A/N: Hello! I'm back with a bumper chapter this time! Please enjoy: Chapter 7.
Chapter 7: Liquid Fire
xxx Souichi xxx
"There's a woman making a ruckus outside of our apartment."
The adrenaline pumped in Souichi as they hastened to pay the bill and get out of the café. Inari Reiko. That malicious woman had crawled out of her hiding hole and he was determined to nab her before she actually did something unalterable. Striding out onto the cobbled pavement of the shopping district, Souichi spied an oncoming cab and flagged it down, waving impatiently at Morinaga and Suzuki- san as they hurried out of the restaurant.
"T Apartments down Second Avenue!"
Souichi and Morinaga bundled into the backseat as Suzuki- san directed the way from the front. The cab sped away from the shops as Souichi pulled out the seatbelt and stretched it over his womb with difficulty.
Morinaga tugged gently at his sleeves and leaned in to whisper in his ears. "Sempai, would it be better for you to go to Matsuda- san's for now? I'm worried that you would be hurt..."
"As if I'd let you go home alone when that crazy harlot is there! You are the one being threatened here, not me. I'd go out of my mind if I went to Matsuda- san's." Aware that Suzuki- san might not view that woman as negatively as they did, Souichi pressed a finger against his partner's lips to still his protests and spoke as softly as he could. "Like I said before, I'm not about to let meddlesome people stop me from going home! We'll go back together and see what havoc that woman wants to create again."
"…What if that woman were to do something horrible, like that otaku who set fire on your house the last time? I have a bad feeling about this…"
Bad feeling, huh. To tell the truth, Souichi was not feeling optimistic himself. That Inari Reiko had seemingly popped out of nowhere to mess up their lives and, judging from Suzuki- san's information, the woman had done some unforgivable things to her own mentor too. The entire situation seemed to revolve around money…
"Suzuki- san, is Inari Reiko in some financial trouble?"
"…I think so. Prior to the embezzling, Reiko did borrow quite a large sum from me but did not tell me why…that could also be why she tried to extort money from you both…" Suzuki- san spoke up softly from the passenger seat and glanced at them through the rearview mirror.
"I see…" Souichi glanced at Morinaga, seeing the same question mirrored in his eyes. "Suzuki- san, are you very good friends with Inari Reiko? You seem really concerned about her, even though she embezzled your money."
"I took her under my wings for ten years; she's my precious disciple. I know that you might think it strange that I'm still so concerned about her even though she stole money from me but truly, Reiko is good at heart—she only became like that recently, when things were rough with her family…
"Souichi- san, Tetsuhiro- san, I'm really sorry about all the trouble that Reiko has caused but I do hope that you will give me a chance to talk to her later. I might be able to convince her to turn herself in."
"Please do. That would really save us."
Ahead, the familiar view of their home appeared and the taxi slowed down to make the turn before stopping by the roadside. They had made the ride in ten minutes since the phone call.
"Sempai—" Morinaga unclipped both of their seatbelts and reached over to open the door on Souichi's side. Poised over him, the younger man rested a palm momentarily over their unborn baby. Worry darkened the green in his eyes. "Let me deal with Inari Reiko later, okay?" Without waiting for Souichi to reply, Morinaga sidled back and exited the cab himself.
Souichi slowly stepped out of the cab, his hand resting where Morinaga's had just a moment before. Morinaga's concern was like a tangible cloak, warming him like his parka could not. For the sake of their child, he would not be rash. However, if Inari Reiko dared to try anything funny with his partner, Souichi was not going to sit back and do nothing! Determination coursed through him. He would not condone any harm done to his family!
The three of them hurried past the metallic gates of their apartment complex, heading towards the glass sliding doors to the lobby. To their surprise, Inari Reiko was at the guard counter, her arms cuffed by one of the security guards. The moment she noticed them, though, Inari Reiko began to struggle violently, her lined face reddened with the effort. "Bastards, give me my three million!"
A second security guard approached them hastily, drawing Souichi and Morinaga to the side. "Sirs, do you know this lady? She was being a nuisance to the neighbours just now, so we forcibly brought her down here. Do you need me to call the police?"
Souichi felt Morinaga press in closer to him in a protective gesture as the spiteful woman continued shouting profanities at them. "Please do. She's wanted by the police, anyway."
"Yes sir. I'll make the call immediately."
"Reiko! Calm down—this is no place for you to act like this; where have you been all this while?" Suzuki- san had flown ahead of Souichi and Morinaga, grabbing hold of the enraged woman even as she scratched at the prenatal instructor roughly. "Please don't disturb Souichi- san and Tetsuhiro- san anymore, Reiko! I beg of you!"
"Hah, as if I'd listen to you again! Suzuki Ai, you were my mentor but you betrayed our relationship!" The wild- haired woman spat in Suzuki- san's face as she continued to struggle ferociously. "Get your hands off of me, idiots!"
Suzuki- san rubbed at the plop of saliva dripping down her cheek mindlessly. In a pleading tone, she continued to try to placate the other woman as Souichi and Morinaga watched on uneasily. "Yes, I know that reporting you went against our friendship but I had to account for the rest of our colleagues! Reiko, please stop doing such things and turn yourself in; it's for the best!"
"Shut up—I'm not going to listen to you! Everybody has betrayed me—my husband, my children and now you!" Inari Reiko's voice rose in crescendo as she shouted. One of the guards bumped his hip, hard, against the counter as her resistance became stronger. "Damn you all!"
"Reiko, if you had problems, why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you from my private savings; you didn't have to resort to stealing—"
"Hah, could you? Do you have ten million yen to pay off my gambling debts? Have you tried waking up to pig's blood bathing your door? Did your children refuse to help even if you'd be killed? The answer is no! You would never understand!" With a kick born out of adrenaline, Inari Reiko burst free of the guards' grips and lurched towards Souichi and Morinaga. "Bastards, give me the three million that you owe me—!"
"Sempai, stay behind me-!" Morinaga was in front of Souichi in a flash, fending the blows from the older woman as she barreled towards them. "Inari- san, stop—it—!" With a mighty push, Morinaga forced her away. The woman stumbled and fell roughly on the ground.
"Shit! I'll show you what I'm capable of! This is nothing; my husband hit even harder! Urghhhh!" Launching off from the ground before the guards could reach her, Inari Reiko rushed towards them, a bottle of clear liquid suddenly in her hands. "Give me the money, bastards—!"
"Nooo! Reiko!" As Inari Reiko ran past Suzuki- san, their prenatal instructor managed to grab at the deranged woman. "Stop—your—nonsense! Umphh!" There was a tussle as both women fell to the floor, each struggling to get hold of the bottle.
Souichi was literally swept off his feet as Morinaga carried him a few meters away from the fight. "Sempai, stay here!"
"Get—off—me—Ai—!" With a final jerk, Inari Reiko managed to wrench the bottle from Suzuki- san. There was a 'pop' as the lid of the container flew up. The liquid within arched out of the bottle and all of them watched as it flowed downwards, seemingly in slow motion. Moments later, large droplets splashed onto Suzuki- san's back.
"Hahhh!" A high scream emitted from Suzuki- san and she began to writhe on the ground, a hand over her neck. "It hurts—it hurts! H-help!"
"Suzuki- san!" Without preamble, Morinaga rushed over to their prenatal instructor, kneeling over the crying woman as he tried to assess the damage. His hands moved to touch the woman's injuries. "Let me call the ambulance—"
Souichi watched disbelievingly as the thick wool of the woman's cardigan began to disintegrate in a mess of white froth. He realized what the liquid actually was as the acrid smell of dissolving flesh reached his nose. "Morinaga, it's acid! Shit—don't touch the burns!"
"O-okay, Sempai—!" Turning his attention back to the injured woman, Morinaga began to soothe Suzuki- san, his cell pressed to his ears. He ignored the other woman. Inari Reiko had sat up jerkily at Suzuki- san's shriek. The older woman looked like a statue, staring at Suzuki- san as though transfixed.
In the momentary peace, Souichi's mind snapped back into action. Aware of his delicate condition, he was not capable of bringing Inari Reiko down. He began to look around for help. What the hell were the guards doing?! Souichi finally spied the first guard by the counter. He was on the ground, hands cupping his groin as he groaned. Shit, Inari Reiko had hit him where it hurt the most. The other guard was frozen beside the counter, obviously thrown by the sudden bad turn of the situation.
Damnit, the guards were useless! Frantic, Souichi suddenly remembered the restroom behind the elevators. Water—water would help to dilute the acid and stop it from burning Suzuki- san further. He began to inch forwards cautiously. If only he could get to the bathroom without alerting the crazed woman—
"Where do you think you are going, Tatsumi Souichi! You aren't getting away until I have my three million!" In a flurry of hair and clothes, Inari Reiko seemed to have noticed Souichi's actions and suddenly flashed into movement again. There was an almost maniacal light in her eyes as she looked at the bottle, then to Souichi. Staggering as she stumbled over Suzuki- san's outstretched arm, she began to move.
"Sempai, back away!" There was a clatter as Morinaga's cell dropped onto the ground and the tall man clamoured to his feet. "Don't harm Sempai, you crazy woman—! Ahhh!" With a battle cry, Morinaga tackled Inari Reiko to the ground, just feet away from Souichi.
"Ooof—!" The older woman slammed onto the ground with a jaw- jarring crash, both of her arms pinned beneath Morinaga. However, trapped as she was, Inari Reiko fought like a tigress, snarling and twisting to get free. "You homo! Get away from me—! You don't want your lover to be hurt? Fine, then I shall hurt you—! Hahahhahaha!" The bottle of acid that had been flung against the wall on the right rolled back towards the woman's clawing fingers. Before Morinaga could do anything, before Souichi could even rush forwards, Inari Reiko had snatched the bottle up and emptied the contents over Morinaga's arms.
"Morinaga!" Without thought, Souichi careened towards the duo, uncaring of the sting to his fingers as he grasped his kouhai's shoulders and dragged him off Inari Reiko. "Shit, Morinaga—Tetsuhiro!" He did not even care when the deranged woman crawled away to the walls and began laughing hysterically.
"S-sempai, go back to our house... Don't let—don't let her hurt you or the baby…I'm all right…" Morinaga flashed a weak smile at Souichi but grimaced in pain when Souichi accidentally brushed against his arms.
"You are not fine—!" Despite his agitation, Souichi quickly removed Morinaga's ruined parka and the navy sweater beneath, tossing the acid- drenched clothing as far away as he could manage. The stripped man began to shiver. Souichi quickly took off his own coat and wrapped it over Morinaga, maneuvering the injured man into his lap as gently as he could. "The ambulance—you called them just now, right? They'll be here soon; just endure a little longer, okay?"
"Mhmm…Sempai…" Large tears of pain were leaking out of Morinaga's eyes as he tried to focus on Souichi. "...M'glad that you are o-okay…"
"Tetsuhiro…" Souichi had never felt so helpless as he huddled over Morinaga's body, trying to convey his body warmth to Morinaga. The angry rawness of his arms was not hidden fully beneath the parka. "Shh, don't say anything more…"
"You called me by my…first name…again…love you, Sempai…"
Morinaga's voice was drifting away. Souichi could hear his breathing becoming more laboured, see his fingers clenching and unclenching repeatedly. Unable to withstand the sight of him suffering, Souichi closed his eyes tightly, his chest constricting. Where was the goddamn ambulance!
Almost as though answering his prayers, sirens rent the air. There was a loud screech and the sound of doors slamming as a police car and ambulance jolted to a halt outside of the apartment. Hugging Morinaga tighter to him, Souichi watched with incredible relief as the cops and paramedics cut through the crowd outside. "They are here now, Tetsuhiro. You'll be all right...!"
As the group of policemen and paramedics spilled into the lobby, Souichi shouted loudly to the nearest paramedic. "Get them to the hospital quickly, please! They are suffering from acid burns!"
The nurse immediately hurried over to where Souichi was. "Sir, thank you for the information. We will take over from here." In synchronized and practiced movements, they lifted Morinaga's limp form from Souichi's arms.
"Please tend to him immediately! His arms are burnt by the acid; don't jar them!" Souichi struggled to his feet, ignoring the pins and needles in his calves. He hovered around as Morinaga was lifted onto a stretcher, gripping the sides of the bed until one of the paramedics politely but firmly urged him aside.
"Sir, we will take care of him. Please be assured of that!" The young man suddenly noticed Souichi's slightly darkened fingers. "Sir, your hands—!"
"I'm all right! Bring Morinaga and Suzuki- san to the hospital, quickly!" Giving in to his insistence, the paramedics began to wheel Morinaga rapidly to the waiting ambulance. To Souichi's relief, Suzuki- san was also already on a stretcher, the paramedics applying emergency first- aid on her wounds as they rushed outside.
"Inari Reiko, you are under arrest for assault and money embezzlement. You have the right to remain silent. However, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law, do you understand?"
With the paramedics gone, Souichi slumped against the wall, suddenly very drained. He watched almost dispassionately as Inari Reiko, still laughing loudly, was hauled to her feet and handcuffed. However, as they marched past him, Souichi's feet brought him automatically to stand in front of the woman. With all of his remaining strength, he swung his fist.
The smack resounded sharply in the large space. Inari Reiko's laugh was abruptly cut off as her head snapped to the side. Blood began to trickle down her split lip.
"Sir—! You cannot do this—!"
Disregarding the reprimand, Souichi stepped away. He did not resist when the security guards escorted him to the lobby couch.
"Tatsumi- san, everything is fine now but I'll need you to come with me to file a report—"
Souichi only vaguely registered the guard's voice as he gazed at Inari Reiko's retreating figure. Her white coat burned in his eyes like a bright dot. The white began to expand inexorably—Souichi blinked rapidly, aware of a slight swaying sensation.
There was a thud.
"Tatsumi- san, are you okay? Tatsumi- san!"
In his dream, Souichi was back at the antique toyshop, surrounded by soft toys of all shapes and sizes. He looked around wonderingly, fingering one teddy bear and then moving on to a fluffy bunny. Ahead, there was a wooden crate of hand- sewn dolls, threaded smiles curved upwards shyly. Souichi picked up one with red suede hair decorated with a large lopsided bow. Beside him, Morinaga was dancing about in a silly fashion, laughing mirthfully as he cuddled the giant teddy bear that was identical to the one they had in their Tokyo apartment. "Sempai, Sempai!"
"…pai, Sempai, can you hear me?"
Mhmm, somehow, he could hear two Morinagas—one holding on to the teddy bear, one right beside his ears. Souichi put down the suede doll as he felt soft touches on his forehead. The Morinaga in his dream was smiling cheerfully at him but the insistent voice beside his ears sounded anything but…
"M-morinaga…" His voice croaked out as Souichi came fully awake and he turned to his side, finding just what he was looking for. "You are really here…"
"Yes, Sempai," His green- eyed kouhai sat just centimeters away, face brightening as Souichi addressed him. " Are you feeling rested now?"
Souichi let his eyes drift shut for a moment, feeling soothed by the gentle stroking of his lover's hands. Hands… "Your arms—!"
"They are fine now, Sempai. Look, all neutralized and bandaged nicely," Morinaga stretched out both arms, both covered entirely in gauze and tape. "The doctor said I was lucky that the amount of acid that actually got onto my skin was not too much due to the protection of my sweater. Isn't that great!"
"Great my ass, baka—!" Fully alert now, Souichi sat up gingerly, using a hand to support his heavy womb as Morinaga fluffed up his pillow. "Don't move your arms too much! Sit here and let me see the wounds again." Patting the side of the bed firmly, Souichi waited impatiently as the other man paused in surprise before plopping onto the bed happily. Pursing his lips, he pushed the sleeves of Morinaga's gown upwards and began to examine the handiwork of the doctors. Good, he could smell the calcium gluconate.
Glancing at Morinaga's grinning face, Souichi shook his head. The moron was obviously no longer in pain. Then he realized just how near Morinaga was. Through the blanket, Morinaga's thigh bumped lightly against his hip. Hurriedly, Souichi let go of the injured man's hand, flustered. He had actually invited the wolf on to his bed himself! "Evidently, you are not as hurt as I thought you were. Now, get off the bed—!"
"Aww, Sempai, you invited me to sit here yourself! Don't you feel sorry with my arms all bound up like this?" The overgrown boy refused to budge, pouting.
"No! Go back to your room and stop disturbing me!" Souichi pushed Morinaga resolutely away. If he gave in here, who knew what the big pervert would do to him, even if they were in the hospital!
"Bah—Sempai is still so dishonest about his feelings. You still refuse to call me Tetsuhiro in normal times! Ne, Sempai, could I call you by your first name?" By some fantastic wriggling of his body, Morinaga had somehow managed to eke out a space between the bars of the bed and Souichi. He was making himself comfortable as he spoke, gazing up at the long- haired man with dewy eyes. "Can I, can I?"
"Ab-absolutely not! Who do you think you are!" Morinaga's breath was puffing on his chest, his warm body aligned with Souichi's. It was extremely comforting and uncomfortable at the same time. On the narrow cot, he was hard pressed to move without touching Morinaga. A shiver ran through him as the other man kissed his exposed nape. "W-what are you doing, Morinaga!"
"I love the way you held me then, Sempai. The burns hurt so much but you chased the pain away. I felt like I could take on ten more Inari Reikos, just so long as you held me...but I'm sorry I couldn't protect you better." Those bandaged arms linked with Souichi's as Morinaga rested against his shoulder.
"…Baka. I told you it was acid but you still attacked her so directly! What if it had been worse? You could have been burnt really badly, idiot! Always giving me scares like this—" Souichi huffed. "And I don't need protection from anybody! I just need you to be whole and unscarred. That'd be enough for my peace of mind!"
"Hehe, because if I'm hurt then you are hurt too, am I right, Sempai? Because I'm special?"
"Wrong! Absolutely, definitely wrong!"
"Never mind. I know that Sempai always means the opposite, especially when you are embarrassed!"
"Get off of me, baka! Or I'm going to kick you off the bed! Nrughh!"
Outside, Dr. Hako ambled towards the private ward that he had especially arranged for Souichi. He was about to knock on the door, a knuckle already poised, but a glance through the glass panel made him pause. Chuckling beneath his breath, Dr. Hako shook his head slightly. Really, pregnancy hormones were rather potent. Deciding to play cupid for the day, he changed course and made his way to the nurses' station.
"This is Suzuki- san's ward. She just got out of a skin draft surgery."
Souichi pressed his bandaged fingers lightly against the glass, observing the countenance of their prenatal instructor as she lay on her side in a sedated sleep. Her neck was wrapped in gauze, as was her back. The acid that Inari Reiko had gotten must have been really concentrated, even more so than the kind they usually encountered in their lab. "How's her condition?"
"The doctor said that the surgery was very successful. The acid did not burn down to the innermost layer of the skin. Thank goodness…Poor Suzuki- san." Morinaga rubbed at his arms self- consciously. "I was really lucky that there was only a little acid left in that bottle when she dumped it on me."
"Thank goodness that she's out of danger now." The two of them walked away from the ward and towards the elevators. "I'll make sure that Inari Reiko gets what she deserves!"
"Yes, but I think her situation is quite pitiable too. Hashimoto- san sure is fast; he's managed to get the story on the headlines of the magazine that he works for. Here, take a look." Morinaga passed him a brightly coloured magazine as they reached Souichi's private ward. "Ah, Sempai, excuse me for a moment, I think I've got a call…"
Nodding to acknowledge Morinaga's words, Souichi entered the ward alone and made his way to the couch. He sank into the cushions and glanced at the headlines in bold font size seventy- two.
'Bereft divorcee- turned- gambler-turned-acid thrower!'
On a wintry afternoon dated XX February XXXX, a local resident by the name of Inari Reiko was apprehended at T Apartments down XX Avenue on the charges of assault and money embezzlement.
Inari- san was caught red- handed for acid- throwing against two residents of T Apartments and one non- resident. At the scene, a glass container was recovered, suspected to have contained the potent acid that Inari- san was alleged to have brought along with her on that day. When interviewed, security guards at the apartments stated that Inari- san got into a tussle with a woman of around fifty- three years old and one of the males of the infamous pregnant gay couple residing in the apartments—YY- san. It was during the tussles that the bottle of acid was uncorked and splashed onto the other two persons.
A police statement released declared Inari- san as being unfit for an interview with yours truly. However, reliable sources have confirmed that Inari Reiko had been heavily involved in underground gambling, racking up debts as much as ten million yen. Inari- san was alleged to have started on this self- destructive streak after her divorce from her husband, ZZ- san in the spring of last year. From close sources, it was acknowledged that the reason for divorce was due to constant infidelity on the husband's part. The couple had been married for almost thirty years with two children aged twenty- six and twenty- two, respectively. However, at the time of the article, the ex- husband and children were still not contactable.
Inari- san was previously reported to the police for money embezzlement of the injured woman's midwifery agency. It was reported that a deficit amounting to five million yen was unaccounted for just shortly before Inari- san quit the agency and disappeared into locations unknown. However, account transfer information has pointed the finger at Inari- san as being the culprit. Yours truly had previously managed to discover Inari-san's hiding place and was willing to do a civil deed by reporting her to the police. However, she managed to sneak away to T Apartments on that fateful day.
Now, the question is, why did Inari- san not escape to other locations but to a well- known and exposed apartment complex? The answer lies in the gay pregnant couple that recently caused uproar in the whole of Japan. The miracle of a male pregnancy, its rarity and impossibility, as well as, of course, the implications of being homosexual were all topics that were brought up…
Souichi threw the magazine down in disgust. N Magazine was just a nicer way to name what was basically a rag tabloid, exploiting the secrets of people to earn profits. Not surprisingly, their names had popped up in the article about Inari Reiko. The attack had been quite serious and would definitely have drawn attention.
"Sempai, I just received a call from my brother. He was asking about the pregnancy and the attack and requested a meet- up with the both of us…what should we do? I did not tell my family about the baby…"
Morinaga closed the door softly and walked slowly towards Souichi, his expression vulnerable. Without a word, Souichi beckoned him to sit beside him and Morinaga did so, sinking into the cushions and his arms. Souichi held him quietly, feeling three heartbeats simultaneously.
"…I knew that I should tell them personally but I didn't…have the guts to…I don't think that I would be able to take their rejection of their own grandchild and our child…"
Souichi closed his eyes as the two of them leaned into each other. He knew that he was fortunate that his family was so open- minded to be able to accept Tomoe and his's unconventional relationship with their respective partners. They had even been able to accept his pregnancy and had rallied around him to give him unconditional support and care through this period.
However, he also knew that there were people like Morinaga's parents who viewed relationships such as theirs as being entirely unnatural and blasphemous. To that end, it was also why, even at this late period when he was just weeks away from giving birth, they had still not notified the elders. Souichi was perfectly fine with leaving those two idiots out of the picture. If he had to acknowledge two bigots as the grandparents of his daughter then he would rather she had just one grandfather. The hurt that they had strewn on Morinaga was already unforgivable; he would not have his own child face the same pain!
"Morinaga, frankly, I don't give a damn whether or not our daughter has three grandparents or just one. She'll be loved just as equally. However, it's your choice whether you want them to know about her or not. I'll stand by you no matter what you choose."
"…I'm so confused now…it's likely that they have already heard about the pregnancy from the news but…"
Morinaga's voice was filled with so much trepidation that Souichi wanted nothing more than to strangle the Morinaga elders. He could not fathom how they could give birth to a son and then completely disavow his existence. Sitting up and urging Morinaga to do the same, Souichi gazed firmly at the dejected man. "Morinaga, are you going to let them bring you down forever? If so, I'd rather we face them once and for all and get everything out into the open. Clear everything up with them if it's going to hurt you further if you don't do so!"
"Sempai…" Morinaga's eyes glistened and he rubbed at them before nodding earnestly. "I'll tell them everything this time, even about the baby. You are right—they are my parents; nothing can be hidden forever. But my father, if he sees you and knows that you are my partner…I don't know what he'll do!"
"Hah, as though I can't hold my own! You are worrying over needless things. Call your brother and make an appointment to go home as soon as possible. I don't want this issue to drag on infinitely!"
"Okay…can I just stay here like this for a while more?" Morinaga sniffled once then smiled at him. There was just a hint of loneliness in the corner of his smile. However, Souichi could not comment further as the man resettled himself against his chest, a hand resting lightly over his swollen womb. Morinaga's breathing evened out as they cuddled in the little alcove lit up by the February sunlight. It was not long before the younger man had fallen into a light doze in Souichi's arms.
"…Baka, I never said that you could…" Nonetheless, Souichi remained still, stroking the back of the sleeping man's head gently. "I also never said that you couldn't stay here forever…"
To be continued.
A/N: Hi all, thank you so much for all the name suggestions! They are really pretty and meaningful :) I will put them all into consideration! Please continue to enjoy. :)