Midnight Decisions - Reprised
by Kysra
"For goodness sake, Joey, I'm completely covered!" Téa shifted slightly as she gave her friend's back a mighty glare, "Tristan and Yugi don't seem to have a problem with it!"
"It's the principle! A guy is not supposed to see his best friend's tits!"
If her arms had not been so preoccupied with holding her infant daughter, Téa would have smacked the blond upside the head, "Language, Joey."
He turned his head slightly, hand clamped firmly over his eyes, "See! You're such a . . a mom."
Choosing to ignore him, the new mother turned her attention to her other friends who were rolling their eyes in exasperation. There was a mostly-comfortable silence that fell between the four adults, broken only by the light contented sounds coming from the baby suckling at Téa's breast. All eyes, therefore, were on said infant.
Tristan spoke first, a soft smile lining his mouth and awe in his eyes, "You're really something, you know that."
"She's beautiful, Téa," Yugi whispered, the bright violet of his eyes seeming to glow.
"Yeah, hard to believe she's half Kaiba's," Joey had to add his two hundred yen, "Does he even know he has a kid, 'cause I've never seen them in the same room together."
Gritting her teeth and counting to ten, Téa thought to let it pass but decided enough was enough, "For your information, Seto is quite well aware of his daughter."
"Somehow I can't imagine Kaiba changing diapers," Tristan snickered softly before quieting under a fiery blue stare.
Ever the mediator, Yugi spoke up, "You have to admit, we don't get to see the same side of him that you do most of the time."
Téa gave a light hum while rocking her body slightly, her index finger tracing the tiny slope of her baby girl's nose, "I guess you're right about that. I think you would be surprised at how normal he can be, how . . . involved."
"Really?" It was a disbelieving snort that earned two irritated frowns and a sweatdrop.
A cluck of the tongue and then, "He'll kill me if he ever finds out I told you this, but the first time I ever asked Seto to change Takara's diaper . . ."
- MDR -
They both started awake at the shrill cry sounding from the adjoining nursery. Their bodies had long ago been drained of all energy, and so they lay there, breathing and listening, unable to move for long moments.
"It's her diaper," Téa murmured groggily, willing her eyes to open and her legs to slip over her side of the bed to stand.
"Hhn. It's also midnight." Seto sounded none to ready to leave the mattress either.
"I have an interview tomorrow . . . today."
"I –"
"Please, Seto."
And with those two little words, she knew she had won the prize. The bed creaked and jostled as he hoisted himself out of it with a long-suffering groan. It was only fair. She had roused herself long enough to feed the baby nary two hours ago. However, in her sleep-glazed mind, she had forgotten one very important fact.
Seto Kaiba had never changed a diaper in his life.
Even if she didn't remember this as her mind and body drifted back into precious slumber, it soon became evident when a firm hand shook her awake and the face of her husband greeted her in the darkness.
"The diaper is defective."
"Huh?" Téa's mind was still tightly clutching at Morpheus.
She was summarily pulled out of her warm, welcoming bed into the bright little nursery. Hands rubbing at her eyes, it took her a few minutes to notice the scented (and visible) cloud of suspended baby powder in the air, the several twisted and mangled strips of plastic, cotton and absorbent gel littering the floor, not to mention the very sight of her baby, who looked uncomfortable and squirming in her clean diaper.
"It's not defective."
"How can you say that? She looks like a trussed up turkey."
"You put it on backwards."
- MDR -
"You're kidding!" Tristan laughed even as Joey's loud guffaws echoed through Yugi's kitchen. Even Yugi was having trouble keeping the grin from his face.
"You have no idea how much I wish I was. He still won't admit he was wrong. She's only two months old, and I already have thousands of stories like that."
Yugi's look turned thoughtful, "Well, Mokuba was probably potty trained by the time Kaiba started raising him."
Téa smiled, "Yes, well, it looks like this one is full. Could you guys turn around for a second while I adjust my clothes?"
The two men still facing her turned about silently while Joey let out a high pitched whimper.
"You sound like a crying dog, Joey."
"Now I know you've been around Kaiba too long."
There was the quiet rustle of cloth then Téa's soft cooing, "You can turn around now."
The three men turned as one to find their female friend shifting their new honorary niece to her shoulder, a strategically placed cloth positioned just under the baby's chin.
"I still can't believe she's yours," Joey kept his voice low as he watched mother and daughter.
"Trust me. She's most definitely mine, and I have the stretch marks to prove it."
"Too much information!" Tristan and Joey both flung hands over their ears while Yugi blushed silently.
She grinned at them each in turn before deciding to give out one more piece of classified information, "Let me tell you about the first night back home . . ."
- MDR -
Despite the dull ache still present between her legs and across her hips, no matter the uncomfortable swelling at her ankles, and regardless of the bone deep weariness still darkening her eyes, Téa quite literally jumped out of bed and ran into the nursery at the first discontented hiccup her child let out, catching the tiny body up in her arms as the harsh, heart-breaking screams began.
Seto was at her elbow seconds later, and as the new parents tried everything in their power to make their offspring comfortable again, they soon realized that even though she had been fed before her parents fell into bed, Takara Kaiba was demanding her mother's milk again.
Eager to please her crying daughter, Téa pulled the strap of her nightgown down until one breast was exposed and was about to feed her baby when –
"Is everything alri – WHOA!" That was Mokuba rushing into the nursery only to spin around on his heel at the sight of his sister-in-law's chest.
Téa, as she took in the sight of her husband and his teen brother turned away from her, their shoulders tense, had the sudden thought that she must either be surrounded by complete idiots or men too honorable for their own good.
"It's alright, Mokuba. She was just hungry." She had to fight not to laugh at the obvious relief in his stance as he let out a held breath.
"O – okay. I'll just . . . go back to bed now."
"You do that," Seto muttered before directing to his wife, "Do you want me to stay?"
Smirking slightly even as she patted the baby's rear lightly, Téa answered, "I'm just breastfeeding, Seto. There's nothing to be nervous about."
"He's not nervous, Sis. He just can't stand seeing someone else playing with his toys, even if it is his own kid." Mokuba's voice reached them from down the hall. There was no mistaking his amusement.
"That's ridiculous!" Seto looked ready to chase his brother down and make him eat those words. Her husband could be such a child.
"I'll let that slide, as long as we agree that my breasts are neither toys nor here for your exclusive enjoyment." The smirk had become a full-fledged grin by the time Seto turned about to gape at her.
- MDR -
"Kaiba had the right idea."
The other three stared, stunned, at the one, the only Joey Wheeler.
Tristan blinked after long silent moments of wonder, "Did you just say Kaiba was right."
"Yeah, men shouldn't be lookin' at her while she's doing . . . you know, Téa's a mom."
"You keep saying that like it's an insult!"
"That's not what I mean . . . It's like, sacred or something."
The smile she shot her friend fairly glowed, "That's really sweet, Joey."
"Aw, thanks, Té –"
"But totally stupid. I'm a mother, but I am also a WOMAN. Everyone seems to have forgotten that except me!"
Yugi was about to make some – no doubt - gentle and defusing comment when, without warning Téa held the baby out to him, "Wha –"
"I need you to hold her for a second while I clean the vomit off my blouse."
The three men were somewhat ashamed that they had been so enthralled with !inept!Kaiba stories they didn't notice that little Takara had thrown up.
Yugi looked uncertainly at the bright-eyed infant, "I – I'm not sure that I –"
"Here, hold out your arms like I'm about to hand you a watermelon."
He did as instructed before his life-long best friend carefully laid her child in his arms while softly telling him to support the baby's head and to stop being so tense, "She can feel that you're not sure which makes her uncomfortable and then she'll start crying. Rock her a little . . . that's it, and don't be afraid to talk to her. The more she hears your voice, the better she'll be at recognizing it."
And then, "Be good for Uncle Yugi, sweetie. Mommy's only gonna be a minute."
Three pairs of eyes watched her leave before shifting down to their newest and littlest addition with something akin to panic.
That's when she started gurgling.
"OH MY GOD! WE BROKE HER!" The two ex-punks looked ready to shoot to their feet and run for (or somewhere safe from) Téa.
But Yugi watched the baby in his lap as her eyes shifted and studied, always lingering on the golden brilliance of the Millennium Puzzle before darting towards Joey or Tristan when they let out a distressed expletive when she made any type of noise. It was then he realized she made noises in response to their own.
"I think she's laughing." The statement was spoken quietly, but it was clearly heard.
There was suddenly total silence in the kitchen as Yugi held out a finger for the bundled little girl to hold onto (and to keep that hand occupied and away from the Millennium Puzzle) and began to jostle her gently, coaxing those gurgling little giggles from her.
When Téa finally returned with a water spotted blouse and a clean cloth, she was surprised to find her boys entertaining her daughter with playful sounds and baby talk. Running back into the living room, she found the disposable camera she kept in the baby bag (just in case) and did her utmost to sneak up on them before snapping a picture of the unguarded moment.
"For my collection," she murmured as she snapped another one just as Tristan swiveled his head in her direction.
"What do you mean 'for your collection,' and please tell me you will never show that to anyone!" He and Joey had straightened to glare at her in warning.
"I won't show anyone. What is with you men and your absolute fear of looking even slightly cute? Seto was the same way when I took his picture a week ago!"
She realized her mistake the second it came out of her mouth.
"I have to see this picture!" Joey literally leaped the five foot distance to her side.
Hesitating, she weighed her options then made a decision based on her own desire for her friends to understand – once and for all – why she had chosen the path she had, "I want you three to understand I'm only letting you see it for one reason. Yugi, you said you guys don't get to see the side of Seto that I do, but it's always there in plain sight. You just have to look a little harder to see it."
Yugi stood carefully, the baby still held securely in his arms, as he and Tristan made to follow the other two into the living room so that Téa could fish the picture in question out of her wallet.
- MDR -
It was two fifty – no, forty – something when she was roused from a dead sleep only to find her bedroom steeped still in darkness and her husband missing from their bed. Curious as to why she had not been wakened by her baby's cries around midnight like usual, she padded over to the nursery door and opened it just enough to see into the room.
Her heart flipped in her chest.
Moonlight filtering into the room cast a silver glow contrasted by the warm orange of the night light beaming near the door. Seto's solid form was intimidating even as he rocked his baby daughter to sleep in the rocking chair at the far end of the nursery, facing the door where she stood spying. He seemed some strange but gentle sentinel - guarding and protecting, nurturing and loving – holding his precious treasure in firm and jealous arms.
She smiled as the tender hum of his voice found her ears. It had amazed her how beautifully he could sing, but perhaps it shouldn't have. His intonation was perfection, the timbre of his voice was paradise, and the amount of emotion he could inject into any rendition was indescribable.
And here he was, giving the gift of his love-filled voice to their daughter. But it was not only his voice that spoke of love. His posture was relaxed and his arms were embracing – a tender promise to protect always. One ankle rested on the other knee to give better support and allow a less tense hold – an unspoken vow of steady foundation and unfaltering faith. There was a tiny but genuine smile on his face, his tear-glazed eyes focused only on their sleeping baby girl – a heartfelt and soul-deep confession of unconditional, eternal love.
He didn't know about the photo until she showed it to him two days later.
- MDR -
Her three friends stared at the picture in their own turn, their eyes riveted at the sight before them; and even though they did not completely understand what Téa was trying to show them, they could see that Kaiba had been blessed.
And he knew it.