Chocolate fic for boku_no_yuuki
To: boku_no_yuuki
From: cupid_johnny
Title: Freeter wa kekkon shimashita
Pairing: Seiji Take/Manami Chiba
Rating: NC-17
Summary: They married and lived happy ever after...as if everything was as simple as that!
A/N: I really loved the Freeter drama but I have been a little bit frustrated by the too-subtle love story. When I received the prompts for the exchange I thought that it was my luck to fix this! I hope this story will please you!
"Take-san?"
The young woman was lost in her thoughts, turning the shining golden ring around her fourth finger absentmindedly, still not used to wear it. Like she was not used to be called by her new family name.
"Take-san?" insisted the woman's voice behind her back.
"Oh, excuse me!" she said, turning her head to see the waitress ready to pour some wine in her glass. "No, thank you." She nodded apologetically, covering the crystal glass with her hand.
The waitress bowed to her with a smile and went to the next table diligently.
Manami stared at the bride in the white dress, who was sitting at the main table and looking at the groom with a loving gaze. They seemed so happy to be married. She smiled to herself, thinking of her own wedding.
Three months. It’s been three months since she said ’yes’ to the man of her life and she couldn’t believe how fast time flew by. It seemed just like yesterday.
She looked for her husband amongst the large banquet hall. Their ceremony hadn’t been so gorgeous; they simply gathered their family and friends in a restaurant. It was intimate and somehow, warmer. She didn’t like to be the center of attention in general, so this kind of overcrowded festivities was definitely a no-no.
They knew each other for several years now but they spent 2 years apart, separated by hundreds of kilometres and it has been the hardest time of her life. So when the company offered her to go back to Tokyo, she didn’t think twice. It was a less interesting job, less paid, but she could finally live with Seiji and nothing could replace that.
He proposed to her after one year of relationship - not really openly, but it was Seiji’s way of doing things - so they didn’t waste time and the month after her return, they registered their marriage at the City Hall. It sounded a little bit rushed, but why would they have to think about it any longer? They were both adults and ready for the marriage after all.
She found him talking with Teppei, a glass of white wine in his hand.
He was handsome. Truly. And not only because he was the man she loved, not at all; she was totally objective. He was not very tall, perhaps, but he was manly and strong despite his slim silhouette. He was sexy, cute, sensitive, clever and above all, he loved her deeply, like she loved him.
She could sense on her skin the warmth of the caress he gave her that very morning as they were lying in their bed. She shivered despite of the hot summer season and stroked her arms energetically.
Seiji turned his head and looked at her, a slight smirk on his face like always. He waved at her and Teppei did the same, raising his glass joyfully. Teppei never failed to make her laugh with his funny, weird face. He was married to Akari almost 2 years ago and they had a little boy, cute and quiet, who followed his mother around in the company when no one could babysit him at home.
Manami was tired somehow, unable to focus her thoughts for more than a few minutes, jumping from one subject to another.
She brought work at home and she had an entire file about a new project to read before the ceremony. Seiji was already ready while she hadn’t even had time to take a shower. Taking a day off, to be lazy, was something she couldn’t afford for the moment. She was new at the Tokyo office and she had a lot to prove. If she wanted a better position, she should work, work, and work again, better and harder than any man in the company.
She would have given everything to be allowed to take off her shoes, stretch her painful back and lay her legs on a chair...
“Are you tired?”
She smiled when she felt her husband’s hands on her shoulders. He sat down on the chair next to her and they watched the dancers in the middle of the Hall, moving more or less graciously to classical music. She put her chin in her palm and smiled at him.
“A little bit, perhaps. The week has been long…”
Seiji looked around and intertwined their fingers discreetly under the table.
“And what if we…took advantage of the dance to slip away quietly? No one will notice us.”
She bit her lips hesitantly. It was not very polite to vanish before the end of the party…on the other hand, she was exhausted and the idea to finally be alone with her husband was more than tempting. She gazed at him and simply nodded.
“Okay, we’re gonna say goodbye to the newlyweds.”
They greeted the happy couple, said goodbye to their friends and drove home in the brand new car they bought after their marriage. Even if Seiji rode his old scooter to go to work, when they were together, she liked to be driven.
They entered the dark house in silence and put on the slippers prepared for them. They tiptoed not to wake up the dwellers, avoided the cat that was hoping for their caresses and climbed the stairs discreetly.
Seiji’s bedroom didn’t really change since the wedding. The single bed left the place to a double bed, not too large because the room was not very big. Since she lived in the company's dorm, she didn’t need anything and Seiji’s house was fully equipped, so most of Manami’s stuff were still in the garage, packed but ready to be used.
“Want to go first to the bathroom?” He said in an undertone as he was putting away the blanket.
“Yes, thanks.”
She brushed her teeth, put on her pajamas and braided her hair, and then they switched places.
She stretched out in the bed and took a magazine that she glanced at vaguely.
“What are you reading?”
“Hm…let me see…the ‘ten things to do to keep your husband at home’…”
“Who lent it to you?”
“Why? Shouldn’t I be able to buy it by myself?”
“Go on…who?”
“Your sister.”
“I see.”
“Seiji…do you think I’m not girly enough?”
He stared at her, ready to laugh, visibly wondering what she hoped to hear. He sat on the bed next to her and looked at her.
“You’re not very girly, certainly, but you used to work in the industry field. It’s not the best way to be like Akari or my sister, perhaps. But you’re perfect the way you are. And today you were the most beautiful woman.”
“You want to lessen what you told me with your fake praises.”
“It’s not fake, it’s true. After all, I married you.”
He bent to kiss her and straightened up suddenly to turn off the lights. He came back to her, fumbled to find her mouth and finally took her lips gently.
He stroked her arms and slid to the edge of her pajamas, raising it lightly to caress her sweet belly.
It was pretty new for them, this kind of intimacy. They kissed for the first time after one year in their relationship, so sharing a bed while she was away, during one of her short and occasional visits, was absolutely out of question. They didn’t talk about it before but unsurprisingly they simply made love for the first time during their wedding night. It was more beautiful and meaningful this way, Seiji had said when he finally possessed her, and she had been amazed to discover how much he could be romantic and tender. They were not totally comfortable with sex and she couldn’t help but think that perhaps, if her parents-in-law weren’t on the other side of the wall, everything could be easier. No. She didn’t want to think this way. Seiji was the best son she ever met and it was partly because of that, that she fell in love with him…
“Do you want…?” he murmured in her ear.
She kissed him back and he moved to strip while she did the same on her side of the bed. He turned back to her and she heard the characteristic sound of the torn package.
She almost dreaded this moment, when she was naked in the bed, waiting awkwardly when he comes back to her. She shivered and covered her chin with the blanket. Soon she felt his mouth on her neck, his caressing hands on her body and she closed her eyes to enjoy the sweet strokes. She wanted him badly but she was unable to make any unusual moves…and if she did wrong? What would he think about her? And if she was too daring, would he think that she was too bold to be honest? Did a good way to proceed exist, anyway? She couldn’t talk about this kind of subject with anyone, so she kept her thoughts to herself and did her best to enjoy the soft way her husband made love to her.
She spread her legs and he placed himself between them, taking the time to prepare her with his fingers. It was painful somehow...at the beginning at least but she loved so much to be his that she bravely bit her lips to keep the pain to herself. She put her hands on his waist and the way he moved against her body turned her on. When she figured out what she was thinking, she blushed and put back her arms on the bed shyly. He sped up his pace and hid his mouth on her neck, crying his orgasm in silence against her skin. He cuddled her, kissed her face sweetly and left her to throw the condom in the trash bin. She shivered and put her pajamas on quickly. Unfortunately, her father-in-law had a tendency to enter their bedroom without warning in the morning and Seiji’s cries didn’t change anything. If he saw them naked it would be an awful diplomatic incident.
For each one of them.
+=+=
“So, when will you have a baby?”
Manami smiled at the woman and tried her best to avoid the question she heard hundreds of times since the marriage. Plus she didn’t really like this woman, Ayako’s mother-in-law.
So she looked at her husband who kept his mouth shut, and she brushed the hair of the baby she was holding. The little girl was so tiny and beautiful and she smelled so good. Manami realised that she has never noticed before how much a newborn could be appeasing, though she never had any newborns around her, except Akari’s and Teppei’s son.
Tomoya, his nephew, was watching her carefully; ready to fly to his sister’s rescue if his aunt failed to hold her properly. Manami sat on the couch and he imitated her and finally smiled.
“Are you happy, Tomoya-kun?”
“Yes, I am. I’m an aniki now, right?”
“Yes, you are, indeed. Do you help your mum?”
“Hm. The best I could, but she says she doesn’t need me.”
“I know, but you have to take care of her. She must be tired, even if she’s strong. ”
Ayako, Seiji’s sister, had a baby girl the previous month and the entire family was amazed by this little marvel. Of course, questions about her own pregnancy were more frequent but at least, those concerning the marriage and the wedding night were over…
“Seiji, I’ve got to go back to work.”
“Now?”
“Yes, sorry.”
She handed the baby to her mother-in-law, Sumiko, and tried her best not to notice the deceiving tone of her husband.
“I’ll go with you to the car.”
Ayako and her husband lived in a luxurious apartment; he was a doctor and the heir to a famous clinic. But Manami didn’t envy her, Ayako was a housewife and alone most of the time, something the young woman couldn’t imagine for herself. Even though sometimes, with the hard job she did, she felt to be in the shoes of a family man. Her husband was more forthcoming than her, obviously, and if she felt guilty sometimes, he never complained to her.
On that day she worked late and when she came back home, exhausted like never before, the dinner was on the table and Seiji was waiting to eat with her.
She apologized to her parents-in-law, like almost every day, and they sat at the table. She ate with pleasure the delicious meal Sumiko-san cooked for them.
“You know…” began Seiji’s father while he was pouring some beer into his glass. ”I was thinking that perhaps we should find a solution for the house.”
Seiji looked at his mother, dumbfounded, then back to his father.
“A solution? A solution like what? For what?”
Sumiko answered, “You’re married and we can understand how hard it is for a newlywed couple to live with their parents. And you certainly want a baby…”
Manami gazed at her husband and she couldn't help feeling bad when he laughed out loud.
“Don’t worry about that! A baby? We have plenty of time to think about it, years, surely, so don’t worry, ne?”
The young woman smiled courageously and finished the meal in silence. But Sumiko didn’t take her eyes off her, not for a second.
She was so tired suddenly…almost ill when she thought about it. She wanted sleep, just sleep and rest her painful body.
She went upstairs after the dinner and Seiji followed her, bringing the cream he used to massage his mother’s hand.
“Why the cream?”
“I thought you needed to relax, you look tired.”
She knew it was Seiji’s way to communicate with his mother when she was ill, the best way he found to create a quiet atmosphere around them.
“You’re certainly right.”
He took her hand and began the massage skillfully.
“My parents…they will not be home the next weekend, they’ll attend a wedding, a cousin I think…busy period, ne?”
“Hm, I guess…”
“You know…I’m sorry for what I said earlier, I should have talked to you before. About the fact that we could move out, about…a baby.”
“Don’t worry, I understand.”
No, in fact she didn’t understand, but she got the fact that she had a terrible mother. Was he afraid like she was, to give such a mother to his child?
“It's not that I don’t want a baby but your job is the most important thing for the moment, you fought hard for it. Anyway, it’s a question we don’t have to ask, we can’t afford two houses.”
Seiji bought this house for his mother and each month he paid the rent, cash on the nail. Of course, there was another possibility but…
“Seiji?”
“Hm?”
“I never talked to you about it, but…the company offered an apartment to us when I came back. It’s not very big but for the two of us, and I've been saving my salaries since months, we--”
“It's my job as husband to provide a roof for you. And we already have a house.”
“We have a bedroom and I can’t even walk around the house naked if I want!”
“Na…naked? What for?”
“Don’t know, from the bathroom to the bedroom for example.”
She saw him frown and she regretted immediately her words. He was hurt in his pride and that was something she promised herself to avoid at all costs.
“Sorry, Seiji. Forget it. I’m such a fool…we’re perfectly fine here. I’m just…tired. This new project is awful and pressuring.”
He pouted and grabbed her other hand without speaking. He could be so similar to his father sometimes, even if he denied it strongly.
“I love you,” she muttered softly. He finally raised his head and sighed.
“I love you, too.” He cupped her face and kissed her forehead. ”Now sleep, tomorrow is another day.”
=+=
Manami always had a good relationship with her mother-in-law. Sumiko was a gentle woman, discreet and sensitive, and she had a lot in common with Seiji. When the young woman met him, his mother was ill and he really took care of her. Since then, she recovered and changed a lot.
First, she found a hobby. Just like her own mother, she sang in a chorus and met new friends. Then, and most importantly, she found a way to ease her mind about her parents. When she met Seiji’s father, she eloped with him, and her parents turned their backs on her. Unfortunately, she never talked to them before their death and it’s only thanks to her brother that she could enter her childhood house again.
This house was about to be demolished but…for the second time in her life, Sumiko took an irrevocable decision. She will keep the house with her brother and once a week, she spent a day to clean and maintain it.
By the end of the afternoon, after work, Manami parked the car in the quiet suburb street and entered the house of Sumiko’s parents.
“Okaasan?”
“I’m here, Manami-chan.”
The young woman walked to the living room, where her mother-in-law was kneeling, a stack of books by her side.
”I read each of those books so many times, I can’t count it anymore…”
Manami bent down and took the first one.
“The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. My father read it to me when I was a little girl, I clearly remember…”
“He was a good father.”
“I’m convinced Seiji would have like him.”
“Yes, I’m sure too.”
Manami sat on the floor and in silence helped her mother-in-law to put the books back on the shelves after removing the dust with wiping clothes. After some long minutes of silence, the older woman whispered, “Excuse me if I interfere with your couple life. I know I don’t have the right to, but you can see it like the worry of a mother for her beloved children.”
“Please do.”
“Manami-chan, you seem to be really tired lately and perhaps I can help you with that.”
“You are already doing so much for me. You’re right, I’m tense because of work and after the wedding we didn’t have enough time to be together, I guess I miss Seiji even if I see him everyday...it’s strange, ne?”
She really needed to spend some time with her husband, but she sounded pathetic with those kinds of excuses, she couldn’t even fool herself. She didn’t know why she was so tired but since the death of her father, she had always seen her mother in a similar mental state. Emotionally drained, finding only some relief in the alcohol. And if she was meant to be like her? Was marital life enough to turn her into a depressive and sad woman?
“I think that an herbal infusion could help you a lot. When I was pregnant with Seiji, I couldn’t eat anything for months and a friend gave me a very efficient recipe.”
“Well…”
She didn’t really understand what the purpose of that conversation was, what was Sumiko trying to say?
“How long?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The baby. How long have you been pregnant? You can talk to me, I can keep a secret.”
“I’m not--”
“Oh yes, you are.”
Sumiko resumed her task and Manami felt her world falling apart. Pregnant? Impossible, they always used condoms, well, except on that night…their wedding night with that little incident. Holy shit.
But somehow…
She put her hand to her still flat belly, caressing that new life for the first time. Sumiko was right, it all made sense now. The nausea, the tiredness, the difficulties to focus on anything, the sudden bursts of anger before the exhaustion…
She was happy. Fantastically happy. Just before she figured out what it implied and panic madly.
“But Seiji…he said that my work was the most important, that we couldn’t afford two houses--”
She felt tears at the corner of her eyes and gently her mother-in-law’s hands on hers.
“Everything will be fine. Every problem has a solution and…a baby is definitely not a problem, it’s a blessing. Seiji can be blunt sometimes; he hides his feelings to protect the ones he loves. Talk to him, communication is the most important thing for a couple. I understood it very late, unfortunately, but I have very high expectations for you two.”
Manami stared at the gentle smile of the woman and found the courage to pull herself together. She was right, nothing bad could really happen. She loved Seiji, like he loved her and even if that little life was not planned, it was expected. It was definitely good news.
She just had to announce it to her husband…
=+=
For the first time since her return in Tokyo, she took a day off the day when Sumiko and Seiichi left for the weekend. The previous day she received a phone call from the laboratory to confirm her pregnancy and now that she knew, she was full of energy. As if the baby was sending her the willingness she thought she had lost since so many weeks.
The most surprising thing to her was discovering that after all, she was a woman. A woman able to give life to a human being, to give a baby to her husband and she finally began to believe that becoming aware of it could be enough to truly reconcile with herself.
She stood up from the couch where she was spacing out and raised up her sleeves.
“Yosh…”
She had decided to cook a delicious meal for Seiji in order to create a perfect atmosphere for the great announcement. Manami could not imagine how he would react so she tried to decrease the angst she felt the best she could. She searched for a recipe on internet - a very simple one, she was totally useless in a kitchen - and went to the supermarket to buy some stuff.
“Manami-chan?”
She turned around and faced Akari and her son, who looked dumbfounded to see her in such a place. Why in the world this town was so small…?
“Akari-chan, how are you?”
“Very well…but you? Is Sumiko-san ill? I can call home if you want, Seiji is there to help Teppei with the house--”
“Oh, no, absolutely not, she left for the week-end, I thought I could cook something for Seiji.”
“You told him you wanted to cook?”
“Why…it’s not as if I planned to poison him.” She said with a smirk.
“Of course not, but if you need some help you can call me.”
“You are frightening me now. I…I can do it! I can do that for him at least.”
“Yes, you’re right, love is all you need~”
“Wicked girl…”
The younger laughed joyfully and walked by, waving at her.
“By the way, Manami-chan.”
“Yes?”
“You’re shining today. Good news?”
Manami blushed and shook her head negatively but she knew that her friend was very intuitive. So…everybody noticed but her?
She came back home, opened the bags, put on an apron and settled down to work. She had all the afternoon to cook, it will be a piece of cake, she thought optimistically.
That’s what she believed until the moment she figured out that she was a far worse cook than she could have ever imagined.
Nothing seemed to turn good and she decided to give up after several hours of systematically burning every meal she tried to cook.
On the verge of tears, she went upstairs to put on a pretty dress, the one Seiji loved the most. The look was not everything but it will help give her some guts. Then she went down, and when she was about to call a delivery service, she heard a surprising “Tadaima”.
Seiji was in front of her and he was gazing at her, baffled.
“O…okaeri.”
“Something came up?”
He was wearing some old clothes he used to work in at Teppei’s house, a ripped jeans and one of his favourite rock band shirt, the ACDC one...
“Akari-chan told me I had to go back home.”
Such a backstabber…she grinned awkwardly and remembered the mess in the kitchen.
“I guess she’s not very confident with my cooking skills. Sorry Seiji, since your mother left, I wanted to prepare something but I’m such a bad cook…”
He walked to the kitchen, put his hands on his hips and she feared the worst.
“I’m sure we can cook something together.” He said when he turned back to her, a happy smile on his face.
Manami felt the weight on her shoulders disappear, and she nodded before joining him behind the counter.
He reached out and handed her a carrot to peel while he began to cut some pork meat he found in the fridge. She took a knife but felt him in her back. He put an apron on her, tying the knot at her waist.
“You shouldn’t dirty your dress. You’re very pretty today.”
She blushed insanely and tried to avoid his gaze. She loved him so much…was it possible to love someone more and more every day?
He was talented with cooking, talented with so many things she wasn’t. Even if he never cooked when his mother was home, Manami was convinced that he did it on purpose to leave his mother the pleasure of being useful. It could be part of the therapy but the young woman rather thought that it was Seiji’s way to love his mother.
“Your mother is such a good cook,” she mumbled as she grabbed another carrot.
“My father used to say she’s only a good cook…I’m pretty sure he thinks it’s the best praise he could do to the woman who shares his life for thirty years.”
“He’s clumsy, but he loves her.”
“I know. That’s why I can forgive his many mistakes. Plus, I guess…that now I’m a married man, I figured out some stuff.”
“Some stuff?”
She stared at him but he kept on his task without raising his gaze. He put the meat in a bowl and prepared a sauce that he poured in.
“I realized how hard it is to make the woman you love happy.”
“Seiji…”
“I thought about the apartment you talked to me about. If it’s what you really wish for, I think we could--”
“Seiji, I’m happy.”
“Hm?”
“I’m happy just the way we are. You’re my happiness.”
He shook his head shyly, an awkward smirk on his lips. She looked at him as he washed his hands and wiped them on a tissue. She put the knife on the counter and nestled against him, her arms firmly embracing his waist.
She heard Seiji’s sigh above her and felt his hand brushing the hair on her nape, then his arms crossed behind her back.
“It’s strange to be just the two of us, hm?”
“Strange to find me here so early too?”
“Yes, that too. But I could get used to it.”
Perhaps that was the moment to tell him…but she just laughed and resumed her task, cursing her cowardice in silence.
She decided to show him she could be - not a housewife, it was unthinkable - at least a good wife, able to make an effort for the man she married. Plus, if she didn’t move now, she will never be able to leave Seiji’s arms. She felt the desire to kiss him but it was not the place, not the moment…in the kitchen and it was not even 7…what was in her mind?
She quickly changed the subject of the conversation.
“I went to your grandparent’s house to pick up your mother this week. You know, I really love that house. It’s old and traditional but it smelt as the good nostalgia.”
He chuckled.
“The good nostalgia?! What’s this?”
“Like…that house has a story, a familial history. I understand why your mother loves it so much.”
“But it’s a place which breaks her heart, too. She left it to marry my father and now it’s like an empty shell. Pretty sad…yep, it’s ready. Are you hungry?”
“I’m starving!”
They went to the living room, sat at the low table and after a quick ‘Itadakimasu’ tasted cautiously.
“Hm…it’s the best…what is it, by the way?”
“Don’t really know, a kind of mixture.”
“It’s a delicious kind of mixture, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Manami ate some rice and thought about the best way to tell Seiji about her pregnancy. But she was totally frozen. And if he got angry with her? And if it meant the end of their lovey-dovey happy bubble?
“What are you thinking about?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.
“Various things. Nothing important.” Crap, she missed the opportunity…
He put his chopsticks on the table, stretched his arms far above his head then sat down on the couch.
“I’m full.”
Manami imitated him and he turned on the TV like they used to do each evening with Seiji’s parents. She dared to put his head on her husband’s shoulder and he placed his arms around her.
“Do you want to watch a movie?”
“Saa…”
Her palm rested on Seiji’s stomach and it felt so good that she was unable to think about anything else. She just wanted to cuddle…but she never acted like a spoiled child and she couldn’t imagine asking this kind of thing of him.
She raised her legs against her body and swallowed an unintentional groan of pain. She didn’t sit for hours and her muscles were painfully cramped. One of the happiness of pregnancy, she thought to herself.
Seiji took off his arm from her and stood up. He shut down the ceiling lamp and turned on a dim light behind the couch, then came back with a tube of cream which smelt divinely good.
“Lay down.”
“W…what?”
“On the couch. Lay down. Your legs hurt, ne?”
“Hm, yeah. Thanks.”
She crossed her arms on her chest and hesitantly put on her legs on Seiji’s. He poured a nut of cream into his palm and slowly, gently, he caressed her ankles, then went up to her calves with a skilled to-and-from movement.
Before she knew it, her eyes were closed and her arms rested loosely above her head. She was in paradise…she could hear in the background a soft music from the TV, but she couldn’t think further. When he caressed the back of her knees she couldn’t help letting out a delighted moan. Seiji stopped his movement but soon resumed his ministrations and placed his hands subtly higher. She wriggled shamelessly, raising up her skirt and felt the fresh air caressing her nude thighs.
…After all, they were married, it’s not as if he has never seen her naked. She tried to find a reasonable logic to her desire even if she was perfectly aware that what was happening in that very moment had nothing to do with any logic of any sort. Perhaps it was the fact that she was surprisingly reassured about her femininity, perhaps it was only because Seiji was the man he was. Whatever, suddenly she didn’t find so reprehensible to show him she loved his caress, that she wanted more.
Manami half-opened her eyes and glanced at him and found out that he seemed to endure a torture. His face was red, his breath was short and heavy and now she realized how his hands were almost shaking on her thighs and…the prominent bulge under her calf.
She nibbled on her thumb to hide a moan when she rubbed incidentally his manhood with the back of her leg. Manami felt the blush on her face, but this time it was not by reserve, rather by excitement. Unable to find the willingness to move, she closed her eyelids once again to hide the fact she was dying to make love there and then.
But…
Two fingers on her hips and slowly she sensed the light cotton of her panties on her thighs. She moved imperceptibly to ease Seiji’s task and soon the underwear was tickling her ankles before setting on the floor.
And now what could happen? By taking off her underwear he clearly showed his own desire for her, perhaps it was time for her to do the same. Communication was the most important thing, hm?
She threw away her prejudice and straightened up to straddle him like she had died to do so many times. Seiji stroke her back and when she dived into his eyes she read so much desire, so much love that she felt a huge hole in her lower belly claiming to be fulfilled.
He unbuttoned her pretty dress, revealing her bra and suddenly she caught her reflection in the mirror on the wall behind the couch. An impudent woman, red cheeks, dress opened and hair tousled. She looked around her, figured out suddenly they were in the living room, her in-laws living room, it was so inappropriate…
“You’re so beautiful…”
Her heart pounded madly when she heard his sulky voice and felt his palm between her two breasts.
“Touch me, please.”
Was he asking…? She hung her head and rose up the edge of his T-shirt to caress his stomach and his chest, making him sigh heavily. He was so hot, almost burning, or was it her who was so sensitive? In a blur she tossed the top on the floor and finally kissed him. He groaned under her lips that she parted to taste the smell of their meal lingering on his tongue. He slipped his hands under the dress and without breaking the kiss audaciously slid from the inner of her thighs to her intimacy. She bit her lower lips to shut down a scream of pleasure when he inserted a finger in her and licked the tender skin above her breasts. Manami leaned forward and put her hand on Seiji’s belt but he grabbed her wrist.
“We should go upstairs…”
She removed quickly her hand, mortified of having taken such a bold initiative.
“No, I mean, the condoms are upstairs...but…”
“But?”
“The other day, I lied about the baby. I want a baby, but I know how you worked hard for your job, that you can’t - So we just should go upstairs and use a condom…”
“Hush.”
Manami lovingly cupped his face and kissed him softly, then she slid her hand to his belt again and unbuckled it. She freed him from his briefs, and gripping the back of the couch, took him inside her slowly. She never rode him but she began to sway sensually just listening to the desire she had to make love to this man. He put his hands to her hips to guide her gently, his face twisted by the pleasure she gave him. It was so exciting to make him lose control, to hear him making all those erotic noises, to see him letting himself go so intensely under her that she didn’t restrain herself anymore. She moaned and groaned openly, moved faster until the moment she felt a wave of pleasure running through her body, devastating her totally. Unable to move, languishing against Seiji’s body, she held him tight but he chuckled and softly whispered in her ears.
“Don’t let me down…”
“Hm?”
He toppled her over the couch and kissed her fiercely. Suddenly she fell from her cloud of bliss, the blood still pulsing hard between her legs, she hung the head and saw their lower belly united impudently.
“Put your legs on my waist.”
She did what she was told like a puppet and felt him thrusting deeper inside her. He moved unhurriedly, pecking her face and her neck, caressing her breast deliciously to tease her desire and it began again, it came back with strength. She arched her back to get along with his movement, firmly pressing her thighs behind his back. Seiji put his forehead on hers and it was eye to eye that they climaxed together.
Manami took him in her embrace, held him tight, smiled under his kisses and died from happiness when he murmured how much he loved her.
When he moved, too early, she grabbed his shoulders to keep him in place.
She breathed deeply and:
“I’m pregnant, Seji.”
“…”
“Say something, please…”
“It’s a little bit too early to be so sure, right?”
“Since three months already. We’re gonna have a baby in 6 months.”
“But…huh…?”
“I know it wasn’t planned but I’m truly happy. I hope you are, too.”
He straightened up and sat back on the couch. He put his hands on his eyes and finally smiled at her.
“Come here,” he said, opening his arms.
She sat on his knees and he held her tight against him, subtly sliding his ringed hand on her belly.
They barely slept that night, too moved and excited to be tired. They talked about the future as they have never to do before, lying down on the couch, their hands intertwined between them. At dawn they took a shower together for the first time and when the sun began to rise, they fell in their bed to rest for a few hours.
When Seiji’s parents came back they were ready to talk to them.
“How was the weekend?” Seji asked his father.
“Hm, not bad…”
“Good…”
“What’s happened? What’s with these faces? Something came up?”
“I think you should sit down, both of you, we have something to tell you.”
“Us, too.”
“Listen to us first.”
Seiichi and Sumiko looked at each other and took places on the couch while Seiji and Manami sat in the other.
“We…thought about moving out.”
“Oh…”
“Yes. Manami, no, WE are waiting for a baby.”
“You’re…?” Seiichi smiled like an idiot, put his hand on his mouth to hide it and eventually stared at his wife. “You knew, huh?”
Sumiko smirked mysteriously and Seiji’s father stood up. He came back with a stack of sheets and put it on the low table.
“Here.”
“What is this?”
“It's what we did this weekend. It was a family council and I must confess that your mother was pretty impressive.”
Manami reached out and had a look at the forms.
Donation…House…
“Is this your parent’s house?”
Sumiko nodded and caressed her hand.
“I kept it, hoping one day you could live in it and turn it into a family house once again…it’s selfish and daring but I’m sure that your grandparents would have been so happy to see a baby in their house once again.”
“We have to talk about it…” began Seiji, looking at his wife tenderly. “Thank you. To both of you.”
=+=
“Take-san?”
Manami turned her head to the man behind her and pointed to the stairs where the baby’s room was set.
The furniture movers gripped the drawer and moved on.
“So?”
She smiled when she felt Seiji’s hands on her belly and put her hands on his.
“Soon, your arms will be not long enough.”
“We’ll find a way…” He whispered in her ear.
She blushed, thinking about the way he woke her up that very morning. It was not so easy to make love with such a big belly but…they have found a way and she was amazed by how he made her feel despite her advanced pregnancy.
“Don’t tell me he’s telling you some naughty words?” laughed Teppei as he entered the living room with the other guys from the company.
“It’s none of your business,” groaned Seiji, kissing his wife’s neck before walking to them. “So…what’s next?”
“If you keep on flirting with Manami-chan, your baby will be born before the end of the move.”
“You’re such an idiot. We still have almost one month. Ne, Manami?”
Without answering, he turned back to her and froze when he saw her face totally blank, her arms on her stomach and he ran to her to support her.
“What? What?”
“I…I think Teppei is right…”
From: cupid_johnny
Title: Freeter wa kekkon shimashita
Pairing: Seiji Take/Manami Chiba
Rating: NC-17
Summary: They married and lived happy ever after...as if everything was as simple as that!
A/N: I really loved the Freeter drama but I have been a little bit frustrated by the too-subtle love story. When I received the prompts for the exchange I thought that it was my luck to fix this! I hope this story will please you!
"Take-san?"
The young woman was lost in her thoughts, turning the shining golden ring around her fourth finger absentmindedly, still not used to wear it. Like she was not used to be called by her new family name.
"Take-san?" insisted the woman's voice behind her back.
"Oh, excuse me!" she said, turning her head to see the waitress ready to pour some wine in her glass. "No, thank you." She nodded apologetically, covering the crystal glass with her hand.
The waitress bowed to her with a smile and went to the next table diligently.
Manami stared at the bride in the white dress, who was sitting at the main table and looking at the groom with a loving gaze. They seemed so happy to be married. She smiled to herself, thinking of her own wedding.
Three months. It’s been three months since she said ’yes’ to the man of her life and she couldn’t believe how fast time flew by. It seemed just like yesterday.
She looked for her husband amongst the large banquet hall. Their ceremony hadn’t been so gorgeous; they simply gathered their family and friends in a restaurant. It was intimate and somehow, warmer. She didn’t like to be the center of attention in general, so this kind of overcrowded festivities was definitely a no-no.
They knew each other for several years now but they spent 2 years apart, separated by hundreds of kilometres and it has been the hardest time of her life. So when the company offered her to go back to Tokyo, she didn’t think twice. It was a less interesting job, less paid, but she could finally live with Seiji and nothing could replace that.
He proposed to her after one year of relationship - not really openly, but it was Seiji’s way of doing things - so they didn’t waste time and the month after her return, they registered their marriage at the City Hall. It sounded a little bit rushed, but why would they have to think about it any longer? They were both adults and ready for the marriage after all.
She found him talking with Teppei, a glass of white wine in his hand.
He was handsome. Truly. And not only because he was the man she loved, not at all; she was totally objective. He was not very tall, perhaps, but he was manly and strong despite his slim silhouette. He was sexy, cute, sensitive, clever and above all, he loved her deeply, like she loved him.
She could sense on her skin the warmth of the caress he gave her that very morning as they were lying in their bed. She shivered despite of the hot summer season and stroked her arms energetically.
Seiji turned his head and looked at her, a slight smirk on his face like always. He waved at her and Teppei did the same, raising his glass joyfully. Teppei never failed to make her laugh with his funny, weird face. He was married to Akari almost 2 years ago and they had a little boy, cute and quiet, who followed his mother around in the company when no one could babysit him at home.
Manami was tired somehow, unable to focus her thoughts for more than a few minutes, jumping from one subject to another.
She brought work at home and she had an entire file about a new project to read before the ceremony. Seiji was already ready while she hadn’t even had time to take a shower. Taking a day off, to be lazy, was something she couldn’t afford for the moment. She was new at the Tokyo office and she had a lot to prove. If she wanted a better position, she should work, work, and work again, better and harder than any man in the company.
She would have given everything to be allowed to take off her shoes, stretch her painful back and lay her legs on a chair...
“Are you tired?”
She smiled when she felt her husband’s hands on her shoulders. He sat down on the chair next to her and they watched the dancers in the middle of the Hall, moving more or less graciously to classical music. She put her chin in her palm and smiled at him.
“A little bit, perhaps. The week has been long…”
Seiji looked around and intertwined their fingers discreetly under the table.
“And what if we…took advantage of the dance to slip away quietly? No one will notice us.”
She bit her lips hesitantly. It was not very polite to vanish before the end of the party…on the other hand, she was exhausted and the idea to finally be alone with her husband was more than tempting. She gazed at him and simply nodded.
“Okay, we’re gonna say goodbye to the newlyweds.”
They greeted the happy couple, said goodbye to their friends and drove home in the brand new car they bought after their marriage. Even if Seiji rode his old scooter to go to work, when they were together, she liked to be driven.
They entered the dark house in silence and put on the slippers prepared for them. They tiptoed not to wake up the dwellers, avoided the cat that was hoping for their caresses and climbed the stairs discreetly.
Seiji’s bedroom didn’t really change since the wedding. The single bed left the place to a double bed, not too large because the room was not very big. Since she lived in the company's dorm, she didn’t need anything and Seiji’s house was fully equipped, so most of Manami’s stuff were still in the garage, packed but ready to be used.
“Want to go first to the bathroom?” He said in an undertone as he was putting away the blanket.
“Yes, thanks.”
She brushed her teeth, put on her pajamas and braided her hair, and then they switched places.
She stretched out in the bed and took a magazine that she glanced at vaguely.
“What are you reading?”
“Hm…let me see…the ‘ten things to do to keep your husband at home’…”
“Who lent it to you?”
“Why? Shouldn’t I be able to buy it by myself?”
“Go on…who?”
“Your sister.”
“I see.”
“Seiji…do you think I’m not girly enough?”
He stared at her, ready to laugh, visibly wondering what she hoped to hear. He sat on the bed next to her and looked at her.
“You’re not very girly, certainly, but you used to work in the industry field. It’s not the best way to be like Akari or my sister, perhaps. But you’re perfect the way you are. And today you were the most beautiful woman.”
“You want to lessen what you told me with your fake praises.”
“It’s not fake, it’s true. After all, I married you.”
He bent to kiss her and straightened up suddenly to turn off the lights. He came back to her, fumbled to find her mouth and finally took her lips gently.
He stroked her arms and slid to the edge of her pajamas, raising it lightly to caress her sweet belly.
It was pretty new for them, this kind of intimacy. They kissed for the first time after one year in their relationship, so sharing a bed while she was away, during one of her short and occasional visits, was absolutely out of question. They didn’t talk about it before but unsurprisingly they simply made love for the first time during their wedding night. It was more beautiful and meaningful this way, Seiji had said when he finally possessed her, and she had been amazed to discover how much he could be romantic and tender. They were not totally comfortable with sex and she couldn’t help but think that perhaps, if her parents-in-law weren’t on the other side of the wall, everything could be easier. No. She didn’t want to think this way. Seiji was the best son she ever met and it was partly because of that, that she fell in love with him…
“Do you want…?” he murmured in her ear.
She kissed him back and he moved to strip while she did the same on her side of the bed. He turned back to her and she heard the characteristic sound of the torn package.
She almost dreaded this moment, when she was naked in the bed, waiting awkwardly when he comes back to her. She shivered and covered her chin with the blanket. Soon she felt his mouth on her neck, his caressing hands on her body and she closed her eyes to enjoy the sweet strokes. She wanted him badly but she was unable to make any unusual moves…and if she did wrong? What would he think about her? And if she was too daring, would he think that she was too bold to be honest? Did a good way to proceed exist, anyway? She couldn’t talk about this kind of subject with anyone, so she kept her thoughts to herself and did her best to enjoy the soft way her husband made love to her.
She spread her legs and he placed himself between them, taking the time to prepare her with his fingers. It was painful somehow...at the beginning at least but she loved so much to be his that she bravely bit her lips to keep the pain to herself. She put her hands on his waist and the way he moved against her body turned her on. When she figured out what she was thinking, she blushed and put back her arms on the bed shyly. He sped up his pace and hid his mouth on her neck, crying his orgasm in silence against her skin. He cuddled her, kissed her face sweetly and left her to throw the condom in the trash bin. She shivered and put her pajamas on quickly. Unfortunately, her father-in-law had a tendency to enter their bedroom without warning in the morning and Seiji’s cries didn’t change anything. If he saw them naked it would be an awful diplomatic incident.
For each one of them.
+=+=
“So, when will you have a baby?”
Manami smiled at the woman and tried her best to avoid the question she heard hundreds of times since the marriage. Plus she didn’t really like this woman, Ayako’s mother-in-law.
So she looked at her husband who kept his mouth shut, and she brushed the hair of the baby she was holding. The little girl was so tiny and beautiful and she smelled so good. Manami realised that she has never noticed before how much a newborn could be appeasing, though she never had any newborns around her, except Akari’s and Teppei’s son.
Tomoya, his nephew, was watching her carefully; ready to fly to his sister’s rescue if his aunt failed to hold her properly. Manami sat on the couch and he imitated her and finally smiled.
“Are you happy, Tomoya-kun?”
“Yes, I am. I’m an aniki now, right?”
“Yes, you are, indeed. Do you help your mum?”
“Hm. The best I could, but she says she doesn’t need me.”
“I know, but you have to take care of her. She must be tired, even if she’s strong. ”
Ayako, Seiji’s sister, had a baby girl the previous month and the entire family was amazed by this little marvel. Of course, questions about her own pregnancy were more frequent but at least, those concerning the marriage and the wedding night were over…
“Seiji, I’ve got to go back to work.”
“Now?”
“Yes, sorry.”
She handed the baby to her mother-in-law, Sumiko, and tried her best not to notice the deceiving tone of her husband.
“I’ll go with you to the car.”
Ayako and her husband lived in a luxurious apartment; he was a doctor and the heir to a famous clinic. But Manami didn’t envy her, Ayako was a housewife and alone most of the time, something the young woman couldn’t imagine for herself. Even though sometimes, with the hard job she did, she felt to be in the shoes of a family man. Her husband was more forthcoming than her, obviously, and if she felt guilty sometimes, he never complained to her.
On that day she worked late and when she came back home, exhausted like never before, the dinner was on the table and Seiji was waiting to eat with her.
She apologized to her parents-in-law, like almost every day, and they sat at the table. She ate with pleasure the delicious meal Sumiko-san cooked for them.
“You know…” began Seiji’s father while he was pouring some beer into his glass. ”I was thinking that perhaps we should find a solution for the house.”
Seiji looked at his mother, dumbfounded, then back to his father.
“A solution? A solution like what? For what?”
Sumiko answered, “You’re married and we can understand how hard it is for a newlywed couple to live with their parents. And you certainly want a baby…”
Manami gazed at her husband and she couldn't help feeling bad when he laughed out loud.
“Don’t worry about that! A baby? We have plenty of time to think about it, years, surely, so don’t worry, ne?”
The young woman smiled courageously and finished the meal in silence. But Sumiko didn’t take her eyes off her, not for a second.
She was so tired suddenly…almost ill when she thought about it. She wanted sleep, just sleep and rest her painful body.
She went upstairs after the dinner and Seiji followed her, bringing the cream he used to massage his mother’s hand.
“Why the cream?”
“I thought you needed to relax, you look tired.”
She knew it was Seiji’s way to communicate with his mother when she was ill, the best way he found to create a quiet atmosphere around them.
“You’re certainly right.”
He took her hand and began the massage skillfully.
“My parents…they will not be home the next weekend, they’ll attend a wedding, a cousin I think…busy period, ne?”
“Hm, I guess…”
“You know…I’m sorry for what I said earlier, I should have talked to you before. About the fact that we could move out, about…a baby.”
“Don’t worry, I understand.”
No, in fact she didn’t understand, but she got the fact that she had a terrible mother. Was he afraid like she was, to give such a mother to his child?
“It's not that I don’t want a baby but your job is the most important thing for the moment, you fought hard for it. Anyway, it’s a question we don’t have to ask, we can’t afford two houses.”
Seiji bought this house for his mother and each month he paid the rent, cash on the nail. Of course, there was another possibility but…
“Seiji?”
“Hm?”
“I never talked to you about it, but…the company offered an apartment to us when I came back. It’s not very big but for the two of us, and I've been saving my salaries since months, we--”
“It's my job as husband to provide a roof for you. And we already have a house.”
“We have a bedroom and I can’t even walk around the house naked if I want!”
“Na…naked? What for?”
“Don’t know, from the bathroom to the bedroom for example.”
She saw him frown and she regretted immediately her words. He was hurt in his pride and that was something she promised herself to avoid at all costs.
“Sorry, Seiji. Forget it. I’m such a fool…we’re perfectly fine here. I’m just…tired. This new project is awful and pressuring.”
He pouted and grabbed her other hand without speaking. He could be so similar to his father sometimes, even if he denied it strongly.
“I love you,” she muttered softly. He finally raised his head and sighed.
“I love you, too.” He cupped her face and kissed her forehead. ”Now sleep, tomorrow is another day.”
=+=
Manami always had a good relationship with her mother-in-law. Sumiko was a gentle woman, discreet and sensitive, and she had a lot in common with Seiji. When the young woman met him, his mother was ill and he really took care of her. Since then, she recovered and changed a lot.
First, she found a hobby. Just like her own mother, she sang in a chorus and met new friends. Then, and most importantly, she found a way to ease her mind about her parents. When she met Seiji’s father, she eloped with him, and her parents turned their backs on her. Unfortunately, she never talked to them before their death and it’s only thanks to her brother that she could enter her childhood house again.
This house was about to be demolished but…for the second time in her life, Sumiko took an irrevocable decision. She will keep the house with her brother and once a week, she spent a day to clean and maintain it.
By the end of the afternoon, after work, Manami parked the car in the quiet suburb street and entered the house of Sumiko’s parents.
“Okaasan?”
“I’m here, Manami-chan.”
The young woman walked to the living room, where her mother-in-law was kneeling, a stack of books by her side.
”I read each of those books so many times, I can’t count it anymore…”
Manami bent down and took the first one.
“The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. My father read it to me when I was a little girl, I clearly remember…”
“He was a good father.”
“I’m convinced Seiji would have like him.”
“Yes, I’m sure too.”
Manami sat on the floor and in silence helped her mother-in-law to put the books back on the shelves after removing the dust with wiping clothes. After some long minutes of silence, the older woman whispered, “Excuse me if I interfere with your couple life. I know I don’t have the right to, but you can see it like the worry of a mother for her beloved children.”
“Please do.”
“Manami-chan, you seem to be really tired lately and perhaps I can help you with that.”
“You are already doing so much for me. You’re right, I’m tense because of work and after the wedding we didn’t have enough time to be together, I guess I miss Seiji even if I see him everyday...it’s strange, ne?”
She really needed to spend some time with her husband, but she sounded pathetic with those kinds of excuses, she couldn’t even fool herself. She didn’t know why she was so tired but since the death of her father, she had always seen her mother in a similar mental state. Emotionally drained, finding only some relief in the alcohol. And if she was meant to be like her? Was marital life enough to turn her into a depressive and sad woman?
“I think that an herbal infusion could help you a lot. When I was pregnant with Seiji, I couldn’t eat anything for months and a friend gave me a very efficient recipe.”
“Well…”
She didn’t really understand what the purpose of that conversation was, what was Sumiko trying to say?
“How long?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The baby. How long have you been pregnant? You can talk to me, I can keep a secret.”
“I’m not--”
“Oh yes, you are.”
Sumiko resumed her task and Manami felt her world falling apart. Pregnant? Impossible, they always used condoms, well, except on that night…their wedding night with that little incident. Holy shit.
But somehow…
She put her hand to her still flat belly, caressing that new life for the first time. Sumiko was right, it all made sense now. The nausea, the tiredness, the difficulties to focus on anything, the sudden bursts of anger before the exhaustion…
She was happy. Fantastically happy. Just before she figured out what it implied and panic madly.
“But Seiji…he said that my work was the most important, that we couldn’t afford two houses--”
She felt tears at the corner of her eyes and gently her mother-in-law’s hands on hers.
“Everything will be fine. Every problem has a solution and…a baby is definitely not a problem, it’s a blessing. Seiji can be blunt sometimes; he hides his feelings to protect the ones he loves. Talk to him, communication is the most important thing for a couple. I understood it very late, unfortunately, but I have very high expectations for you two.”
Manami stared at the gentle smile of the woman and found the courage to pull herself together. She was right, nothing bad could really happen. She loved Seiji, like he loved her and even if that little life was not planned, it was expected. It was definitely good news.
She just had to announce it to her husband…
=+=
For the first time since her return in Tokyo, she took a day off the day when Sumiko and Seiichi left for the weekend. The previous day she received a phone call from the laboratory to confirm her pregnancy and now that she knew, she was full of energy. As if the baby was sending her the willingness she thought she had lost since so many weeks.
The most surprising thing to her was discovering that after all, she was a woman. A woman able to give life to a human being, to give a baby to her husband and she finally began to believe that becoming aware of it could be enough to truly reconcile with herself.
She stood up from the couch where she was spacing out and raised up her sleeves.
“Yosh…”
She had decided to cook a delicious meal for Seiji in order to create a perfect atmosphere for the great announcement. Manami could not imagine how he would react so she tried to decrease the angst she felt the best she could. She searched for a recipe on internet - a very simple one, she was totally useless in a kitchen - and went to the supermarket to buy some stuff.
“Manami-chan?”
She turned around and faced Akari and her son, who looked dumbfounded to see her in such a place. Why in the world this town was so small…?
“Akari-chan, how are you?”
“Very well…but you? Is Sumiko-san ill? I can call home if you want, Seiji is there to help Teppei with the house--”
“Oh, no, absolutely not, she left for the week-end, I thought I could cook something for Seiji.”
“You told him you wanted to cook?”
“Why…it’s not as if I planned to poison him.” She said with a smirk.
“Of course not, but if you need some help you can call me.”
“You are frightening me now. I…I can do it! I can do that for him at least.”
“Yes, you’re right, love is all you need~”
“Wicked girl…”
The younger laughed joyfully and walked by, waving at her.
“By the way, Manami-chan.”
“Yes?”
“You’re shining today. Good news?”
Manami blushed and shook her head negatively but she knew that her friend was very intuitive. So…everybody noticed but her?
She came back home, opened the bags, put on an apron and settled down to work. She had all the afternoon to cook, it will be a piece of cake, she thought optimistically.
That’s what she believed until the moment she figured out that she was a far worse cook than she could have ever imagined.
Nothing seemed to turn good and she decided to give up after several hours of systematically burning every meal she tried to cook.
On the verge of tears, she went upstairs to put on a pretty dress, the one Seiji loved the most. The look was not everything but it will help give her some guts. Then she went down, and when she was about to call a delivery service, she heard a surprising “Tadaima”.
Seiji was in front of her and he was gazing at her, baffled.
“O…okaeri.”
“Something came up?”
He was wearing some old clothes he used to work in at Teppei’s house, a ripped jeans and one of his favourite rock band shirt, the ACDC one...
“Akari-chan told me I had to go back home.”
Such a backstabber…she grinned awkwardly and remembered the mess in the kitchen.
“I guess she’s not very confident with my cooking skills. Sorry Seiji, since your mother left, I wanted to prepare something but I’m such a bad cook…”
He walked to the kitchen, put his hands on his hips and she feared the worst.
“I’m sure we can cook something together.” He said when he turned back to her, a happy smile on his face.
Manami felt the weight on her shoulders disappear, and she nodded before joining him behind the counter.
He reached out and handed her a carrot to peel while he began to cut some pork meat he found in the fridge. She took a knife but felt him in her back. He put an apron on her, tying the knot at her waist.
“You shouldn’t dirty your dress. You’re very pretty today.”
She blushed insanely and tried to avoid his gaze. She loved him so much…was it possible to love someone more and more every day?
He was talented with cooking, talented with so many things she wasn’t. Even if he never cooked when his mother was home, Manami was convinced that he did it on purpose to leave his mother the pleasure of being useful. It could be part of the therapy but the young woman rather thought that it was Seiji’s way to love his mother.
“Your mother is such a good cook,” she mumbled as she grabbed another carrot.
“My father used to say she’s only a good cook…I’m pretty sure he thinks it’s the best praise he could do to the woman who shares his life for thirty years.”
“He’s clumsy, but he loves her.”
“I know. That’s why I can forgive his many mistakes. Plus, I guess…that now I’m a married man, I figured out some stuff.”
“Some stuff?”
She stared at him but he kept on his task without raising his gaze. He put the meat in a bowl and prepared a sauce that he poured in.
“I realized how hard it is to make the woman you love happy.”
“Seiji…”
“I thought about the apartment you talked to me about. If it’s what you really wish for, I think we could--”
“Seiji, I’m happy.”
“Hm?”
“I’m happy just the way we are. You’re my happiness.”
He shook his head shyly, an awkward smirk on his lips. She looked at him as he washed his hands and wiped them on a tissue. She put the knife on the counter and nestled against him, her arms firmly embracing his waist.
She heard Seiji’s sigh above her and felt his hand brushing the hair on her nape, then his arms crossed behind her back.
“It’s strange to be just the two of us, hm?”
“Strange to find me here so early too?”
“Yes, that too. But I could get used to it.”
Perhaps that was the moment to tell him…but she just laughed and resumed her task, cursing her cowardice in silence.
She decided to show him she could be - not a housewife, it was unthinkable - at least a good wife, able to make an effort for the man she married. Plus, if she didn’t move now, she will never be able to leave Seiji’s arms. She felt the desire to kiss him but it was not the place, not the moment…in the kitchen and it was not even 7…what was in her mind?
She quickly changed the subject of the conversation.
“I went to your grandparent’s house to pick up your mother this week. You know, I really love that house. It’s old and traditional but it smelt as the good nostalgia.”
He chuckled.
“The good nostalgia?! What’s this?”
“Like…that house has a story, a familial history. I understand why your mother loves it so much.”
“But it’s a place which breaks her heart, too. She left it to marry my father and now it’s like an empty shell. Pretty sad…yep, it’s ready. Are you hungry?”
“I’m starving!”
They went to the living room, sat at the low table and after a quick ‘Itadakimasu’ tasted cautiously.
“Hm…it’s the best…what is it, by the way?”
“Don’t really know, a kind of mixture.”
“It’s a delicious kind of mixture, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Manami ate some rice and thought about the best way to tell Seiji about her pregnancy. But she was totally frozen. And if he got angry with her? And if it meant the end of their lovey-dovey happy bubble?
“What are you thinking about?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.
“Various things. Nothing important.” Crap, she missed the opportunity…
He put his chopsticks on the table, stretched his arms far above his head then sat down on the couch.
“I’m full.”
Manami imitated him and he turned on the TV like they used to do each evening with Seiji’s parents. She dared to put his head on her husband’s shoulder and he placed his arms around her.
“Do you want to watch a movie?”
“Saa…”
Her palm rested on Seiji’s stomach and it felt so good that she was unable to think about anything else. She just wanted to cuddle…but she never acted like a spoiled child and she couldn’t imagine asking this kind of thing of him.
She raised her legs against her body and swallowed an unintentional groan of pain. She didn’t sit for hours and her muscles were painfully cramped. One of the happiness of pregnancy, she thought to herself.
Seiji took off his arm from her and stood up. He shut down the ceiling lamp and turned on a dim light behind the couch, then came back with a tube of cream which smelt divinely good.
“Lay down.”
“W…what?”
“On the couch. Lay down. Your legs hurt, ne?”
“Hm, yeah. Thanks.”
She crossed her arms on her chest and hesitantly put on her legs on Seiji’s. He poured a nut of cream into his palm and slowly, gently, he caressed her ankles, then went up to her calves with a skilled to-and-from movement.
Before she knew it, her eyes were closed and her arms rested loosely above her head. She was in paradise…she could hear in the background a soft music from the TV, but she couldn’t think further. When he caressed the back of her knees she couldn’t help letting out a delighted moan. Seiji stopped his movement but soon resumed his ministrations and placed his hands subtly higher. She wriggled shamelessly, raising up her skirt and felt the fresh air caressing her nude thighs.
…After all, they were married, it’s not as if he has never seen her naked. She tried to find a reasonable logic to her desire even if she was perfectly aware that what was happening in that very moment had nothing to do with any logic of any sort. Perhaps it was the fact that she was surprisingly reassured about her femininity, perhaps it was only because Seiji was the man he was. Whatever, suddenly she didn’t find so reprehensible to show him she loved his caress, that she wanted more.
Manami half-opened her eyes and glanced at him and found out that he seemed to endure a torture. His face was red, his breath was short and heavy and now she realized how his hands were almost shaking on her thighs and…the prominent bulge under her calf.
She nibbled on her thumb to hide a moan when she rubbed incidentally his manhood with the back of her leg. Manami felt the blush on her face, but this time it was not by reserve, rather by excitement. Unable to find the willingness to move, she closed her eyelids once again to hide the fact she was dying to make love there and then.
But…
Two fingers on her hips and slowly she sensed the light cotton of her panties on her thighs. She moved imperceptibly to ease Seiji’s task and soon the underwear was tickling her ankles before setting on the floor.
And now what could happen? By taking off her underwear he clearly showed his own desire for her, perhaps it was time for her to do the same. Communication was the most important thing, hm?
She threw away her prejudice and straightened up to straddle him like she had died to do so many times. Seiji stroke her back and when she dived into his eyes she read so much desire, so much love that she felt a huge hole in her lower belly claiming to be fulfilled.
He unbuttoned her pretty dress, revealing her bra and suddenly she caught her reflection in the mirror on the wall behind the couch. An impudent woman, red cheeks, dress opened and hair tousled. She looked around her, figured out suddenly they were in the living room, her in-laws living room, it was so inappropriate…
“You’re so beautiful…”
Her heart pounded madly when she heard his sulky voice and felt his palm between her two breasts.
“Touch me, please.”
Was he asking…? She hung her head and rose up the edge of his T-shirt to caress his stomach and his chest, making him sigh heavily. He was so hot, almost burning, or was it her who was so sensitive? In a blur she tossed the top on the floor and finally kissed him. He groaned under her lips that she parted to taste the smell of their meal lingering on his tongue. He slipped his hands under the dress and without breaking the kiss audaciously slid from the inner of her thighs to her intimacy. She bit her lower lips to shut down a scream of pleasure when he inserted a finger in her and licked the tender skin above her breasts. Manami leaned forward and put her hand on Seiji’s belt but he grabbed her wrist.
“We should go upstairs…”
She removed quickly her hand, mortified of having taken such a bold initiative.
“No, I mean, the condoms are upstairs...but…”
“But?”
“The other day, I lied about the baby. I want a baby, but I know how you worked hard for your job, that you can’t - So we just should go upstairs and use a condom…”
“Hush.”
Manami lovingly cupped his face and kissed him softly, then she slid her hand to his belt again and unbuckled it. She freed him from his briefs, and gripping the back of the couch, took him inside her slowly. She never rode him but she began to sway sensually just listening to the desire she had to make love to this man. He put his hands to her hips to guide her gently, his face twisted by the pleasure she gave him. It was so exciting to make him lose control, to hear him making all those erotic noises, to see him letting himself go so intensely under her that she didn’t restrain herself anymore. She moaned and groaned openly, moved faster until the moment she felt a wave of pleasure running through her body, devastating her totally. Unable to move, languishing against Seiji’s body, she held him tight but he chuckled and softly whispered in her ears.
“Don’t let me down…”
“Hm?”
He toppled her over the couch and kissed her fiercely. Suddenly she fell from her cloud of bliss, the blood still pulsing hard between her legs, she hung the head and saw their lower belly united impudently.
“Put your legs on my waist.”
She did what she was told like a puppet and felt him thrusting deeper inside her. He moved unhurriedly, pecking her face and her neck, caressing her breast deliciously to tease her desire and it began again, it came back with strength. She arched her back to get along with his movement, firmly pressing her thighs behind his back. Seiji put his forehead on hers and it was eye to eye that they climaxed together.
Manami took him in her embrace, held him tight, smiled under his kisses and died from happiness when he murmured how much he loved her.
When he moved, too early, she grabbed his shoulders to keep him in place.
She breathed deeply and:
“I’m pregnant, Seji.”
“…”
“Say something, please…”
“It’s a little bit too early to be so sure, right?”
“Since three months already. We’re gonna have a baby in 6 months.”
“But…huh…?”
“I know it wasn’t planned but I’m truly happy. I hope you are, too.”
He straightened up and sat back on the couch. He put his hands on his eyes and finally smiled at her.
“Come here,” he said, opening his arms.
She sat on his knees and he held her tight against him, subtly sliding his ringed hand on her belly.
They barely slept that night, too moved and excited to be tired. They talked about the future as they have never to do before, lying down on the couch, their hands intertwined between them. At dawn they took a shower together for the first time and when the sun began to rise, they fell in their bed to rest for a few hours.
When Seiji’s parents came back they were ready to talk to them.
“How was the weekend?” Seji asked his father.
“Hm, not bad…”
“Good…”
“What’s happened? What’s with these faces? Something came up?”
“I think you should sit down, both of you, we have something to tell you.”
“Us, too.”
“Listen to us first.”
Seiichi and Sumiko looked at each other and took places on the couch while Seiji and Manami sat in the other.
“We…thought about moving out.”
“Oh…”
“Yes. Manami, no, WE are waiting for a baby.”
“You’re…?” Seiichi smiled like an idiot, put his hand on his mouth to hide it and eventually stared at his wife. “You knew, huh?”
Sumiko smirked mysteriously and Seiji’s father stood up. He came back with a stack of sheets and put it on the low table.
“Here.”
“What is this?”
“It's what we did this weekend. It was a family council and I must confess that your mother was pretty impressive.”
Manami reached out and had a look at the forms.
Donation…House…
“Is this your parent’s house?”
Sumiko nodded and caressed her hand.
“I kept it, hoping one day you could live in it and turn it into a family house once again…it’s selfish and daring but I’m sure that your grandparents would have been so happy to see a baby in their house once again.”
“We have to talk about it…” began Seiji, looking at his wife tenderly. “Thank you. To both of you.”
=+=
“Take-san?”
Manami turned her head to the man behind her and pointed to the stairs where the baby’s room was set.
The furniture movers gripped the drawer and moved on.
“So?”
She smiled when she felt Seiji’s hands on her belly and put her hands on his.
“Soon, your arms will be not long enough.”
“We’ll find a way…” He whispered in her ear.
She blushed, thinking about the way he woke her up that very morning. It was not so easy to make love with such a big belly but…they have found a way and she was amazed by how he made her feel despite her advanced pregnancy.
“Don’t tell me he’s telling you some naughty words?” laughed Teppei as he entered the living room with the other guys from the company.
“It’s none of your business,” groaned Seiji, kissing his wife’s neck before walking to them. “So…what’s next?”
“If you keep on flirting with Manami-chan, your baby will be born before the end of the move.”
“You’re such an idiot. We still have almost one month. Ne, Manami?”
Without answering, he turned back to her and froze when he saw her face totally blank, her arms on her stomach and he ran to her to support her.
“What? What?”
“I…I think Teppei is right…”