First Meeting?

"Hao Yu, don't squeeze him too tight. You are hurting him," once again it was his mother that took pity on the little animal and reminded her son.

Hao Yu pouted his lips but still did as he was told obediently. Then without releasing Flare, he joined the bed once again and settled both of them in between his parents comfortably.

His father tucked them both in under the blanket so that they wouldn't feel cold while the mother placed her hand on their bodies giving them some warmth while also allowing them to snuggle in her arms.

Flare raised his paws and softly placed it over the bulging stomach of Hao Yu's mother, Yao Xinyu. He didn't know how but he could see the little one moving around inside her stomach.

Looking at the small creature, Flare made his movements even gentler than before as he softly caressed Yao Xinyu's stomach. It was as if he was really caressing the baby within.

Yao Xinyu smiled looking at his gentle movements and used her fingers to pet his head. She then whispered softly, "Were you scared sleeping alone in that room?"

Flare let out a small sound and Yao Xinyu smiled before looking at Hao Yu, "He is scared of thunder and so are you. You both are really brothers." She then chuckled and ruffled Yao Xinyu's head before proceeding to do the same with Flare. It really looked like she did not have one son but two.

Yao Xinyu spoke, "Of course we are brothers," he hugged Flare once showing his affection towards him blatantly before realizing what he just spoke and pouted his lips, "But I am not scared of thunder like him. I am a strong man. Flareon, you should also be strong, just like your brother, okay?"

Flare looked at him and blinked his eyes. Then he ignored the boy and placed his paw once again on the mother's stomach before closing his eyes to sleep.

"Shush. He is not used to this new home yet. As a good brother it is your responsibility to take care of your younger siblings, alright?" His father spoke softly.

"I know Daddy. I will take care of my brother and also my sister," Saying that Hao Yu placed his hand over Flare's paw that was resting on his mother's stomach. With a single touch he was looking after both his siblings and this made both the parents smile.

A mother, a father, a brother and a sister that was about to be born. A happy and warm family. Flare got everything unexpectedly.

He is happy to be a part of this new family of his. But something doesn't seem right.

'Why can't I have a peaceful sleep for a night?' He questioned himself.

Yes, he had everything but a peaceful night of sleep. He would always wake up from nightmares. Every single night.

***

"Mommy, does this aunty also have a little sister in her belly just like you?" Hao Yu asked innocently, looking at his mother's friend, Estella.

Lying on the floor at a side, Flare too raised his head lazily to look at her huge belly. He saw through her to find another small creature resembling his sister in her belly too.

He blinked his eyes and turned his head to look through Yao Xinyu's belly again. Then he repeated the process of looking at both the babies, comparing and finding the differences and similarities among them.

A small frown etched upon his brows as he felt something weird in the scent coming from the woman and also the slight differences in her child's features.

Some scent that he found repugnant. He wanted to push them away from himself. Or if possible, run far away from them.

It is only because of the 'manners' he learnt from his 'mother' that he calmly laid on the floor of the living room to show his face in front of their guest.

Once he laid there for a while, he couldn't bear her presence around him any longer and rushed towards his room; the room that he shared with Hao Yu.

"Thank God! It is just for today. If I had to stay closer to her for one more minute, I would have puked my guts out. I would never want to see her again," He muttered softly to himself before cuddling up in his soft little cushiony bed.

He did not hate her to be exact. Instead he did not know the emotions he had in his heart when he felt the woman's presence around him. He felt danger.

He shivered to himself before hiding his head inside the blanket so that he wouldn't feel the fear any longer.

What he did not know is that after he left, both the to-be mothers talked about how they would soon be going to be neighbours and would meet every single day happily.

They had already started making plans about how they would take care of their kids together and how they would go for outings together on all the holidays.

The atmosphere in the living room was very harmonious and lively which would have been ominous to Flare if he was present there.