Tohru was upstairs in the bedroom, folding and sorting laundry, when she heard the front door slam. "Upstairs, Kyo!"

She smiled, hearing his familiar rapid tread on the stairs, and smiled wider when he came into bedroom. It was always so nice when he came home from work; he always made a point of finding her first thing.

And he was happy to see Tohru, walking up behind her to give her a hug. "Hey you, and hey baby," Kyo added, giving a little rub to her pronounced bump. "I hope you've been nice to your mother today."

Ever since they'd started feeling the baby move, Kyo had gotten into the habit of talking to it. Tohru always found it adorable; like he was in full father mode, even though they were only halfway through the pregnancy. Listening to him ask the baby questions, tell the baby stories, or give the baby opinions only ever served to make her smile. And she liked to think that the baby heard, because Kyo's voice often earned some kind of wiggle.

There was nothing at the moment, though, and after a moment Kyo brought his hands away with a 'tsk.'

"The kid's not admitting anything, so I guess I'll have to ask you. How are you feeling, Tohru?" He gave her an affectionate kiss, then paused as he took stock of the laundry spread out on the bed. "And besides that, what do you think you're doing?"

Tohru was unapologetic. "I'm fine, thanks for asking; work was fine, I'm feeling fine, everything is fine. And that is why I am doing laundry, naturally. Because I am fine, and because I am fine, I can do the laundry."

Laundry had become a weird power struggle for the two of them over the course of Tohru's pregnancy, and at this point neither of them was willing to make any concessions. Kyo's stance was that it was unnecessary and unsafe; doing laundry meant carrying the baskets up and down the stairs, as well as wrangling the heavy wet laundry from the washer out to the clothesline. Considering what her balance could be like when she wasn't pregnant, he didn't think she should risk it.

Tohru could understand his worries, and she felt she'd taken reasonable measures to address them. Handling smaller loads, not filling the baskets when she was carrying them, and leaving the truly awkward things, like bedsheets, for Kyo were all reasonable compromises; leaving everything for Kyo was not.

Kyo sighed and stepped back, picking up one of his shirts and shaking it at her. "You know I was going to deal with this all tonight, Tohru."

"Yes, you did. That's why I made sure to do it this afternoon." She simply smiled at him, then reached for the shirt. "I still need to fold that, by the way. Even you can't complain about me folding things." Especially since that was just about the only part he'd still want her to do!

But Kyo started folding the shirt himself. "I can fold my own shirt, Tohru. If you're 'fine' enough to keep being so stubborn, then how fine does that make me?"

Tohru's eyes twinkled at the opening that gave her, and she made a show of looking him over. "Well, I'm biased, but I'd say you're always fine, Kyo. Incredibly fine."

"Flattery won't get you off the hook, Tohru," but Kyo was grinning as he said it and she knew she was forgiven, especially when he caught her and gave her a kiss. That kiss was followed by another, and another, and another, and she was giggling as he kissed his way along her shoulder.

"Just remember that the bed's covered in clean laundry, Kyo, so unless you want me to have to wash it again-"

"-I can handle the damn laundry, Tohru," Kyo mock growled against her ear, and she giggled again. But then he let her go, grabbing another shirt and sighing dramatically. "I can't believe I married such a tease."

"You know you like it," she said with a grin, and he grinned back.

"Sometimes. So what you're saying is after the laundry is dealt with-"

"And dinner."

"Now you're just being mean, Tohru."

"Not mean; pregnant. Unless you're feeling extra speedy tonight, in which case we can talk, I'm going to need some food soon."

Kyo thought about it for a moment, then gave her a wicked smile. "Fine. Laundry, then dinner. And then we're going to have a conversation about teasing."

"'A conversation?' Is that what we're calling it now?" Tohru loved that smile; it never failed to make a deliciously warm feeling curl up inside her. Or maybe it was just Kyo himself.

Ever since her bump had popped, Tohru had started to have doubts about her body and her general attractiveness. While it was incredibly exciting to see the visible signs of her pregnancy, she had worried at the same time how Kyo would feel about the changes. The two of them had always been deeply attracted to each other, and he'd never failed to make her feel anything but beautiful. But with so many things happening to her all at once, she hadn't known what to expect from him.

She should have known better than to doubt him, though; he'd given no indication he was anything but delighted with the changes as Tohru grew. And she had loved him for that, while worrying even more than he was secretly repulsed and just trying to make her feel better about everything. It hadn't been until she'd actually burst into tears during a makeout session that a very worried Kyo had managed to get the story out of her, and his response had been...complex.

First he'd been bewildered, then incredulous. Mildly offended. And then so very sweetly validating, explaining in great detail just how wrong she was to be worried about him and his feelings. He loved her, and he found her beautiful and desirable, always. Her body might be changing, but it was because she was growing his baby, and that was pretty damn hot. As he'd been happy to show her.

It had been a huge weight off of Tohru's mind, and knowing he felt that way made their playful banter all the more fun; it was a lot easier to enjoy herself when she wasn't wrestling with massive body insecurity.

As Tohru continued folding, Kyo had pulled out his phone to check his notifications. A snort from his direction made Tohru look his way, and she had to giggle at his pained expression.

"What's that look for this time?"

Kyo was still scrolling. "You know, I really wish we could go back in time and not tell everyone about the baby. If we do this again, I vote we keep it a secret until the kid is actually born."

Tohru was giggling again. "Ok, who is it this time?"

"Who isn't it? Arisa wants to know if I'm making sure you're getting enough iron because she thinks you looked too pale in the last couple bump pictures you sent her. Kisa has a question about something I'm not supposed to tell you about, because it's a surprise. Your grandfather sent some more name ideas-"

"-Again? I wonder if it's the same list he sent me two days ago, or if he's added more."

"Ayame is asking for your updated measurements again-"

"I just told Mine yesterday that I didn't need anything else, I don't know why she didn't tell him."

Kyo lowered his phone for a moment and gave her an amused look. "You think she didn't? It's Ayame."

Tohru sighed. "You're probably right, but seriously! I must have enough maternity clothes to get me through another two years of being pregnant at this point." She gestured to the bed, a large portion of which was covered with Tohru's clothes. The vast majority of them were new, made by Ayame and Mine after they'd learned of Tohru's pregnancy.

It had been oddly reminiscent of their first day in Hibe, actually. Back then, they'd arrived to find so many care packages already waiting at the post office that they ended up having what felt like half the town help them bring them over to their new home. And shortly after the news broke of Tohru's pregnancy, it was like the Great Package Migration all over again as gifts started flooding in.

With the gifts had come the messages. From everyone. Messages to Tohru, full of love and excitement and enthusiasm, and messages to Kyo, full of admonitions and instructions.

It was a little hard for Kyo not to feel a little persecuted.

But it wasn't all bad, he had to admit. He reached out and picked up one of the items Ayame and Mine had sent, a soft and silky bra with some stretch to accommodate Tohru's rapidly growing breasts. "You can't say Ayame isn't being thorough, can you?" He asked with a grin.

Tohru reached over and took the bra back, giggling. "Well, they ought to know what a woman needs when she's pregnant, seeing how it's only been a year since Hibika was born. I'm sure Mine put first-hand experience into a lot of these designs." She was certainly grateful; clothing could be very expensive, especially when you could expect your body to keep changing. And because Tohru was due in February, that meant she had to deal with cold-weather pregnancy clothes to boot. Even though it was only October, she'd already had to start layering.

But Ayame and Mine had already sent her more than enough things; she'd have to message them again and tell them that.

"Is that all the messages today?"

Kyo shook his head. "No, there's more. Of course there's more. I want to say it's crazy, but it's about you, so..." He trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders. "They love you, so it means they're freakishly overzealous. But they are not here," he said with a triumphant smile, "so they can wait until I feel like responding to them."

Tohru laughed and handed Kyo a pile of clothes to put away. "Well, as long as you know Arisa is just going to keep messaging you until you respond, you can do whatever you want."

Much later that night, the two of them lay curled up together in bed, Kyo's cheek resting against the side of Tohru's bare belly. Each of them had a hand resting on top of her bump, and together they smiled as they felt the now-familiar flailing and fluttering of their child.

"I feel like we're going to need to get this one into karate early. Considering how much this kid likes to kick, I think he or she is going need some proper instruction, soon" Kyo was smiling, feeling the sensation of a small hand or foot pressing up against his palm. The first time he'd felt it he'd been freaked out; it was like Tohru's belly had become possessed by an alien. But once the initial shock had worn off, he'd come to love feeling the little kicks and flutters. It was a way for him to feel what Tohru felt all the time, connection.

Tohru was smiling too, both at the baby's movements and at Kyo. It was hard to believe now how much she'd worried about him wanting this pregnancy; the man who'd freaked out over the positive test and man who was looking adoringly at her weirdly wobbly stomach seemed like two completely different people. But a lot could happen, over the course of fourteen weeks.

"Well, if you do start teaching karate early, you're responsible for dealing with any damage from misuse of skills. I'm pretty sure there's a reason the dojo doesn't take kids under five," Tohru said, and Kyo sighed.

"Fair. Still, this kid seems to have some real skill; it'll be cool to see if that sticks around." Kyo smiled, imagining helping his faceless child tie the belt on their gi for the very first time and feeling a tiny punch into his hand. How many times had he been there when other children had their first experience with karate, and how long before he got to experience it with his own?

Tohru threaded her fingers into Kyo's hair and began to gently massage the top of his head. "Are you excited about tomorrow?"

He sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her touch. "Excited and terrified, same as usual. More than usual, actually." He opened his eyes and looked up at her. "How about you?"

"Probably the same. I know everything has looked good so far, but this'll be the first time we have a chance to actually see the baby in over two months. And I just can't help but worry," Tohru said softly.

Kyo reached up and caught her hand, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss against her knuckles. "I know. It freaks me out too. But it helps, being able to feel this," as the baby bumped once again against their other hands. "If they can move around this much, then that's probably a good sign, right?"

"Right." Or that's what she kept telling herself, anyway. "And are you still sure? About finding out?"

"Yeah, unless you've changed your mind. I can be patient if I have to, I just don't want to if I don't have to," Kyo said with a smile.

"No...I've thought about it a lot, and I want to know. It would be nice, to start being able to start using their name."

Kyo rubbed gently against Tohru's belly. "I guess tonight is your last night of mystery, kid. Enjoy it while you can." They both smiled, thinking about the next day's ultrasound. Out of all the appointments they'd had and would have, this was the one of the most exciting: the one where the baby would get thoroughly checked out, and they'd also learn the sex.

It had been tough, deciding whether or not to learn. Tohru had loved the idea of being surprised, while Kyo had wanted to know. Neither had wanted only one of them to know, but neither of them had really wanted to change their position, either. It wasn't until they started seriously talking about names that Tohru realized how much she wanted to be able to refer to their child by name, and she started thinking seriously about learning early. Eventually, they'd struck on a compromise; they would learn, but keep the information to themselves until after the baby was born.

Assuming this secret didn't leak out early, too.

Tohru's voice was soft as she murmured to the baby, "are you Etsuko, or are you Masaru, little one?"

"Hey, Tohru, I've been thinking." Kyo's voice was equally soft, and a little hesitating. "I know we were thinking Masaru if it's a boy, but what would you think about Hajime?"

Tohru was surprised; it had been a few weeks since they'd basically narrowed their name lists down to two. And she also had to smile; she'd been to enough karate classes to have heard 'hajime!' called out quite a few times. "Hajime? Are you thinking you need to have practice yelling his name already, Kyo?" Her voice was teasing, but also curious. Kyo had been the one to originally suggest Masaru, so hearing him toss another boy's name out now was...unexpected.

Kyo grinned sheepishly in response to her comment. "No, of course not. But I've been thinking a lot lately, about how much he...or she," he added, since they still couldn't be sure, "likes to kick and punch. Just like me. And how this is our new beginning, as a family of three. As parents. So I was just thinking it sounded...nice. But only if you thought so too," he added hastily. "Because I'm fine with Masaru, if you would rather keep that one."

Tohru thought about it quietly as she felt the little flails and flutters against her hand. Hajime meant begin, or beginning, and it was called out in every karate class as the signal to start. A new beginning...

She smiled, and repeated to the baby, "Are you Etsuko, or are you...Hajime?"

"Now, before we bring up the screen, I just want to make sure we're all on the same page. You two do want to find out the sex, is that correct?"

Tohru and Kyo glanced at each other, then back at the expectantly waiting ultrasound tech. Tohru was the one who spoke, her voice confident. "Yes, if you can see, then we'd like to know."

The tech smiled. "Perfect. It makes it a lot easier this way, because sometimes when we get the picture up the kids can be little exhibitionists. We don't want you to see anything if you want to be surprised, but since you want to know, we don't have to worry!" The tech smiled, and the wall screen lit up with the projected ultrasound image.

Kyo and Tohru squeezed each other's hands excitedly. The baby was in profile, and they could both clearly see the face. Nose, mouth, chin...there was no ambiguous blob, not now. And they could see the baby's leg stretch out in front of it, and an arm...everything was recognizable. And it sounded like everything looked good.

They watched as the tech moved her cursor up on the screen, taking measurements of different parts of the baby's body. Then she moved the wand on Tohru's stomach, pulling of the image from a different angle and taking more measurements. She periodically pointed things out to them, like the baby's developing organs and growing bones, and laughed with them when the baby abruptly curled up and turned away from the screen.

Finally the tech was done getting her measurements; the only thing they had yet to know was the sex. It was like the baby was taunting them, curling up and pulling away every time it seemed like they were getting close to knowing. At first it was amusing, but as the scan progressed it became more and more frustrating. If the baby didn't feel like cooperating, then Tohru might just get her surprise after all.

"Come on kid, work with us here." Kyo's voice was clearly exasperated, and both Tohru and the tech had to laugh.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sohma, sometimes they're just shy. But we still have a little more time, so we'll try for a little longer."

Kyo sighed, and Tohru smiled understandingly up at him. She knew how much he wanted to know, and while she wouldn't exactly be disappointed if she ended up surprised, it wouldn't be her first choice now. Not when they had already decided, and they were so close.

"Oh, looks like we're finally getting some cooperation, Mom and Dad! You two ready?"

Both of their hands tightened once again, and they looked at the screen. Then each of them let out a breath that they hadn't even known that they were holding, and exchanged a big smile as the tech typed a message on the screen.

"Congratulations, you two, you're going to be having a little boy!"

A boy. They were having a baby boy. A son.

Tohru was teary again, but she wasn't alone. Kyo was misty eyed as he looked up at the screen, reading the words "Baby Boy Sohma" superimposed over the baby, who'd once again curled back into a ball. And beyond those words, he saw himself as a child, learning to punch into Kazuma's hand. Being lifted up by Kazuma and carried on his shoulders. Learning seiza. Picking out a hat. So many memories, of himself and his father. Then he saw those memories again, with himself in Kazuma's place, lifting his own brown-haired son onto his shoulders.

When Tohru spoke, Kyo barely heard the words. But it was enough.

"Hello, Hajime..."