This was actually one of the very first ideas I got for this story, too bad I always have an idea for [insert scene] and then I have to actually write to get there
7 kg = 15.43 lbs
65 cm = 2'1 feet (it's a rough estimate, I'm using Google to convert these, just thought it would be nice so people don't get confused)

Four and a half months. That's how long they've been living with the twins now. Almost five months of constant care, five months of some mysterious accidents that almost stopped after month two after Mikihisa and Keiko had a big argument about who Hao was going to become.

Now, the twins were getting bigger. They had survived their four-month check-up with the feared vaccination (it hadn't been nearly as disastrous as the last time, though Yoh wouldn't stop crying and Hao was in a bad mood all week). They were now getting bigger and heavier, with both of them weighing around 7 kg, and measuring about 65 cm. That, according to doctor Nakamura, was a healthy length and weight for babies their age (even though they were born prematurely). Hao, however, reached the development milestones a bit earlier than Yoh did; after all, he's been through this twice before, and he was now able to sit with trunk support and look around for a while when Yoh was still struggling to sit for a few minutes. There was no doubt that he would catch up soon enough, it was just these monthly milestones that went by too fast. Otherwise, Hao didn't doubt that Yoh would soon become his fateful shadow. He was already looking at whatever his twin did, and tried to mimic it. It made Keiko really happy to see her babies grow so much and that they helped each other (or well, that Hao helped Yoh to develop more.

Yoh was also more vocal than Hao. It started with quiet ah ahs and oh ohs after he reached the two-month milestone, and from then on, the sounds he made gradually increased into excited screaming and laughing when someone played with him. Now, he also started making his first ma-ma and da-da sounds, making both their parents very happy.

Hao, on the other hand, almost didn't make those sounds. Keiko had taken to talking around the twins a lot, about anything really, and while Yoh always gave her the biggest smile he could muster, sometimes, when she asked a question, be it a normal or rhetorical one, she would hear the voice of her oldest in the back of her mind, answering it in one way or another. Sometimes, Hao would reply, and sometimes not. It was all up to him, but while he occasionally did reply using his telepathy, Keiko still had to hear him do the typical baby sounds without any prompting. However, she wouldn't tell that to the doctor. He didn't need to know; it wasn't like Hao was lacking in development. Maybe he was even ahead in it, he just chose not to speak.

Currently, both twins were asleep. Keiko put them both to sleep an hour ago, laying them in the crib they shared, as she went to prepare a meal.

As she cut the vegetables, she wondered silently when the boys would be able to eat solid food. When she had consulted her books, they said that around six months, she could slowly start to introduce solid food and start with water or very diluted juices.

Mikihisa came up to her as she was cutting the meat.

"Need help with anything?" he asked, leaning to look over her shoulder to see what she was doing. Keiko laughed softly.

"Silly, I'm already done," she said, finishing up with the meat and putting it onto a pan to fry. She cleaned all the utensils and stood by the stove, slowly stirring all the vegetables. Soon, the room was filled with a wonderful smell.

"But, if you really want to help, you can go check up on our sons," she said, looking over her shoulder back at him. Mikihisa set his orange headphones down on the table. They made a quiet clunk sound as he set them down.

Keiko smiled.

"I don't even know why you're wearing those, you know? There isn't any cable, and no music as well, right?" she asked, letting the meat with vegetables stim and she turned to her husband.

Mikihisa patted the orange frame of the headphones.

"Maybe they can't play music anymore," he said. "But sometimes, it's just good to tune out the whole outside world when it gets too loud."

Keiko sat down next to him, seemingly deep in thought. She extended her hand and put it on the top of his, smiling softly.

"You know, I never thought about it like that," she said thoughtfully, quietly wondering if such headphones would be useful to Hao one day. She didn't know much about his reishi, and she didn't press him. The imposing presence of the Spirit of Fire during that conversation didn't help, and while Keiko was fairly certain that Hao wouldn't do anything to her, she was still careful.

Mikihisa smiled and retracted his hand, standing up.

"I will go see our two troublemakers then," he said, and Keiko returned his smile. She smiled softly, very glad that her husband seemed to forget his concerns about Hao and was trying his best at fatherhood. He hasn't been up in the mountains for some time now and she was glad that he was there for her and their sons.

"Go, darling," she said and entwined her fingers on the table. She watched him go with a loving gaze, before she stood up, ready to check on the food.

Half an hour later, the meal was prepared, and she was anxiously waiting for Mikihisa to return. He was just supposed to check up on the twins, and she was busy and didn't realize how much time had already passed. Now, she took off her apron, a scared expression on her face, and hurried to their shared room. Nearing it, she worked hard to calm her thoughts and slow down, in case the twins were still sleeping.

Taking a deep breath, she slid the door open and the image before her almost took her breath away.

Mikihisa sat next to the crib, reading a book, only looking up once he was disturbed by the sounds of the door sliding open. The twins were sleeping; Mikihisa didn't wake them up, and Keiko inwardly sighed, relieved. She was worried that something had happened, though, she'd probably hear Yoh's crying through the whole compound.

She forced herself to smile and took careful, quiet steps inside. Mikihisa watched her silently, and Keiko stepped over the futons to look in the crib. She gasped slightly.

Both boys were there, both donning their romper suits (the weather was getting colder, and Keiko didn't want to risk them getting a cold) and Yoh was on the right side. He was almost pressed on the side of the crib. It was Hao who took up three-quarters of it for himself. His legs and arms were spread out and he was smiling in his sleep. Keiko let out a coo, they were so cute and adorable, even despite Hao taking up Yoh's living space. The younger twin didn't seem to mind the arrangement as he smiled from his sleep.

"They're adorable, aren't they?" Mikihisa whispered from the ground, and Keiko had to agree. She smiled softly at the babies who couldn't see her. They continued sleeping. She was almost turning to go away when she heard a soft, quiet: "Ma-ma."

She whipped her head around. She was sure that she heard one of her sons say that. She looked at the peacefully sleeping babies, and she waited.

"Ma...ma…"

It was Hao. In a high voice, he was babbling from his sleep. He probably didn't even realize that he did it, but it warmed Keiko's heart and soul. Her son… He didn't call her "mother". Ever. She smiled sadly, but warmly at the same time. Even though he wasn't aware of it, she would forever cherish this little moment.

She smiled and nodded to Mikihisa. In seconds, she was in his warm hug, and she buried her head into the crook of his neck. He pulled her closer, entwining his arms behind her back, and she held onto him.

Neither of them spoke. It wasn't needed, speaking. They stood in silent companionship, and Keiko smiled into her husband's neck.

When they finally separated, she looked at him and planted a quick kiss on the corner of his lips. Mikihisa smiled, a soft smile that belonged only to her.

"Come on," Keiko whispered. "It's mealtime."

She took his hand and led him away from the room, and from the sleeping twins in the crib.