2
"Ayame-san, come in come in!", Tohru spoke happily. "Look who's here", she called out into the apartment. Ichiro came crawling expectantly towards the door. He sat up and cooed with delight at the sight of his beloved uncle. Ayame scooped the toddler up into his arms. "How's my favorite nephew!", he said gleefully, and laughed his outrageous laugh. "He's your only nephew", Yuki said flatly as he followed his son to the entry hall. "And how is my dear little brother?", Ayame greeted him with enthusiasm. "Looks like you're putting on a bit of a tummy there Yuki. Tohru's taking too good a care of you, ha-ha-ha-ha!" Yuki rolled his eyes dismissively, but touched his stomach self consciously too. "Won't you come in and join us for tea?", Tohru chirped as she stole her arm around Yuki in reassurance. "Oh yes, don't mind if I do. I brought pictures from Shigure and Akito's wedding", Ayame added.
At the table the two of them spread the pictures out and poured over them while Ayame gave Ichiro a horsy ride on his back. "Oh, this one is nice", Tohru exclaimed. She pointed to a snapshot of Shigure looking lovingly at Akito as he made his vows to her. "My favorite is the cake one", Ayame called to them. They focused on a shot showing the newlyweds in traditional Japanese wedding clothes feeding each other cake. Akito had smashed her piece into Shigure's face, but her demeanor was playful. "The wedding was lovely", Tohru said wistfully, "a nice blend of east meets west", she added. "Thank you", Ayame said with pride as he swept Ichiro up on his shoulders. Ichiro giggled uncontrollably. Yuki looked on and couldn't help but grin. "How are they doing anyway?", Tohru asked Ayame. "Oh, swimmingly", Ayame answered with just a tinge of sarcasm.
"This is great!" Shigure said with enthusiasm. "You've never looked lovelier!" "Well I feel like hell, and it's entirely your fault!" Akito countered vehemently. "Yes, yes, I will take credit for that", Shigure said with a smile as he rubbed Akito's tummy. Hatori raised his stethoscope, "well everything seems fine", he said matter-of-factly. "When can we find out the gender?", Shigure asked with excitement. "Not for about four more weeks" Hatori said. "It had better be a boy or you are dead!" Akito shot Shigure a death glare. "How is that my fault?" Shigure countered in martyred tones. "Well, technically it would be fault", Hatori said flatly.
Tohru and Yuki watched Ayame as he left through the parking lot. Ichiro lay asleep on Yuki's shoulder. "I think they wore each other out", Yuki said as he rubbed the toddler's back. "Yes, isn't that nice?", Tohru said happily as she closed the door. Yuki took Ichiro to his crib and laid him down. He turned on the nightlight before leaving the room. "I am not getting fat…am I?", Yuki inquired self consciously when he returned. "Aya's just teasing you", Tohru slipped her arms around her husband. "But I wouldn't mind if you put on some weight before you return to school next month", she smiled up at him, "It might help keep the girls away from you this time", her face shone with mirth. "I told you before, I only have eyes for you", Yuki grinned as he reached down and kissed her. "What time is it?", Tohru asked breathlessly, interrupting the kiss. Yuki pressed his nose against hers, "It's time for bed", he answered in a low voice. He kissed her firmly once more, and gave her a gentle push towards the bedroom with one hand.
"You know Shigure really surprised me", Tohru said thoughtfully as they walked together down the hall. "How so?", Yuki asked. She wrinkled up her forehead, "to choose Akito like that- I guess I still don't understand it", she said perplexed. "Well", Yuki thought for a moment, "I think he had his eye on her for a long time, but in the end it really was Akito's decision", Yuki turned to face Tohru once they entered the bedroom. He reached around her for the zipper on the back of her dress. "Yes, but we really do owe him thanks for influencing her choice", Tohru smiled. "I'll remember that next time we are at the main house", Yuki said distracted. He was much more interested in the here and now at the moment. He let her dress fall off her shoulders and began kissing her there intently. He worked his way up Tohru's neck and went to claim her lips, but she stopped him with her words. "So now we can face the future together?", Tohru said. It was more of a statement than a question. She met his eyes. They were filled with peace and contentment. "Yes, always", Yuki said softly, and the two lovers sealed their promise with a passionate kiss.