fic; together part 2
Together Part 2.
Ueda groans when Ryo kicks him in the leg. He ignores it until Ryo does it again, harder. Rolling over, he glares at the younger man who is pouting in the dark.
“What,” Ueda snaps tiredly.
“I’m hungry.”
“Then get food.” Ueda turns away but Ryo only kicks him away again.
“I want ice cream,” Ryo whines.
“We don’t have any,” Ueda replies, voice mumbled into his pillow.
“…What do you mean we don’t have any?” Ryo demands shrilly and Ueda cringes, realizing he’d said the wrong thing.
He sits up and says in as sweet of a voice he can muster, “I-I mean, I will go and get some for you.”
Ryo beams at him and Ueda grudgingly gets out of bed and fumbles around for clothes. “Get chocolate!” Ryo is shouting at him. “No, wait, mint. No…strawberry! …Actually, nevermind, chocolate is the best. So get chocolate. Got it?”
Ueda just nods absentmindedly and leaves. Twenty minutes later, he returns to Ryo practically jumping him in the genkan and snatching the bag out of his hand. He rushes to the kitchen and gets a spoon, then rushes back to bed before Ueda has even pulled off both of his shoes. Ueda shakes his head in amusement, wonders how Ryo can have such energy at three in the morning.
Ryo is sitting crosslegged on the bed and is scooping ice cream out of the can when Ueda joins him. He pulls off his jeans and shirts and crawls back into bed, eager to go back to sleep.
“Do you know what would be really good with ice cream?” Ryo muses aloud. When Ueda just ignores him, he answers himself, “Brownies.”
A few silent seconds pass before Ryo nudges Ueda hard in the shoulder. “Did you hear me?” he demands. “I said brownies.”
Ueda rolls over and snaps, “You got your fucking ice cream, I’m not getting you brownies.”
Ryo glares at him. “What kind of…I don’t know what you are, but what kind are you?” he exclaims, and flushes when Ueda just raises a brow at him. “O-Okay, ignore that last sentence,” Ryo adds quickly. “The point is, if you want to stay here to help the baby, you should help me, too. Because, if you haven’t noticed, the baby is still inside of me.”
“How can’t I notice?” Ueda mumbles and then instantly regrets it because Ryo’s face falls. And when tears appear in his eyes, Ueda hastily amends, “No, I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”
His words are cut off by Ryo throwing a pillow into his face and screeching, “Liar! You think I’m fat.”
“No, no, I don’t. I don’t,” Ueda insists, unsure what to do to make Ryo stop crying. Eventually he just pulls the younger man to him, awkwardly patting him on the head and whispering consoling words. As Ryo slowly seems to quiet down, he says, “At least you’re not as fat as Jin?”
Ryo snorts and rubs his eyes and Ueda just sighs with relief, glad Ryo’s stopped crying. Even so, he continues to thread his fingers through Ryo’s hair gently, tilting his head and pressing his cheek against Ryo’s head.
But then Ryo sniffs and says, “You can, uhm, let go now.”
Ueda jolts away, averting his eyes and nodding apologetically.
They sit there awkwardly for awhile, each staring off in opposite directions. Then Ueda coughs behind a hand and lays back down, his back to Ryo, mumbles, “Goodnight,” and turns off the lamp next to the bed.
“Night,” Ryo replies quietly and Ueda shuts his eyes tightly and forces himself not to think of the way Ryo felt in his arms and why he suddenly misses it.
*
“What are you doing?” Ueda asks Ryo who has been sitting quietly on his end of the couch, nose buried in a book, for the past hour.
“Coming up with baby names,” Ryo responds without looking up.
“Any good ones?”
Ryo grins as he lowers his book, and then starts counting them off on his fingers, “Ryosuke, Ryota, Ryoichi, Ryoko-”
“We are not naming our baby after you,” Ueda cuts in.
“Why not? I’m the one carrying it. I’m the one who has to give birth.”
“I don’t fucking care. My baby is not being named after you. Come up with something else.”
“Then what name do you want?”
“For a girl, I want Elizabeth-”
“Hell no. The child is Japanese so it will have a Japanese name,” Ryo interrupts, glaring at Ueda who returns the gaze tenfold.
And they stare at each other like that for almost five minutes before Ryo finally says, “How about we each come up with a boy and girl name and then we can decide from that?”
“Fine,” Ueda replies, getting up and heading to the bedroom.
“Fine!” Ryo calls after him.
Nearly an hour later, Ueda comes back out, having already chosen his names and actually excited to discuss them with Ryo. Except he finds Ryo laying across the couch, the baby name book flat on his round stomach, and fast asleep. He rolls his eyes but can’t help smiling at the sight, and goes back to the bedroom to retrieve a blanket. He knows from experience not to wake Ryo up (he’s horribly crabby after a nap) and instead pulls the book out of his hands and drapes the blanket over his body. Ryo makes a soft noise and shifts around a bit, mutters, “No, Pi, we’re not naming the baby after you,” in his sleep.
Ueda chuckles as he goes back to the bedroom and makes sure to remind Ryo later that he talks in his sleep.
*
“What the fuck,” Ryo says, walking out into the sitting room of his apartment to find all of NewS, KAT-TUN, and Kanjani8 gathered around. The second they see him, they shoot, “Congratulations” so loud it causes Ueda to stumble out from the bedroom behind Ryo, looking startled and half-asleep.
At his appearance, Kanjani8 wolf-whistle while the rest of them grin with knowing looks on their faces. Ryo and Ueda glance at each other, then back at their groupmates, then re-enter the bedroom and slam the door shut on their faces.
“Did you call them?” they both demand of each other, then glare.
“Ryo-chan!” Yamapi yells from the other side. “Come back out. We can’t have your baby shower without you!”
Ryo groans. “Oh, for fucks sake,” he mutters, then throws back, “No one asked you to, idiot!”
“That’s why it’s called a surprise!” Jin shouts back.
“Get the fuck out,” Ueda ylels. “We don’t want a baby shower.”
There’s a pause, then Yampai and Jin yell together, “We have presents!”
Ueda and Ryo glance at each other, nod, and return, “Leave the presents and get the fuck out.”
“Aw~ Come on, Ryo-chan,” Yamapi whines.
“You have to have a baby shower! It’s tradition!”
“This isn’t exactly a traditional pregnancy, so we don’t have to follow any lame traditions,” Ryo replies.
“Come on, just for a little while?” Jin pleads, followed by a chorus of the rest of their groupmates.
Ryo glares at nothing, wondering what is the less of two evils: staying locked up in the bedroom with everyone shouting at him for hours, or going out and facing them directly (and getting presents). He turns to Ueda who seems to have been debating the same thing, and one look at the older man tells him they’ve both decided on the same thing.
With a sigh, Ryo says, “Okay, fine, but for one hour at most, understand? Or I’ll make Ueda give all of you a black eye.”
“You can’t make me do anything,” Ueda says, “but I will probably do that, anyway.”
They open the door and get nearly pulled out of the bedroom and taken to the couch. The party ends up lasting three hours before Ueda really does start threatening bodily harm if everyone didn’t leave in the next two minutes (after cleaning up, of course).
When the apartment is back the way it was and the everyone has left, Ryo sighs with relief, collapsing against the couch. “I’m going to kill all of them. Someday,” he says. “They’re going to pay for this.”
“At least they did get us some good gifts,” Ueda says from thwere he’s sprawled across the floor, gesturing to the pile of opened presents ranging from baby clothes to pacifiers to carseats.
“Yeah, the only thing they were useful for,” Ryo says. “Fuck, I’m so tired now.”
“It’s already seven. What do you want to do for dinner?”
“That thing you made a few days ago, what was it? It was really good. Can you do that again?”
“The lasagna?”
Ryo nods excitedly. “Yes, that.”
“Sure, I think we still have all of those ingredients,” Ueda says, getting to his feet.
“Great,” Ryo says happily, “that really was very-ow.” He sits up straighter, a hand moving to his stomach.
Ueda’s eyes widen and he’s at Ryo’s side in an instant. “What? Are you okay?”
Ryo nods. “It’s just the baby. It’s kicking,” he explains, winces a little again.
Ueda stares at Ryo’s stomach with awe. Ryo notices the look and demands, “What?” Ueda just quickly shakes his head, flushes and looks away. “N-Nothing, don’t worry. N-Nevermind.”
“Oh, come on. What?”
Ueda looks at Ryo and says, “I just…wanted to…No, nevermind. It’s okay.”
“You want to feel it?” Ryo guesses and Ueda bites his lower lip, nods. Ryo rolls his eyes and grabs Ueda’s hand, placing it onto his stomach as he says, “Geez, Ueda, it’s not a big deal. It’s your baby, too.” He moves Ueda’s hand around a bit until he finds the right place, and Ueda makes a noise of surprise when the baby kicks again.
“Oh my god,” he breathes, and glances at Ryo in amazement.
Ryo grins. “It’s a fiesty baby,” he says, sounding proud already. “But I guess with us as its parent’s, that’s to be expected.”
Ueda laughs and then remembers Ro’s earlier words, his eyes widening again at the implication. “You-You said it was my baby, too. That’s…That’s the first time you’ve done that.”
Ryo stares at him, seems to slowly recall his own words and feels heat rise in his cheeks. He looks away and mutters, “M-Maybe I’ve sort of accepted the idea now. What with you being here going through it and all…”
Ueda doesn’t actually expect him to acknowledge it; he expected him to grow defensive and deny it. But Ryo doesn’t and the whole thing throws him for a loop. He doesn’t know what to say.
Ryo, however, takes his silence the wrong way. His eyes narrow and he says, “Well, maybe I was wrong in thinking that.”
Ueda quickly shakes his head, finally finding his voice again and exclaims, “No! No. Y-You’re not wrong. I-I’m glad. Really.”
Ryo says nothing in response, both of them just staring at the other awkwardly, unsure where to really go from here. Eventually Ryo breaks the uncomfortable silence and says, “Food?” He gives Ueda a hopeful look and Ueda grins, shakes his head and stands.
“If you eat so much you’ll-”
“Do you really want to finish that sentence?” Ryo cuts in loudly.
Ueda laughs. “Good point.” He pats Ryo on the head and says, “Sit tight, darling, dinner will be ready soon.”
“What, no kiss on the cheek?” Ryo asks and then immediately looks horrified, his eyes round, completely startled by his own words. He blushes even deeper and averts his gaze.
Ueda just smirks when his own shock passes and leans in to catch Ryo’s gaze. “Well, if you really want one,” he replies lightly.
Ryo just gapes, unable to find his voice before Ueda actually does close the space between them in a kiss. Ryo doesn’t even have the chance to properly panic because in the next second Ueda has already pulled away.
Ueda grins. “If you need more, just ask~” he teases and leaves for the kitchen as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Ryo, on the other hand, is transfixed to the spot, subconsciously touching his lips and wondering why he almost does want to ask for more.
*
“I think I might like him,” Ryo confesses.
“That’s nice, but why are you telling me-”
“That’s not nice, Shige, what’re you saying?”
“Why are you telling me about your crush on Ueda-kun?” Shige retorts instead.
“Because Pi and Jin will blab it to everyone and it is not a crush.”
“Fine, then what do you want to call it?”
“Overblown hormones?” Ryo snaps. “That can happen right. I’m pregnant so I’m oversensitive, right?”
“Well-”
“Right?”
“How am I supposed to know? I’m not a doctor, I don’t know these things.”
“Some genius you are,” Ryo says testily.
“Sorry,” Shige snaps. “But you know, it’s really not that bad that you like him now. You’re going to have to get along, especially when the baby is born.”
Ryo frowns. “I don’t need you to tell me that.”
“Obviously you do since you still don’t act civil with each other. No one’s telling you to, you know, be together, but you do have to get along.”
Ryo glares at the wall in front of him. “I hate you,” he offers when all else fails him.
Shige just laughs. “Yeah, sure.” He pauses then adds, “You know I’m right.”
“And people think I’m the one with the huge ego,” Ryo replies before hanging up.
Ryo pouts at the wall now, knowing (and hating) that Shige is right. He grumbles to himself as he gets up and goes to the fridge to get something to drink when Ueda walks into the kitchen.
“I just put together the crib in the bedroom. I moved the armchair out of there and put it in the sitting room,” Ueda says and Ryo just then notices his slightly disheveled appearance, how he has a towel wrapped around his head, his sleeves rolled up to his shoulders and exposing his strong biceps.
Ryo suddenly feels a little hot around the collar and looks away, stammering, “You ddin’t have to do that now.”
Ueda looks at him like he’s insane. “Well, you can’t move anything in your current condition, and you won’t have the chance to after the baby is born.” He pauses and shrugs. “Now we don’t have to worry about it.”
Ryo is at a loss for words, but Ueda doesn’t seem to notice, continuing, “You look tired,g go and take a nap, okay? I’ve already made lunch for you, it’s in the fridge, so when you get hungry just warm it up.”
“Where’re you going?” Ryo asks even though he knows, strangely not wanting Ueda to leave.
“KAT-TUN stuff,” he says and heads off to the bedroom without another word.
Ryo looks into the fridge and sure enough finds a dish with his favorite pasta that Ueda makes, a post it on the top in Ueda’s girly scrawl: Eat this. All of it. It won’t make you fat, okay? You want a healthy baby, don’t you? :)
Ryo puts it back quickly as if it burned him, his heart beating madly, a wild sense of gratitude and something even deeper than that - affection? - building up inside of him.
Ueda comes back out, dressed appropriately for work with his bag slung over his shoulder. He reachers around Ryo who nearly jumps out of his skin when Ueda ccidentally touches him, and grabs a bottle of water from the fridge. Flashing Ryo a grin, he says, “See you tonight,” and leaves.
Ryo frowns, ignores how oddly lonely he feels, and heads instanly for the bedroom, and finds, just like Ueda said, the crib made and on the far end of the room, next to Ryo’s side of the bed. Ryo’s frown deepens as he walks over, reaches out and touches it, confirms that it’s really there. And it’s like a bulb goes off in his head. He remembers Shige’s earlier words, thinks of what Ueda has just done now, and glances down at his stomach, at the baby inside of him (no matter how strange that still sounds) who will need two parents.
He really didn’t have to be with Ueda, and he was fine with continuing to blame his hormones for how everything Ueda does makes his insides turn far too pleasantly. Like just now, with his sleeves rolled up and those arms - he remembers those arms above him, around him, holding him, all those months agao - and quickly shakes his head, because no, he doesn’t actually like Ueda. It’s just because he’s always here, always, helping, with everything, with things Ryo ddin’t even consider he couldn’t do while pregnant - the laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, with almost no complaint. There, always, rubbing his back during morning sickness, and tucking him into bed when he’s too tired, going shopping at insane times of the day just to satisfy his crazy needs.
Ryo wonders why he never noticed before, why he never let himself notice before, why he never ever thougth of this from Ueda’s side. It may be crazy and they may not be friends but it is his baby too and Ueda wants to be a part of that.
Ryo glances down toward Ueda’s duffle bag, where all of his things are and stay. In all these months he’s never put it away in Ryo’s closet, in Ryo’s drawers. His shampoo and toothpaste and other essentials leave when he uses them but then go back into oneo f the many pockets until later. Ryo realizes Ueda’s never asked, but Ryo himself never gave Ueda the opportunity.
Ryo bites his lower lip, looking up at the clock. He knows Ueda won’t be home for another couple of hours, and reaches for the phone to make a call. It’s about time he started to make a little effort, whether for the baby or for himself, for the way he suddenly feels about Ueda (hormones or not), he isn’t entirely sure. But that he could think about later. First, it was time to make things right.
*
It’s past nine when Ueda returns and he nearly runs the door down when he hears a loud crash inside. “Ryo?” he shouts, rushing inside, thinking the worst. He breathes a sigh of relief when he finds Ryo in perfect condition and gasps, “What was that sound?”
“I just dropped a few books,” Ryo explains, a little bewildered by Ueda’s outburst. “What’re you doing?”
“I just thought-” Ueda starts but then seems to notice the room, the many boxes that weren’t there when he left. “What’re you doing?”
Ryo pointedly does not look at him and Ueda doesn’t miss that. “I-I uhm, got your things from your apartment and, well, brought them here. Since. You know. We should maybe act like we live here together instead of you just living out of your duffle bag. Which, by the way, I put your clothes in the closet and your other things in the bathroom and medicine cabinet.” Ryo glances at Ueda who’s starting at him agape. “And, uhm, I didn’t get all of your stuff, just some things, so if there’s anything you want that’s not here, you can go get it later.”
“Did you do this alone? What were you thinking? What if you-”
“I didn’t, I didn’t,” Ryo insists quickly. “I called a moving company. They went with me to your apartment and I told them which things to box up and they packed it up themselves.”
“You shouldn’t have done that anyway,” Ueda says, still trying to wrap his head around Ryo’s unexpected kindness.
“I’m pregnant, not invalid,” Ryo says with a glare.
“Okay, okay,” Ueda says. “Uhm, t-thanks, then, I guess.”
Ryo just shrugs and says, mostly to change the subject, “Why are your shoes still on?”
Ueda looks down at his feet and flushes. “Sorry. I thought something had happened so I…” He trails off and goes to the genkan to put his shoes away properly.
When he comes back, Ryo is putting away a few of his own things into boxes to make space for Ueda’s knickknacks. Ueda just stares, completely thrown by the whole thing, and vaguely wonders if Ryo hit his head in the few hours that he was gone. Instead, he just helps without a word and together they manage to clear out the boxes and make the room look as though they both live there together.
Ryo heads for the kitchen afterward, says, “I’m thirsty. Do you want anything?”
“I can get it,” Ueda says instantly.
“It’s okay,” Ryo insists and Ueda watches him leave and return a few moments later with two glasses of juice, one of which he hands to him. Ryo sists beside him on the couch, sets his glass down on the coffee table, and says, “Oh, here.” He pulls out a small, gold key from his poeck and hands it to Uead. “So you can give Bakanishi back his copy. You…well, you need your own, I guess. I should’ve had it made earlier, but…” He doesn’t finish his sentence, looking decidedly embarrassed.
Ueda accepts the key without question though he definitely has no idea what to say now, everything moving too fast. He feels like he just entered completely new dimension. “Are you okay?” he blurts out a little worriedly.
Ryo blinks. “Yes? Why?”
Ueda looks away. “Nevermind.”
Ryo just shrugs and downs his drink in one go. He gets up and says, “I’m taking a nap.”
“Don’t you want dinner? Have you eaten?”
“I’m not hungry and I ate your lunch pretty late,” Ryo replies. “Have you eaten?”
Ueda nods. “I think I’m going to sleep now, too, actually.”
Ryo nods and leads the way, pulling back the blanket and climbing into bed and deliberately not staring at Ueda as the older man undresses and pulls on some sweats. He gets in next to Ryo silently and like most nights end up laying there a bit awkwardly. This night, especially, neither knows what to say or think, as it feels like they’ve closed the gap between them in one giant leap. Ryo knows it’s mainly his fault - his fault at not accepting Ueda in sooner. Ueda has really done nothing but be a constant source of help this entire time but Ryo’s never so much as said thank you.
Instead, he finally musters the courage to say, “Sorry.” His voice is quiet, almost softer than a whisper, and when Ueda doesn’t reply right away, he figures the other didn’t hear him.
But then Ueda turns onto his side and looks at Ryo incredulously. “Okay, seriously, what is wrong with you?”
Ryo instantly grows defensive, puffing out his cheeks and looking anywhere but at Ueda. “Nothing,” he snaps. “Why does something have to be wrong?”
Ueda laughs. “Nishikido, you’re being nice. To me. This sort of thing doesn’t happen very often.”
Despite himself Ryo glances back at Ueda and says, “Not long ago you burst through the door and called me Ryo.”
It’s Ueda’s turn to be embarrassed, turning an interesting shade of pink and mutters, “It was just a slip of the tongue. Just ignore it.”
Ryo bites his lip and says just as quietly, “You…can call me Ryo…if you want.”
“Oh, god, this is too much,” Ueda says, falling onto his back. “Did some alien force replace you with a kinder version of you?”
“Oh, yes, I’m really an ugly alien from Mars who’s here to eat you when you fall asleep,” Ryo says, then narrows his eyes. “No, moron, it’s really me. And, before you say anything else, I didn’t hit my head either. This is really me and I’m really trying here, so can you stop being so annoying.”
Ueda glances at him, sees how serious he is and nods apologetically. “Sorry,” he mumbles.
“Me, too. For, well, everything,” Ryo says. “And, well, thank you, for, well, everything.”
Ueda laughs. “You really are horrible with words.”
Ryo flushes indignantly. “S-Shut up.” He turns his head away and says, “I’m going to sleep now.”
“Goodnight,” Ueda murmurs.
Ryo says nothing, just pulls the covers up to his shoulders and closes his eyes.
The next morning when he wakes up, it’s to the lack of warmth beside him. Slightly disoriented, he gets out of bed and stumbles blearily to the kitchen where he finds a plate of breakfast covered with saran wrap on the counter. The morning paper is folded beside it, a note scribbled on the top: We just might be able to make this whole thing work. (P.S. For a girl, I like the name Rie).
Ryo grips the paper in his hands, thumbs the kanji Ueda had made, a smile forming at his lips, his heart traitorously flipflopping. He goes back ot the bedroom and takes out the notebook in the bedside drawer. Next to the name Rie that he’s already written under GOOD NAMES, he makes a star, and silently agrees with Ueda.
They really might be able to make this whole thing work.
*
“I’m learning to knit so that I can make the baby something,” Koyama exclaims, holding up needles and yarn and a mess of something that could, to the creative eye, look like a baby afghan.
Ryo just shakes his head. In this case, it’s just easier to let Koyama do as he pleases.
“Have you come up with a name yet?” Tegoshi inquires from where he’s leaning against Ryo’s shoulder.
“We have some ideas. Nothing has been picked out yet.”
“Do you want a boy or a girl?” Tegoshi asks next.
Ryo shrugs. “Haven’t really thought about it.”
“You should have a girl! We could play dress up with her!” Tegoshi coos absently. No one else even acknowledges this statement, and thankfully Shige jumps in to say, “How’s everything with you and Ueda-kun?”
Ryo meets his eyes and knows he’s referring to their last phone call. He nods, smiles even, and says, “Yeah, we’ve come to an understanding.”
Predictably this makes tears come to Koyama’s eyes. “I’m so glad!”
Massu agrees with his sentiments. “Seems like this baby is a miracle in more than one way.”
Yamapi grins at Ryo. “Good for you, Ryo-chan,” he says with a teasing punch to the shoulder. “But are you okay with it being like this? You don’t want anything…more?” He gives Ryo a very obvious look and Ryo rolls his eyes, tries to hide his blush.
“What? No! Of course not,” Ryo exclaims. “What the fuck-” His eyes widen and he grasps the armrest of the couch tightly. “Oh, shit.”
“Ryo-chan?” Yamapi exclaims, at his side instantly. “What’s wrong, are you okay?”
Ryo glares. “No, you idiot. I’m not okay.” His glare turns murderous, but with as pale as his face is becoming, it’s not as threatening as he probably hoped.
“I-Is it the baby?” Koyama exclaims and when Ryo just makes a pitiful, pained sound, the rest of them stare at each other, horrified, until Ryo digs his nails into Yamapi's arm and grits out, "Get me to the hospital."
Koyama instantly grabs his keys and runs to the door to start the car while the others hastily rush after. Yamapi helps Ryo stand and when Ryo points to the hospital bag he’dp prepared by the genkan, Yamapi picks it up and looks back at him with worry.
“Anything else?”
Ryo grips his arm again. “Yes,” he gasps. “Call Ueda.”
*
Ueda bursts through the door in the hospital room, his face pale as he catches his breath. “Ryo?” he says, rushing to the bed and Ryo seems to sigh with relief the second he realizes Ueda is there.
“God, you’re here, finally. Took you long enough,” he bites out bit it lacks all usual malice.
Ueda just grabs his hand, interlaces their fingers. “Because Jin nearly caused a pile-up on the way over.”
“Fuck you,” Jin says, strolling inside with the rest of KAT-Tun behind him and even a few members of Kanjani8. Yoko takes one look at Ryo and Ueda’s clasped hands and whistles, but right now neither of them really cares what their bandmates think.
“Get the fuck out of here. Who even called you?” Ryo says.
“I did,” Koyama admits, still teary. “We all want to be here for you both!”
Unable to resist Koyama’s tears, Ryo just sighs and says, “It’s okay.”
Koyama beams and flails and Ryo turns to Yamapi and Jin who’ve made their way to the bed.
“This is the weirdest shit I’ve ever seen,” Jin says.
Ryo glares at him. Yamapi grins and inquires, “So, will the baby have a godfather?” His voice not hiding at all just exactly who he thinks should take that position.
Jin pouts. “Hey, who says you should be the godfather. He should choose me.”
Yamapi snorts. “Oh, yeah. A great role model you would be - in partying and drinking, only.”
“Yeah, well. What can you do?”
As they both continue bickering, Ryo turns back to Ueda and says, “We need to leave Japan after this baby is born.”
Ueda just laughs. “Well, we haven’t had our honeymoon yet.”
Ryo rolls his eyes. “Getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you? I don’t remember you ever saying you loved me.” He fake-pouts at Ueda. “Some lover-boyfriend-husband-thing you are.”
Ueda only grins and a nurse chooses that moment to walk in and nearly has a heart attack at the number of people in the room. She starts pushing people toward the door until everyone is out, all except Ueda, and gives then gives them both a small smile. “Are you ready?” she asks sweetly as she flails about the room.
Ryo meets Ueda’s gaze and Ueda gives Ryo’s hand a squeeze as he replies, “Yeah. I think we’re finally ready.”
*
The party is loud and tiring and cramped and Ryo really regrets ever having given Yamapi and Jin spare keys. He thinks he’s going to have to invest in new locks soon if this keeps up. He’s said thank you more in the past twenty minutes than he has in all his life and the next person who says congratulations will probably get a black eye, just because.
He grabs a bottle of water that he’d left the bedroom for almost half an hour ago and carefully sneaks back to the bedroom, trying not to be stopped by the seventeen plus others in the way.
Somehow he manages, heaving a huge sigh of relief at the quiet that welcomes him. He haeds straight to the crib and looks in, smiles at the small sleeping bundle of his daughter inside. He sighs and sits down on the bed, uncaps the bottle to take a drink of water, when she cries - or screams rather, as he has found out babies tend to do. He nearly drops the water all over the floor in his haste to get to his baby, carefully pulling her out of the crib and holding her in his arms, murmuring soothing sounds as he gently touches her face.
The door opens and Ueda walks in, quickly shutting it behind him and locking it for good measure. “I heard her crying, is everything okay?” he asks worriedly.
Ryo nods. “She’s fine,” he replies, sitting down on the bed, leaning back against the headboard.
Ueda joins him, sitting right beside him, their shoulders pressed together, their thighs touching, and it’s absolutely not strange, not awkward, but rather completely normal, absolutely perfect. Ueda smiles, reaches out to touch his daughter who stops crying and holds his finger with all five of hers. He grins, says, “See, she likes me better.”
Ryo scoffs. “Whatever, she loves me the best,” he says. “I’m the one who gave birth.”
“Yeah, but I’m the one who stopped you from killing the doctor with your death grip long enough for him to actually deliver,” Ueda retorts.
“That guy deserved it. Did you see the way he kept staring at me? Like I don’t know it’s fucking weird for a man to have a baby,” Ryo scowls as he holds his daughter a little closer.
“It’s okay, forget him,” Ueda says, also remembering the way the doctor had stared at Ryo and the way it made him want to punch the man’s face in. “It’s just us now.”
Ryo snorts and looks up at him. “Seriously, you are the more girly one than me. I still don’t get why I was the pregnant one.”
“I don’t get how this happened at all in the first place,” Ueda replies, ignoring the girly comment. “But I don’t care anymore. The result is right here, and I’m more than okay with it.” He smiles warmly and caresses his daughter’s hand with his thumb.
Ryo matches his smile and nods sleepily, suddenly realizing just how tired he is. “I’m glad, too,” he replies just as someone whoops loudly out on the other side of the door. “We need to keep her away from them, though.”
“You know that’ll be impossible,” Ueda says. “And they won’t be all that bad. Koki’s already said he’d teach her to sew. And Yasuda-kun and Tegoshi-kun have already claimed make-up and dress-up.”
“Oh god,” Ryo whines, flinching just from the thought. “But, Koyama’s already offered to baby-sit, too. And I heard Subaru saying once she’s old enough, he’ll help train her voice.”
Ueda grins. “She’ll definitely be very multi-talented.”
“Well, that’s a given, with us as her parents,” Ryo replies, staring down into his daughter’s eyes. “Right, Rie-chan?”
Rie blinks at them adorably and waves her hand in the air as she yawns, closes her eyes. Ryo and Ueda both laugh and Ueda says, “Are you tired? You haven’t slept well the past few days.”
Ryo nods. “Yeah, all thanks to this little one,” he says and yawns himself.
Ueda reaches out and takes Rie from him, sets her down in the middle of the bed between them. He grabs a few small baby-body pillows to put on each side and lays down next to her. Ryo raises a brow at him and Ueda says, “Come on, sleep.”
“What about all of them?” Ryo asks, nodding toward the door but laying down anyway.
“They’re big men, they know the way out once they get bored,” Ueda replies tiredly. He meets Ryo’s eyes, smiles as he brushes the hair out of the younger man’s face, his fingers lingering along the skin in a way that has Ryo’s blood running too fast.
Ryo reaches up and takes his hand, intertwines their fingers and squeezes the way Ueda had days earlier in the hospital room. Ueda squeezes back, his palm warm against Ryo’s, heat sinking into his veins, making his belly dance excitedly.
“Look,” Ueda says after a few moments of comfortable silence. His voice is soft and gentle, and his eyes never leave Ryo’s. “About…About this, about us-”
“Don’t,” Ryo cuts in quickly. “It’s okay. We…We don’t have to worry about that right now. I-I don’t really know how I feel and I don’t want to force anything, so. Let’s just. Do what seems right.”
Ueda scowls. “I was going to say the same thing, idiot,” he says. “Thanks for ruining it.”
Ryo flashes him a bright grin. “You’re welcome, darling. Anytime.”
Despite himself, Ueda smiles, too, but then a look of trepidation reaches his eyes, his gaze falling down to the already asleep Rie between them. “Do you really think we can-”
Ryo interupts him again, tightening his grip on Ueda’s hand. “Yes, I really do,” he answers. “We’ll make this work. Together.”
Ueda nods, leaning over to press a kiss to Ryo’s forehead. “Together,” he agrees.
end.
note: Rie (理恵) means “valued blessing.” :) a;sldkgna;sldg omg. Idefk. Uhm. I hope you liked? Maybe? a;sldkgnas *hides*
Ueda groans when Ryo kicks him in the leg. He ignores it until Ryo does it again, harder. Rolling over, he glares at the younger man who is pouting in the dark.
“What,” Ueda snaps tiredly.
“I’m hungry.”
“Then get food.” Ueda turns away but Ryo only kicks him away again.
“I want ice cream,” Ryo whines.
“We don’t have any,” Ueda replies, voice mumbled into his pillow.
“…What do you mean we don’t have any?” Ryo demands shrilly and Ueda cringes, realizing he’d said the wrong thing.
He sits up and says in as sweet of a voice he can muster, “I-I mean, I will go and get some for you.”
Ryo beams at him and Ueda grudgingly gets out of bed and fumbles around for clothes. “Get chocolate!” Ryo is shouting at him. “No, wait, mint. No…strawberry! …Actually, nevermind, chocolate is the best. So get chocolate. Got it?”
Ueda just nods absentmindedly and leaves. Twenty minutes later, he returns to Ryo practically jumping him in the genkan and snatching the bag out of his hand. He rushes to the kitchen and gets a spoon, then rushes back to bed before Ueda has even pulled off both of his shoes. Ueda shakes his head in amusement, wonders how Ryo can have such energy at three in the morning.
Ryo is sitting crosslegged on the bed and is scooping ice cream out of the can when Ueda joins him. He pulls off his jeans and shirts and crawls back into bed, eager to go back to sleep.
“Do you know what would be really good with ice cream?” Ryo muses aloud. When Ueda just ignores him, he answers himself, “Brownies.”
A few silent seconds pass before Ryo nudges Ueda hard in the shoulder. “Did you hear me?” he demands. “I said brownies.”
Ueda rolls over and snaps, “You got your fucking ice cream, I’m not getting you brownies.”
Ryo glares at him. “What kind of…I don’t know what you are, but what kind are you?” he exclaims, and flushes when Ueda just raises a brow at him. “O-Okay, ignore that last sentence,” Ryo adds quickly. “The point is, if you want to stay here to help the baby, you should help me, too. Because, if you haven’t noticed, the baby is still inside of me.”
“How can’t I notice?” Ueda mumbles and then instantly regrets it because Ryo’s face falls. And when tears appear in his eyes, Ueda hastily amends, “No, I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”
His words are cut off by Ryo throwing a pillow into his face and screeching, “Liar! You think I’m fat.”
“No, no, I don’t. I don’t,” Ueda insists, unsure what to do to make Ryo stop crying. Eventually he just pulls the younger man to him, awkwardly patting him on the head and whispering consoling words. As Ryo slowly seems to quiet down, he says, “At least you’re not as fat as Jin?”
Ryo snorts and rubs his eyes and Ueda just sighs with relief, glad Ryo’s stopped crying. Even so, he continues to thread his fingers through Ryo’s hair gently, tilting his head and pressing his cheek against Ryo’s head.
But then Ryo sniffs and says, “You can, uhm, let go now.”
Ueda jolts away, averting his eyes and nodding apologetically.
They sit there awkwardly for awhile, each staring off in opposite directions. Then Ueda coughs behind a hand and lays back down, his back to Ryo, mumbles, “Goodnight,” and turns off the lamp next to the bed.
“Night,” Ryo replies quietly and Ueda shuts his eyes tightly and forces himself not to think of the way Ryo felt in his arms and why he suddenly misses it.
*
“What are you doing?” Ueda asks Ryo who has been sitting quietly on his end of the couch, nose buried in a book, for the past hour.
“Coming up with baby names,” Ryo responds without looking up.
“Any good ones?”
Ryo grins as he lowers his book, and then starts counting them off on his fingers, “Ryosuke, Ryota, Ryoichi, Ryoko-”
“We are not naming our baby after you,” Ueda cuts in.
“Why not? I’m the one carrying it. I’m the one who has to give birth.”
“I don’t fucking care. My baby is not being named after you. Come up with something else.”
“Then what name do you want?”
“For a girl, I want Elizabeth-”
“Hell no. The child is Japanese so it will have a Japanese name,” Ryo interrupts, glaring at Ueda who returns the gaze tenfold.
And they stare at each other like that for almost five minutes before Ryo finally says, “How about we each come up with a boy and girl name and then we can decide from that?”
“Fine,” Ueda replies, getting up and heading to the bedroom.
“Fine!” Ryo calls after him.
Nearly an hour later, Ueda comes back out, having already chosen his names and actually excited to discuss them with Ryo. Except he finds Ryo laying across the couch, the baby name book flat on his round stomach, and fast asleep. He rolls his eyes but can’t help smiling at the sight, and goes back to the bedroom to retrieve a blanket. He knows from experience not to wake Ryo up (he’s horribly crabby after a nap) and instead pulls the book out of his hands and drapes the blanket over his body. Ryo makes a soft noise and shifts around a bit, mutters, “No, Pi, we’re not naming the baby after you,” in his sleep.
Ueda chuckles as he goes back to the bedroom and makes sure to remind Ryo later that he talks in his sleep.
*
“What the fuck,” Ryo says, walking out into the sitting room of his apartment to find all of NewS, KAT-TUN, and Kanjani8 gathered around. The second they see him, they shoot, “Congratulations” so loud it causes Ueda to stumble out from the bedroom behind Ryo, looking startled and half-asleep.
At his appearance, Kanjani8 wolf-whistle while the rest of them grin with knowing looks on their faces. Ryo and Ueda glance at each other, then back at their groupmates, then re-enter the bedroom and slam the door shut on their faces.
“Did you call them?” they both demand of each other, then glare.
“Ryo-chan!” Yamapi yells from the other side. “Come back out. We can’t have your baby shower without you!”
Ryo groans. “Oh, for fucks sake,” he mutters, then throws back, “No one asked you to, idiot!”
“That’s why it’s called a surprise!” Jin shouts back.
“Get the fuck out,” Ueda ylels. “We don’t want a baby shower.”
There’s a pause, then Yampai and Jin yell together, “We have presents!”
Ueda and Ryo glance at each other, nod, and return, “Leave the presents and get the fuck out.”
“Aw~ Come on, Ryo-chan,” Yamapi whines.
“You have to have a baby shower! It’s tradition!”
“This isn’t exactly a traditional pregnancy, so we don’t have to follow any lame traditions,” Ryo replies.
“Come on, just for a little while?” Jin pleads, followed by a chorus of the rest of their groupmates.
Ryo glares at nothing, wondering what is the less of two evils: staying locked up in the bedroom with everyone shouting at him for hours, or going out and facing them directly (and getting presents). He turns to Ueda who seems to have been debating the same thing, and one look at the older man tells him they’ve both decided on the same thing.
With a sigh, Ryo says, “Okay, fine, but for one hour at most, understand? Or I’ll make Ueda give all of you a black eye.”
“You can’t make me do anything,” Ueda says, “but I will probably do that, anyway.”
They open the door and get nearly pulled out of the bedroom and taken to the couch. The party ends up lasting three hours before Ueda really does start threatening bodily harm if everyone didn’t leave in the next two minutes (after cleaning up, of course).
When the apartment is back the way it was and the everyone has left, Ryo sighs with relief, collapsing against the couch. “I’m going to kill all of them. Someday,” he says. “They’re going to pay for this.”
“At least they did get us some good gifts,” Ueda says from thwere he’s sprawled across the floor, gesturing to the pile of opened presents ranging from baby clothes to pacifiers to carseats.
“Yeah, the only thing they were useful for,” Ryo says. “Fuck, I’m so tired now.”
“It’s already seven. What do you want to do for dinner?”
“That thing you made a few days ago, what was it? It was really good. Can you do that again?”
“The lasagna?”
Ryo nods excitedly. “Yes, that.”
“Sure, I think we still have all of those ingredients,” Ueda says, getting to his feet.
“Great,” Ryo says happily, “that really was very-ow.” He sits up straighter, a hand moving to his stomach.
Ueda’s eyes widen and he’s at Ryo’s side in an instant. “What? Are you okay?”
Ryo nods. “It’s just the baby. It’s kicking,” he explains, winces a little again.
Ueda stares at Ryo’s stomach with awe. Ryo notices the look and demands, “What?” Ueda just quickly shakes his head, flushes and looks away. “N-Nothing, don’t worry. N-Nevermind.”
“Oh, come on. What?”
Ueda looks at Ryo and says, “I just…wanted to…No, nevermind. It’s okay.”
“You want to feel it?” Ryo guesses and Ueda bites his lower lip, nods. Ryo rolls his eyes and grabs Ueda’s hand, placing it onto his stomach as he says, “Geez, Ueda, it’s not a big deal. It’s your baby, too.” He moves Ueda’s hand around a bit until he finds the right place, and Ueda makes a noise of surprise when the baby kicks again.
“Oh my god,” he breathes, and glances at Ryo in amazement.
Ryo grins. “It’s a fiesty baby,” he says, sounding proud already. “But I guess with us as its parent’s, that’s to be expected.”
Ueda laughs and then remembers Ro’s earlier words, his eyes widening again at the implication. “You-You said it was my baby, too. That’s…That’s the first time you’ve done that.”
Ryo stares at him, seems to slowly recall his own words and feels heat rise in his cheeks. He looks away and mutters, “M-Maybe I’ve sort of accepted the idea now. What with you being here going through it and all…”
Ueda doesn’t actually expect him to acknowledge it; he expected him to grow defensive and deny it. But Ryo doesn’t and the whole thing throws him for a loop. He doesn’t know what to say.
Ryo, however, takes his silence the wrong way. His eyes narrow and he says, “Well, maybe I was wrong in thinking that.”
Ueda quickly shakes his head, finally finding his voice again and exclaims, “No! No. Y-You’re not wrong. I-I’m glad. Really.”
Ryo says nothing in response, both of them just staring at the other awkwardly, unsure where to really go from here. Eventually Ryo breaks the uncomfortable silence and says, “Food?” He gives Ueda a hopeful look and Ueda grins, shakes his head and stands.
“If you eat so much you’ll-”
“Do you really want to finish that sentence?” Ryo cuts in loudly.
Ueda laughs. “Good point.” He pats Ryo on the head and says, “Sit tight, darling, dinner will be ready soon.”
“What, no kiss on the cheek?” Ryo asks and then immediately looks horrified, his eyes round, completely startled by his own words. He blushes even deeper and averts his gaze.
Ueda just smirks when his own shock passes and leans in to catch Ryo’s gaze. “Well, if you really want one,” he replies lightly.
Ryo just gapes, unable to find his voice before Ueda actually does close the space between them in a kiss. Ryo doesn’t even have the chance to properly panic because in the next second Ueda has already pulled away.
Ueda grins. “If you need more, just ask~” he teases and leaves for the kitchen as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Ryo, on the other hand, is transfixed to the spot, subconsciously touching his lips and wondering why he almost does want to ask for more.
*
“I think I might like him,” Ryo confesses.
“That’s nice, but why are you telling me-”
“That’s not nice, Shige, what’re you saying?”
“Why are you telling me about your crush on Ueda-kun?” Shige retorts instead.
“Because Pi and Jin will blab it to everyone and it is not a crush.”
“Fine, then what do you want to call it?”
“Overblown hormones?” Ryo snaps. “That can happen right. I’m pregnant so I’m oversensitive, right?”
“Well-”
“Right?”
“How am I supposed to know? I’m not a doctor, I don’t know these things.”
“Some genius you are,” Ryo says testily.
“Sorry,” Shige snaps. “But you know, it’s really not that bad that you like him now. You’re going to have to get along, especially when the baby is born.”
Ryo frowns. “I don’t need you to tell me that.”
“Obviously you do since you still don’t act civil with each other. No one’s telling you to, you know, be together, but you do have to get along.”
Ryo glares at the wall in front of him. “I hate you,” he offers when all else fails him.
Shige just laughs. “Yeah, sure.” He pauses then adds, “You know I’m right.”
“And people think I’m the one with the huge ego,” Ryo replies before hanging up.
Ryo pouts at the wall now, knowing (and hating) that Shige is right. He grumbles to himself as he gets up and goes to the fridge to get something to drink when Ueda walks into the kitchen.
“I just put together the crib in the bedroom. I moved the armchair out of there and put it in the sitting room,” Ueda says and Ryo just then notices his slightly disheveled appearance, how he has a towel wrapped around his head, his sleeves rolled up to his shoulders and exposing his strong biceps.
Ryo suddenly feels a little hot around the collar and looks away, stammering, “You ddin’t have to do that now.”
Ueda looks at him like he’s insane. “Well, you can’t move anything in your current condition, and you won’t have the chance to after the baby is born.” He pauses and shrugs. “Now we don’t have to worry about it.”
Ryo is at a loss for words, but Ueda doesn’t seem to notice, continuing, “You look tired,g go and take a nap, okay? I’ve already made lunch for you, it’s in the fridge, so when you get hungry just warm it up.”
“Where’re you going?” Ryo asks even though he knows, strangely not wanting Ueda to leave.
“KAT-TUN stuff,” he says and heads off to the bedroom without another word.
Ryo looks into the fridge and sure enough finds a dish with his favorite pasta that Ueda makes, a post it on the top in Ueda’s girly scrawl: Eat this. All of it. It won’t make you fat, okay? You want a healthy baby, don’t you? :)
Ryo puts it back quickly as if it burned him, his heart beating madly, a wild sense of gratitude and something even deeper than that - affection? - building up inside of him.
Ueda comes back out, dressed appropriately for work with his bag slung over his shoulder. He reachers around Ryo who nearly jumps out of his skin when Ueda ccidentally touches him, and grabs a bottle of water from the fridge. Flashing Ryo a grin, he says, “See you tonight,” and leaves.
Ryo frowns, ignores how oddly lonely he feels, and heads instanly for the bedroom, and finds, just like Ueda said, the crib made and on the far end of the room, next to Ryo’s side of the bed. Ryo’s frown deepens as he walks over, reaches out and touches it, confirms that it’s really there. And it’s like a bulb goes off in his head. He remembers Shige’s earlier words, thinks of what Ueda has just done now, and glances down at his stomach, at the baby inside of him (no matter how strange that still sounds) who will need two parents.
He really didn’t have to be with Ueda, and he was fine with continuing to blame his hormones for how everything Ueda does makes his insides turn far too pleasantly. Like just now, with his sleeves rolled up and those arms - he remembers those arms above him, around him, holding him, all those months agao - and quickly shakes his head, because no, he doesn’t actually like Ueda. It’s just because he’s always here, always, helping, with everything, with things Ryo ddin’t even consider he couldn’t do while pregnant - the laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, with almost no complaint. There, always, rubbing his back during morning sickness, and tucking him into bed when he’s too tired, going shopping at insane times of the day just to satisfy his crazy needs.
Ryo wonders why he never noticed before, why he never let himself notice before, why he never ever thougth of this from Ueda’s side. It may be crazy and they may not be friends but it is his baby too and Ueda wants to be a part of that.
Ryo glances down toward Ueda’s duffle bag, where all of his things are and stay. In all these months he’s never put it away in Ryo’s closet, in Ryo’s drawers. His shampoo and toothpaste and other essentials leave when he uses them but then go back into oneo f the many pockets until later. Ryo realizes Ueda’s never asked, but Ryo himself never gave Ueda the opportunity.
Ryo bites his lower lip, looking up at the clock. He knows Ueda won’t be home for another couple of hours, and reaches for the phone to make a call. It’s about time he started to make a little effort, whether for the baby or for himself, for the way he suddenly feels about Ueda (hormones or not), he isn’t entirely sure. But that he could think about later. First, it was time to make things right.
*
It’s past nine when Ueda returns and he nearly runs the door down when he hears a loud crash inside. “Ryo?” he shouts, rushing inside, thinking the worst. He breathes a sigh of relief when he finds Ryo in perfect condition and gasps, “What was that sound?”
“I just dropped a few books,” Ryo explains, a little bewildered by Ueda’s outburst. “What’re you doing?”
“I just thought-” Ueda starts but then seems to notice the room, the many boxes that weren’t there when he left. “What’re you doing?”
Ryo pointedly does not look at him and Ueda doesn’t miss that. “I-I uhm, got your things from your apartment and, well, brought them here. Since. You know. We should maybe act like we live here together instead of you just living out of your duffle bag. Which, by the way, I put your clothes in the closet and your other things in the bathroom and medicine cabinet.” Ryo glances at Ueda who’s starting at him agape. “And, uhm, I didn’t get all of your stuff, just some things, so if there’s anything you want that’s not here, you can go get it later.”
“Did you do this alone? What were you thinking? What if you-”
“I didn’t, I didn’t,” Ryo insists quickly. “I called a moving company. They went with me to your apartment and I told them which things to box up and they packed it up themselves.”
“You shouldn’t have done that anyway,” Ueda says, still trying to wrap his head around Ryo’s unexpected kindness.
“I’m pregnant, not invalid,” Ryo says with a glare.
“Okay, okay,” Ueda says. “Uhm, t-thanks, then, I guess.”
Ryo just shrugs and says, mostly to change the subject, “Why are your shoes still on?”
Ueda looks down at his feet and flushes. “Sorry. I thought something had happened so I…” He trails off and goes to the genkan to put his shoes away properly.
When he comes back, Ryo is putting away a few of his own things into boxes to make space for Ueda’s knickknacks. Ueda just stares, completely thrown by the whole thing, and vaguely wonders if Ryo hit his head in the few hours that he was gone. Instead, he just helps without a word and together they manage to clear out the boxes and make the room look as though they both live there together.
Ryo heads for the kitchen afterward, says, “I’m thirsty. Do you want anything?”
“I can get it,” Ueda says instantly.
“It’s okay,” Ryo insists and Ueda watches him leave and return a few moments later with two glasses of juice, one of which he hands to him. Ryo sists beside him on the couch, sets his glass down on the coffee table, and says, “Oh, here.” He pulls out a small, gold key from his poeck and hands it to Uead. “So you can give Bakanishi back his copy. You…well, you need your own, I guess. I should’ve had it made earlier, but…” He doesn’t finish his sentence, looking decidedly embarrassed.
Ueda accepts the key without question though he definitely has no idea what to say now, everything moving too fast. He feels like he just entered completely new dimension. “Are you okay?” he blurts out a little worriedly.
Ryo blinks. “Yes? Why?”
Ueda looks away. “Nevermind.”
Ryo just shrugs and downs his drink in one go. He gets up and says, “I’m taking a nap.”
“Don’t you want dinner? Have you eaten?”
“I’m not hungry and I ate your lunch pretty late,” Ryo replies. “Have you eaten?”
Ueda nods. “I think I’m going to sleep now, too, actually.”
Ryo nods and leads the way, pulling back the blanket and climbing into bed and deliberately not staring at Ueda as the older man undresses and pulls on some sweats. He gets in next to Ryo silently and like most nights end up laying there a bit awkwardly. This night, especially, neither knows what to say or think, as it feels like they’ve closed the gap between them in one giant leap. Ryo knows it’s mainly his fault - his fault at not accepting Ueda in sooner. Ueda has really done nothing but be a constant source of help this entire time but Ryo’s never so much as said thank you.
Instead, he finally musters the courage to say, “Sorry.” His voice is quiet, almost softer than a whisper, and when Ueda doesn’t reply right away, he figures the other didn’t hear him.
But then Ueda turns onto his side and looks at Ryo incredulously. “Okay, seriously, what is wrong with you?”
Ryo instantly grows defensive, puffing out his cheeks and looking anywhere but at Ueda. “Nothing,” he snaps. “Why does something have to be wrong?”
Ueda laughs. “Nishikido, you’re being nice. To me. This sort of thing doesn’t happen very often.”
Despite himself Ryo glances back at Ueda and says, “Not long ago you burst through the door and called me Ryo.”
It’s Ueda’s turn to be embarrassed, turning an interesting shade of pink and mutters, “It was just a slip of the tongue. Just ignore it.”
Ryo bites his lip and says just as quietly, “You…can call me Ryo…if you want.”
“Oh, god, this is too much,” Ueda says, falling onto his back. “Did some alien force replace you with a kinder version of you?”
“Oh, yes, I’m really an ugly alien from Mars who’s here to eat you when you fall asleep,” Ryo says, then narrows his eyes. “No, moron, it’s really me. And, before you say anything else, I didn’t hit my head either. This is really me and I’m really trying here, so can you stop being so annoying.”
Ueda glances at him, sees how serious he is and nods apologetically. “Sorry,” he mumbles.
“Me, too. For, well, everything,” Ryo says. “And, well, thank you, for, well, everything.”
Ueda laughs. “You really are horrible with words.”
Ryo flushes indignantly. “S-Shut up.” He turns his head away and says, “I’m going to sleep now.”
“Goodnight,” Ueda murmurs.
Ryo says nothing, just pulls the covers up to his shoulders and closes his eyes.
The next morning when he wakes up, it’s to the lack of warmth beside him. Slightly disoriented, he gets out of bed and stumbles blearily to the kitchen where he finds a plate of breakfast covered with saran wrap on the counter. The morning paper is folded beside it, a note scribbled on the top: We just might be able to make this whole thing work. (P.S. For a girl, I like the name Rie).
Ryo grips the paper in his hands, thumbs the kanji Ueda had made, a smile forming at his lips, his heart traitorously flipflopping. He goes back ot the bedroom and takes out the notebook in the bedside drawer. Next to the name Rie that he’s already written under GOOD NAMES, he makes a star, and silently agrees with Ueda.
They really might be able to make this whole thing work.
*
“I’m learning to knit so that I can make the baby something,” Koyama exclaims, holding up needles and yarn and a mess of something that could, to the creative eye, look like a baby afghan.
Ryo just shakes his head. In this case, it’s just easier to let Koyama do as he pleases.
“Have you come up with a name yet?” Tegoshi inquires from where he’s leaning against Ryo’s shoulder.
“We have some ideas. Nothing has been picked out yet.”
“Do you want a boy or a girl?” Tegoshi asks next.
Ryo shrugs. “Haven’t really thought about it.”
“You should have a girl! We could play dress up with her!” Tegoshi coos absently. No one else even acknowledges this statement, and thankfully Shige jumps in to say, “How’s everything with you and Ueda-kun?”
Ryo meets his eyes and knows he’s referring to their last phone call. He nods, smiles even, and says, “Yeah, we’ve come to an understanding.”
Predictably this makes tears come to Koyama’s eyes. “I’m so glad!”
Massu agrees with his sentiments. “Seems like this baby is a miracle in more than one way.”
Yamapi grins at Ryo. “Good for you, Ryo-chan,” he says with a teasing punch to the shoulder. “But are you okay with it being like this? You don’t want anything…more?” He gives Ryo a very obvious look and Ryo rolls his eyes, tries to hide his blush.
“What? No! Of course not,” Ryo exclaims. “What the fuck-” His eyes widen and he grasps the armrest of the couch tightly. “Oh, shit.”
“Ryo-chan?” Yamapi exclaims, at his side instantly. “What’s wrong, are you okay?”
Ryo glares. “No, you idiot. I’m not okay.” His glare turns murderous, but with as pale as his face is becoming, it’s not as threatening as he probably hoped.
“I-Is it the baby?” Koyama exclaims and when Ryo just makes a pitiful, pained sound, the rest of them stare at each other, horrified, until Ryo digs his nails into Yamapi's arm and grits out, "Get me to the hospital."
Koyama instantly grabs his keys and runs to the door to start the car while the others hastily rush after. Yamapi helps Ryo stand and when Ryo points to the hospital bag he’dp prepared by the genkan, Yamapi picks it up and looks back at him with worry.
“Anything else?”
Ryo grips his arm again. “Yes,” he gasps. “Call Ueda.”
*
Ueda bursts through the door in the hospital room, his face pale as he catches his breath. “Ryo?” he says, rushing to the bed and Ryo seems to sigh with relief the second he realizes Ueda is there.
“God, you’re here, finally. Took you long enough,” he bites out bit it lacks all usual malice.
Ueda just grabs his hand, interlaces their fingers. “Because Jin nearly caused a pile-up on the way over.”
“Fuck you,” Jin says, strolling inside with the rest of KAT-Tun behind him and even a few members of Kanjani8. Yoko takes one look at Ryo and Ueda’s clasped hands and whistles, but right now neither of them really cares what their bandmates think.
“Get the fuck out of here. Who even called you?” Ryo says.
“I did,” Koyama admits, still teary. “We all want to be here for you both!”
Unable to resist Koyama’s tears, Ryo just sighs and says, “It’s okay.”
Koyama beams and flails and Ryo turns to Yamapi and Jin who’ve made their way to the bed.
“This is the weirdest shit I’ve ever seen,” Jin says.
Ryo glares at him. Yamapi grins and inquires, “So, will the baby have a godfather?” His voice not hiding at all just exactly who he thinks should take that position.
Jin pouts. “Hey, who says you should be the godfather. He should choose me.”
Yamapi snorts. “Oh, yeah. A great role model you would be - in partying and drinking, only.”
“Yeah, well. What can you do?”
As they both continue bickering, Ryo turns back to Ueda and says, “We need to leave Japan after this baby is born.”
Ueda just laughs. “Well, we haven’t had our honeymoon yet.”
Ryo rolls his eyes. “Getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you? I don’t remember you ever saying you loved me.” He fake-pouts at Ueda. “Some lover-boyfriend-husband-thing you are.”
Ueda only grins and a nurse chooses that moment to walk in and nearly has a heart attack at the number of people in the room. She starts pushing people toward the door until everyone is out, all except Ueda, and gives then gives them both a small smile. “Are you ready?” she asks sweetly as she flails about the room.
Ryo meets Ueda’s gaze and Ueda gives Ryo’s hand a squeeze as he replies, “Yeah. I think we’re finally ready.”
*
The party is loud and tiring and cramped and Ryo really regrets ever having given Yamapi and Jin spare keys. He thinks he’s going to have to invest in new locks soon if this keeps up. He’s said thank you more in the past twenty minutes than he has in all his life and the next person who says congratulations will probably get a black eye, just because.
He grabs a bottle of water that he’d left the bedroom for almost half an hour ago and carefully sneaks back to the bedroom, trying not to be stopped by the seventeen plus others in the way.
Somehow he manages, heaving a huge sigh of relief at the quiet that welcomes him. He haeds straight to the crib and looks in, smiles at the small sleeping bundle of his daughter inside. He sighs and sits down on the bed, uncaps the bottle to take a drink of water, when she cries - or screams rather, as he has found out babies tend to do. He nearly drops the water all over the floor in his haste to get to his baby, carefully pulling her out of the crib and holding her in his arms, murmuring soothing sounds as he gently touches her face.
The door opens and Ueda walks in, quickly shutting it behind him and locking it for good measure. “I heard her crying, is everything okay?” he asks worriedly.
Ryo nods. “She’s fine,” he replies, sitting down on the bed, leaning back against the headboard.
Ueda joins him, sitting right beside him, their shoulders pressed together, their thighs touching, and it’s absolutely not strange, not awkward, but rather completely normal, absolutely perfect. Ueda smiles, reaches out to touch his daughter who stops crying and holds his finger with all five of hers. He grins, says, “See, she likes me better.”
Ryo scoffs. “Whatever, she loves me the best,” he says. “I’m the one who gave birth.”
“Yeah, but I’m the one who stopped you from killing the doctor with your death grip long enough for him to actually deliver,” Ueda retorts.
“That guy deserved it. Did you see the way he kept staring at me? Like I don’t know it’s fucking weird for a man to have a baby,” Ryo scowls as he holds his daughter a little closer.
“It’s okay, forget him,” Ueda says, also remembering the way the doctor had stared at Ryo and the way it made him want to punch the man’s face in. “It’s just us now.”
Ryo snorts and looks up at him. “Seriously, you are the more girly one than me. I still don’t get why I was the pregnant one.”
“I don’t get how this happened at all in the first place,” Ueda replies, ignoring the girly comment. “But I don’t care anymore. The result is right here, and I’m more than okay with it.” He smiles warmly and caresses his daughter’s hand with his thumb.
Ryo matches his smile and nods sleepily, suddenly realizing just how tired he is. “I’m glad, too,” he replies just as someone whoops loudly out on the other side of the door. “We need to keep her away from them, though.”
“You know that’ll be impossible,” Ueda says. “And they won’t be all that bad. Koki’s already said he’d teach her to sew. And Yasuda-kun and Tegoshi-kun have already claimed make-up and dress-up.”
“Oh god,” Ryo whines, flinching just from the thought. “But, Koyama’s already offered to baby-sit, too. And I heard Subaru saying once she’s old enough, he’ll help train her voice.”
Ueda grins. “She’ll definitely be very multi-talented.”
“Well, that’s a given, with us as her parents,” Ryo replies, staring down into his daughter’s eyes. “Right, Rie-chan?”
Rie blinks at them adorably and waves her hand in the air as she yawns, closes her eyes. Ryo and Ueda both laugh and Ueda says, “Are you tired? You haven’t slept well the past few days.”
Ryo nods. “Yeah, all thanks to this little one,” he says and yawns himself.
Ueda reaches out and takes Rie from him, sets her down in the middle of the bed between them. He grabs a few small baby-body pillows to put on each side and lays down next to her. Ryo raises a brow at him and Ueda says, “Come on, sleep.”
“What about all of them?” Ryo asks, nodding toward the door but laying down anyway.
“They’re big men, they know the way out once they get bored,” Ueda replies tiredly. He meets Ryo’s eyes, smiles as he brushes the hair out of the younger man’s face, his fingers lingering along the skin in a way that has Ryo’s blood running too fast.
Ryo reaches up and takes his hand, intertwines their fingers and squeezes the way Ueda had days earlier in the hospital room. Ueda squeezes back, his palm warm against Ryo’s, heat sinking into his veins, making his belly dance excitedly.
“Look,” Ueda says after a few moments of comfortable silence. His voice is soft and gentle, and his eyes never leave Ryo’s. “About…About this, about us-”
“Don’t,” Ryo cuts in quickly. “It’s okay. We…We don’t have to worry about that right now. I-I don’t really know how I feel and I don’t want to force anything, so. Let’s just. Do what seems right.”
Ueda scowls. “I was going to say the same thing, idiot,” he says. “Thanks for ruining it.”
Ryo flashes him a bright grin. “You’re welcome, darling. Anytime.”
Despite himself, Ueda smiles, too, but then a look of trepidation reaches his eyes, his gaze falling down to the already asleep Rie between them. “Do you really think we can-”
Ryo interupts him again, tightening his grip on Ueda’s hand. “Yes, I really do,” he answers. “We’ll make this work. Together.”
Ueda nods, leaning over to press a kiss to Ryo’s forehead. “Together,” he agrees.
end.
note: Rie (理恵) means “valued blessing.” :) a;sldkgna;sldg omg. Idefk. Uhm. I hope you liked? Maybe? a;sldkgnas *hides*