Odoroki
thirty.
Natasha’s first assumption was that he’d received bad news from his family, and that he’d sought Takanori’s counsel because she’d been in the shower and Takanori was a good friend that he could trust. Then, she concluded that he’d be more distraught if something had happened to one of his family members, and thankfully, she could rule that particular assumption out. Then, she thought that maybe he was having cold feet and wanted to back off and send her back to the States for a while, and that one didn’t seem impossible, either. Except he seemed to still be mentioning her name with clear reverence, as though she was a gift from God himself, and that ruled ‘cold feet’ out of the equation.
Concerned and curious, she stepped closer, padding quietly across the tatami floor, and hesitantly, she knelt on the bed. She heard him muttering an apology to whoever was on the other end of the line, and she gave him the softest smile she could as he turned around to greet her with the most convincing smile he could manage. She shifted closer to him, her brow furrowed, and she reached out to touch his face. He nudged his cheek toward her palm, leaning into her touch, and she watched as he told his friend- who was, indeed, Takanori- that he had to go.
He gave her another small smile as she moved closer, and she acted upon the only instinct that she could. She cupped his face in her hands, gave him a small smile of her own, and then leaned in closer, pressing a kiss to his lips. And she felt horrible that she had limited skills in consolation, but she remembered that his kisses had made it better the last time she’d cried, and though she’d never wanted to see him in tears, she hoped that a kiss or two from her could have the same effect. She felt him lift a hand and rest it over one of hers, and she shifted a little closer, hoping that she was actually helping.
He kissed her back, his lips pressing forward and drawing back and then pressing forward again, and she wiped at the corners of his eyes. She brushed away the few tears he’d allowed himself to shed, and she sighed, resting her forehead on his, as he drew back with a small smile.
“Sorry,” he said, and his voice wasn’t much more than a breath. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be-“
“Yuu.” She touched her thumb to his lips, and she brushed at his chin, and she gave a small smile as his gaze flickered up to meet hers. “You’re…you’re human, love. You’re allowed to cry.” He gave another sad smile, pressing a kiss to the pad of her thumb, and she could feel her heart break even more as a more defined flutter took up residence in her stomach. It was heartbreaking to see him like this. “Just...Yuu-kun, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said. “And…that’s it. I…Natasha-chan, I never thought I would get to have something like this.”
“Like what, love?”
“A baby.” His voice was soft, and she could see new tears welling up in his eyes, and she realized then that while the last few months had been nerve-wracking for her, they’d been equally as nerve-wracking for him, and with the way he was looking at her now, it was as if he felt he didn’t deserve it. “And thanks to you? I…I get to be a father.” He smiled, and though the smile was watery, she figured it was a start.
“But why are you crying, love, if you’re happy?”
“Because,” he said, and he spoke as if the answer was obvious. “I get to do this with you.”
She found that she was at a loss for words, and she could only gaze at him hopelessly, and then she released an exasperated breath and pulled him close. He turned his head so that his face was hidden in her neck, and he held her closer to him, his hands at her back, and she felt an incredible flutter in her stomach that she knew was their baby acknowledging his father’s presence. And still, after nearly six months, she couldn’t understand why she’d become so important to him so quickly, but she did know that it felt better than incredible to be as close to him as she was, and she knew that it was breaking her heart to know that he felt the way he did.
She had never seen him break down, not even a little, and though she still felt worried, some of that worry dissipated as he sighed and pulled her closer, burying his face in her neck. She smiled a little, and she lifted one of her hands to lightly stroke his hair, and she heard him sigh in content, murmuring that he loved her. Her heart melted, and her smile widened a little, and she let her head rest against his.
“I love you too,” she said softly, and she pressed a kiss to his hair. “No more crying, though, okay?”
“No more crying.” He smiled, and he kissed her neck, and she smiled, too, laughing softly as her towel began to slip, and she decided it wouldn’t be too terrible if it fell.
“You gonna be okay today?”
He nodded, and he lifted his head to smile up at her, his eyes still a little red but her favorite smile still intact. She smiled at him, wiping at his eyes, and his lips met hers for what must have been their millionth kiss. She shivered a little as she felt his hands slipping along her spine, and she pressed closer to him, thankful that her stomach was nowhere near big enough to get in the way just yet.
“Yeah,” he murmured, and he nudged his forehead against hers, giving her a smile. “Yeah, I’ll be just fine.”
Concerned and curious, she stepped closer, padding quietly across the tatami floor, and hesitantly, she knelt on the bed. She heard him muttering an apology to whoever was on the other end of the line, and she gave him the softest smile she could as he turned around to greet her with the most convincing smile he could manage. She shifted closer to him, her brow furrowed, and she reached out to touch his face. He nudged his cheek toward her palm, leaning into her touch, and she watched as he told his friend- who was, indeed, Takanori- that he had to go.
He gave her another small smile as she moved closer, and she acted upon the only instinct that she could. She cupped his face in her hands, gave him a small smile of her own, and then leaned in closer, pressing a kiss to his lips. And she felt horrible that she had limited skills in consolation, but she remembered that his kisses had made it better the last time she’d cried, and though she’d never wanted to see him in tears, she hoped that a kiss or two from her could have the same effect. She felt him lift a hand and rest it over one of hers, and she shifted a little closer, hoping that she was actually helping.
He kissed her back, his lips pressing forward and drawing back and then pressing forward again, and she wiped at the corners of his eyes. She brushed away the few tears he’d allowed himself to shed, and she sighed, resting her forehead on his, as he drew back with a small smile.
“Sorry,” he said, and his voice wasn’t much more than a breath. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be-“
“Yuu.” She touched her thumb to his lips, and she brushed at his chin, and she gave a small smile as his gaze flickered up to meet hers. “You’re…you’re human, love. You’re allowed to cry.” He gave another sad smile, pressing a kiss to the pad of her thumb, and she could feel her heart break even more as a more defined flutter took up residence in her stomach. It was heartbreaking to see him like this. “Just...Yuu-kun, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said. “And…that’s it. I…Natasha-chan, I never thought I would get to have something like this.”
“Like what, love?”
“A baby.” His voice was soft, and she could see new tears welling up in his eyes, and she realized then that while the last few months had been nerve-wracking for her, they’d been equally as nerve-wracking for him, and with the way he was looking at her now, it was as if he felt he didn’t deserve it. “And thanks to you? I…I get to be a father.” He smiled, and though the smile was watery, she figured it was a start.
“But why are you crying, love, if you’re happy?”
“Because,” he said, and he spoke as if the answer was obvious. “I get to do this with you.”
She found that she was at a loss for words, and she could only gaze at him hopelessly, and then she released an exasperated breath and pulled him close. He turned his head so that his face was hidden in her neck, and he held her closer to him, his hands at her back, and she felt an incredible flutter in her stomach that she knew was their baby acknowledging his father’s presence. And still, after nearly six months, she couldn’t understand why she’d become so important to him so quickly, but she did know that it felt better than incredible to be as close to him as she was, and she knew that it was breaking her heart to know that he felt the way he did.
She had never seen him break down, not even a little, and though she still felt worried, some of that worry dissipated as he sighed and pulled her closer, burying his face in her neck. She smiled a little, and she lifted one of her hands to lightly stroke his hair, and she heard him sigh in content, murmuring that he loved her. Her heart melted, and her smile widened a little, and she let her head rest against his.
“I love you too,” she said softly, and she pressed a kiss to his hair. “No more crying, though, okay?”
“No more crying.” He smiled, and he kissed her neck, and she smiled, too, laughing softly as her towel began to slip, and she decided it wouldn’t be too terrible if it fell.
“You gonna be okay today?”
He nodded, and he lifted his head to smile up at her, his eyes still a little red but her favorite smile still intact. She smiled at him, wiping at his eyes, and his lips met hers for what must have been their millionth kiss. She shivered a little as she felt his hands slipping along her spine, and she pressed closer to him, thankful that her stomach was nowhere near big enough to get in the way just yet.
“Yeah,” he murmured, and he nudged his forehead against hers, giving her a smile. “Yeah, I’ll be just fine.”