A quick reminder if you haven't read the first chapter. All stories will be told in first person, from both Takeru's and Hikari's POVs in the same story. It will be separated to make it easier, though.

I hope you enjoyed all stories! Thank you for reading! Also, I'd love if you could leave a review. I want to know your opinions.

Day 7: Parenthood
People say motherhood is amazing and that it changes a mother's life completely, and I totally agree with it. But they hardly ever say that sometimes your breasts get really sore and your nipples bleed while breastfeeding. The latter never happened to me luckily. I don't know what I would do if it did. I would probably pass out. But I did have sore breasts for a couple of months, until someone taught me a very good tip and everything was just so smooth after that.

Yamazaki is now six months old and is such a great baby. I'm biased because I'm his mother, but who cares? He's such a peaceful child and barely cries now, totally the opposite of how he was when he was one or two months. Taichi, Akiko and my parents fell completely in love with him since they first saw him. My mom calls me everyday and the first thing she asks is how Yamazaki is. She offered to help me with him in the first month, but I declined saying Takeru and I had to learn how to take care of a baby on our own. It's been a struggle, but we did it. I don't think I would have been that good at it if Takeru wasn't so supportive. He's a wonderful father and was a hundred percent committed to taking care of Yamazaki since day one.

"He's finally asleep." Takeru spoke from our other couch, taking me out of my trance.
I shook my head and looked down, realizing I was holding a mug with black coffee. I never drank it, but it became my best friend ever since Yamazaki was born. "Finally. After a long night trying to get him to calm down and sleep."
"He was in a lot of pain." He stood up, rocking Yamazaki gently while walking to his bedroom to put him down on his crib. "Do you want to get some rest while he's sleeping. He'll be hungry when he wakes up."
"I wish I could." I stood up as well, taking a good look at the whole apartment – well, the kitchen and the living room actually. "But the apartment needs to be cleaned. Our parents are coming over tonight, as well as our brothers and their wives."
"That's right. I completely forgot about it." Takeru rubbed the back of his neck as he walked down the hall in my direction. "Sometimes I forget things like what day is today or if we have any plans for the night."
"Tell me about it." I sighed deeply. "Everything now revolves around Yamazaki. I love our son so much, but sometimes I get so exhausted."
"Then go get some rest. Let me do the cleaning and the cooking for tonight."
"I can't let you clean this whole apartment alone. We won't have to cook tonight. They are bringing the food."
"Really? Did you ask them to?"
"No, they all offered. They didn't want us to have something else to worry about other than Yamazaki."
"It doesn't surprise me." He smiled and looked around. "Well, we might as well get cleaning before he wakes up."
"That's true." I yawned. "Let's do it."
"Hikari, are you sure you don't want to use this opportunity to rest a little? You were up all night with him."
"I'm fine, Takeru." I shook my head and smiled at him. "He won't wake up in less than three hours. I can take a nap when we're done here."
"Alright then." He grabbed a bucket in the laundry area and started filling it with water. "Let's get this done with."

.

The sounds echoed in my ears very faintly. I slowly opened my eyes and sat down on my bed as I tried to make sure it wasn't a sound in my head. I looked over at Hikari and noticed she was still sleeping peacefully, so I jumped out of our bed as carefully as I could not to wake her up and headed to Yamazaki's room. It didn't seem like three hours had gone by since he fell asleep.

His cries died down almost immediately when I stopped beside his crib. His blue eyes stared at mine and I couldn't help but smile. How was it even possible to love such a small being so much? As I saw my son smiling at me I couldn't help but think if my father felt the same way I was feeling that moment.

Each time I hold Yamazaki I feel something I like calling 'wave of love', as cliché as it sounds. Actually, I feel it all the time I think of him or look at him, but it's much stronger when he's in my arms. I don't know if that makes sense. I picked him up and went to sit in an armchair opposite the crib. His tiny little hand wrapped around my index finger and he gave me another smile before snuggling on my chest. I stroked his black hair softly and he yawned.
"So you actually only wanted some attention, huh?" I smiled at the pair of blue eyes staring at me with curiosity. "You knew we were sleeping and decided it was time to wake up, right?"
Yamazaki rubbed his eyes and I put him up, immediately pulling him towards my body. He turned his head to his left and yawned for the second time. I knew it was just a matter of time until he fell asleep again.

I squinted when the soft yellow light came through my eyes, even with them closed. It was only when I heard Hikari's voice that I opened them.
"Rise and shine, the sun is already out."
"Huh?" I looked towards the window and noticed it was dark.
"I can't believe you fell for that." She couldn't hide her laughter.
"In my defense, I'm still sleepy." I stood up and carefully placed Yamazaki back in his crib. "How long was I in here?"
"I think for about an hour." Hikari checked on him. "I mean, since I've been up. I didn't even hear him crying."
"That's because you were sleeping heavily. I didn't want to wake you up. It's a good thing he wasn't hungry."
"Yeah, but he probably will be soon. Maybe I should wake him up. Everyone will be arriving in a few hours."
"But at the same time, it makes you feel bad." I finished her thought.
"Exactly." She nodded. "Add that to the fact he hasn't slept last night at all."
"I think you should, then."
"What?" She looked at me confused and surprised.
"I don't want to do it, but that's the only way he can go back to sleeping all night again."
"You have a really good point." She stared at the him for a minute or two before gently shaking him. "Come on, sweetheart. It's time to wake up and get ready for the party."
I watched them bonding before she picked him up and held him close to her body. I couldn't have chosen a better wife and mother of my child.

.

The house was full of noises. Takeru's father was literally lying down on the floor – something I never thought I'd see – playing with Yamazaki I looked over at Takeru and noticed he was surprised as well.
"Shocked?"
"To say the least." He shook his head and looked at me.
"He didn't use to play like this with you when you were a baby?"
"Mom says he has, but I don't have memories about it when I was before one. I do remember me, him and Yamato sitting on the floor in our living room in Hikarigaoka playing with each other."
"Then it's not so surprising."
"True, but I didn't think he'd playing with a child like this years after I grew up."
"It's his first grandson, so it makes sense. I understand what you mean, though."
"He's monopolizing our son. Maybe I should say something."
"He'll probably get tired soon. Let him spend some time with Yamazaki. They don't see each other very often. Besides, he seems to be having the time of his life with one of his granddads."
"That's true." He shook his head and looked at what I was doing. "Do you need help with anything?"
"You can help me serve this." I handed him a tray and then we walked to our living room.
"Dad, don't you think it's time you let the others spend time with Yamazaki?"
I looked from one brother to the other and I could swear they have some sort of silent language, because all it took was one simple look between them for Yamato to say something. But then again, so do Taichi and I. It wasn't all that surprising then.
"I'm sorry." Hiroaki stood up with Yamazaki in his arms. "We were having so much fun and I didn't realize other people might want to hold him."
"That's okay, dad." Takeru spoke beside me.
"When are you going to have children, by the way? I always assumed you would become a father first, but your brother beat you up to it."
"Eh…" Yamato leaned against his seat, clearly trying to shrink into the couch and disappear while Sora shifted uncomfortably beside him and looked down; her hands pressed together nervously. "We're going to wait a little longer before for that."
"Excuse me, it's my time to play with my nephew." Taichi quickly tried to light the mood and came to pick Yamazaki up from Takeru's arms.
I couldn't help but smile seeing the huge grin my son gave to him and threw his arms towards my brother. I was blown away with the fact that happened everytime they were together. Yamazaki smiled at Taichi since the first time they saw each other, in the hospital. It was love at first sight and I always felt like crying seeing their strong bond.
"Hey kiddo." Taichi looked him as he shook him lightly. "When you get a little older, I'm going to teach you how to play soccer and we'll go to the park every weekend. I'm gonna be your cool uncle."
"Please." Yamato rolled his eyes Taichi's statement. "That title already belongs to me."
"Says who?"
"I do. I'm the father's brother."
"Here we go."
"And I'm the mother's one. Guess we're even."
"How about a cool aunt instead?" Sora stood up and picked Yamazaki from Taichi's arms, putting an end into the men's small bickering in her usual classy style.

.

Sora was now playing with Yamazaki and his favorite building blocks on the floor, with Yamato right beside her doing the same. I couldn't help but wonder she was going to be a great mother whenever they decided to become parents, and the same applied to him. It was something natural for both of them.
"Do you feel like becoming an uncle?" Hikari approached me and I shook my head, coming back to reality.
"It would be nice, but I think they've had enough pressure on it for the night."
"Yeah, that was inappropriate."
"Tell me about it. What about you though? Do you want to be an aunt?"
"I doubt it will happen so soon with Taichi and Akiko, but who knows? I'd love to experience that feeling though."

Yamato seized the opportunity that Taichi had to go outside to answer an important call to go downstairs and pick up something he and Sora had bought for Yamazaki. He returned about ten minutes later with a large package in his hands.
"What is this?" I asked intrigued when he passed by me.
"It's just a small present we got for our nephew."
"Small?" I followed him to the living room.
We all sat on the floor while Hikari tore it open. Yamazaki looked at it with curiosity and confusing confusion.
"It's a tricycle."
"We know he's too young to have one of this, but we thought it will be very useful soon."
"We didn't want to give clothes because they grow up so fast they hardly wear it. A toy would last more. Besides, kids love toys."
"Thank you, you two." Hikari said with a smile. "I'm sure he will enjoy it a lot when he's old enough to ride it."
"Nothing will stop him when he does." I watched him throw himself towards it, but being held by my brother.
"You need to learn how to drive first, sweetheart." She said and we all started laughing.
"I find it amazing that he has blue eyes and dark hair." Sora stated. "He's such a pretty boy. Do you like your cool aunt? Yes, you do."
"You're so good with kids, Sora. You never thought of doing something with them for a living?"
"Not really. I love what I do. And I can design kimonos and yukatas for children too, so in a way I can do something with them." Yamazaki stretched his arms towards her and she picked him up. "Right now I just want to be a good aunt for my nephew."
"You already are." I said with a smile. "The best aunt ever. And the best uncle." I added, rolling my eyes at Yamato's fake annoyance.
"And we already know who the next ones to become parents will be."
"What are you talking about, Taichi?"
"Are you going to have children soon?"
"Nope." He sat down at Sora's left and started playing with Yamazaki. "But something tells me you will."
"We've been through this not too long ago."
"You're so ready for this."
The couple simply exchanged a subtle glance while Taichi kept on playing with my son.

.

"Takeru?" I called him as I was walking down the hall. I found him on our balcony and it felt like deja-vu to me. It happened exactly like this. "There you are. Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine." He smiled at me and then looked over my shoulder. Yamazaki was riding his tricycle in the living room, having the time of his life. "Looks like someone really liked his tricycle."
"Ever since he learned how to ride it, he's been obsessed about it." I looked at him again. "Takeru, there's something I need to tell you."
"Okay. What is it?"
I took a tiny pair of white shoes and placed them on my left palm. Takeru looked at them with a confused expression at first and then looked up at me.
"Hikari, what is this?"
"What do you think it is?" I said with a soft smile. I knew he had understood, he just needed a push to say it out loud.
"They are baby shoes."
"Yes, and?"
"Are you…?" He looked at me completely shocked and I couldn't help but grin wider.
"I am." I nodded and touched my belly. "I'm pregnant. We're going to be parents one more time."
"Oh my God!" He exclaimed and came to hug me. "Yamazaki will be an older brother."
"That's right."
"How far are you?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe six weeks. We'll find out for sure this week. Congratulations, dad."

.

"There you go, son." I placed the tricycle on the ground and Yamazaki let go of Hikari's hand and walked towards it, sitting down and starting to ride it. "Don't go too far."
I looked for Hikari and found her sitting on a bench nearby. Her belly was much bigger now, on her sixth month. I couldn't believe how fast time was going by. In about three months we'll be meeting our daughter. I walked to her and sat down beside her.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"I am." She rubbed her belly and I could see the baby kicking. "I couldn't be better. I won't say so in a few months though."
I couldn't help but smile. "I can only imagine the final months are hard, but they won't last forever."
"Oh I know." She looked down. "I can tell she's going to be a very agitated girl. I'll even bet she's desperate to come to this world already."
"She will very soon." I got worried when she winced in pain. "Did something happen?"
"No, Takeru. She just kicked my rib and it hurt. Everything is alright."
"Good."
"Do you want to feel it?" She looked at me. "She's all awake right now, kicking non-stop."
"I do." I touched her stomach and our daughter kicked where my hand was resting right away. It was like she knew who I was. Actually, she did know who I was already. "Hey, princess. Daddy can't wait to meet and hold you. It's not that far now, so hang on in there a little longer, okay? We already love you so much."
"I think she was waiting for you to talk to her. She's much calmer now." Hikari looked down at her belly. "I guess we can officially say you can put them to sleep better than me."
"You are pretty good at it too."
"True. But Yamazaki used to cry a lot because he wanted you to hold him before sleeping."
"I remember that." I put my arm around her shoulder and watched him riding along the park.