Chapter 4
Time moved really fast. It had been three years since they found Mio. Now she's 5 years old, and she's on kindergarten. Her figure looked exactly like Fuji. Brown hair, white-pale skin, thin red lips, but she had brown eyes. But her attitude was more like Tezuka. As a child, she rarely whined nor cried. She's smart, and she's quiet sometimes, but she's cheerful too. Fuji always laughed when she started talking like Tezuka, he now could imagine what little Tezuka's like, very strict.
But still, she's a kid. Although Tezuka had made a room for her beside theirs, she sometimes sneaked in to their room at night and snuggled between them. She called Tezuka "Papa", while Fuji had teach her to call him "Mama."
Tezuka coughed when he first heard Mio called Fuji that.
- -
07.00 P.M
Mio, who was watching TV, heard a car was parked in the garage. She quickly opened the door. "Papa!"
Tezuka came out of the car and closed the car's door. He approached Mio and lifted her to the air. "Tadaima Mio." He kissed Mio's cheek.
"Okaeri!" She clung tightly to him.
The two of them entered the house. Fuji, who just finished cooking dinner, left the kitchen. "Mio.. Ah, Mitsu! Okaeri."
Tezuka put Mio down and kissed Fuji on the lips deeply.
"Mou, Mitsu. Don't do this in front of the child…" Fuji whispered softly into the kiss.
Tezuka realized and broke the kiss quickly.
Mio tugged his black pants. "Papa, what are you doing with Mama?" She asked innocently.
Both of them chuckled. Fuji then kneeled down and stroked her hair. "Saa, I'll tell you when you grow up someday. Now, let's eat our dinner, shall we?"
She nodded happily, and walked to the kitchen, followed by Tezuka and Fuji.
- -
After they ate dinner, Mio immediately fell asleep on Tezuka's lap when they were watching TV.
Tezuka carried the sleeping Mio to her room. He placed her on the bed. He sat on the bed and watched her for a while. Then Fuji walked in. He sat beside him and caressed Mio's cheek. "She's tired. Today we went to the kindergarten for registration, and then we went shopping."
Fuji raised his eyebrows. " Mitsu, she's warm."
Tezuka leaned closer and checked her temperature. "Aa. She has a fever."
"I'll go get an icepack." Fuji got up and left the room as Tezuka put a thermometer on her armpit. A minute later, he came back with an ice pack on his hand. He put it on Mio's forehead, while Tezuka looked at the thermometer.
"39 degrees Celsius." He murmured.
All of the sudden, Mio sneezed in her sleep.
"Yare yare. She has flu." Fuji wiped the mucus on her nose.
"Aa… Shuu, why don't we bring her to our room instead? Let her sleep there."
Fuji nodded. "Of course. Come on."
Tezuka then carefully lift Mio's body and carried her to their bedroom."
- -
After changing to his sleeping clothes, Tezuka slipped under the blanket, joining Fuji and Mio.
Fuji turned on his side so he could face Mio and Tezuka. He put his arm on Mio's chest and rubbed it.
"You know, she missed you a lot these days. Like today, I know that she's really tired, but she still waited for you to come home. She even once waited for you to come home. You've been pushing yourself too hard lately." Fuji whispered to him. It sounded like a protest from him too.
And Tezuka understood. "…Gomen, Shuu. I know I've made you and Mio worried. I'm really sorry."
Tezuka put his hand on top of Fuji's that was on Mio's chest. "Mou. Promise me you won't work too hard again."
"I promise."
"And promise me never to drink at night pub with your friends."
"Shuu, you know I never did that…"
"But you once ate dinner outside with your client."
"Shuusuke, the client was…" Tezuka tried to explain, but he knew Fuji was just playing with him," okay. I promise."
Fuji smiled. "And promise me you'll buy me flowers if you come home late again."
Tezuka sighed. "…Hai."
Mio mumbled for a moment, hearing her parent's chats. The couple immediately stopped their conversation, and chuckled lightly. They kissed Mio's cheek, before falling into their own slumber.
- -
The next morning, Fuji awoke first, as usual. After stretching a little, he turned right to see Mio's condition. Tezuka was still asleep, with his arm around Mio's waist.
Fuji released his first smile of the day, seeing those father and daughter. "It's funny when she really looked and acted like us, although she's not…"
He quickly shook his head. "Iie! What am I thinking? She is our daughter."
"Mm.." Tezuka stirred awake. "…Shuu.."
Fuji gave him a cheerful morning smile. He walked to Tezuka's side of the bed and sat there. Tezuka pulled him down and planted kisses on his face.
"Mm.. Ohayou." Fuji hugged him after he was released.
Tezuka sat up and checked his daughter. He put his hand on top of her fore head. "She's still hot."
"Aa. I'll bring her to the doctor when she wakes up."
"Do you want me to accompany you?"
Fuji pulled Tezuka to stand up. "Iie. I'm okay by myself. You have to go to work, koi."
They walked out. Before he closed the door, Tezuka took a glance to Mio's sleeping form with a slight guilt on his eyes.
- -
After sending Tezuka off to work, Fuji rushed to the kitchen. He placed eggs, rice, meat and a hot tea on food tray, and brought it upstairs.
"Mio… Wake up, dear." Fuji stroked her light brown hair to wake her up.
Mio opened her eyes. "..Mama.. Ohayou.."
Fuji smiled. "Ohayou. How are you feeling?" He put the tray on the nightstand.
Mio got up to a sitting position with a little help from Fuji. "Mm… I'm dizzy…"
He leaned and checked her temperature. "…You still have a fever, Mio. Daijobu. Let's wash up first and then Mama will take you to the doctor, ne?"
"Okay." Fuji lifted Mio and carried her.
She panicked and blushed. "Ma..mama! I can walk.."
He chuckled and pinched her nose. "Mio-chan, you're really acting like Papa, a lot! Relax, you're sick, and Mama's going to cure it," Fuji started to smile suspiciously," with my own style."
That moment, little Mio thought, if she sneaked out while he's in the bathroom, maybe she could take a taxi to hide in her Papa's office.
"No, it'll never work."
- -
11.00 A.M
Fuji opened the front door and let Mio entered the house first. When he was about to close it, he remembered something.
"Ah, I forgot to buy groceries!" He lightly hit his forehead.
Mio turned to him. "Hontou?"
Fuji looked slightly confused. "..Aa." If he doesn't buy them, they'll have no lunch nor dinner, but Mio…
"Daijobu, I can take care of myself." She said.
"Demo.."
"Daijobu yo, Mama. I want to take a nap."
Fuji looked at his little angel's face. Now she's pale and beads of sweat were on her foreheads and cheeks. He kneeled in front of her. "All right. But you have to lock the door and then go straight to bed. I'll bring the spare key."
She faintly nodded.
With a goodbye kiss and some advises, Fuji left the house.
Mio closed the door. At the time, she really felt there's an earthquake right now. She tried to climb the stairs, but it seemed like the fever had made it impossible. Her breathing got heavier. Slowly, she lost her consciousness and fainted. But, right before she lost it completely, she could hear someone screaming her name.
"Mio!"
a/n: yes.. Thank God...
well, I don't have anything to say about this chappie..
I just hope it was good.
Thank youu for ur encouraging reviews! And thanks a lot for my new buddy, syuusuke-kunimitsu117229 .
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