinch.

Fable choked slightly, fucking Hachikco, this isn't a surprise coming from this girl. The dark-skinned squeezed her eyes shut trying to remember that night. Maybe he wasn't that big or the alcohol made her body relax. 'I did feel a certain stretch' Fable puckered her lips slightly, then again it could be her body wasn't as relaxed than she originally thought. Heat travelled straight to her core making it tingle with need ever so slightly.

"Let's not talk about this please" Fable finally took a sip of her tea.

Fable entered the apartment the next morning, it was the weekend knowing Toshi he was out doing errands that weren't possible during the weekdays. The first thing she notices was a soft humming coming from her tank. Why did he set it up? The man must have done this yesterday…maybe he wants to see if it was still running okay? The hunger pains made themselves known as she placed her bag down.

She hadn't eaten anything that morning before she left Hachiko's, making a B-line to her bedroom the woman kicked off her shorts, leaving on her baggy sweater. Eyes flickering over to the clock reading 10:30, he might be back late afternoon. She has some time to make a small meal, then gets started on dinner before he returns.

With a yawn, Fable shuffled over to the kitchen dragging her feet against the hardwood floors. Turning on the song 'this is me' on her phone and set it on the kitchen table. Fable opened the fridge bending over to have a look, normally she wouldn't do this when Toshi was around. The edges of the sweater hiked up revealing her panty covered rear for the world to see. Spotting some rice, she decided on Omurice for lunch, humming happily she gathered everything else that she needed. Closing the fridge, she places the ingredients on the counter top, spotting Toshi from the corner of her eye.

"Oh, hey Toshi" she smiled at him, yanking down the hem of her sweater. The beet red faced man waved shyly as he avoided looking at her. Fable was about to ask what's wrong when the pieces fell together. She just flashed this man! The blonde got an eye full of her panties for who knows how long, "uh…um…excuse me"

Hot in the face the young woman ran back into her room one, to cry in embarrassment second, to put back on her shorts. After a few minutes of her not venturing out of the room, there was knocking on the wooden door.

"Fable, I would like to apologize about earlier" Toshi muttered against the hard wood, "it was very improper"

He was apologizing about getting mooned! God, it should be her saying those things not him. Getting up he cracked open the door slightly, the older man was still red in the face.

"Toshi, sweetie I should be the one saying that" she opened the door wider, "after all I'm a guess in your home"

"As your host, I shouldn't make you feel uncomfortable" he tried to straighten his posture

"Hmm…how about I'll fix us something to eat, and we can call it even" Fable smiled at the older man.

The tension between to the two was so thick that one could cut it with a sharp knife. Fable pushed her food around the plate with the aid of a spoon, she has to tell him. Her eyes flicked over the blonde, who jumped when her eyes landed on him. Swiftly he averted them to the side as his cheeks turned pink again. Fable cracked a weak smile, dork, her stomach was turning.

That's it.

"Toshinori" the man's eyes landed on her, she hasn't used his full name in years, "I…I..um" god she's going to be sick. Her pulse started to quicken "there's something you need to know" heat bloomed from the tip of her ears and went down to her neck.

Toshi froze, swallowing thickly this was it. He already knew what she was going to say. He thought she was going to tell him after that faithful day, but instead, Fable made an appointment with her primary care doctor at the local clinic. Even after that she still didn't come home after that, instead of opting to sleep at Hachiko's apartment. Toshi didn't know how to take that, did she need some time alone before she wasn't with child…or the latter she was. Toshi was terrified. He might be a father.

"So…I went to the doctor's yesterday" Fable chewed the inside of her cheek, her insides were churning together making her sick.

"Yes, you told me about that" Toshi placed his chopsticks down his voice was leveled fooling Fable.

"Toshi" Fable paused eyes flickering to him then down to her lap "I'm pregnant". There she said it, the young woman bit down on her lower lip. Studying the man in front of her, he didn't seem shocked but he was frozen in place. How would one react to knowing that they're going to be a father, certainly not acting like a statue? The man took in a shallow breath as his lids close. He's not yelling at her…that's a good thing…right?

"D-don'… w-worry it's …y…yours" Fable fumbled over her words, trying to make this situation better, "I promise…I-I"

"What are you going on about" Toshi stopped her, "of course the child's mine…w-who else could you done…that with" the man's face burned red

"I-I know" Fable lowered her head "...don't worry…I-I'm still looking for a place to stay!" her voice went and octave higher "y-you…I…won't get in the way…s-so don't worry about it"

"Fable" Toshi's brows furrowed together trying to understand what his friend was saying. She can stay here! They can raise the child together, she doesn't have to leave, and why does she sound like he doesn't want her here, "I'm not kicking you out"

Yet.

"I know" her eyes continued to stare at her bowl, "it's just" you might not want the child. Want me.

"Fable, just stay here…permanently" Toshi, wasn't asking this, "it's a big apartment…three rooms…I…we can change the guest room into a nursery"

The man's words released a fresh batch of tears that Fable didn't know that she was holding back. He's fucking great, such a gentleman. Oh god, she wants to say 'yes' but he's only saying this because he thinks he has too.

"That's nice of you…but you don't have to do that" she hiccuped "but remember two months tops…this change nothing"