Disclaimer: I don't own the song, and I don't own the characters…
Izumi Yukihira stood staring out the casement window, deep in thought and oblivious to the myriad of people bustling around the house, preparing for the big event of the day. For a man in his forties, he was still fit and looked strikingly handsome in his formal, black-and-white tux.
The day outside was sunny, with a few downy clouds drifting slowly and aimlessly by. Quite the opposite of the stormy uncertainty he was feeling within him. It definitely wasn't like his usual happy, laidback self.
The sound of childish laughter caught his attention and refocused his thoughts. Directing his interest to the lawn, he watched as a gaggle of energetic, little bodies frolicked on the grass, unconscious that their current attires were not meant for play. A bit of scolding was bound to be delivered once their caretakers caught up with them.
A soft smile lighted his face. He remembered when his daughter was of that age. She was the sweetest little angel, looking like a miniature version of her mother with her golden-brown hair and her big, hazel eyes.
There's two things I know for sure
She was sent here from heaven
And she's daddy's little girl
As I drop to my knees by her bed at night
She talks to Jesus and I close my eyes
And I thank God for all of the joy in my life
Oh but most of all
For butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair
Walk beside the pony daddy it's my first ride
I know the cake looks funny daddy but I sure tried
Oh with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve a hug every mornin'
And butterfly kisses at night
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
"Mikan," Izumi called out to his daughter as he entered her room. "Time for bed."
"Okay, Daddy," little Mikan replied, scrambling to put away her toys then kneeling down beside her bed to recite her prayers.
As per their routine, Izumi smiled down at his little angel and knelt down on the space beside her. He half-listened to her litany to God and spent up a prayer of thanks of his own.
In mid-prayer, she suddenly stopped. "What's wrong?" he curiously asked as he watched his daughter worriedly chew on her bottom lip.
"Do I have to ask God to bless and take care of Natsume? He was mean to me today," she pouted.
"You don't have to if you don't want. I don't think God would like it if you force yourself to ask for something you don't really meant with you heart; He could consider it as a lie." He smiled indulgently. "But you shouldn't wish Natsume ill even if he's mean. Why don't you go ask God to help him be less mean to you?"
"You're right, Daddy," she grinned, finished her prayers, and gave him a chaste peck on lips before she climbed on to bed to be tucked in.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
"Daddy!" the little girl on top of the pony squealed loudly as the pony took a step forward. The pony's handler could only breathe out a sigh of relief that the animal was well-trained not to be skittish around loud noises.
"It's okay, Mikan," Izumi laughed, coming to his daughter's rescue – or coming to the handler's and pony's rescue, depending on how you look at it.
"I'm afraid I'll fall," Mikan pouted down at him. "Will you please stay near so you can catch me if that happens?"
"Of course, Sweetheart. Daddy will walk beside you and the pony, and catch you if anything goes wrong," he flamboyantly announced.
"Thank you, Daddy! You're the best!" she smiled brightly at him.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
He knew his daughter could be clumsy at times, and he usually anticipated seeing her come home less tidy than when she'd left earlier in the day. But he certainly wasn't expected the bedraggled mess that walked through their front door that day.
His little angel had chocolate and colored frosting streaking across her used-to-be-pristine, white uniform blouse. His wife certainly wasn't going to be happy to encounter that piece in the laundry. A bit of the said mess was still visible on a ruddy cheek, not to mention that he also spotted the slightly burnt end of one of her pig-tails.
But what alarmed him the most was the happy, sly grin she had on her face. It was a smile that told him she has, in her opinion, a wonderful secret she was barely keeping contained. And it made the situation worse for him. He couldn't get mad at her when he can see that she was so happy. Only evil of the worst kind would be inclined to wipe that bright, sunny smile off her face.
"Care to tell me what happened, young lady?" he inquired with mock sternness.
"I have a surprise for you, Daddy," she responded, bouncing up and down on her heels. She looked like she was about to blast off into space any minute from her excitement.
"Really?" he said, feigning surprise and exhilaration. "What is it? Can you tell Daddy now?"
Mikan nodded with a big smile still plastered on her face. She rummaged through her lunchbox and happily presented a lopsided, massively-sprinkled, chocolate-frosted cupcake to him like it was the crown jewels.
"Wow!" he exclaimed. "Did you make this for me?"
His little angel nodded. "You'll have to share with Mommy though." Her eyebrows slanted toward her nose in a show of annoyance. "We made chocolate and strawberry cupcakes today. There were supposed to be six of them. But Natsume – he's my partner for the project – and I got into an argument, and four of the cupcakes got destroyed. He took home the remaining strawberry one, and I get to take home this one," she grinned, her displeasure with her partner seemingly forgotten as she held out the said cupcake to him.
He lovingly patted her head and took the offered cupcake. "Then we'll cut this one in the middle and put half in the fridge for Mommy. Then you and I can eat the other half together," he winked at her.
"Hooray!" she squealed, following her father to the kitchen.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Izumi sighed, a pensive smile playing about his features. Mikan's childhood was one of the most memorable times in his life. But before he knew it, his little girl was already a teenager.
His smile turned down into a frown at his thoughts. He didn't like his daughter's teenage years very much. She started spending less and less time with him at that age, preferring to hang out with her friends.
Sweet sixteen today
She's lookin' like her mama a little more every day
One part woman the other part girl
To perfume and make-up from ribbons and curls
Trying her wings out in a great big world
But I remember
Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair
You know how much I love you daddy
But if you don't mind
I'm only gonna kiss you on the check this time
Oh with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve her love every mornin'
And butterfly kisses at night
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
"I'm going out, Dad." A voice called out before the thumping of footfalls on the stairs resonated in the house.
"Hey! Stop right there! What's the hurry?" Izumi said, blocking her way to the door. His eyes quickly gave her a once over. "And what the heck are you wearing?"
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Mikan asked with a frown. She looked down her front and inspected if something was out of place with her dress. "Looks fine to me."
"It's… It's too short," he spat out. That wasn't the only thing he doesn't like about the dress though. Another was the fact that the front of it was cut too low, in his opinion. Moreover, the back of the dress was almost non-existent! Not to mention that the damn dress fitted her like a second skin, emphasizing his daughter's slim body for all to see! It was just plain asking for trouble. No daughter of his was going out dressed like that without a protest coming from him. "Go back to your room and change into something more decent."
"Dad," she whined. "I don't have time to change. The gang's waiting for me; the car's already outside. Besides, I'm just going out with friends. And this dress really does rank as conservative by Sumire's and today's standards," she laughed before leaning up and giving his cheek a peck. "You and Mom get some rest. Don't wait up for me." With a backward wave, she slipped out the door.
It left Izumi with nothing to do but find his wife, and air his grievances about their daughter to her.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
"Mom? Dad?"
He turned his head as he heard his daughter approach. He noticed Natsume was with her, and motioned for them to join Yuka and him while they were having tea on the terrace. The two teenagers politely declined and remained standing, exchanging mysterious, silent looks.
Izumi eyed them curiously, studying the young man with his daughter. Natsume Hyuuga, Kaoru's son and the person whom Mikan refers to as the bane of her existence – he personally liked Natsume well enough though. The two had probably been partnered for another school project and came over to work on it.
Unlike her husband, who remained oblivious to intense tension in the air, Yuka sat up straighter in her chair. "Is there something you two want to tell us?" she inquired with a raised brow. She had a suspicion on what the two wanted to inform Izumi and her, she'd noticed it developing between the two for years now, but she tried her best not to get her hopes up.
"Umm… Mom? Dad?" Mikan nervously repeated while anxiously wringing her hands, until Natsume finally got fed up and caught one of them in his. He gave her hand an encouraging squeeze before meshing his fingers with hers. She looked up at him and gave him a grateful smile. "Well, we just want to tell you guys that Natsume and I are an item." She cleared her throat. "That is… Natsume's my boyfriend."
"I'm so happy to hear that!" Yuka exclaimed, getting up from her chair to hug her daughter. "You take good care of her, okay," she sternly told Natsume, but the smile on her face was highly contradictory.
The crimson-eyed young man nodded. He'd already got the take-good-care-of-her speech from his own mother.
"What?" Izumi finally managed to absorb the news and reacted. "You're too young to have a boyfriend!"
"Dad," she moaned, clearly getting embarrassed by her father's reaction. "I'm already sixteen. Almost seventeen, as a matter of fact."
"I don't care even if you're thirty!" He went around the table and grabbed her arm, sparing a glance at Natsume. Another person who looked similar to him entered his mind. Scenes of the multitude of times he'd walked in to find a younger Kaoru in a compromising position flashed through his head. "You! Stay away from my daughter! I won't have you corrupting her!" he told Natsume pointedly, before dragging Mikan away.
"Dad!" Mikan squealed, struggling against his grip. "Where do you think you're taking me?"
He kept a firm hold on her. "I'm locking you in the tower!"
"We don't have a tower!" Mikan was almost hysterical. Her father had just gone off his rocker!
"Then I'll build one!" he seriously declared. "I'll keep you locked in it and chase away all the boys that dared to come near!"
Back with Yuka and Natsume, who were left behind on the terrace. "Please don't mind Izumi," Yuka apologized. "I'll talk with him later and make him see some reason. He's just not that receptive to Mikan growing up. To him, she's still a little girl. His little girl."
Natsume accepted her words with a nod. Mikan had already warned him that her father might not take the news well. But whether Uncle Izumi liked it or not, he wasn't letting go of Mikan. "I understand, Aunt Yuka."
"Moving on to more personal matters," Yuka eyed him. "I wouldn't mind having a grandchild soon, but I do hope you two are being safe…"
Natsume inwardly groaned. Not again! They just had this exact, same mortifying talk with his mother. Only this time, Mikan wasn't there to help him out a bit.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
He might not like her teenage years, but time passed even more quickly after that. And here he was now.
"Uncle Izumi?" He turned to a beautiful raven-haired woman with dazzling amethyst eyes. She was wearing a wrap bodice, full-length, silk dress of the palest blue. "Aunt Yuka's asking for you."
"Okay, Hotaru. I'm coming," he sighed heavily. "You go on ahead." Hotaru gave him a steady gaze but didn't comment. With a parting nod, she walked away, leaving him again to his solitude. He took a moment to collect himself, before giving the view from the window a final glance and striding away.
All the precious time
Like the wind the years go by
Precious butterfly
Spread your wings and fly
She'll change her name today
She'll make a promise and I'll give her away
Standing in the bride room just staring at her
She asked me what I'm thinkin'
And I said I'm not sure
I just feel like I'm loosin' my baby girl
And she leaned over
Gave me butterfly kisses with her mama there
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair
Walk me down the aisle daddy
It's just about time
Does my wedding gown look pretty daddy?
Daddy's don't cry
Oh with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve her love every mornin'
And butterfly kisses
When he reached the door to the bridal suite, he paused for a moment, took a deep breath before giving the door a few sharp raps.
A muffled "come in" reached his ear. Turning the knob, he pushed the door open and just stood there. His feet nailed to the floor at the sight before him.
Yuka was standing behind Mikan, styling her hair and weaving some flowers in with the golden-brown strands. Light poured through the large bay window just behind them, bathing both mother and daughter in an ethereal glow.
His wife finally noticed his stunned presence. "Don't just stand there, Izumi. Close the door," she frowned at him.
He mechanically took a step into the room and shut the door behind him. But he didn't take his eyes off from the sight of his wife and daughter.
"Hi, Dad," Mikan beamed at him, her face aglow. In place of the customary veil, she had little, white flowers woven along the strands of her hair.
Natsume had gone along with everything Mikan and their families wanted for the wedding. His only request though, was that she doesn't wear a veil for the ceremony. He said he wanted to see her face clearly as she walked down the aisle towards him.
Everyone had insisted on putting her hair up in a sophisticated chignon, but Mikan had protested. She had wanted to leave her hair down. Too bad it left little to no room to anchor the blossoms to. After Mikan shyly mentioned that Natsume liked seeing her hair down, Yuka had smiled in understanding, shooed the others away, and styled her daughter's hair into an elegant half-pony as compromise.
Izumi went towards her and studied his daughter's features. No sign of hesitation on her face. Just excitement, and a bit of nervousness, was there. She certainly wasn't having any second-thoughts about getting married.
"Dad?" Mikan's smile turned into a worried expression. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," he denied, trying his best to blink back his tears. "Just getting emotional, that's all."
"Aww, Dad," she sighed. Ensuring that her mother had secured the last bloom in place, she stood up and gave her father a hug. "Even when I'm married, I'll always be your little girl, Daddy," she declared with a grin.
More tears blurred his vision when he heard her call him "daddy". She hadn't referred to him by that in years. Returning her hug, yes, he acknowledged, she'll always be his little girl, no matter how grown up she gets. But still, knowing that she was getting married was making him melancholic.
"Oh! It's almost time!" she exclaimed, glancing at the clock in the room. "How do I look, Dad? What do you think of my grown? Do you like it?"
He studied the ivory, off-shouldered gown on her slim frame. "It's beautiful, Sweetheart. Almost as beautiful as my little girl," he proudly announced, kissing her on the forehead.
Before long, he was walking her down the aisle to hand her to his soon-to-be son-in-law. The group of children he'd earlier watched playing on the lawn preceding the older members of the entourage.
Natsume was already waiting in front of the makeshift altar, debonair and devilishly handsome in his formal tux. As the entourage started marching down the aisle, he fixed his gaze on the back, patiently waiting for his bride to come into view. And when she did, his breath caught. Damn, if Mikan wasn't looking drop-dead gorgeous.
Ruka, who was acting as the best-man, smiled seeing the beautiful bride being escorted towards them. He grinned wider at the stunned expression in his best-friend's face, but then he noticed something wrong. "Breathe, man!" he leaned near Natsume's ear and whispered fiercely. "None of us would like to rush you to the hospital on your wedding day!"
With a nod, Natsume tried his best to draw in some air. But he still didn't tear his eyes away from Mikan. He kept on staring and held his hand out for her when she and her father reached the front. For once, he couldn't keep his usually stoic front. Love was shining brightly in his crimson eyes for everyone to see.
Mikan was looking at him the exactly the same way. But before she allowed her father to place her hand in Natsume's, she leaned over and gave Izumi a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Dad," she whispered.
Izumi gave her hand a squeeze in reply and turned her over to Natsume. At least, their love for each other was something he needn't worry about. It was clear as daylight. He was certain that Natsume would die first before he hurts Mikan. Sure, they're bound to have some arguments along the way, but he was confident it will be nothing they couldn't hurdle together.
He walked towards his seat beside his wife. Yuka was already seated and dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, crying tears of joy. Opposite their pew, where Natsume's family was seated, Kaoru was doing the same thing.
He wanted to cry, too. But he wasn't sure if he'll be crying tears of joy or sadness. So he remained strong and held his tears in check. Though he still couldn't help glazing at the couple with a sad smile as the ceremony commenced, earning him an admonishment from Yuka.
"Let her go, Izumi," she quietly said for his ears alone. "She has her own life to lead now, especially after this."
"I'm trying, Yuka" he whispered back, not taking his eyes off the couple. "I'm trying my best."
"Well, please try harder," she told him. "If Mikan sees you looking at them like that, it'll spoil the day for her. I love you, but I'm not letting you spoil our daughter's wedding day. Not to mention it might reduce my and Kaoru's chances of getting an adorable grandchild sooner."
"Grandchild," he breathed in wonder. He'd been too focused on the thought of losing his daughter that the thought of what he could gain in return only occurred to him just then. In his mind's eye, he could already picture himself bouncing a little raven-haired, hazel-eyed girl on his knee.
"I can tell you've finally seen the light," Yuka grinned. "Just imagine us having a few grandchildren to play with and spoil rotten," she almost squealing with excitement.
As the wedding proceeded and thoughts went to future grandchildren, everyone would later note that Izumi Yukihira had on the most dazzlingly, brilliant smile on his face for the rest of his daughter's wedding.
I couldn't ask God for more than this is what love is
I know I've got to let her go but I'll always remember
Every hug in the mornin' and butterfly kisses
SONG: Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle
A/N: I'm breaking my one-story-at-a-time rule for this one. :P This story was just begging – insisting really – to be written and wouldn't be held back. It came up after I finished typing down the latest chapter of Blood Moon. I turned my iPod on and was kicking back to relax when this song came up. The plot just kept flowing in my head as the song played out. And let's just say it was causing some traffic in my already cluttered mind. lol XD So, here it is my first one-shot story. Hope you guys enjoyed it :)
I'm not sure yet, but I think I'll turn this one into a collection of songfics. ;) The idea's still in the works though. I'll see how this one-shot turns out first.
I suppose this my tribute to both Izumi and Yuka, and even to Kaoru. It's sad that they won't be able to be part of their children's lives, and experience them growing up like they did in this story. :(