Hi! Sorry, it's been a while.
I'm worried cause I told myself the chapter limits I have on all my stories cannot beat my 'My Thanks to You' story, and at this rate, I'm going to have to make an exception for this one because I'm getting more brain power flowing on this one.
Anyway, here is what happens within the 4 year time skip Part 1, to which the next chapter Misaki and others will have aged 4 years and Misaki will be 16.
Recap:
Satomi and Kazuto are Ritsu's authors and his friends. Kazuto is dark haired/steel gray eyes and is Akihiko's age. Satomi is blond/soft gray eyes and almost a year younger than Ritsu. Reika is Satomi's younger sister and is dating Sumiko's little brother Aito, and they are around Misaki's age.
Maeko is Ritsu's little sister, by 17 years.
Year 1, Pajama Party with the United Siblings:
"Ideas guys!" Sumiko orders, her gavel in the air twirlilng like a wand.
Takahiro couldn't help but feel skeptical. "But why a pajama party?"
"It's not like we're all getting naked or something!" she laughs. "Just theme of what kind of pajama, food, and movie or game!"
He turns to Haruhiko. "Are you sure we're not going to get in the way, since it's at your place..."
"Oh, no- Tanaka would love the company; he is really fond of Misaki and everyone."
Ritsu raises his hand, reluctantly. "Satomi-chan and Kazuto-san texted me this-" he hands her his phone filled with pictures his authors sent him.
Slowly they watch her face as she goes from beaming, to slowly smiling, to unsmiling, to embarrassed as she passes it back to him. "...No. The idea is appealing, but if we do do that it's going to be embarrassing..."
"What is it?" Takahiro asks, and Ritsu shows him. He beams. "This is so cute! Why not?"
"Because," Sumiko huffs, "Then we all have to wear it- we can pick our own of course, but still..." She trails off and the three look at Haruhiko.
"What?" Haruhiko asks.
"I can't imagine you in a one-sie," Sumiko explains, holding a hand to her mouth trying not to laugh. "I... I can't."
"Then just..." Ritsu began, "Pajama of your choice?"
"Yeah..." Sumiko thinks a bit more. "For food, it's just snacks, so I guess I'll go get junk food, and for a movie or game..."
"I..." Takahiro begins, "I always wanted to play Zero." *(He means the game Fatal Frame)
"What?" Ritsu says, "I never thought you were into horror."
"I saw a commercial and I was curious- the mechanics behind it seem interesting."
"You want to play the series?" Sumiko asks, grinning, "All night?"
Pajama Party:
"Why?!" Takahiro cries, wiping his eyes with the hands, "Why didn't he stay with his sister?"
"He didn't want lady to be lonely, Nii-chan," Misaki says, patting him on the back. "I think if that happened, I would've stayed with her..."
"You're so nice, Misaki!" Takahiro cries, while Akihiko glares at them. 'Over my dead body,' he thought, if Misaki ever tried to actually leave him for a dead spirit.
"Jeez, guys," Shinobu says to them from the blankets on the floor in front of them, "We're on the second game and you're still hung up on the first?"
Year 1, Moving:
Maeko frowns as she wakes up in the living room, no trace of her big brother around. Hearing strangers talking and things moving, she follows the sound outside to see a big truck and boxes on the driveway.
In one of the boxes the two year old sees her brother's books and frowns. Why did they have her brother's stuff? She runs, tripping a bit, heading upstairs and across the hallway until she enters Ritsu's room. She widens her eyes at the emptiness around her. THen she looks out the window to see men putting the boxes into the trucks and she goes to her room and grabs her stuffed animals.
...
"Eh," Sumiko and Satomi give Ritsu a look. "You did this on a day both your parents would be busy?"
"I don't want them fussing," Ritsu explains, "Father being busy is a given, and Mother-"
"Rits," Satomi points behind them, and they turn to see little Maeko putting her stuffed animals in the boxes before going back up to her room to get more.
A while later, they see her, and Shinobu putting her stuff into the boxes.
"What are you doing?!" Ritsu exclaims, surprised at him, "When did you even come?"
"When you said you were moving, I thought I'd be helping out," Shinobu shrugs, "I came the other way and she saw me and dragged me upstairs so I could help her."
Sighing, Ritsu went past him and began taking the stuffed animals out as Maeko came with another batch. "Maeko... No."
She frowns. "No..."
He shakes his head and turns her around towards the house. "Go put your stuff back up."
Not quite understanding she continues to try and put her animal in the box and Ritsu stops her, giving her a stern look. "Not here. Go put your stuff back up in your room."
She steps back a bit and shakes her head, "No.." She pauses as Sumiko comes and nudges her along, "No..," with Shinobu taking the other stuffed animals out and following them.
"Do you think she's going to sulk after this?" Ritsu asks to Satomi, who helps him tape over all the boxes.
"I don't know, but you're babysitting tomorrow so she's just going to be wondering why you're not with her at night." She laughs, "She's probably going to cling to you and frustrate your mom."
"Augh," he groans at the horror of that. Minutes pass as the men load all the boxes into the truck.
Year 1, New Place:
"Wow, this is nice," Kazuto comment as he glances around the newly decorated apartment. "Really fast though, you already got everything in!"
"Yeah, they were all into it," Ritsu says, looking through one of the pages Kazuto finished.
"Did you see your neighbor yet?"
"Oh, no. Apparently the ones I have now are out visiting their families and I think they plan to move in a few years so I'll be getting new one later."
"Riiii~!" Ritsu quickly put the pages down so he can grab Maeko as she ran at him from the small hallway. "Ricchu!" She happily calls out laughing as he seats her on his lap.
"Don't do that," Ritsu says, handing her a small book naming the colors to play with before setting her down next to him on the couch.
"You know," Kazuto begins, looking at her, "I can't help but think she is the offspring of the girls' nicknaming." He smiles at her. "What's my name, Maeko-chan?"
She blinks at him as if she were bored. "Kazuto-san." He falls comically to the ground.
"Whaaaatt? Just -san?"
Ritsu laughs, "I think it's because I call you that all the time."
Year 2, I'm so sorry:
"This is the dumbest dare-"
"No complaints!" Shinobu argues in a whisper. "Cut it!"
"But..." Misaki looks down from behind the couch at a sleeping Akihiko, his hair peacefully untouched until Misaki cuts a strand off with his scissors.
"She just wants a piece! Hurry!"
'Why me?!' Misaki thought, feeling like he was betraying Akihiko in some strange, twisted way. "I'm so sorry, Usami-san," he whispers. The preteen's hand starts shaking as he hovers it over Akihiko's head.
Akihiko then turns, causing the boys to panic before sighing as he simply turned position to the side, causing some of his hair to sit straight up. Quickly, Misaki stretches over and cuts it. Shinobu quickly takes it from him and places it in a small plastic bag. "Good job!"
"Whew," Misaki sighs, deciding to hang over the couch.
"Heh, you look like Suzuki-san hanging over the couch like that," Shinobu notes.
"Suzuki-san? You think so?" Misaki says, and they freeze when Akihiko turn towards him.
"Suzuki-san...?" Akihiko mumbles, before reaching for and grabbing Misaki, pulling him into his arms. Misaki holds back his surprise cry as the author cuddles him.
"Bonus," Shinobu whispers as he takes out his cell phone and takes a picture. Then he backs a way a bit before leaving, "Have fun!"
"Shinobu!" Misaki whisper-screams at him. "Shinobu! Get back here!-Mm!" He squirms as Akihiko nuzzles into the crook of his neck. "S-stop... Usami-san! Wake up!"
"Mmm... Misaki," Akihiko whispers softly against Misaki's neck, trailing his nose up to Misaki's ear before nibbling softly on it.
Blushing, Misaki whimpers as he tries to shake Akihiko awake, "Usa... Usami-san... Wake up..." 'This is bad...'
However, the author smiles in his sleep while his hands wander up Misaki's shirt, causing Misaki to hiss at the coldness of Akihiko's hands as it arrived to his chest and began rubbing in circles. "Usami-san!" Misaki pleads, blushing even more, now grabbing on to his hands and trying to pry them off, "Wake up! Usami-san!"
"Sensei!" Eri rages as she bangs the door open, and Misaki's eyes go wide at her before panicking at the evil aura emerging from the author, "You were supposed to hand in you manuscript two hours ago!"
"...Didn't finish it," Akihiko simply says as he stands up, glaring, and Misaki took his chance to hide behind the kitchen counter once he remembered that Akihiko didn't even know he was here in the first place.
"..?" Eri looks at the empty couch, "I thought I saw Misaki-kun?"
Akihiko yawns as he takes out a cigarette. "No, it's just been me."
"Oh," Eri frowns in confusion before laughing and pointing at Akihiko's mouth, "You kind of have some slober on your mouth! You have a good dream?" Misaki blushes from behind the kitchen counter.
"As a matter of fact, I did," Akihiko replies, grabbing Suzuki-san before staring wide-eyed at him seeing that he was sitting on the love seat and not the couch. "..."
"What's wrong?"
"...Nothing," Akihiko put Suzuki-san under his arm and headed upstairs.
After he was sure they were out of sight, he sped out the door and ran home, telling himself that he was going to get back at Shinobu for this.
Year 2, At the station:
Takafumi stands up as the train stops, ready to head out to home, celebrate his non-existent birthday, and pass the masses of people competing to get out of the packed ride.
All he can hear were random conversations, people getting ready to turn their cell phones back on, and-
"Wait! My granddaughter!" He looks around at that, since the voice sounded panicked, and before he knew it, he was out on the platform and the sliding doors shut and moved on.
He huffed a bit, feeling sorry for the person as he turned, stopping as something was in his way and looks down to see a little girl sitting down on the ground and crying. Immediately, he looks around before scratching the back of his head nervously and bending down. "Are you okay?"
Stifling her cries, she looks up at him with her doe brown eyes. Her brown hair was in pig tails. "Grandma..."
"Oh," he looks behind him at the train before looking at the screen above to see where the train was heading next. He supposed he could help her get to the next stop but would they make it on time? He then notices she was carrying a backpack and it had a tag of her address. 'It's not that far...'
"Were you guys going out somewhere?" Takafumi asks, and the girl nods.
"Shopping," she says, "For Papa's birthday."
"Oh, okay," he looks back to the train and she talks again.
"Grandma said not to ride the train by myself," she pouts, "I don't like it."
Well, with this type of experience, she can say that. Takafumi sighs before helping her up. "Okay, do you remember her cell phone number? Or your home phone?"
She shakes her head.
He remembers her address, "Then I'll just take you home."
"What about my present for Papa?"
Takafumi frowns in thought before walking her up the stairs. "I think your father would like anything you get for him."
"Really?" she says, before grabbing his hand. "Papa calls me Hiyo! What's your name?"
"Yokozawa."
"Okay then, can I call you Yokozawa Onii-chan?"
...
"Wahh!" Little Hiyo points to a frowning bear plush, "Yokozawa Onii-chan, that looks like you!"
"..." He glares at the thing before seeing Hiyo and her puppy dog look, "...What?"
"Can I get this?"
"For your father?"
"Papa...?" She looks back at it for a long while and Takafumi sighs before taking it to be paid for. Obviously, it wasn't for her father, but Takafumi didn't want to risk making her sad.
...
"Look, Onii-chan!" She points to a small cake as they pass a bakery. "It's so cute!"
Takafumi thought for a bit, a small cake seemed an innocent enough gift for a father, and a believable price range for a small girl and not a stranger. "Do you want to get that for you father?"
She brightens. "Can we get a candle too?"
He nods and they go into the bakery.
...
"Here?" Takafumi asks as they arrive to the entrance of the apartment, and Hiyo nods happily. "Be sure to call your grandmother and tell her you're home, okay?"
"Got it, Onii-chan!" She hugs him before pulling back with a small pout. "Do you want to come say happy birthday to Papa?"
"Ah, no... Do that for me, okay?"
"...Okay," she says, going to the entrance rather slow because she didn't want to leave him yet.
"Stay safe, okay?" he says, about to walk away, "And don't trust strangers too much, some of them might be bad."
She nods, entering the gate and turning around. "Bye, Yokozawa Onii-chan!"
He waves bye, and when he thinks she's safe inside he goes his way towards home with Sorata waiting.
Second part next. Stay tuned!