XVIII

**Yuki**
After taking a long hot shower, I dressed up in something comfy and a large sweater for warmth. The heat was always hard for me but then thanks to Rin, I was able to handle it.

"Yuki are you hungry?" Rin asked and I shook my head, securing my body with the blanket.

I heard Rin's footsteps coming closer before she sat beside me and patted my hair gently.

"Yuki I hate see you like this so please try to eat, for Takato's sake." She begged as I turned and met her eyes then looked away.

"I'm really not hungry Rin. Just tired, my heat wears me out when it ends." I responded truthfully before she nodded and rubbed my shoulder in comfort before leaving.

I don't know when I slept but what woke me up was the feeling of a larger body behind me. I looked at the person to see Kirito who was smiling like a fool at me before he pulled me back into the bed.

"Why did you wake up? You were so warm." He said with his voice humming that it was sending vibrations through me.

"I can't stay in bed forever, I have things to do." I said making him pout before he released me and climbed out of the bed.

"Well since you have nothing to do, let's go watch a movie."

"I just said that I had something to do."

"Like what?"

"Like, like..." I paused and then started to look around the room for a descent excuse. "Like grocery shopping, I'm out of toilet paper."

I watched as Kirito scoffed before laughing so hard that he had tears falling. I couldn't help but blush at how he was laughing before his laughter started to die down.

"Your a terrible liar. You could have said that your heat is mentally exhausting or you promised Shino something but that is just so adorable." He teased me, smiling like a jerk as I mentally cursed.

"Okay then but let me get changed." I said before walking to my closet and picking out something descent and stylish because Kirito won't let me be unless I agree.

I was about to take off my shirt when I noticed how comfortable Kirito sat and was watching me.

"What do you think your doing?" I asked before he gave me a cheeky smile and shrugged.

"What do you think I'm doing. Admiring, God's best work of art in the raw form." He said as he winked at me making me to blush hard like a tomato.

"Get out you pervert!" I shouted before I kicked him out of the room and closed it behind me. I heard Kirito laugh so hard as he walked away. I swear that man is going to be the death of me.

"What kind of movie do you want to watch?" Kirito asked as he looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"A comedy." I said before he nodded and then bought two tickets for the movie.

I bought the snacks before we sat down and then I took the flyer that had information on the movie we're watching. It was a romantic comedy so it couldn't be that bad.

Truly the movie was so absurd that I couldn't help but laugh. It also had its sad moments but all the same it was amazing and I was thankful for coming here with Kirito who chose to watch me than watch the movie.

"That was really funny, I feel like my lungs will explode." I said as I cleaned the tears of laughter still in my eyes.

"That's what your life needs, a lot of laughter." He said before he held my hand and tangled it with mine like we were old lovers.

I blushed at the gesture especially since everyone's eyes were on me but Kirito didn't seem to mind as we kept on walking till he heard a soft growl.

"Was that you?" Kirito asked making me to look away as I awkwardly scratched my face.

"Y-yes." I said before the soft growl cane from my stomach again making Kirito to snicker.

"Let's go grocery shopping." He said before he quickly pulled me to the store side of this shopping mall.

I watched as Kirito quickly picked out ingredients for whatever he was going to do as I picked out what I needed to take home.

"What are you going to do with everything?" I asked, looking at him in expectation.

"I'm going to cook for you." He said making me to give him a weird look.

"You can cook?"

"You'll just have to wait and find out." He said before we took our groceries to the car and drove off to his house.

I sat in the kitchen watching as Kirito flawlessly cut the ingredients, moved and decorated the food like it had been implanted in his head.

"Can you set the table?" He asked before I nodded and got up to do my task.

It didn't take long, Kirito brought in the food and then placed my portion in front of me before he sat down beside me, not taking off the apron that made him look adorable.

"Try it." He said and I picked up the spoon. I took a drink of the miso soup before I moaned on how good it tasted. He cooked way better than myself but I would never admit that.

"It's...ahem! It's good."

"I can't hear you." Kirito teased as he placed his hand to his ear.

"It's delicious." I said with my eyes glowing as I started eating faster than usual before Kirito smiled and joined me.

"Ah, that was so tasty." I said before I stood and started clearing the plates but the maid stopped me and took the plates from me and left before I could argue. "Where did you learn how to cook?"

"My parents travel a lot so in order to make up for lost time, we cook dinner together."

That's really so sweet."

"So has Haru ever tried to cook for you?" He asked me before my smile fell.

He noticed and then seemed guilty. "I'm so sorry." He apologized but I shook my head.

"It's okay. He did try once when Takato was sick and it looked good but it was terrible. Takato and I ate it because we didn't want to hurt his feelings and we banned him from our kitchen. He always hates it whenever we bring that up." I said as I started laughing hard at that memory before a soft smile landed on my face.

"You really do love him. I'm suddenly feeling jealous." He confessed before I kept quiet and then looked away from him.

I heard the chair pull back before feeling soft hands holding mine. I faced Kirito who then took off the apron and knelt on one knee and took my hands and kissed them both.

"Yuki, I know that we haven't known each other for long and you still have lingering feelings for Haru that you want to forget. That's why I'm asking..." He paused as he looked into my eyes, his fingers rubbing softly against my hand with his eyes getting gentle.

"Will you come to the States with me?" He asked making my breath to hitch as my hands started to tremble.

"Shino said you used to live there after you gave birth but because you wanted your son to know his culture you came back. But if you want to move forward then please come with me to the States." He begged as I bit my lips hard and licked my lower lips.

"Can you give me time to think?" I asked nervously, I expected him to be angry at my response but he smiled and nodded.

"Take all the time you need." He said before he kissed my knuckles one by one and stood up. "Well now that I've given my proposal, let's have some fun."


"Mama!" Takato jumped on me, hugging me like he was scared I was going to leave.

"Tokata, not too tight." I said before kissing him and he giggled. "Your getting so big, I might not be able to carry you."

"Then if mama can't carry me, I'll just carry mama and if I can't carry mama yet, I'll just let uncle Shino carry me." He joked before we laughed and I dropped my fast growing little alpha.

"So how was your day with Kirito?" Rin asked excitedly getting I and Takato's attention.

"It was fun." I responded before Takato started tugging on my shirt.

"Mama who is Kirito?" He asked, his eyes looking at me with curiosity.

"Rin can you excuse us." I requested before she nodded and took her stuffs.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said before closing the door behind her. I sighed as I looked at Takato whose eyes was still on me, following my every movement.

Looking at my baby boy's face, I was finding it difficult to explain the truth. He was just six years old. SIX! And I was having all this drama in my life.

"Tokata, uhm how will you feel if you got another dad?" I asked before he started to him as he kicked his legs back and forth.

"I don't mind. Kairi always says the bigger the better." He said as he showed me how big he could stretch his hand.

I laughed as I held his hands before his smile turned to curiosity. "Mama is anything wrong? Did I say something wrong?" He asked as he touched my cheeks and kissed my forehead.

"Tokata, I'm sorry but mama and papa can't be a family."

"Why?"

"It's adult stuff. When you get older, you'll understand."

"Does that mean that mama doesn't love papa?" He asked with his eyes getting teary.

"No, no, no baby. Mama loves papa but things can't let papa and mama be together."

"Why? Grandma said that if two people love each other so very much, they'll be together forever and ever." He explained what Kairi's grandmother had told him when he was smaller.

"It's because mama loves papa that we can't be a big family but you can see papa when we come visiting from the States. You also get to be closer to uncle Shino too." I said before Takato removed my hands from his and got down from the chair with tears in his eyes.

"I'm not going! I'm not going! I'm not leaving papa or grandma or my Kairi!" He shouted before running to his room and locking it behind him.

I ran to his room door and started knocking on his door. "Tokata please open the door, please."

"No! Go away! You don't love me anymore! I hate adult stuff, I hate Kirito and I hate mama!" He shouted from the other side as I closed my mouth and breathed in and out so I wouldn't cry.

"I understand you baby but please just open the door."

"No! You don't understand! When mama said I finally had a papa, I was so happy because everybody in class always use to say that I didn't have a papa. Now that I have one, you want to take him away! I hate you!" He shouted again and I froze. The pain I felt because Haru, could not be measured to what I was feeling hearing the son I carried for nine months and raised for six years said to me.

I never knew that my little boy was suffering like this even if he always smiled and protected people. He was still a kid but he was suffering just like I was and it was tearing me inside.

"Tokata I'm sorry, so please; don't hate mama." I begged as I fell to my knees, my hands still on the handle.

"Go away!"

"Tokata please, just open the door. I'm sorry so please open the door." I begged as tears fell violently but he wasn't answering me before I removed my hands from the door and cleaned my eyes.

I laid my back on the door, breathing in and out before I started to sing a lullaby that always calmed down Takato. Even when I was done, he didn't open the door but I stopped hearing his soft whimpers and assumed that he was sleeping.

I didn't leave the door, the mother in me couldn't leave my son so I fell asleep in front of his room after kissing the door goodnight.


*Bang, bang, bang.* I heard soft knocks on the door so early in the morning, probably around 5am in the morning before I got off the floor I stayed.

"Just a minute." I said, cringing at how husky and exhausted I sounded.

I walked to the bathroom and flinched on my appearance. My hair was a mess, my eyes were so red and puffy from crying all night and my lower lips were slightly bruised from chewing it from nervousness.

After washing my face even though it didn't do much, I opened the door and then I felt even worst.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Haru who looked worried when he saw my face.

"Takato called me last night. He sounded upset so I told him I'd pick him up today. You've been crying, is everything okay?" He asked as he tried to touch me but he paused and pulled his hands back.

"I'll be okay. Please come in." I said and opened the door for him before he stepped inside.

Looking at Haru closer, he didn't look too good too. He looked like he lost a little weight, he had a little beard growing but he was okay.

"How's Asami?" I asked feeling awkward on the question as I presented Haru a cup of juice.

"She's...she's okay. The baby is healthy, I've been taking her for her checkup. It's still a little early to getting stuffs for the baby." He explained as I nodded before biting my lips and rubbing my forehead.

"Haru, I'm leaving Japan."

"For how long?"

"I'm never coming back except for holidays and to visit the friends I have here."

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked, his eyes looked hurt but it was quickly hidden.

"Because I don't want you to take Takato away from me. Haru, I was told when I was younger that I'm a very forgiving person and that I like to forgive people even when they don't deserve it. If you really ever cared about me, don't prove me wrong and let me be happy." I begged as I looked into his eyes which seemed to be in pain but he smiled and nodded.

"Okay." He responded before I heard a door open and then I heard soft footsteps.

"Papa!" Takato said as he dropped the duffel bag he was with on the ground and jumped into his father's arms.

"I'm just going to be with Takato for a few days. Also about what you said, I promise I won't take him away." He said before he looked at Takato who was looking at me with a frown on his face.

"Ready to go?" Haru said as he picked up the duffel bag and Takato. Takato nodded before he looked at me and waved bye as I waved bye.

*The last image I saw that more before I passed out in exhaustion was the back of Haru, carrying Takato and to be honest... EVERYTHING HURTS.