Somewhere on Autumn Woods Drive
By Rikku F-ing Minouke
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH
AN: Herpderpderpy this chapter is for you :D thank you so much for reviewing! Definitely made my awful day off, just a little bit better.
Chapter twenty-nine
I was more amazed with each passing week. There was so much I was discovering, new and old . Most importantly I learned how many people I had that supported me as I took this unexpected journey.
It was the day of the baby shower and I was nervous. Keiko had found out the gender of the baby several days ago and I was bursting at the seams to tell everyone. There were a lot more people here then I had expected to show up.
"What would you like me to do?" my mother whispered in my ear when people started to arrive. "Kuwabara is at the front of the building letting people in. Keiko is serving food. Your dad is handing out champagne."
"I don't," I shrugged. "I'd ask Keiko. She's the one hosting. I'm just here for the food." I giggle at my own joke and my mom smiled and squeezed my shoulder.
"Would you like me to grab you a plate of food?" she asked and I shook my head.
"Mom!" we both turned to see Yusuke's huge smile. He approached and gave my mother a hug. "It's been a while since I've seen you. How's it going?"
"Oh Yusuke," my mom laughed and hugged him back. "You know just how to butter me up. How's your mother doing these days? Is she still working at the legion?"
"Yeah, same old shit," he said nonchalantly. "She's started bartending there, putting those old drinking habits to use now but serving drunks instead of being drunk."
"Well I'm glad to hear she's not on the other side of the bar anymore," my mother smiled at him. "It's great to see you again."
"I'm gonna go mingle guys," I said before leaving them to catch up. I approached the first people I saw. Biting the corner of my lip I approached my relatives. "Hey guys," I said softly. "Thanks for coming."
"Oh Botan," my aunt said. "We wouldn't miss this for the world."
"Look, I'm really sorry about Christmas," Touya blurted out. "I thought you were only hiding it from us, not your whole family."
I laughed and shook my head. "I'm not mad anymore. In the end, my family knows now. At the time though, I could have killed you."
"I wouldn't have blamed you," Touya said and I knew he was being honest.
"That's all in the past though," my aunt placed a hand on her sons shoulder.
"When do we get to figure out the gender?" Sayaka asked and I smiled down into her dark eyes.
"In a little bit," I told her. "Keiko has a surprise for everyone."
"Hey Botan!" I turned to see a few more familiar faces enter the room and I excused myself from the group. I couldn't have stopped the smile if I had tried.
"Yukina," I smiled at the blue haired girl as I drew closer. "It has been forever since I've seen you. You're hair has gotten so long." And it had, in high school she had had it chopped short but today it was pulled back by a bow at the small of her neck.
"How is it you know Yukina?" Kurama appeared next me and I jumped slightly. "Sorry to scare you." I felt his hand on my back, calming my heart instantly.
Laughing, Yukina and I shared a glance before looking at the floor. "We had gym together in high school," I told him. "It was a badminton, tennis, and pickleball class. Actually, it was me, Yukina, and Kuwabara in that class. It's where the two of them met as well."
"I'm missing something," Kurama looked between us. "Yukina, don't hold out on me."
She gave him the tiniest of smiles. "It was a very interesting class. There was definitely never a dull moment."
"Except when we ran the mile," I said. "Well, when Kuwabara ran the mile. We walked it. My time was eleven minutes."
"You shouldn't sound proud of that," Hiei walked up behind Yukina.
"Oh Hiei," I said, puffing out a small breath. "Not everyone took track and can run it under five minutes."
"Not everyone gets a C in Badminton," Hiei rolled his eyes.
"Only because I didn't like to change," I explained to Kurama who was trying not to snicker at the interaction.
"Alright!" Keiko's voice boomed over the crowd. "Can I get everyones attention? We are going to pass out the cupcakes now. Please don't bite into them until I give the word." Yusuke, Keiko, and my parents passed out the cupcakes to the small group that had collected in the party room of our apartment building. "Ok guys. Let's see your colors." On cue, everyone bit into the small cupcakes to reveal the hidden frosting inside.
"Oh my god," my mother breathed deeply as she gazed into the center of the dessert.
"This is cupcake is delicious," Yusuke mumbled to Keiko, who in turn shushed him.
"It's a boy…" I could see the tears in her eyes as she spoke from across the room. It was always hard to see her cry, even happy tears. Without a moment's notice, I stepped around Kurama and headed for my mother. She didn't need much encouragement as I pulled her into a tight hug. "It's a boy." She repeated in my ear.
People in the crowd started talking again as I leaned back to look at my mother's face. "Mom?"
"Oh, Botan," a smile was on her lips as her hands went to my stomach. "I'm going to have a grandson."
"Now you can start looking at names," Keiko said from next to my mom. "Not that you haven't thought about it already, I'm sure."
"Have you?" My mom asked and I shrugged.
"I've browsed but nothing has stuck yet," I told her and glanced around the crowd at the groups of people who had gone back to their previous conversations. I spotted my dad at the beverage table. He was stand there looking down at the bottle of champagne. "Hey, ma, I'm gonna go talk to dad real quick." She nodded as I turned to make my way across the room. I wasn't sure if he saw me coming or not. But I am sure that he wasn't expecting me to speak to him. "Daddy?"
He looked up at me and I could see the glaze covering his eyes. "You really do look amazing, Botan."
It was probably one of the nicest things he'd ever said to me and I took several steps forward to hug my father. "How are you doing dad?" I asked as I felt his arms hold me tightly. He held on for several moments and I wasn't sure if he planned on letting me go. He did, however, after a long minute.
"I'm doing alright," he said with a deep breath. The brown in his eyes shined with emotion I hadn't seen there in a long time. "Have you eaten yet?"
I laughed lightly. "There will be plenty for me to eat when everyone has left later. Don't worry about that."
"I know I haven't been the greatest father to you Botan," he said suddenly and I straightened my shoulders subconsciously. "But I am proud of the woman you have become."
"What is going on?" I asked, frowning suddenly. "You've never been proud of me, except when I told you I had started drinking when I moved up to St. Cloud at eighteen."
"Damn it, Botan," my father pressed his lips together. "Can't I ever tell you anything without you wanting to start a fight?"
I sighed and took a step back. "I'm sorry." I hollowed out my insides to not show him what I was feeling. A tricked I'd learned in high school.
"Just forget it," my dad shook his head in anger. "Stop being such a brat."
"This is supposed to be a happy day. Let's not argue," I told him quietly before turning and walking away before it got really heated. I approached Kurama, Yusuke, and Hiei by the pool table. I didn't say anything as I stood in between Hiei and Kurama.
"Just look at him," Yusuke point toward the bar where the food was. "He hangs out with the girls more than he hangs out with us." I glanced in the direct Yusuke was pointing at and saw Kuwabara with Yukina, Keiko, Shizuru, and my mother.
"It's because he has a vagina," Hiei told Yusuke like it was in deed a fact.
Kurama snickered and I tried to force a small smile, but it felt awkward.
"Damn it, Hiei," Yusuke shook his head. "Can you just tell your sister to cut her ball and chain loose for a few hours so we can hang out for once?"
"There are so many issues with that statement," Hiei rolled his eyes. "Her 'Ball and chain' is a willing victim. You can't cut someone loose when they refuse to leave."
"He's practically humping her leg!" Yusuke exclaimed as Kuwabara held Yukina's plate while she talked to Keiko.
Suddenly I felt a hand grab mine and looked over to see Kurama giving me a gentle smile with a worried expression coating his eyes. This time I meant the small smile I gave him. Just because my dad and me never get along doesn't mean that I can't be happy with the other people here.