Lucarly: NOOOOOO! I'm falling behind schedule! -Insert major freakout scene here-
Aki: That didn't take long for your schedule to fail.
Lucarly: -is sobbing-
Aki: (Sighs) Lucarly does not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's.
Miracles Chapter 3
Aki's POV
Later that evening...
I entered into the home of my family (Well...What I considered to be my family...) and felt the warmth of the inside wash over my cold body from the frigid air of Neo Domino.
"Aki-chan! You're back!" exclaimed Rua, bounding into the room with his usual silly grin.
"Hello Rua." I said simply, taking off my coat and hanging it.
"Ruka and Yusei and I have just started decorating the Christmas tree if you want to help!"
"Hm." I mumbled thoughtlessly in response.
Rua stared at me for a moment, before shrugging and running off to continue his work on the tree.
"Ah - Aki-chan. Okaeri nasa," said my husband, strolling into the room as Rua left and kissing me briefly on the lips ", I'm sorry we started decorating without you. Rua was anxious to, and Ruka seemed interested in starting as well."
"I see. Wakarimasu...You say Ruka seemed interested?" I asked curiously.
Since the death of her parents, Ruka lost nearly all enthusiasm in doing things; dueling, eating, talking...It frightened me. Of course, things started getting better with her once she got settled into a steady lifestyle with Yusei and I as her guardians.
"Mhm." said Yusei, nodding his head ", her eyes seemed to light up a little bit when Rua brought it up - Only for a moment, but-"
"It really is fine. I need to start making dinner anyway." I said, putting my finger to his lips and leaning toward him, making him blush a tiny bit.
"R-right." he said, his cheeks still tinted pink.
I chuckled a bit, and leaned my head on his shoulder, feeling his warmth enter my still-cold body.
"You know Yusei, you really are something...We've been married for almost a year, and you still get flustered when we get intimate." I said nuzzeling into his neck.
"I'm sorry."
"Iie, it's not a bad thing. I think it's cute." I said, breaking away from him and heading into the kitchen.
As I began to pull out various cooking instruments, I glanced up at the clock, which read 4:38 P.M.
That meant Mikage and Jack would arrive in a little less than half a hour...
The smells of curry began to fill the room when I heard the front door in the other room open, followed by a series of greetings; which I presumed meant the guest couple had come.
It wasn't long before I could hear Mikage's heels clicking against the tile of kitchen floor, approaching me from behind.
"Konban wa, Aki-san." said Mikage in an affable tone.
"Konban wa." I said glancing backward and giving small smile.
I always liked Mikage - She was a sweet woman. And she always saw the better in people - Including myself.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked, standing beside me.
I hesitated. It wasn't right for me to have her help with dinner since Yusei had invited her and Jack to spend Christmas eve with us...
"Mikage-san, I don't think-" I began before I was cut off.
"-I insist." said Mikage.
I laughed inwardly. It was always like Mikage to want to somehow, in some way, give assistance to others - She became uneasy if she didn't.
"Well...I suppose you could cut up some vegetables..." I said, giving in.
Mikage only smiled, and pulled her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail before beginning to wash her hands.
"It was really kind of you to invite Jack and I over..." said Mikage, trying to make conversation.
"It's nothing. Anyway...How are you and Jack doing?" I asked, casting my gaze over at her.
I truly was interested in knowing how they were; Especially if Jack was proposing to her tomorrow. Though I honestly believed Mikage deserved much better that Jack, she seemed very happy with him, so...
"We're fine - At least I think we are..." said Mikage, her voice trailing off.
"Nani?"
"Jack seems to be really...nervous lately. I always ask if there's something wrong but he consistently says he's fine." explained Mikage.
I felt myself relax; It made perfect sense to me why Jack might be antsy around Mikage. He was, after all, about to pop the big question.
"I wouldn't worry about it." I said simply.
"Hm. What about you and Yusei? I mean with everything going on with the twins and all..." asked Mikage.
"Yusei and I are doing well - The stress of the twins' situation hasn't been any sort of an impediment on our marriage."
"That's good to hear. I think it's really wonderful what you and Yusei have done for them...Taking care of them when their parents died, giving them the support they need...Plus, it must be hard for you two to see the condition Ruka is in. She was such a nice girl, so cheerful..."
"Ruka's getting better. Being in a stable situation is good for her. All the legal fights Yusei and I had to go through to get guardianship of her and her brother were probably really stressful for her. I think Rua and their friends, Tenpei and Rally, helped her through all that chaos the most though."
"I see...You know, you'd make a really good mother - You're so observant." commented Mikage.
"Yusei says that a lot."
"Nani?"
"Yusei thinks I'd be a good mother."
"You would be." persisted Mikage.
"I don't think so...I guess I'll find out soon though." I said, my voice getting quieter.
"Hm?"
"You see...Yusei's been pestering me about having kids of our own for awhile now - but I always tell him we have to wait until Ruka's situation improves...You know, cause I want the main focus of our lives to be on returning her to her normal self right now. So when it comes to physical intimacy for Yusei and I, we stay on the safe side by using condoms..." I said, stopping what I was doing and looking directly at Mikage "...but, you know...condoms aren't always 100% safe..."
Mikage's eyes widened slightly.
"Aki, are you saying...?" she said, sounding slightly bewildered.
I paused for a moment and bent down to one of the lower kitchen drawers, pulling out a small, rectangular box from it before handing it to Mikage.
"Open it." I said softly.
Mikage looked at me and blinked before lifting the velvet top off of the box and pulling out a white stick.
"Do you know what it is?" I asked her.
"This...is a pregnancy test." she said in almost a whisper, her lips curving into a small smile.
"What does it read?"
"Positive."
"Exactly."
"Oh, Aki - Congratulations!" she said happily, her smile growing larger.
Her bright disposition about my current state could only make me smile a little bit - Mikage had that sort of effect on people that could make any stressful or dreary situation seem better.
"I plan on giving it to him tomorrow..." I said quietly.
"He doesn't know yet?" she questioned.
"No. I only recently found out myself. I'm only about two months along..."
"So it's your Christmas present to him?"
"Hai. It...Well, I couldn't think of anything better to give him."
"He'll love it. I'm sure of it."
I cast my gaze to the ground and shifted uncomfortably.
"I hope so..."
Tranlastions
Okaeri nasa - Welcome home.
Wakarimasu - I understand.
Konban wa - Good evening.
Iie - No.
Hai - Yes.
Lucarly: Oooh, so Aki's pregnant, hm? This is going to be interesting...As soon as I catch up on my writing!
Aki: ...Please review.