Disclaimer: Mars does not belong to me. It is a purely fictional work, but the plot and story line and a few characters do belong to me.
Chapter 2 Sei's Boys
"Rei, I'd like to introduce you to Hiroki Rei and Soujiroh Sei, Hiro and Jiro. These are Sei's and my boys."
Boys say hello to your Uncle Rei." Rei's eyes and mouth gaped as he stared at the two small doppelgangers of himself and Sei. They were a little darker with black wavy hair. The one that was called Hiroki had his mother's big round eyes, and the one named Soujiroh was a carbon copy of himself and Sei. Rei covered his mouth in shock as a string of emotions rushed forth from shock to surprise, to sorrow, to happiness, to sadness, and finally an overwhelming sense of love.
Both boys bowed and waved shyly. "Good evening, Uncle."
Rei grabbed the two boys into bear hugs as his eyes watered with joy, and then he kissed the tops of their heads before releasing them.
Kira was also shocked as she watched the scene unfold before her. She took a mental image to sketch and paint later. She couldn't wait to get home to immortalize the scene on canvas. For Kira, emotions radiate from people and are expressed through the use of colors. Rei always radiated bright, bold, vibrant, and strong colors. However, Rei was emanating a whole new spectrum of colors through the emotions pouring from him with the boys.
Rei looked up at Nana with new-found respect and shock. Much of the conversation that they had just had made sense and took on a whole new meaning. He had about a million questions for her and counting.
Nana just smiled and shook her head as if reading Rei's mind. "Boys, this is Aso san Kira. She's Uncle's girlfriend so you can call her Auntie Kira." She looked over questioningly at Kira who shyly, but enthusiastically nodded in agreement. "So why don't we order first, and you boys can go with Auntie Kira to wash your hands and see the fish tank." Again Nana turned to Kira for approval, who nodded.
Kira escorted the boys to the bathroom after they ordered. The twins look so much like Rei, they could be his. Kira thought. I wonder. Then Kira shook the thought from her head.
When they were gone, Rei turned to Nana. "How old?"
"2 ½ years old." Nana responded.
Rei did a mental calculation and nodded. "How?"
"Oh come on, Rei, you're an adult. I know you know how this happened." Nana looked at him mockingly.
Rei laughed. "You know what I mean. Sei was so shy, conservative, pure, innocent, moral, upright, and uptight. As far as I knew, he never even held hands with a girl. I mean. I don't know. I knew you too were close, well inseparable, but I had no idea it was like this. You know what I mean."
Nana smirked. "Well Rei, we didn't have to hold hands for this to happen. Although at one point …" Nana thought back.
"Ugh, I don't want to hear the details. I don't need to imagine you and Sei being intimate." He thought about it for a while, and then said. "On second thought, I really do want to know what kind of technique my brother had."
"Rei!" Nana was exasperated. "Anyway, there is a lot you didn't know about me and Sei's relationship, a lot you didn't know about Sei. Sei and I were in love. I still love him now even though he isn't alive." Nana bowed her head.
Rei nodded. "So you knew about that?"
Nana nodded. "I felt it the minute he died. It felt like a part of my heart had been ripped out, but your aunt and uncle hid it from me until after the babies were born. I knew anyway."
"Did Sei know about the twins?" Rei asked emotionally.
Nana exhaled heavily. "I'd like to think that he didn't know. I'd like to think that if he knew, he wouldn't have taken his own life, but I really don't know.
Rei nodded in deep thought. "So what happened?"
"You know Sei and I have always been in love. I loved him from the first day we met when he offered to be on my team for basketball and convinced you to be also. We just never expressed it to each other until you guys went to high school. That's when you two kind of pursued different interests. So while you and Sei were pulling away from each other, he and I got closer."
"I can see that." Rei teased.
"Shut up. I meant we dated for two years, getting closer." Nana rolled her eyes.
Rei frowned and arched his eyebrows. "Two years?"
Nana nodded. "You know for six years, the three of us always hung together and did everything together, but then the last two years before you left it was just me and Sei. We didn't go all the way until the day before you guys returned to Japan. We had planned to wait until we got married."
Rei frowned again. "Married?"
"Yes, Sei proposed to me." She took out a necklace and showed him a wedding band with an onyx background, and an emerald, ruby, and topaz stone in it surrounding a 1 carat diamond.
She leaned in close for Rei to look it over. He fingered it, looking at the inscription inside it and then gave it back to her. "I had no idea you guys were that serious."
"Like I said, you really didn't know a lot about me and Sei or Sei."
"So enlighten me then." Rei was sarcastic.
"Well, when Sei found out that you guys were going back to Japan, he asked me to come with him. So he asked your father first before I asked my parents. That way, we could say I had a place to stay and would be taken care of, but your father suggested that we wait until I finish high school. Then he would send for me, and we could go to university together. So, Sei wanted us to spend our last night together, and I agreed. I snuck out and spent the entire night with him."
"Why didn't you guys use protection?" Rei asked.
"We did, but I guess some things can't be helped. I was even taking oral contraceptives, but I guess that is dumb luck or whatever you believe. Anyway, six weeks later I found out that I was pregnant. Sei and I had promised to write each other every day, and he promised that as soon as he graduated he would send for me. Of course, I immediately wrote him when I found out about the baby. I was hoping his father would let me come over earlier. Anyway, your father followed through with his original promise and sent for me after I graduated even though Sei had died." Nana looked away saddened.
Rei hissed. "The old man probably just wanted an heir to take over his company since I don't have any interest."
"Rei, don't be like that. He's been a great help to me, especially since my parents wanted nothing to do with me." Nana scolded him.
"What? But your parents were always so cool. They let us spend the night all the time with you and let you spend the night with us all the time." Rei was surprised.
"Yes, but when they found out that their 14 year-old daughter was pregnant, my father hit the roof. He told me no teenage daughter of his would have a bastard child. He told me to think about my future and that I would ruin my life if I had and kept the baby. I told him that I was keeping the baby. So he told me that no pregnant teenage daughter would live under his roof. So he kicked me out."
Rei scowled. "Did he know that Sei was the father?"
Nana shook her head. "Not at first. I refused to tell him who the father was. I told him it was someone that went to the same high school as me."
"So where did you stay?"
"Well, for a month I stayed a few days with friends and relatives. I never stayed for more than 3 days with the same person because I didn't want to be a burden to anyone." Nana explained.
"Why didn't you just stay with Auntie and Uncle? They would have gladly taken you in, especially since they were your god parents, and you were pregnant with Sei's baby."
"I know that, but I hadn't heard from Sei. So I didn't know how he felt about the baby. Besides, I didn't want my parents to suspect who the father was. I wasn't sure that your family would believe me. So I ended up staying with Corey, my cousin, Dad's nephew. It seemed ideal because he was in college and worked, and he had the room. Meanwhile, I got a job, kept up my grades, and applied for government assistance."
"So, that's where you have been all this time, living with your cousin?" Rei asked.
"No, after being there for a month, paying rent to sleep on his couch, cooking, cleaning, and buying groceries, he decided that I wasn't contributing enough and wanted more from me." Nana continued cautiously.
Rei's knuckles were white from gripping the table. His brow furrowed, and his eyes clouded over. "What was that supposed to mean?"
"He wanted me to pay with my body." Nana said nonchalantly.
Rei slammed the table with his fist. "How dare he? Didn't he know that you were pregnant and under aged?"
Nana nodded. "He said that was the good thing about it. I was already pregnant so he didn't have to worry about that and he knew that I wasn't pure since I was already pregnant."
Rei had grabbed a knife and was stabbing the table with it. "So what did you do?"
Nana gave him a side-long glance. "What do you think I did? I kicked his butt and left."
The tension in Rei's shoulders eased, and he relaxed. "I should have known. So where did you stay after that?"
"Well, Sei had been worried about me because all of his letters to me were returned to him without me opening them. I found out later that my family had been intercepting them and returned them to him without reading them. So, Sei called Auntie and asked her to check on me. So he sent the letters and asked her to give them to me personally. Meanwhile, your aunt came to check on me before she received the letters and asked my mom and dad where I was. He said that he kicked me out since I was some little tramp that couldn't keep her legs together. Your aunt asked where I was, and he told her that he didn't know or care unless I would take responsibility and get rid of the baby. So your aunt went looking for me because she suspected that Sei was the father. She asked my mother when my father wasn't around who didn't tell her, but she sent Jabari to tell your aunt where I was. Mom was worried about me and kept in contact with me through Jabari, since I told him where I was. Your aunt came looking for me that very day and I ran into her arms crying. I told her what happened, and she returned with me to pack up my stuff."
"Did he do anything to you when you went back in to get your stuff?" Rei asked.
Nana smiled. "Nope, he was still out cold from the beating I gave him earlier." Rei smiled at that. "Anyway, your aunt took me back to my parents' house to try to work things out between me and my parents. Auntie had called Sei to let him know that she found me, but she was waiting to let me tell him about the baby when she returned with me. Anyway, Auntie told them what happened at Corey's and how I had been keeping up with my school work and had a job and asked them if I could return home. My dad asked if I had aborted the baby. I said no. He said that I could not return home. My mom was upset but won't go against my dad. So Auntie asked if she could have legal guardianship of me. My father said bring whatever paperwork was necessary, and he would sign it. So I packed the rest of my belongings and left to move in with your aunt and uncle. She then gave me Sei's letters. We were going to call him, but by that time he was already dead. They wouldn't tell me until after the babies were born, but I knew. So I never found out if he knew about the baby or not.
Auntie gave me a job and made sure that I had everything I needed. She told me that she knew the twins were Sei's. I told her I would rather her confirm it. When we found out that I was having twin boys, she said that confirmed it for her. And when the twins were born, they looked exactly like you and Sei."
"Only darker." Rei laughed.
Nana hit him on the arm. "They didn't get darker until they were almost one. Anyway, so I lived with your uncle and aunt and worked at Auntie's store until I graduated with honors. They helped me with the babies all that time. After I graduated, your father sent for me and the twins. After the twins were born, your aunt and uncle registered my name as Kashino since I was Sei's wife to them. That's also how I still feel now."
"Did your parents ever see the twins?" Rei asked.
"My mother kept tabs on me through your aunt. So when the babies were born, she came over to the hospital to visit them, give me gifts, and hold them. Your aunt gave her pictures with my approval, and Mom would send gifts for them occasionally."
"What about your brothers?" Rei asked.
Nana scoffed. "Only Jabari came to see me and kept up with me. The other five were influenced by Dad and kept away. Jabari said that he knew that Sei and I were getting too close, and that Sei was the father. He wasn't upset or disappointed. He just wished we would have waited since it was hard on me."
"What about your Dad? Did he ever get to see them?" Rei frowned.
"Yes, he got to see them for the first time this year at the company picnic. He fell in love with them instantly. After that, he started trying to make up with me. He began coming over to visit, and he even came to my graduation and brought me a gift." We were kind of reestablishing a relationship when I left to come over here."
Rei shook his head. How could you accept him after all he put you through? He disowned you."
"For the boys' sakes. How many times have you disowned your father, and he still tries to make up with you?" Nana asked.
"That's different. He wants a puppet and has ulterior motives." Rei scowled.
"Rei, everyone has ulterior motives. You just have to make sure that you get more from it than you are willing to lose."
"So what do you get out of my father bringing you here?" Rei asked.
"I get an education, a home for the boys, a career, and a chance for my babies to become closer to their father's family and to see their uncle." Rei looked up at Nana. "Rei, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I wanted to, but everyone wasn't sure that you could handle seeing the twins, especially since they are exact replicas of you and Sei, and you had trouble looking at yourself in the mirror because you would see Sei." Rei nodded and looked down. Nana grabbed his hand. "Rei, I really wanted to tell you, but everyone was against it. I'm sorry."
Rei half laughed. "They were always keen on making decisions for me. It's okay." He looked into Nana's eyes.
At that moment Kira came back with the boys and noticed Nana's hands covering Rei's. Nana removed her hands and held out her arms for the boys to come to her. They ran to her and hugged and kissed her. Rei continued to look down for a while. Images of Sei's jump, the mirrors breaking, and his time in the mental institution flashed through his mind. He then got control of his emotions. He finally smiled and looked at his nephews. Hiro smiled at him. Jiro looked at him shyly, and then their food arrived. Nana was helping the twins eat.
Hiro whispered loudly. "I want to sit with Uncle Rei." He looked at Uncle Rei eagerly.
"Why don't we let Uncle Rei and Auntie Kira eat in peace?" Nana suggested.
Rei laughed. "I don't mind." Hiro jumped down off his mom's lap and rushed to get into Rei's. They gave Rei his food. Jiro looked at Hiro and Rei sadly. Both Nana and Kira noticed.
Kira touched Rei's arm. "Rei." She nodded toward Jiro.
Rei looked at Jiro. "Jiro, would you like to eat with me too?" Jiro looked up at his mom who nodded approval.
"Go ahead." Nana stood up and put Jiro into Rei's lap and moved his food. Nana and Kira smiled at each other and at all three boys.
The waitress entered. "Kawaii, they look just like their father, so handsome. You all make a lovely family."
Nana smiled. "Thank you. They do look just like their father, but that's their uncle. And that's his lovely fiancée. I'm the sister-in-law."
"Oh," the waitress looked embarrassed. "Sorry, you two make a lovely couple. Congratulations." Kira's eyes widened, she looked at Rei, and she put her head down.
Rei spoke up. "Thank you." Kira gaped at Rei, shocked. Then she looked at Nana who winked at her. The waitress left the table. Rei was busy playing with the twins.
Kira began to speak. "Rei."
But Nana stopped her and shook her head. "Hey, when you guys are finished with classes tomorrow, would you like to join us tomorrow afternoon?"
Rei looked at his nephews smiled and was about to agree. Then his eyes clouded, and he frowned. "I'm sorry. I can't."
Kira frowned, puzzled. "Uhm, I guess another time."
Nana smiled, worried. "Sure. No problem." They finished dinner, and then Nana and the twins were picked up by one of Rei's father's cars. Kira and Rei walked back to his apartment.
Kira stopped on the way there. "Rei back there, what the waitress said."
Rei pat her on the head. "Don't worry about it. It's okay. Or don't you want to be my bride some day?" He cocked his head to the side looking at her. She looked surprised. "Relax, I'm just kidding. I don't know if I will ever be ready for marriage and children although Sei's boys are really cute, and I love them already." He said absently.
Kira smiled. "They are cute. They look just like miniature versions of you and Sei. It's almost impossible to tell that they aren't yours."
Rei frowned and looked at Kira. "I know that they aren't mine. Believe it or not there was a time when I could be friends with a girl, and she was that girl. She is my family. She is like a little sister to me. Well, sister-in-law, since she and Sei were engaged and planned on getting married this year. So, we are both positive that we have never had that type of relationship, and that they are Sei's boys."
"Oh, she was Sei's wife?" Kira was shocked.
"Yes, he promised that he would bring her here when she graduated from high school. It looks like my dad kept Sei's promise. I guess he will get his good twin sons that he wanted." Rei sounded bitter.
When he dropped Kira at home, she asked him. "Rei, why didn't you want to meet with Nana tomorrow?"
He walked off shaking his head. "I don't know. I just don't know. I don't know about anything anymore."
Kira went inside and closed the door. She thought about what the waitress said about the four of them making a good-looking family. She wondered if perhaps, Rei should replace Sei as the twins' father. They needed a father after all, and he was the mirror image of their dad. She thought that his heart was still tied to Shiori, but she saw how much in love he was with his nephews and thought that both she and Shiori would lose to the twins and their mother. Besides, those boys needed Rei a lot more than either or them. Kira did need Rei. She finally realized it, but so did Nana and the twins. They deserved to have Rei more than she or Shiori did. Kira didn't want to lose to Shiori, but she would gladly give up Rei to the twins and Nana. It must have been hard on Nana to raise those two boys by herself and be in high school. Kira saw how hard it was for her own mother to raise her by herself. Kira couldn't be selfish. She determined to let Rei go to Nana and the twins.
(A/N) I apologize in advance for the long author's note, but I have to explain myself. There are three things that I do not like doing 1) retelling the story and revising it; 2) adding a Mary Sue character; and 3) changing the characters' personalities. Now, I actually hate the third the most. Therefore, I am doing the first two as a result. In order for this story to make sense and to avoid changing any of the other characters, I had to create a Mary Sue character. Also, I had to weave this story in the regular story line instead of telling it after the manga ends. The good thing about this story is that I explore Sei's character a lot more and bring some plausible reasons for his behavior. Although I created a Mary Sue character in two of my other stories, this one is my favorite. Her description is similar to my other characters in physical appearance slightly, but her personality is unique. Although this chapter seemed to be about Nana, it actually provided a lot of information about Sei, and Rei's aunt and uncle. Of course, most of it is made up, but I tried to make it fit the characters and be plausible explanations. I'm trying to finish up my other fanfic, and then I'll work on this one more. The next two chapters are my favorite for this character. Hopefully, you'll see why.