A Little Twist

Three

Why do you insist on keeping me up twenty-four seven? Risa heads for the kitchen when she hears relaxing sounds and recognizes them as the piano. Who's playing? Lured by the melody, she finds the piano where Laito plays.

'Oh, did I wake you up, Risa?' Laito stops playing.

She shakes no. 'It's the baby who keeps waking me up. Regardless of the time.' She goes closer. 'However, it sounds calming... soothing. I think it might calm him down too.'

Laito's eyes go to her belly where her hand is. 'Him? I thought I heard you say to Reiji that you don't know the gender.'

'I don't. Call it intuition.' She shrugs. 'Play a little more?'

He chuckles and pulls her onto a bench close to the piano. 'How can I resist you, Mama-chan?' His fingers dance over the keys.

Mama-chan? Hmm, I could be called worse, I guess. She enjoys the play with one hand on the baby.

Even if I want to know who the father is, it's of no use. She won't do the test if there are risks for the baby. Besides, we might not need a test after looking at the baby. He glances at Risa and sees her gently stroking her belly. Along with a smile and her eyes closed. Still, one of us will be a father and the rest will be his uncles. Either way, she won't be leaving this house any time soon. I wonder if it could be mine? I should've been more careful.

'Why did you stop?' Risa opens her eyes and finds him closer with his eyes on her belly. 'It sounded lovely and for a moment, he was quiet too.'

Laito moves even closer and puts his hand on the round belly. 'He is moving? Does it hurt if he kicks you?'

'It does now.' She doesn't mind that his hand is on the baby. 'It wasn't that way twenty weeks ago.'

'Really? When could you feel him for the first time? What was it like?' He fires at her when she moves his hand and feels another kick. Oh, what the hell? Father or uncle, this baby will be spoiled rotten. Everything he wants it's his.

She rubs with her fingertip over his hand.

'Don't... that tickles.' He scratches his hand to get rid of the feeling.

'That's almost the same. It felt like the soft touch of a butterfly... only on the inside. I didn't even know what it was until I felt it for the second time.' She looks down to where her baby is. 'It felt... there are hardly words to describe what I felt back then.'

He realizes that there is a spark in her eyes when she either looks or talks about the baby. Even if you accepted the baby... Will you accept the one who's the father? I know I wasn't exactly gentle with you back then. You certainly love the baby.

'And I was between seventeen and eighteen weeks when I felt him for the first time. Ema could feel it two weeks later.' She lifts her head. 'Could you play some more, Laito? It seemed it had an effect on him.'

He gets back on his feet. 'Sure.' There will be a baby soon. Whether I'm the father or not, I will protect him. 

*** 

Risa wakes up to the baby kicking her. I'm up, I'm up. I guess I can kiss my night rest goodbye. She finds herself rather comfortable as she's surrounded by pillows. Then she hears a soft voice talking. 

'There is so much I can tell you about your uncles. I do urge you to be careful with Subaru. He is the youngest and has a temper and doesn't mind hitting walls. Reiji had to fix so many walls just because Subaru took his anger out and breaks them.' Laito stops when he sees she's awake. 'We'll talk later. It seems I woke up your mother.' He lays his head on the belly. 'I could hear his heartbeat. His is so much faster compared with yours, Mama-chan.' 

I think it's growing on me for him to call me that. I kinda like it. 'Did I sleep for long?' 

'No, ten minutes or something.' He gives her a hand to sit up straight. 

She noticed something else. 'I guess it also helps if you talk to the baby with a soft voice. But I'm afraid that talking alone won't work for long. Once the baby is born, I might need your help sometimes.' 

'I figured you would say that. You still need to be there because I have zero experience with babies. Let alone changing a baby's diaper.' His face changes visibly. 'Do I need a peg on my nose?' 

She can't help but laugh. 'Probably, you do have better senses than me, right?' 

'Yes,' he answers without thinking. 'You don't think you need one?' 

'A small price to pay. Besides, even the smell can tell me if something is wrong.' She pushes her lips together to avoid laughing harder. 'I went to a few classes and a support group but it doesn't make me an expert. I'm new at this like everyone here.' And not everyone has even accepted the baby. I have seen Kanato for a moment when I got here a few nights ago and that's it. 

He picks up on it. 'He'll come around. He just needs more time, don't worry.' 

'Am I that transparent?' She gets up and heads for the door. 

'Try not to worry too much. That can't be good for the baby, right?' He can't resist putting his hand on her belly one more time. 

She takes a step back. 'Sorry, bathroom.' She walks fast to her bedroom. 

Laito is faster and teleports her straight to her room. 'This is faster. Just yell if you need help.' He disappears but not too far away. He's not born yet or he has a few of us already around his finger. Or is it Risa? She could sure use some help if she faces Kanato. That I have to protect them both from my brother. He goes to the game room. 

Risa hurries into the bathroom fast. 'Thank you.' 

*** 

I don't have much to do around here. What am I supposed to do? I know the way to the pool but I don't have to swim every day. They have a library here, don't they? Do they have any baby books... I doubt it. None of them have experience with babies. So why would there be baby books? Risa goes to the kitchen first for a light snack. The closer she gets, she starts to smell a nice scent. Is someone baking? If I can't find anything, I'll make something myself. Hmm, that is if I have the ingredients. Before she reaches the kitchen, she hears a few sounds but the moment she opens the door it is silent. Was it Kanato? I haven't seen him in a few nights. Is he really that upset? She noticed a cake on the counter and opens the fridge for something to drink. That's a strawberry cake? She turns back to the cake. I'm sure you baked it for yourself, Kanato, but do you expect me to resist such temptations? Is there whip cream too? She finds chocolate milk. I'm warming that up too. Helping herself, she makes some hot cocoa and cuts some slices of the cake. With her snack, she heads to the living room. I'll bake something for you to make it up with you. 

Oh no! That's Kanato's. Ayato followed his nose to the kitchen where he saw Risa. 

Laito is right behind him. 'Let's steal that cake...' He falls silent seeing half a cake. 'Who took it? Surely it wasn't Kanato.' 

Ayato shakes no. 'I just saw Risa walking to the living room. She might have the other half.' 

'Kanato might kill her for it.' Laito makes eye contact with his brother. 'Give me that.' He takes the other half and takes it away. Never thought I would help her this fast. Nevertheless, she likes something sweet as well. I remember she likes sweets from before she left. So this has not much to do with her pregnancy. He eats the other half in the game room. Where he's close to Kanato that he could smell it. Better that he doesn't find Risa. He changes his mind and takes the last slice with him. 'Reiji, I'm sure you like a slice of cake with your tea. It's strawberry cake.'