Eight

Toya

I arrive at my place and Yachi is waiting outside. I let her in, she crosses her arms looking me up and down. She does that when she's mad at me.

"You dump me, then have a baby with someone else? What's that all about?" She asks seething with rage.

She really has an attitude that gets old real quick, it was cute at first, than it became a real turn off.

"I am not obliged to answer your questions, shouldn't you be seeing your daughter? I broke up with you so you could go back, if you're not careful it'll be too late for you to go back soon. I mean really soon."

I sit down and get a text from Kendo, the shipment from Australia has arrived. I have been waiting for too long for that.

I walk Yachi out and drive to the docks. I find Kai here too. Everytime I see him his face looks more and more punchable.

"Don't you have a daughter to be babysitting?" I ask nicely, and he swings at me, what a mild tempered idiot.

"You'll soon know what it's like. Watch your tongue."

We get what we came for and go our separate ways, after delivering the crates I drive to Rei's place and I find her with Kaiya who's reading while Rei rubs her belly, she giggles occasionally.

"When will you have the baby?"

She turns to me smiling, "4 months left. The first four have been hell." She says and encourages Kaiya to keep reading.

My dad will have my head next month when we go to meet him. I really need to get on Rei's good side by then or I am toast.

I sit down and join them, "Anything I can do ladies?"

Rei smiles shaking her head.

"Come on, please tell me I can help somehow. There's no way I can just watch you go through this alone. I want to help, not just financially, I want to be there."

She rolls her eyes, "You work long hours, you can want to be there, but it's nothing but wishful thinking."

Ouch, she's angry with me a little. I don't think I have been forgiven for the chasing her out of my office bit. I wish I could explain myself, but I can't. How would the conversation even begin?

Hey, Rei, my business is a cover up for illegal operations please understand that's why I was such an A-hole to you.

Yeah, not happening.

Fact is. She's still mad at me. Way to screw up Toya.

"Rei I'm sorry, I know I made you mad, please, forgive me. I'll do anything you need me to do to prove how sorry I am."

She looks at me like I just talked nonsense, this girl's going to make me work. I hate it when women put me in that position, but maybe Kai was right. I don't know what it's like being in his shoes.

"Spend less time working and more time being a father, or in this case preparing for fatherhood and I might think about forgiving you, until then, please get out. We're having some girl time, we don't need you here to ruin that."

I cross my arms, "That's not fair, why does he get to hangout during girl's time?" I point at the baby.

She cocks a brow asking me why I assume it's a boy, and well, it's because I know it's a boy.

"Look, if he's staying his dad is also staying for girls time, so paint my face if you must but I'm not going anywhere."

"Your phones about to ring." Rei says and she's right, it's a call about work. I tell them to handle it without me, "There, I'm staying. I'll figure it out, I can be a father and a business man."

"Still not forgiven Toya, still not forgiven."

I really hate this, hopefully one month of this can get me in her good graces.

~

Rei

I look in the mirror and it's really getting on my nerves to realise just how much I've popped.

I hold my tummy after an unfriendly kick, "Hey, I know you're excited to meet your grandfather, but don't start getting any ideas, okay?"

"Hey, don't yell at my son." Toya hugs me from behind and pecks my cheek. He rubs my belly and smiles just staring at it. I can see him through the mirror, there's no way he can fake that look of pure adoration on his face.

"I'm glad you were there the second half of the pregnancy. Meant a lot."

"Yeah, thanks for coming today, I'm sorry there was a delay in preparations for the naming ceremony. It's a Hiryu right of passage, I'm so excited."

"I'm still mad about that event being a public thing. I hate people."

"I know. Let's go."

We drive to the event and Toya still can't decide on a simple name. He's been thinking really hard about this. For months now - get it?

"Well, what names you got?" He asks me and I smile, he thinks it's a boy, I'm convinced it's a girl.

"Astrid."

He glares at me and I laugh.

We arrive and Kai is here with Kaiya already, how rude to arrive after the guest. I walk over to them and give Kaiya a hug, she looks so adorable in her blue princess dress and tiara.

I smile at Kai, he can surprise you as the most adorable father in the world, he's wearing a knights armor and he is too adorable.

"You look stunningly beautiful." He compliments.

"Thank you, you're the first person to complement me today." I say looking at Toya who laughs.

"I told you, you look amazing."

"Really? You were talking to me?" I mock him and he looks away, now he remembers that he was talking to the bump and not me.

"Kaiya, you look really amazing too. I love your hair, did you do it yourself?" Toya asks and she nods.

He nods too, "Let me tie it for you, it'll get in the way when you're dancing. You have really long hair." He ties her hair up in a nice pony tail and we walk in together.

Kai finds us a table and we sit at the very back, perfect, we can disappear easily once all the formalities are over and done with.

A group of women walk past us and I really feel so out of place here.

"You ladies, okay? You look miserable and we just got here." Toya asks.

"I want to go home." I say and Kaiya nods.

Toya checks his watch and nods, "Alright, 2 hours then we go home."

"Thanks." I say looking around for Kai, he just disappeared.

~

Kai

I get in the car, with Rei there Kaiya is safe, I'll be back before they even notice I'm gone.

I arrive at the warehouse and Kendo is here.

"Well? What have you got for me?" I ask checking the watch.

"Toya will be making a trade with Lady Lucy at this very spot next weekend. He hasn't been showing up in person for his meetings and the news about his coming child has everyone thinking that's why. No one will make a move though since the Hiryu's will all know if the child is in trouble."

I nod.

"Alright, tip the police, stay out of this one Kendo. I want him behind bars, he's in my way and there's a fox I want to get my hands on."

"Alright, I also have another thing to tell you. Yachi is back. She's no longer gone under the radar she's making big moves with her own organisation. They specialise in assassinations, I don't think it'll be safe if she tries to come back to Kaiya's life."

I sigh, "I'll be careful, but to completely cut her out of her daughter's life would be impossible. I've seen the way Kaiya's getting attached to Rei lately, she needs her mother. She's longing for her, this is deeper than you can ever imagine. It's really getting on my nerves."

"Well, I brought what you asked for. Here you go." He hands me the wooden box.

I nod getting in the car driving back to the event. I notice Rei and Kaiya sitting in Toya's car away from all the people. I get in the car and Toya joins us with food, so we eat together.

"Hey, dad wants to see you. Let's go." Toya announces to Rei who nods. She gives Kaiya a hug.

My phone rings again and Kaiya gives me those glassy eyes. I hang up and smile at her, she smiles back ready to get back inside herself.

~

Rei

I walk into the building and meet the tall man, I see where Toya gets the height from, I think he gets the looks from his mother, though looking closer, nah, gets the looks from his old man, he's a handsome grand-pa just has a really intimidating scowl.

"So, this is the girl. Pleasure to meet you."

"Yeah." I nod my head and Toya chuckles, "Calm down, he's not as scary as he looks." He whispers in my ear, and I look at the guy and shake my head.

"Yeah right, you've had to look at that face all your life."

"I'm not senile I'll have you know." He says and I nod in agreement. "I know, how else would you throw this party." I look around and honestly, it's way past that 2-hour mark now.

"This party is a family tradition, that is how every Hiryu is born with the family mark, those who don't attend this ceremony are born without. Please come with me." He leads the way and Toya locks our arms excited.

Wait, then how did I get the mark? I'll ask about it some other time.

I stand in front of the crowd and the old man pricks my hand, it heals, and he pricks me again, it heals, and he pricks me again, and I look at him and then at my hand like he's lost his mind, he should've noticed after the second prick he's just hurting me.

"Calm down." Toya whispers in my ear and I glare at him. I look up when I hear light thunder coming from the cloud over my head.

Everyone laughs and I calm down, the old man pulls out a knife and I electrocute Toya's father. I cover my mouth, that was seriously an accident.

"Sorry, I panicked."

He glares at me and I zap him again. That one was on purpose. He shouldn't look at me like that.

"Can I draw blood from you?" He asks and I shake my head, "Nope. I heal too fast. You'll need to use an injection to draw it out."

Toya leaves and I stand there next to Toya's dad and he's just staring at me, I accidentally zapped him when he raised the knife and I think he's really angry.

"Sorry, it doesn't listen to me, you pricked me three times, it's just on standby in case of an emergency."

"Oh, so you think I might hurt you then?" He speaks

"Uhhh, yeah. You're a fricking giant, one hit and I'm K.O'd. Don't get offended it's just a defence mechanism, I can't allow myself to let my guard down, especially not in a room with so many people."

He laughs and I look at him confused, maybe the age gap has something to do with it. I know I said nothing even close to amusing.

Toya comes back and uses the syringe to draw blood. He looks at me confused when it's not red.

I nod at him, "That's my blood. I don't bleed red."

His father takes it and throws it in a fire.

"Names?" He asks.

"Astrid." I say and Toya glares at me, "Kaen and Kasai."

The names Kaen and Kasai are written in flames and Toya looks at me confused. I look back at him just as confused. Everyone else is murmuring.

"It's twins." Toya whispers in my ear and I step on his foot. He pecks my lips and I look away.

I feel like my stomach is burning, it's bearable but uncomfortable, honestly been feeling this on and off since yesterday, it's just more common today.

Toya hugs me from behind, "Are you okay?"

"Can I get a chair." My hips are feeling heavy. That entire area around my waist feels like it suddenly just started weighing a ton.

Toya comes back with a chair. I sit down and take a deep breath. The cloud on my head turns into a fire cloud and I wince when the boys are kicking, and this isn't the cute kind either.

The kicking stops and both the boys' names are written in flames. Toya smiles and sighs in relief. I look at him waiting for an explanation.

They take his blood and throw it in the fire, the flames turn blue and then purple and then black and back to blue.

There's ice and Toya's face literally turned stone cold.

I look at him and he pecks my cheek again, "I'll explain later."

Kaen's name is frozen and Kasai's name is on fire.

I can literally hear their heartbeats through the flames. This is some serious occult stuff here.

"Kasai will be the first born. Kaen follows." Scowling grand father announces.

Toya is still pissed off about the ice.

I turn my head hearing a slower heart beat, "Do you hear that?" I ask.

Kaen's name splits and is rewritten in fire, but then the name Astrid is spelled out in ice, there's lightning and a wind around it, she has my ability.

I smile and Toya tilts my chin to his side and looks me right in the eyes, I can't read him. It's an emotionless expression with so many emotions in it. He's feeling all sorts of emotions right now.

"Are you upset?" I ask and he looks at the names and looks at me.

"is it wrong to say yes? This is more then I'd expected. I really didn't want a daughter either, boys are easier to deal with."

"Well, lucky for you I wanted a girl because I think their easier. So, we'll tag team them just like we planned to okay."

He rests his forehead on mine, "This is overwhelming, I need a moment." He stands up straight running his hand through his hair. His dad cocks a brow and he shrugs his shoulders. His dad gives him a hug and he's staring specifically at Astrid.

"I miss her so much. She would've been so happy right now."

"Chin up son, we both know she's doing her silly little dance right now."

Toya breaks down in tears and squats on his knees. I want to help him but I can't move. It really hurts trying to move. The kicking might be contractions, I have some sort of immunity to pain so when the doctor was explaining contractions to me she failed to factor that part into the equation.

I told Toya to stick to the schedule, but no he had to do what his father wants and postponed the meeting to today, the 31st of January, coincidentally his birthday is tomorrow.

I wince again and he looks at me. He checks his watch and then kneels down in front of me, "Right now?" He asks and I shrug my shoulders, how would I know, this is not at all what the doctor said it would feel like.

~

Toya

Rei is carried to the delivery room. My brother is a doctor he said we had more time before the babies are born, but it doesn't sound like Rei would agree.

I check the time, it's been 3 hours, not even one of the kids is here yet.

Kai and I are sitting with Kaiya outside the delivery room, we waited until it was midnight, officially making it my birthday.

I walk into the room worried about it taking so long. I stand beside Rei and she takes a deep breath. The babies crying takes my attention away from her. I rush to his side and he's still covered in blood. The cord hasn't been cut yet.

I move out of the way.

Rei winces and I hold her hand. She closes her eyes and I sit beside her. Shortly after the next baby is born. We waited a few hours for Astrid to join the family, don't think she was very interested in coming out.

After birth we let Rei sleep. My brother takes care of the new borns one at a time.

My father has mother and babies rushed to the hospital when my brother is done. Kai takes his daughter home, he disappeared twice today, where did he go?

I know we're pretending to be friends but I know that psycho, he's no friend of mine at all, I'll have to take him out before he takes me out.

No.

I'll have to take myself off the playing board. I have three babies now, playing the game is selfish. I have had a scheme I've been working on, this is the perfect time to get it done.

I call Zero.

"Hey, shut down all operations effective and immediately and move everyone to phase 2, plan B."

"Alright, until when?"

"I'll let you know, but everyone knows the drill. We lay low and act normal."

"Roger that, sending message now." He hangs up and I sit beside Rei while she sleeps. They bring the babies in while she's still sleeping.

"They're really healthy, and a little bigger than I'd expect. It's rare for babies born prematurely to be the same size as full-term children."

"Looking at her bump I wouldn't have believed that." I brush her forehead and she slowly wakes up. I watch her hold the babies for the first time. I take pictures of her with each one. My brother did so with me.

I take them home after 2 weeks, and my entire family has invaded my personal space, my two brothers and father and eldest sister.

~

Kai

Kaiya runs into the room and shows me pictures of the triplets their finally home.

"Rei says I can keep coming to school, she already prepared the lessons for me. I really like her as a teacher, she makes learning fun. Look, I even learned how to write in cursive."

I smile, "She's sure dedicated to her work, how is she going to teach you?"

"She recorded all the lessons, she also has practical rooms at the school. Then there's an exam every Monday, they're really tricky. I can ask her if I don't understand something, but I understand everything very well."

"I'm glad. Can I come with you tomorrow?"

"Yes, it'd be really fun."

Yeah, I want to see her again too. Toya managed to keep her all to himself this whole time but now the real fun begins. I know the way he thinks, he'll screw up soon. Any moment now Rei will be calling me for help.