She was at peace and serenity, her consciousness swirled in the wonderful land of dreams, oblivious to the physical world.

But then all good things must come to an end. The doorbell cut through the serenity of her sleep and eased her back to consciousness.

The doorbell rang again. Its sound tinny and loud to her ears, demanding that she leaves her warm comforting bed to go answer the door.

" Coming!" Her voice came out hoarse.

She moaned from the sun light glaring from her window. She opened her eyes as the blurry shapes before her became sharp objects of reality. Yawning as she sat up and stretched. She got up from bed and shuffled sleepily towards the front door as the doorbell kept ringing. Jeez seems like someone wants her attention pretty badly.

" Alright," She rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes as she opened the door.

When she saw who was on the other side of the door she quickly shut the door but Eiri used his foot to keep her from shutting the door.

" What are you doing here?" She narrowed her gaze at him, a slight growl escaped her lips. She was so not a morning person.

" I came to see Akira. And have you just woken up?" He pointed to her messy hair, raising an ever so perfect brow.

"Obviously," She rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms," It's Saturday. One of the only days where I don't have to work and wake up early. And not all normal people come here barging in at 8: 00 in the morning."

" Aren't you gonna let me in?"

It felt like forever before she took a step back, giving him space to come in with a sigh. It was too early for this. She really didn't like him but she was so not in the mood for throwing him out right now.

" How'd you know my address?" She glanced at him as they walked through the hallway, heading to the living room.

" I went to your parent's house but they said you moved to the next town. And I'm surprised even Tatsuha didn't know you were pregnant."

" No one does. Except my family that is," She said in a low tone as if she didn't want to go through that topic. She turned to him," Wait here in the living room. I need to take a bath first and if Akira wakes up, I'll send him to you," She gestured at a couch in the living room then she left to go take a bath, leaving him alone in her living room.

He took a seat on the cream coloured couch. His eyes took in the sight of pictures on a nearby shelf. There was a picture of Akira and it seemed he was one year old in that photo. He was sitting on a fluffy mat while smiling at the camera. And there were also picture of taken during his birthdays. There was also a picture of Ayaka and Akira where in Ayaka was holding Akira who was waving at the camera.

How much had he been missing out?

" Daddy?"

Just like his mom, his blonde hair was dishevelled too. He was dragging a fluffy teddy bear with a blue ribbon in one hand while rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes.

" Good morning," He approached the kid.

Akira lets out a yawn," Good mowning~"

" Sleep well?"

Akira nods," Yeah, I had nice dreams. Where's mommy?"

" Taking a bath," He bent down and carried the kid in his arms.

" Can we watch TV?" Akira points at the flat screen TV in the living room.

" Sure. What do you wanna watch?"

Akira puts his finger on his chin and mused," Hmmm... SpongeBob?"

" Sure-"

" Anyone up for breakfast?" Ayaka walked in the living room, drying her hair with a towel.

" Me!" Akira raised his hand cheerfully.

Ayaka's gaze fell on him," Had breakfast yet?"

" Uh... No."

" Breakfast will be ready soon," She said as she walked out of the living room and into the kitchen.

Breakfast wasn't as awkward as she expected. As usual Akira kept talking about new stuff he learned and kept asking random question over breakfast. They had pancakes and coffee while Akira had an orange juice. After breakfast she ushered Akira to play in the front yard with his toys.

" Akira," She knelt down to his level, placing her hands on his small shoulders," Why don't you bring your toys outside while mommy and daddy have some adult talk, alright?"

Akira nodded and brought his toys outside to the front yard.

Ayaka led Eiri to the porch where they could still watch over Akira and pulled a seat from the marble table in the front porch.

" Speak. I figured you weren't here to spend some happy happy family times," She said in a serious tone keeping a straight face.

" I want to take custody over Akira."

Ayaka chuckled bitterly," You think it's that easy? You didn't go through all the hardships that I have so you have no right. You didn't go through all that stress, work, tears, pain, and anxiety that I had for the past three years while you were away, having the time of your life. You can't just do that."

" There is a way that we both could have him."

Ayaka raised a slender brow," And what's that?"

" Marriage."

Ayaka grimaced," No way. I didn't end the arrangement just to go back to that again. I'm not that old naive Ayaka who desperately wanted to marry you. I'm not that naive little girl who believed love is meeting prince charming in one afternoon and falling in love with him in just one afternoon. So don't think I'd want to marry you."

" It's for him, not for us."

" Do you think having his parents in a loveless marriage would be good for him? I don't want to pretend."

" And do you think this is good for him? I don't want to pretend too. Pretend that we're a happy family where mommy and daddy live in different places and where in my child and his mommy have different family names from me. If you don't plan on giving him to me then why'd you easily agreed on introducing him to me?"

" Because I want him to experience having a father! Someone who'll tuck him to bed when mommy's tired, someone who'll hold him when he cries, someone who would believe in him, someone who'd give him advice, someone who'd help him with homework, someone who'd secretly give him sweets because mommy refuses to, someone who could be his hero and someone he could look up to," Her voice eventually turned gentler and her voice slightly cracked but she managed to cover it up. She would not let her guard down in front of him. Her gaze fell on Akira playing in the front yard with a toy truck.

There was silence that came after that and it hung heavy in the air around them, suffocating them.

" What happened after that night?"

She took a deep breath, breathing slowly in and out," A week after that I discovered not only did I lose my virginity but I was pregnant as well. My relatives treated me as an embarrassment to the family and shun me. My dad suggested maintaining the marriage with you..."

"Perhaps you should keep up the marriage. It'll be good for everyone and for the family image as well."

"Father... I don't think it's a good idea. He's with someone else right now and they're deeply in love."

" No one except my family and relatives knew I was pregnant and they tried to keep it that way. After giving birth, I moved to the next town. My parents suggested that I should stay with them because they're worried I can't handle it alone. Life has been fine since then, I work at the day care centre where Akira goes to but then you come waltzing back into our lives, demanding custody or marriage."

" At least let me spend time with him. He is my son after all."

She let out an exasperated sigh," Okay. But no smoking with the kid around. I'm gonna go check on him," She stood up from her seat, walking to where Akira was playing.

He lets out a sigh. He didn't know which was more annoying, the Ayaka from before or the Ayaka now?

He turns his gaze towards where Ayaka and Akira where. Ayaka bends down and kisses Akira's head. He can't help but notice the gentleness in her actions. Anyone with eyes could see that she loves the kid more than her own life even, hell would have to freeze over before he could even take the kid away from her and he was no idiot to not know that. She carried him in her arms as they head towards his direction.

By time they were on the front porch Akira asked a question that took him aback.

" Mommy, why is daddy still here? Do daddies stay for the whole day?"

" I don't know. Eiri-san, why are you still here?" She shot him a kind smile which was obviously fake.

" No, daddies are supposed to live together with the baby," Eiri muttered under his breath but Ayaka heard him and shot him a dangerous glare. So instead he answered," Well, I'm making up for the lost time ."

When it was just him and his son in the living room, watching as the pirate with an eye patch and nose as beaky as the parrot that sat on his broad shoulder sang the show's theme song Akira said something that made him content for once.

" I'm really happy today," Akira beamed.

" Really? And why's that?"

" Because I got to spend time with mommy and daddy today!"

And for once, he let himself smile. A small but genuine smile.

Unbeknownst to the father and son a certain brunette was hiding behind the door, listening on in to their conversation. She felt a tug on her heart, her eyes softened, and a genuine smile forms upon her lips.