The Boss & The Secretary - Not Alone
Ohno stroked Nino's hair lovingly. His boyfriend had been sleeping for an hour or so. He was relieved to see Nino could sleep properly without a nightmare now. When Nino first moved in with him, he had a nightmare every night, thanks to those two bastards. But it started to cease as time passed and he hoped, with the nightmare gone, Nino would also forget the hellish life he had before. However, he knew that would be impossible.
As he watched Nino sleeping, his mind recalled what happened earlier. Nino fainted when Ohno’s mother surprised them with the news of Nino’s pregnancy. Both of them didn’t expect this to happen. They didn’t plan for it. But, it didn’t mean he didn’t want the baby. More than anything, he was really the happiest man on the earth when the doctor that his mother had called to check on Nino’s condition confirmed the pregnancy.
He smiled, thinking of how he had freaked out when Nino collapsed. He could only scream Nino’s name, not knowing what else to do. His mind was occupied with thoughts of losing Nino and he couldn’t imagine how his life would be without Nino in it. It was embarrassing and hopefully, Nino won't know about it.
Thankfully, he wasn’t alone when it happened. He had to thank his parents’ quick thinking. His mother had helped him to relax while his father gave Nino’s body a hard shake. Luckily, it worked and he couldn’t help but shout when he heard Nino's voice.
"Uh…" His boyfriend groaned when he opened his eyes. "I'm dizzy,"
"Yokatta!" He sighed in relief, hugging Nino tightly. "I thought I've lost you,"
"Ohchan…" Nino tried to break free from his hug. "It's too tight! I cannot breathe,"
He quickly let go of Nino, feeling guilty for hurting Nino even though it wasn't his intention.
"How do you feel, my dear?" His mother had asked. Nino told her that he was still dizzy but he would be okay.
"Good…" His mother responded. "I'm sorry, Kazunari. I didn't mean to surprise you with the news. I thought both of you know,"
Nino frowned hearing what his mother said. He tilted his head, perhaps trying to remember what had happened.
"I'm pregnant…" Nino mumbled. He clearly had a hard time believing the news and so did Ohno. Now that his boyfriend had said it out loud, he wondered if Nino was happy with the news, noticing the uneasy look on his face.
"Yes, Kazunari," Ohno's mother nodded. "Try to relax, okay. I've called a doctor to check you. She will be here shortly,"
Coincidentally, someone rang the bell and his sister went to answer the door. A few minutes later, she was back in the living room with a young woman. Had he met the woman before? She looked familiar. But, he couldn't recall who she really was.
"This is Yukiko chan," His mother said. The young woman smiled at them. "She is Yamada san's daughter,"
Ah, no wonder she looked familiar. She looked like a younger version of Yamada. They had met before but Ohno didn't remember her.
“Did your mother know you’re here, Yukiko chan?” His father asked.
Yukiko shook his head. “She doesn’t know. I only told her that I’m out to see a patient. I didn’t tell her it’s at your house,”
His father sighed in relief. If the action offended Yukiko, she didn’t show it. Instead, she asked Ohno's mother for details on the situation. Ohno simply listened without adding anything else. His mother knew more about what happened.
“Let’s bring you somewhere comfortable, ne, Ninomiya san?” Yukiko said once she had heard the explanation from his mother. She asked whether there’s a room she could use to check Nino and his mother suggested his own bedroom.
Once she was done checking Nino, she said there’s nothing to be worried for. Both Nino and the baby are okay. Nino fainted because of his low blood pressure. But, she recommended the two of them to get a thorough check-up at the hospital the next day.
“Ohchan…”
Ohno shifted his attention towards Nino, putting the memory of what happened earlier away when he heard Nino murmur his name.
“Yes, Cutie. I’m here,” He quickly answered, hoping to reassure his boyfriend. Nino relaxed upon hearing his voice.
“Are you okay, Cutie?” He asked. Nino nodded his head but he could tell that something was bothering him. He wondered what it was. Did he hate to know that he’s pregnant? He hoped not.
“Hey…” He looked into Nino's eyes. There was sadness in it. “What’s wrong?"
But, things didn't go as he expected. Nino suddenly cried and he had no idea what to do.
"Cutie, what's wrong?" He asked again. "Why are you crying?"
But, Nino didn't answer him. Instead, he cried even louder. Ohno scratched his head, not knowing at all what to do to comfort his little cutie.
He jerked in surprise when someone knocked on the door and a second later, the door was opened. It was his mother. She gazed at Nino and then smiled as she walked towards them.
"Kazunari, are you okay?" His mother said in a soothing comforting voice. The voice that she usually used when Ohno or his sister was ill. She made a gesture for Ohno to scoot a bit so she could sit near Nino. Then, she pulled Nino towards her and hugged him tightly as she swung their bodies together. Nino gradually stopped crying and once again, Ohno was thankful that his mother was here. He made a good decision to stay over at his parents' house tonight.
"I'm sorry," Nino said, releasing himself from Ohno's mother's embrace. He put himself to sit comfortably next to Ohno and wiped the tears on his face. "I didn't mean to cry,"
"It's okay," Ohno's mother said. "I was like that too when I was pregnant and it drove my husband crazy because he didn't know what to do at first. But, as time passed, he finally knew what to do whenever I got emotional,"
His mother looked dreamy as she said that, perhaps because she reminiscing her pregnancy experience.
"Talk with Satoshi about your worries. It will help," His mother advised, standing up from the bed. "And Satoshi, take very good care of Kazunari okay?"
Ohno nodded his head. The way she emphasized ‘very’ was enough to let Ohno know that he would be severely punished if something bad happened to Nino, which showed how much she already cared for Nino. Ohno was truly grateful for that.
His mother smiled fondly at the two of them and then kissed their foreheads before going out of the room, leaving them alone again.
"Kazu…" He called Nino softly. Nino smiled at him before leaning on his chest. "What are you worried about?"
"The baby…" Nino answered, putting his hands on the belly. Ohno did the same, putting his own hands on top of Nino. Nino tilted his head to look at Ohno and seeing how cute Nino was, Ohno leaned forward for a peck on Nino’s lips.
“Why are you worried about the baby?” Ohno asked. Did Nino hate kids? Ohno hardly doubted that.
Nino looked uncertain to continue. So, Ohno tried to make him feel comfortable first. His hand went up and down Nino’s arm as they cuddled on the bed. He stayed silent, didn’t want to push Nino to speak if he wasn’t ready yet even though he knew it’s important for them to talk about it.
“Do you think I’m going to be a good papa?” Nino finally said, in a low voice.
Ohno only smiled. He tried to formulate his thoughts. He wasn’t good with words so he wasn’t sure if he could ease Nino’s worry. But, he had to try for both of them.
“Nino…” He began. “I know we never talk about having a family before. So, I understand if you’re not ready or unhappy about the pregnancy…”
Nino shook his head. “I’m happy, Ohchan… The baby is proof of our love. But, I don’t know if I can raise him properly. You know what kind of family I have, right?”
Ohno tried to hide his anger when Nino talked about his family. Those two bastards that destroyed Nino’s life. If only he could… but, no… he shouldn’t be thinking about them. Nino should be his concern right now.
“You’re not alone in this, Cutie,” Ohno said. “To be honest, I’m scared too. But, because you’re with me, I think we can do this. And, we will get help from our family and friends. Do you see how I freak out just now?”
Nino gave him a small smile.
“I’m sure we both will freak out when the baby is born. We might not know how to change his diaper, how to make his milk, what to do when he cries… But, I’m sure, we can do this… My parents will help us prepare for that. Our friends will help us take care of the baby. And I’ll be with you no matter what. I know this is not enough to assure you that everything will be okay. But… just remember… we’re not alone in this,”
Nino nodded his head with a wider smile this time. “Thank you, Ohchan. Thank you for not thinking I’m a nuisance,”
“I will never think of you like that,” Ohno assured him. “And I want to thank you for giving me the best present in my life,” Ohno pushed Nino to lie down. "Go to sleep, ne? You need to rest,"
Nino didn't protest as he settled comfortably on the bed. Before he lied down next to Nino, Ohno went down to kiss his boyfriend’s belly.
"Hopefully I will not look ugly when the belly gets bigger," Nino said.
Ohno shook his head. Nino would definitely look cuter once the belly grew bigger. Oh my, he couldn’t wait to see that. He kissed the belly once again before he lied down next to Nino, hugging his boyfriend closer.
A/N: Did anyone miss this story? Hopefully, yes. While waiting for the result of the poll for How Dare You, I spent the time writing the other story. Hopefully, this is okay and you will enjoy reading it. Thank you so much for supporting me all these time. And no matter where you are, stay healthy, ne?