Ahh… Half a week off this week to spend with my loving and wonderful family! –coughbullshitcough– Don't get me wrong, my family isn't terrible, but there's only so much of them I can take. With luck, I'll be able to get caught up on homework and do some writing this weekend! Yay! Hopefully.
Anyway, my thanks this week go out to RobotFish, the forgottenpeople96, Rapis-Razuri, Shinn Tsukishiro, FiringShootingStar, AnimeKiwi369, TFRiD Queen, Sunset Rika, melan anime, Q-A the Authoress, Seeker Heart, ProChampionDuelistAKAPyro, aruasoul(x2!), and RunoandAkizafan for their awesome reviews!
And anons this week are LDC, ChibiX, anon, and one gueast! LDC: Here's the next chapter! I think you'll like it :) ChibiX: Yeah, Yusei just grabbed random books. And who knows why Goodwin reads what he does. Maybe he's a closet romantic? anon: What happens next…? Indeed, what does? Let's find out, shall we?
As (should be) per usual, many thanks to my awesome beta, RobotFish!
Enjoy the chapter!
Sunset Horizon
Chapter 32 – Uncertain Ambitions
Akiza bit her lip as she moved through the room in the tunnels she'd claimed as hers and Yusei's, glancing slightly out of the corner of her eye at the man in question. He hadn't taken the news of her pregnancy all that well, but he hadn't run away in terror, either. She knew he was afraid of being a father, but he had stayed with her and assured her that he wouldn't go anywhere without her.
She tightened her shawl around her arms as she walked for the doorway, biting her lip and clenching her hand into a fist. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this nervous.
She was heading out to go tell her parents about the baby.
Once she had started to show, she had known it was only a matter of time before people noticed. Her shawl could only hide her for so long and she knew it would be better if she told her parents personally instead of letting them see her grow.
"Going up to the Claw?"
She glanced back over her shoulder, flashing him a weak smile before saying, "I'm going to tell my parents. You don't mind, do you?"
He pulled his jacket from where it sat on the bed and tugged it on, walking over to her and setting one hand on her cheek gently. "Let me go with you."
She looked up at him and blinked, asking, "Are you sure? I can tell you without a doubt that my father will be angry with you."
He nodded with a firm expression. "I know. But I have to be strong, both for you and the baby. I can't just sit here and hide because your father's going to be angry. If I hide, I'll be leaving you without the support I promised I'd give you."
Smiling lightly, she shifted to place both hands on the sides of his face and pulled him closer, touching her forehead to his. "And it's for things like this that I love you so much. I…" Closing her eyes, she took a breath and finished, "I'm grateful I have the opportunity to carry your child."
She sensed him stiffen in front of her for a moment, then felt his arms wrap around her and pull her against him. "Akiza, I love you. I want for you to be happy, and if this baby makes you happy, then I'm happy, too."
"But, at the same time, you're not ready for this, are you?" she asked, shifting to place her arms around his shoulders and tug him close.
His head shook right next to hers as he said, "No, I'm not. I'm not sure I'll ever be, but if it's what you want, then… then I'll do what I can to support you."
She swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing right then and there that she was blessed with the love of a truly special man. When she first met him years ago, she had hated him. He was foul-mouthed, coarse, and the most delusional pervert she'd ever met. Now, if someone asked her to describe him, she would say he was the sweetest, kindest, and most loving man in the world. "Yusei… Thank you."
He pulled her a little closer, humming softly in her ear before he broke into a slight laugh. She looked at him quizzically, wondering what caused his sudden change in demeanor and asked, "Yusei?"
A smile stayed on his lips as he said, "Can you imagine how things would've played out if this had happened that first night we'd slept together? We still pretended to hate each other back then."
A faint chuckle tumbled from her lips when she realized he was right. If she had gotten pregnant that first night, she would have been either incredibly happy or incredibly pissed. When she thought about the what-ifs, she couldn't help but be grateful for the way things had played out. She licked her lips once and drew away from him, running her hands down his shoulders before taking his hands and tugging slightly. "We should go."
He nodded. "Yeah. So we're clear, I am expecting him to punch me."
She wasn't sure whether to laugh or be afraid. Instead, she curiously asked, "Will you punch back?"
Snorting, he murmured, "Of course not. I got his only daughter pregnant. He has every right to be pissed."
She reached up to cup his chin again, stroking her thumb over his golden scar, and said, "But his only daughter is happy to be pregnant."
He licked his lips uncertainly, his eyes full of doubt as he said, "Akiza, that…"
Her hands slid down his front to touch his chest before leaning closer. "I'm sorry. I know you need time. I promise I'll do my best to give it to you."
He nodded once. "I just… need to figure out how to come to terms with this. I'm sorry, Akiza."
She looked up at him and flashed a bright smile. "It's okay, Yusei. Take your time."
He drew her in for a quick kiss and murmured, "I want to be the best I can for you. I just need to figure out how I can do that."
"I understand," she whispered, folding her fingers around the opening of his jacket before kissing him gently. "I hope you know that I'll never need anything more than the man you are. I told you before, all I need is your love."
"I know. I remember you saying that, but… but I'm not okay with that." He averted his gaze slightly, shifting to glance at the packed earthen floor before continuing, "You'll always have my love, but that's not enough for me. I want to give you so much more than that."
She managed a slight smile towards him, hoping it would help to ease his fears. It was strange. The more time that passed, the more at-ease she felt with the situation. Though her belly had barely started to show, she had been able to psychically sense the baby's presence almost constantly now. As she spent more time meditating and reaching out, the closer she felt to her child. She found it was easy to come to terms with the knowledge that she would be a mother in a matter of months. "I know this is something you have to come to terms with, so I won't say anything else. If you don't think you're ready to talk to my parents, then I-"
He touched a finger to her lips to silence her and looked at her curiously, asking, "Do you not want me to be with you?"
She shook her head quickly. That was the last thing she wanted. "Of course I want you there!"
Giving a short nod, he took her hand and pulled her for the doorway. "Let's go, then."
They made their way through the tunnels, walking hand-in-hand towards the cove her parents had moved into. The caves were dismal and far from an ideal home, but they made do for the sake of survival. Everyone stayed in the general vicinity of the ladder to her bar, but it was still like a small village beneath the surface.
Coming around the final corner, she pulled her shawl more tightly around her and squeezed his hand for support, then lightly knocked on the wooden support holding her parents' doorway in place. The pair inside looked up at the sound, then smiled as she made her way inside, still holding Yusei's hand. Offering a slight smile of her own, she asked, "Mama, Papa, do you… have a minute to talk?"
Hideo cocked his head curiously. "Is everything all right, Aki?"
Her smile spread a little when he used her childhood nickname before moving over to sit on a trunk of supplies stored in their room, waiting for Yusei to sit beside her. His arm wrapped around her waist from behind as she said, "Well… Yes and no."
Setsuko moved to join them by sitting on the edge of the old mattress. "Yusei, it's good to see you back. Akiza was deathly worried about you."
He nodded once. "I know. And I hate the fact that she suffered so much because of me."
Akiza turned to smile brightly at him before holding his free hand. "There is something you need to know, though."
Hideo remained standing beside his wife as he said, "Whatever it is, we're here to support you."
Nodding, she bit her lip and felt Yusei's hand tighten around hers almost to the point of pain. Finally, she took a deep breath and murmured, "I'm pregnant."
Setsuko's eyes widened in shock, one hand flying over her mouth as Hideo leaned slightly closer, saying, "What was that? You spoke too softly."
Clearing her throat, she repeated, "I said, I'm pregnant."
Her father's eyebrows rose as he took in the information, then he slowly turned to look at Yusei. The younger man nodded, his expression neutral, confirming that, yes, he was the father. A look of anger flashed briefly over Hideo's features, but faded as soon as Akiza shook her head. Inhaling deeply, she gripped Yusei's hand in return and said, "Please, don't be angry with Yusei. We knew what we were getting into and we were aware of the repercussions."
Yusei's eyes stayed on their linked hands for a moment, only looking up when Hideo said, "Yusei. Are you aware of what this means?"
He nodded. "Yes, Sir. I'm nowhere near ready, but I have no intention of running and leaving your daughter alone. This is my responsibility and I'll see it through. I swore I would always love and take care of Akiza and I'm a man who keeps his word."
Akiza watched as her father asked him, "And how can we be certain of that?"
The psychic opened her mouth to retort, to tell her father that she and Yusei were in love and that was all the proof she needed. Before she could, Yusei spoke beside her, saying, "May I ask you a question, Sir? Or both of you, really."
Setsuko nodded once, Hideo seconding the motion soon after. "What is it?"
"Have you always known your family to be good to you?"
They both seemed to be taken a little off-guard, but replied just as well. Hideo nodded, saying, "Growing up, my family was kind and warm to me, and my wife and daughter have always been nothing short of spectacular."
Setsuko added her piece, "My family wasn't always the closest, but they were always supportive of me."
Yusei nodded as he mentally prepared himself for his next statement, shifting his hand to lace his fingers with Akiza's. "As a child, my mother was my guardian angel. She showered me with attention and took care to make sure I had the lessons I would need in life. When she died, my father abandoned me to his own grief. I was eight years old at the time and I learned quickly to survive on my own."
Setsuko opened her mouth to speak, but he raised his hand and said, "Please, let me finish. When I was left alone, I learned the hard way how difficult life could be with no one there. I mean, I had wealth and servants, so it wasn't like I was on the streets, but I didn't have anyone who really cared about me. My grandfather was good to me, but he was in and out of the house so much that I couldn't rely on him being there.
"When I came to this town, I saw how close families in this part of the country were. You never saw a child alone. They were always with a parent or a sibling or a friend. I decided back then that if I ever had children of my own, I would do everything in my power to make sure they were happy and loved. To ensure that they weren't left alone to fade away into despair like I did. I vowed that I would never be like my father and never abandon my child. I may be severely unprepared to be a father right now, but I plan to do everything I can to make this baby grow up feeling loved."
"You…" Hideo started, then took a deep breath as he ran a hand through his hair. "You're a difficult man to hate, Yusei. Promise me that you'll take care of my daughter and grandchild, won't you?"
He nodded. "I promise, Sir. I'll give every last breath I have to make them happy."
Akiza reached her free hand to wipe away her tears, subconsciously cursing how heightened her emotions were lately. Martha said it was all part of the pregnancy, after all. She knew, without a doubt in her mind, that Yusei was telling the truth just now. She knew he meant every one of his words and the fact of it delighted her. She truly was a lucky woman to have his love and, now, a child would be born of that love, bringing forth a new stage in their lives. She was only nineteen, but with every day that passed, she was more and more confident that she could be a good mother.
…
Akiza smiled at Carly as she moved behind the bar, carrying a tray of empty glasses with her. She had given up on wearing the shawl in her bar, deciding to just let people see. It didn't really matter, after all. She had gotten pregnant before Yusei's disappearance, so the fact of it didn't point towards her reuniting with him since. It was just too much of a hassle to keep the wrap in place while maneuvering through the bar.
Quite a few of her regulars had been shocked when they saw her bump, but had only offered words of condolence for Yusei's disappearance. It was common knowledge to the entire town by now that she and Yusei were lovers – after all, who hadn't known of the love blossoming between the Dragon Claw's young hostess and the infamous Shooting Star? It was prime gossip for the noisy women in town.
She would tell everyone the same thing—she was worried sick about Yusei, but she was happy to carry his child—no matter how pushy they were. She kept Yusei's welfare an absolute secret, no matter who asked. She had to. If she told anyone, they might let it slip and her tunnels would be discovered, along with everyone inside.
The doors to the bar opened and she frowned at the sight of the man standing there. He looked back and forth, boredom painted on his pale features before he slowly moved over to sit down at one of the tables. Akiza had never seen him before, and the only reason she didn't automatically associate him with the Underground was because they always carried a pistol as their weapon of choice.
This man wore a sword at his waist.
Yes, a sword. Like the ones you read about in storybooks. He had a gun strapped to his leg opposite the sword sheath, but, judging by the arrangement, the blade was his weapon of choice. He looked to be a little older than Yusei, with a white hood covering his hair. His white leathers looked well cared for and his attitude seemed like he was there for some kind of business.
Perhaps it was time she found out what that was.
She opened her senses, psychically reaching out to see what his intentions were. The only things she could sense from him were boredom, tiredness, and a complete lack of desire to be where he was. She didn't sense any hostility, so she picked up a tray to make her rounds and collected empty glasses. She paused by his table and plastered a smile on her face, saying, "Welcome to the Dragon's Claw! Would you like something to drink?"
He barely looked up at her, one eye peering out from under his hood, and muttered, "Are you the owner of this place?"
She nodded. "I am. Is something wrong?"
His voice was flat and carried his distaste. "No. I was told you would know where my brother was."
Pausing, she slowly asked, "Your brother?" Who was he referring to?
"His name is Lester. Little runt, about this tall," he said, raising his hand to the proper level. "Arrogant little son of a bitch, has red hair."
The only thing crossing her mind was how delighted he sounded to see his brother again. Knowing Lester, she couldn't blame him. "You're Lester's brother? Then I take it you know Bruno, too?"
"Yes. My name is Primo. Will you tell him I'm here?"
"I'm afraid I don't know exactly where he is at the moment." Hoping he would get the underlying clue, she asked, "Are you here to help him?"
Nodding slowly, he lowered his arm under the table and pushed his sleeve up to reveal the 'Infinity' insignia on the inside of his right wrist. "My boss said you were, too?"
Yusei had told her about Z-one's involvement with Infinity, leaving her to assume Primo was referring to him. "Yes. Your boss happens to be the great-grandfather of my child."
He didn't seem amused or at interested, so she just said, "Stay here for a little while. Lester's bound to show up sooner or later."
"In that case, I'll have a beer."
…
Yusei sighed. One more member of Infinity, showing up on their doorstep. He was glad to see his grandfather again, but he wasn't keen on having a pack of strangers push their way into his home. He knew a fight with the Underground would break out sooner or later, but he still would rather fight with the people he trusted. How could he know if they really were on their side?
Misty seemed to know them, too, making him wonder if she was a part of Infinity before. That would explain how she knew Z-one. Shaking his head, he decided to put off thinking about it until later. It didn't really matter, anyway. If Z-one trusted them, then he felt he could accept their aid.
He walked into the room underground and dropped back to sit down in the dug-out bench, leaning back while staring straight ahead. Z-one sat in the next seat over, watching him out of the corner of his eye while a cigarette stayed between his lips and a bottle of vodka—no doubt from Misty—stayed in his left hand. When Yusei didn't move or strike up a conversation, the older man asked, "What's eatin' you?"
Sighing, he kept his eyes on the wall as he muttered, "Akiza's pregnant."
His eyebrow rose as he drew his cigarette back and breathed the smoke out to the side before murmuring, "Yours?"
He wasn't sure whether to be insulted that his grandfather thought Akiza could be unfaithful, or if he should be glad he wasn't assuming. Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah."
Without saying a word, he reached in his pocket and withdrew his pack of cigarettes, then held it out to offer it to Yusei. The younger man shook his head, then pointed at the bottle and said, "I don't smoke. Got any more of that?"
Z-one reached down next to him and lifted a full bottle from the ground beside him and passed it over, holding his own out to clink them together. Once Yusei did, he added, "Welcome to the club."
Raising an eyebrow, he uncorked the bottle and asked, "Club?"
He raised his drink and guzzled it for a second, then wiped his lips on his sleeve. "Fatherhood, of course."
He swallowed his spit, then looked down into the bottle. Fatherhood. This was really happening, wasn't it? He was going to be a father, and Akiza a mother. In a matter of months—seven, according to Martha—he would be able to hold his son or daughter in his arms. All those times he'd fallen into bed with her, he'd never really considered the fact that she could get pregnant. Something in his mind just told him that married people had kids, so as long as they weren't married, they wouldn't have kids. It was foolish way of thinking, but he hadn't thought more into it.
He took a drink of the vodka, frowning at the strong sting burning down his throat. "I don't know what to do."
"Huh?" Z-one muttered, turning to look at his grandson. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back and murmured, "I don't know the first thing about being a father. What can I do?"
He frowned, studying the boy carefully. "Well, speaking from experience, the first step would be to, you know, marry her."
Biting his lip, he knew Z-one was right. Deep inside, he knew that, one day, he would be ready to ask her to be his wife. He never imagined the prospect would be forced on him like this, though. He loved her and, though he would never admit it, his greatest fear was asking her to marry him, then find out down the road that he wouldn't be able to provide for her. He didn't have a job, he'd abandoned his family fortune, and was too proud to look back. He didn't have any talents beyond smithing and his newfound godly powers.
How could he possibly provide for her? And for a child, too?
Z-one's voice sounded, shattering his thoughts as he said, "I know you're in a totally different boat than me, but I've been through this."
He glanced slightly at him and muttered, "Well, you're my grandfather, so I'd assume you've been though the parent thing before."
Flashing a crooked smirk, he clarified, "I mean, I've been through the out-of-wedlock parent thing before."
His eyebrow went up. This was the first he'd heard of that. "Seriously?"
Bellowing a laugh, he leaned back and took another drag on his cigarette. "You don't think a senatorial son got to marry a prostitute because of love, did you?" He moved to snuff his cigarette and pulled out a new one, still holding his liquor in his left hand. "My parents were the kind of stiff-asses that care only about their reputation. When my older brother died in combat and I was told I was going to senator instead, I thought it was going to be the end of the world."
"I can relate to that," he mumbled.
He chuckled lightly before leaning back again. "Now, I always was a bit more on the wild side, if you will. I hired whores and, though my parents didn't approve, they didn't care as long as I kept quiet about it. In my defense, there were a lot of married senators at the time who had mistresses, so I wasn't doing too bad. Anyway, so your grandmother was always my favorite. I always went to her first and hired her if she wasn't busy. I became her best customer and it got to the point where she'd just reserve her Tuesdays for me. Then Thursdays, too."
Yusei dropped his forehead to his hand and closed his eyes. "Do I really need to hear all of this?"
"Point is," he grumbled coarsely, "I loved her. She had her job and she didn't want to give it up to be a senator's plastic wife. She valued her freedom too much. She shot me down when I told her how I felt. I was hurt for awhile, but I knew my only way to spend time with her would be to hire her. It wasn't always about sex. Sometimes I'd hire her to have dinner with me. I didn't mention my feelings again, but I asked her if she'd join me for a month-long vacation to one of the family beach houses."
His eyebrow rose as he glanced back to his grandfather. "We have beach houses? Plural?"
"Did. Two were sold and the last one was crushed in a tsunami. Anyway, I told her she'd be paid and she agreed. We departed—without my parents' knowledge, mind you—had a good time, came back, and went our separate ways for the time being. After I dealt with all the shit about 'abandoning my duties' and 'chasing a fantasy,' I got back to work with learning what I needed to know before I could be a senator. A few weeks later, she came to me and said she was pregnant. It had to be mine. After the trip to the beach house, the odds of it not being mine were, like, a hundred to one."
Fighting down his breakfast—listening to his grandfather talk about his sex life was not his idea of a good morning—he griped, "Get to the point, will you?"
He leaned back, tipping his hat down over his eyes to hide whatever emotion was crossing over them. Yusei could only guess it was pain. Knowing now that his grandmother was dead left him to wonder just how much it hurt Z-one to talk about his past. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut as the realization hit him that he was sharing his experiences to make Yusei's troubles easier to deal with. Swallowing, he bit down on his lip and waited silently for him to continue.
"When my parents found out, they called her in to talk to her. They told her that no whore was going to mother a Fudo child and, as soon as the baby was born, it would be taken from her custody and raised by my family. She left in tears—you know, pregnancy hormones—and I saw her in the hall. I asked her what was wrong and took her to my room to help her calm down. When she told me what my parents said, I, well, suffice to say I was pissed." He shifted to get a little more comfortable in his seat, a slight smirk falling on his lips at the memory.
"I went to them and I told them off, saying that, yes, a whore would be a mother to a Fudo child because I was in love with her and no matter what they said, they couldn't take her away from me. I told them that if they tried, I'd run and take her with me. Then I went back to her and told her I would marry her so she wouldn't have to be alone. She punched me in the shoulder—hard—and said she could survive alone. That she always had. Then she quietly added that she wouldn't mind getting married because, while she was more than capable of providing for herself, she wasn't sure how she would support a child, too.
"You know me. I had to ask if my wallet was all she was agreeing for. She looked away and mumbled 'no.' She said she was agreeing because, yes, I had money that could support her and the baby, but also because I was one of the kindest clients she'd ever had. She said that she'd started to fall for me some time before, but refused to admit it because of her job. I'll spare you the details, but we ended up eloping because my parents were that against her. I went back to my station in the military and brought her to stay with Infinity since I lived in the barracks. My teacher there was kind enough to let her stay, thankfully."
Yusei listened, occasionally taking a drink of the vodka, curiously taking in every word. He'd never known the history of his grandparents' relationship before. He'd known his grandmother was a whore, but he hadn't known the details or even that his father was conceived out of wedlock. It suddenly made his problems seem much smaller.
"When I received word that my father had fallen ill, I went back to the Capital and brought your grandmother with me. She was coming close to having the baby, but I wasn't going to let my guard down. I went to see my father and, damn, he looked bad. She walked beside me and my mother offered a deal. She said that my father didn't have long left, and that there was no other heir for the Fudo family besides me. She said that if I stayed and did my duty to the family, she would give your grandmother her blessing. We agreed, and, when my father died, my mother sat in as acting senator until I was twenty-two. By then, Kitty was born and almost three years old."
Yusei leaned back and sighed one more time. "I hate to say this and you're probably the only one besides Akiza that I would ever say it to, but I'm terrified."
Setting his bottle of vodka on the ground in front of him, he reached out and clapped his hand on the younger man's back. "Everyone is. Even if two people are happily married and ready to have kids, they're still scared. It's only natural." Chuckling a short laugh, he muttered, "Trust me when I tell you that you'll change your mind when the little runt is in your arms."
Swallowing his spit, he reached up to run his hand through his hair. "But what about until then? Am I just supposed to be scared out of my wits until the baby's born?"
He moved his hand to slap his shoulder a few times as a means of support. "Give it some time. You'll find a way to accept the change in your life."
"But…" He bit down on his lip for a minute, then finished, "As long as the Underground runs rampant in my home, I have to fight. I can't just sit here and worry about being a father."
"You know how the Underground works. Kill the ones here and more will come."
"I know. So I'll just keep killing them until no more can come."
He sat there calmly, smoking. "That's idiocy."
Glancing to the side, he quietly asked, "Why?"
"Didn't you hear what Kitty said? You kill people and you pay the price."
Shaking his head, he retorted, "Only if I use the dragons to do it. If I kill them with my own two hands, then the only cost is on my conscience."
He sighed heavily. "And? Could your conscience take it?"
"It doesn't matter. I have a family to keep safe. Everyone in these tunnels is a part of my family and I have to keep them safe." He shifted to stand and nodded back to Z-one. "Thanks for telling me. I do feel better now."
Snorting a short laugh, he shot him a wink and muttered, "Glad to help. At least you didn't throw up like your father did."
Man, I love Z-one wayyy too much. I mean, it's probably pretty unhealthy to like him as much as I do. Oh, well. I am having too much fun writing his character in here XD Mind you, he's pretty different in another multi-chapter fic I have planned. We'll see if I ever get around to writing that one, though.
For the Americans out there, Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your time off and don't forget to spend at least a little time with your family :P They're the only one you've got (most likely).
Please review!
-Valk