This idea was based during the time Yuzuyu was still not too keen of Kokoro being Kippei's girlfriend. I know that it doesn't really smoothly inserts itself. Maybe an alternative to what happened at the end of episode 25 to about 26? Either way, it's a quick two-shot I thought of while reread the series. It's so gosh-darn cute.

That's right, it's going to be a two shot meaning that the next part will be the conclusion. So why split it up? Well, in manner of perspectives, I like dividing it up like this,

The Katakuras are a fun family to write about. (snickers) Rated T just to be safe.

Disclaimer: The series and characters of Aishiteruze Baby does not belong to me but rather it's perspective owners.

The Girly Sleepover
Part 1: The Invite

Kippei's body flung over the dinner table. He laid there with his chin touching the cold surface. With eyebrows furrowed and an annoyed look on his face, he kept blowing the dyed blond strands out of his face. He glanced at the clock. Eight o'clock. He rolled his head so that his face was facing towards the table under his chin and quietly whimpered to himself.

Ever since he dropped off Yuzuyu at Kokoro's apartment, he found out that his time, his activities, his sanity were focused on the two females. If Yuzuyu was on a play date with her classmates, Marika and-or Ken, he'd hang out with Kokoro. If Kokoro was off with her friends for some girl time, Kippei would be preoccupied with Yuzuyu. He has never been in this predicament before.

"How is Yuzuyu doing?" Kokoro asked Kippei with her arms around her ankles and her head on his shoulder for support. She stared at the wall opposite of the staircase the sat on.

Kippei cocked his head to the side to secure Kokoro's head with his own. His left palm held her shoulders while the other was intertwined with hers. Kippei quickly adjusted his forearm on the staircase to balance his weight before answering. "She's good. She has gotten better in drawing. She finally draws my eyes with pupils instead of just black dots."

Kokoro smiled as a bit of air escaped through her nostrils.

"But she's to be out of it lately." Kippei lifted their intertwined fingers and placed it gingerly back down. "I tell her that she's free to tell me anything, but I guess she doesn't want to tell me yet."

Kokoro's expression didn't change.

"You haven't seen her in a while, have you?" Kippei smiled to himself as he felt Kokoro's head shake a bit to signal a no. "Come with me to pick her up."

He whimpered again. He started it…rather, he initiated it. Good God, he suggested that she'd come with him. He moaned loader.

"Kippei-niichan!" Her voice cheered running towards her favorite cousin in the world. She practically jumped into his arms. She wrapped her arms around Kippei's neck and never let go. She rubbed her cheek along his a couple of times before she moved back a bit to face him. Her faced beamed with excitement and happiness. Her smile broadened, "I drew an elephant today!"

"Did you?" Kippei responded with his I-didn't-know-you-can-do-that tone. Yuzuyu nodded. Before another word could be uttered, Kippei gently placed her back onto the ground. "I'll be right back." He started to move past Yuzuyu following one of the kindergarten teachers. Yuzuyu's gaze was averted from her beloved cousin to the sight of a familiar girl with honey-colored hair near the school door. Yuzuyu's smile disintegrated slightly.

Yuzuyu felt her white shirt being tugged a bit. She turned to see Marika with a very red face on.

"Why is she here?" Marika's dark curls seemed to match the dark threatening aura surrounding her. Her anger-triggered face said one thing: she demanded a response and she wanted it now.

Before Yuzuyu could respond, she left a soft hand on her small shoulder. She turned to see the one who currently has part of Kippei-niichan's life looking eye-level at her.

"Yuzuyu -chan," Kokoro started in her soft deep tone, "can I talk to you…" Kokoro paused to see Marika's cheeks puff, "…in private, if you don't mind?" Marika stared at the high school girl. For some reason, though the last thing she wanted to do was walk away from a battle, Marina knew that privacy was important. Mama taught her manners, and it was considered lady-like to keep them.

Marina took her balled up fists and gave an arrogant puff. "Yuzu!" Marika called catching the pale brown haired 5-year old's attention, "If she tries to plan something fishy, like running away with Kippei-san, you have to tell me."

Yuzuyu nodded as the curly pigtailed girl turned a heel and walked away. Yuzuyu's attention went back to the high school girl who now stood erectly. She gingerly extended her hand as Yuzuyu hesitantly accepted it. They walked out of the building and into the courtyard area, waiting for the dyed-blond Katakura.

The 5 year-old Yuzuyu frequently looked back into the preschool building, unknowingly trying to find her Kippei-oniichan to avoid this awkward situation. She knew exactly who this woman was. She was kippei's friend... his "special" friend. She didn't want to admit it, but she knew that her favorite Kippei-oniichan liked this girl... a lot. Maybe more than Yuzu?

NO!

Yuzuyu violently shook her head trying to erase her thoughts. Kippei-oniichan said he wouldn't leave her! He won't lie, would he?

Unbeknownst to herself, Yuzuyu began to swell up in tears.

He can't! He was her Kippei-oniichan! Who would make her pretty boxed lunches? Who would want to play with her in the sandbox on sunny afternoons? Who would hang up her drawings of kuma-san? He wouldn't leave her, right?

She suddenly remembered someone who had left her.

Mama...

A bright yellow cloth appeared in front of her. Yuzuyu's hazy eyes looked up and At that split second, the sun blocked the woman's face from Yuzuyu's eyes.

Mama, is that you?

The woman slowly bent down to her eye level. It wasn't the familiar shadow that occupied her dreams. No. It was different; welcoming, but different.

"May I?" Kokoro asked with her expressionless face.

The pale brown haired 5 year-old unintentionally nodded. In response, Kokoro softly wiped the salty tears that began to form on the ends of Yuzuyu's deep brown eyes. Yuzuyu gazed at Kokoro's face. She knew that the older woman was difficult to read. She had heard Kippei-oniichan wonder and talk to himself for nights trying to figure out the girl. However, for some reason, that day Kokoro's expression was very clear to Yuzuyu.

For some reason, Yuzuyu saw the expression hidden within the Tokunaga eyes: loneliness.

"Yuzuyu-chan, would you like to sleepover at my home for tonight?"

Footsteps became audible as someone came through the kitchen door. Kippei straightened his posture as the figure approached. The emotionless 12-year old Satsuki entered with a hand still on the knob. The brown haired boy raised his brow wondering why his older brother looked like he had been crying for hours. Thankfully, Satsuki knew better and decided not to ask.

"It's rather late." Satsuki said plainly as he walked further into the room, waiting for a response from his brother.

Kippei's brows came together. "I know that."

Satsuki opened the fridge and poured himself some juice into his cup. Looking back to his brother whose head was back down on the table and the sulky atmosphere he has produced in the kitchen, Satsuki reached for another cup.

"I wonder what Yuzuyu and Kokoro-chin are doing now." The older Katakura brother commented with his cheek on the table's surface.

May asking him for once wouldn't hurt. "Are you really that upset that they are hanging out together?" Satsuki asked taking a seat opposite from his brother as he placed his brother's cup next to him.

"Not because of that." Kippei's face became sour recalling the memory as he dictated it to his brother.

"You want to what?" Kippei stopped in front of the Katakura residence.

Kokoro looked down at the young Sakashita girl. Her little fists were balled up and near her face, expressing the seriousness in her voice. "Yuzu... wants to sleepover Kokoro-oneechan's home."

Kippei's gaze fixated on Yuzuyu then to Kokoro then back to Yuzuyu. He bent his knees to meet Yuzuyu's eye level. He smiled at his younger cousin. "Okay," he nodded.

Yuzuyu's eyes lit up. She gleefully jumped giving her older cousin a big hug. "Arigatou! Arigatou, Kippei-oniichan!" She smiled.

Kippei returned the smile with his own. He released himself from Yuzuyu's hug and stared into her eyes. "I'll get our things ready, ne?"

Just as the Katakura boy got up, Kokoro stepped in the conversation. "Wait," She commented with her hands in her sweater pockets. "This is a girly sleepover. You cannot come."

Kippei's jaw dropped. "I-I can't go? But I have to go!"

Yuzuyu's eyebrows furrowed, "But Kippei-niichan is not a girl. He can't come to the girly sleepover." Kokoro smirked to the 5-yearold's observation.

Kippei simply gaped. "But I wanna go!"

Satsuki stared at his older brother. "Please do not tell me that you're upset only because you were not invited."

Kippei look a final gulp of the juice as rushed down his throat. He glared at Satsuki as he slammed the cup on the table. "So?" He asked in a challenging tone. "What if I am?"

"Then the 5-year old is more mature than you." Kippei turned in time for the eldest sibling, Reiko, to smack him.

Reiko placed her cup back into the cupboard as she watched the middle Katakura sibling trying to regain himself from her attack

"You're so violent!" Kippei retorted rubbing his face. His gaze averted from his sister. "No wonder you're still single." He grumbled as he leaned on his hand whose elbow was resting on the table.

"You've got something to say, punk?" Reiko fumed. "I'll have you know I have clients who can perform penectomy. And believe me, they will do it for me."

Satsuki eyed his two siblings as they continued to argue. He didn't know which side to root for: one-who-misses-the-5-year-old-to-the-point-of-tears or one-who-is-well-beyond-the-marrying-age-who-continues-to-live-with-her-parents. Either way, Satsuki had better things to do then to watch those two argue again. He got up from the table and headed towards the door. He slid the light switch down. "Oyasumi. I'll see you two in the morning."

I found that fun to write up. I hope you enjoyed the first part. Look forward to the second part soon. Please review!