Chapter 9: Labors Thanksgiving

Fuutarou collapsed and rolled over in a sweaty heap of breaths. His wife pressed herself against him, basking in the warmth of his raw flesh. The sheets clung to their hot bodies as they began to cuddle. It was Labor Thanksgiving Day. They were going to have people over. And Fuutarou has taken the initiative to start it off right. Which marked the first time he had definitively started it since their honeymoon.

"Mmmmhmmmmm." She sighed as she kissed his shoulder. "I wish we could just stay like this forever." Fuutarou sensed the hollow platitude of her post-coidal claim. "But we should probably get ready."

"Good idea."

"I'll take the first shower. I probably need it more than you after…..yeah." She blushed and smiled.

"I'll start on cleaning." He said. He actually took the next minute admiring every physical feature of his wife as she got ready to shower. As soon as she left the bedroom, Fuutarou pulled a bathrobe over his body and started to straighten up.

After Yotsuba was done in the bath it was Fuutarou's turn. When he got out, he thanked Yotsuba for putting all the bedsheets in the washer. They didn't have much time alone after that before guests started to arrive.

"Fuutarou, Yotsuba." Miku was the first to arrive. And she did so with plenty of things to cook. "Help me and Nino bring some things in."

"Did you get me anything?" Fuutarou asked as he poked into one of her bags.

"Maybe." She jerked the bags away from him.

"Fuu-Kun, where should I set these chairs?" Nino said as she carried some foldable chairs into the living room.

"Just over by the table for now." Fuutarou said.

"Thanks for bringing these." Yotsuba said. "I was worried we wouldn't have enough for everyone."

"It's no problem." Nino said as she hobbled down the step to the dining room. She set them down and sighed in relief. "You can keep them for all I care. We're not getting much use out of them."

Miku tied her hair back and put on an apron. Her and Nino started bumping into each other at the stove. Both of them looked through the things they had to make and argued about who was going to cook what. Once Fuutarou and Yotsuba got all the chairs in the dining room, the fourth sister intervened.

"Hey, let Fuutarou and I handle this." Yotsuba said.

"We can handle it." Miku said.

"Nonsense. You're our guests and you work in kitchens enough as is. Take a break." Yotsuba argued.

"Yeah, I'll handle the cooking." Fuutarou said as he put on an apron.

"Don't go intruding in on our territory." Nino said as she waved a spatula in his face.

"We want to cook for everyone." Miku said. "I've been looking forward to actually cooking what I want all week."

"Yeah, compared to some of our pain in the ass customers you guys are easy to cook for." Nino said.

"That's not the point!" Yotsuba pouted. "I wanted to be a good hostess." Her cheeks puffed out into full pout mode.

"You should just entertain us and let us cook." Miku giggled.

"Yotsuba." Fuutarou said as he put his hands on her shoulders. "I think it's a good thing that running a business hasn't destroyed their love for cooking. Let them be."

"Alright." She sighed. "Whatever makes them happiest."

"Hello!" Takeda burst through the door. "We decided to come here early and hang out."

"We beat you here." Miku said.

"We?" Nino asked.

Takeda was with Ituki hand in hand. The fifth sister's face was a brighter red than her hair. They were both dressed up really nice. Takeda had a white vest over a yellow shirt. Itsuki wore a yellow shirt, a white scarf and a long black skirt.

"T-Takeda was helping me out and when we…" Itsuki started.

"You don't have to hide it." Yotsuba stepped towards her and put a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "We all knew the two of you were together."

"And I couldn't be happier visiting my best friend's house for dinner with such a beautiful woman." Takeda sparkled as he danced around. "Especially when my best friend's wife is one of her identical sisters."

"He's so embarrassing." Itsuki covered her face with her free hand. "I swear he's a lot more normal when it's just the two of us."

"You can't fool me." Yotsuba poked Itsuki's stomach. "You love it."

"Don't encourage him." Itsuki sighed.

"Jokes on you I don't need encouragement." Takeda said.

"So, how have you been." Fuutarou asked.

"Training has been going well." Takeda said. "But right now they still have me doing classes to be a rocket scientist."

"Teaching is hard." Itsuki said. "Kids are mean. But I can't give up. The fact that the little brats are a pain in the ass are all the more reasons I need to be a firm teacher."

"Yep, kids are a massive responsibility." Fuutarou nodded as he side-eyed Yotsuba. She smiled without a hint of content. Her beaming face reaffirmed Fuutarou's suspicion that she wanted kids. The question was whether she knew. And if she did, why hadn't she spoken up about it?

"Well take a load off." Yotsuba said.

"Don't mind if I do." Takeda sat down on the couch and Itsuki joined him.

"Can I get you anything?" Yotsuba asked.

"I'll take a glass of tea." Takeda said.

"I'll have what he's having." Itsuki added.

"Alright." Yotsuba left for the kitchen. Fuutarou joined the others on the couch, trapping Itsuki between the two boys.

"So when did the two of you decide to stop being coy and start dating?" He asked.

"In my heart, it was from the moment we…." Takeda started.

"Right after I talked to you about it." Itsuki said. "Like, right after. I called him up as soon as we parted ways."

"It was...I was absurdly happy." Takeda sighed and took a serious tone. "Like all my fears got washed away with those three words."

"It's so good to see you two happy." Yotsuba said as she handed them their drinks. "Itsuki can be such a stick in the mud. So serious." She plopped down on Fuutarou's lap. "Who would have thought we'd be the two who have boyfriends? Well, husband in my case. Any ideas on who to hook Nino or Miku up with?"

"Um…" Itsuki stammered.

"Let them make their own decisions." Fuutarou held Yotsuba tight. "They have their own lives to live. Plus there's Kisuke and Yoshi."

"I heard that!" Nino shouted from the kitchen. "Kisuke and I are just friends and I don't have time to date."

"I'm not sure about Yoshi myself. He's nice though." Miku said.

"I'd feel better if everyone had someone to love though." Yotsuba said.

"Well stop that." Itsuki perked up. "Not everyone needs to be dating guys. Look at Ichika, she's doing just fine."

"I know, but I still feel like I'm the only one who is doing well in that department and still not comfortable being special like that."

"And here I thought you were over all that." Itsuki teased.

"I am, I just want everyone else to be as happy as I am damn it. Is that so wrong?"

"No, it's not." Fuutarou sighed. "But everyone is entitled to their happiness, but also have different things that make them happy."

"Yeah, so long as I'm making money and spending time with all of you I'm happy." Nino said.

"Heeeee." Yotsuba beamed.

Nino, Miku and Itsuki continued to trade stories from their work. The way Itsuki talked took Fuutarou back to when he was their tutor. It dawned on him that thanks to all five of them, he made friends. Thanks to all five of them-and their father paying five times the going rate- he was able to clear his family's debt and continues to lend his father money when he needs it. Thanks to all of them, he fell in love with Yotsuba, came to understand and accept his feelings, and get married.

Then his father and Raiha showed up. Raiha started bickering with Nino about the food. This family had too many people that loved cooking. Fuutarou entertained the thought of all of them working for Nino. It would at least be good work experience for Raiha. She was still in high school and only worked at a small shop. She would have to start thinking about her future soon as well.

"Food's ready." Nino proclaimed. Everyone started piling into the kitchen. Just before they got started, the door opened.

"Sorry I'm late guys." Ichika said. "Traffic was horrible."

"Ichika you made it!" Nino cheered.

"I texted Yotsuba saying I was on my way." Ichika said as she gave Nino a hug.

"Oops, haven't looked at my phone." Yotsuba blushed.

"Well, glad we can all be here." Itsuki said as she gave Ichika a hug.

"Yeah, I didn't get much of a chance to visit you three last time I was free." Ichika noted as she switched over to Miku.

Fuutarou smiled and nodded. As far as he was concerned his whole family was here now. But he didn't watch the girls greeting each other. He watched Yotsuba. And Yotsuba wasn't looking at Ichika, she was looking at everyone else and basking in how happy everyone was to be together.

It clicked for Fuutarou then and there. Love. He was beginning to think if love really was the superpower the Nakano Quintuplets always described it as. It wasn't any ordinary love either. Yotsuba was different. She was special. She lived to make others happy. The stronger her love for someone the more she desired their happiness. Fuutarou hadn't really noticed when he placed himself as the object of her affection. He had a hard time noticing it with her sisters as well. But notice it he did.

The dominos were falling into place. Yotsuba had too much love to give. Fuutarou and the other four sisters weren't enough. She needed Raiha, and Takeda, and his father, and all the people whose lives she made better with her volunteer work, and…..

"What's that look for?" Itsuki gave the thought pause.

"I just thought up the answer for something that was asked of me a while ago." Fuutarou filed his thought away for later. In the meantime, he would just enjoy the meal.

Yotsuba was full of energy. Apparently one of the podcasts she listened to lately described the lifestyle of one of the squid that had been cooked up for everyone. Fuutarou didn't know whether to roll his eyes or burst out laughing when she started playing with the calamari. For her benefit he laughed. And he wasn't sure he had ever lit up as much as she did when he laughed. Fuutarou would have to work extra hard to top that reaction.

But the night had to come to an end. Everyone had to part ways. Yotsuba's super inflated sense of pride and ego began to deflate as people left. When everyone was gone, her face was filled with content rather than joy. Fuutarou washed the last of the dishes while she wiped the table. The thought Fuutarou had was opened back up. He was ready to ask the question and make the statement.

"Yotsuba."

"Yes darling?" She responded.

"You are absolutely the most loving person I could possibly imagine."

"Aw thanks."

"And I know you want more people to love." The words gave her pause. She waited a minute to answer and barely moved an inch as she did.

"What do you mean?" She muttered.

"I saw the pregnancy test. When you were sick. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because ...I wanted whatever happens to happen." She set the wash cloth down and turned towards him. "Because I was worried you'd reject the notion and start playing things safer. But then you went ahead and made it REAL clear that wasn't the case. I caught on and so then ..."

"You came with another excuse." He finished the sentence.

"Figured you weren't sure and was just letting whatever happens to happen. Figured, when I get pregnant I'd tell you right away and we'd be happy."

"So you're not pregnant?"

"No not yet as far as I'm aware." Yotsuba nervously picked at her nails. Fuutarou sat the last dish down and walked towards her. "Doctor said I was healthy and fertile as could be. So if we're having issues ...Fuutarou-Kun I don't have the heart to blame you but it's frustrating you know."

"I'll get myself checked out next time I'm at the hospital." He cupped her cheek. "And if it's not possible, we'll start looking into adoption. Or getting a sperm donor if you're really sold on getting pregnant."

"Thanks." She said as she grabbed his hand and rubbed it against her head.

"In the meantime." He captured her lips and grabbed her hips. He forced her backwards onto the table. With a tug he hoisted her up into a sitting position. She put her hands on his chest and pushed away, breaking the embrace.

"Fuutarou-Kun I just cleaned the table." She blushed.

"Well then where would you like to pick things up from this morning?" He asked. She bobbed her head side to side and then pulled him into a kiss as she leaned back. Labor Thanksgiving was always special for the two of them. And Fuutarou was doing a damn fine job making this one particularly memorable.