Up in Flames (Fire Force fanfic)

Chapter Fifty Four: Taking Care of Eachother

This morning marks the sixth week of my pregnancy and the violent experience of morning sickness has begun. Benimaru has been beside me in the bathroom all morning while I continue to purge last night's dinner out violently.

"Got her a clean towel and the sheets are in the wash." Konro says as he hands Beni a fresh towel.

"Thanks manly mama Konro." He replies while he wipes the sweat from my forehead.

Konro sighs, "From here on out let's keep your food light on the stomach, ok?"

I give a thumbs up in response as I wipe off my mouth with toilet paper. Beni gently pats my back, "Is your stomach calming down yet?"

"Let's give it ten minutes, I don't wanna stand up if I'm going to be running back to the toilet again."

He sits down on the floor next to me and pulls me into his lap. "What do you want to do today?"

"Oh? Anything I want?"

"Anything, I'm feeling generous today." He brushes back my hair with his hands.

"Hmm then when I'm feeling better I wanna go book shopping."

"As you wish."

🎐🎐🎐📖🎐🎐🎐

After I recovered from my morning sickness, we left for the local bookstore. Right now Beni is standing next to me with a stack of books I'm trying to make a decision.

"Come on babe, we can't buy all of these."

"Ugh...I know but...how do I even narrow it down?"

He places the stack down and picks up Moby Dick, "How rare is this one?"

"Pretty rare since it's super old and foreign."

"Ok then we'll keep it." He picks up the Beautiful and the Damned, "This one?"

"Absolutely keep."

"Just so you're aware, we're only buying six books. So you can only choose four more...pick wisely."

"Ugh, let me sort through these and set aside the ones I don't want at the moment."

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After book shopping, Beni takes me to a nearby teashop. We're waiting on our boba tea while I start reading the Beautiful and the Damned. I look up briefly to see Benimaru staring at me from across the table.

"What's up?" I ask.

He blushes, "Nothing..."

"Come on, tell me." I ask again.

"Your teas." The waiter serves our drinks.

After the waiter leaves I ask again, "Tell me."

He sighs, "Fine, you just look so tranquil. Like nothing else exists except for your book."

"Yeah sometimes it feels like that, especially when the story is good."

"If only you could be that focused on your desk work."

"Maybe destroy less buildings and I won't be dozing off."

Suddenly there was a short quake, Beni looks out the window almost like he could see into the Nether. "Must be the Adolla burst."

I set down my book, "It's strange isn't it? We're here enjoying ourselves while the eighth are facing certain death. It's surreal..."

"I know but we aren't allowed there. Only company eight have permission to go into the Nether. But I understand the feeling. All we can do is grin and bare it."

"I suppose..."

He grabs my hand and strokes it softly with his thumb, "How about we enjoy this somewhat peaceful day for them?"

I smile, "Thank you for everything."

"No problem...it's what lovers do."

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We walk by the shrine where our wedding will take place and suddenly I feel the urge to visit Hibachi Shinmon. "Beni, think we can stop by Hibachi's grave?"

"Sure."

He leads me up the hill to the gravesite that overlooks the town of Asakusa. We walk towards his father's grave with incense in hand. He lights the incense as I kneel in front of my father in law's grave.

"Hey father in law, I don't know if Konro or Beni said anything but we're getting married at the end of spring. We're also expecting but don't tell uncle Jerry. He has a tendency to overreact. Ever since coming here to company seven I have been more than blessed by the many lives I have encountered. I can almost believe that one day this world will stop burning. It'll be a world where we don't have to fear dying young or leaving our children behind to a chaotic world. We'll carry all of the fallen's spirits with us to the fights ahead. Sleep well Hibachi."

Beni stands up and offer his hand, "I couldn't have said it better myself."

I take his hand as I stand up, "I feel tired, let's head home."

His eyes soften at the word home, "Yeah, let's."

🌳🌳🌳☀️🌳🌳🌳

We lounge about in our bed nude and trying to decide what movie to watch. "What're you feeling Beni?"

"I didn't think your tits could get any bigger. Fucking huge." He squeezes them, not paying any particular attention to what I asked.

"I'm talking about movies, lecher." 

"Hmm how about Ju-On?"

"Sure what better to prepare us for parenthood than creepy kids?"

"Isn't that Hikage and Hinata's job?"

"They're scarier than any ghost children."

"I actually think they'd take that as a compliment."

I turn on the movie, "So what do you think the gender is?"

"Hmm...a boy."

"Weird, same. I couldn't help but think about naming him Hibachi..."

"Hmm is that why you wanted to visit him today?"

"Not exactly, it was after that."

"I'd like that. Maybe the kid will be stronger than he or I ever was."

"Please no, I don't want that kid to kick his foot out of my stomach before delivery."

Although we can joke and laugh at the moment, in the back of our minds lies a terrifying anxiety for company eight's survival.