It's "Christmas: Round 7" at my house today. The little people are coming since we haven't exchanged gifts with them yet. The twins, my mini-me, Uncle Vegeta…Mom has an unusual family and I'll probably have a good story for an author's note before the day is over. ^^v

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"Why are you crying, Sweetheart?" Gesshoku bent and picked up her daughter, "Are you afraid? It's okay, Honey." She hugged the child, rubbing her back soothingly.

Kietsu hugged her mama, looking at Sonomi and Harusame through wide eyes wet with tears. She sniffled and hiccupped, a few more tears running down her cheeks. Although used to being around a lot of people, due to the constant stream of people coming and going from the hot springs, she couldn't help but feel intimidated by her mother and her friends.

"She's adorable, Gessho." Harusame said cheerfully, "She's so cute. Looks just like her father."

The little girl's chocolate gaze turned to Harusame's face. The young woman was pretty, with dark brown eyes and hair. Her hair was in a short cut, with bangs in the front and two long locks framing her sweet face. She was dressed in shades of blue and gray, a cloak around her shoulders.

"She does look a lot like him." Sonomi agreed, nodding her head, her hair rippling down her back.

Kietsu looked over at Sonomi as she spoke. She looked quite lethal, composed and alluring all rolled into one. Long, dark hair, dark eyes, feathery scar emblazoned across her cheek. Rich, wine colored kimono, forest green haori. Everything about her was dark and sinister, but the child could sense no animosity.

"Thank you." Gessho said proudly, "This is Kietsu. She'll be three next week. Sweetie, this is Sonomi, that's Harusame and this is Sojiro." She indicated each of her friends in turn.

Kietsu glanced from one to the other. "Mi, Haru, Sou." She pointed at each one respectively, shortening their names to something easier to remember. She had a habit of trimming people's names; her mind wasn't developed enough to remember something too long.

They smiled. She was an enchanting child with a sweet disposition.

"How are you all doing?" Gessho asked, setting Kietsu back on the ground and taking her hand. The child was adventurous and had problems with wandering off when she got bored and her mother was afraid she would get lost.

"Okay." Harusame answered for them all, "We've been pretty busy around the house and this one over here got himself a job." She indicated Sojiro, "He runs errands for local merchants back home."

"Congratulations, Sojiro. Glad to hear you found a job. We stay pretty busy too, doing work around the springs and taking care of this little one here. Kamatari will be thrilled to see you all. He's doing a few chores for my mother back at home. Come on, we've got rooms ready for you."

"I know! I know the way!" Kietsu jumped around her mother, waving her arms wildly, "Follow me!" She ran on ahead down the path, calling for them to follow behind her.

The group followed the little girl, indulging her in her request to be the leader. Sojiro watched as she ran, her little feet padding on the ground, looking over her shoulder every now and then to make sure they were still behind her. She was a truly beautiful child and he could easily see both of her parents in her; in her eyes, in her smile, in her general attitude. When she looked at him, her soft eyes meeting his, he felt young and happy, as if he could conquer the world. That child was the future of his friends. She was their life. He wanted a chance for that experience as well.

He thought Kamatari was the luckiest man alive.

And, God, was he jealous.

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Kamatari was hanging the laundry, a load of pristine sheets. The weather was chilly and gray, but surprisingly dry for the month of February. Usually they had a lot of snow in Kobe at that time of year and laundry had to be dried outside. He hummed to himself softly, spreading the last sheet over the line.

"Witness the man who raves at the wall / Making the shape of his questions to Heaven / Whether the sun will fall in the evening / Will he remember the lesson of giving?"

A breeze blew, rustling the damp sheets, causing them to dance and twirl on the wind, freeing his vision of the world before him. He could see his daughter running towards him, followed by her mother and their three expected friends. He raised a hand in greeting, waving cheerfully.

Harusame stopped dead in her tracks, watching as Kietsu ran to Kamatari, hugging him around the legs. Seeing him with the little girl was not surprising; what shocked her was his appearance.

He looked like the man he truly was.

Deep, shimmery turquoise yukata, dusty gray hakama; oh, he was a picture of masculinity. His hair was kept in the same cut, hanging loose around his pretty face, and, while he was dressed like that, it was difficult to see traces of the woman he once was. Was this truly the same Kamatari they had parted ways with four years prior?

Harusame didn't think so. She watched him as he swung Kietsu into his arms and they both laughed. He kissed her on the cheek, then looked up at his wife and friends. "Welcome to our home."

Kietsu watched from her father's arms as the chatter broke out again. Feeling shy, she buried her face in his shoulder, trying to hide away from the excitement and all the big people talking about big people things. Then she yawned, sticking her thumb in her mouth.

"You look fantastic, Kamatari. I've never seen you looking so manly. I never knew you could look so manly." Sonomi prattled, "I was expecting the same old Kamatari in the kimono." She tucked a strand of her shiny hair behind her ear.

"Well…" He blushed, somewhat flustered by her combined compliment and jibe. "We couldn't have the baby confused. One mama is plenty for her. But thank you for the compliment anyway, Sonomi. You all look wonderful as well. Harusame, you look particularly feminine today."

"They made me buy a yukata for the springs." Harusame rolled her eyes, her arms folded languidly across her chest.

"A yukata?" He squealed excitedly, "Let me see."

She halfheartedly complied, removing it from its wrappings and holding it up. Sonomi had done wonders talking her into looking girly; it was sky blue, silk and rather sexy looking.

"Oh my." Kamatari's free hand fluttered over to the silk and he ran his fingers across it. "I never even had anything so gorgeous. You'll look stunning; positively stunning."

Same old Kamatari.

Harusame relaxed a little. It was hard to stay tense around an upbeat man like Kamatari. He could make any one happy and cheerful. He was a mood-lightener, a sort of comic relief, a way to keep everything real. Every one saw him as such, but no one understood. Only Gesshoku. There was more to Kamatari than met the eye; much more. He was a complicated man, not just a carefree cross-dresser.

Gessho smiled at her husband. She knew he was positively ecstatic to have their friends there. He was happy-go-lucky most of the time and loved nothing more than being with the people he cared about. Kumori was always goading him into doing this or that for her or to better his own life or to do something for Kietsu and he hated it. It made him tense and peevish, which drove Gessho crazy. She wished her mother would leave them alone and let them relax. Kamatari needed this time with their friends so he could be himself.

"Darling, every one must be hungry. Why don't we go get something to eat at a restaurant?" Kamatari suggested, shifting Kietsu in his arms. She was straddled on his hip, her head on his shoulder. He brushed back her hair and she smiled sleepy up at him.

"I think Kietsu needs a nap before we do anything." His wife suggested knowingly, "She's had quite the busy morning."

"I dun need a nap!" The little girl argued, "Not sleepy…" She trailed off with a yawn.

"Oh, you're not, are you?" Gessho laughed, taking the child in her arms. Kietsu snuggled up to her, thumb in mouth, her eyes heavy with sleep. "Well then, we'll just go inside and talk for a little while before we go out then." She knew the moment they started reminiscing, Kietsu would be out like a light.

"Gesshoku-san-"

"Sojiro, if you call me that one more time, I'm going to rip your tongue out!" Gessho cut him off good-naturedly.

"Well…" He said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, "What am I supposed to call you? I can't call you Aoiroten-san any more. And calling you Honjou-san would just be too confusing."

"We've known one another for six years, right?"

"Right." A cheerful nod of agreement.

"I've been married to Kamatari for five of those years. You don't call him by his last name. I think it's about time you stop addressing me formally and call me by my first name. We're friends, Sou, you don't need to be so polite."

"I'll try." He promised, "But now I forgot what I was going to ask you." He frowned, causing her to laugh.

"Let's go inside then." Kamatari suggested, "It's been nearly four years since we've seen each other and there's so much to talk about." He turned on his heal, picking up the laundry basket, his hakama swishing between his legs. He had gotten used to them over the years, but still preferred his women's clothes.

The others followed him into the house portion of the springs. They went into the sitting room where they could be most comfortable. Kamatari and Gessho settled down together on a couple large cushions, Gessho with Kietsu on her lap. The others followed suit, making themselves cozy around the room.

Once they were all seated, the three new arrivals looked at the young family. Then they looked at one other. It was Harusame who finally asked "Why didn't you tell us??"

"What? About our little lady?" Gessho smiled, "We meant to; really we did. But having a baby takes up a lot of time. We've been so busy these past few years."

Kietsu grinned. "I keep Mama an' Papa busy!" She exclaimed between yawns. She was snuggled in her mother's lap, her head against Gessho's chest, her mother's arms wrapped around her.

"You certainly do, Sweetheart." Kamatari told her. Then he looked up at his friends, "What have all of you been up to?"

More excited chatter broke out as they swapped stories. The travels of Kamatari and Gessho, the news of Kietsu, their return to the springs, the past three years watching the child grow. Then tales turned to the goings on of the Natsutsuki household, Sojiro's job, Sonomi and Harusame's doings. Subsequently, the talk turned to that of the past as they reminisced about old times.

Sojiro and Kamatari spoke fondly of Shishio, swapping stories, sharing opinions. It was around this time that Kietsu fell asleep in Gessho's lap. The young woman listened silently as her husband conversed so affectionately of the man he once loved. She knew Shishio still lurked in the back of Kamatari's mind as well as in his heart. And it hurt her something bad.

They never did go out that night, just picked at leftovers in the kitchen. The talking went on late into the evening as the friends caught up with one another. It was when Sonomi started yawning that they thought about sleep.

Gesshoku showed the guests to their rooms as Kamatari put Kietsu to bed. Sonomi settled in to bed right away as Gessho took the other two to the special room prepared for them. It was a nice room, with Western furnishings and a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere. The two looked around as Gessho said goodnight and headed back to her own room. It was a gorgeous chamber. The only problem?

There was only one bed.

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Kamatari was already changed for bed when Gessho appeared in the doorway. He was standing, staring out the window, and only murmured a greeting as she went in. Sighing, she crossed the room to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Come to bed, Kamatari."

He turned in her arms, smiling faintly at her. "All right, Darling."

She led him over to their bed, sitting herself among the comforters. "You were talking a lot about Shishio tonight, Kamatari. Are you okay?"

He settled himself beside her, his head on her shoulder. He had had a lost child look in his eyes since he and Sojiro began to chat earlier in the evening and now he was very disheartened. She caressed his cheek, letting him know she was there for him. "Do you want to talk about it with me?"

He shook his head, his eyes brimming with tears. Shifting slightly, he wrapped his arms around her waist, his head in her lap, and she stroked his hair. She hated seeing him so miserable; a shadow of what he had been when they started becoming closer to one another. "It's…It's okay to miss him. It's okay to cry and be sad. He was your first love, after all." No matter how much it hurts…No matter how much you want to cry…He needs to hear that it's okay. You love him and would do anything for him. No matter how much it hurts…

"You were my first love." He whispered, sniffling slightly, "You were my first love and I…I'm not crying because I miss him." His voice was muffled by the fabric of her yukata.

"Why then?" She prodded gently, biting her lip, dreading his answer.

"Because I still love him." He looked up at her, tears rolling off his face, "And I don't want to." His voice cracked and he gulped back tears, trying to keep from upsetting her, "I love you, Koishii, and I don't want to love any one else. I want all of my heart to belong to you."

She bent over him, hugging him, her own tears falling, mixing with his. "I'm sorry. I didn't understand. I felt betrayed; jealous that you would think of some one else. I'm a terribly selfish person." She brushed away his tears with her thumb, her mouth searching desperately for his, "I love you. I'm so selfish…"

He pulled her down, kissing her gently. "No…Don't feel bad. You're my wife; you're allowed to be jealous. I know how you're always putting aside your own feelings for mine because you love me that much. You were the first person I loved and I promised myself to you when we were little and I betrayed you. I'm the one who should be sorry."

"You can't help who you love."

"I love you."

Both were silent for a moment as they stared at each other, eyes burning together. He had rolled over onto his back and was staring up at her, his eyes wide and full of emotion. She smiled softly, telling him silently that it was okay and they would always be together, then she lay down beside him, her head on his chest.

"Koishii…" He kissed the top of her head, "Koishii; ai shiteru."

She smiled at him, snuggling closer to him. "I love you too. I love you more than anything, that's why I never gave up on you."

"I'm glad. If you gave up, I don't think I would have done this. I would have run away and you and I would not be married and I would still be terribly anguished and alone." He hugged her close, never wishing to let her leave his arms. They had a strange existence, the two, and were often dealing with his feelings. On one hand, he loved Gesshoku; on the other hand, Shishio-sama was still there, still teasing him, taunting him, reminding him that he wasn't good enough. She took all of this in stride and he loved her all the more for it.

"You can't give up on the people you love." Her hand ran along his cheek and she kissed him again, wondering how much their close contact excited him. They were hardly ever together like that any more because they were both usually exhausted by the time they went to bed. She knew he hated it -that lusty, sinful feeling- but she also knew he felt that way from time to time and fought it.

It proved to be too much that night, however, as he took her gently in his arms, kissing her softly, telling her he loved her. He didn't want to think of Shishio-sama and he was going to get rid of him the only way he knew how.

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That last scene there with the Kamatari angst was something I dreamt up while at church. I'm a bad Catholic, ne? Instead of paying attention to the decrepit, old priest, I think of a scene for a very odd fic. A scene that's slightly shonen ai, no less. Figures I would think about that while at church where they say homosexuality is wrong (which I, for the record, certainly DO NOT believe).