• CHAPTER 64 - AND THE NAME IS...?

    If you were a man and your wife's or your girlfriend's life was put on edge after birth, when would you name the child? Would you name it beforehand, just in case it goes awry? What if you're in the middle of a debate whether or not to change her into an imaginary creature unknown to mankind? Then when would you name the baby?

    I still felt light, I felt like a feather. I could have sworn I was floating, almost as if all of the weight of stress from the past several months was lifted for a moment, until a cold large hand cruised across my cheek. I squeezed my eyes closed tighter, not wanting to escape the light feeling of tranquil sleep. After another second in my utopia, a set of liquid ice lips compressed against my forehead. Those hands and lips were far too cold to be in a dream. Kai isn't somebody I can merely dream of and expect him to match in real life too. I knew instantaneously that I was dreaming as soon as I could feel my shoulders dragging down and weights were being dropped back on me again as reality came back into play. I hesitantly opened my eyes and was greeted first by the light of the early sunrise seeping through the bedroom window; I was in Kai's room. I looked around a little more with half-closed eyes until my eyes ended up meeting with Kai's.

    "Hey," he whispered in a sigh, "you're awake."

    I frowned and managed to halfway glare at Kai. He stared at me in sudden confusion, "What?"

    "You," I mumbled, "ruined my dream."

    "What dream?" he asked me. "You were only in a deep sleep, you weren't dreaming."

    "Then how was it I felt so light and tranquil?" I mumbled again, barely comprehensible.

    "That's what tends to happen when one is in deep enough sleep," he smiled halfheartedly. "They feel everything slip away from them."

    I rubbed my eye and stared out at the sunset; the pastel colors that permeated throughout the sky. I had never seen a more beautiful sunrise. Wait, sunrise? How many days have gone by since Miku gave birth?

    "How long have I been out?" I groaned.

    "About eleven hours," Kai sighed. "You languished from shock and became nauseous by the bearing of so much blood. It really dictated your stomach for a moment."

    And my stomach was still killing me. I groaned and wrapped my arm around my stomach and Kai brushed my bangs around and sat on the edge of the bed next to me. Eleven hours, that's a new record. Normally I would be out for around two days with the condition I was in. Maybe that means I'm now starting to become accustomed to blood?

    "Yeah right," Kai chuckled.

    "How sad that I live in a house with two Vampires and blood still sickens me," I sighed. I finally came to realize in my full consciousness of why I had passed out in the first place. I shot upright, upsetting my tummy a little. "Miku!!"

    Kai gripped my shoulders firmly and shushed me, "She's going to be fine. She's sleeping right now."

    "But Kai, she, what, is she--?" I couldn't get my words right. "Is sh-she a Werewolf?" I whispered that last word and my heart lodged into my throat.

    Kai sighed and smiled halfheartedly again, "No,"

    I stared and stared at him in confusion, "I thought you said he would infect her?"

    "She was strong enough to pull through," he confirmed. "She lost excessive blood, but her broken bones were not as severe as expected, but she is still in grave condition."

    "Are you sure she won't die?" my hands were shaking a little again.

    "She will not die," he reassured me. "She is just in great pain right now. It will be temporary until she can walk again."

    "What do you mean, is she paralyzed now?"

    "No," he shook his head and pushed me down lightly so I was lying on my back once more. "Her pelvis and right leg are casted. She had to undergo surgery so Matsuda could fuse rods into her pelvis. Yes, he healed the bone to where it was cracked, but even a cracked pelvis need surgical care."

    "Miku," I whispered and allowed a few stray tears to billow out. She wasn't a Werewolf, she was still human. She was strong enough to pull through so Takeuchi wouldn't have to witness Miku suffer even more from the Werewolf venom.

    "However," Kai wasn't finished. "Just in the last hour, after Miku regained consciousness from the anesthesia, her and Takeuchi made an agreement."

    "And that is...?" I pushed him to move on.

    He pursed his lips together and then sighed and smiled reassuringly, "They knew that if Miku were to become a Werewolf now that there would be no way to explain to her parents. We will wait for a few days before we allow her parents over. Our excuse for Miku's fractured bones will be that she fell down the stairs a couple of days after the birth."

    "What does that have to do with Miku not becoming a Werewolf?" I burrowed my eyebrows together.

    "Miku and Takeuchi are going to make arrangements for marriage and move in together within the next year or two. When they are married and living together, that's when Miku will change."

    I gasped and sat up again, only to have Kai hold me down again, "After they marry?!"

    "Ever since the baby was conceived in Miku--maybe even before then--they had been talking about marriage. They have had an incredible chemistry for the years they were together, as you may have witnessed. Marriage is an absolution in their minds. And it would be best for Miku to change after their wedding, that way her parents won't be so suspicious."

    "And she's completely okay with this?" I asked Kai.

    Kai nodded, "It doesn't phase her having to go through the pain. She assumes nothing can feel more henious than the childbirth she just went through."

    I flinched at the thought of Miku's birth again. I also felt strange for having such a sudden act of bravery. An act so rare from me; I was actually willing to help Miku give birth. I just jumped in and helped without even throwing on any gloves. I don't expect any reward or anything; I just wanted to ensure her survival, and Matsuda was incapable of doing it himself. Why did Takeuchi freak out an leave anyways?

    "He was trying to help remove the baby," Kai whispered. "He had a sense about the baby and it must have spooked him and he left without having the right to think about it."

    My face fell, "Oh,"

    Kai and I sat in silence for another few minutes, both looking down. After the long silence, Kai grabbed my hand and smiled lightly at me, "You want to see him, right?"

    "The baby?" I asked and Kai nodded. "Yeah, of course."

    Kai helped me out of the bed and wrapped a sturdy arm around my waist for my support. I didn't feel incredibly weak, but it was still nice to be so close to him. How long has it been since I've gotten back? I think it's been nearly a week...Nearly a week...and I still feel as though Kai's and mine relationship wasn't the same. Ever since the last time he bit me--a few days ago--after that kiss as well, we hadn't kissed since then. Maybe he's still not accustomed to my scent yet?

    "You're going to have to be quiet," Kai looked down at me, probably disturbed by my thoughts. "Miku might be sleeping."

    I nodded and Kai silently turned the knob on the door to Takeuchi's room--which I didn't notice was downstairs, so I was spacing out on the trip down--and opened it. The room was dim; the curtains were nearly closed, only allowing little sunlight in, and the lights were dimmed down. I waited for a moment for my eyes to adjust before I skimmed the room. Takeuchi's room kind of looked like Kai's; the same commodious bed, that was for sure. He had more windows, however, and they were a bit taller. The room was still beautiful, especially with the rays of the early sun reflecting off of the chandelier that hung in the middle of his room.

    I took another look at the bed and gasped at what I saw. Miku was lying on his bed, looking as though she were sleeping. She looked peaceful in her complexion, but her figure seemed way too uncomfortable. A thick cast crowded her pelvis area and coiled around her right leg all the way to her toes and her leg with was propped up on three large pillows. Her shirt had been removed to wrap the bandages around her torso, much like with me when my ribs had broken. Her stomach was heavily bandaged, however. Matsuda probably had to sew her shut since he doesn't have the power to magically heal flesh wounds. Her head was turned in our direction and she was absolutely beautiful when she was sleeping. Her silk black hair shone with a reddish-bluish tint and the sunlight rays reflected off of her complexion with a pink tint.

    "She's sleeping," I whispered. I turned to Kai. "Maybe we should wait until she wakes."

    Before Kai could say anything, the door opened behind him and we looked over to see Takeuchi sneak in stealthily. His face flickered with surprise once he saw us and then he glowed with content.

    "Arisa, you're alive!" he whispered exitedly and embraced me roughly.

    "Uh," I paused. "Yeah, I guess I am."

    Takeuchi unhanded me and made his way over to Miku. I noticed that he didn't necessarily glide like everybody else, but he didn't walk like crap like I do. He was moderate; in between. He sat at the edge of the bed and reposed a gentle hand on Miku's shoulder and shook her lightly, whispering her name and telling her she should wake up. Miku breathed in deeply and as she exhaled, she turned her head the other way, refusing to wake up. Takeuchi chuckled and wrapped his arms around Miku's torso and kissed her cheek and Miku continued to groan in protest.

    "Come on, we've got visitors," he told her.

    Miku turned her head towards us once again and stared at us with her deep blue eyes which soon sparkled with joy. She smiled weakly, probably unable to smile as big as she wanted. She rubbed her eyes as Takeuchi teleported to the lightswitch, dimmed the lights, but he didn't teleport back to Miku's bedside like I had expected. He teleported somewhere else, to the corner of the room nearest to the bed. It took me a moment to notice the brand-new white crib that crowded the corner. How long has a crib been there?

    "Takeuchi and I put it together while Miku was undergoing surgery," Kai told me.

    Takeuchi reached into the crib and pulled out the tiny newborn of his own. My heart and stomach instantly flipped simultaneously and I smiled widely. Kai held me up a little more and watched Takeuchi with me. Takeuchi brought the baby in Miku's direction, not tearing his eyes off of him. He slowly and cautiously lowered the baby to Miku after asking her if she was okay enough to support his weight. Takeuchi carefully flipped the baby so he was lying on his stomach and the baby's head was cradling between Miku's neck and her shoulder. Miku reposed one hand on the baby's head and another hand on his bottom to keep him supported. Miku continued to lie down, nowhere near well enough to sit up yet, and held the baby close to her. My heart and my stomach continued to flutter as Takeuchi bent over and kissed Miku's head and rubbed the baby's delicate head simultaneously. Next to Matsuda and Orihime, Takeuchi and Miku had without a doubt, the strongest chemistry.

    "I think I've got him, Takeuchi," Miku whispered to Takeuchi.

    Takeuchi smiled and stood up. I hadn't seen him so content and in love before. I always knew him as the happy-go-lucky guy who would be bouncing off of the walls with every passing second. Now he's showing love, true love. It's a side of him I didn't think I would witness, much like his panicked side we witnessed hours ago. I approached Takeuchi and stared at the baby as well.

    "What is his name?" I asked Takeuchi and Miku.

    Takeuchi and Miku froze where they were. Takeuchi slapped his forehead, "Ah, man! We didn't even name him!"

    "Um," I blinked in confusion, "aren't you supposed to name a baby after it's born?"

    "My baby has gone half of the day without a name?!" Miku panicked but gasped sharply at the pain in her ribs.

    "Idiots," I heard Kai sigh.

    "Of course, we promised each other we wouldn't make any mistakes after the birth and what do you know; we forget to name him!" Takeuchi freaked out and then laughed at himself.

    After another moment of bickering at which names were good and which names were bad, Miku spoke up again, "Takeuchi?"

    Takeuchi looked down at Miku, "Yeah?"

    "What was your father's name?" she asked, her eyelids drooping from the leftover anesthesia.

    Takeuchi's father? His father and mother were killed, right? Takeuchi paused for a second, "Toshihiro,"

    Toshihiro? Wow, what a cool name. I giggled to myself at that thought and when I looked back down at Miku, she had a large, exhausted smile sprawled across her face. Is that what she wanted to name him? Toshihiro?

    "You're wanting to name him after my dad?" Takeuchi asked Miku in surprise.

    Miku nodded and smiled again, "In honor of your father,"

    "Oh!" I shouted, freaking everybody out. "You should name your girl after Takeuchi's mother if you ever have one!"

    "Thanks for keeping up," Kai noted sarcastically.

    I turned around and glared at him, "I can't read minds, you jerk!"

    I paused as I heard a small whine from the baby--which I now assumed was named Toshihiro. The baby flexed his hand subtly and fell back asleep against Miku's neck. Miku stroked the baby's head and both hers and Takeuchi's faced were glowing. Takeuchi peeked over at me while I was still musing at the newborn and reached down to grab the baby. Miku willingly allowed Takeuchi to remove the baby from her arms and Takeuchi cradled the newborn for a second before handing him over to me. I stared at him blankly and the baby and vice versa.

    "Your mind is going crazy at how much you want to hold him," Takeuchi laughed. "Besides, you're the one that pulled him out, so you should have the honor of seeing him."

    "I--" I stopped myself short and held my arms out, not wanting to protest.

    I had wanted to hold this baby for the longest time. The first time I held him, I had to yank him out of Miku's womb and he was coated in blood. Now he was so clean and--wow--soft. I very cautiously took the newborn in my arms and cradled him to my chest. I felt like melting under the baby's touch and I heard Kai chuckle behind me.

    I flinched after what sounded like cracking cement echoed off of the walls. I turned around only to realize it was Takeuchi giving Kai a big pat on the back, "Congratulations! You and Arisa and his aunt and uncle!"

    Kai cocked an eyebrow in confusion and I stared at Takeuchi in shock. Aunt an uncle? Kai and I weren't even married! We can't be considered his godparents!

    "Sure you can!" Takeuchi boomed in laughter.

    It all felt like we were playing "house". I used to play with Aya all the time. She would always pretend to be the mother and I would pretend to be the daughter; always. I smiled lightly and looked down at the newborn.

    "So it's Toshihiro, right?" I asked, not taking my eyes off of the baby.

    "Yup," Miku confirmed in joy.

    "Toshihiro," I whispered, trying to remember the name.

    Garoukisu Toshihiro, born March second of two thousand and nine at six thirty-seven at night. Child of the adolecense couple; Garoukisu Takeuchi and Yamaguchi Miku.