Epilogue
Happy reading!
Usual disclaimers apply.
Bonus bit of fluff for your reading pleasure ;)
Four years later…
She carefully calculated the distance between her target and herself, and her eyes narrowed when the boy reached within grabbing distance. She pounced out from behind, letting out a loud shriek as she did so.
"Yaaaa! I got you now!"
The two figures tumbled onto the floor, and infectious giggles filled the air as the little boy squealed in delight. Tsukasa laughed as she tickled the little one, and the toddler tried to squirm away in futile.
"Muhahaha! The tickle monster got you now!"
"Noooo!" The boy squealed and giggled as he tried to kick her away.
A small smile played on his lips as he watched the scene before him. Ryuji took a sip of his tea as he watched the little boy attempt his version of Tsukasa's Raging Kick, and he could not help but laugh when Tsukasa fell over, groaning in pretend pain.
"Nooo. Mercy pleaseeeee!"
The two-year-old only screamed and pounced onto her prone form, causing Tsukasa to groan out louder. More infectious giggles filled the air. Ryuji watched on, his eyes dancing with laughter.
"Looks like Baka-zuki is entertaining him well." A soft voice reached his ears as Asago floated in through the doors and sat next to him. "I hope she tires him enough and we can finally get a good night's sleep."
Ryuji smirked as he took in the dark circles and exhausted look on the girl's face.
"That Munakata not doing his part? Should I speak to him?"
Asago rolled her eyes, and glared at Ryuji. "He's trying. But that boy seems to have an endless supply of energy. Just like Baka-zuki." There was a look of affection as she looked over at her son and Tsukasa bonding. "But I have to say we're never bored with him around. Even Father spoils him silly."
Ryuji snorted. The elder Sumon has mellowed a lot over the years, and has even grudgingly accepted having a policeman as his son-in-law. It helped that Munakata Kai looked more like a gokudo than a lot of their own kumin. The birth of the little boy only further eased all tensions and turned the elder Sumon into the fabled idiotic doting grandparent. The little boy had the Sumon household all wrapped around his little finger.
She nudged him, a playful look in her eyes. "So? When can my little Akio can a playmate for himself?"
A wistful smile played on his lips. "Well, I hope soon. But I'm leaving that up to her. Until she's ready."
Asago softened at the sight. She stood and pressed a light kiss on his cheek. "Well, I'm sure you'll make a wonderful father one day Ryuji."
Someone cleared their throat noisily, and they turned to see a slightly amused Munakata. "I hope you're not seducing my wife there, Shirogami."
"PAPA!"
Little Akio ran over as fast as his short legs could carry him and shrieked in delight as Munakata caught him and swung him up in the air. Asago rolled her eyes, but had an affectionate look on her face as she walked over to a panting Tsukasa. She held out her hand for the girl, who took it and got up, dusting her pants as she did so.
"Wow. Akio-kun is just a ball of energy!"
"I know. Why do you think I asked you to play with him?"
Tsukasa gave a sheepish laugh, and both girls walked out back to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Or rather, Asago prepares while Tsukasa sniped bits of food. The two ladies stood in companionable silence by themselves with only the sounds of chopping and water boiling.
"So…" Asago began, giving Tsukasa a side glance.
"When do you plan on telling Ryuji?"
The other girl paused mid-bite, and her ears reddened. She looked down, fiddling with her fingers.
"I… I don't know. How do I even tell him such a thing? It's… embarrassing!"
Asago rolled her eyes, and placed her knife down. She turned to the girl, grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her to meet her eyes.
"There's nothing embarrassing about it. It's the most beautiful thing." Asago smiled at the tomato-faced Tsukasa. "You're going to have a baby."
Tsukasa covered her face with her hands, and spoke in a muffled voice. "Don't say that so loudly. He might hear you."
Asago scoffed. "Well, maybe he should. Since you're taking your own sweet time telling him." She glared at the other girl. "And what's this I hear about you running into that burning building recently? And picking a fight with the Takaragigumi kumin? And running the new recruits program?" She shook her head disapprovingly.
"You ought to be resting properly, and not running around picking fights at every corner."
Tsukasa pouted, feeling smaller and smaller with every sentence.
"Which is why I don't wanna tell anyone. They're going to stop me from doing things." She waved her hand despairingly. "I went into that building to save the 2 new youngsters who recently joined and apparently thinks being in Kuryugumi makes them fire-proof." She rolled her eyes as she recalled the incident. "And those Takaragigumi were the ones who picked a fight. I only showed them politely that it is wrong to pick a fight with someone who fights better than them. And the new recruits program is something I've finally managed Ryuji to have! It's practically my baby!"
Asago hid a smile at Tsukasa's impassioned speech, and shook her head. "Fine. But this." She took Tsukasa's hand and placed it gently over her tummy. "This is your actual baby."
Tsukasa inhaled sharply, her eyes focused on her tummy. "I-I- I'm going to be a mom." She looked up with a panicked expression. "Asago. I'm going to be a mom!"
"I know. We've established that 1 month ago when you spoke to me."
"A mom."
"Yes yes."
"An actual human baby is going to come out of me."
"Well, that's what happens when you give birth."
"What am I going to do? I don't know how to raise a baby!" She started hyperventilating.
"You're talking as though you're going to raise the child alone." Asago quirked an eyebrow. "Which is why I said talk to Ryuji. Now take a deep breath."
Tsukasa inhaled, and exhaled slowly. Asago sighed and took hold of her hand.
"Now promise me you'll speak to Ryuji soon. Tonight."
"Tonight?!" Tsukasa gasped. "I-I- can't do that tonight!"
"Nopes. You're going to speak to him tonight." Asago hurriedly continued before Tsukasa could protest more. "Talk to him tonight. Or I will."
Tsukasa shrank slightly from her pointed glare, and slumped, giving a dejected nod.
Asago rolled her eyes, and turned back to chopping her onions. "You're behaving as though you're going to announce an affair, and not sharing good news. Bakazuki, you're still such a baka!"
Tsukasa only let out a long-suffering sigh and slumped over the counter in a dejected pile.
xxx
That night, a nervous Tsukasa stepped out of the bathroom after a super long shower, half hoping that Ryuji might have already fallen asleep and sparing her the pain. But as expected, Ryuji was seated up in bed, as he swiped through his tablet for the coming day's schedule. He looked up at the fidgety Tsukasa, and placed his tablet down. He patted the space next to him.
"Come here."
She swallowed, and crawled into the bed, his arm coming around her shoulders and pulled her close. He dropped a kiss on her head.
"Is there something wrong?"
She jumped slightly, and looked up to meet his questioning gaze. Her throat ran dry, and she shook her head.
"N-No. Nothing's wrong!"
Both of them sat in silence for a moment. Then–
"Actually I w–"
"By the way I–"
The two paused and exchanged looks. Tsukasa gave a nervous laugh.
"You go first Ryuji."
"No. You say your thing first."
"No no. You say first. Mine's not that important."
He quirked an eyebrow at her nervous giggle, and shrugged. He placed a finger under her chin, and looked into her eyes.
"Tsukasa." She blinked at his serious expression. "Have you… thought about having kids one day?"
Silence.
Ryuji inwardly cursed, worried he might have scared his wife just a little too much. He hurriedly spoke. "I mean, not now maybe. But one day. Whenever you're ready. It's okay. I'm not in a rush. It might be good to have kids now. But we're young. There's still time. So whenever you're ready, maybe we can discuss about having kids. But we're still young. And mayb– What are you laughing about?"
Her shoulders shook with laughter, interrupting his nervous ramble. Ryuji pouted, feeling slightly put out. Her laughter petered out, and she met his slightly disgruntled face. She smiled, and stretched up slightly, pressing a kiss on his lips.
"Ryuji. You baka. But you saved me a bit of effort."
Tsukasa ignored his grumbles, and took his hand, pressing it onto her tummy. She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling brightly.
"I'm pregnant."
He froze.
Pregnant.
Pregnant.
Pregnant.
"Ryuji?" A hand waved in front of his face. "You there?"
He broke out of his stupor, and a huge smile spread across his face. He pulled Tsukasa into his lap, bringing her into a tight embrace. She laughed, and furrowed into his arms.
"I'm glad you're taking the news well."
"Taking it well?" He buried his face in the crook of her neck. "I'm fucking over the moon."
She giggled, and he leaned back slightly, a small frown on his face.
"Wait. Was this your 'not important' news?" Tsukasa gave a sheepish laugh, and he raised a brow. "How the hell is this not important?!"
"It was a figure of speech." She replied with a petulant look. "Anyway, it all worked out rather conveniently." Her eyes brightened, and he sighed, unable to argue with that look on her face. He laid a protective hand over her tummy, a look of wonder on his face.
"When did you find out?"
She hummed. "Hmm. Well, around last month?"
He shot her an accusing glare. "Last month?! You knew about it for a month and you kept it from me?"
She fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well, I was scared alright! But I talked to Asago and she s–"
"Wait. Asago knew? She learnt about it before me?" His eyes narrowed. "Who else did you tell before me?"
Tsukasa rolled her eyes, giving the man a half-hearted punch on his arm. "Nobody else." His eyes narrowed further. "Okay. Meiko-sensei. But you can't blame her. I swore her to secrecy." She hurriedly added on before Ryuji could explode.
He pinched his nose bridge, and let out an exasperated sigh. He knew he could not blame the girl. This was Tsukasa after all. His eyes widened in alarm when a thought struck him.
"Wait. You ran into that burning building, and picked a fight with Takaragigumi knowing you're pregnant?!" He shook his head. "That's it. I'm confining you to Kuryugumi until you give birth. And I'll get someone else to handle that new recruits program."
"What!" She recoiled in horror. "You're not confining me anywhere! I'm your bodyguard Ryuji, in case you've forgotten."
"Yes. But you're also my wife. My Seisai. And the mother of my child."
She shot him a poisonous glare. "You try confining me, and I'll move out and stay with Taku-nii."
Ryuji felt a headache coming on. "Tsukasa, please."
"No. You listen to me." She placed a hand over his mouth, and stopped his protests. "This is my body. Yes, we're having a baby. But I'm pregnant. Not disabled. I can still carry out my duties just fine."
He grounded his teeth in frustration, and sighed. He knew he could never win an argument with this girl.
"Alright. But we compromise. You will stop being my bodyguard for the time being. Hang on." He raised a finger as her eyes flashed dangerously. "Only for now. We will discuss again after you give birth. But I'll let you continue with your new recruits program. Only if you promise not to perform any dangerous stunts. That means no fighting with the kumin. You can use someone else for demonstration purposes. And I will still allow you to come and go freely as usual."
But with added security. Although Ryuji kept that bit to himself for now.
Tsukasa bit her lip in thought, and slowly nodded. It sounded reasonable to her. She met his gaze. "Alright, you got a deal." She put out her hand, and Ryuji stared at it for a moment before smirking.
"That's not how we close a deal."
He leaned forwards, and pressed a kiss on her lips. She was slightly taken aback at first, but kissed him back. The two broke apart after a moment, breathing hard. Ryuji smiled at the girl.
"I can't wait to meet our little one."
xxx
18 months later…
Ryuji stared, a sour expression on his face, as Tsukasa grabbed the little boy and swung him high in the air. Their son squealed with delight as he flew through the air. His beautiful wife laughed and bounced him on her lap, before grabbing the warmed bottle of milk and cooed at their son. It made for a pretty picture, except for one little thing.
"Really. I would've thought you'd be more than excited to have a son."
Ryuji barely looked as Asago settled into the chair next to his, wincing slightly as her unborn son kicked her belly yet again. Akio immediately let go of his mother's hand and ran towards Tsukasa and the baby.
Asago hummed in delight at the sight. "So? What's with that look on your face?" She raised a brow. "You look as though you're going to murder someone, and not looking at the pretty sight of your wife and son."
He glanced at the girl he treats like a younger sister, an annoyed expression on his face.
"It's nothing." Asago waited patiently. Ryuji let out an exasperated sigh. "It's just… He takes up so much of her attention." He pursed his lips. "I mean. All Tsukasa does is play with him. She barely looks at me these days. Sh– Why are you laughing?"
Asago chortled. "I can't believe you're jealous of your son. He's what? 10 months old?"
Ryuji looked away, crossing his arms in slight embarrassment. "He's turning 1 soon. That's old enough."
"Old enough?!" She choked. "He's turning 1. Not 10!" Asago shook her head. "Seriously I expected more than Kuryugumi's Sandaime." He frowned at the teasing lilt in her voice.
"Besides, they say boys always stick to their mothers." Asago raised her brows, a playful look on her face. "Maybe you should try for a girl next. A mini-Tsukasa. She'll be your little princess."
Ryuji opened his mouth, and closed, as her words played in his mind. Asago barely held back her laughter at the sudden scheming look on his face. Looks like Tsukasa was in for quite a night.
xxx
When they found out their next baby would be a girl, he was beyond happy. He had absolute confidence this would be his little princess, and he would have another girl to dote on, and make Tsukasa jealous in the process. A win win situation.
Honestly, he did dote on the boy as well. It was just that he wanted a child who would fawn over him like his son fawned over Tsukasa. It was not petty, Ryuji reasoned with himself.
Ryuji sighed, as he looked on with a sour expression on his face. He just did not expect his baby girl to be such a magnet. The girl was barely 6 months old, and she did not just have Ryuji wrapped around her little fingers. She had the entire Kuryugumi bending over backwards for her. The kumin brought small gifts for her on a daily basis, and Shibuya had all but announced that he was going to be her dedicated bodyguard. The bespectacled man was besotted with her. It did not help that she was a carbon copy of Tsukasa – big, bright eyes, dark shining tuft of hair and the rosiest, chubbiest cheeks. She only had to blink and all the men practically melted into puddles.
She turned out to be everyone's little princess.
Great. Another mini-Tsukasa to look out for.
He kept a watchful eye on her as Akio cooed over the girl. The older boy was fascinated – he only had a little brother and no sisters. Akio gently stroked the girl on the head, much to Ryuji's displeasure. His baby girl then gave a toothless giggle and crawled over, gripping the older boy in a hug – much to Ryuji's horror.
Before he could have the boy thrown out or worse, a hand clapped over his shoulder, and Asago sat next to him.
"No. You're not going to be jealous, and have my son thrown out or something."
"But!" Ryuji started to protest.
"Yeah. Ryuji. I think it's cute." Tsukasa sat on his other side, laughter dancing in her eyes. "Besides, that could be your future son-in-law."
Both girls laughed as Ryuji stared in horror.
Maybe having kids was not such a good idea after all.
End.
a/n: I guess it's a smidge OOC? /covereeyes. Hahaha! But I absolutely adored writing this little snippet. Would you believe I actually wrote this bit first and filled in the earlier chapters after having written this? Cos it was so much fun to write. Sorry I kinda ducked out of writing a wedding cos I don't know if I can do it good enough.
And with this, my TCP fanfiction journey has now come to an end. I can finally put a 'complete' tag on this overdue fic. It's sad there isn't a lot of TCP stories out there and I'm glad to have contributed this little piece of work. Like I said, this was my first fanfic ever and I still can't believe it took me this long to complete. I love TCP and I would totally reread the manga for the nth time. And if inspiration strikes, I might just update with another snippet (but don't hold your breaths.) Thank you for those who have read and esp those who reviewed. If you're into Skip Beat or Fairy Tail, feel free to check my other stories out. Thank you once again and stay safe people!
xoxo
With much love,
piggycat350