Disclaimer: Tis not mine.
Warnings: See Brave New World, since this is the sequel. Also, you don't really need to read that first, but this'll probably make more sense if you do.
Note: Well, if you've read BNW you know I chickened out of the whole m-preg thing, but I promised to write a sequel with it in. Here it is! It doesn't have much of a plot, because I was in a fluff mood, but hopefully it's still worth reading anyway.
Important things:
1 – If anything is totally inaccurate here, put it down to Bakura being a guy. I'm far too lazy to go look this stuff up, so I'm just watching loads of baby shows on TV.
2 – Yes, Seto is the perfect man. Caring, considerate, richand good-looking. No, I don't know where you can find one of those.
3 – The way it's written is down to me having two versions of Bakura's character, a modern one and an ancient one. This is the ancient one.
4 – The name Tio comes from a character in the game Grandia 2.
Brave New World 2
Part 1
Bakura POVThe first thing I think when I wake up is that I am warm here, and I do not want to move. Seto has me wrapped up in his arms, against his chest where I like to sleep because his heartbeat drowns out mine when I wake in the night. He took me out last night – I do not usually like to leave this house but he promised to bring me back if I asked, and I could tell he wanted me to go. He took me to dinner at an Italian restaurant, we had a table in the most secluded corner and it was a quiet night anyway, so there were no crowds and I enjoyed it. I did not think I would, but he distracted me from the car journeys by kissing me, and for once I barely noticed the movement. It was perfect, and when he took me home he carried me to the bed, which made me laugh. I do not think anyone else ever gets to see him like that, just as nobody else will ever get to see me the way he does.
He is still asleep right now and I do not move for the time being, keeping my eyes closed. I can feel the warm morning sunlight against my skin, it is a simple thing but I could lie here and just feel it for hours.
As I am about to drift back to sleep something small catches my attention. It must have been subconscious at first, but slowly I realise that Seto and I are not alone. Normally sensing someone else in the room would jerk me awake, ready to defend myself, but this is different. It is not a person, exactly… It is just a warm glow, the feeling of another life beating with ours. It takes me a few moments of contemplation before I finally realise what it is, but when I do I almost panic. All at once I am rigid with terror, yet at the same time elation fills me. I do not know if I should wake Seto, how I should explain this to him. I do not need to worry about waking him, though, he must have felt me tense up against him when I recognised what the glow was.
"Are you alright?" He asks, concerned. He is allowed to ask me that now, because usually I am. That thought makes me smile. A little of the tension in me fades and I look up into blue eyes that I know will never cast me aside. I have been a thief and a murderer, but he loves me anyway. I used to sneer at the word until I knew all that it encompassed.
"Bakura?" He is worried again because I am just staring up at him, wondering how to tell him. In the end I give up on trying to find the right words and take his hand in mine, looking down at it. I kiss his fingertips gently, then guide his hand down to lie flat across my stomach, before looking back up at him. He seems confused for an instant before he understands what the gesture means, and his eyes widen a little. He sits up in bed, looking down at me in surprise as I sit up too and pull the covers up around me.
"Really?" He asks me, quiet and hopeful. I can see by the excitement in his eyes that he still wants this, and I smile slightly.
"Yes. I can feel it. It is barely there yet, but it will grow stronger." I explain, closing my eyes and focussing on the tiny glow of life inside me. Another pure, untainted soul inside mine that we have made. Seto pulls me into his arms and laughs softly, happy.
"I wonder how Mokuba will take being an uncle?" He says, and I think I will leave it up to him to tell everyone. We may not be a normal family, but I think we will be a happy one.
XxXxX
It has been a month since the day I first felt the child growing. I am sick this morning and Seto is not here in bed with me, so I get up and stumble into the bathroom, collapsing to my knees beside the toilet. I am getting used to this now and I know that it will stop soon, but for now I endure the sickness and retch until my throat burns. When it is over I wait for my breathing to slow and pull myself up, brushing my teeth and stepping into the shower. The water is warm and soothing – I could spend hours just letting it relax my aching muscles. I tip my head back once my hair is clean and let the water run down my throat to my chest, running my fingers over my stomach absently. It is still flat for now, but it will begin to show soon. I can already feel a link with it, much like the one I hold with my light. At the moment it is content, sharing my enjoyment of the warm water after the strain of morning sickness. It is like a purring kitten, basking in my pleasure at the comforting shower, a soft glow within me. It has no conscious thought yet and it is still too young to have developed emotions beyond contentment and agitation, but in time I will feel more from it.
I sigh and relax into the warmth, wondering where Seto went. I am not worried, just curious. Some days he gets up before I wake to work in his office, he does not go into the Kaibacorp building more than twice a week now because he likes to be at home in case I need him. Both the child and I know that he is here to protect us, when he holds me the glow within me grows and it knows who Seto is. I think it feels my comfort with him, it seems to like having him near.
Today Seto is going to take me out to buy things for the child. I am apprehensive about going out, especially into a shopping centre, but Seto will be with me and he has chosen a weekday when it will not be so crowded. Thinking about the car journey makes me shiver and the child picks up on my discomfort so I push the thought aside, stepping out of the shower and switching it off, drying with the soft towels on the rail beside the door.
I pull on a thin cotton robe from the rail and tie it at my waist, padding out of the bathroom and down the long hallway to Seto's office. I slip inside quietly and close the door behind myself, looking over at him. He is sitting at his desk, engrossed in something on the computer screen in front of him. I wait silently; I do not like to interrupt him when he's working. He has told me many times that it does not matter but he works hard to keep me here, in this huge house with everything I need. He tells me that he does not have to work as hard as he used to – that his corporation runs smoothly with minimal input from him now. I am glad, I like having him here with me.
After a few moments Seto looks up and notices me, standing and striding over to me. He smiles and takes my hand, kissing the back of it lovingly and looking at me as though I am the most precious thing in the world to him. He is the only person who has ever looked at me with such intensity, and even now it still makes me want to melt into his arms. Instead I drop my gaze to where he holds my hand and stare at how pale my skin is compared to his – how his fingers are so long curled around my smaller hand.
"Good morning," he says in his deep, smooth voice. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." I murmur, looking up at him again. He searches my eyes, my face, and sees the weakness I try to hide from him. Even after my shower I still feel a little shaky from the morning sickness – I haven't eaten yet today.
"You were ill again?" He asks, concerned although it is normal.
"I'm alright now. It will stop soon." I assure him, closing my eyes as he pulls me into his arms and holds me.
"Good, I don't like seeing you ill. You're so pale anyway," he whispers, ducking his head down to nuzzle at my neck, his breath warm against my skin.
"You worry for us so much," I breathe as he kisses my throat and sends a shiver of pleasure through me. "We are lucky to have you here to keep us."
I feel him smile against the sensitive skin just above my collarbone and one of his hands slides up my hip to rest at my waist, the other buried in my hair.
"'We'…?" He sounds amused, but pleased. I give a rare smile and reach up, snaking my arms around his neck and pressing close to him.
"We… Both of us need you… Your daughter and I." I whisper, feeling him tense in surprise.
"Daughter?" He asks, pulling back a little to look down at me. I could tell a few days ago, she's going to be perfect.
"I can feel it. We will have a girl." I tell him, gasping as he suddenly sweeps me up into his arms and hugs me tightly.
"We're having a daughter," He says as though he cannot believe it, then he tilts my head back and kisses me deeply. I moan into the kiss and feel him lift me easily, retreating back to his chair and setting me comfortably on his lap.
"She needs a name." I smile, curling up against him. "This is your job."
"Shouldn't you be the one naming her?" He asks, stroking my hair gently. I close my eyes and focus on the feeling, listening to him breathe.
"I do not know any names for a girl. Not ones that would fit in…here, anyway." I say quietly. She needs him to pick it for her.
"Tio." He decides after a long moment of silence, thinking it over. "One of my tutors was called that, she was a very smart woman."
"Tio Kaiba. She will like that name, and that you chose it for her." I smile, liking the way the name sounds.
"I love you." He tell me, kissing me again with so much passion that all I can do is cling to him and moan helplessly. "I love you."
He is the only one who can dot his tome me, make me feel this good, this wanted.
"Seto…" I gasp out his name, closing my eyes and feeling his fingertips on my cheek.
"Beautiful. I hope she looks like you," he smiles, watching me as I open my eyes again and look up at him.
"You could have had anyone you wanted…" I remind him, laying my head against his shoulder with his arms around me.
"I did." He says honestly, then leans over me a little to click something on his computer. "Look at this."
I turn slightly in his lap to look at the screen and see images of almost everything that could possibly be needed for a child.
"Pictures?" I turn back to look up at Seto, wondering what he's been doing all morning.
"Not quite," he laughs slightly, massaging gentle circles at the small of my back as I lean against his chest again. "The wonders of the internet. I've ordered everything here, we just need to get clothes and then that's everything." Seto strokes my hair back softly.
"You bought these things?" I am amazed, there is so much. Everything for a nursery, a cot, a Moses basket, blankets and toys, bottles, a sterilizer and all sorts of things I had not even thought of yet.
"They'll arrive soon, in a few days." He stands up and sets me on my feet, and I straighten the robe I'm wearing. "Come on, let's get some breakfast. You need to eat something." He tells me, taking my hand and leading me out of the office. His words remind me how hungry I am, especially after the morning sickness, and I let him lead me down to the kitchen.
"What would you like to eat?" He asks me as I sit at one of the stools next to the counter, watching him move about in the shining silver kitchen.
"Bread?" I smile, and he knows what I mean, amused by my refusal to use the proper word for what I want.
"Toast." He smiles back, putting the bread in the toaster and setting out butter, plates and knives, and the different types of things to put on it. I nod and slide off my seat to join him in the square of the kitchen, boiling water for tea and coffee.
Once everything is prepared and breakfast is laid out we both sit back at the counter and I spread butter and something made with orange peel on my toast. I used to forget to eat, but my bond with Tio reminds me that she must depend on me for this. Seto sips his coffee and watches me eat, glad that I no longer need to be reminded.
"Yami called a little while ago," he informs me, noticing how I tense up. "It's alright…" he murmurs soothingly, and Tio can feel my anxiousness. I do not want the pharaoh near my child, no matter how irrational that may be.
"He's coming here?" I ask, not liking the idea of inviting my enemy into our house, where everything should be safe for Tio. I stare down at my plate as I drink my tea, trying to hide my feelings from Seto.
"No." He smiles, and I am relieved enough to relax a little. "He wanted us to meet him for lunch while we're out. I said I'd leave it up to you."
I look up at him, grateful that he would let me make the choice. I want to say no right away, but I hold back and think about it logically. Seto must be rubbing off on me, before I met him I would have gone on impulse. The pharaoh would not hurt a child, and Seto is with us. He would never try anything in front of Seto.
"Alright," I finally decide, curious as to what the pharaoh wants us for.
"We can leave any time, just say so." Seto reassures me, pleased that I have agreed. I get the feeling he wants to show me off to the pharaoh, and the thought makes me smile as I finish off my breakfast, standing up.
"I will go and dress, and then we can go." I tell him.
"Alright," he takes his cellphone out of his pocket. "I'll call for the car."
I nod and leave him to call the driver and finish his breakfast, padding barefoot up the carpeted stairs and along the hallways to our room. It is warmer in here and I strip off the robe, tossing it in the basket near the door. It takes me a few moments to decide what to wear but in the end I choose my usual black jeans and boots with a tight black, long-sleeved t-shirt that has white stitches along all the seams. I am taking advantage of being able to wear tight clothes while I still can, soon Tio will have me wearing Seto's clothes, which are much too big for me.
Brushing my hair out quickly – although nobody would be able to tell because it is so wild anyway – I head back downstairs to where Seto is waiting for me beside the door. He smiles and hands me my jacket, and I think he likes the way I am dressed because he cannot seem to take his eyes off me all the way out to the car, which is waiting for us at the bottom of the marble stairs leading down from the front door. He takes my hand as we get in the back of the limousine, running his thumb over my knuckles to remind me that he's right here and there's no need to panic. Tio can feel my apprehension and I close my eyes as the car begins to move, wondering if I will ever get used to this. I cannot stand cars.
I take a deep breath and try to relax, but I do not need to worry because Seto knows how to take my mind off this.
"Come here," he murmurs, and I gladly move up onto his lap, looking up at him and silently pleading for him to distract me from the movement of the car. He understands and trails his eyes slowly down to my throat, knowing that I am following his gaze. He has a slight smile on his face, because since he took me out last time he knows exactly how to take my attention away from the journey.
I shiver in his arms and tilt my head to the side, giving him room to brush his lips against my skin. My eyes slide closed and he finds the juncture between my neck and shoulder, his teeth scraping my skin lightly. He knows how sensitive I am there and I breathe his name, burying my fingers in his hair to keep him from stopping. He knows just where to touch me and leave me trembling, and he bites down a little harder, sucking gently at the mark to bring blood to the surface. I do not mind being marked by him, I think he wants the pharaoh to see it, and I will wear it proudly.
I let out a shaky breath of pleasure, my mind a thousand miles from the movement of the car, and arch my neck back, moaning as his warm hands slide up beneath my top to find every sensitive spot on my chest. I feel him smirk against my throat a moment before he pinches my nipples and I gasp, jerking up and tightening my grip in his hair. He chuckles darkly against me and I want to forget shopping and just stay here with him, but I feel the car pulling to a stop and he pulls back reluctantly. I look up at him dazedly for a moment before realising that we have arrived, and he smiles and kisses me quickly.
"Ready?" He asks, and I nod, still flushed from his touch but knowing that the cool air will soon fix that. I slide out of the car and he follows me, taking my hand and letting me pause to look around as the car pulls away behind us. We are at the entrance to a huge shopping centre with a glass roof and many shops inside. It is still early and a weekday, so there are only a few people wandering about inside. It does not look as bad as I had been expecting, so I look up at Seto and smile slightly, showing him that I am ready to go.
He leads me inside and we walk along, looking at all the different shops together. I like looking in the windows and we do this for about half an hour before Seto sees the shop that sells baby clothes and leads me across to it. The window has displays of many tiny little outfits and toys for babies and young children, so I follow Seto inside and he picks up a basket.
"What should we get?" He asks me as we walk down the first aisle, which holds things he has already bought. Bottles and such things, but we look at them anyway.
"Do we need more of these?" I ask, picking up a bottle from a shelf because it catches my attention. It is green like grass with pictures of sheep on it. The sheep are not coloured, so that when it is filled with milk they will be white.
"It couldn't hurt. You like that one?" He smiles at me as I put the bottle in the basket he is holding. I would deny this, but he knows me too well so I just nod and take his free hand again, pulling him around to the next aisle. I am enjoying this, it is not the terrifying experience I thought it would be.
This aisle has clothes for babies, which is what we came here for in the first place. We both pick out a few things and I get my own back on Seto, because he finds a tiny blue dress with white clouds on it that he will not leave without buying. I think Tio will like that, I will tell her that he picked it out for her.
The next few aisles are clothes for older children, and we do not need those yet so we skip them. The last part of the shop is toys and blankets, so we head for this part. The basket is almost full now, but we manage to find space for a few more things. Seto finds a few cuddly toys – a pink bear, a panda and a tiger with very large eyes and very soft fur. I find a little blanket with cats on it – they do not look much like real cats because they are made to look cute, but cats were sacred in my time and I like it.
I follow Seto as he places the basket down at the counter and a woman with a smile on her face helps us put the things in two plastic bags. Seto pays with his credit card and thanks her, then we take a bag each and leave the shop.
"Hungry? It's about lunch time, we should go and see what Yami wanted." Seto tells me, but even this cannot spoil the fun I am having with him. I nod and let him lead me through the shopping centre towards the far end, where we are supposed to be meeting the pharaoh. I do not care, we are all together and Tio is happy because I am happy, so even the pharaoh cannot ruin this.
Inside the small café that Seto takes me to it is quiet, and I look around for the pharaoh. He does not seem to be here yet, so I follow Seto over to a table at the back and sit down with him, ordering a glass of orange juice when the waitress notices us. Seto orders coffee and when she leaves to fetch our drinks he places his bag down and looks at me, noticing how happy I am.
"You seem pleased," he comments, and I smile.
"I am. So is Tio." I tell him, and he is about to say something else when the waitress comes back with our drinks. She places them down and leaves, but we do not get to continue our conversation because the bell on the door jingles and the pharaoh walks in. He is not alone, and I am surprised because his entire group of friends is with him, even my light. I am pleased to see Ryou because I do not get to very often, and when he spots me he rushes over and hugs me. I was not expecting that, but I am happy he missed me. He starts babbling things about how wonderful it is to see me, and how he cannot believe how happy I look, and how great it is that Seto and I are together… I glance at Seto and he shrugs, smirking. I do not really know what to say because Malik, Marik and Otogi are crowding around our table as well now, pulling up chairs and going on and on about things I cannot even understand, because they are all talking at once. It is amusing, but after a moment the pharaoh leads the rest of his friends to the table and he looks down at me. My guard is up and I am a little wary, but to my surprise he smiles slightly at Seto and I.
"Congratulations." He says deeply, and I think everyone can see my shock because Ryou giggles at me. I was not expecting this to be the reason he wanted to meet with us. He has changed a lot since Egypt.
"Thank you." Seto says for us both, and Yugi manages to struggle through the crowd of people around us to stand beside the table.
"I got you chocolate cake," he smiles brightly, setting a white box down on the table. It is tied with a blue ribbon, which I cannot help noticing because I like it, and I am not going to let Seto throw it away. The rest of them pull up chairs and soon we are taking up almost half of the tiny café. They all order drinks though, so the waitress does not mind.
"So, you been for a scan or any'tin yet?" Jounouchi asks, and the rest look at him as though he is an idiot, which is quite true. I think I would be locked away for medical research if I ever went to a hospital.
"I do not need to," I tell him. "I would know if anything were wrong."
"Oh, right," he grins sheepishly as Mai gives him a hopeless look. She turns to me and I do not know what to expect from her, but she smiles and I do not need to worry.
"So do you know if it's a girl or a boy?" She asks, looking genuinely pleased for Seto and I.
"A girl." I say, and we get another chorus of congratulations.
"Do you have a name worked out yet?" Anzu asks Seto.
"Tio." He tells her, and the women in the group make 'aww' noises, along with Malik and my light.
We spend the next hour answering questions about all sorts of things, and Ishizu tells Seto that she would like to help in any way that she can. I expect Seto to brush her off, but he stares at her for a while as though judging if she genuinely wants to help us, then thanks her and gives her his cellphone number. He says that he will call her, and I am glad he is accepting her help.
When we finally leave the café and go our separate ways I am still smiling, and so is Seto. Today has been wonderful, I had not expected the pharaoh and his friends to be happy for us, and it was good to see Ryou again. Tio is a warm glow inside me and when we get back into the car Seto takes me in his arms and kisses me all the way home.
The best part of the day has been finding out that when Tio is born, she will have a lot of people who love her. I think it will take me a day just to introduce her to them all.
TBC
This will only be a few chapters, because they're stupidly long. I love the fluff, it's to make up for what a bastard Seto is in Poor Twisted Me.