Chapter One – Misaki


There used to be a time when I was about seventeen or eighteen, and I thought life couldn't possibly get any better than just wasting the afternoons with Kyouya doing whatever nonsense it was that we did, or hanging around in New York with a couple of girlfriends. Well, I was obviously wrong. Now, I know for sure life can't possibly get any better than wasting away the days with Kyouya and our child.

I gave birth to our first child five and a half years ago. I had rushed to the hospital with Haruhi, she had left her baby boy in the care of her husband. I was so lucky I decided to call her after I tried to call Kyouya, her calm and quick-thinking supplied me with the strength I needed to not freak out every ten seconds. All that was running through my head were things that could go wrong.

What if the umbilical chord strangles her?

What if she has some kind of defect?

What if she's born with a terrible disease?

Kyouya had arrived moments later, hustling and bustling into the room like he was boss. Which he was.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. Came as soon as I could from a meeting." He looks at me, and I can tell I look very pitiful. Perhaps it was the sheen of sweat on my face, or how my expression contorted with each coming contraction.

"It's all right." I manage to wheeze out.

As soon as she was born, all my negative thoughts left me like water down a drain. She was absolutely everything I could have ever hoped for. Apparently, my husband agreed. He swaddled the crying baby with the most tender look in his eyes.

"She's perfect." He murmured. With what strength I had left in me, I held out my arms to take my baby into my arms. Her crying stopped almost immediately after she heard my voice.

"Hush, baby." I smile as she looks up at me, finally recognizing the face that goes with the voice.

xXxXxXx

"Misaki! Are you coming yet? We're going to Shota-kun's birthday now. Hmm, what are you looking at?" I peer around the girl to see the very same earrings I received many years ago.

"Mama, these are prettyyy."

I smile in remembrance of my first white day with Kyouya. How many years has it been already?

"Aren't they? Now, let's go before your papa gets angry." Misaki nods quite seriously, her forehead furrowed in the concentration required to leave. I laugh and grab my daughter's small and slightly pudgy hand.

Misaki's father stood outside next to a limo, checking his watch. He pushed his glasses further along his nose, as had become his habit from very long ago.

"Papa!" Misaki's face lights up like a lavishly decorated Christmas tree. The little silk bows on her head bobbing along as she ran to her father. I don't care for bragging, but in this case, it can't be helped. Misaki is one of the prettiest babies I have ever seen. Her perfect pale peach complexion, her lips like a ripe raspberry, and her lashes full and thick. Not to mention, she inherited my eyes. Not that I'm saying they're anything special, but they seem much brighter and prettier on her.

He picks his daughter up and carries her with one arm like one would hold a laptop to his side.

"No fooling around now, you can do that with your Uncle."

Misaki's rosy cheeks betrayed her pout.

"Kyouya! Don't hold her like that. She's your daughter, not an object." I swat my husband playfully, knowing full well he would never allow any harm to come to her.

"She likes it." He stated.

His glasses glinted as he turned to take in my appearance. Honestly, I don't know what he looks at, all I was wearing was a simple blouse and a-line skirt. Yet I his gaze never fails to warm my cheeks anyway.

"Oh, just get in the car." I say, playfully shoving him in.

He smiles at my abashed behavior.

xXxXxXx

"Misa-channnnn!" Tamaki ran towards the limo in what seemed like slow motion, arms held out, hair a-glittering, eyes a-twinkling, ready to embrace any living thing near him.

"Uncle Tama-channn!" Misaki hopped out of the car and ran towards Tamaki with equal fervor. She had picked up on the nickname after hearing Hani call him that all the time. After Misaki is enveloped in Tamaki's arms, he begins to sob dramatically. I am now proud to say he doesn't even need eye drops.

"It's been too long Misa-chan."

"Uncle Tama, you smell funny." Misaki sniffed at Tamaki's shirt.

Tamaki of course, went to his little corner mumbling things about how Misaki could ruin the moment like that.

"Tamaki, what do you mean it's been too long. You were over at our place just the other night for dinner." Kyouya stepped into the mansion, helping me up the last step. Yes, I'm getting rather old.

"That's right Tamaki. Don't be such a child." Haruhi comes out from the kitchen, her large brown eyes narrowing at the blonde she was married to.

"Hey Haruhi! What smells so good?" I follow Haruhi into the kitchen, we had gotten really close these past few years. I had helped her find a job as a lawyer after she finished college, like she always wanted to, at one of my firms. We especially bonded over our child-rearing.

"I baked cookies, hold on; they're still hot." Haruhi happily waved towards a plate full of oatmeal cookies.

"Ooh, yay, oatmeal. My favorite." I lick my lips and sat down on a kitchen bar stool.

"Ahaha, yes, they happen to be Shota's favorite too. So how far along is the baby now?" Haruhi looks at the slight protrusion at my midsection in honest curiosity.

"22 weeks. Nearly there." I grin and cradle my midsection again. "Oh, hello Shota-kun! Happy birthday!"

I smile at the little boy a few months older than Misaki in greeting, he had appeared at the doorway and started towards his mother's cookies. His chocolate brown eyes look up at me in delight as I ruffle his blonde hair.

"Thank you Auntie Maya, is Misaki-chan here today as well?" Shota asked placidly.

"Ara. You sound more like your mother everyday. That's a good thing Shota-kun, you already sound smarter than Tamaki. And yes, she is here."

Shota smiles politely and grabs a cookie. I grin at the sounds of Tamaki shouting for, no doubt, idiotic reasons. I mimic Shota and begin to nibble at a cookie. It was delicious, as usual. Haruhi's cooking had definitely improved over the years.

"Shota, not so many, alright? Dinner is going to be soon. Can I get a hand Maya?"

"Definitely. Shota, go find and play with Misaki. She wanted to see you most, you know." I nudged Haruhi as her son turned a light pink, and then ran off.

"Isn't it good to be young?" I smile at Haruhi.

xXxXxXx

"Here you go Shota. Happy 6th birthday." Kyouya handed the boy a large package.

"Thank you very much Uncle Kyouya." Shota carefully removed the bow and wrappings and what was revealed was the very latest gaming system complete with 5 of his favorite games.

"Thank you, I like it very much." Shota, unknowingly, smiled his most adorable smile. Undoubtedly it came from his mother, the very one that had stolen Tamaki's heart during high school.

Misaki watches him silently, her wide eyes shining, and her cheeks turning a pretty pink. She had told me once in confidence that she in fact liked that smile the best.

"So where are Kaoru and Hikaru? They wouldn't be the ones to miss a party." I look at Tamaki and Haruhi questioningly.

"They are away on business, but they sent their gift two days earlier." Haruhi replies, watching her son fondly as he stared at the wires confusedly.

"And Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai?" Kyouya glances at me and then looks to his best friend for a response, his glasses glint in the way that shows me he knows something I didn't tell him.

"They dropped by yesterday with a cake, and then left hurriedly. They said they would be supervising a judo competition." Tamaki laces his fingers through Haruhi's. It's really too cute, their baby faces have barely changed at all. In fact none of us had changed that much. The exceptions were Haruhi letting her hair grow to her shoulders, and Hani-senpai shooting up at least a foot and a half. Not to mention that the twins grew a bit broader in their shoulders, only, I'm not really supposed to notice this since I'm a married woman and all that.

"Well alright then. It's getting late, and Maya needs her rest. Goodnight Haruhi, Tamaki. Goodnight Shota." I pat Kyouya's arm gratefully. So he did notice.

"Goodbye Uncle Tama and Aunt Haruhi. Bye bye, Shota-kun!" Misaki kisses Shota on the cheek. The boy promptly turns scarlet and reaches up to touch his cheek.

Tamaki wails for his turn as Kyouya holds him back with one arm. I wave bye as Haruhi does the same at the door.

"Get inside Tamaki." Haruhi scolds.

The blonde pouts but obeys his wife anyway, dragging her along the way.

"Come on Misaki." Kyouya picks up our little girl and starts towards the awaiting limo with me by his side.