The sound of a plow hitting the damp earth echoes across the field. Beads of sweat gather on Mitsuru's forehead as he prepares for the soil to receive new seeds. All the while, his mind drifts to Kokoro and their newborn daughter, Ai, resting in the hospital on the grounds. His breath catches in his throat as he recalls the first time his eyes laid on their child. Her tiny hand had grasped his finger, eliciting tears from him.
Mitsuru glances up at the sky, noticing that the sun has begun its slow descent.
"Oi, Mitsuru."
Mitsuru's eyes trail up to find Goro approaching him.
"You're free to go," Goro assures him.
"A-Are you sure? I haven't finished yet..."
"You've had an exciting day. I'm sure you want to see Kokoro and the baby again," his tall friend says, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Mitsuru grins. He had only been able to stay with Kokoro for a short time before he had to head back to the fields again. They'd named their daughter in that period-Ai, for love. Mitsuru's heart swells thinking about the both of them. He has felt these emotions for a while, though never knew what to name them. Perhaps he does now.
"Thank you, Goro," he says, placing his tools away.
The sky is beginning to turn a pale orange as Mitsuru makes his way back to the hospital. He supposes it'll be a bit more empty now that it has been hours since Kokoro has given birth.
He doesn't know why, but his heart begins to pound rapidly as he makes his way down the familiar hallway. Perhaps there is still a part of him that can't believe this future laid out before him, one with a loving wife and beautiful baby. Mitsuru wishes he could remember his so-called "wedding" as he twists the ring around his finger, though he supposes it doesn't matter anymore now that he and Kokoro have found each other again.
Mitsuru pauses at Kokoro's hospital door before stepping inside. The room that had been filled to the brim earlier that day is now empty. A quiet humming fills the air, and he turns, seeing Kokoro sitting upright in the bed with the baby cradled against her chest. As Mitsuru's shoes clank against the floor, she glances up, her blue eyes gazing softly at Mitsuru.
"Hey, look," she whispers quietly to Ai. "Papa's back."
Mitsuru pulls a chair up next to her bedside and smiles at her.
"How are you feeling?" he asks.
"A little better. Still very tired," Kokoro says, letting out a large yawn.
"Have you managed to sleep at all?"
"A little. But she's a hungry one," Kokoro said, glancing down at the newborn child in her arms. "She wouldn't let me nap too long."
"You should've told me. I could've-"
"It's okay, Mitsuru-kun." She flinches, her hand tracing her forehead. "I know there's a lot of work to do in the fields."
"You're amazing, you know," Mitsuru says, staring into Kokoro's eyes. "You gave birth to the first baby in years, and now you're caring for her so well." He reaches forward to gently touch Ai's tiny hand.
Kokoro giggles. "Thank you for standing by me, Mitsu-er, Papa."
"I would've thought the pain would have stopped by now," Mitsuru said, watching as she rubs her forehead.
"Ah, it's okay. But maybe we should just call ourselves Mama and Papa for now," Kokoro suggests.
"Okay, Kokoro-san." Pain gathers in Mitsuru's forehead, and he winces slightly.
Kokoro giggles. "I guess it might take some time getting used to it. Hey, Papa, do you want to hold her?"
Mitsuru's eyes widen. "Hold...the baby?"
"Yes, silly," she says.
"I-I don't know if I...What if she squirms and I drop her?" Mitsuru asks, the fear of raising a child already settling in.
"You won't," she promises. "She's nice and bundled up anyway. I just fed her, so she shouldn't be too fussy. Now hold your arms out."
Mitsuru gulps and does as he is told. Slowly, the baby is lowered into his arms.
"Okay, keep her head supported in the crook of your arm," Kokoro says as Mitsuru slowly adjusts his arm until it feels natural. Ai squirms slightly, though she doesn't fuss.
Mitsuru glances down at his daughter, not realizing until now how tiny she is. He feels her tiny breaths against his arm, and he glances down, seeing her glancing up at him. Her eyes are light, though he swears he can make out the faintest green hues in them.
"Oh, Papa, I think she has your eyes," Kokoro says.
Mitsuru grins, looking at the tiny tufts of blonde hair on her head. "But it looks like she has your hair color."
Kokoro grins, her fingers finding her own hair. "You think so?"
Mitsuru nods and glances back at Ai.
"Hi, there," he says quietly, waving at her with his free arm.
"She's already so comfortable with you," Kokoro notices. "When Miku tried to hold her earlier, all she did was scream."
"Really?" Mitsuru asks. Before Kokoro can answer, Ai lets out a few cries. Mitsuru begins to rock the baby, though he isn't sure what compels him to do it. It just feels natural. Slowly, her tiny cries fade.
"See. You're doing a great job already," Kokoro tells him. She reaches forward and grabs his free hand, tracing her fingers over the ring on his.
"K-Kokoro-san?" Another small headache gathers in Mitsuru's forehead.
"Ah, when will you learn?" she asks, shaking her head.
"Kokoro-san, I want to have more babies," Mitsuru-kun decides, his cheeks turning red. There's something so natural and beautiful about holding the tiny baby in his arms. It's an indescribable feeling that he never wants it to fade.
Kokoro laughs again. "Me too. But maybe we should work on raising this one first."
Mitsuru grins and reaches his hand forward again, watching as Ai wraps her pale hand around it. He glances back up at Kokoro and gives her a kind smile.
"When can you leave the hospital?" he asks.
"In another day or so. They're monitoring me closely since I'm the first one here to have a baby," Kokoro explains.
"I-I'm going to help you raise her as best as I can," Mitsuru promises. "I'll see if I can work less in the fields. I want to spend time with you...and with her."
"I know you'll be a great papa," Kokoro says.
Mitsuru blushes and continues playing with the baby's hand before glancing up again.
"I-I can stay here tonight...if you want."
"It's okay. You can go home. I'm sure the bed is a lot more comfortable than the chair in here," Kokoro assures him.
"Then...I'll make sure everything is set up for when you two come home," Mitsuru vows. Society is still far from creating proper homes, but not too far along Kokoro's pregnancy, the two requested a larger room for them to share. While it is situated among the living quarters for the other parasites, it is the closest thing to a home that the two have.
"I guess I should head back then," Mitsuru realizes, seeing that the windows have gone dark with the onset of night. "Do you need anything before you go? Can I get you any food?"
Kokoro shakes her head. "They already brought me some. Don't worry. They're taking good care of me here."
Mitsuru nods and slowly stands up, still cradling his child.
"You can just set her in the bassinet over here," Kokoro says, pointing to the other side of her bed.
Mitsuru nods and gently sets Ai down to rest. She lets out a big yawn before shutting her eyes. Mitsuru grins, then turns back to look at Kokoro. Though it took him some time after the memory wipe, he realizes that these emotions he feels for Kokoro and his child...are love.
Mitsuru grasps Kokoro's hand from the bedside as she settles her head back into her pillows. "I'll be back first thing tomorrow."
"Okay. Get some rest," she says quietly.
"You too. You need it more than anyone." He averts his gaze for a second then reaches up to trace her face with his hand. Slowly, he tilts his head forward, pressing his lips against hers. The kiss is short and sweet, but it sends sparks of electricity through Mitsuru's whole body. As he pulls away, Kokoro's mouth turns into a smile. It took a while for them to kiss again, though that was partly because neither of them remembered how.
"Good night...Mitsuru-kun," Kokoro says.
"Good night."
"I love you," she says as he removes his hand from hers.
"I love you, too," he replies. He gives her a quick wave before exiting. While he should be exhausted, Mitsuru's heart flutters with excitement as he thinks of the future. He smiles to himself as he returns back, the anticipation for the next day growing more and more by the minute.