Takao-Papa to the Rescue!
By: Stupiak Kitty
xXx
Takao parked the rickshaw on the side of Shin-chan's house. He dust off random dirt from his pants and top, stretch a little and head to their gate to ring.
He doesn't have to do that, however, because Shin-chan was already standing alongside the gate's entrance.
His arms were crossed in front of him. He was looking at him with that perfect scowl, and base with his facial features, he has been waiting for Takao quite longer than he intended.
"You're late," Came Shin-chan's annoyed voice.
He couldn't help but grin. He sounds like a wife nagging his husband for coming home late. Though of course, it was all but Takao's secret fantasy.
There's no way he would say that to him, especially when he's grumpier than usual.
"It can't be helped, Shin-chan. I've been stuck with unexpected traffic," He reasoned out, shrugging. "So what are you waiting for? Hop in and let's go to school. The next period will be starting soon."
Takao noticed how he pushed his glasses up and looked away. It was as if he wanted to say something but he was embarrassed to do so.
"Hmm," he came closer and inspected him. There was nothing strange with Shin-chan now. Well, except for the fact that he was acting strange. "What's wrong with you today? You're not acting like your usual self. You skipped two periods, and you even asked me to fetch you all the way home. Tell me, are you sick or something?"
Shin-chan simply sighed. He cocked a confused brow with that.
Something is definitely wrong.
"I suppose there's no point of delaying the inevitable," He pushed his glasses, refusing to look his way. "Come inside for a second."
"Hmm?" He simply stared at Shin-chan's back as he started to walk back inside their home. This was confusing him to the highest.
Takao only moved when he looked back and scolded him to hurry.
"Sorry for intruding," He greeted as soon as he stepped inside. He arranged his shoes on the corner and look at Shin-chan expectantly.
He made his usual habit with his glasses and gestured him to sit. "Wait for me here,"
Takao nodded and complied. He entertained himself by looking around Shin-chan's house for a moment. It was everything traditional, he noted.
He also noticed that there are no people inside around this time. The corner of his lips quirked; His mind is playing on the gutter now.
What if I ask Shin-chan for a quickie?
Would he slap him for thinking perverted things? Will Shin-chan give in after showing his favorite body part of his?
He can promise it would be quick. It was such a waste to let the silence of the house passed by without dirtying it for a bit.
He chuckled with himself. Yes, he might do that.
He stood up, preparing to follow Shin-chan to his room but he stilled when he heard something unusual. As far as his ear could tell, it was a faint whimper. And if his suspicions were correct, it was a cry of a toddler.
He frowned and tried peeking on the stairway. However, his actions made his frown deeper, if that was possible.
He saw Shin-chan going down the stairs. He was carrying something he couldn't figure out at first. One thing he could tell that it was somewhat large and strangely moving; base from the contour that he could only see for now.
As he stepped one by one closer, the unknown moving figure has become clearer and clearer with Takao's eyes.
He could almost feel his eyes bulge from its eye socket the moment he finally saw the thing Shin-chan was holding.
It's not just a thing. In fact, it was a living thing.
Pft. That explains the noise. Takao thought.
One moment, disbelief was twirling on his face. The next second, he found himself clutching his stomach hard.
His laughter echoed around the house. His shoulders were shaking from the intensity of it. Tears were starting to form on the corner of his eyes.
The image of Shin-chan holding a weeping child is strange — too strange that he couldn't help but laugh.
This is too priceless!
"Takao," came Shin-chan's strained voice. He could also detect irritation and something between embarrassment and distress. "I appreciate it if you stop laughing now."
He stopped.
He tried stopping, alright, but he couldn't help but snort as he observe Shin-chan's frustrated face as he do his best to make the child stop from crying.
His snort turned into a crackling laughter when Shin-chan's attempts only made the child to cry louder. It was wailing now, making his green haired man make that sort of panicky and irritated expression.
If Takao could describe his feature in a depth fashion, he looked more lost and clueless.
It made him laugh more.
"S-shin-chan—" He uttered within his laughter. "T-this is too priceless—I can't—"
"Shut up, Takao!"
His laughter only died when Shin-chan shoved the child onto his arms instead. He cradled the delicate body with an automatic embrace, giving special care to the head before staring at Shin-chan — both confused and disbelieving.
"If you have the guts to laugh at me then make it stop," He said before adjusting his glasses. "That child has been crying ever since it came here."
He gawked at Shin-chan, disbelief on his face. He never even recognized the child his or her.
For him, itwas it.
Takao was aware that he was not fond of children, but he still can't accept Shin-chan's way of treating the child.
He looked at the crying toddler after awhile. Base from the looks, it was a girl. She looked small to be two year onwards, but her features looked advanced for a newly born baby. So he guess that the child must be on her three to six months of age.
His mind came running with certain questions on cue.
Most importantly, whose child was this? And why was Shin-chan carrying a baby anyway?
He took a glimpse at Shin-chan before sparing his attention to the child weeping on his arms. Shin-chan was looking at him as if he had no rights to laugh at him because this was, after all, not a joking matter.
He must have thought that Takao has no knowledge to weeping infants like this one.
Heh.
Takao cocked an amused brow at him before directing his care to the child. He shifted her delicate body onto his arms, and then he starts swaying thinking that the action would lure the child to sleep.
Useless.
He pouted when he heard Shin-chan's smug humph.
"It's no use," He said. "I've already tried doing that several times."
"Pft. Really?" Takao exclaimed, surprised again. Then he smirked. "I would love to see you doing it."
"Nonsense," He went pass Takao and walked to the kitchen to prepare something Takao has no idea what. "Just quiet it down if you can. My ears are ringing with all the noises."
He followed him while cradling the child. She was still crying her lungs out. "Are you done feeding her, Shin-chan?"
Shin-chan replied with a grunt to say that he already did.
"Hmm… Maybe she's crying because of dirty diapers," Takao patted the backside of the child to see if it was full. He frowned when dissatisfied, so he walked toward the table, situated her on it and checked the inside of the diaper.
It was still clean.
He held the child again. Since he was uncertain of her crying fits, he continued to rock her, gentle not to harm the delicate body.
He snapped his head at Shin-chan when a sudden thought came zipping right through him. "Shin-chan. Did you make her burp?"
He looked at him like he was crazy. "Why would I even do that?"
"Pft. Didn't you know about the method of burping babies after feeding? It's one of the reasons why babies have colic," Takao said, laughing. "Do you know what colic even means?"
"S-shut up," He grunted. "Why do I have to know something impractical such as that? I don't even have a child of my own, you fool."
"Hahaha. Do I look like I've already sired a child to you? I'm childless too you know," He was still moving back and forth, just in case the child would choose to stop irritating their ears. "But I'm not as ignorant as you when it comes to this stuff. Didn't you have a younger sister?"
"I do," He pushed his glasses up. "She's three years younger than me."
"That explains then," Takao stopped moving and shifted the child on his arms. He moved it around so she was now lying on his upper chest, his shoulders supporting her frail chin and her stubby arms were resting on his shoulder blade. He began tapping the baby's back all the while swaying. "Babies, especially those who're recently born are fragile human beings. You have to take extra care with them. Like this. Because babies just cry — even without reasons.
"Perhaps it was because of stomach pains, dirty diapers, or they just wanted to be cuddled. I don't know. No one really knows the real reason of colic in babies. Well, except for the baby itself. As for the burping, doing this will help her get rid of air. Babies tend to swallow it during feeding, you know," He sighed. "Shin-chan, do you have some swaddling clothes to lend?"
"I don't have any items for babies available here," he answered. "After all, the child will be spending her time just for today."
"Clean fabric then," Takao asked instead. He was still tapping the baby's back. "Any random fabric will be fine. Just make sure that it's clean."
Shin-chan never replied. He simply proceeds on looking for a clean cloth on the kitchen cupboard. When he didn't see anything, he went upstairs to get one.
Takao continued cuddling the baby.
He came back after a fleet second. He was carrying a white cloth, though it looked more like a small towel to him.
"Shin-chan," he called. "Can you put the towel beneath her chin? Just for safety purposes. I don't want to come to school with baby spit on my uniform."
He complied. Though he must first lift the child's chin to do that. With hesitant hands, he placed the cloth on Takao's shoulders before resting the delicate chin on top of it.
"There. Thanks Shin-chan," He said before turning his attention to the child. She was still crying. "Now come on, baby girl. Be good and just burp. Don't make Takao-papa deaf. Your cries are beginning to split my eardrums into two."
He heard Shin-chan made a strangle noise on his throat. When he spared a glance at him, his glare felt like he's throwing daggers at him. And he was sporting what seem to be a blush on the apple of his cheeks.
Adorable.
"What?" He asked, amused.
"W-what did you just say?"
"Hmm… What are you talking about?" He pondered, and then it clicked. "Oh."
He snickered.
"Stop snickering!" Shin-chan snapped. "Take it back. Your words are bothering me for some reasons."
"What's wrong with Takao-papa?" He asked as he pats the back of the child. "What? Not happy that you had the chance to be the mommy for the mean time?"
"Foolish!" He exclaimed, glancing away. "Why should I be happy with that set-up? And isn't that supposed to be the other way around?"
"Why? Because you top?" Takao's words made him splutter. He laughed with that, before smirking and nudging a playful elbow at him. "Come on, why are you so shy now? That's what you wanted to point out, didn't you?"
Shin-chan avoided eye contact and continued on what he was doing on the kitchen counter a while ago. When Takao tried peeking, he saw that Shin-chan was actually preparing the child's food.
Now that's a scene.
"Can you behave yourself just for now?" Midorima said without sparing a glance to Takao. He almost rolled his eyes when the raven-haired boy simply laughed. "I'm talking about experiences, fool. You act as if you are the mother of that child. You seem to know a lot about babies' needs."
"Heh. Shin-chan, is that jealousy I detect on your voice?" Takao quipped. He almost laughed when Shin-chan simply tilted his head. Maybe an action to hide his embarrassed cheeks. "I told you I'm still childless, didn't I? I was twelve when Kazuko-chan came. When our parents had important matters needed to attend, I was in charge of babysitting her. It was more fitting than employing strangers to take care of her. I had no choice but to remember what it was needed to do when it comes to colicky babies."
Shin-chan replied only with a grunt.
He turned his attention to the crying babe then. He tried everything with that point. Twirling, swaying, and rocking on the sole of his feet. Even humming the usual tune he always hum while pacing around the kitchen back and forth.
He frowned when he took a glance at Shin-chan and saw that small yet noticeable quirk of his lips; it was as though he was enjoying the sight of Takao restless and moving.
Faint annoyed vein popped on the corner of his forehead. This job was supposed to be Shin-chan's, not him, in the first place.
He was about to whine about that when he stilled himself. He chose a different issue instead.
"Say, Shin-chan," He started. "I've been wondering about this ever since I got here. Whose baby is this?"
"From the neighborhood," came his calm reply.
"Really?" Takao's brow arched with that. Then a sudden thought hit him. "So generally speaking, you were asked to babysit someone else's baby?"
"If you put it that way, yes,"
"Really?" He can't help but laugh. "Are you for real? As far as I am concern, accepting deed such as babysitting was not your style. Or did it change without my knowledge? Heh. Shin-chan, I really can't figure you out. This will definitely trend if I were to inform this to the senpai's."
"Do that and you're dead," Shin-chan promised, before adjusting his glasses. "According to Oha Asa, Cancers are prone to misfortunes today. And I'm on rank 6th. To let the luck flow, one should be considerate to the request of others. I only did what I can to follow the good side of my fate."
"I should have expected that sooner or later," Takao mumbled.
"And Cancer's lucky item for today is…" Shin-chan put the lid of the milk bottle, checked if the seal was secured and tight, before shaking it with his left hand.
Takao's lips tilted with an evil smile as kinky thoughts filled his mind. He pretended to focus on patting the baby when he felt Shin-chan's glare. He must have guessed what Takao was currently thinking.
"As I was saying," He went on. "My lucky item for today is a cute and adorable doll."
"Oh," Takao deadpanned. "So where is this cute and adorable lucky item of yours? Now that you mentioned it, I haven't seen anything that resembles that when I came here."
"Hmph. Be observant on your surroundings more."
"Huh?" Takao looked around, trying to find that cute and adorable doll Shin-chan was saying. And then he pouted at him when his words struck him. "And what nonsense are you saying, Shin-chan? I'm always observant!"
"Takao, you fool," Midorima almost roll his eyes with that. "If that was true, then you should know by now that you are currently holding my lucky item."
"Ah," Takao said, not really caring about their topic in the first place. And then he froze when the words suddenly processed inside his brain. He snapped his head back to Shin-chan, disbelieving. "Ehhhhhhhhh!?"
The child he was holding now is Shin-chan's lucky item!?
Thank you for appreciating my story. They are always welcome!
Open for editing.