Shigure frowned thoughtfully as he lounged on the couch, a book with a simple, blue cover in his hands. He chewed on a pencil in his mouth before glancing back at the notebook at his side. He frowned, before looking back at the book that was titled '1000 Baby Names.' He chuckled at the name 'Komako' which translated as 'pony child.' That would be a good name for Haru and Rin.
"Oh!" he exclaimed. "How about 'Akio'?"
Akito, from her position in a comfortable chair, looked up with a frown that deepened into a scowl. "No," she stated firmly, dark eyes narrowing. "And you know why I don't approve of that name," she said, cutting him off from protesting.
Granted, he should have seen that response coming. Akio was a bit too close to his wife's name anyway.
"I thought we had decided on a name last week," she said, staring at him.
"We decided on 'Haya' if the baby was a girl," Shigure said. "But what if it's a boy?"
Akito sighed. "Find a different name," she said simply, her tone bored. "Maybe 'Nishi' for a girl."
Shigure looked up from his book to stare at his wife, her dark hair hiding her expression as she read her book. He cocked his head to get a glimpse of the title and noticed, with disappointment, that it was not his own. But she had long ago stated that she would never read any of his 'trashy, romance novels' as she had put it.
"You do not seem excited about the name," he said.
"Two weeks ago, you picked the name Nami, which I actually like," Akito said blankly, not looking up from her reading. "Then after that, you chose 'Raku'. At this point, you have become unpredictable with what name you have chosen." She finally looked up to shot him a glare. "You even chose the names 'Kumi' and 'Kuni' for twins!"
"Just in case we might be having twins," he said innocently.
Akito gestured to her large stomach that was heavy with their first child. "We are not having twins," she said firmly. "Hatori confirmed it."
"Hatori also didn't know what gender his child was when he had Mayuko take an ultrasound," he pointed out. "They had to wait till the actual birth. Need I remind you that they had chosen the name 'Ken' for the boy they assumed they were having? Instead, surprise, they got a girl." He sniffed. "I do not want to rush when it comes to naming our child should the same happen to us."
"That was hardly Hatori's fault," she huffed. "The baby kept changing positions during the ultrasound and they couldn't tell the gender until the birth." She scowled. "With the rate you are going," she said. "You will have so many names to chose from that you won't know what to pick."
Shigure chewed on his pencil thoughtfully, staring at nothing for a moment before grinning. "You know, I think 'Akio' should go on the list." He hummed happily. "My bright little son!"
"We are not going with 'Akio'," she said, her voice low and dangerous.
Shigure froze, catching the warning note in her voice. He slowly lowered the pencil back down, shooting her a smile. She just huffed, going back to reading.
He remembered how she had hidden the fact that she had been pregnant for weeks from him. Her outfits had become more baggy and loose, and she had become withdrawn, more so than usual. She had been acting so fearful and angry towards him and he had not understood why. Her mood would change dramatically that he wouldn't know what to expect.
Then, he found out and he had been crashed with a wave of emotions. He had only been able to stare at his wife in a mixture of shock as he was finally able to identify the most strongest emotions.
Joy at the thought of being a father.
Hurt that she had tried to hide it from him in the first place.
Understanding because he understood the emotional rollercoaster she was going through.
In that moment, when he had found out, not because she had told him, but because of the small bump in her stomach, did he see her cry.
It was very rare to see Akito cry and get so emotional. For a moment, he had not known what to do. She never liked to be seen as vulnerable and lose control, and he understood that.
In that moment, he had only sunk to his knees and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, taking care not to hold her to close.
"I can't be a mother," she had cried. "I can't. I won't...I'll be just like her!"
He had stroked her hair, the dark locks now past her shoulders, which he found he liked. "You won't," he promised. "You won't be like that wretched woman."
"I don't...I don't know how to be...a mother," she had choked out. "I can't do it. I can't! The baby...it will fear me."
"It will not," he had said firmly. "The child will not fear you. They will love and adore you just as I do."
They had been silent for a moment and he had been able to feel how Akito had tried to regain her composure.
"But you fear me," she had finally said in a hoarse whisper. "Even now, you keep your distance."
He looked at the small space he had put between them and frowned. "I don't want to crush the baby," he admitted.
She stared at him incredulously. "That's stupid," she had said bluntly, suddenly pulling him close.
Shigure smiled at the memory that had taken place a few months ago. He looked back at his wife who had ceased glaring at him in favor of reading her book. He quickly scribbled down the name 'Akio' on the list without her noticing.
"Have I ever told you that you will be an amazing mother?" he asked with a grin.
"Yes," she said. "And you will be a useless, blubbering father who won't have a clue what to do."
He placed a hand on his chest. "Oh, how my heart has been stabbed! You cruel woman!"
"Shigure," she said simply, glancing up at him. "Knock it off."
"Well, you will make an amazing mother," he promised simply.
"You don't know that," she said.
He smiled at her. "Sure I do," he said softly.
He noticed how her hands clenched the book, and he saw how her eyes became unfocused and cloudy. "What if I hurt it?" she asked in a faint whisper.
"You won't," he said.
"Yuki," she muttered. "Kisa, Isuzu. I did…" she trailed off, the pages of her book crinkling from the sudden wringing of her hands. "They were children too."
"So were you," he said simply. "You were a child who was neglected." He frowned. "We all were. Sometimes, I wonder if it was the curse. But the curse is no more, and we are free from its power and free to break from its cycle." He leaned up from his seat. "And you will not hurt our child, because I will always be here for you both. We will do this together."
She had gone still, and for a moment, he feared she had retreated back into her mind. They were all recovering, and it was a slow and steady process. Akito had her good days, then she had her bad days. Sometimes, memories and guilt would come in, along with the anger and self harm she would inflict on herself. But he was willing to work with her. He was willing to travel down that hard road to recovery with her.
And now, they were going to be parents. It was another, but more pleasant, road to travel.
She dropped the book suddenly, the sudden action catching his attention as he noticed her eyes widening. He was up from his seat in an instant, rushing over to her. "Akito? What is it?" he asked.
She just grimaced. "The baby is moving," she said simply.
In that moment, his worry transformed into glee and excitement. "Really?" he squealed. "Where? I want to feel!" He quickly placed his hand on her stomach, the fabric of her shirt moving as he tried to feel the child inside.
Akito stiffened for a moment before relaxing under her husband's touch. Taking his hand, she gently guided it to the spot above her belly button. "Right there," she said softly, watching his reaction.
His expression was that of an eager child presented with a new plaything. During the months of her pregnancy, Akito had found that Shigure was very flighty, tending to her and eager to be around whenever their unborn child was active. Though the many uncomfortable movements from the baby's moving caused Akito to be very short tempered, Shigure never seemed to let that stop his excited personality.
She liked seeing him excited, as reluctant as she was to admit it. She liked this attention. She never had to worry about being forgotten, or rejected. Sometimes, Shigure could be suffocating to the point where she did want to strangle him with his constant, almost overbearing presence.
It always got worse when Ayame was around.
She frowned at the thought of her cousin, who had been so determined to tailor a new outfit for 'Gure's baby.' She had been horrified at the maid outfits she had been presented with and had firmly declared that no child of hers would ever wear such things. She had gone so far as to banish those dreadful outfits.
It did not go unnoticed how her husband had secretly paid Ayame for the outfits anyway, and it was a thought that irked her to no end. She had yet to find those outfits and burn them.
"You know!" Shigure exclaimed suddenly, prancing off and grabbing his notebook before sitting at her feet so as to be near her. "I just thought of another name. 'Kichi' sounds cute!"
She grumbled. "Shigure, at this point, I don't care what you name the baby, but we've got to have it settled."
"Well I don't want to settle on just any old name!" he exclaimed indignantly. "I want the name to be unique and euphonious."
She sighed. "Fine," she muttered. "We'll have 'Unique' for a boy, and 'Euphonious' for a girl."
Author's Note: That last line about the 'Unique' and 'Euphonious' names had been from an "I Love Lucy" clip. I do not own the show, or Fruit Baskets.