Are We Alive?

Twenty-Three: Milk Vetch

Milk Vetch–Your presence softens my pain

Only four chapters from the end of this book, enjoy!

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Four and a half months passed them by while they lived in that house. They were in the first few days of Winter now and struggled to find enough blankets for everyone. They huddled together more at night and slept longer, feeling lazier as the days got longer.

Marshal's baby bump was unexpectedly big, so Yukio theorized there were probably triplets on the way. The poor woman couldn't even bend down anymore. She was petite and short in stature, so she was beginning to look a bit like a Kiwi Bird. Shura had taken to helping her so Chelsea could have breaks now and then. Everyone watched the new romance bloom between the two women as discreetly as they could. Rin didn't think that was fair after everyone had teased him, Bon, and Izumo the whole time they'd been getting closer, but didn't point that out.

Any plans to move on from the house had been halted by Yukio. Marshal wouldn't be able to walk much if she was already this big at five months and they were better off in an environment they'd already secured.

Marshal protested this, which was terrifying because she was like a dragon spitting fire and emberswith the pregnancy hormones egging her on and making her more intense than she needed to be. Yukio was the only one who dared to oppose her, holding his ground with cool logic and an equally cool expression as he argued his point. He was the ice against her fire and it was frankly both amazing and terrifying to watch.

"She's like an overgrown baby, it's really not that bad." Yukio told them when they asked him how he stood up to the angry pregnant woman. "Yeah, you guys are just pussies!" Marshal called from the other room. Once everyone realized she could hear the conversation, they all scattered to find something to do and hide away in different parts of the house.

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I already have a kid and I'm being bullied for inexperience!" Rin complained to Sachi, who was braiding his hair just like Izumo taught her.

"It's hore-mones, Daddy. Shura said they make her an-ger-ry for no reason." The little girl told him wisely. Her movements were much more smooth and articulated now that he'd started training her to defend herself. Sachi was good at understanding emotional things and putting difficult things into simple words like kids often did. Rin didn't know how they did it, but he appreciated having someone simplify things. It made some situations feel less stressful and intimidating.

"Do you even know what hormones are?" Rin raised a brow. "Do you? Uncle Yuki days you never finished school." The girl threw back, mirroring the expression she knew he was making. Rin gasped, insulted by his brother's betrayal. "Disappointed, but not surprised." Bon snorted, walking in to retrieve a screwdriver and leaving again.

"Do you know what school is?"Rin wondered after a second. "....No, but Uncle Yuki says it was im-por-tant." Rin cackled at the response.

"Hey Daddy, will you make me a sister or a brother one day?" Sachi wondered after a few minutes of comfortable silence. Rin sputtered as Izumo walked in. "Maybe one day, kiddo." She ruffled Sachi's hair as she left again after retrieving the sweater she'd been looking for.

"That's good, because I think I will be a good big sissy." Sachi declared.

"Well, you should think of Marshal's babies as your training if that's the case. Be good to the new babies and teach them things and then we'll know if you're a good big sissy or not." Rin told her. Sachi tied off the braid and he turned around to pick her up and sit her in his lap facing away so he could braid her hair too.