Odoroki
thirty-two.
She could only smile softly at him as he kissed her and then drew back to kiss her forehead and tuck back her hair. His fingertips lingered on her skin long enough to make her shiver, and she lifted her own hand up to close it around his. She pressed soft kisses to his knuckles, and she heard him release a soft sigh.
"I'm going to miss you," he said softly, and she glanced up at him, seeing his small smile.
"I'll miss you, too," she said, and her gaze dropped as she pressed another kiss to his skin. "But I won't be gone for long." She released his hand, and she shifted closer to him as he rested it on her waist, and she let her own hand rest on the side of his neck.
Her thumb drifted momentarily over his skin, and then stilled as he leaned in and pressed another kiss to her lips. She pressed back, her fingers curling slightly against his skin, and let him bring her closer to his body. "I love you," he whispered, and she returned the words as she smiled and gave him a kiss of her own.
His hand slid to the curve of her stomach, and she smiled and drew back from their kiss as their son shifted around inside her. "I never get used to that," she said softly, and she pressed her hand over his, waiting for it to happen. She saw his smile widen when the sensation returned, and she brushed at a few strands of his hair. "He only ever surprises me like that when you're around."
He released a soft 'mm' in reply, and she let her forehead drop forward to rest against his.
"D'you think we can really do this, Yuu?"
"Hm?"
"Raising a son...you think we can?"
His smile softened, and he brushed his nose against hers, and he gently caressed the skin beneath his palm. "I know we can," he said, and he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Never had any doubts."
Her eyes closed, and she folded her hand in his, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze. She knew, for the first time in months, exactly what it was going to be like to miss him. There was comfort in the fact that she would be coming back to him soon, but she knew that her heart would be aching for him the second she got on the plane.
“One month,” he said softly.
“One month,” she agreed.
“And then you come right back to me.” Her eyes opened, and she looked up at him, and as she saw the way he looked at her, she knew that any doubts she’d had were completely invalid. “Okay?” His voice was soft, but she could discern faint desperation in it, as though watching her enter the security line and head for her flight was the last thing he wanted to do.
“As soon as I can.” He smiled, and she felt their baby fluttering around in her stomach, sensing her anxiety. “I love you.”
He kissed her softly, his thumb brushing over her cheek, and then he was backing away from her, his hand slipping from hers. “I love you too,” he said, and he forced a smile. “Call me when you land, okay?”
She nodded, and she bit her lip as he leaned forward, kissing her forehead, and then she had to watch as he slipped his sunglasses on and walked away. With a short hiccup that might have otherwise been a sob, she took hold of the handle of her carryon bag, withdrawing her passport from her purse as she came to a stop at the security station.
And once she’d passed through what she had to, she found herself a seat at the terminal and sank into it gratefully. Narita’s seats weren’t the best, but for her swelling feet, sitting down was perfect, and she wasn’t going to do much complaining about it. She dug in her purse for a moment, searching out her cellphone, and when she opened it she saw Yuu smiling wide up at her.
She could feel her heart pang as she realized that leaving Japan to pack was going to be more difficult than she’d thought, and she bit her lip as she considered calling him. Surely there was something she’d forgotten to tell him, which would give her an excuse for calling him so hastily, but she didn’t want to catch him with his guard so down- she’d seen his emotional side, and to hear it and not be there with him would be too much.
Nonetheless, she found herself pressing the speed dial for his number, and as she held the phone to her ear, she let her hand rest on her stomach. There were a few short rings, and then when Yuu answered, it was as if the world had brightened again.
A million responses swirled in her head, but all she managed was a simple, “Hi,” and she could almost hear his smile as he said “hello” again. “I’m…shoot, love, I forgot to tell you. My parents wanted to meet you, and there’s no reason to fuss about you flying to the States for a week, so…is it okay if they come back with me? They don’t have to stay for long, and-“
“Sure,” he said, and she allowed herself a small smile. “Whatever you want, Natasha-chan. I’ll be sure to have our place in tip-top shape, okay?”
She nodded, despite the gesture being invisible to him, and her smile grew just a bit. “Okay. Thanks, Yuu. Really.” She heard a woman’s voice speaking in the overhead speakers, announcing that the flight headed for New York would be boarding soon, and she sighed. “I really don’t like leaving you.”
“I know. But if it all works out, you won’t have to ever again.”
Her heart felt as if it could backflip, and she blushed and bit her lip for a second. “Yeah, you’re right.” A moment’s silence passed between them- the kind of silence that had become almost comfortable- and then she added softly, “You gonna be okay?”
“Of course I will.” She could imagine his over-confident smile as he said this, and she laughed softly as he chuckled. “Just don’t forget to call me, or I’ll assume that some hotshot is stealing away you and our kid.”
“I’ll call you every night, Yuu, I promise.”
“All right then.” She was smiling again, and she was glad that she’d called him. He had always been good at relaxing her, and another couple of minutes of hearing his voice was exactly what she’d needed. “I’m about to be on the freeway, though, love, so I have to go, but I’ll talk to you when you’re in New York. Okay?”
“Freeway?” she questioned softly, not remembering being on the freeway on the way to the airport.
“Yeah,” he answered, his voice just as soft. “Mom and dad want me to visit them, and Takanori’s taking care of the shop for me.”
She smiled, humming softly. “Okay, then. Have fun.”
“You too.”
And then, after an “I love you” from him and a “I love you too” from her, the call was ended, and she shut her phone, placing it back in her purse. She ignored the few people that were staring at her, the only woman that looked remotely pregnant in the terminal, and smiled to herself- and she felt more doubts washing away.
"I'm going to miss you," he said softly, and she glanced up at him, seeing his small smile.
"I'll miss you, too," she said, and her gaze dropped as she pressed another kiss to his skin. "But I won't be gone for long." She released his hand, and she shifted closer to him as he rested it on her waist, and she let her own hand rest on the side of his neck.
Her thumb drifted momentarily over his skin, and then stilled as he leaned in and pressed another kiss to her lips. She pressed back, her fingers curling slightly against his skin, and let him bring her closer to his body. "I love you," he whispered, and she returned the words as she smiled and gave him a kiss of her own.
His hand slid to the curve of her stomach, and she smiled and drew back from their kiss as their son shifted around inside her. "I never get used to that," she said softly, and she pressed her hand over his, waiting for it to happen. She saw his smile widen when the sensation returned, and she brushed at a few strands of his hair. "He only ever surprises me like that when you're around."
He released a soft 'mm' in reply, and she let her forehead drop forward to rest against his.
"D'you think we can really do this, Yuu?"
"Hm?"
"Raising a son...you think we can?"
His smile softened, and he brushed his nose against hers, and he gently caressed the skin beneath his palm. "I know we can," he said, and he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Never had any doubts."
Her eyes closed, and she folded her hand in his, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze. She knew, for the first time in months, exactly what it was going to be like to miss him. There was comfort in the fact that she would be coming back to him soon, but she knew that her heart would be aching for him the second she got on the plane.
“One month,” he said softly.
“One month,” she agreed.
“And then you come right back to me.” Her eyes opened, and she looked up at him, and as she saw the way he looked at her, she knew that any doubts she’d had were completely invalid. “Okay?” His voice was soft, but she could discern faint desperation in it, as though watching her enter the security line and head for her flight was the last thing he wanted to do.
“As soon as I can.” He smiled, and she felt their baby fluttering around in her stomach, sensing her anxiety. “I love you.”
He kissed her softly, his thumb brushing over her cheek, and then he was backing away from her, his hand slipping from hers. “I love you too,” he said, and he forced a smile. “Call me when you land, okay?”
She nodded, and she bit her lip as he leaned forward, kissing her forehead, and then she had to watch as he slipped his sunglasses on and walked away. With a short hiccup that might have otherwise been a sob, she took hold of the handle of her carryon bag, withdrawing her passport from her purse as she came to a stop at the security station.
And once she’d passed through what she had to, she found herself a seat at the terminal and sank into it gratefully. Narita’s seats weren’t the best, but for her swelling feet, sitting down was perfect, and she wasn’t going to do much complaining about it. She dug in her purse for a moment, searching out her cellphone, and when she opened it she saw Yuu smiling wide up at her.
She could feel her heart pang as she realized that leaving Japan to pack was going to be more difficult than she’d thought, and she bit her lip as she considered calling him. Surely there was something she’d forgotten to tell him, which would give her an excuse for calling him so hastily, but she didn’t want to catch him with his guard so down- she’d seen his emotional side, and to hear it and not be there with him would be too much.
Nonetheless, she found herself pressing the speed dial for his number, and as she held the phone to her ear, she let her hand rest on her stomach. There were a few short rings, and then when Yuu answered, it was as if the world had brightened again.
A million responses swirled in her head, but all she managed was a simple, “Hi,” and she could almost hear his smile as he said “hello” again. “I’m…shoot, love, I forgot to tell you. My parents wanted to meet you, and there’s no reason to fuss about you flying to the States for a week, so…is it okay if they come back with me? They don’t have to stay for long, and-“
“Sure,” he said, and she allowed herself a small smile. “Whatever you want, Natasha-chan. I’ll be sure to have our place in tip-top shape, okay?”
She nodded, despite the gesture being invisible to him, and her smile grew just a bit. “Okay. Thanks, Yuu. Really.” She heard a woman’s voice speaking in the overhead speakers, announcing that the flight headed for New York would be boarding soon, and she sighed. “I really don’t like leaving you.”
“I know. But if it all works out, you won’t have to ever again.”
Her heart felt as if it could backflip, and she blushed and bit her lip for a second. “Yeah, you’re right.” A moment’s silence passed between them- the kind of silence that had become almost comfortable- and then she added softly, “You gonna be okay?”
“Of course I will.” She could imagine his over-confident smile as he said this, and she laughed softly as he chuckled. “Just don’t forget to call me, or I’ll assume that some hotshot is stealing away you and our kid.”
“I’ll call you every night, Yuu, I promise.”
“All right then.” She was smiling again, and she was glad that she’d called him. He had always been good at relaxing her, and another couple of minutes of hearing his voice was exactly what she’d needed. “I’m about to be on the freeway, though, love, so I have to go, but I’ll talk to you when you’re in New York. Okay?”
“Freeway?” she questioned softly, not remembering being on the freeway on the way to the airport.
“Yeah,” he answered, his voice just as soft. “Mom and dad want me to visit them, and Takanori’s taking care of the shop for me.”
She smiled, humming softly. “Okay, then. Have fun.”
“You too.”
And then, after an “I love you” from him and a “I love you too” from her, the call was ended, and she shut her phone, placing it back in her purse. She ignored the few people that were staring at her, the only woman that looked remotely pregnant in the terminal, and smiled to herself- and she felt more doubts washing away.