**Author's note: Hello and welcome to Takashi to Mariko. To anyone new, Mariko (or Mari) is my OC for the VLD fandom and she's Shiro's little sister. I am currently writing a fanfiction for her, and if you're interested feel free to check out the stories I've already written for her (you might want to because this fic will make some references to the series I'm writing). Mari's profile is also on my profile is you want to take a look at it.
I'm still working on Fights and Flights, but I've just been a bit too busy with schoolwork (and a damn ant problem .) to work on it lately. I promise I'm working on the next chapter, but to hold you over until then, I started this little fic. It'll most likely have 10 (or so) chapters, and timeline wise, it'll end with Shiro's disappearance from the Kerberos mission.
**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**
It was a warm and sunny April morning: the sky was a lovely light blue, the lush green was returning to the grass, and dozens of sakura petals were scattered in the wind. It was the perfect day to play outside or to have a picnic lunch with Ojiisan and his delicious egg rolls. But nooooo, Takashi was stuck in his grandfather's car and they were on their way to the hospital so they could meet the newest addition to the Shirogane family.
Takashi slumped in his seat and leaned his head against the window in defeat. He stared up at the baby-blue colored skies and scowled at them in dismay, once again reminded that his parents had completely ignored his request. He could distinctly remember asking his mother that sweltering day in late August to make his new sibling be a boy. She had smiled and ruffled his hair, replying with a vague, "I'll try, but I make no promises."
He'd been a good boy, he didn't ask for much. So why did he get a baby sister instead?
Taking a quick glance at his pouty grandson in the rearview mirror, Ojiisan smiled in mild amusement. "There's no need to look so dour, Takashi. Today is a special day, isn't it?"
Takashi grumbled something incomprehensible in reply and his scowl deepened. Ojiisan chuckled and continued, "Come now, don't be that way. You need to make a good first impression on Mariko-chan."
Mariko. That was the name his parents had decided to give her. Takashi's face scrunched up at the sound of it, and he muttered, "I don't wanna impress her. She's just a dumb girl anyways."
"Takashi…" Ojiisan began, but his grandson cut him off.
"I don't want a sister, ojiisan!" the eight-year-old insisted. "Why couldn't mommy give me a brother instead?"
"She couldn't really control this sort of thing, Takashi."
"But she said she'd try!" he exclaimed exasperatedly. "Mommy lied to me. I don't want stupid Mariko for a sister, I want a brother."
He crossed his arms indignantly over his chest and Ojiisan sighed as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. "Now, now, give Mariko-chan a chance," he chided. "Maybe you'll really like her."
"Nuh-uh! I already hate her!"
"You haven't even met her yet," Ojiisan said as he brought the car to a stop and turned off the engine. "And you can't really hate anyone without having met them, now can you?"
But Takashi was adamant. He despised Mariko and wanted nothing to do with her unless she miraculously turned into a boy. He refused to be convinced otherwise, and with his arms crossed and a hostile scowl plastered across his face, he sulked behind his grandfather as they entered the hospital, and he stayed that way until they reached his mother's room.
"Well, good morning Mister Grumpy Grump," she teased upon seeing her son's sour demeanor. When he said nothing in response she prodded, "What, are you not going to say hello to your own mother?"
"Hi mommy. Hi daddy," Takashi grumbled, his expression softening a bit as he met his parents' gazes. His father was lounging in one of the chairs next to the hospital bed, and his mother was pale, tiredly reclining against the fluffy pillows on her bed. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm exhausted," his mother laughed bitterly. "And still in a bit of pain."
"Your sister is one stubborn girl," his father nodded. "Took nearly twelve hours to push her out."
At the sound of the words 'sister' and 'girl' Takashi frowned and he immediately glanced around the room for the little pest. There was an incubation crib next to the wall and he stared it down in dismay. But despite the contempt he harbored towards Mariko, he couldn't help but feel curious as to what she looked like. He shuffled over to the crib, his parents and grandfather watching him closely, and he pressed his face against the glass to sneer at the creature inside.
Wrapped in a soft white blanket was his dozing baby sister, completely unaware of the hostile aura being emitted from the other side of the glass. She was tiny, pudgy, and pink, and she lacked the signature dark eyelashes and eyebrows that ran in the Shirogane family. Even with the downy tufts of black hair sticking out from underneath her cap, she still looked almost like a naked rat, and Takashi nearly laughed out loud at this realization.
"Do you want to hold her?" his father asked, coming to stand next to him.
"Ew, no! She looks weird," Takashi grimaced and the adults couldn't help but laugh.
"Not any weirder than you looked when you were born," his father noted and Takashi cringed at the thought.
"Come on now. Sit down," his mother urged, gesturing to the empty hospital bed adjacent from her own. "I want to see you hold her."
"Ew! No!"
"Takashi…" she warned, her voice tight, and he stiffened. He knew better not to disobey her when she used that tone and he huffed in annoyance before complying. He plopped onto the bed and leaned back into the pillows, watching with dread as his father gingerly removed Mariko from her crib and held her out towards him.
"Support her head, Takashi," he murmured as he carefully shifted the newborn into his son's awaiting arms. "And be very gentle with her."
Mariko was heavier than Takashi had expected. He glowered down at her pinched and pink features again, adjusting his hold ever so slightly to get a better grip on her. Suddenly, she started to move and Takashi looked to his parents for help, but they made no effort to take the squirming baby away from him.
Stay asleep, stay asleep, Takashi pleaded silently. The last thing he wanted was for her to wake up and start crying. Baby screams were always so annoying to him.
But to his horror, Mariko yawned, revealing shiny pink gums and a tiny tongue, and her eyes slowly opened. It took her a few seconds to pry them open all the way, but when they finally focused on Takashi, his heart nearly stopped. Eyes so much like his own gazed back at him, wide and curious. They were intense, a dark gray like his yet they seemed to sparkle a million times brighter, like twinkling stars against the night sky.
They stared at one other for a moment longer, Takashi frozen in fear of what she'd do next. But to his surprise and complete wonder, Mariko smiled, an action that completely illuminated up her face. She was full of innocence and glee and playfulness, and seeing her like this—beaming up at him with that sweet smile and those brilliant eyes of hers—made Takashi's heart melt. He couldn't bring himself to hate her, not when she was like this. Mariko was adorable, beautiful in every way (even though she still looked kinda weird). She wasn't the little brother Takashi had requested, but he promised to love her and protect her all the same.
**Please feel free to leave a comment/review down below! They're always appreciated and I'll do my best to respond to them :D