Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.
Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg
Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen
A/N: To be honest, I wanted to post this specially in livejournal only. I can't resist the temptation to put it in ffnet too. :p
To the story then…
Data Tales
By: Gwynhafra86
Extra Chapter
It was one of the usual days in the Inui household. As usual, Sadaharu would most likely be inventing something, Yuina would either be doing her revisions or tallying her data, and the youngest in the family, 2-year-old Satoru, would be taking his nap.
Yanagi Renji – technically Inui Renji for the past 5 years now but he retained his surname to avoid confusion amongst his friends – hummed contentedly as he stirred a pot of mushroom soup, making a mental note to boil the rice for lunch too. He had taken a liking to creating new dishes, just as Inui created new juices. This was motivated by the incident a few years ago, when Inui nearly poisoned his daughter with one of his juices. Ever since then, Yanagi would not let Inui anywhere near the kitchen.
Yanagi took a spoon to check the taste of the soup, and once he was satisfied, he stirred it a while longer before switching off the fire. Reaching out, he made to lift the pot off the stove.
"Iyaaaa!" A scream rang through the house, startling him and nearly causing him to overturn the whole pot. Calming himself, he set the pot on the table safely and went out of the kitchen to take a look.
He was greeted with the sight of his daughter and Sadaharu running around the dining table. The latter had a glass of multi-coloured juice held in his hand.
"I don't want to drink that!" Yuina insisted stubbornly, running for dear life.
"It's for your own good, princess. It will make your skin soft, your hair silky and it will keep you healthy too. I've improved the taste, so it's really delicious now." Inui coaxed.
"I'd rather get sick then." Yuina yelled back at him. She spotted Yanagi and made a beeline towards him. "Daddy! Otou-san's trying to make me drink that." She whined tearfully.
An equally puppy looking Inui came over to him too. "Renji, Yuina's not taking her health supplements." He too clung to Yanagi's shirt like a little five-year-old brat.
"But I don't want to." Yuina whined again, hiding behind Yanagi.
Yanagi chuckled. "Even if you do, I won't let you drink that." He turned to Inui sternly. "She's not going to drink any of your drinks. Ever. Or have you forgotten how you have managed to knock her out for a whole day with your Inui's Special Rainbow Juice Deluxe?" He shuddered at the memory. Their relationship had been strained temporarily as Yanagi wasn't able to forgive Inui for causing such a scare. He thought he had lost his baby for good, and was beside himself with relief when she opened her eyes the next day.
Inui looked guilty. "I only want what's the best for her." He muttered sadly.
Yanagi sighed, taking the drink and finishing it in a few gulps. He licked his lips for a moment, savouring the taste. "Bean sprouts, onions, mushroom, pumpkin, spinach,...and celery...pretty interesting, Sadaharu."
"I still don't understand how you can stand that, daddy." Yuina mumbled, turning green.
Yanagi patted her on the head affectionately. "I happen to be one of the rare ones who could. Go along then."
While Inui wasn't happy that his daughter wouldn't take the drink, he was nevertheless happy that at least Yanagi liked it, as usual. Aside from the drink which gave them Yuina and Satoru, Yanagi had been able to guess the ingredients in all of Inui's other creations. It was a challenge in life to him, to create a drink his spouse would not be able to identify, and he gladly accepted the challenge.
Inui rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. "You're just as scary as always, Renji. Ah well. I'm sure I'll be able to beat you someday. It's only a matter of time."
"You say that every year, Sadaharu." Yanagi pointed out. Seeing Inui's puppy look, he gave a chuckle and wrapped his arms around the taller man, hugging him. "You're such a child."
"Renji..." Inui leaned over, and Yanagi allowed his eyes to slide close. However, they both froze when they heard the sounds of crying.
"Satoru's awake. I guess the commotion you created just now must have startled him." Yanagi smirked, stepping away from Inui, much to the bespectacled man's disappointment.
"It would seem so. I'll tend to him." Inui said before walking off in the direction of their son's room. Yanagi went back to dealing with lunch, and after some time, he came out again to see both Inui and Satoru sitting on the floor of the living room with some building blocks.
He smiled inwardly at seeing the two start a game of building a fortress, with Inui calculating angles and the number of blocks he would need, and Satoru repeating most of what he said without really understanding anything. Inui was an excellent father, Yanagi thought with a twinge of pride. During their schooldays, when they had to take care of Yuina, Inui tried his best to adapt to the situation, since it wasn't easy taking care of a young child when one was still attending school. He had grown a lot since that time, from a teenager tentatively entering fatherhood, he grew to become such a natural parent that everything and anything he did, he thought of his family's interest first.
After both of them left high school, Inui finally talked to their parents, revealing the secret. Yanagi would rather not remember some of the reactions they received, namely from his mom and Inui's dad, but after seeing how serious Inui was with his responsibility, both sides relented and allowed them to be together, especially since Inui declared that he would marry Yanagi when they both reached 18. They were allowed to be together...terms and conditions applied, of course.
Inui leaned over and spoke softly to Satoru, and the toddler gave a happy little laugh and launched himself at Inui, hugging him. Yanagi chuckled, nearly seeing the little invisible hearts floating around Inui's head.
Inui picked up their son, walking over to Yanagi, who gestured to the table. "Lunch is ready, but the two of you looked like you were enjoying yourself so much that I didn't want to interrupt."
"You should have joined us then, Renji. Ne, Satoru?" Inui asked.
"Ne!" Satoru giggled. He reached out for Yanagi, and Inui passed the toddler over to his spouse.
"I'll call Yuina down for lunch." Inui informed him before heading off again. Not too long later, the two of them were seen heading down the stairs. Yuina came over and looked at the table.
"Do you need me to help set the table, daddy?" She asked.
"Mm. You don't have to. I've put the dishes here already. Let's eat." Yanagi responded to her question.
Yuina nodded and joined her parents at the table. There was a chorus of "itadakimasu!" and all of them started eating. Inui struck a conversation with their daughter regarding schoolwork and data, while Yanagi fed their son. Satoru was actually able to eat on his own, but for some reason he still wanted Yanagi to feed him, and would throw a fuss if he didn't. Yanagi sighed as the playful toddler began throwing his beans to the floor. He would have to teach his son to not be choosy with his food.
"Sadaharu, you do remember that we're supposed to head over to my parents later?" Yanagi asked, turning to Inui slightly.
Inui gave a soft groan. "How could I forget?" One of the conditions Yanagi's side of the family gave was that Inui should bring Yanagi over for a visit at least 10 times in a month. They were determined to make sure their son was well taken care of by the former Seigaku data master. Inui felt like a stranger every time he went there, and therefore, came to dread these visits.
Yanagi must have noticed his expression, for he reached out and poked Inui in the face. "What's with that look, Sadaharu? You're still afraid of going over? They've already accepted you."
"They've accepted our children. I'm still pretty much a stranger to them." Inui muttered, shuddering as he thought of his mother-in-law. Shouldn't it be daughter-in-laws, not son-in-laws, who feared mother-in-laws?
Yanagi patted his arm soothingly. "My otou-san likes you. Okaa-san is just...very traditional."
That was an understatement. Inui's mother-in-law downright hated him, and she made that pretty obvious. Then again, Inui had stolen her precious son away from her after all. Inui mused that he might possibly also want to kill those who would steal his precious children away from him in the future, and could sympathise with her at least in that sense.
He shuddered some more when he remembered the time they went over to inform his parents that Yanagi was pregnant again. While Yanagi's father seemed delighted at the thought of another grandchild, Yanagi's mother had exploded on the spot. "Isn't once enough for you? How dare you get my son pregnant again? My son isn't supposed to be pregnant!" to which his father-in-law had to pacify her before she could kill Inui and turned Yanagi into a widower (widow?). From that moment onwards, Inui kept that Inui Juice far, far away from his spouse. He was happy with just two children.
Yanagi had finally finished the task of feeding Satoru, and started on his own food instead. Inui raised an eyebrow at seeing the pile on Yanagi's plate.
"You're that hungry?" He asked.
Yanagi smiled at him. "I just happen to have an appetite. We're going to see my parents later after all."
Inui shook his head lightly. Only Yanagi would have an appetite for that. Inui lost his at the very thought of it.
Once they have finished lunch, both Inui and Yuina dealt with the dishes. Yanagi went to pack for their stay, and Satoru went back to playing with his building blocks.
As Yanagi folded the clothes, his mind wandered to what had happened three years back. There really was nothing short of a mini explosion when he had Satoru, and he remembered his mother yelling at Inui, claiming that he had seduced her son and got him pregnant, forcing him into motherhood again. He sighed, wishing that she would understand that it wasn't forced. Both of them really did want a child, and he drank that juice with both their consent.
He finished his packing and sat on the bed, resting a hand on his stomach lightly. "Gomen, Sadaharu. You might have to go through that again today." He muttered softly.
"Renji?" Inui poked his head into the room, and Yanagi straightened up immediately. "There you are. Have you finished packing yet? Satoru wants you to colour with us."
"Aa. I'll be down in a while, Sadaharu." He promised. Giving another sigh, he headed downstairs.
XXXXXXXXX
"Renji! How nice to see you home. You too, Sadaharu." Yanagi's father greeted them warmly as they entered.
As the older man greeted their children, Yanagi's mother appeared at the doorway and smiled at her son. "Renji, you look well." She then proceeded to shoot Inui with a look of dislike. "Inui-san." She nodded stiffly. After fussing over her son a while, she overlooked Inui and went to fuss over her grandchildren instead.
Inui couldn't help feeling a twinge of hurt, though it was dispelled when Yanagi took his hand and squeezed lightly.
"Let's go in, Sadaharu." He said softly.
XXX
Yanagi Katashi, Renji's father, watched as the pair entered the house. He mused to himself that this Inui was no longer the meek boy who came to their house, begging for forgiveness for impregnating their son. (That sentence still gave him the chills, truth be told)
He could still remember that time, the shock he felt when Renji brought this boy and a toddler into their home, explaining that this was his boyfriend, and both of them revealed the secret they have been keeping for three years. However they did that was beyond him, but he could still remember how Inui had bowed and begged for their forgiveness. The little girl in Renji's arms had her eyes half closed, just like Renji, though her eyes opened to reveal frightened green orbs as she stared down at Inui, wondering why he was apologizing so desperately.
Inui had been so young, just a boy in his late teens, just like his son Renji. He was definitely not mature enough to cope with the growing emotional needs of a child, but both of them did seem to have done a good job with raising their daughter. His granddaughter was a beautiful little girl, and it unnerved him that he was so oblivious to his promotion to a grandparent, until then.
That Inui boy had been very honest with him and his wife, explaining the circumstances which led to his granddaughter, Yuina's birth. The boy spoke like a data master, and Katashi could see how his son got attracted to this boy. Inui went into details without making it too explicit, as Katashi doubted his wife would be able to handle it otherwise. He was still glad that his parents were away on a holiday in Hokkaido when that had happened. They'd faint from shock if they knew they were great-grandparents now...to their grandson's daughter, which he had borne.
Katashi had to give Inui credit for his sense of responsibility though, and his honesty. It was an accident, two boys conceiving a child through extraordinary means. As much as he would like to scold both of them for having a child at such a young age, it wasn't entirely their fault...well...it was Inui's fault for making nonsense like that, but at least the boy hadn't left his son to deal with all that on his own. This was something out of their control.
Katashi would have preferred his son to have chosen a girl as a partner, but he respected Renji's choice all the same. Besides, Inui was the little girl's father, and it wouldn't be fair to separate them. His wife wasn't so forgiving though, and she made that obvious, storming over to where Inui was kneeling on the floor and raging at him. The little girl gave a frightened whimper, clinging on to Renji tightly while watching her grandmother with frightened eyes.
Renji's sister Ran had been standing at a corner of the room, watching all these quietly without offering support to either side so as to prevent herself from getting the end of her mother's wrath too. Renji passed Yuina over to her, requesting for her to take his daughter to the back so that she wouldn't be dragged into this storm. Once the little girl was taken away, Yanagi Moriko, Renji's mother continued to scream at Inui mercilessly.
Katashi could not really hold it against his wife for being so angry. She was always the most traditional one in the family, and while he could not really consider himself open minded, she was 10 times worse. His wife wailed that Renji was seeing a guy, being a 'mother' to his child. How was he going to marry a girl at this rate?
He could still remember his horror, laced with a mild hint of amusement, when that Inui boy spoke up finally, having kept quiet when Moriko ranted. "I will marry him." He spoke firmly.
Moriko looked like she had swallowed something extremely bitter, while Renji's eyes flew open, probably surprised by his boyfriend's boldness. Even as his wife flew into another fit of rage - something about her son who was supposed to get himself a wife and not make himself one - Katashi looked at both of them solemnly.
"How are you going to support both Renji and your daughter? Do you have the finances to do so? Can you make my son happy?" He asked quietly.
Inui nodded slightly in answer to his question. "I admit that I am still heavily dependent on my allowance, but I have been working part time and saving up for Renji and Yuina. I have not touched the money at all. It will be theirs. As for whether I can make them happy, I can only answer this. They're the people dearest to me. I cannot promise if I will be able to make them happy, for I cannot predict the future, but I will do my best to keep them happy. I promise."
Katashi sighed, wondering how he should handle the situation. He next turned to his son. "Renji. You're young, and this could be something you would regret in the future. Still, are you sure you would want to bind yourself to this guy?"
Renji took Inui's hand, holding on tight as he turned to his father. "I cannot predict the future either. No amount of data will help me with that, but I want to be with him."
Katashi had not given his reply then and there, and it was after Inui had revealed it to his parents too, and the Yanagi and Inui household had a talk to decide on what to do best. It was a good thing all these had gone quite smoothly, despite the brief shouting match between his wife and Inui's father, who could give her traditionalism a run for its money.
Both sides decided that since Inui had taken responsibility over this, they were allowed to be together. After setting some ground rules, both sides mentioned that the two would still remain under their parents' care, at least until they got married when they both reach adulthood, as Inui had promised.
Katashi smiled inwardly as he watched his son shed happy tears over their decision, hugging Inui and Yuina tight as he sniffled slightly. At that time, he had wondered if he had gone soft and made a possibly bad decision in allowing them to be together, but now, so many years since that had happened, he did not doubt that his son was happy with his choice of a partner.
XXX
Time passed so fast. Inui continued to live with Renji and Yuina, an arrangement made long ago between the two data masters, and one which seemed to bring no inconvenience to any of them. Both Inui's family and Yanagi's family dropped by frequently to check on how they were doing, and from the looks of it, Inui was fulfilling his responsibilities well.
Inui went to the same high school as Renji, and they spent a lot of time together. When they graduated, a rich friend of theirs (apparently the one who gave them the most aid financially and allowed their secret to remain hidden for so long) hired both of them and made them work in his company.
As per the agreement, they were married when they reached adulthood. It was a simple, Shinto ceremony witnessed only by close family. Yanagi registered himself under Inui's household and took his surname (Renji himself requested for the arrangement, much to Moriko's dismay), and continued to live under the same roof as his spouse ever since.
Inui's father did not recognize their marriage, since it wasn't something on black and white. Who would have thought their rich friend then sent them on a business trip in the U.S., and they registered their marriage in New York (where one of the professional tennis players, an Echizen-san who happened to be a friend of theirs too, stood as their witness)
For better or worse, they were joined in matrimony. Katashi could only wish his son and granddaughter the best.
XXX
"Jii-san!" A happy voice made him snap out of his musings to see his grandson holding out his arms to him, wanting to be picked up. He lifted the boy up high, making the toddler giggle happily.
To think that he would have another grandchild just three years after those two had married, and two years had passed since then. He was pretty certain it was no accident this time. While his wife had renewed her grudge against Inui because of that, she did learn to accept her new grandson pretty fast.
Yuina sat quietly next to her parents, being more subdued than her baby brother. Katashi guessed that his granddaughter was still afraid of her grandmother because of what had happened. He hoped she would grow out of it though. His wife liked her, but was just bad at expressing it.
An hour passed. They have been sitting in the living room, chatting for a while now...or at least, Katashi had been striking a conversation with Renji and Inui. His wife only spoke to Renji, but treated Inui like air.
Just as Inui poured Renji another cup of tea, Renji cleared his throat, sitting up straighter once his parents and his husband's attention were on him.
"Otou-san, okaa-san. I would like to announce something." He twiddled his fingers briefly, and Inui's mind started making calculations on what he could be telling them. The last time Renji twiddled his fingers this fast, and looked this uneasy had been...it can't be...
Renji took a deep breath, exhaled and looked at them once more. "I'm pregnant again."
There was a pause after the statement. Moriko dropped the biscuit she was holding as her mouth fell open, Inui looked like he had calculated that possibility, but choked on his tea all the same, and Katashi raised an eyebrow. Judging from Inui's response, the poor guy was not informed either.
"R-Renji? But...how...when...?" Apparently the poor guy was at a lost for words too,
Renji patted his arm gently. "You left two bottles of that juice in the fridge two months back, didn't you? I borrowed one."
Inui's glasses slipped slightly from his nose, revealing wide green eyes. He pushed them back up before sitting up straighter. "Those two bottles...were as presents to the Tezuka household and the Sanada household, now that those two are married. I thought I had missed out one and went to remake it. So it was you who have taken it..." His words were cut off when his mother-in-law brandished the newspaper, which she had rolled up so that it was now shaped like a baton, in his face
"Was twice not enough for you? How many times must you put my son in this situation before you're happy?" She demanded, only to be restrained by her husband.
"Maa...isn't this supposed to be a happy occasion? They're married after all, and they're fully consenting adults, so it should be fine if they decide to have another child." Katashi said in a placating manner.
Inui's jaw was still unhinged. Renji sighed, reaching out to close Inui's jaw for him. Inui always had a look of shock whenever he found out his spouse was pregnant, be it when it was Yuina or Satoru. Even now, it still hadn't changed. He turned to his daughter, who was watching the adults, looking like she wished to be anywhere else but here at that moment. "Yuina, will you please take your brother to the back? I believe your aunt would have some treats in the kitchen."
Yuina obeyed instantly, excusing herself before taking her brother by the arm and promptly fleeing from the room.
With his children away from the war zone, Renji turned back to other three. His mom was, not surprisingly, hurling accuses at Inui who, as usual, did not retaliate. Renji slipped his hand into Inui's, giving a squeeze before turning to his mother.
"Okaa-san. Sadaharu most certainly hadn't 'forced himself on me and impregnated me against my own will.' This round, he doesn't even know I'm pregnant until I've revealed it moments ago. If you have to blame someone, then please blame me for drinking that juice without Sadaharu's knowledge."
"Renji..." His mother looked horrified.
The brunette data master gave a slight bow. "I've made this decision on my own. That's why...please stop bullying my husband."
"D-dear, you don't have to use a baby to prove that." Inui finally spoke up. The dazed look hadn't completely left his face though.
Renji didn't say anything. He rested a hand on his stomach and remained silent. His mother seemed to take that as a sign of guilt, and deflated immediately.
"Renji...what were you thinking?" She asked weakly.
Katashi cleared his throat, effectively getting their attention. "Well then, I think it's best if these two unpacked their things in the guest room." He cast a glance at Inui. The black-haired, bespectacled man looked like he was having a hard time accepting this news, and Katashi presumed that he would want to have a talk with Renji. It was best to leave those two alone for now.
Renji seemed to think so too, for he took Inui's hand and led him off the couch, though when he bent to pick up their luggage, Inui beat him to it and carried the whole pile, bringing it to the guestroom wordlessly. Renji threw the other man an unreadable gaze before following him.
XXX
Inui didn't say a thing even as he unpacked their clothes. Yanagi sat on the bed, watching his husband quietly as he tried to calculate Inui's possible moods.
Inui had a family-complex, so while Yanagi was confident that any new child would be accepted graciously by his husband, he couldn't help feeling that he might have gone overboard with his planning this time. He really wanted to find a way to get his mother to stop chewing Inui's head off every time he saw him, and when he spotted the juice in the fridge, he couldn't help jumping at the chance. He might have really taken advantage of Inui's kindness this time though.
After a while, he got off the bed and tentatively went over to Inui's side, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you angry, Sadaharu?"
Inui shot up so fast that Yanagi hadn't calculated that, and his eyes flew open as Inui grabbed his shoulders.
"Angry? Of course I'm angry!" Inui spoke in a quiet, yet slightly dangerous voice which caused Yanagi to shiver slightly. "How could you keep this from me...?"
Yanagi braced himself. If his data was correct...
"Do you have any idea how cold it was out there? It's winter, and I would have bundled you with coats and blankets if I had known you're pregnant. Oh kami...I can't believe I made you carry all those luggage to the car. There's a 99.9 percent chance that won't be good for the baby..." As Inui continued to mutter possibilities, Yanagi sighed. It was just as he calculated.
Inui finally stopped fussing and led Yanagi over to the bed, making him sit down before dropping next to him. He stared down at Yanagi's stomach. "I made that drink over two months ago. So how many weeks..."
"10 weeks." Yanagi replied his unfinished question. He rested his hand on his stomach. "I used a home pregnancy kit to confirm."
"I see." Inui gave a sigh, running his hands though his hair. "I have to agree with your mother though. What were you thinking? Did you drink that just to prove a point today?"
"Do you think so little of me?" Yanagi asked quietly, looking a little hurt. He had actually entertained the idea of having another child even when he had Satoru, and especially after seeing the kind of father Inui was to their children, Yanagi wanted to have more, preferably while he was young. Even with Inui's invention, he doubted his male body could carry the child to term when he got older. When he saw the juice in the fridge, the gears in his mind were already working, and before he knew it, he had drunk the concoction.
Inui stiffened. He wrapped one arm around Yanagi's shoulders, pulling him close. "My apologies, Renji. I was not thinking clearly when I said that." He looked down at Yanagi's still flat stomach. "So how did you get my DNA to add to the drink?"
"I pricked you when you were asleep." Yanagi replied smoothly, not batting an eyelid. Inui had to hand it to his spouse to think of ways like that to execute his plans.
The bespectacled man slid off the bed, kneeling before Yanagi instead as he wrapped his hands around the other man's midsection, pressing his cheek to Yanagi stomach. "Hello there, little one. Your daddy and I can be very silly sometimes, but we look forward to having you in the family." He muttered so softly that Yanagi had to strain his ears to hear it.
The brunette chuckled. "You never change, Sadaharu." He patted the head of black hair as he spoke. "Shall we break the news more clearly to the children then? I believe they must be wondering where we are."
XXX
"Baby?" Satoru asked, his innocent green eyes wide.
Yanagi tapped him on the nose. "Yes. Your otou-san and I are going to have another baby. You're going to have a little brother or sister to play with soon."
"Yay!" The toddler cheered, waving his arms in the air happily.
Inui scooped up his son. "That's why, don't jump onto your daddy's lap for now, at least until the baby arrives. Can you do that?"
His son nodded enthusiastically. Yuina gazed at Yanagi's stomach. "So daddy's going to become big again?" She asked, scribbling into her notebook as she did so.
Yanagi smiled weakly. "I would prefer it if you don't say the word big, but yes. You might be walking on the same path someday, Yuina."
"Not if I can help it." Inui muttered darkly. He'd personally poison any guy who dared to come near his precious daughter.
"Sadaharu!" Yanagi chided.
They were called to dinner, and Inui's eyes widened slightly at the amount of food on the table…actually…that was still tolerable, but what made him blink was that more than half of the dishes on the table consisted of chicken. There was ginger chicken, ginseng chicken, steamed chicken, stewed chicken, chicken broth, and a bottle of chicken essence.
Yuina's eyes opened, and Inui could literally see the shine in her emerald gaze as she studied the dishes hungrily. Chicken was her favourite food after all. She then turned her gaze to Inui. "Otou-san."
"Yes, princess?" He responded immediately.
Her lips pulled into the sweetest grin he had ever seen, and according to his data, this was the look she'd give him when she had a favour to ask.
"May I drink the juice too and have a baby like daddy? That way I get to eat chicken every day." She sounded delighted, not in the least bit disturbed even when her father and her grandmother sprayed tea all over the table.
"Definitely not!" Both of them gasped at the same time.
"Why not?" Yuina pouted. Adults were so mean sometimes.
Inui struggled with phrasing a reply for her, while Moriko's jaw remained unhinged. Katashi raised an eyebrow, wondering what Inui would do to tackle this, while Yanagi gave a soft cough, hiding his laughter. Satoru didn't pay any attention to them, as he was too busy playing with his food.
"Well…this drink tastes even better than my Inui's Special Pickle Juice, of course, and you never seemed to like drinking any of my delicious creations." Inui spoke calmly.
Yuina turned a little blue. "Point taken." Every time her father said he had something which tasted better than something else, he usually meant it in the opposite, or so she thought anyway.
Inui turned to heap some food on Yanagi's plate, and his spouse raised an eyebrow at him, but relented and ate it all the same.
Inui smiled at seeing his spouse enjoy his food. "I'm surprised that there were no signs, no indication at all that you're pregnant. You even managed to identify the components of my drink this morning."
It was a good thing Inui kept his voice lowered. His mother-in-law would have killed him for that. Yanagi placed a hand on his stomach lightly. "Mm yes. There wasn't any morning sickness this time, and I didn't have much cravings…except for chili ice cream." He smiled at Inui. "Maybe my body has gotten used to this?"
"There is a 68 percent chance of that. This is your third pregnancy after all." He reached out to touch his spouse's stomach lightly. "We'll have a proper celebration for the little one when we go home tomorrow. Just the two of us." He promised, glasses glinting.
Yanagi's face flushed a little. "I look forward to that, Sadaharu."
XXXXXXXXX
Months later
"Inui Sadaharu! Get out of here! Now!" Yanagi roared, and moments later, Inui fled out of the room, with a couple of pillows being thrown at him.
"Otou-san? What's wrong?" Yuina asked curiously. She happened to be taking the tonics for her daddy, as her father had instructed when she came upon this scene.
Inui saw her, put on a smile and walked over. "Nothing is wrong, princess. Your daddy's just having some mood swings, that's all."
"Oh." She stated understandingly. "The guests are all in the living room." She informed him before heading into the room to give Yanagi the tonic.
Inui went to freshen up a bit before heading to the living room. Surely enough, the ones invited were already there. Sanada and Tezuka were the only ones carrying somber expressions, looking like they were attending a funeral instead of a birthday party. Yukimura was smiling, and Echizen had Satoru on his lap (The baby had climbed there himself). Inui's "ore-sama" employer didn't want to come to this 'commoners' party, but he had sent a limo-ful of gifts for the occasion.
Echizen was let in on the secret a few years after he dated Tezuka, and initially he stared at Inui's daughter in wonder, not believing that his senpai was already a parent (and that the girl's mother was a guy). He had gotten used to the idea though, and now looked as if it were perfectly normal for guys to get pregnant in their teens.
"Where's Yanagi?" Sanada asked sternly.
Inui adjusted his glasses. "He has fallen ill, and I'm putting him on bed rest. He's also having mood swings."
"Mood swings?" Yukimura repeated lightly. The last time Inui cited that when Yanagi was pregnant with Satoru…
Yukimura stood, walking swiftly over to the Inui couple's room despite Inui's protests. He opened the door to the room…and blinked.
Yanagi was on a bed, which had somehow been transformed into some kind of a nest of pillows and blankets. There were several layers of blanket wrapped around the brunette too, making him look slightly mummified. If anything, Yukimura thought the poor guy was looking disgruntled.
"What happened, Renji?" Yukimura asked, fighting down a traitorous laugh.
Yanagi might have been able to sense his amusement though, for he gave a dead stare.
"I sneezed."
Inui rushed into the room at that moment, heading straight to Yanagi's side. "Are you warm? Do you need more blankets? I would love to warm you with my body, but it would be very rude to leave the guests alone in the living room." Yanagi's glare seemed to have no effect on him, even as he continued to smoothen the blankets. "Yosh. According to my calculations, this should keep you perfectly warm."
Yanagi gave him another withering stare. "Your data's malfunctioned! I am pregnant. NOT dying! What do you think you're taking me for?" As Inui continued to arrange the pillows, Yanagi gave a growl and swatted his hand away. He loved Inui, but at times like these, he just wanted to strangle the black-haired man for his infuriating devotion to him. Inui gave a soft whine, almost like a wounded puppy, and for a brief moment, Yanagi became a little soft-hearted. He hardened his heart again when Inui took his brief pause to wrap another blanket around him. That sly, calculating data master…
"You're overreacting, Sadaharu! Enough of this nonsense!" He began to disentangle himself from the blankets, but Inui kept putting them back on. "Gah!"
Yukimura watched it all with amusement, not interrupting the couple because he thought it was a private matter between them (and also because it was interesting to watch). He took pity on his friend after a while and patted Inui on the shoulder.
"Inui, Renji's right. You are being too worried. He's fine. He's strong enough to withstand a simple cold, or do you have so little faith in him?"
Inui paused momentarily. "According to my calculations…"
"Besides…" Yukimura cut him off smoothly. "Wouldn't it be even worse for Renji and the baby if he's under stress? You're making him stressed out if you fuss over him like that."
Inui stopped midway in his calculations. "That…that makes sense." He deflated unhappily.
"Right?" Yukimura smiled and took Yanagi's hand. "Now then, it should be fine for him to meet the others. He needs some fresh air."
Inui nodded almost obediently. Yukimura took that as a grudging affirmative reply and led Yanagi to the living room. Yanagi had only walked a few steps when Inui stopped him with a hand.
"At least wear a jacket." He told his spouse. The brunette obeyed, just so that Inui would stop fussing over him. Before he could start walking, the black-haired man stopped him. Again.
"Also, let me carry you to the living room."
XXXXXX
"Ah, Yanagi. You're looking well." Sanada greeted him the minute he stepped into the living room.
Yanagi didn't know if he did. At seven months, his stomach had certainly seen better days, as it protruded to the point that he couldn't see his feet. He lowered himself carefully onto the couch, while Yukimura sat between him and Sanada.
Inui had been following them while massaging his neck subconsciously. After he had made the offer to carry his spouse, the brunette repaid his kindness by promptly choking him. His unborn child and his children would have become orphans had Yukimura not managed to stop the brunette. Renji and his mood swings could be so scary sometimes.
He cast a look at the others. Sanada and Yukimura looked well, even as they struck a conversation with Inui's daughter. Tezuka looked well too. The former Seigaku captain was now trying to help his black-green haired spouse pry Satoru's fingers from his shirt. Echizen looked a little pale, almost sickly. Inui believed it must be because of the current flu season. Nope, it was definitely not because of the Inui Juice on the table next to him. Inui would not be held responsible.
He cast a glance at the tray of Inui's Special Gingerbread Cookies. He counted 20 when he first served the cookies on the tray. He still counted 20 now. His friends were so cruel to not appreciate his efforts into making the delicacies. He had even followed the instructions of a cookbook…with some of his own special recipe too.
"Well then, minna. Did you try out my Inui's Special Fruit-bearing Juice?" He asked eagerly.
Yanagi winced. He still wished that his husband would have the name changed. It just sounded so wrong. Was he a tree that what he was bearing was 'fruit'?
Sanada gave him a dead stare. "I threw it away." As usual. Inui wasn't too surprised that the drinks he gave the Tezuka and Sanada families during Christmas had been quickly disposed of. He severely doubted either of them would let their spouses drink it, and them drinking it was out of the question. He knew Sanada would throw the whole package away before Yukimura saw it and got any funny ideas, while Tezuka was too polite to throw it away immediately. He'd just chuck it in the fridge and forget about it until it had to be disposed of because it had exceeded the expiry date.
"That was very inappropriate of you, Genichirou." Yukimura scolded lightly. He hadn't had the chance to get his hands on the drink so far.
Inui left the couple to sort it out amongst themselves. He next turned to Tezuka, who was pouring a cup of tea for Echizen. "Well? What about you, Tezuka?"
"I left it in the fridge." Tezuka stated flatly. As usual.
"It's not there anymore." Echizen cut in. He sipped on his tea lightly, made a face, then set it down on the table again.
The bespectacled brunette threw him a glance. "You threw it away?"
"No." Echizen raised his head, staring right at his husband with a slightly mischievous twinkle in the eye. "I drank it."
There was a moment's pause. "You what?" Tezuka, Sanada and Inui exclaimed at the same time. Yukimura didn't give so extreme a reaction. He just gave a surprised "Oh my…"
"When? You…was that why I found you unconscious in front of the fridge some time back? The effects were too much for you?" Tezuka asked.
"No. The taste was." Echizen made a face. "I don't think I'm going to dare to drink it again. I think half my tastebuds died with it."
Tezuka fidgeted slightly. "So…you're…"
"I don't know. I didn't really dare to check." Echizen replied sheepishly.
Yanagi gave a sage nod. "Indeed. It's very awkward for us guys to walk right into a pharmacy and buy a home pregnancy kit. That's why I always made Sadaharu do the dirty job." He threw Inui a playful grin. Rising to his feet again, he held out a hand to Echizen. "Come. Let's head to the back. I recall I do have a spare. It's best to put Tezuka out of his anxiety."
Echizen nodded quietly, following Yanagi as instructed. The others remained silent, not being able to think of any topic for conversation with their minds so preoccupied already. All of them waited. Inui was interested in knowing if his juice worked for others. Tezuka was obviously either nervous or anxious, with his fingers clenching and unclenching. Sanada was curious, while Yukimura was amused…and a little envious.
After quite some time, the two reappeared from the back. Yanagi's face was passive. Echizen's face was blank. Neither of them showed any indications of whether the results were positive or negative, and the minute Echizen sat down again, Tezuka turned to him, his eyes showing his anxiety.
"Well?"
Echizen gave him another blank stare. "Well…" There was a long pause. "You're going to be a father." He smiled. The rest averted their gaze from the couple immediately, as Tezuka had a put on a rather disturbing grin on his face, and they wished to preserve their sanity as best as possible.
Yanagi smiled at the two. "Congratulations. May the both of you be as happy as Sadaharu and I are."
Tezuka seemed to have sobered, as his stoic face returned. "Thank you."
"The Inui Juice is working better than I thought." Inui muttered to himself happily, scribbling into his notebook even as the others celebrated the good news alongside Yuina's birthday.
"Indeed. Who would have thought that an accident would become something so useful?" Yanagi lowered himself down next to his husband. "If you hadn't given me that parting gift, none of this would have happened."
Inui adjusted his glasses slightly. "Mm. It might have been quite a ride, but at the end of it, it was…"
"So worth it, was what you wanted to say right?" Yanagi patted his stomach. "I couldn't agree more, Sadaharu."
He lowered his gaze to his stomach, cradling it slightly in his arms. Nope. He had no regrets at all when he promised to be Inui's doubles partner, both on the courts and in life. Not at all.
End of Extra Chapter
A/N: I may or may not put up Yuina's sidestory, depending on whether I can finish it.
Hope you liked the chapter.
Please Read and Review. No Flames Please
-Gwyn86