AN: Cheers you lot for 489 hits!

Bun.

Tatara felt his heart constrict painfully. And "Sorry." Was all that would come out. They should all have been able to be excited for Mikoto, making name lists, planning a baby shower, filming his progress. Anna would have been ecstatic.
Instead Tatara had gone and died, starting Mikoto down a path towards his own death.

Mikoto turned his frown on him, and he felt himself wilt as if it had physical heat to it. But rather than anger, Mikoto simply said. "You were murdered as collateral, by a King who was trying to get to me. Don't apologize. Besides, I probably wouldn't have made it to my twenties without Homra, and it was you that pulled that lot together."

Tatara felt warm relief safuse him. Mikoto was never one to mince words, or pull punches. If he said as much, then Tatara would believe in the words of the man who was his King.

Mikoto's mouth turned up just a little, and he ducked his head. Almost affectionately, he moved his thumb back and forth over his still flat abdomen.

Using Mikotos PDA to look it up, Tatara read aloud. "At eight weeks, the fetus is the size of a raspberry!" That gave him an idea. He set about preparing raspberry yogurt on soaked oats, whole grain toast with raspberry jam, and a raspberry smoothie.

"What are you doing?" Mikoto sounded dubious.

"Celebrating eight weeks, with a raspberry themed breakfast!" Tatara announced happily.

"Ugh, it just makes me think of that time you and Izumo said I might eat my own young or something."

Tatara paused to recall such a thing, their breakfast still in hand, forgotten while he thought back. Meaning Mikoto had to take his share from Tatara's hand, before he could eat.

Sitting across from Mikoto, Tatara watched the other man steadily polishing off his food. "We compared you to a lion that time didn't we. It fits."

Mikoto shrugged. "Can't remember, I just recall being grossed out."

Taking a sip from his smoothie, a new question occurred to Tatara. "The father, Munakata?" The probability chilled Tatara. Not because he didn't approve of Mikoto's likely choice of lover, to the contrary, Tatara felt they were made for one another. But Munakata had been forced to kill Mikoto, if they weren't only rivals, but also in love. And with Mikoto having been expecting, despite that it hadn't been planned. Munakata truly had taken on a terrible burden. Now they were separated, Mikoto killed, Munakata left behind. Again, the thing became too much to endure thinking about.

Mikoto groaned. Hanging his head, he jabbed at his yogurt with his spoon.

Tatara ducked down to glimpse his expression, finding the others features devoid of any, and his eyes closed. But then Mikoto sighed, that in turn developed into a snort.

"We weren't so slick about it huh."

Tatara shrugged. "I wouldn't have known for sure, if you weren't eating for two right now. But there was definitely something between you and him. Chemistry, companionship, the right kind of tension. Be honest, was there ever going to be anyone for you but that man and vice versa?"

"Guess He and I are stuck with each other." Mikoto even laughed a little at his own whimsical words.

Tatara, wasn't sure how Mikoto could be so seemingly unaffected. Curiosity itching, he risked asking. "So, do you love him?"

At which point, Mikoto's patience ran out. Reaching over the bar he grabbed Tatara's head, not letting go even while he continued eating his breakfast, until Tatara slapped the bar as a sign he had given in.

Once his laughter had eased, Tatara was able to start on his own breakfast, suggesting things they could do that day, between bites. For now he would let the subject slide And if the cracks started to show in Mikoto's armor, he would do what he could as a clansman, friend, and brother. But in the meantime, his mind had run away with the question, was Mikoto in love with Munakata?

Mikoto had always been taciturn. Disinclined to share his thoughts, feelings, perspective, anything really. And that trait was only compounded by the danger his powers had posed to those around him in the waking. This didn't mean he had no feelings, just that he was careful with them, to the point where you might be mistaken for thinking otherwise.
The reason being, the powers the Dresden slate bestowed on people, responded to the wishes, thoughts and emotions of the empowered. In essence, Mikoto had become a barely contained natural disaster or bomb. Attempting to sleep, stay distracted, or else stay out of trouble as well as he was able.

All of which meant he hadn't had much opportunity to fall in love, if that was something he wanted. Or even to examine what he might want, or be feeling at all. So It was probably too soon to have asked, but Tatara couldn't help suspecting that he knew what the answer would be.

Munakata was Mikoto's match. They could go toe to toe, strong enough to understand each other and communicate on a level no one else could hope to. They were never more present, more true to themselves than when they were sparring with each other, or as Tatara liked to think, dancing. They truly were each other's supporting counterbalance, entropy and order meeting in a strange sort of harmony.
_

[31st of March 2013]

It was the new year. And while Mizuomi was busily writing on a black board. Tatara positioned his camera, to face a loosely dressed Mikoto lounging on the sofa, one hand resting atop his very round middle.

"Today, we're having cantaloupe for breakfast." Tatara announced from behind the camera, emerging into view holding a tray, a moment later. The tray, laden with fruit salad featuring cantaloupe, cantaloupe juice, and dried cantaloupe.

"I wish you'd give it a rest with the food." Mikoto grumbled, not taking his eyes away from the view of the sky out the window.

"But I have all the meals planned out. The next milestone is pumpkin, we'll have roast pumpkin soup for lunch! And by time Bun's the size of a watermelon, it'll be summer, perfect timing!"

Setting down the tray, he moved to help Mikoto up from his reclined position. But Mikoto had already righted himself, and taken his share of breakfast from the tray.

At that point, Mizuomi joined them in frame. Placing the chalkboard on the sofa beside Mikoto, where previously Mikoto's legs were stretched out. On the surface of the board a drawing of a bun rising in an oven, the timer on the oven read '24 weeks, second trimester'. Beside the drawing, a list of foods that met with Mikoto's approval, and a list that he refused to eat. They also left the date from a previous video, documenting the first time Mikoto felt baby kicking, and a side note that read 'Baby is definitely Mikoto and Munakatas alright (what a fighter)'.

"Twenty four weeks in, and Mokoto's using the memory-foam slippers my lady friend gifted him." Mizuomi announced proudly as any adoptive granduncle to be. Holding the chalk ready, he next sought an answer. "So do you have any ideas about a name yet?"

"I'll name the kid once they're here." Mikoto told them simply between bites.

'Name: Pending (Byname: Bun).' Mizuomi jotted down on the blackboard. Turning to Tatara, he asked. "Do you want to show Mikoto what we got for Bun?"

"Gladly!" Springing up from his seat, Tatara wheeled a large item covered in a sheet, into view. Whipping the sheet away to reveal a stroller containing a baby bag filled with necessities and a baby carrier. "Since we already have the crib, bounce seat, changing station and supplies, as well as clothes for Bun's first year. We thought that this time, we'd make sure you had what you need for the little one, while you're out and about."

Mikoto grimaced. Which had both Tatara and Mizuomi laughing just a bit at his expense. But of course, they would be there to help care for the Bun, and pull uncle duty.
_

[June 2013]

34 weeks pregnant, and roughly halfway through the final trimester. Mikoto dropped into the van's back seat heavily, settling on the memory-foam cushion and back support. And pulling across the three point safety-belt, fastening it in place.

Shortly, Tatara got comfortable in the front passenger's seat, with their gift of 20 year bourbon in a bag on his lap. And Mizuomi, behind the wheel, took them out onto the road.

Mizuomi was like his nephew Izumo, or maybe it was more accurate to think of Izumo as being a chip of the block. Either way, he had connections, knew what strings to pull. And, while it had taken a lot of pulling, Mizuomi was sure he had found Mikoto's grandfather. A Man who had died, and crossed over to the dream, almost a full thirteen years ago.

Today they were on their way to visit the orchard, outside of the city, where grandfather had apparently relocated to.

Mikoto cast his eyes to the view outside the van's window, watching without really seeing the city buildings shifting to countryside. He unconsciously wondered if Anna would have wanted to join in on the day trip, she was a homebody, but could be enthusiastic about getting out when her interest was piqued.

He didn't feel dead, technically he wasn't, not as death was understood on the side of the waking. Instead, it felt like most everyone else vanished all at once. Even his synchronicity with his daughter had been cut. Mikoto diverted his attention to counting birds on power-lines.

Soon the van was pulling up a stone drive, to a modern house, situated on a small orchard. It being June, the gentle hills were abundant with fruit of various kinds.

And leaning out the house's front door was Mikoto's grandfather, looking just as Mikoto recalled.

Not bothering with arranging his seasonally inappropriate cardigan, their being little that could hide his pregnancy at that point, even if he was so inclined. Mikoto, along with Tatara and Mizuomi, stepped from the van.

Now grandfather looked surprised, smiling just a bit as he came forward. "You've sure grown, it hasn't even been twenty years since I kicked the bucket, and yet here you are a man instead of the boy I remember. But, you died young huh. And-" His eyes tipped down towards Mikoto's middle, brows going the opposite direction.

"King was always precocious wasn't he? Getting around to most things a little early, unfortunately that also included landing in the dream." Tatara cut in, holding out his hand to shake grandfathers. "I'm Totsuka Tatara, a friend of your grandson's from our school days. And this is Mizuomi, also a friend."