Chapter Twelve: Poisonous
Uruha admired a tiny white pair of socks and placed them into his wicker basket. He glanced around in the large crowded store for Ruki and Kai. They were in an extremely popular baby supplies store, bursting with designer baby clothes, special Australian-made diaper cream, Gackt-resembling baby toys and more of those sort of things.
One had to get reservations to actually get into the store, and even then it's hard to move around with the amount of people in it. Miyavi had to pull some strings to get them in. Uruha ran his eyes around the store in anticipation. The many items stocked, although beautifully made and definitely unique, "ain't that cheap, sweetie", as Ruki would put it.
Kai was pushing Itoshii and Miyabi around in a black, shiny twin stroller and Ruki was looking at japanese fashion lines, designed with styles taken straight from the streets.
"This." Ruki walked over to Uruha and showed him a black lolita dress with white accents.
Uruha examined it carefully. There were many layers of petticoats, delicate white mother-of-pearl buttons down the whole front of the dress. There was shiny black ribbon and lace on nearly every inch of that dress. A classic lolita-girl with corkscrew curls and a parasol grabbed at the tall man in sunglasses beside her, pointed at the dress Ruki was still clutching and squealed loudly.
"Aikurushii desuuuuuuu!!!!" Lolita-girl's voice was extremely high. The tall man nodded.
"Erm.." Uruha pursed his lips dubiously.
"Oh, like, c'mon! It'll be fuuunnn." Ruki stretched that last word out.
"What if my baby is a boy?" Uruha looked at the little costume skeptically.
"EVEN BETTER! We can name him, like, Mana or something!!" Ruki gave a little excited jump and placed the elaborate dress into the basket Uruha was holding. "These too." Uruha watched as Ruki put shiny black patent leather mary-janes in also, along with frilly matching lace stockings.
Kai pushed the stroller up to them. "This is like that costume store all over again." He said smilingly when he saw what Ruki had found.
"You gotta admit. It's hot." Ruki ran a black nail-polished hand through his burgandy locks. Uruha knew that Ruki was still worried about Reita underneath it all.
"Yes, yes." Uruha said, giving in. He started to look at a rack of adorable little jumpers that came in assorted pastel colours. He decided to buy one in yellow. After all, yellow was unisex.
"Did you, like, buy anything, Kai?" Ruki inquired.
"Oh, just some little costumes I know Miyavi would love seeing his kids in, and an occasional practical thing now and then." Kai nodded.
Ruki counted out Kai's things while Kai pulled out his cellphone, checking it and texting someone back.
" 'Kay. Uruha. You done?"
"Huh?" Uruha looked up from the jumpers.
"Are you ready to go?" Kai asked.
"Oh..Sure.." Uruha randomly threw some more stuff into his basket. He might as well buy as much as possible; he probably won't have a chance to be here again.
They swiped their Visas and they stepped out of the overflowing store.
The trio walked down the street, occasionally stopping to look in an interesting store of some kind. They passed by a small strange store. Kai and Uruha kept walking, but Ruki stopped right in front of it. Uruha and Kai stopped too, to look back at Ruki.
"Let's go in." Ruki said impulsively.
"Ruki! I can't bring the babies into THAT!" Kai looked shocked.
"What won't kill them will, like, only make them stronger!!"
"Uruha, what do you think?"
"Err...I guess a few minutes wouldn't harm us or the babies.." Uruha said, wanting to agree to both sides.
Kai sighed. "Fine."
Ruki opened the door gingerly and they all stepped in. Uruha looked around. The insides of the store resembled a library, lots of dark wooden shelves everywhere, filled with large dusty glass jars filled with odd things pickled in brine.
"HELLLOooooooooooooooooooooo!!" A crazy man/lady/person in a dark eggplant turban and a multicoloured, flowy robe popped up from behind a shelf.
"Hi." Kai said. The babies opened and closed their fists at the person in greetings.
"Anything I can HELP you wiiiiithhhhhhh?" The person asked.
"Umm. We're just browsing. Thanks." Ruki smiled at the person and went along in his merry way.
"I'll just stay here." Kai leaned against the wall with the stroller beside him, checking his cellphone worriedly. Uruha noticed he had been doing that a lot.
Uruha then looked around, suddenly seeing a jar full of pickled root vegetables. They looked good. Did they have lunch yet? He wanted the jar of vegetables. Regardless of the price.
Unaware of what he was saying, Uruha pointed at the jar. "I want that."
Kai whirled around. "Uruha, are you feeling alright?"
Uruha nodded, his finger still pointing at the jar. He never felt so attached to something...if he didn't get it NOW, someone was going to get hurt. Really bad.
"Certainlyyyyyy!" The person brought out a plastic tub and filled it with the strange pickles. "Here youuuuuuuuu areee!"
"Thank you." Uruha smiled at the person, who grinned toothily back.
They went home, and Reita glanced up from the kitchen table hopefully when they did, as if hoping Ruki could give recognition that he existed. However, Ruki had already fled to his bedroom. Reita went back to his sad position, his elbows on the table and his forehead in his hands. Even though the day started out sunny, it began to rain. Kai went upstairs to put Itoshii and Miyabi into their cradles, with a worry mark between his eyebrows. Uruha sighed.
The thing about Ruki was the fact that his eyes never stayed red after he cried. As they sat in the living room the next day, only the tear trails on his face showed the fact that he had been crying. The tv was on, and both Uruha and Ruki were sitting on the black leather couch, where Uruha knew Reita was sleeping last night.
Kai walked in carrying Miyabi and Itoshii, one in each arm.
"Guys. I have really important news." Kai sat down next to them, placing Itoshii in Ruki's arms. "Miyavi wants to move into somewhere else, to raise the twins."
"NO. Sweetie. You can't." Ruki looked stricken. Uruha suddenly realized why Kai was checking his cellphone so often.
"I hope its somewhere near.." Kai looked into Uruha's eyes and Uruha saw worry in them.
"We were talking about it before, and now Miyavi's found a really nice apartment. It's like a fifteen minute drive though! And we're going to see it today."
"I can't believe it. Like, everyone I love is being taken away from me. Someone must hate me in this world."
"Ruki...we just need some space of our own. I'm sorry!" Kai looked upset now.
Miyabi and Itoshii seemed to sense the despair in their parent's voice, and started to cry.
"Ohh!" Kai picked both Itoshii and Miyabi up, stood up and carried them out. Kai looked even more upset now.
"God. It's not fair."
"It's only fifteen minutes, Ruki." Uruha said.
"But--" Ruki started.
"I know. It wouldn't be the same as him living with us. I know." Uruha patted Ruki's arm.
"I'll bet you'll be taken away next too." Ruki muttered angrily. "How come this, like, only happens to me?" His voice cracked.
"My life. Is l-like a fairytale. They end the story w-when the life is all nice and good, but, but they all probably don't have happy endings in the e-e-end..."
Ruki leaned into Uruha (as well as he could with the baby bump in the way) and started to cry on Uruha's shoulder.
Just then, Reita walked in and saw Ruki crying. Reita hesitated, then grabbed Ruki off Uruha and held him close.
"Get o-off mee." Ruki pounded his fist onto Reita's chest, as that was the highest part Ruki could reach. "I-I-I said, g-g-get..off, off, me." Ruki said between deep sobs and struggling.
"No." Reita hugged Ruki to his body even tighter, so now Ruki was sobbing into his shirt and couldn't hit his fist against Reita.
Ruki gave up and just cried.
~
Even though they were in a car, Uruha leaned onto Aoi, thoroughly exhausted. They've been packing all day, and moving them into Kai and Miyavi's new apartment. A week has past and Uruha's baby has definitely been growing. Miyavi and Kai has fallen in love with the new apartment and was now out of the house. Uruha and Aoi moved into their bedroom and started to renovate their old one into a room for their unborn child. It has been an exhausting week.
Aoi turned his head to look at Uruha, who had his eyes closed. Aoi ruffled Uruha's hair.
"Twelve more weeks."
"I know." Uruha opened his eyes and looked at the passing scene outside the window. It was late autumn now, around november. The twins were born near the end of the summer, when it was still boiling hot, so that means if Uruha's baby was exactly on time, it should be born in the next year.
Uruha's phone rang. He glanced at it. Ruki. Putting it onto speakerphone so Aoi could hear, Uruha answered it.
"Hey hey hey."
"Hey Ruki. Is Reita there?" Uruha answered.
"Yes. Where are you guys?" Reita replied with a question. Ruki's phone must be on speakerphone too.
"Going to Midori's." Aoi answered.
Ruki made an annoyed grunt at Midori's name, but continued. "Alrighty. Just to let'cha guys know, me and Reita--"
"Reita and I." Reita cut in.
"Shuttup Reita, otherwise it will, like, just be Reita." Uruha visionized Ruki giving Reita a light slap on the shoulder, which would explain the soft clap Aoi and Uruha heard on the other line.
"Okay. ANYWAYS, BEFORE I WAS SO RUDELY INTERRUPTED! Me and Reita are going out tonight, so don't wait up."
"Sure. Have fun, you guys!" Uruha said.
"You too. Hugs. Love you both totally to death."
"Love you too. Bye!"
Uruha was really glad that Reita and Ruki stopped arguing. It had built a lot of tension in the house, which Midori said to avoid.
Midori.
They were going to see her right now.
Aoi made a left turn and continued driving. Uruha thought about Midori. Aoi couldn't love her, could he? After all, Midori didn't seem to be his type. He likes the sweet and...Wait. What type DID he like? Uruha looked up at Aoi in sudden shock. Aoi didn't notice.
Was Uruha Aoi's type? Uruha hoped so. Wait. What if MIDORI was Aoi's type? He didn't want Midori in this picture at all. Uruha then suddenly had a vision of Aoi leaving Uruha for Midori, occasionally meeting Uruha to let him see the child. Knowing Aoi...he would want to keep the child...then Uruha would be all alone in the world...
"We're here." Aoi's voice broke Uruha's train of thought as he pulled up into the all too familiar Shizukesa building. "You alright?"
"Yeah." Uruha smiled bravely up into Aoi's face. He trusted this man. So trust he shall. Aoi helped Uruha out of the car, and into the building, where they passed by the front receptionist's desk and the fountain.
They walked down the marble-tiled hallway and into Midori's office. Midori was waiting there, in her usual outfit of not-very-doctorly clothes. Today she was wearing a white strapless dress and black leggings with her hair loose. She was sitting on her spinny chair, all business-like, and beamed at Aoi when they walked in.
Hmph. Uruha was displeased.
Just when Uruha sat down, Aoi excused himself; his phone was ringing.
"So." Midori simpered and crossed her leg across the other one and put her folded hands on her knee.
"So." Uruha looked at her straight in the face, trying to send her a mental message. Stay away from him..stay away...
"How are you?" Midori asked politely.
"As well as can be." Uruha answered in a dignified manner. Uruha's phone rang all of a sudden. "Excuse me." Uruha smiled widely and clicked the talk button. To Uruha's horror, the settings were still set on speakerphone.
"HEYYY! Uruha. Ruki here, I know you're, like, with that TOTAL bitch Midori, but I got news, news, NEWS! But first I have GOT to tell you, I agree with you on the whole hating Midori thing. I hope she doesn't deliver, like, your baby. What a bitchy bitch. Shit, dropped my keys!! ANYWAYS, what is UP?"
Uruha didn't say anything. He swallowed and flipped his phone shut. He could deal with Ruki later.
"So. Midori." He tried to break the awkward silence.
"Cut the crap, Uruha. I can't take this anymore." Uruha's eyeballs grew twice their normal size. Did Midori just utter a PROFANITY? Midori breathed heavily through her nostrils."God. Aoi did tell you, didn't he?" She said at last.
"Tell me what?" Uruha felt like he had been relaxing in a hot tub, but suddenly the water became icy cold and dangerous.
"Oh God. No. No." Midori rubbed her temples.
"What?"
Midori was quiet for a moment. "We're going out. He didn't tell you, did he?"
The icy cold water froze into solid ice.
"No. You're making this up." Uruha said shakingly. "Aoi loves me. He loves me, okay?"
Midori shook her head pityingly. "He's only staying with you because he feels guilty about the baby." She moved closer to Uruha, who scuttled back as if she were poisonous. Her voice certainly was, sickly sweet and poisonous.
"It's alright, Uruha. It's alright. He still regards you as very close to him. Just not as close anymore." Midori continued, her voice becoming softer and softer. Uruha felt the venom of it spread through his body. He flinched.
"Hi, I'm back. What's going on?" Aoi walked back in, looking from one face to the other.
TO BE CONTINUED! >:D
whatdayathink?
remembrance day, so lets have a moment of silence.
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and we're back. : )
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