Chapter Thirty-Seven: Daddy's Girl
It had been two weeks since everyone had stopped by. Zeniba had finally left to go and run the bathhouse for Haku, and things started to settle down…a bit.
Haku and Chihiro had thought that the old woman had been joking about suitors being lined up at the door. However, she was absolutely correct. Chihiro woke the morning after Lin and the others left to a buzz on the grounds around their house. She went to the door, leaving a sleeping Kaida and Haku alone. When she threw open the door, she saw a crowd of people thronging around their house. They all looked to the door when they spotted her and began shouting.
"…Lady Chihiro, I've come for your daughter!"
"…Madam Sen, please, we ask for young Kaida's hand!"
"…I wish to have the girl as mine!"
"…I will mate with the young maiden, and she will bear many children!"
The last one got to her. Her blood boiled and she summoned a small source of power somewhere inside of her. A wind blew around her, rippling her hair and pajamas. She pulled the trigger in her mind and a great light enveloped the crowd of people. Many screamed, some ran. Everyone who remained fell quiet. When Chihiro had regained her breath and her heart slowed a bit, she registered quickly that she had just done magic. So the practice with Zeniba is paying off, she thought.
She drew a deep breath and began screaming at the throng.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?" she screeched. "'YOUNG MAIDEN'? FOR KAMI'S SAKE, SHE'S NOT EVEN A WEEK OLD! HOW PERVERTED AND SICK ARE YOU? SHE'S A BABY!"
Chihiro was still fuming when Haku and Zeniba joined her on the porch. Haku had brought Kaida with him. When the crowd saw her, they went positively wild.
"Kaida! I love you!"
"Lady Kaida, please choose me!"
"Madam Kaida, pick me as your mate! You will carry my children!"
Kaida, startled by all the noise, began to cry. Her wailing pulled at Haku's heart, and he rounded on the suitors.
"ENOUGH!" he cried, instantly silencing the crowd. He clutched his daughter possessively to his bare chest, muffling her cries and covering her ears. "If any one of you bastards so much as breathes on my daughter, I will personally hunt you down and shred you with my bare hands, until you are nothing but a bloody stump on the ground. Then I will feed you to the denizens of my river," he whispered menacingly. "Am I understood?"
The crowd gawped at the dragon, unbelieving that he would not want to betroth his daughter to one of their number. Haku glared down at them, daring for even one of them to cross him. Zeniba stepped in and waved her hands, sending a spell over all the suitors. It propelled them back instantly and off the property. She muttered to herself and pointed her fingers forward. A pearlescent wall formed around the house and the river, preventing the crowd from re-entering the area.
Zeniba escorted the fuming parents inside, telling them, "I warned you."
After that, when Zeniba had left and taken her barrier with her, Haku enlisted the help of the creatures the resided in his river. Whenever they saw someone unfamiliar approaching the house or river, they would instantly attack, driving the intruder away. However, they couldn't keep them away twenty-four/seven.
Two weeks later, Haku woke at seven in the morning. He looked at his precious Chihiro next to him; she was out cold. Poor little one, he thought, smoothing her frizzled hair. She's been up almost all night with Kaida, feeding her every two hours. It's a good thing that Zeniba finally sent over that breast pump. Now I can feed Kaida while Chihiro rests. Chihiro snored quietly, making Haku grin. Then he heard the soft mewling of his baby. He got out of bed, crossed to Chihiro's side, and picked Kaida up gently from her bassinet. He cradled her to his chest and sniffed. She still smelt of her mother and baby powder. Chihiro must've changer her earlier. She should be alright for a bit. He kissed the top of her head and walked out of the room.
Downstairs, he deposited her carefully in her bouncer and brought her into the kitchen.
"I wonder how long it's been since your mommy fed you," he said aloud. Kaida only burbled. "So I guess you're hungry, then?" He smiled, walking over to the refrigerator. He opened it and brought out eggs, bacon, sausage, and a bottle of breast milk. He started the stove and began to cook the food. Then he put the breast milk in the bottle warmer, all the while talking to Kaida, just to hear her cute mewling.
Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. Please don't wake Chihiro, he thought desperately. He un-strapped Kaida from her bouncer and cradled her to his chest. He walked to the front door and opened it. Standing in the doorway was a rugged man, dressed in green and white haori and hakama. He had brown eyes and hair. Haku stared at him, waiting for the man to speak.
"Hello, Master Kohaku," he said confidently. "Would you do me the honor of allowing me to mate with your daughter? I assure, you, I am as noble as—"
Haku had heard enough. He cradled his daughter in one arm and held the other up to the man. Standing parallel to the doorway and staring straight forward, he bowed his head slightly and closed his eyes. He unleashed energy from the palm of his hand, sending the man flying. He landed beyond their property, and from there, the river occupants took care of him.
Haku shut the door with a quiet snap. He sighed exhaustedly. That is the fifth idiot to make it to the door this week, he thought. He looked down at his daughter and smiled as she gazed back at him. She gave him her very first toothless grin. Haku's heart melted right then. He tickled her under the chin lightly and nuzzled his nose into her downy soft baby hair. He smelled her scent; like warm honey and lavender, with that wonderful hint of baby powder.
He finished cooking breakfast and put a heating spell on it to keep it warm for when Chihiro woke up. Then he settled himself down on the couch and fed Kaida, cradling her in his arms. She drank noisily, grunting with effort. He noticed that she had drank most of the milk and tipped the bottle so she could get the rest. He remembered Chihiro warning him not to let her swallow air, as it would upset her stomach and give her gas. He watched as Kaida emptied the bottle and spit the nipple out. He took a cloth from beside him and wiped her mouth, dribbled with milk. Then he lifted her to his shoulder and patted her bottom lightly, forcing air from her stomach. He contemplated what to do for the rest of the day. It would be just him and Kaida, as he planned on sending Chihiro straight back to bed after she ate. She needed the rest.
Haku heard the cute little huff huff huff then the adorable uurp that told him his daughter had burped. Unfortunately, he also heard the soft huhrp that said she had just spit up. Haku was used to it; she had done it before and Chihiro showed him how to clean up. He lifted Kaida off his shoulder and placed her back in the bouncer. He wiped off her mouth and tapped her nose lovingly. He carefully removed the burp rag from his shoulder and put it on the table, to be washed later. He materialized a wet cloth and began to wipe the spot on the couch. When he was finished, it was as though it had never been dirty. Haku looked back to his daughter, however, and saw that the same did not ring true for her. He picked her up gently and carried her up the stairs.
On the second floor, Haku opened the door to his and Chihiro's bedroom quietly. He looked in on her and found her still on the bed, dead to the world. He watched her chest rise and fall as she slept. He quietly closed the door and walked to Kaida's yellow and white room. He opened her white wooden dresser and pulled out a purple crawler. Stitched on the front in blue were the words 'Daddy's Little Girl'. It was his favorite. He knelt by the changing table and pulled out a diaper and baby powder. He didn't have a problem with changing a clean diaper, only a dirty one.
He carried Kaida down the hall to the bathroom and levitated her on a small cloud her conjured. Chihiro didn't like him using magic like that. She said that it would teach Kaida to use the easy way out, but he did it anyway. Kaida was almost three weeks old and the stub of her umbilical cord had fallen off, so Haku was free to give her a bath. He turned on the tap and filled a cup with lukewarm water and poured it in the baby tub on the counter. He filled in until the water was about two inched high.
He lowered the cloud and undressed Kaida. He took off her diaper, still dry, and blew on her tubby belly, making her giggle. He picked her up and lowered her into the tub, supporting her with one hand while the other washed her. He poured the lavender soap onto the wash cloth and made it foam, then cleaned Kaida. Having the same sense of smell, they both sighed and relaxed a little as their sensitive noses caught the scent. Haku washed her off and began shampooing her soft hair. He lathered it and made it into cute styles. Looking at his tiny girl with a Mohawk, he asked, "I wonder if you're mommy would let me do that?" Kaida blew a raspberry. Haku chuckled. "No, I suppose you're right. She'd have my head if I even tried to cut your hair." He rinsed her hair and lifted her out of the tub. He quickly wrapped her in the warm terrycloth bath blanket and pulled the hood over her head. It dropped over her face and her tiny hand clawed at it, trying to raise it. Haku laughed and lifted it, kissing her on the nose.
He dried her off and brought her back to her room. He laid her on the changing table and picked up the new diaper. He lifted her small legs and slid it under her bottom, sprinkled her with powder, then secured it around her waist, hiding half of her innie bellybutton. He blew a soft raspberry in each of her palms and kissed her feet, making her giggle. He wiped the drool from her mouth before pulling the crawler over her head and fastening the crotch. He pulled little purple and blue booties onto her feet, and finished with a purple cap lined with blue on her head. He looked down at her and smiled. She's perfect, he thought, and so adorable. Something tells me she and her mother will run me ragged. They'll both be able to step all over me, and I'll lay for them to do it. He fixed his eyes on her porcelain face and saw her grin, as if to say, 'you're betcha, Daddy.' He smiled more and picked her up.
He carried her down the stairs, making a pit stop to check on Chihiro. She seemed to be stirring. Downstairs, he sat Kaida in a sling that Zeniba had given them as a gift and set to work, cleaning the house. He swept and mopped the floor; saving vacuuming for after Chihiro woke up. He cleaned the table and the stove, than washed the dishes and what must have been twenty-some bottles. He would work on the upstairs later. He looked at the clock; it was ten o'clock. It had been two hours since he had fed Kaida. He was about to get a bottle when he heard Chihiro come down the stairs. As she did, Haku caught that terrible smell he tried to avoid.
"Good morning," said Chihiro brightly; sleeping in seemed to be working for her.
"Good morning, little one," greeted Haku, taking Kaida from her sling. Chihiro noticed the look on his face.
"Does she need to be changed?" she asked, holding out her hands. Haku nodded.
"And fed," he added, handing the baby over.
"Yea, I know," said Chihiro, cuddling Kaida to her. He noticed two damp spots on her pajama top. She kissed him and headed up the stairs.
"Hey," called Haku as she reached the bottom step, "I'm about to do laundry. I need your shirt." He looked away to set up a toy he had knocked over. When he turned back, Chihiro's pajama top came flying towards him, hitting him in the face. He pulled it off and looked at the stairs in time to catch Chihiro's disappearing onto the next floor as she laughed. He grumbled a bit, then chuckled to himself. He picked up her shirt and added it to the basket next to him.
Chihiro reappeared again in three minutes. She sat down on the couch next to Haku. Handing Kaida over to him for a moment, she unbuttoned her blue shirt and unhooked her nursing bra. Haku gave her back the baby and she put her to her breast. Kaida found her mother's nipple and latched on. Chihiro smiled and covered herself with the nursing blanket, patting her daughter's bottom. Haku kissed her on the temple as their baby nursed loudly.
While Chihiro fed Kaida, Haku went upstairs. He changed his clothes, as he was still in his pajamas, and began to clean. He picked up clothes and added them to his basket. Then he swept and mopped the upstairs. He didn't have to vacuum Kaida's room; there was very little traffic in there, as the baby didn't sleep in there yet. He came back downstairs and found Chihiro at the kitchen table, eating her still hot breakfast, Kaida in her bouncer. She smiled as he entered. He kissed her on the cheek as she shoveled the last of her eggs into her mouth.
"What are you going to do today?" she asked, bouncing Kaida gently.
"I thought I'd clean up a bit," said Haku, washing her plate. "Since we're going back to the bathhouse this weekend, I'd figured now would be the time." Chihiro made a face at the idea of going back. It wasn't that she didn't like the bathhouse; she just enjoyed staying by the river where it was peaceful and she had Haku all to herself. Well, almost all to myself, she thought as Kaida burbled softly. Chihiro smiled and picked her up, cradling her close.
"I know," said Haku, drying the dishes and putting them away. "But I've given myself an extensive paternity leave, and I need to get back. Believe me, I'd rather stay here with my favorite girls, but then I wouldn't have any money for you two to spend later." Chihiro smiled at him. "So what are you going to do?" Haku asked.
"I don't know," said Chihiro, turning her attention to the baby. "I guess I'll get Kaida's things packed, then ours—" Haku cut her off.
"No," he said, lifting Kaida into his own arms. "You go take a long, hot, relaxing bath. I'll take Kaida." He saw the look on her face at giving up her baby for the whole day. "You know you want to," he coaxed. She conceded.
"Alright," she said, throwing up her hands in mock surrender. "I give. I'll go take a bath. I'll see you two later." She kissed them both and went back up the stairs.
Haku's next task was the laundry. They had ordered a washer and dryer set, but there was a delay in the delivery, so until then, laundry was done outside.
While it was still technically fall (A/N: Kaida was born in November), it was rather chilly outside, so Haku ran upstairs and fetched a warmer outfit for his daughter. He came back downstairs and dressed her in his other favorite outfit, a two-piece overall set. It was pink with 'Daddy's Little Princess' scrawled on the front in white. He pulled two pairs of socks onto her feet, then white booties, and finally a pink and white cap. He then wrapped her in a blanket Lin had made and sent over the week before. It was pink and fluffy with her full name stitched on the lower right corner.
When he had finished, Kaida looked up at him, confusion swimming in her large, bright eyes. He looked into them and saw the same jade staring back at him. He smiled and tapped her nose affectionately.
"Don't worry, little one," he said. "You're going on your first trip past the porch." He picked her up and set her in the sling at his chest. He uttered a few words and passed his hands over his daughter's body, heating the sling. "There," he said when he was done. "Now, you won't be cold outside." He picked up the basket of clothes and walked outside.
Chihiro looked out of the bathroom window as steam filled the room. She watched as Haku crossed the grounds to the river, Kaida at his chest. She was about to open the window and yell at him for being so damn irresponsible for taking their newborn out into the cold, when she was the slight glimmer around her infant's body. Oh, a heating spell, she thought. Well, as long as she's warm. She knew that she was; Haku had used a large heating spell on the river when she had given birth. The temperature was quite comfortable; the pain, however, that was another story.
Haku reached the river and set the laundry down. "What am I going to do with you, little one?" he wondered aloud. At that moment, he heard a splash from the river. Looking up, he saw a male fish spirit a female Kappa. Despite popular belief, many Kappas were friendly, and they had to be to stay in Haku's river.
"Master Haku," said the Kappa, pulling herself from the water and bowing. "May we be of assistance?" Haku contemplated for a moment.
"Yes," he said, conjuring a small cradle in front of him. "I need to do the laundry. Could you watch my daughter while I do?" he asked, taking Kaida from his chest. The Kappa and fish spirit smiled.
"Of course," they said. Haku laid his daughter in the cradle as the other two came to watch her.
While Haku was in the river, which he had heated, Haku heard the others talking.
"Aww, she's so cute," commented the Kappa.
"Mm-hmm," agreed the fish spirit. "And she has a strong grip, too." Haku turned around to see his baby's hand sticking out of her blanket and latched around the spirit's fin. Paternal pride swelled in his chest.
"Master Haku," called the Kappa, "what is her name?"
"Kaida," said Haku, wringing out the last of the clothes. "Kaida Aiko Nigihayami."
"Oh, it's right here on her blanket," said the Kappa. "That's a very pretty name."
Haku picked up the laundry basket and headed back up the bank. He sat Kaida back in her sling.
"Thank you," he said to the Kappa and the spirit. "Would you like to come into the house for something to drink?"
The Kappa smiled at him. "That's sounds lovely, Master Haku, but it appears we have something we need to take care of." They all looked to the left and saw yet another man winding his way up the river. He spotted them and called out,
"Master Kohaku Nigihayami, what an honor! I don't mean to be forward, but I have come to ask for your daughter's hand—"
The Kappa smiled again. "Go inside, Master. We will take care of this." So Haku bid them good-bye and walked back to the house. When he reached the front door, he heard the man give a yelp followed by a crash. He looked up and saw the man sailing over his house and out of sight. He smiled to himself as he went inside.