Somewhere on Autumn Woods Drive

By Rikku Minouke

Disclaimer: I down own YYH

Dedication: SimplySinful21, your review was incredible. Thank you so much for making my day. I appreciate every word and I read it several times this morning haha. Honestly I can't tell you how many Fanfics I've read where the girl is pregnant but I wanted to do something a little different and one that touched me personally as well as others. Nobody's perfect, and that's the huge point of my story. Two imperfect people finding each other in an imperfect world. It means a lot that you like my story. Hope you stay until the end!

Chapter fifty one

You never know who is going to be in your life for the important moments. Sometimes you can hope they are the same people every time. But life doesn't work that way. People change and sometimes it's for the best while others it's for the worst. Then sometimes you are the one that changes.

"I need to pee," I whispered as my shoulders slumped slightly. A sigh left my lips as my fingers gripped the red bar of the shopping cart.

"That's why we're here," Keiko's cheerful voice next to me said.

"This is embarrassing," I mumbled, lowering my head and letting my hair fall over my eyes. As if the blue strands would shield me from the world.

"Come on, this is normal for pregnant woman," Keiko waved one free hand.

"And you would know," I rolled my eyes to emphasize my sarcastic tone.

"Don't be like that," she lightly swatted my shoulder. "Haven't you looked this stuff up at all?"

Nodding, I sighed to myself again. "Yeah, it is normal, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Pretty sure no one likes this type of thing," Keiko gave me a side smile in hopes to I would return the gesture. I didn't.

"When I sneeze, I pee my pants," I said flatly. "Yeah, no one would enjoy not being able to control their bladder."

"Is there something else going on that is making you a crank-a-saurous?" Keiko asked with raised eyebrows. We turned down several aisles looking at all the products on the shelves. "Or is it just the pregnant hormones getting to you?"

I inhaled deeply looking down at my belly. One hand went to rub tenderly at the swollen section. "I told him that I love him." My voice was quiet even to me.

"And….?" Her hair swished with her gestures, wanting me to continue.

Shaking my head, I couldn't look up at her. "Keiko, it didn't go as well as I thought it would."

"Stop being so cryptic and tell me what happened," She stopped walking and placed her hands on her hips.

My feet slowed to rest further down the aisle. Her heated gaze warmed my back. No doubt Keiko was getting frustrated with me, but I feel like I'd been moping for several days now. "He was really great about it, but he wasn't ready to say it back."

"That's crazy," Keiko huffed, rolling her eyes. "I mean really, the man is helping you raise a child. He's gotta love you to commit to that."

Her attitude made the corners of my mouth lift. "Deep down, I feel like he loves me. He says there's just things he needs to think about."

"How long has it been?" she asked dropping her hands from her hips.

Shrugging, "Since I told him initially or since the last time I said it?"

"Oh cheese and crackers, Botan," Keiko rubbed her forehead with her eyes shut. "Both!"

"Maybe we should keep moving," I said softly. "The workers probably think we're stealing something or having a domestic fight."

Glancing around, Keiko noticed the pharmacy workers watching us out of the corner of their eyes. "Alright, let's move. But answer my question."

Picking up our feet, we exited the section and made our way down the fire lane towards the baby department. "I told him last Sunday."

"And you didn't tell me last Wednesday when we went to Lions Tap for ultimate burgers?" I felt like the more I told her, the more upset Keiko was getting.

"I was hoping I'd get over it by now," I admitted. "Or he'd tell me he loved me."

This time, it was Keiko who sighed. "Alright, but you've said it to him since?"

"He said he wouldn't stop me from saying it," I confirmed as we approached the infant clothes. "And so I've told him several times in the last week."

The determined look on Keiko's face made me feel like she was about to defeat an evil monster that was trying to destroy her kingdom. Or punch Yusuke in the face. "And what does he say when you say it to him?"

I could feel my eyes get distant as I thought back to those few instances. "He would kiss me."

When she lowered her eye lids in a facial expression that oozed the dry phrase 'oh really?', she repeated back to me, "He kissed you?"

Nodding, "Yeah and Keiko, no joke, he really kissed me. I could feel it all the way to my toes. He makes me want to tell him all the time, just so he kisses me like that."

"But he never says it back?" Her voice had grown a softer tone.

My eyes stopped on a onesie that looked like a baseball uniform. "No, but there's something in his eyes when he pulls away after kissing me. It's almost like his eye's are saying it when his mouth isn't. Does that make sense?"

"Pretty sure Shizuru calls that 'Eye-Fucking'," Keiko whispered and I gave a short gasp before breaking out in a loud laughter.

"Oh stop, I've already had to change my underwear once today," I put a hand under my belly, as if that would stop my bladder from leaking.

"Sorry, sorry," Keiko raised her hands up in a surrender motion. "But honestly, are you sure it's not lust? After as passionate of a kiss as you're letting on, it could very well be that he's just turned on."

"No," I shook my head. "I've seen that dark gaze from enough men to know what lust looks like. Keep in mind, I do have a baby in my belly because of it. Kurama's eyes are… softer. There's a glimmer there that I only see every so often."

"He is a very guarded person," Keiko said. "What's your next step?"

Stepping away from the clothes, I sighed again. "I don't have a next step. I just focus on my baby and hope everything works out in the end."

"That was super mature for you," Keiko gave me a warm smile. "I'm glad you aren't obsessively worrying about this. I can tell that this baby has been a big turning point in your life Botan. You are not the same person you were when you left for college, let alone when you came back."

"What do you mean?" I could feel my forehead scrunch in curiosity.

"When you left," Keiko got this distant look on her face like she was traveling down memory lane with a hiking backpack, set out not to return for months on end. "You were so innocent. Everyone was your best friend and no one had bad intentions. And when you came back… When I saw you in Grounds, you looked like the world had ended and you'd just found out that everyone you knew had died but you were still alive to deal with the mess."

My brain worked hard at trying to piece together all the information was giving me. Honestly, it didn't feel like I'd changed at all. The last few years had started to become a blur, though.

"Now look at you!" Keiko grabbed my shoulders and moved so I was looking into her warm toffee colored eyes. They made me want a Heath bar.

"I'm pregnant," I attempted to raise one eyebrow and no doubt I failed at it. I need to figure out how Kurama and Hiei do that. "Out of wedlock and dating a man who won't tell me he loves me. My dad doesn't agree with the relationship and have to sneak around to see my mom so I don't get lectured by him. Let's not forget I'm a drop out."

She held back a laugh. "No, you're happy. You are glowing."

"That's the baby."

Keiko shook her head, still holding onto my shoulders. "No it's not. It's you. Sure you don't have a degree and you're starting a family early. But would you be with any other man given the opportunity? Would you change anything if you could?"

"Could my baby daddy be Benedict Cumberbatch and he wants to marry me?" I asked and Keiko giggled.

"No, that's not an option."

Shaking my head hard enough to feel my bangs move, I said, "Then no. I wouldn't change a thing. I love the man I'm with and I love the baby growing inside me."

"See." Dropping her hands to her side she gave a little hop. A broad smile lit her face. "You are a better person then you have been. The best Botan yet!"

"Oh Keiko," I felt my throat get tight. "I love you."

"Let's not make out please," she smirked at me. But grabbed my hand. "I love you too hun. Now let's go find you some panty liners."