Arrhythmia

Fifty-Eight

Everything in me wanted to do the opposite of what she asked me, my entire mind just wanting someone to swoop up my newborns so she and I could have time alone; however, I found myself sitting down across from my newest daughter.

I could barely hear Y/N throw out her soft, 'Thank you,' my eyes locked on the sleeping newborn.

She looked...so much like him.

Kelly said she didn't see it, but I saw it.

It was in the way she yawned, the way she cried, the way she pursed her lips...the way she looked at me like I was her only reason for being-

"Bey!" The call made me flinch, my eyes ripping away from the baby girl to see Y/N standing next to a...peculiar cabinet. "Why do you own such a large alcohol stash?"

"It is not a stash." I corrected, knowing the hidden cellar in the basement was more of a stash. "...it's a collection."

The surgeon chuckled, coming back in with two bottles and a sleeping Sir.

"Whatever you say."

"Well, I say it's my collection, which is way more respectable than a stash." A yawn cut through our conversation before it could continue, my lips curling in a sneer before relaxing; a sigh leaving me instead as I huffed, "So that's that."

Ever the loving 'parent', she instantly swapped a sleeping sir for a waking Rumi, cooing, "Hey there, precious baby. You fucking smelled the milk, huh?"

"Y/N."

"Sorry."

I knew damn well she wasn't from the slick smirk she wore as she settled Rumi in her arms, sliding a burp cloth under her little neck.

It wasn't long before tiny suckles filled the silence, the two of us both quietly watching the tiny human eat.

It was comfortable...until it wasn't.

"How was the serv-"

"Don't." She warned, looking at me with begging eyes. "Please."

Peace could only last so long.

"We need to talk."

Y/N's sigh was bone-deep. "Bey. I said please...let's not do this today."

"No, listen to me." Her eyes were as exhausted as her words. "I think...I think we should go see Kato together."

She stared at me for a couple of seconds before looking back down at Rumi, almost absently throwing out, "What brought this on?"

I motioned towards her with an exasperated, "This."

Y/N lifted an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Us." The deep hum she let out was nearly a rumble, my head shaking as I elaborated, "We're both hurting...we're both busy; you with work and me with healing for the tour-and on top of all of that, we have the kids now." She let out a humorless chuckle, my body stiffening even as I chose to gloss over it. "We need an outlet before we start using each other as one."

"Hmph." She pulled the bottle from the sleeping baby girl, mumbling, "Isn't that ironic?"

I closed my eyes, my heart hurting while irritation ran rampant through my head.

Deep breaths, Bey. She has every right to this.

"Just...think about it?"

"We can go." The surgeon began to pat Rumi's back. "But remember. You asked for it."

An eery feeling settled in my stomach at the words.

Was that a threat? ...Or was it a warning?