Only Mine

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Years ago, when Ren had found out that Kichirou was pregnant with Misaki, his mate, Jun had run away. Ren remembered how he yelled at Jun for abandoning Kichirou when he was pregnant and realized that he had almost just done the same thing by avoiding Shouta for the last month. This was now going to start affecting another life other than theirs. It shouldn't be about them any longer but the unborn baby within Shouta.

A baby...Ren thought, his baby!

Terrified, Ren began to think of everything under the moon. He knew that with this baby, there would be many things that Shouta would experience that he would not, he had watched Kichirou go through almost every single one of them. Suddenly, joy overcame him at the thought of being able to feel his child kick within Shouta's womb. If he put his ear next to Shouta's stomach would he be able to hear the baby's heartbeat?

Since Ren was not the one who was pregnant, all that he could do was run amok within his imagination. The very first place that imagination roller coaster stopped at was on fear. Then it tilted more toward anxiety. His head thinking a million miles per hour, he thought about how he could provide for the baby. Was his paycheck enough? Was the cafe even getting enough sales to raise a child? How much would his lifestyle change? Would he still get enough sleep to take care of the baby?

It hit him at that moment, this, these thoughts and insecurities, this was the beginning to accepting the responsibility of fatherhood. And if he felt this disjointed about a baby on his side, how was Shouta feeling?

With his mind still running away from him, Ren wanted to assure Shouta that he would help, but the only thing that left his mouth was, "Uh, what?"

Shouta stared down at Ren, whose mouth was hanging open, his eyes wide and a frantic look on his face. In realities, Shouta didn't expect Ren's first reaction to look like one of his students being told it wasn't lunch time yet. Shouta wasn't offended by the reaction, because he had the same exact one when he had brought it up with his doctor the day before. He had thought that his heat had been weird so he had gone into the doctor for a check up.

Ren's glazed eyes just stared aimlessly at Shouta as if his brain had entirely shut down. He looked like he was a robot that had broken. Resisting a chuckle, Shouta calmly waited while Ren's frosted eyes began to melt. Then, as if struck by lightning, he bolted to his feet and grabbed Shouta by his arms, staring down at his face with a fluttering smile.

"That's not what I meant. How are you feeling? Are you okay?" Each question was like a gunshot, one right after another. "Do I need to take you to the doctors? Are you okay working still?"

"Hold up." Shouta growled, lifting a hand and covering Ren's mouth. Ren stared at him wide eyed, unable to move any more. On his palm, Shouta could feel his warm breath and he resisted the shudder rolling through his nerves.

"I feel fine. My next doctor's appointment is in three weeks for the first ultrasound. I'm pregnant, not dying, so I can still work just fine." Shouta looked over Ren, gazing at his golden eyes and that auburn hair that swayed with each breath he took. Ren breathed in, the feeling of the air moving across his skin jolted Shouta. But what fascinated him even more, was that Ren closed his eyes and took in another breath through his nose, as if he was smelling the edge of Shouta's hand. When his golden eyes opened once again, he reached up and lightly pulled Shouta's hand away from his mouth.

"What do you need me to do?"

This was the reaction Shouta had been waiting for, it was also the question that would alleviate every potential problem he could face in the immediate future. Unable to hold in his feelings, the thought that Ren would be safe if he just stayed by his side brought Shouta to his knees. Now his father would be unable to do anything. Ren was safe.