Somewhere on Autumn Woods Drive
Chapter 52
By Rikku Minouke
Disclaimer: I don't own anything… no YYH, no computer, no car. Nothing.
AN: I know it's been a long time. I'm sorry.
When I left for college, I thought the following years were set in stone. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. But even though I hadn't been prepared for what came next, I wouldn't look at any of it as being a mistake.
My feet throbbed as I paced the kitchen. The clear bottle of Tums was tucked between my breast and bicep. Chewing obsessively on my bottom lip, I held tightly to my hair that tumbled over my right shoulder.
"Botan?" Turning to look at Kurama, my lip popped free of my teeth. His eyes were trying to blink the sleep away as one hand smoothed the bed head from his hair. My eyes couldn't stop from trailing down his bare chest. Tingles ran down my spine at the thought of my hand running over his front.
Closing my eyes, I shunned those thoughts. There was more important things in the works here. Sucking a deep breath through my pursed lips, I bowed my head slightly.
"What's wrong?" His feet stopped a few feet away. Shaking my head, I didn't respond. I just kept wringing my hands around my hair like it was a wet towel. Reaching out, he grabbed the Tums and set them on the granite counter. They had been there so long that I felt a little lost now that the bottle was gone. My eyes stared at the pastel tablets, wondering which shade I would consume next. "Hey," his soft voice drew my attention back to his face. "What's wrong?"
"I'm scared," I whispered and felt the familiar tightness in my throat. It didn't help how Kurama looked at me with his concern evident in those eyes. Those green eyes that reminded me of the times growing up, before the highway was put in, when young corn fields were everywhere waiting to be played in.
"I can tell," his brow pulled together as his hands slowly reached out to rest on my shoulders. "Talk to me, Botan."
"It's the baby," my words made my hands tense around my hair. "He hasn't moved in a while and I'm getting really nervous."
"Have you eaten?" Kurama asked as his hand grazed over my biceps, passed my elbows, and down my sides to my hips. Nodding, I felt his thumbs rubbing circles along the swollen sides of my belly.
"Yes. And I drank some cold water," I explained. "That usually jump starts his activity. But not today. I don't know what to do."
"How long has it been?"
"Six hours of silence," I tried to hold back the worry laced into my voice, but failed.
"Well, pacing won't help," he told me and tugged my hands from my hair. Gently, he led me to the bedroom.
"It helps my anxiety." My voice floated out on a sigh as I felt my eyelids droop slightly. The worry and concern that I'd been feeling all morning was starting to catch up with my body, draining the energy from my muscles.
"Maybe," Kurama gave me a side smile when we made eye contact. He helped me into bed so that the pillows were propping me up against the wall. "But exercise puts the baby to sleep."
"But Kurama-"
"Let me get you some soda," he reached out and brushed a blue strand of hair from my forehead. "We'll see if the sugar helps."
He walked away and my hands rubbed tenderly around my belly button. "Come on little man," I cooed. "Mommy wants you to kick that field goal."
I listened to Kurama's movement in the kitchen as he opened and shut doors and cupboards. The sound of ice hitting the bottom of a glass. Snapping open a can of cherry coke. Then the sizzling of the liquid hitting the ice and the fizz rising up. It wasn't long before he returned with a beverage in his hand. The look in his eyes probably mirrored my own. Dark with worry and fear.
"Kurama…." my voice died as I let most of my fears escape through my tone.
"Shhh…." he whispered and held the cup at the top rim so that I could wrap my hands around the middle of the glass. "Try this." The chill from the ice seeped into my palm, sending a shiver up my arms.
Rounding the bed, Kurama crawled on from the other side. There was a shift in balance as the mattress dipped from his added weight. Biting my lip momentarily, my eyes watched his every movement as he continued to crawl to my side. I held the glass with both hands as he lifted my oversized tee shirt to my bust. The warmth of his hands soaked into my skin as he rubbed my belly. The battle of temperatures kept my nerves on full alert.
Glancing up to meet my eyes, he almost made me forget to breathe. "Botan, you should start to drink that," he whispered, letting his words fall on my stomach.
Swallowing passed the pressure making itself known in my throat, I raised the cup to my lips. I tilted it up and sipped the soda, letting the cool, sugary liquid coat my tongue. Immediately I felt the drink hit my stomach. Doubt sprouted at that feeling. Maybe I didn't eat enough for the baby this morning if I felt the drink hit my center.
"Hey big guy," Kurama said, still rubbing my skin. "Why don't you come out to play?"
I took another gulp, this one bigger. It always warmed my soul when Kurama spoke to my child. A part of me lit up like a firefly in summer.
"You're giving mom a scare out here," he whispered and gave my skin a light kiss. So far, I think he's done a better job at energizing my body than my baby's. "I promise to read to you every night. And not let mom embarrass you too much around all the pretty girls. I promise to be the one to teach you how to drive, because I'm sure even now mom's already scared you in the car. Feel free to blame Uncle Yusuke for teaching her how to drive."
"Kurama?" My heart was fluttering too much to be offended. The things he was promising….. Could he be serious? Was it too much to hope for?
"Drink," he looked up briefly to whisper one word. Swallowing the lump in my throat that seemed to have grown larger still, I took another drink of the cherry coke.
"I bet it's getting cramped in there," he said. "It's almost time for mom and me to hold you." Sipping again, I let his voice sooth me and tried to relax my muscles. "You've been practicing this whole time on being a soccer player with the kicks you're sending. Or football with the stiff arms. Why don't you show us one more?"
When we waited a moment, silence filled our ears. Taking a deep breath, I tried to still my heart. What if something was seriously wrong? I don't know what I would do. My hands gripped the glass tightly as I raised it to my lips again.
"Come on big guy," Kurama said with such a tender voice. "You know what you're mom is gonna do to you if you don't start your exercises?"
He paused for another moment as we let hope sit between us.
"She's going to put you into a dance class against your will," he said and I snorted into my cup. "Unless that's what you want to do. In which case we will support that. But she will make you sign up for something you don't want to do if you don't show us those moves."
Pausing, we waited in silence for what felt like forever. Sighing sadly, I looked at his face. The fear was evident in both our eyes. "I think we need to call the doctor Kurama."
"Alright, let me go grab the number on the fridge," he nodded and started off the bed. "Drink that still."
"Okay," my voice sounded weak as I sipped the soda. Watching him exit the room, I rubbed the baby gently. "What's wrong bud?"
I could hear Kurama in the kitchen padding around. It wasn't long before I could hear him returning in the hallway. He was talking to someone when he strolled through the door. "Is Dr. Yu available?" he asked softly. "Thank you." Looking at me, he tried to give me a reassuring smile. "Good morning Kaito."
Setting my empty glass down, I leaned back against the pillow.
"No." His jaw tensed momentarily. "We haven't felt the baby kick in a while," he told the doctor. "We're starting to get very worried."
Rubbing circles around my stomach, I listened to Kurama. My eyes filled with the same worry that coated his voice. "It's been about six to seven hours."
My face suddenly scrunched up in pain as a jab went through my stomach. Falling open, my mouth let out a silent yelp that was more in surprise than pain. Reaching one hand out, I patted Kurama's forearm. He looked down at me as I rubbed the top of my belly.
"He kicked," I gasped as hope and relief swept through the room.
"Kaito, he just kicked," Kurama sighed and I noticed a lot of tension leave his shoulders. "Yeah, but I'd still like us to come in and get a sonogram to make sure everything's alright." Leaning my head back against the wall, I let out a large sigh. At least the baby was kicking and we were going to make sure that he's in perfect health still.
Kurama hung up not long later and sat next to me on the bed. "Kaito said you may be dehydrated and wants you to eat a little more. But he agreed we should come in and get check out."
"Thank you Kurama," I whispered and closed my eyes briefly. "I was so scared."
"I know," he whispered and I felt his hand on my cheek. Opening my eyes to gaze at Kurama's face, he gave an encouraging smile. "It's gonna be alright Botan."
Biting my lower lip slightly, I nodded. Part of me believed that with him next to me, we would survive anything. It was just that smaller darker part that I was concerned about.