Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ This I Promise You ❯ This I Promise You ( Chapter 27 )

This I Promise You

Prequel to: Because of You

Written by: Chocho

Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation

Story summary: Everybody assured him Rinjin Yasashii was just another obsessed fan with a crush and that there was nothing to worry about. Little did they know how wrong they all were.

Chapter summary: “Keitaro and Kane,” Shuichi repeated. “'Blessed' and…” He looked up at Eiri help. “'Little brother' in Gaelic.”

Warnings: M-preg language

Key: [Blah] or Blah blah blah: flashback/dream

BLAH or Blah: stressed words

*: change in POV or time

***

 

Epilogue: This I Promise You

 

(Five Months Later)

 

They were seated in the farthest corner, secluded behind beautiful potted trees and several screens. The ceiling lights in the place were dimmed so low, there really was no point in having them on. Instead, the Greek restaurant, Mikonos, was illuminated by the candles that sat in the middle of each table. The candles gave off a soft glow, but surprisingly kept the room lit enough to be able to see your way around without tripping all over yourself or any of the other patrons.

 

“Thank you, Shu-chan,” Eiri whispered. He leaned across the table, cupped his husband's face and gave him a long, lingering chaste kiss. “Happy Anniversary,” he whispered as he pulled away.

 

“Happy Anniversary, Eiri,” Shuichi whispered back.

 

“So,” the writer said, taking a sip of wine. "This is the place Tohma suggested last year?”

 

“Yeah,” the singer blushed. “Is it okay?”

 

Eiri shrugged. “We'll see when our food arrives, but the service so far has been pretty good.”

 

Shuichi's doctor had ordered complete bed rest for him. They knew how hyperactive he was and because he was pregnant with twins, they did not want to chance him having another miscarriage. So, Eiri had assumed that for their anniversary, they would be spending a nice, quiet dinner at home, but Shuichi had been determined to bring him here to Mikonos, the Greek restaurant where he planned to ask him to marry him before all that crap with Rinjin. Eiri had intended to put his foot down, but once Shuichi looked at him with those puppy dog eyes, those fake tears and oh, so cute pout, he had given in. Kami-sama, he was so whipped.

 

He caught sight of their server heading their way with two plates and a basket balanced on his arms. Eiri had always been amazed at how they could juggle so many things at once without dropping something. Shuichi could barely carry one plate from the counter to the table without spilling something. “Speak of the devil.”

 

“Here is your Tiropsomo,” the man said, setting the light brown basket on the table. “And your Horiatiki salata.” He set a rather large plate of Greek salad in front of each of the men and stepped back.

 

“Thank you,” Eiri said.

 

“Is there anything else, Gentlemen?”

 

“Nothing for now, thank you.”

 

The young server bowed and left.

 

Shuichi glanced at the salad that was large enough to feed three third world countries for a year and grimaced. He picked up his fork and poked at the bunny food, glancing at Eiri who had already started eating his and who was watching him closely.

 

“Eat it, Shuichi.”

 

The singer grimaced. “What's in it?” he asked suspiciously.

 

“Stuff that's good for you.”

 

That was a matter of opinion.

 

“Now eat,” Eiri ordered.

 

Shuichi poked his fork at what looked like a flower bud. “What's this?”

 

“A caper.”

 

Shuichi blinked. “A what?”

 

Eiri sighed. “It's a caper, an edible flower.”

 

“A flower?” Shuichi's face scrunched up. “Gross! I'm not eating a flower!”

 

“You will eat or I'll force it down your throat.”

 

“Aw, man,” Shuichi whined. “What else is in here?”

 

“Those red things are tomatoes-“

 

Shuichi glared at him.

 

“Hey! You asked.”

 

“Eiri,” Shuichi growled threateningly.

 

Eiri sighed. “Fine. Tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, and onion. That white crumbly stuff is feta cheese. If you've never had it before, you could get the runs.”

 

Shuichi's lips curled back in disgust. As if he did not go to the bathroom enough as it was.

 

“There're also black kalamata olives, capers, as I said, parsley, oregano, salt, oil and vinegar.”

 

Shuichi put down his fork, unsure if he could even try the green mixture in front of him. This was the last time he let Eiri order for him. The basket the server had placed in the middle of the table caught his attention. “And what's this?”

 

“Tiropsomo. Cheese bread,” he clarified at Shuichi's blank expression.

 

That did not sound so bad. He grabbed a slice of the still hot bread and took a tentative bite. Immediately, he fell in love with it. “This is good,” he commented.

 

“At least you like something,” Eiri muttered. “You will eat that salad, Shindou Shuichi.”

 

Shuichi rolled his eyes. “Yes, Mom.” He laughed when Eiri shot him an evil glare, but his laugh choked to a sudden stop. His hands flew to his gigantic stomach.

 

The glare was gone as if someone had flipped a switch. Eiri's fork clattered to the table and his face paled. Jumping to his feet, he was instantly at Shuichi's side when the raven-haired man's face twisted into an unreadable expression. “Shu! What's wrong?”

 

Shock filled violet eyes lifted and locked with golden hazel ones. “I…think it's…time.”

 

Eiri straightened and stared down at Shuichi blankly. His mind could make sense of what Shuichi just said. It was like he had spoken to him in some strange foreign language. The writer knew there was something he was supposed to be doing, but for the life of him, he could not think of what that was.

 

“Eiri?”

 

Shuichi's voice snapped him out of his daze. He looked over his shoulder and singled to their waiter. Pulling out his wallet, he paid their bill, giving the man a sizeable tip for the mess they were leaving him.

 

“Keep the change,” he said.

 

The man bowed. “Thank you, Sir. Have a pleasant night.”

 

He was not so sure about that.

 

Eiri helped Shuichi to his feet and dug out his cell phone, calling Marcus and telling him to bring the car around. Pocketing his cell phone, the blond writer wrapped his arms around Shuichi's waist and helped him out of the restaurant, trying not to draw too much attention to them.

 

When the car pulled up, Eiri did not bother to wait for the chauffer or the big, burly guard to open the door for them. Instead, he helped his husband inside and ordered them to take them to the nearest hospital. “Now,” he growled.

 

It was safe to say, nobody questioned him.

 

*

 

“Hug your legs to your chest,” Dr. Kameyama told Shuichi several long and agonizing hours later, “and on the next contraction, bear down hard like you're going to the bathroom.”

 

Shuichi nodded. He grabbed his ankles and pulled his legs back to his chest with trembling hands. Kami-sama, he was scared. Eiri was so going to pay for putting him through this. “Tell me why I'm doing this again?” he asked his husband.

 

Eiri smirked softly at the smaller man. He reached out and swept his husbands damp raven bangs aside. “Because you love me.”

 

Shuichi snorted. “Not right now I don't.”

 

Eiri chuckled.

 

“Don't worry, Shindou-san,” the doctor reassured him with a smile. “Everything will be fine.”

 

Easy for him to say. He is not the one lying here about to push two watermelons out of a cantaloupe-sized opening.

 

Shuichi looked at his husband standing besides him. He was glad he was here. Eiri smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder, telling his lover without words that everything was going to be all right.

 

“Here we go,” the doctor said, looking at the monitor by the side of the bed.

 

There was no need to tell him. Even with the epidermal, he could feel the damn contraction coming. How could you not see the bullet train barreling towards you? Shuichi turned back towards the doctor, waiting.

 

“And…PUSH!”

 

He bore down with everything he had, grunting with the excruciating effort. Sweat glistened down his face, gluing his gown to his body. Eiri had helped tie his hair back earlier and right now, he was glad for that. The back of his neck was so sweaty it was as if someone had splashed him with water. His face was flushed and warm.

 

“2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 and breathe.”

 

Letting out his pent up breath, he had barely enough time to catch his breath when the cycle started again.

 

“And push! 2-3-4-5…”

 

*

 

“All right, I see the head! Take a breather, Shindou-san.” Dr. Kameyama smiled happily at the father-to-be half an hour later. “It looks like he has your hair, Eiri-san.”

 

A grin slowly crossed Eiri's face.

 

“Okay, Shindou-san. One final push…! Got him!”

 

Shuichi collapsed onto the bed panting heavily.

 

The baby's umbilical cord was cut and his nose and throat were cleared. Almost immediately, a near ear-splitting cry erupted through the delivery room. The sound of his son's wails brought tears to Shuichi's eyes.

 

“Here is baby number 1,” Dr. Kameyama cried. He held the screaming baby up so that new parents could see him.

 

Shuichi burst into tears. “Oh, Eiri,” he cried in perfect imitation of his newborn son.

 

“He's beautiful, Shu-chan.” Despite all that crap he is covered in, he added silently.

 

“That's because he looks like you,” Shuichi giggled through his tears.

 

That was an understatement. Their son looked like a miniature version of his father, with a head full of yellow-blond hair, oval face and long thin nose. Shu wondered what color his eyes were going to be.

 

“Yeah,” Eiri agreed, “but he has your lungs.”

 

Shuichi chuckled. There was no denying that. The kid had one set of powerful lungs. Not to mention, he sounded kind of upset and annoyed, just like Eiri when he was bothered. Like father, like son, Shuichi thought happily.

 

*

 

Half an hour later, Shindou-Uesugi baby number two arrived in much the same manner as his brother. Shuichi could not seem to stop crying. That might have been one of the most painful experiences in his entire life, but it had been well worth it.

 

He had been through so much shit in just the past decade that he thought he had been cursed to never live a happy, normal life, but maybe in the end, it had been worth it, if for nothing more than to get to this point.

 

Shuichi felt so content with where his life was and where it would be going that it made him a little suspicious and just a little scared, but he pushed those negative thoughts aside. His life was finally getting back on track and he was going to enjoy it.

 

Eiri sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arm around his husband, hugging him tightly. He, too, had tears glistening in his eyes. “I'm proud of you, Shu-chan,” he whispered, kissing the top of Shuichi's head.

 

Shuichi laid his head against Eiri's chest with a sigh and smiled. “I love you, Eiri.”

 

“I know,” Eiri whispered back.

 

“But, next time, you're going to be the one lying here.”

 

Eiri snorted. No way in bloody hell was that ever going to happen.

 

“Here you go,” announced a nurse in a come hither voice, a small swaddled bundle in her arms. “Baby one.”

 

Eiri stood up and the nurse gently laid the quiet infant in his mother's arms.

 

“Thank you,” Shuichi whispered, cradling his son gently to his chest. He smiled through his tear-blurred vision and kissed his son lightly, holding him securely. His son looked up at him with the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. “Oh! He's so cute, Eiri!” He giggled through his tears. “You look exactly like your daddy! Yes, you do!” Shuichi sniffled. He could not seem to stop crying or smiling.

 

Standing besides his husband, Eiri smirked as he rubbed lazy circles on Shuichi's back.

 

“Ya know, I bet you're going to have Daddy's eyes, too,” Shuichi cooed. “You'll be the cutest baby in town! I bet this's what you looked like as a baby,” he said to his husband.

 

Eiri snorted.

 

“Right?” Shu asked his son. “What do you think, huh?”

 

The baby just stared up at him, watching him as if he were trying to memorize his face.

 

“You're just a little Daddy-clone!”

 

Eiri snorted out a laugh. Where did he get this stuff?

 

A second nurse walked up to them. “Here you go,” she smiled, as she lay baby two in Shuichi's other arm.

 

“Hi,” Shuichi cooed to the baby. His kissed him softly. “I'm your mama.”

 

The baby looked up at him and yawned loudly.

 

“Awe,” Shuichi laughed. “Tired, huh? Yeah, you guys had a big day.”

 

As Shuichi continued to talk to his sons, Eiri's face softened as he glanced down at his family. A soft smile lit his face.

 

Shuichi smiled up at him. “What should we name them?”

 

Eiri reached out and caressed his eldest boy's cheek. The baby looked up and locked eyes with his father.

 

“That tall, handsome, sexy man is your daddy,” Shuichi told his son. “Say, `hi, Daddy'.”

 

Eiri chuckled. “Taro.”

 

Shuichi blinked at him. “What?”

 

“His name'll be Taro,” indicating his eldest child. “And…” The writer studied his other boy who was an exact duplicate of his brother, considering. He reached out and touched his son's baby soft face, smiling. “Jiro.”

 

“Taro and Jiro,” Shuichi repeated slowly. “Eiri,” he scolded. “First born son and second born son?” He shook his head, clucking his tongue. “Jeeze! Why not `Heir' and `Backup Heir'?”

 

Eiri glared at his husband, but Shuichi looked innocently back at him. “Fine,” Eiri sighed. He thought about names for his son's, good, strong ones. A slow smile crossed his face. “Keitaro and…Kane.”

 

“Keitaro and Kane,” Shuichi repeated. “'Blessed' and…” He looked up at Eiri help.

 

“'Little brother' in Gaelic.”

 

Shuichi nodded slowly. “I like them.” Despite the fact that Kane still had a title for a name, he thought. He glanced down at his boys. “What do you guys think, huh?” he asked, smiling brightly. Both newborns glanced up at him with their dark blue eyes that Shuichi knew would turn into a beautiful golden hazel in due time. Shuichi kissed them, chuckling, then glanced up at his husband, who dipped his head and kissed him.

 

“I love you, Shindou Shuichi,” he said, pulling back.

 

“I know,” Shuichi whispered back. “But I'm still never going through this again.”

 

We'll see about that, Eiri thought. We'll see.

 

*** OWARI ***