Yours, Mine and Ours

I want to dedicate this chapter to all the victims of that perilous Earthquake & Tsunami that hit Japan a few days back and would like all of the readers to spend twenty seconds praying for those who are no longer with us because of this calamity and also pray that nothing like this should happen again.

Chapter 18

Coffee, Questions and Options

The wisps of smoke from the steaming mug of Italian coffee began to move in circular movements as Miyu Kouzuki slowly circled the hot beverage with the small spoon, blending two extra blocks of sugar to it.

Miyu sighed as she sat alone on the couch which had nestled the couple only twenty minutes ago. She looked sideways at the glass walls which held a clear view of the swimming pool outside and eyed her husband and his father as they stood nearly five feet apart.

She could not catch their conversation or even a part of it.

Miyu wondered whether the two were discussing about her.

Her inner query was answered the moment the older Saionji turned and gave her a look that clearly screamed that he was not happy at her presence.

As she watched, her father-in-law marched away from his son and passing a steely glare at her, moved into the spare bedroom which she had been hoping of occupying.

She sat there wondering whether it was okay to let him go and settle himself in a room which already held all those pregnancy books and clothing of hers. She turned and found herself staring at the brunet who was standing at the glass door, glaring at the floor, his face unreadable.

With little strain, Miyu got to her feet and walked over to the motionless auburn-eyed millionaire. She hesitated for a minute before placing her hand gently on his shoulder, concern evident in those mesmeric emerald orbs of hers.

At her touch, Kanata slowly turned and with a swift movement, his hand reached for his eye but for once, Miyu was too quick for him as she grabbed his wrist and slowly but gently rubbed away the tiny drop of tear that had made its way to the edges of the brunet's right eye.

"Just for the record," Kanata's voice sounded hoarse and stiff, "I was not crying…"

Miyu smiled before replying as she gently caressed his cold cheek, "I know…"

Yours, Mine and Ours

Kanata woke up the next morning feeling queasy and uncomfortable as though something inevitable was going to happen that day. Then in one fleeting second he remembered the events of last night and cursed under his breath.

He got to a sitting position on the bed and glanced sideways at his serenely sleeping wife. He stared at her for an entire moment before getting to his feet and slowly paced to the bathroom.

As he brushed, he recounted the events of last night.

His father's words were still ringing in his ears.

"I don't understand Kanata… what is wrong with you? What happened to you?"

Kanata had remained motionless, not one thought crossing through his head as he stared at his dad after such a long time, wearing a thick bathrobe and a towel over his shoulder.

"She has you move into this house? What about the Mansion? Huh? That's our home…"

Kanata splashed cold water on his face and breathed heavily, his hands now at the rim of the wash basin.

After drying his face, Kanata headed toward the kitchen for a cup of coffee mainly to clear his head and think about what he was going to do next.

He hadn't expected his dad to stay. He really thought that he would drive to the Mansion and stay there. He had never really appreciated this house anyway as he considered it minuscule.

The brunet was surprised to find his father already seated on the living room couch, a steaming cup of coffee in hand and a newspaper propped open on the coffee table.

Eyeing the older Saionji, Kanata noiselessly moved toward the kitchen and found Pierre bustling over the counter making his dad's breakfast.

"Good Morning Master Kanata," Pierre said, even without turning.

Kanata snorted and then asked, "can I get some coffee Pierre?"

"Of course sir," Pierre said and with skilled movements, provided Kanata with a steaming cup of coffee with two blocks of sugar and four spoons of milk, just the way Kanata likes his morning coffee.

As he walked out of the kitchen and the living room came into view, Kanata debated whether it would be wise to share the couch with his dad or just return to the room and have the coffee in his bed.

But he hadn't even been considering his options for two seconds when his father called, "Kanata, come here… I want to speak with you…"

Dreading whatever he was about to say, Kanata sat down at the couch, and placed his coffee next to his dad's. He wished that he didn't have the same taste as his father as he stared at the two identical cups of coffee.

"I wish your mom were here…"

Kanata frowned but didn't look up. This was a sentence that his father rarely ever used. Well, to be more precise, a sentence his father never used.

"She would know what to tell you," Hosho mumbled under his breath before sipping his coffee.

Kanata couldn't even bring himself up to drink the coffee anymore.

"Son…"

Kanata finally turned to look into those gray eyes of his dad which had failed to show warmth and concern towards him for god knows how long.

"What kind of a relationship are you in with this woman?"

Kanata frowned.

"What?" he asked.

Hosho sighed before saying, "I found her clothes and some maternity books in the guest bedroom. I am lead to believe that you two were planning on sleeping in different rooms".

Kanata pushed his right hand into his already messed up hair as he leaned back on the couch, thinking.

He didn't think that she was still a little uncomfortable in sleeping with him. Annoyance began to creep through his system as he sat there, thinking about her.

"And please don't give me that crap story that you two gave to the press," Hosho's voice brought him back to earth.

"Pierre told you?" asked Kanata stiffly.

"You tell me Kanata," Hosho said trying to keep his irritation and anger at bay, "first I hear you are fooling around with that slut of a lawyer and now you are married to a pregnant woman?"

Anger slowly began to surface for the brunet with every word that the older Saionji uttered.

"Who knows whether she was a teacher or an artist of even a whore for that matter?"

"That's it dad!"

Kanata was on his feet, his face red with maddening anger.

"If you are goanna say another word wrong about my wife, I suggest you to get out of my house!" he found himself shouting and was not at all surprised that his father flinched at his words.

"Kanata…?" he slowly got to his feet, unable to believe his words.

"I've put up with your shit all my life… and I'm not five anymore dad for you to tell me what to do and what not to do! This is my life… I have every right to fool around with any slut I desire and to marry any woman I want! Understand?"

Hosho blinked as the steaming brunet began to move.

But Kanata turned almost at once within a step.

"And yes dad! I wish mom were here too… cause unlike you dad, she would understand… no… unlike you dad, she would listen… and unlike you, she would give me a chance to voice out what I'm feeling… damn it dad! Do you know that this situation I'm in which you call a mess is mainly because I was mad at you…?"

Hosho collapsed on the couch, plainly confused as Kanata marched into his room and within second stormed out of the house, fully dressed.

When Pierre arrived carrying a platter holding his breakfast, Hosho said, "Kanata has changed…"

Pierre breathed lightly before placing the platter on the coffee table and stood to his full height, his eyes mirroring skepticism.

"Yes sir, Master Kanata has indeed changed".

"It's cause of her," Hosho said angrily but Pierre cut through.

"Pardon me for saying this sir but I personally like the Mistress and like Master Kanata said," Pierre said lightly, "I don't think I can stand and watch you insult her sir…"

"What..?" exclaimed Hosho, angrily, "you too…? She has you all spinning around her little finger!"

Pierre sighed.

"Master Kanata has changed for the better because of the Mistress," he said lightly.

"Better?" asked Hosho irritated, "how is shouting at his own father better?"

"Better because finally he was able to voice out what he is feeling sir," Pierre said calmly, "you do realize that Master Kanata has never really voiced his anger or disappointment toward you…"

"I did not forget his sudden shopping spree when he turned twenty one, Pierre" Hosho snapped.

"You are simply amplifying my point sir," Pierre said, "he has never voiced out anything… he has never been able to tell anybody what he was feeling and what he exactly wants…"

"And you're saying that all this changed cause of her?" asked Hosho, irritation still evident in his eyes.

Pierre took a short breath before replying, "After a long time someone cared for the Master, Sir."

With that Pierre left to the kitchen, leaving the older Saionji in his own spiraling thoughts.

Yours, Mine and Ours

Miyu was beyond herself with anger that both her husband and Pierre had left her alone in the house with her father-in-law who obviously was not concealing his distaste over her.

She poked her head out of the bedroom as the first traces of hunger began to surface for the blonde.

"Do you mind joining me for a moment?"

The request caught the young blonde by surprise. She gulped lightly and walked toward Hosho who made his way to the pool again, his hands behind his back and a thoughtful look in his aged eyes.

"Who are you?"

Miyu stood there, weighing her words. That was indeed an odd question but she knew that the man standing in front of her knew very little about his own son so it would be better to tell him clearly about them.

"I'm Miyu…" she said but before she could continue he cut across sharply.

"Miyu what?" he asked.

Miyu smiled before replying, "Saionji".

Hosho looked at the smiling blonde standing before him. He didn't know how and why but the anger and irritation he seemed to have a few minutes back started to slowly ebb away as he looked at her smiling.

"Before that?" Hosho was surprised how delicate his own words sounded. He couldn't remember the last time they had been soft.

"Kouzuki," Miyu replied, her smile still intact.

Hosho measured his words before he asked her his next question.

"If you don't mind me asking, what relationship do you and my son share?"

Miyu wondered whether this was the same guy who had shouted at Kanata only the night before. He seems so gentle, she thought.

"He's my husband," Miyu replied simply.

Hosho sighed.

"Why?"

Miyu gulped and stared at the floor.

Why…?

He was asking why they were married.

The answer is pretty simple.

Miyu took a deep breath before replying, "Because sir, your son did not want to become a father before becoming a husband".

Miyu could tell that he already knew that they were married because of that reason but she didn't tell anything. She just wanted to provide with answers for any questions he had for them.

"I would've never believed that my son would impregnate a girl before marriage…" Hosho muttered under his breath, shaking his head, "even when he was in high school, I never remember him bringing a girl home…"

A small smile crept along Miyu's lips as her thoughts drifted to a seventeen year old Kanata, wondering what he had been like back then.

"Even then," Hosho said, "there are other ways… marriage was not the only option…"

Miyu nodded mechanically. Yes, she knew that. She had even given the brunet that option.

"Besides, I bet you two weren't even close to acquaintances when you got married".

For Miyu, that stung a bit. That was the honest truth, but still…

"Why…? Why marriage…?"

Miyu smiled and replied, "I really don't know the answer to that question…"

Hosho stared.

"When he suggested marriage, I didn't back out. I didn't want to kill the baby… and I was afraid to raise it alone…"

Hosho could sense that tears had started to form in those emerald irises of hers, making an even more mesmeric effect.

"I didn't want to take any decisions… I was too scared…"

Miyu wiped away the single tear that had slid down along her cheek but her smile was still intact.

"I'm not even sure why I'm crying…" she said in a sort of apology.

"So he was the one who suggested marriage?"

Miyu nodded and added at once, "He's a guy who has a lot of stupid and sometimes plain silly philosophies to his life…"

Hosho sighed before muttering under his breath, "I know…"

The two stood in silence for an entire minute.

"Can I ask you something?"

Miyu looked a little surprised mainly because he had already asked a lot of questions. Wondering what question he was going to ask next, she said, "Sure…"

Hosho took a short breath before asking lightly, "Do you love my son?"

End Chapter 18

A/N: How was it? It was supposed to be longer but I really wanted to update today… so… hope you liked it…

Please do review…

"Live as lover or leave as stranger. But never try to be a friend of the one you love. Cos it's better to kill your heart once than stabbing it daily..."