Hello everyone, many thanks to my BFF viexon for reviewing and also to the wonderful Lykae'Sky and Baraonna for favoriting and NIGHTANGEL21 and Shinade for following and favoriting, you guys rock!
Not much to say except to apologize for this chapter (and the next one, and the next one and the next one and probably several more being so late) I don't know what's wrong with me, I was doing so well for a while. But I just had no inspiration to write, and then when I finally wrote something my computer crashed and despite the fact that I had saved my work I ended up back here.
Anyway, the chapter's here now so enjoy! I own nothing.
Chapter 3: Excuses
Erica took a minute to think on her love for baggy shirts, hers hid the bump on her stomach, "just a second," she told Kouske before turning to face the aggressive and enraged man striding towards them.
As the man strode towards them Kouyuu cringed, Erica also bit her lip in worry, not because she was afraid but because of the bad place they were in.
She really, really, didn't want to be called out as a gang member here, she was trying to make a good impression, she didn't want Mr. Machida to see Kouyuu as the 'kid brother' of a member of a gang, especially if that gang was HOMRA (even though HOMRA was technically no longer a gang), so she couldn't use her abilities here.
Of course, she could just beat the crap out of the guy without resorting to her red sanctum but since she was barely, twenty, slender and a woman that would look slightly suspicious, and would still make a bad impression.
Plus, being roughly eleven weeks pregnant she tried to avoid violent physical movement whenever she could.
A non-violent solution to the problem never entered Erica's head, but at the same time the man reached them Kouske drew level with her shoulder.
"You need to leave. Now," said Erica flatly, she looked and spoke to the angry thug but if Kouske thought she meant him then that was good too, but she didn't actually expect any of it to be that easy.
And of course it wasn't.
"You're coming with me!" The man ordered, reaching for Kouyuu's arm, expressionlessly Erica slapped his hand away, it looked like a mild reproach but she put power behind the blow and saw him flinch and bit back a small sadistic smile.
"Sir, this is a school, we don't tolerate aggressiveness here," Machida said firmly, he didn't look intimidated but Erica had no idea how good of an actor he might be.
The man's gaze swung to him, "and who're you!?"
"The teacher. Obviously," Erica murmured, she then decided that drawing the man's attention to her was not her smartest idea but she also decided that she didn't much care.
Machida smiled sideways at her, "I was about to say that, you beat me by about half a second," he told her and Erica smiled back, great minds think alike.
The man glared at her but swung his attention back to Machida, that wasn't very smart of him, she'd already established herself as a clear threat whereas Machida, being a teacher, was unlikely to be a threat at all but Erica didn't really know why she was expecting this man to be smart.
You'd think she'd have learned better by now.
"You had no right to take him from me," the man snarled, his gaze swinging back to Erica, wait, it appeared he had decided to pay attention to her after all.
"I had every right," said Erica, ignoring Kouske's bewildered stare.
Oh she had sooooooooooooooooo much explaining to do.
But she could get to that later.
"Sir, you need to leave now. Aggressive behaviour is not tolerated here." Machida said firmly, putting himself between Erica, Kouyuu and the man.
The man swung his fist at Machida's face, with the preternatural speed of a clansman Erica had ample time to stop the blow before it happened, and made to do so, but, to her surprise, someone else was even faster than she was.
Machida caught the blow and threw the man's arm away from him, twisting as he did so. He didn't break the man's arm but Erica practically felt his arm wrench, that had to be painful.
"Aggressive behaviour is not tolerated here," Machida said again, his voice the epitome of calm, "I am going to have to ask you to leave now." To back up his words the fire of a king's sanctum surrounded his body and ruffled his hair.
Erica's jaw hit the floor and beside her she heard Kouske gasp.
Kouyuu's teacher was a clansman!
And the colour of his fire was green.
The man took one look at the green fire and bolted.
Huh, so he was capable of learning!
"Of all the ways this scenario played out in my head, that wasn't one of them," murmured Kouske, thunderstruck.
"I second that opinion," Erica muttered. She turned to Machida, "you're with..." Her mind blanked.
"Kouske, what's the Green Clan called again?" She muttered to her redhead companion out of the corner of her mouth.
"jungle" he whispered back, sounding as dumbstruck as she did.
"You're with jungle?!" Erica demanded, amazed.
Machida blushed, "more of a part-time clansman than anything else. I'm not very high up. But I hope you won't hold my allegiance against me."
"We wouldn't hold your clan against you," said Kouske.
"Unless you were with the Blues," admitted Erica.
Machida blinked; they weren't going to hold it against him?
No, of course not, because they were members of HOMRA, not Scepter 4.
Machida wasn't exactly sure why, since, as he said, he wasn't a very high up member, but every fighter from Scepter 4 was out for the blood of every single person from jungle, the entire Green Clan was like a collective berserk button for them.
"Oh yes, because you two are from HOMRA, not Scepter 4," he murmured out loud.
Erica frowned, "how do you know we're from HOMRA?"
"Oh," Machida blushed, he was doing that a lot when she was around, "everyone in jungle has heard about you too, you're... on our list of people to watch out for."
Erica and Kouske glanced at each other, they had a list?
Exactly who and what was jungle really?
Machida saw the look on their faces and laughed nervously, "just in case?"
"And why has the Green King ordered you to keep an eye out for us?" Asked Erica.
"I'm not totally sure," Machida admitted, "I've never met her."
Erica gave him one of her trademark expressionless looks, "you've never met your own king?" She asked sceptically.
"Not many people from jungle have," Machida admitted. He smiled and then checked his watch, "I'll tell you all about it some other time, but right now I'm late for my next appointment so I'm afraid this is goodbye." His smile became apologetic.
Erica nodded, "okay. Are we still on for Sunday?"
Machida affirmed this and bid goodbye to Kouske and Kouyuu. Then he left, leaving the other three standing there.
Erica's eyes slid sideways and met Kouske's, who was staring at her, his eyes were soft, like she was a wild animal he was trying not to startle.
Not a bad description really.
"HiKouskeniceseeingyouagainIguess,sorrybutIhavetogotoworknow,seeyouathomeKouyuu."
Then she bolted.
Like a total coward.
Both Kouyuu and Kouske watched her go with the calm eyes of a couple of people who were well used to Erica's little quirks.
Kouyuu eyed the older man curiously while trying not be obvious about what he was doing, so this was Kouske Fujishima?
"So are you going to go after her?" Kouyuu asked.
Kouske sighed and shook his head, "that's what I was trying to do. Bandou told me she'd be here so I came looking for her. But I've changed my mind. Maybe I'll go after her later; she obviously doesn't want me to right now. It's best not to be pushy with Erica. She'll tell me what's wrong... eventually."
"Yeah, don't hold your breath," Kouyuu advised. Erica had sworn up and down that she would tell him once she'd gotten a job and her own place and both those things had happened, and today she had been given a golden opportunity to do so. And had fled from it like a bat out of hell.
"You should have gone after her just then," he told Kouske, then began to walk home. Let him figure himself out.
Kouske stood there for a moment, pondering, a rather large portion of himself said that the kid was right; he should have gone after Erica.
Kouske blinked, confused. "Hey wait a second. Who was that kid anyway? And what was Erica even doing here?"
"Wow, that sounds terrible," Erica admitted honestly.
Machida laughed, "everyone says that but teaching has its ups too. It's a very rewarding career."
"It sounds like Hell to me, but to each their own I suppose," Erica murmured with her usual deadpan tone, but she was fighting a smile. Machida was much nicer to hang around than she had anticipated, she was really enjoying herself.
But teaching did sound like Hell.
Machida laughed again, "I suppose so." He took another sip of coffee, "so..." he cast around for another topic, the three hours here with Miss Solt had flown by but now he was running out of things to talk about.
"Uh..." crap, Erica couldn't think of anything to say either, Machida was very easy to talk to but she was a terrible conversationalist. Due to her upbringing, or lack thereof, all of her social skills were poor, it made awkward moments like these even worse.
"So," they said at the same time, having both come up with a topic of conversation, then laughed shyly.
"You first," said Erica.
"I was just about to enquire, if you don't mind my asking, about your baby, how far along are you?" Machida asked.
Erica almost spilled her hot chocolate, ah, so he had noticed.
"About twelve weeks," she said.
Machida nodded, "and is this your first child?"
"Biologically," said Erica, they both smiled, thinking of Kouyuu.
"Well congratulations on both accounts," said Machida.
"Thank you," said Erica, despite her occasional bouts of near-panic over the thought of giving birth and raising a child -what am I doing? I can barely take care of myself, let alone Kouyuu, let alone a baby!- she did feel that congratulations were in order. Sometimes there was panic, at others she wanted to dance a jig, I'm having a baby! I'm having a baby! She wanted to sing.
But didn't because Erica singing was about as likely as Yata falling to her knees and confessing her love for the entire collective Blue Clan and her fervent wish to join Scepter 4.
It just wasn't going to happen.
"I admit, I was a little hesitant asking you out here, I was worried you might turn me down because-"
"Because you assumed that because I was pregnant I was taken?" Erica finished, she smiled slightly but it was light-hearted. "It was a fair assumption but that's not how the world always works."
"Evidentally not." Agreed Machida.
Erica said nothing as she thought this over, she hadn't been sure if Machida had noticed she was pregnant when he asked her out, but one of the things that stopped her from turning him down, just in case he hadn't was the fact that it had been coffee, not something like dinner. Not like it was a date. But Machida had been hesitant to ask her and why would you be hesitant to ask someone for coffee? No, usually people were only hesitant to ask when-
"Is this a date?" Erica asked abruptly.
"Do you want it to be?" Asked Machida, not batting an eyelid at the question.
Erica sipped her hot chocolate quietly, no, no she didn't. What she really wanted was...
"Kouske," Erica knocked on the door again, "It's me. Open up, I need to talk to you." She nervously jiggled from foot to foot, this was it, she was really going to do this.
Oh how Erica wished she had taken San-chan up on her offer to go with her!
"Kouske Fujishima if you don't open this door right now I am going to totally lose my nerve and run screaming away from here like a coward and never come back." Erica muttered raising her hand to knock again. Just then the door swung open.
"Hey Erica." Wearing nothing but a pair of tracksuit pants Kouske regarded her with curiosity and no small amount of relief and concern. "Don't you have a key?"
Oh, yeah.
Erica felt her face get hot, "I forgot it," she mumbled.
Kouske ushered her in, the relief still on his face, "I was beginning to think you were avoiding me," he said lightly, trying to joke away his concerns.
Erica didn't make eye contact as she walked past him into the first place she had ever truly felt at home, "avoid, shun, pass up, stay away from, keep clear of, evade, call it what you will, I was doing it." Yes, she knew all these fancy synonyms for the word 'avoid' because she had been doing it for about thirteen weeks now. Ever since they had slept together, before she even knew she was pregnant, though especially afterwards.
"Oh," Kouske's face fell, Erica really had been avoiding him.
Why?
Was it because of...
Before he could ask the question Erica said, "I have something to tell you."
She looked so nervous that Kouske instinctively tried to comfort her; she was leaning against the kitchen bench, hunched forwards slightly, both her hands gripping the bench behind her. Kouske laid his hand over one of hers, Erica's hand twitched under his but didn't draw away.
"You can tell me anything," he assured her with such perfect sincerity that Erica's heart melted a little bit.
She wanted to lean against him and have him hug her but didn't because she was pretty sure that was one of the many things that would make her run screaming from the house. She liked the relationship they had now, she didn't want to ruin it.
You won't ruin it, she told herself comfortingly, what are you so worried about? This is Kouske. "It's about... what happened the night of Mr. Kusanagi's birthday."
"You mean the night we slept together?" Asked Kouske bluntly.
Erica nearly choked on her own saliva, "you remember!?"
"Yes, I just didn't want to admit to it at the time," Kouske said, shame-faced.
Erica glowered at him, was he ashamed that he slept with me?! Well isn't that a nice thing to say to someone, she thought, the sarcasm in her thoughts practically visible.
Kouske flinched at the almost murderous expression on Erica's face. "But not for the reason you're thinking," he added hurriedly.
Erica raised an eyebrow.
"I..." Kouske hesitated and then decided to go all out. If he was going to admit to it, he might as well admit to everything.
"I was, am, ashamed because I've been in love with you from the day we met and the last thing I wanted was for the first time we made love to be when we were both drunk and depressed and I'm sorry it was."
Erica cringed, "did you really just use the words 'made love'? Ugh how disgustingly sappy and cliché," she said.
Now it was Kouske's turn to raise an eyebrow, but there was humour in his eyes, "I'm trying to confess my love for you! Could we please stay on topic? And you spend way too much time with San-chan," he added.
Sappy and cliché? Really?
"Right, sorry." Then what he'd said truly hit Erica, "you love me?" She whispered.
Kouske smiled at her, there was a hint of nervousness in his eyes, a fear of rejection made worse by Erica's frankly odd behaviour over the last month and a half, but it was barely visible beneath the love and tenderness, "I love you."
Happiness, far greater than anything Erica had expected or experienced swelled in her chest, "I love you too."
She swallowed and then forced out the words she had been wanting to and dreading saying for almost ten weeks now.
"Kouske. I'm pregnant."
Oh my God! I updated something! Did ya see guys?! Did ya?!
Well if you're reading this then obviously you saw.
Ugh, I apologize for this chapter guys, well you guys might actually like it but I didn't really. But the action in the next chapter will make up for it, I swear!
And no, that was not a typo, in this universe the green king is also genderflipped and there will be a story on 'her' later. Should be interesting, since we know virtually nothing about Yukari and even less about the green king himself. But I'll do my best!
That's all guys, until next time (hopefully tomorrow)!
Bye!