The shrine quieted as it returned to normal day to day activities.
"Tomoe have you seen my obi," Nanami called, looking over her kimono.
They had been planning a party to announce their pregnancy to their friends and Nanami was frantic with worry about her yokai friends accepting her and Tomoe's newest additions to their family, and now that today was the day her nerves were wound tight.
Tomoe entered the room. He looked the garment over and smiled, "Love everything is here." He turned around, wrapping his arms around her, her rounding stomach making his embrace awkward.
She returned his embrace, calming under his touch.
"You need to calm down. You stressing out isn't good for the kits."
She sighed, "I know but I can't help but wonder if they will love them as much as we do."
He kissed her, his hands sliding over her stomach, "They will adore them. Now we should get going before we are late. The party isn't until later anyway so just relax."
She took a deep breath placing her hands over his.
It had been ten weeks since they had found out they were pregnant and everyday she had taken great care to hide her every growing stomach in fear of the other gods would find out and do something horrible.
They also enjoyed every moment of the pregnancy for fear of Nanami's body rejecting it and losing the little ones they loved so much.
Now that they reached the halfway point they were breathing a bit easier.
He trailed kisses along her throat to her neck where he drew a fang along the sensitive flesh making her moan and shutter.
"Let us get going, " he said huskily, "and when we return I shall calm you."
She smiled, her body now on fire, "You promise?"
He smirked, giving her ear a final nip.
The two had found that with Nanami entering her second trimester she was ravenous in bed, at times begging Tomoe for another round before even he was ready.
They left the shrine for another visit to the midwife.
When they arrived at the clinic they found an older woman awaiting them.
"Well hello," she called. "We missed each other at your first visit. I am Kibou Mirai. I am the midwife."
Nanami bowed, smiling, "Hello. So nice to finally meet you."
The midwife smiled and after grabbing Nanami's file they walked back to the butterfly room again.
She had Tomoe sit on the bed and then had Nanami lay on his lap.
After taking some measurements and answering questions, Mirai left to get the ultrasound machine.
"Well you two," she said cheerfully, "It's time to look in on your little ones. Now I want to know, do you want to hold off and wait until they are born to know their sex or do you want to know now?"
They looked at each other.
"What do you think Tomoe," Nanami asked.
He looked at the older woman, "We can really find out now?"
She nodded with a smile.
He looked down at Nanami, "I'd like to find out now."
The midwife began to set up the ultrasound, applying the gel to Nanami's stomach and using the hand-held.
Nanami smiled, "I have an idea. How about we keep it a secret for now and then when we tell everyone we will all find out."
Tomoe smiled, "Sounds good to me."
The midwife smiled, "Alright once I'm done I will seal the pictures along with their genders."
"Thank you," they replied.
After some time a quizzical look crossed the woman's face.
She adjusted the device taking another look from a different angle.
After several more minutes of silence and seeing the woman's growing puzzled expression Tomoe asked, "What's wrong? Is everything ok?"
"Well...I don't know," she frowned.
"What is it," Nanami asked, fear cracking her voice.
"The twins are fine dear. Their heart beats are fine, baby A is 145 beats a minute and baby B is 155 which is normal. They are growing beautifully and in slate with their gestation. It's just...are you sure there is no history of birth defects?"
Nanami had tears rolling down her eyes, "Please...is something wrong with my babies?"
Tomoe squeezed her hand in an effort to not only calm her but himself.
Mirai turned the screen so it faced them, "For some reason...," she showed them each baby's backside and head, "If I didn't know better it looks like they have ears on top of their heads and tails growing out of their backsides."
The two looked at each other, smiles crossing their faces.
Tomoe kissed Nanami's forehead as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand, shaking in laughter as tears rolled down her face.
The midwife looked perplexed.
They calmed down, not looking away from each other.
"They look like you," Nanami laughed, brushing away the tears.
The woman cleared her throat, bringing them back to their senses, "Ok there is an explanation somewhere I'm missing."
She cleaned Nanami's stomach with a towel and with Tomoe's help, sat the woman up.
Nanami looked nervously at Tomoe who nodded his head.
She looked at the woman, taking her hand, "My fiance isn't as he seems."
He removed the spell revealing his pointed ears and swaying his tail from side to side.
They waited for the woman to cry out but she remained silent, looking the man over.
She then smiled, "I see, so you are one of those who can cross between worlds. I thought you looked familiar, what with the white hair. You're that kitsune who disappears up at the Mikage shrine."
"Yes," Tomoe smirked, "My master would send me down her to spend time with you humans in the hopes I would gain some sympathy for them."
"And do you?"
He smiled, looking down at Nanami, kissing her hand, "Yes."
Mirai smiled, "I think from now on I will be handling your pregnancy. Hana may be young and open minded but she isn't as aware as myself. She may be startled if she found out she was handling a family of kitsune."
After getting everything taken care of and Tomoe had cast his spell to look human the midwife gave them an envelope with their ultrasound scans.
"The next time you come back we will go over labor and delivery so be prepared for a lot of information," the woman told them.
The couple nodded, "Ok."
Nanami bowed, "Thank you and we apologize for the trouble."
"No trouble at all," she replied, also bowing. "It will be fun. It's not everyday a midwife can say that she delivered kitsune kits."
Tomoe inclined his head to the woman as well, "Thank you for being so understanding."
Nanami looked at her watch, "Tomoe we should get going if we want to be ready for the party."
After a final goodbye they began to walk down the street.
Tomoe draped his right arm over Nanami's shoulder, placing his left hand over her stomach.
She smiled, placing her hands on either side of the mound.