Bite Back

Nervous

As days turned to weeks, and weeks into months, Wyleen had developed a routine to exercise lightly while she was expecting. Doing some tai chi in the morning, meditation in the evenings, and keeping moderate physical activity throughout the day without pushing herself too much. Though she was well prepared to usurp the kingdom she once hailed from, she was also a bit apprehensive. What if she failed? What if Champlyn was expecting her to come back, preparing all this time, having two years of preparation ahead of her? Meditating, she exhaled sharply with her thoughts; Katakuri took notice.

“What is it that is troubling you, dear?” Katakuri looked over to Wyleen from where he sat. In the study, Katakuri was mulling over maps and ocean charts, planning a course for his next stint out at sea.

“Nothing,” Wyleen muttered, straightening her posture, unable to relax.

“Hm,” Katakuri watched his wife closely, “your face is saying otherwise. You need to relax; if meditation is your goal this evening.”

Wyleen let out a sigh, relaxing her posture and opening her eyes, “I’m just a bit nervy about the next few months.”

“We have a solid plan for the kingdom; you drew an impeccable sketch of the layout of the castle, offered up memories of hidden entrances, a rough estimate of guard rotations, and a port on the backside of the island that is home to nothing but ghosts. Wyleen, I don’t see this as something to worry about. I’ll be by your side, yes, but this usurpation is yours for the taking. You’ve been fretting about this for the past week since we solidified the plans and invited my brother and his crew to accompany us if we are in need of backup. You have covered all your bases and done well.” Katakuri rested his chin in his hand as he watched Wyleen’s expression.

“I know.” She rubbed her growing belly absently. “As much as I want to kick their king’s ass and send that kingdom to hell where it belongs, I can’t help but have concerns that I may fail.”

“I see,” Katakuri said, thinking a moment. “Perhaps you are worried about something else?” He was watching Wyleen’s hands run over her belly as she looked off, her expression troubled.

“Like what?” Wyleen looked up at Katakuri, c*****g her head slightly.

Katakuri let out a low chuckle before turning back to his charts, “I know you are concerned about being a mother as well. You have been more indecisive than usual.”

Wyleen thought about the past few days; she couldn’t decide what colour the nursery should be when the painters had shown up. Causing her to make a quick decision, only to cry silently to herself because she didn’t like it, but was too proud to admit it to her husband. The hand-painting she was doing on the room’s trim and baseboards had been done and redone too many times to count, changing her mind from a floral pattern to pastries and sweets, then back to floral. The embroidery on the blanket she was making had too many squares, as she couldn’t decide between animals, embroidered representations of Mama’s Homies, flowers or candy patterns. She had enough to make about three quilts at this rate. Wyleen didn’t want to rope Katakuri into making decisions for their child, as he seemed a bit distant and avoidant when it came to the topic. This was one of the few times he had brought up the topic of their child on his own. “I reckon I’ve been a bit distracted, yes.”

“Just remember, you wanted this child; don’t forget that.” Katakuri shot her a cold glance from over his shoulder.

“Yes, yes, I know,” she grunted slightly as she stood up, her hips becoming uncomfortable after sitting on the hard floor for a time. “I think I’m going to turn in for the night. Will you be staying up?”

He nodded, not looking up from the desktop, “I will join you shortly, but I will be finishing this route before I allow myself to turn in.”

“How long will you be gone this time?” Wyleen asked, a note of disappointment in her voice.

“I can’t be sure; I’m hoping this will be a fairly quick trip, a few weeks, a month, perhaps?”

Wyleen put a hand on her belly; she was nearing her due date. If his time at sea was any longer than a month, he would be coming home to not one person, but two occupying his home. “I see.”

“Why? Miss me already?” Katakuri glanced at her from over the rims of his reading glasses, a small smirk forming on his lips.

She forced a smile that she hoped looked genuine enough: “Yeah, that’s it.” Wyleen gave him a kiss goodnight before making her way down the hall to their room. Her smile faded with every step she took away from him. She hoped things wouldn’t be too different between them after the child was born. Wyleen also hoped the slight tension she felt between them right now would ease as soon as Katakuri locked eyes with his firstborn. She saw the way he stole glances at her, glowering not at her, but at her body. He never wanted to feel the child kick and move inside of her, only c*****g an eyebrow and pursing his lips when Wyleen suggested the notion on a day the baby was particularly active. She didn’t bring it up or ask since. He wasn’t particularly affectionate with her either, seemingly putting distance between him and her protruding belly. It was disheartening to see, but what was she to do but cry herself to sleep every other night?

Standing from his chair, Katakuri stretched out his back from having been hunched over his desk for the past few hours. He removed his glasses, rubbing his strained eyes, finally able to give them a break. Tossing his glasses on the desk, he made his way down the hall towards the shared room of he and his wife. Glancing through the door, he could see Wyleen was asleep before he entered their room quietly, careful to close the door behind him. He knelt by Wyleen’s bedside, brushing her bangs from her sleeping face, her light snoring only interrupted for a moment. Katakuri placed his hand on Wyleen’s stomach, not feeling any movement from his child on this night. He kissed her belly lightly before standing up to kiss Wyleen’s forehead and getting ready for bed himself.

He wouldn’t be admitting to Wyleen that he was anticipating seeing his child for the first time. They didn’t know the gender of the child as of right now, but surely would on the day it arrived. He was hoping for a son, as was Wyleen, but Katakuri would be indifferent if he were asked. He was hoping to be back before the child came, as his wife would passively talk about the upcoming date of the child’s birth, though they couldn’t know what day exactly the child would be making its entrance into the world. Katakuri planned to have Brûlée keep a close eye on his wife, telling her he wanted word immediately if anything adverse were happening. Breaking his rule of having a mirror in his quarters, he made an exception in the chance of Wyleen going into labour before he was to return. Only if he wouldn’t be abandoning his crew in the midst of battle. He still had a duty to fulfill, and that responsibility came first, after all.