The Hero and the Damsel

Possibly Telling the Parents?

            Much to mine and Toshinori's relief, no press or media ever came to our house after Nadeshiko's realization. We were able to continue our somewhat quiet life, me running my flower shop, and Toshinori being the best hero he can be, Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace. Things were mellowing out for both of us. I still found the neighbors strange and attempted to avoid them when I could, but occasionally Nadeshiko would catch me outside and approach me from her side of the fence.

I attempted to remain as civil as possible in all circumstances she approached me, but I still felt as though she was judging me. As the days passed, that feeling only got worse as I slowly started to show more. It was December, two months into my pregnancy, and a more defined baby bump was apparent. Nadeshiko raised Hell about it. I felt it was ingenuine of her considering that she was still nit-picking that Toshinori and I weren't married. Again, she wasn't my fucking parent, so I paid it no mind.

However, that did bring another matter to my attention. I was going to have to tell my parents that I was pregnant. I couldn't just have the little sunspot and hope for the best. My parents deserved to know what was going on in my life, even if my father would raise Hell over the matter. With Christmas on the way, perhaps now would be a good time to make that announcement. My parents would be in high spirits, my father would be locked into social norms that require him not to burst into a fit of rage. Yeah...not a bad idea. I'd have to run it by Toshinori though.

I sat in the living room, resting and watching the news. Another escapade made by my personal "Man of Steel" was playing before me. With a sigh, and nuzzled further into the couch, almost absently paying attention as I thought about how I would breach this subject with Toshinori. The wheels turned in my head, coming up with solutions to a problem that wasn't even present. Yes, Toshinori wanted to keep the child and was excited yet terrified to be a father; however, he also knows that my father hates his guts with a burning passion that is fueled with the sweet hot intensity of a thousand suns.

I scratched my scalp carefully, as to not cut my delicate skin or irritate the hair folicales that were trying to grow. What to do? My thoughts were going through scenarios and objections when the creak of the front door opening broke my thoughts. Tension blazed through me as I spoke up. "If you're intruding, you're dead. If you're my boyfriend, what is the greatest power on Earth?"

"The magnificent power we all possess the human brain. Professor X." Toshinori was quick to respond, and his voice was that deep reverberating one I have adapted to hearing regularly. His home voice. His relaxed voice. With a glance over my shoulder, I saw him standing there in his civilian clothing smiling. "Is that going to be our thing now so you don't have to check to see if it's me?"

I shrugged, looking away from him to turn the T.V. off. "Maybe. You gave the right answer at least."

His heavy footfalls made their way to me as his shadow overtook me. With a glance up, I was trapped in his endless sky-blue orbs. I glimpsed a smile as he stared back into my dull green eyes. "Of course. Anyway...h-how are you feeling?"

Toshinori broke his gaze from mine as he moved around the couch and took a seat next to me, resting a trembling hand over my abdomen. I watched the movements and actions with humor. He was so funny about all of this. He was gentle, tender, nervous, trembling. It was humorous to think that the Number One Hero of Japan was behaving like this at home. I placed my hand over his to somewhat reassure him that everything was fine and that he wouldn't hurt me. "I'm fine and everything is going fine...But...there is something I want to talk about."

Toshinori peered up at me surprised and with a bit of hesitation. I could sense his nervousness from the way his hand twitched over my stomach. "If this is about m-m-m-marrying you...A-A-Ayano I'll g-g-gladly–"

"What?! N-N-N-No!" I could feel my cheeks heating up as what I could only imagine was bright pink embarrassment formed. "N-N-Not right now! T-T-This...T-T-This is not really all that romantic T-T-Toshi! No...I was...I want to talk to you about telling my parents about our...we'll...the pregnancy."

I watched my hulking boyfriend process this statement as he began nodding and then a spark went past those iridescent gems and he began to shake his head. "N-N-No no no Ayano! Y-Y-Your father will be pissed! I-I want him to be happy about this...n-n-not angry."

Well...at least he was considerate of my father's feelings, even if my father wasn't really all that considerate of his. "Toshi, Babe, we have to; he'll be angry if we do and he'll be angry if we don't. I'm his daughter. He has a right to know the truth and he has a right to know that he is a grandfather."

Toshinori was hesitant still as he lifted my hand from caressing and rubbing my stomach to resting on his thigh as he gripped his pants tightly. I worried they would tear at the pressure he was exerting, but they seemed to hold as he spoke up, "Ayano...Sweetheart, I agree...but do you really think now is the time. W-W-We're not even m-married."

With a nonchalant wave, I attempted to show my unabashed or worried nature over the matter of my engagement and marital status. "So what? We love each other. We're happy together. Besides...I was thinking of telling him closer to Christmas time. I'd like to take some time from the shop to go to Sapporo and visit my parents, that would be a good time to kind of surprise them with the news."

"Surprise...?" Toshinori's voice had a quaver to it. A hint of unease, probably from remembering all the 'kind' words my father has ever said to him. Taking that into account, I can understanding his resistance to wanting to tell the man that he screwed me enough to pop a kid in me. "I don't think...s-surprising them is the way to go about it..."

He really wasn't going to make this easy for me, was he. Going on this round about method to avoid the situation. To think this man was a hero sometimes. "Toshinori we can't ignore it and we can't leave them in the dark! This is important!"

That got his attention as he glumly lowered his head, turning his gaze towards the ground. "I know...and you're right...I hesitate because I don't want this child to be unwanted by your parents just because your father can't accept me. I'm fine if he hates me. The things he's said to me are no worse than the things I heard growing up...but this..." He gingerly placed the hand that was gripping his pants over my abdomen once more and his other hand cupped my cheek tenderly to make me face him. "They are important to me and I want them to be happy. If he can't accept them...then what? I-I-I don't want that."

What an idiot. He was thinking too much into this...again! I gave a sigh and tilted my head to snuggle into his hand more. "Babe, he won't. While he may hate you, he concedes to me. If I explain, I'm sure the hate towards the child will be minimal, if at all. He'll be fine. He just has to get used to the idea. Hiding it from him will not make him like the situation anymore than if we tell him now."

His thumb rubbed circles on my cheek as he exhaled in defeat. "Why not...tell you mother first? She's good with him, she could ease him into it."

I contemplated that. It wasn't a bad idea at all. My mother was always good at handling my father and his outbursts. Perhaps if I told my mother now over the phone the matter would be less disastrous for both of us. With a brief moment of contemplation, I gave a swift nod. "Not a bad idea, I could call my mother later and tell her. That way she could allude to it with Dad and the blow won't be nearly as detrimental to either of us. How about that Babe?"

There was a sigh of relief as hands moved from their respective locations and strapping arms wrapped me in a strong hug and pulled me over to the massive form of my boyfriend. I resigned myself to the action, welcoming it as I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I'd like that."