Written Rivers

Book 2: A Tie Amongst Rivers

Chapter 18: Questions on Return

"How…" Yuuka breathed into Yuko's shoulder. "How could you do that so easily?"

"Some things…" Yuko started, petting her hair. "Some things aren't always in our control and sometimes we just need to accept it. I don't believe you meant any harm and did what you thought was best at the moment…"

Chihiro sighed in relief. Her parents were handling all this much better than she thought they would. Her mind flooded with emotions and she wasn't sure where to start. All she knew is that she wanted to tell Haku everything. She laughed softly. She really was head over heels and sappy for that man.

When she looked up again her father was watching her. She could see a protective look in his eye as he watched her think about a man in another world with whom she had become completely and utterly in love with. He was getting ready to be the protective father in a way he never had to be before.

Chihiro smiled softly at him, trying to give him the best silent conversation she could in regard to her relationship with Haku. Hopefully, he would understand. He pushed her in all the best ways. They were both perfectly incomplete and that was okay. She could see the flaws in their relationship and it didn't matter, she loved him and she wanted nothing more than to get to know him more over time and to support him in any way she could.

Akio grimaced but nodded, smiling at her happiness. But she knew that this conversation was far from over given the circumstances.

Chihiro and the others began exchanging stories of their adventures over tea and into dinner, telling her parents about the Bathhouse and the many spirits that they had encountered. Akio expressed concern about the safety of the spirit world and her… relationship with the dragon spirit. It was a bit embarrassing at first trying to explain her relationship with Haku, even though she didn't quite understand it herself. What kind of life would she have alongside him? What would it be like to grow old beside a never-aging man and leave him behind one day? What of their children? Would they continue on after her into eternity or would their lives be just as finite as her own? All questions that she was avoiding, to be honest. Her father was just bringing them back to the surface whether he realized it or not.

"I'd like to meet him." Akio finally declared.

Chihiro cocked her head. "I'm sorry?"

"I would like to meet this Haku. In fact, I'd like to visit this spirit world of yours."

"A-Anata?!" Yuko was just as baffled as the rest.

"What? Is it not possible? We've done it before and obviously you and Rumi have gone back and forth a few times. What's the issue?"

Chihiro shook her head to clear her thoughts. "N-nothing is, I'm just shocked that you've taken this so well."

"I may be stubborn but I'm not stupid enough to throw your feelings and experiences out the window a second time. I want to see this world that brings back light in your eye that I haven't seen since you were a child."

Chihiro smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'll talk with Haku."

Akio nodded in response and they all went on with dinner, discussing things that they could do over the next couple of days during their stay. They would go into town and look around for a bit. Yuko wanted to go and look at things for a wedding, insisting that they celebrate and get kimonos so both girls could have proper weddings. Chihiro and Rumi both blushed at the idea that this would all be official but looked forward to it nonetheless. It was like they were kids again talking about adult things and future weddings. It was nostalgic.

Before she went to bed that night, Akio pulled her aside and they went out to the front lawn and sat in the bed of his kei truck. The warm summer night was just right, the humidity of summer not taking hold quite yet. Chihiro looked over at her father who was staring out over the hill and into the direction of the tunnel.

"Do you know how often I stood outside that tunnel when you were a kid?" Akio finally spoke in his gruff voice.

Chihiro didn't say anything, pushing a stray hair behind her ear. She didn't know.

"You used to talk so admittedly about that tunnel and how it led to some magical world with magical creatures. It all seemed so absurd." He sighed, scratching his head. "Sorry, not absurd. You know I've always been a skeptic of all that stuff."

Before she could catch herself she said, "I know."

Her father grimaced at the confession. "I should have believed you… Maybe you wouldn't have gone through all that pain. I should have been there to protect you…"

Something in Chihiro couldn't bring herself to comfort that statement. Maybe she was still bitter underneath it all. Maybe she hadn't forgiven him as she thought…

"But… I want to be here for you now."

Chihiro looked up at her father where she met his eyes. They were sincere, tired, but sincere. He looked like he'd seen too much and worried too often. Her disappearance must have done a number on him on top of being able to see the spirits of the world. This wasn't what she wanted for her parents. She didn't want them constantly worrying over her because she was just out of their reach in the Spirit World. She also wanted to be there for her parents as they grew old. But… she also couldn't be happy in the Human World… Happiness obviously wasn't all there was to life but Haku wasn't in the Human World, Makoto, Yuuka, Rin, Ame, all of them weren't in the Human World. Her next chapter was in the Spirit World.

Chihiro sighed looking at the sky. "Oto-San… What if… what if I never came back?"

Her father was silent. She wasn't looking, but she could almost hear his internal struggle louder than the rustling of the trees nearby. The silence just grew between them, Chihiro letting him consider his response.

Akio took a breath. "I remember the day you were born… You were one of the quietest babies in the whole hospital. They were looking over you and giving you your first checkup, poking and prodding at you and you didn't even cry. But what fascinated me most… was how alert you were." He chuckled. "Not even a day old and you were already trying to figure out the world around you."

Chihiro finally looked at her father, listening intently.

"When you were a little girl, I knew from the start that you would always be moving. From day one, I always knew that you'd be just out of my reach, a step ahead of me. You were always on the move, always observing things no one else did, always curious, always sticking your nose into things. I just couldn't keep up with you. Especially now that I've grown older, I can't keep up with you anymore." Akio voice was gruff with age and held a slight shake. "I learned very early, that I wouldn't be able to hold tight to you forever. That one day, I'd have to set you free. That I'd have to let you go off to wherever you were called to."

Chihiro unconsciously reached out and grabbed her father's hand. His voice was shaky and she could tell he was holding back tears.

"Chihiro… do you know what a parent's number one job is?"

Her brows creased and she shook her head. "To… love their children?"

"Yes but, the number one thing is for us to raise the child we've been entrusted with to be able to go off on their own and start their own journey. Just like a bird goes off to start their own journey after leaving the nest, it's our job to make sure you're prepared for the journey and the world. Love and emotional support are definitely used to help raise the child, but ultimately our job is to prepare you for that future."

"What does that mean for us then?" Chihiro asked, running her thumb across his knuckles.

Akio frowned down at her, as if mad that she was making him say it out loud. "It means, despite how we feel… we've done our job…"

Chihiro blinked and then smiled lightly. She leaned against her father's arm, just like she did as a child. Her father was a man of few words and didn't like to express his emotions clearly. But that sentence and his story spoke volumes. He didn't need to say it out loud for her to understand his feelings.

"I love you Oto-San…" Chihiro whispered as she nuzzled his arm.

Akio gruffed and chuckled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "You too, Chihiro."

As always, it started with a blank canvas as a room, slowly sculpting into the space of his liking. Hills, trees, and water came from the ground as colors of the world came into focus and were painted across the forming landscape. This time the dream was in a small coastal town, the ocean breath flowing through the air, and mists from the crashing waves could be felt from where he stood on the banks of the beach.

She would be asleep soon. She would be joining him to walk the beach as they talked about what was happening during her trip to the Human World. How did her parents react? How were the three of them fairing in the Human World? Should he have gone with them? It's not like he couldn't. He had an anchor in the Human World, so there was nothing stopping him.

The salty wind blew his fringe about his face, the waves crashes at the shore beside him.

No, it was probably best he stayed. He didn't think it was a good idea to shock Chihiro's parents with his presence. Who knew how they'd respond to a god as their daughter's mate. He shuddered slightly at the thought. Very few things scared him and the idea of Chihiro's parents rejecting their relationship, was one of the ones at the top.

Truthfully, he could easily steal her away and have his way with her, it was the "traditional" method. But something had changed in him the idea of doing that and considering Chihiro's feelings about the idea made him rethink. Something about honoring Chihiro by getting her parents' permission to have their daughter felt more important despite "tradition."

Haku looked along the shoreline and nodded, impressed with his masterpiece and proceeded to sit on the grassy hill that sat along the water. The salty wind continued to blow softly all around him, helping him clear his mind and relax. It had been busy at the Bathhouse as per usual since his return from the river with Chihiro and it was nice to see the ocean after so long.

"Well, this takes me back." Chihiro's voice sang like a song behind him. He turned and found Chihiro standing behind him looking out over the ocean before her eyes fell on him. She smiled down at him with a light he wished he could bottle up for a rainy day.

"Hello, my Kaiyo." He said warmly. He watched her walk over with a little pep in her step. Things must have been going well in the Human World.

"Sorry it took so long."

Haku chuckled. "I honestly expected as much. How did things go with your parents?"

Chihiro looked to the sky as if recalling a memory. "It went… really well. In fact…" She looked back at him and smiled. "So well, they want to visit the Spirit World and meet you."

He blanched at her. "I beg your pardon?"

She grinned, plopped down next to him, and nodded. "Yup. My father is very adamant about meeting the great dragon that not only saved his daughter's life not once, but twice, and the one who captured his daughter's heart to the point she'd leave everything behind."

Haku blinked at her. "What exactly did I miss?"

Chihiro proceeded to share what happened during her short time in the Human World so far. Things were going surprisingly well and even he was a little caught off guard about her parents' experience with spirits in the Human World. He had forgotten that Yuuka had them under a spell as well and that they would be struggling with the repressed memories as well. Suddenly, Chihiro's visit with her parents seemed like the right thing to be done. What would have happened to them if things had gone unresolved for them? Honestly, Chihiro's parents were never on his mind but by proxy of them being an extension of her and them being so important to her, he suddenly felt the need to start caring for them.

"Last thing that happened before I came was I got to talk with Otou-San about everything." Chihiro smiled softly. "Haku… they held back a lot so they could protect me. Okaa-San had to leave the classroom because of everything she saw. She recorded it all in her paintings." Her smile had faded and her face was etched with concern. Haku reached and placed his hand over hers between them. "I was frustrated with them for never understanding what I was going through and now I know that they hid all that from me so I wouldn't relapse or spiral like I did before…" Her voice cracked, tears brimming at her eyes. "I didn't realize… how much-"

A sob finally released from her throat and she leaned into Haku and his arms wrapping around her. He rubbed circles on her back and whispered words of comfort in her ear. After a long moment, Chihiro's sobs subsided and she leaned out of the embrace, her eyes red from tears and her breath still shaky. Haku slid his hand down her arm and held her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles and squeezing her hand reassuringly.

With her free hand, she wiped her tears with her sleeve. "Otou-San… Otou-San told me something important…"

Haku hummed. "And what was that?"

"He told me what it meant to be a parent…"

She let that sit there for a moment, the wind whistled between them and out into the open ocean before them.

"And what did he say?" Haku finally asked.

"That parents' ultimate job is to prepare you for the future. And that their job was done." She looked up at him and smiled, tears misting her eyes again. "That they'd done their job and that they were ready to let me go to my own adventure…"

He smiled empathetically at her. Something Ryujin had told him years ago when he was going through a phase of his life of flippantly going around using women to fill his own boredom came to mind. He had told him that one day, he would understand what love was, he would understand the sacrifice that came with it and the things he would do to protect it. He would understand what it meant to love and devote himself to one being for the rest of his life because the life he was living was merely a fraction of what it really meant. At the time, he didn't understand nor care to understand. He was selfish and arrogant and could care less about those around him, let alone his potential mate. The idea of a mate at the time was just something to fill the pass time or give him an heir if it was ever deemed necessary, but even that didn't even seem like something he would want. All he cared about was his river, himself, and the status of war. There was no purpose to his life and that was something Ryujin always warned him about. A spirit without purpose is no better than a rapid spirit without land. A spirit without purpose or responsibility could be swayed by the wind and fate had a way of abusing that sway.

Haku understood now. He understood what Ryujin meant. He understood what love meant, just by looking at the relationship between Chihiro and her parents as they sacrificed their love for her so she could go where she wants. Makoto and Rumi's love showed him what genuine support for the person you loved looked like. Rumi and Yuuka showed him what forgiveness and grace meant in love. Chihiro… Chihiro showed him what it meant to hold something gingerly in his arms and still hold onto it like a lifeline. She showed him what genuine love and sacrifice looked like. This was what love really looked like.

He cupped her cheek gently. "We'll have to thank them properly."

Chihiro chuckled. "Heh. Yeah." She leaned into his hand. "I miss you."

He smiled and leaned in, nuzzling his nose to hers. "I miss you too."

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too." He kissed her gingerly on the lips.

Chihiro pulled away and snuggled into his arms and they went on to talking and watching the waves lapping the shore.

The day after returning to the Ogino household, Yuko insisted on going to the next town over to get the girls proper wedding attire to fulfill their childhood dreams. They didn't know when it would happen but Yuko deemed it appropriate to have items ready in the event they did have a wedding. Rumi liked the idea and would rather have one soon rather than later, especially since she was expecting and didn't know when she would outgrow her clothes.

The three Oginos, Makoto in his human form, and Rumi all piled into the car on one of the days during their visit and headed over to the next town over. It had been a while since Rumi had been back in the town of her and Chihiro's high school, which was a little bit bigger than Tochinoki. It would be interesting to see how much had changed and if there were still people around. Surprisingly, as they wandered the town, they ran into a few old classmates who had stayed in the area and made small talk with them about what they'd been up to. Rumi was a little caught off guard but announced that she was married to Makoto, much to both his and anyone that asked surprise. She could see Makoto's chest puff up a bit every time she said it, which only made her giggle in adoration.

Sometime during their wanderings, Rumi noticed a building that she'd been keeping an eye out for since they got to town. She didn't want to bring any attention to it so kept going along with the other five as they continued shopping. So they went into one of the shops and she found Chihiro and Yuko occupied with the dressing room and Chihiro's father and Makoto finally having a man-to-man talk rather than Akio throwing constant daggers at him. Rumi saw this as an opportunity to slip away and by herself down the street, hopefully unnoticed.

Rumi took a deep breath as she stood outside the small town clinic. She could feel her hands clamming up and her heart was pulsating in her ears. It was just a check-up, why was she so nervous? She literally felt like throwing up like she had that morning from morning sickness. She wasn't the type to complain, but she never would have thought that morning sickness was as bad or worse than what they said in on tv or when she was around moms.

"Rumi."

She jumped slightly, placing her hand over her barely showing stomach, before realizing it was Yuuka's voice. She still wasn't used to having her present again.

"Are you okay?"

Rumi took another deep breath and nodded. "I think so."

"It's just a checkup, right?" Yuuka's voice was a little bit worried.

Rumi nodded. "Yeah, I'm just checking to see how the baby is doing. Make sure that they're safe and growing well."

"Okay." The yosuzume replied.

"I'm just hoping that it goes normally. Like, no fur or dog tails in the ultrasounds." She chuckled inwardly.

Yuuka laughed. "Yeah, that'd be awkward."

Rumi smiled, feeling a little bit more at ease. "Alright, let's go."

Rumi went into the clinic and found the prenatal center and set up an appointment. She waited in the waiting room with the paperwork she would have to fill out. There were some questions she struggled with as her home was no longer in the Human World. She didn't have insurance (thankfully they were able to exchange their gold earnings from the Bathhouse for cash in the Human World) and wouldn't really be registering her child in the Human World unless they planned to venture between worlds in the future. There were things she didn't think about before that were suddenly coming to the surface.

"Hiiragi-San?"

Rumi looked up from the paperwork that she was sweating over to the nurse in front of her. The nurse's happy expression shifted at the look on her face. "Are you alright?"

The young woman grimaced and shrugged, looking away.

The nurse frowned and looked around then knelt next to Rumi. "Are you by yourself?"

"Huh?" Rumi asked, looking back up at her.

The nurse looked at her sympathetically. "Do you have any support, I mean? You just look a bit worried."

Rumi looked down at the papers again and forced a smile that fooled no one. "No… I have a… husband. I just didn't want him to know I was here…"

"Does he know you're pregnant?" Sudden subtle alertness in her tone brought Rumi back to focus a little.

"Hm? Yes, he knows. I just felt this is something I needed to do by myself…"

The nurse bit her lip and pressed again. "He's not hurting you is he?"

"Makoto?" Rumi said with a raised brow and scoffed. "Never. I know he would never hurt me or our child. I'm just scared of the future. Thank you for your concern though."

Relief seemed to wash over the nurse and she smiled. "This is your first child, no?"

She nodded, gripping the clipboard slightly.

The nurse sat next to her and placed her hand over Rumi's tense hand. "Kids are one of those things that makes our future uncertain. Life becomes both predictable and unpredictable all at the same time. There will be days when you're scared and don't know if this mom thing is meant for you. If you're making all the right choices or if you'll ever get it right…" She paused, Rumi taking a tense breath. "But… there will be days when that baby's smile will light up your world. Where you'll see that child grow and discover new things. Where they'll laugh and tell you of their little adventures. They'll ask you questions and learn from you and remind you every day that there is purpose in living."

Rumi touched her stomach gingerly and looked the older nurse over, who must have been in her thirties. "Did you struggle?"

The nurse chuckled. "More than you think, hun." She grasped Rumi's hand gently. "But it's worth it. It's hard and scary, but worth it once you see that child."

Rumi's eyes misted slightly and she bowed her head. "Thank you."

"Hm…" The nurse stood and put her hand out for the clipboard. "Now would you like to meet your baby?"

Rumi walked out of the front doors of the clinic slowly as she cradled the little ultrasound photos to her chest. She paused outside the doorway when she saw Makoto waiting near the entrance.

"Makoto…" She breathed.

"Rumi." Makoto replied, standing from where he sat on a bench.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I went."

He approached her and caressed her arm. "I understand."

Rumi sighed. "Where's Chihiro?"

Makoto continued to take her in, seemingly unbothered. "With her parents."

"Aren't you going to ask why I came?"

"Do I need to? I trust you and I felt you wanted to do this alone."

"What if I didn't?"

He paused. "Then I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were scared."

"How did you know?"

"Our bond…"

"Oh right…"

The bond that linked their hearts and minds. The bond made it so they could communicate through emotions, almost a sort of telepathy.

Makoto brought his hand down to her empty one and held it gently. "What are you so nervous about, love?"

"... What's there not to be nervous about?" She huffed.

"... The immediate one." He said brushing her knuckles.

"Well…" She bit her lip. "About the baby…"

"Hm?"

"We may be having more than one baby…"

Makoto paused and didn't say a thing for a long moment.

"Makoto?"

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly, her mind and senses overwhelmed by his excitement. Something in her snapped and tears welled up in her eyes as she dropped the envelope and wrapped her arms around his torso. Makoto, a man of few words, said it all in the way he embraced her. Her knees buckled and he held her up in a way only he could.

"We have been blessed by the great goddess, Moro. I don't know how I will ever be able to repay her kindness." He squeezed her gently. "You are so beautiful, Rumi-San. I am eternally grateful for you."

Rumi let out a sigh and held him like a lifeline. "Thank you, Makoto… Thank you for always finding a way to bring me comfort and peace when my mind is reeling. Heh… you don't even know you're doing it most of the time… I love you so much. I'm so thankful you will be the father of my children."

"Rumi…" He took her shoulders and pushed her away and made sure she was stable. When she stood looking at him curiously, he pulled something out of his pocket and took her left hand. He placed a simple gold band on her ring finger and kissed her hand. "It's not a tradition among wolves, but I know this is something you've dreamed of since you were young."

Rumi looked down at her finger, then him, and then back down again, not having the words to say. The gold band was simple and elegant and had small swirled engravings on the sides. She held her hand to her chest, tears still dripping down her cheeks. "Thank you, Makoto."

Makoto smiled and leaned forward, taking her face in his callused hands and kissing her.

After a moment, they parted with flushed faces, taking each other's hand and walking back to where the Ogino's were elsewhere in town.

"Oh, and Makoto." Rumi said, taking his hand as they walked.

"Hm?"

"Three."

Makoto frowned, handing her the envelope she'd disregarded in her shock. "Three?"

She nodded.

He looked down at her stomach and then at her. "Three?"

A/N:
Heeeeey… So I'm alive. Just very, very very busy. Life has been crazy and I can't begin to express how I've been mentally, physically, or spiritually. I will say, roller coasters are only fun when you're on them voluntarily… And even then I question the sanity of the person who chose to jump on the ride.

The Pride and Prejudice vibes I was getting from this episode will be the death of me. Her telling her father and her father meeting Haku, ugh, my heart!

Btw, if you follow my deviantart or instagram, you'll find some updated photos of all the main characters in the story. Go and check them out, my handle on both is CraftyNessi if you didn't know. :)

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! And for those that do review, I thank you a bunches! I appreciate your patience with me. :)

Thank you for the reviews from: picklesisadeadcat, RSBCS, Rosettaxfantasy, Kra, Turniptree, Sypherpol, chimera-writes, lackadaises, coolchick87, CluelessPaige, AlexAngel14, MorbidVisionary, and Ai Star.
God bless! KawaChou