2 - Leave the light on when you go von Gravitas ================================================================================ Kapitel 2: Anzu --------------- Surely, this has to be one of the least thought-through things you have done in your life. Surely, you’re breathing weirdly on his face and you’re getting way too heavy to be lying on top of him like that and – surely, this is not the way to talk your friend through a pregnancy scare. Once you’ve started it, though, there is no way to just act like it didn’t happen, so you might as well go with it, act like you had a plan all along. Surprisingly, after a few seconds, Katsuya starts to respond to your kiss, and his arms tighten around you, and maybe you’re not as terrible at this as you had feared. And at least, when you finally pull back, you’ve come up with an answer, simple, but comforting. Or so you hope. “You’re going to do great.” Whether it was the kiss or your encouragement, something seems to have worked, because he looks dazed, but no longer panicked. Or possibly it’s the fact that you didn’t brush your teeth before this. God, you hope not. “I should… shower.” He manages. “I mean – not because of this… I didn’t think to – after work, I got home, and I checked my voicemail and then I sort of forgot and I came here – can I use yours?” Without a word, you get up, rummage through your closet and toss him a towel. “You know where.” When he’s gone, you sink back into your pillows and stifle a groan. Way to diffuse a situation, Mazaki. Where did that even come from? It’s not the first time you thought of kissing one of your friends – or, lately, random strangers in the street, for some reason – but you didn’t think you’d ever act on it. Let alone in a situation like this. Poor Katsuya, he was already confused enough and this probably didn’t help. And poor Mai. She must be beside herself. Of all your friends, you probably understand best the feeling that you have to travel and make compromises in seeing people if it’s the right thing for where you want to end up in life. But in a situation like this, you couldn’t imagine being without your friends. You’d probably be crying in a corner if you just found out you were pregnant and you couldn’t even talk to your boyfriend. Right on cue, Katsuya’s phone, which he left next to you on the pillow, starts to ring. Mai. Should you let it go to voicemail? But she should at least know that he’s around. “This is Anzu. Hey, Mai. I’m sorry, Katsuya’s just in the shower. He – “ Uh, you should probably explain this. But how do you tell her ‘he came to talk to me about something he should have been talking to you about’ without making it sound like that? “It’s okay, Anzu. I figured. I’ll call back later. Or, actually… while I have you, can I talk to you?” She sounds reluctant, almost embarrassed. The two of you don’t talk much, normally. Not because you don’t like her, you got over that a long time ago. But with the amount of time she is usually able to spend in Domino before it’s off to another business trip, there isn’t much time for a girls’ night out. “Of course.” You suppress the urge to ask how she is feeling. Maybe you should leave it to her to bring up the topic, although it is pretty obvious that that’s why Katsuya is in your flat at five am instead of dead asleep in his own bed. Mai seems to agree that there’s no reason to talk around it. “So. How is he dealing with it? Any chance I’ll get a coherent sentence out of him?” It’s hard to tell over the phone, and Mai has never been easy to read. But you think there’s a slight quiver in her voice. Maybe she’s not so much more cool and collected than you would be in this situation. “He’s… okay. A bit freaked out. But Mai, I’m sure it’s not because he isn’t happy about it. It’s just… so unexpected. And he doesn’t really trust himself, I think. But. He’ll be thrilled once the kid is here. And he loves you. So much.” Your chest suddenly feels tight, and you notice your own voice drop in volume at the last sentence. It doesn’t make sense, you quickly remind yourself. They are a great couple. They’re good for each other. They’re going to be amazing parents. But. They’re also not going to be your friends anymore in the same way in which they are now. Especially Jou. In a way, you suppose it doesn’t matter whether you don’t see Mai because she’s working or because she’s busy with a baby. Who knows, you might even see her more if she takes some time off when the baby comes. But Jou, things with him will be different. Suddenly, you realize how much you’ve always seen him as yours. Even when he started to date Mai, that never meant the two of you didn’t spend time together anymore. They weren’t like Yugi and Mokuba, after all – both of whom you love to death, by the way, but they can be annoying with their couple-y habits. But now that he’s going to be a father, all that will change. He’s always been someone who loves so completely, so fiercely. There’s no way he is not spending every waking hour with his kid. “Anzu? Are you alright, honey?” – “Wha- yes, of course! I’m sorry, Mai, I should be asking you that. How are you? Do you need anything?” It doesn’t feel like that is fully you who’s responding there, but it is easy to snap back into caring mode for you. Her voice sounds like a smile. “I don’t know yet. But thanks for asking. I’ll probably take a few days off and come home for a while… I might see you then. We should really get together more often. I want to hear all about Germany, by the way, from you, not Jou’s version. Speaking of. Any chance he’ll be back soon?” As if he waited for her to ask the sound of the closing bathroom door comes from the hallway. “Yes, I think he’s coming now. I’ll hand you over. Bye, Mai, and let me know if there is anything I can do.” Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)