Chapter 14 here we come, and that's all I got to say except some more commissions next month I'll post them in Reddit if you like and on a few other places.

Also, Jamnbutter did an AMAZING hand-drawn piece for me from "A Fresh Coat" I love it.

This chapter and the next one are going to be longer, so just giving you a forewarning. Then after next one a time jump by roughly ten years so...let's see how this goes.

Also I'm REALLY sorry for all the food stuff lately. I've been watching "Sweetness and Lightning" and so many cooking shows that it's been on my brain.

Not to mention Tsumugi kind of helped influence Airi so...fun.

Chapter 14

"Can you please let me go now," gasped Hideki after several arduous moments of hugging from his family. "I'm starting to lose feeling in my arms and legs."

"Fine," sighed Yuzu before giving him one tight squeeze. and tapped Airi on the top of the head, while leaving Mei alone so she could have a few extra moments with their son. "That means you too, Airi. We need to see if Yui-chan needs help and get the table ready for dinner."

"But I wanna..."

"Do what Mama says, Airi." Mei turned her hardened gaze at Airi and waved toward the hallway. "You'll have plenty of time to talk to Hideki over dinner.

"But, I wanted to show Hideki my new apron and knives," whined Airi, stamping her feet and glaring at her mothers.

"That's enough, Airi," echoed both Mei and Yuzu in stern voices silencing the young girl.

"How about you wear the apron while we make the okonomiyaki," suggested Hideki, using the distraction to break free of his Mei's vice-like grip, "and then after we eat, I can give you the presents I picked up on my trip. But you have to be good, or else you won't get anything until tomorrow."

"But I missed you," sniffed Airi, her lower lip protruding, making Mei roll her eyes a little, and Yuzu shake her head.

While it had been years since something like this had worked on the pair of them, both Mei and Yuzu knew that Hideki was a sucker for the look Airi was giving him and weren't surprised when he succumbed to it.

"I missed you too." Hideki did his best to bend down, and both Mei and Yuzu noticed a strained look on his face and the way his knee shook as he approached Airi's level and placed a large hand on her head. "But I gotta talk to Mom and Mama, and I promise that tonight, you, me, and Yui will have a sleep-over in the living room. I'll even make breakfast in the morning. I had to cook a lot while I was out of town, so I've learned a lot of new recipes you might like. You want traditional or western?"

"Ummmmm…."

Airi stared up at the ceiling and began swinging her arms back and forth before nodding and saying, "I want those waffle things Reo made when I stayed at Uncle's last week. Do you know how to make those?"

"We don't have a waffle iron, Airi," said Mei, shaking her head at how her daughter once again made a somewhat unreasonable request.

"Oh." Airi chewed on her lower lip, her thoughts on what meal she could con out of her brother while Yuzu looked down and noticed the struggling look on Hideki's face and then made a motion to Mei, who nodded in agreement while an undecided Airi shrugged. "Can I tell you in the morning?"

"Sure." Hideki gave Airi a pained smile before giving his little sister one more gentle pat on the head. "But before that, you think you can give me some time with Mom and Mama? I promise I'll tell you about it later."

"Okay." Airi gave Hideki a toothy grin and pointed over her shoulder down the hallway. "Can I ask Yui-chan to play with me?"

"Sure, Sweetie." Yuzu smiled and carefully turned Airi down the hall. "Now go and be a good girl, and I promise we'll start cooking dinner soon."

"Okay." Airi nodded and jogged down the hallway, making sure to hike up her pajama legs as she went.

When she reached the end of the hallway, Airi rounded the corner, stopped and turned back, and shouted, "Welcome home, Hideki! I love you!"

"Love you too," chuckled Hideki with a wave, and the moment she was gone, he waved at Yuzu and Mei while struggling to get to his feet. "Can you two help me stand up?"

"Sure thing."

"Of course."

With some effort, Mei and Yuzu helped steady Hideki as he shakily got to his feet, and by the time he was standing, they could both see several beads of sweat pouring down his head. "Thanks. Holy crap that was hell on my knee."

"What happened," asked Mei quietly after hearing Airi and Yui begin playing one of Hideki's video games.

"And don't think you can try hiding it like your mom used to," warned Yuzu with an uncharacteristically stern face. "I know all her tricks, and you're the same way."

"I didn't plan on it." Hobbling away from his mothers, Hideki reached down and rubbed his leg as he began explaining what happened. "I hurt my knee during a rehearsal, and the doctor said that I have to take it easy for a while; that's all."

"And you didn't think to call us?"

Mei crossed her arms and approached her son, a familiar cold glare darkening her face while Hideki gave her a nervous shrug, wondering if they'd even heard what he said about the doctor.

"I didn't think it'd be this bad," he explained as the pain began to fade. "I mean, it's not like I've never been hurt dancing. The first time it happened, I just thought I hadn't stretched properly so I took a few days off, felt better, and then I was working on a routine with someone, jumped, and I landed wrong and just felt something 'go' in my knee. They took me to the E.R. and…"

"You went to the hospital?"

Hideki winced at the way his mother hissed her inquiry and gave her another sheepish grin while trying to avoid her gaze.

"Well, yeah," he began, his voice cracking slightly. "I said I went to the doctor. It kinda made sense given what happened and how much pain I was in."

"And when were you planning on telling your mom and me this?" Yuzu moved closer to Mei and crossed her arms in a similarly threatening manner, though the look she was giving their son was less intimidating and pointed a finger at his knee. "Also, what did you mean by 'go'? What exactly happened to your leg, and don't you dare lie young man."

"Um, well…."

Hideki swallowed hard, his hands shaking at the infuriated stare Yuzu was giving him. Reaching down, he undid the velcro of his brace and removed it, revealing his bruised and swollen knee and nervously chuckled, "This bad."

At seeing the injury, Yuzu's mouth dropped open in shock, and Mei's hand flew to her mouth.

Over the years, they'd gotten used to seeing Hideki hurt. Given the extent of training he went through for recitals and competitions, it wasn't uncommon for him to come home sore, covered in bruises, or on occasion a sprained wrist or ankle. It was to par for the course and Abby would cut them a deal on their lessons like she did with her other students if something like that happened, even if the parents didn't need it and would take an active interest in the recovery process.

But this was something altogether different, and both Mei and Yuzu stared at each other for a few tense moments before turning back to Hideki, who had begun chewing on his lower lip while his eyes shifted between his mothers.

"When...did you go to the hospital," asked Mei, her eyes focused on the mass of black, purple, and yellow flesh. "Did they do an x-ray? Do you need surgery? Are you going to..."

"Mei," interrupted Yuzu, placing a gentle hand on Mei's shoulder. "One question at a time."

Mei nodded and patted Yuzu's hand in thanks before gesturing to Hideki while Yuzu said, "Hideki, answer your mother, and remember what I told you; don't lie."

"Ri...right." Hideki coughed nervously and took a deep breath. "Well, we were at practice, and we were doing jumps, and my partner landed wrong, and we both went to the floor, my knee popped and I started screaming which is how I ended up at the hospital. Once I got there, they did the usual stuff. I got an X-ray and was told that even if it wasn't severe, I couldn't continue with the program, and that's why I got sent home early."

Hideki waved at the house and tried to smile, but his face fell at the looks of hurt on his Mei and Yuzu's faces.

"You didn't think to tell us this when you called to say you would be coming home," snorted Mei after hearing her son's explanation. "You didn't think to have the people in charge of your well-being tell us what happened and instead let them just shove you on a plane and act as if nothing happened?"

Hideki winced and looked to for back up but shrunk when she shook her head with a look that said, "You're on your own."

"It was stupid, I know," whispered Hideki. "But I didn't….

"Stupid doesn't even begin to describe what you did," interjected Mei, taking a few steps forward her fists shaking as she spoke. "You and the adults that were in charge of you should have told one of us immediately, regardless of us signing off on them being responsible for you during your stay. This is by far, one of the stupidest things you've ever done. That's including your stealing of alcohol and you getting into that fight before you left. You could have a permanent limp or need pins in your legs or ankle or what if the bone had...

"Mei, lower your voice." Yuzu wrapped her arm around Mei and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly in an attempt to call her. "We don't want to scare Airi. I also want it to make it clear that I am not taking his side, but since he's up and walking, as long as we're careful, I think we'll be all right until..."

"It's not all right," replied Mei, her voice seething. "Our son's leg is mangled, and the people responsible for him didn't even bother to tell us. How can you consider that 'all right'?"

"I agree that they screwed up, and I'm just as mad as you are," said Yuzu, motioning for Mei to keep her voice down. "Trust me, I am. And I promise you that the first thing we'll do after we calm down is file a complaint and call to ask them why they didn't tell us."

"They didn't say anything because I didn't tell them everything," grunted Hideki, as he struggled to wrap his knee. "So you can't blame them for not telling you something they didn't have all the variables to. All I told the doctors to tell them was that they suggested that I go home since I couldn't continue the program. Also, I was the one that told them not to tell you what was going on because I promised that I'd give you an explanation, and I did, so please don't blame them. They're good people and had they known everything they would have told you."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you should have told us before you walked through the door." Mei's voice rose

and shortly after, they heard Yui and Airi ask if everything was okay.

"We're fine," said Yuzu with an air of well-practiced cheeriness. "We're just finishing up talking, so make sure you wash your hands if you're going to help cook; that includes you, Airi."

Airi shouted a confirming reply, the volume of the television returned to its previous level, Yuzu gave Hideki a disappointed sigh while she watched Mei struggle to keep her tears in check.

"Mom...Mama...I'm..."

"We know you are." Yuzu reached out for Mei and wasn't surprised when Mei flinched at her touch before relaxing and allowing a momentary embrace. "But this isn't some fight where you defended your little sister. If this injury is bad enough, I mean, are you still going to be able to dance? What are you going to tell Abby?"

"I don't know, Mama." Hideki's voice grew quieter with each word while his body slumped against the wall as his eyes began watering. "Everything just happened so quick, and I didn't want to scare you guys, not after everything that happened before I left and…."

"Okay, okay." Yuzu let go of Mei and walked toward Hideki, embracing him, tears pouring down his cheeks as he apologized over and over, his arms practically crushing her. "We understand. We're not happy about it, but we do understand, don't we Mei?"

"Yes," choked Mei, wiping her eyes on her apron. "I suppose we do in our way. But it doesn't change the fact that I am very disappointed in you, Hideki."

"I know, Mom," answered Hideki quietly while Yuzu gave Mei an understanding, but disgruntled look. "I just didn't know what to do."

"You tell us the truth," said Mei before brushing the hair out of her son's face, careful to avoid his ear. "We just went through this before you left. I understand that you're getting older, but hiding incidents like this will only cause more problems later on, especially when you're an adult. Do you understand?"

"Of course I do, Mom." Hideki snorted but allowed Mei to press her forehead against his cheek. "I'm not stupid; I just panicked."

"I know." Mei turned Hideki's head and pressed their foreheads together; her eyes closed as she listened to her son's breathing begin to calm. "And I forgive you; I want you to know that. But we're going to take you to your doctor here to get a second opinion, even if we have to delay going into work for a few days. Isn't that right, Yuzu."

Mei turned her eyes to Yuzu, who straightened up and nodded the moment Mei's eyes were on hers.

"Of course, we are." Yuzu leaned joined the pair of them and kissed Hideki on the cheek before gently flicking his ear lobe and making let out a small yelp of pain. "But we're going to see get ahold of your dad, and we're telling him everything, and we're extending your punishment too."

"No arguing," said Mei when Hideki began to protest. "You brought this on yourself, and these are the consequences. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," grumbled Hideki, his eyes red and his shoulders hunched over in annoyance. "Am I still allowed to work, or am I going to have to tell Dr. Adachi I'm not going to be able to make my shifts for a bit?"

"We'll discuss that later." Mei looked at Yuzu, who again nodded in agreement. "I'm sure the veterinarian can make do without you for a while, although I'm sure with the condition your leg is in the last thing you should be doing is carrying animals and lifting heavy bags of food to help feed them."

"Okay." Hideki sighed and scratched his head, his eyes unwilling to make eye contact with his mothers. "So how long is my extension? Is it going to be long?

"I'm not sure of the length yet," said Mei before taking a step back and waving down the hallway as she pushed Hideki toward the living room, her anger being replaced by maternal concern. "But right now, let's get you on the couch and prop up your leg. Where's your luggage? Yuzu, can you check outside for his bags? And did you get any medication for your leg?

"It's in the back of Yui's mom's car," explained Hideki with a grunt, nervous about what additions his parents might add to his punishment. "Along with the anti-inflammatory meds the doctors gave me, no, it's not aspirin, and I promise that the swelling isn't as bad as it looks. It only looks like this because the seat I had on the plane wasn't an aisle seat, and I couldn't stretch it out. But I did manage to get onto the plane a little bit earlier, so that was a plus."

"And still manage to be several hours late coming home," chided Yuzu, flicking her son on the forehead before, walking down the hallway with Mei and Hideki close behind her. "Why were you so late, anyway? Was the flight delayed?"

"No, it was on time."

Mei noticed how red Hideki's ears had gotten as he answered and asked, "Then, why were you late getting home? And why didn't you call if you were with Yui? She has a phone; you could have used it. Or one of the courtesy phones at the airport. I would even have accepted a message from an internet cafe."

"I had to stop and pick something up in Akihabara," he said, his face turning the same shade as his ears when he saw Airi and Yui sitting on the couch playing a racing game. "And I was trying to keep coming home a surprise from Airi; I thought you'd have figured that out. You know how good she is at weaseling information out of people."

"Weasling information out of you, you mean," snickered Yuzu who peeked over her shoulder just in time to see a smile flash across Mei's face while Hideki rolled his eyes. "What'd you have to pick up in Akihabara? Did some new limited cover manga come out or something?"

"I'll tell you later," whispered Hideki as they approached the couch. "Are you sure you don't need help?"

"We'll manage." Yuzu patted Hideki on the cheek and jerked her thumb at the couch. "Go and have a little fun because you won't be having any for a while."

"Are you sure?" Hideki gave a worried look to Yuzu and then to Mei. "I'm not tired. I slept a lot on the plane."

"It's fine," said Mei before stepping away and taking Yuzu's hand. "Do as your mama says before I change her mind."

"All right." Hideki gave them both a quick kiss on the cheek before limping over to the couch and promptly stood in front of Airi, his backside covering her line of sight, making Mei shake her head and Yuzu chuckle. "Ah, come on, Airi, you can do better than that. Why'd you run into the wall?'

"I crashed cuz your fat butt's in my face," barked Airi as she tried to move her head around Hideki's posterior, while her car on the screen continued to crash repeatedly into a wall. "Mommy! Mama! Hideki's making me lose on purpose."

"You'll be fine. It's only a game," said Mei as she pulled Yuzu toward the kitchen while Airi continued to scream at Hideki to move.

"Move your butt, Hideki,' whined Airi as her foot repeatedly collided with her brother's massive frame. "Your gonna make me lose!"

"Too late," cheered Yui as she crossed the finish line, taking the second place flag while Airi let out a scream of frustration and kicked Hideki.

"You're a jerk," snapped Airi as her feet repeatedly made contact with her brother's butt and lower back. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because I could," laughed Hideki, picking up a controller, and took his spot between the girls, and rested his leg on the coffee table before switching to a fighting game while an angered Airi punched him in the arm before stealing his controller and climbed into his lap.

"I'm gonna pick the level."

"Fine with me," said Hideki, letting Airi take control of the game.

Mei and Yuzu watched from the kitchen as Hideki leaned back and watched Airi and Yui pick their characters and began a match while providing the occasional bit of commentary.

"Are you okay," asked Yuzu, pulling the wings out of the fridge and handing them to Mei.

"I am conflicted," replied the younger woman as she began to work. "On one hand, I am happy he is home and on the other..."

Mei raised her hands, clenched them, and made a momentary shaking motion before going back to her work while Yuzu prepped a skillet and the oven.

"That sounds about right," sighed Yuzu as Hideki tried to suggest a move Airi should use only for Airi to go and do the exact opposite, catching Yui off guard and sending her to the ground in defeat. "Honestly, I was not expecting that, and I swear the doctor he went to better have sent his x-rays to his primary doctor, or I'm going to do something they'll never expect."

"And what might that be," asked Mei with a small smirk as she placed some wings on a pan and waved at Yuzu to move. "Do you have some grand scheme to get them to do what you want, or are you going to wear them down as you did to me?"

"Are we going to have this conversation right here" whispered Yuzu just as Airi let out a cheer of victory and stood up on the couch to shake her butt in her brother's face and began making farting noises, causing his lip curl in disgust while Yui laughed loudly. "Because if we are, I would like to point out that I have acknowledged my mistakes and that I do not appreciate you bringing that stuff up out of the blue, especially with the kids here. But if you want to do this right now, I can bring up a whole bunch of things you did to me when we started dating."

"I'm sorry," said Mei quietly, stealing a quick kiss after moving Yuzu out of the way and put the chicken in the oven and smiled as Yui and Hideki began a new match. She even managed to smile at Airi, who was now doing something on her tablet and propping her feet up on her brother's shoulder so she could continue poking him in the face with her toes in an attempt to break his concentration. "That joke was poorly timed, and I shouldn't have made it. I was trying to make you laugh. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

"You don't need to make off-color jokes to make me laugh," grumbled Yuzu after Mei had finished with the oven. "And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have made those comments. I guess I was trying to be funny too, but it came off more as mean than anything else."

"Apology accepted."

Mei returned to her preparations while Yuzu helped her, both of their eyes on the kids who were smiling and laughing, though they both noticed Hideki occasionally giving them a nervous, peripheral glance.

"You still mad at him," asked Yuzu as they finished their last batch of wings and washed her hands in preparation to show Mei how to pan-fry them.

"I've calmed down." Mei took a few calming breaths and watched as Yuzu set the temperature and waited for the pan to heat up. "But I am still upset with him over what he did. That was ill-conceived. We are his parents, and we should have been notified."

"Well, if he told the doctors 'no' then there's no way they could have told us," said Yuzu as she placed a couple of wings in the pan and gave a brief explanation of what she was doing before continuing their conversation. "He's eighteen, and from what I remember, in most places, I think he's legally allowed to keep stuff like that hidden from us. If we lived in England, he could go and get drunk if he wanted to."

"And you're okay with that," snorted Mei, folding her arms and glowering as Yuzu placed a lid on the pan to allow the steam to help speed up the cooking process. "You're okay with him being able to keep things like broken bones and diseases and getting drunk hidden from us?"

"You know I'm not." Yuzu stepped aside to let Mei try her hand at cooking the wings in the pan. "But we've had this talk often enough that I've become a little bit more used to the idea while you…."

"Are overbearing?" Mei snorted loudly and lifted the lid off the pan and flipped the wings to crisp the other side, piercing the skin of one with her chopsticks as she did it. "That's what you were going to say, right? That I don't know how to let go?'

"I was trying to say that you need a bit more time." Yuzu took a step behind Mei and wrapped her arms around her wife's waist, and kissed the back of her neck. "With what happened with your dad and Hideki, I get it, and I love that you're so protective of the kids. It's so cute."

"Be careful, Yuzu," grunted Mei, with the faintest hit of a giggle. "I"m going to burn my hand if you keep doing that."

"I'll kiss it better if you do."

Yuzu smirked and leaned in to kiss Mei's ears when a loud cough diverted their attention to a grinning Airi and a familiar-looking man with dark skin and short curly hair staring at them from the screen of her tablet.

"Hello, Airi. Ken," said Mei cooly, wishing that Yuzu would let go of her waist but knew that would be a losing battle and resigned to continue cooking while Yuzu's chin found its way to her shoulder.

"Hi Ken," giggled Yuzu at the blush she saw on Airi's dad's face. "How much did you see?"

"Just the last part," he said quietly before coughing again. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I just had some free time, and I thought I'd talk to Airi and she decided that I should say, 'hi'. Apparently she chose the wrong time to do it."

"You get used to it," sighed Yuzu, giving Mei one more kiss on the cheek before releasing her so she could join Airi on the opposite side. "Airi, you know better than to do something like that."

"She's right," said Mei, keeping her eyes focused on the chicken and growing worried that the pork wasn't cooking correctly. "You know how we feel about spying. You should have told us your father had called, and we would have joined you."

"I would have, but I wanted to show my dad the rest of the house." Airi bent her head down and tried to get her face in the shot. "Did you like the tour?"

"It was interesting." Ken chuckled at Airi's enthusiasm. "I got to see everything except Hideki's and your bedroom, including the photo albums."

"What'd you think of that," asked Yuzu with a smile while Mei set aside the wings and joined her at the counter and gripped her hand. "Kinda weird to see all her pictures printed out?"

"It would have been if I hadn't done the same," Ken smirked while Mei and Yuzu's eyes raised in astonishment. "Don't look at me like that. What else was I going to do with them? Let them sit on my computer? I mean, I do that too, but I like having a physical copy on hand too."

Just as he said this, Hideki walked by and let out a snort as he grabbed two sodas from the fridge before walking back to the couch leaving his mothers to shake their heads while Airi continued to hold her tablet and smile at them, not understanding why her brother had made the noise.

"Anyway," said Mei after a moment, "how are you doing? Is work keeping you busy or do you have time off soon so we can make up for what happened when you were in town?"

"As much as I'd like to, I'm going to be pretty busy until winter." Ken gave them an apologetic smile as he spoke. "We got two projects being completed and one that's about to start. But once those other two are off the ground, I might be able to swing a few days, especially if I can find a way to get in on a few business meetings involving our Japanese distributors. But if I can make it happen a little earlier, I'll try. But doesn't she have school starting again?"

"She does," said Yuzu with a stern look at Airi, "and she still has a few homework assignments left to finish before she goes back on Monday, which will be finished in the morning."

"But you said we could go out tomorrow." Airi's brow furrowed as she gave Yuzu an accusatory look. "Can't I do it after?"

"You'll do it before." Yuzu reached out and tapped Airi on the nose with a manicured nail. "I'm not going to have you turning into me when it comes to schoolwork. If I did, Mommy would kill me."

"I wouldn't kill you." Mei's voice was calm as she retreated into the kitchen to remove the food from the oven and begin mixing the batter for the other part of their dinner. "I'd simply stop talking to you until you broke her of the habit."

"I'd rather you kill me," groaned Yuzu, winking at Airi. "But homework first, then we play. That includes practicing your cello and your violin and your homework for your piano."

"Do I gotta," asked Airi, eyes wide as she looked at her father through the camera.

"You heard them," replied Ken without hesitation. "Your moms word is law, Airi. Study, then play. You only have a few days left before school starts, and if I don't want you playing catch up, I'm pretty sure they don't either.

"Fine." Airi stuck her tongue out at her dad making both him and Yuzu laugh and Mei smirk. "I'll do my homework, and ummm...if you visit...I promise not to be mean again."

"I know." Ken's voice was soft, and from the corner of her eye, Yuzu could see Hideki staring at them over his shoulder. When she was sure, Airi couldn't see, held a finger up to her lips and shaking her head as a way of telling him not to say anything. "But I already told you I'm not mad. You were scared, and I should have said something. If I were you, I would have been freaked out too. But if you're serious about making it up to me, why don't you make me something to eat as you did with your mom and mama? I bet you'll be an excellent cook by the time I get to town for my next visit."

"Can I," asked Airi quietly, her eye widening as she stared at Mei and Yuzu.

"That's why we bought you all this cooking stuff," said Yuzu as she ruffled Airi's hair. "Well, part of the reason. But if it encourages you to learn, then I say go for it."

"Mommy, can you help me?"

At hearing Airi's request, Mei's hand hit the top of the oven, and there was a loud bang as thee pan she was holding fell back on to the rack as Mei hissed in pain at the burning sensation throbbing in her wrist.

"What happened," asked Yuzu leaving the counter as Mei turned on the cold water and placed her arm beneath it.

"I'm all right," exclaimed Mei over the cacophony of voices that had erupted from the kids, Ken, and Yuzu. "I just burned my hand. I'll be fine after I put some ointment on it. But I'll need some help with finishing dinner. Hideki, get the grill. Yui and Airi, can you please grab the dishes? Yuzu, come with me. I'll need your help with cleaning and dressing it. Ken, I apologize, but we're going to need to end this conversation early."

"Don't worry about it. I'll talk to you all soon. Airi, be good."

"Okay!" Airi picked her tablet up, waved good-bye to her father, and hit a button while Mei and Yuzu retreated to the bathroom.

While the kids all began shouting at each other over who was going to be doing what, Mei and Yuzu retreated into the bathroom. When they arrived, Yuzu set about finding the first-aid kit while Mei quietly stood against the counter, waiting patiently.

"Okay," grunted Yuzu as she began pulling out the necessary items, "let's see what we're working with."

Mei extended her arm and allowed Yuzu to touch it, biting back a small scream as Yuzu examined her.

"Sorry," said Yuzu, her voice as gentle as her touch. "Does it hurt that bad?"

"No," said Mei, shaking her head. "Not necessarily, it was just the initial shock, but I'm fine now."

"Okay."

Yuzu nodded and kissed Mei's palm before returning to her examination, sighing in relief when she saw Mei's wrist.

"Looks like you didn't pull off any skin or anything, so that's good." Yuzu opened the bottle of ointment and applied it to a swab before dabbing it on Mei's arm and began looking for some gauze and bandages. "I don't think you'll need the hospital unless it blisters. If it does, we'll go first thing in the morning."

"Thank you," whispered Mei as Yuzu handed her two ibuprofen, a glass of water, and swallowed the pills. "I can't believe I did something so foolish."

"And all because Airi asked you to teach her how to cook." Yuzu chuckled as she began searching for something to fasten the bandaged to Mei's arm. "I mean, it was a bit surprising. I mean, I know you were surprised."

Yuzu pointed at Mei's arm and they both chuckled.

"It was surprising, yes and I thought she'd ask you as well." Mei brushed some hair behind Yuzu's ear as she sighed in defeat and began carefully tying the bandage. "You aren't upset, are you?"

"Naw." Yuzu lifted Mei's hand to her mouth and kissed it before continuing. "Why would I be? You saw the look on her face when we gave her all that stuff. I'm sure she'll be getting in the way trying to help, just like Hideki used to. So, don't worry about me and enjoy it. Hideki might be leaving soon, but we still got a while with Airi, and we'll both have plenty of chances to teach her to cook."

"I suppose we do." Mei kept her eyes focused on the bandage that Yuzu had finished tying around her wrist and sighed as Yuzu gave it another kiss. "I guess I should be happy about that."

"Don't sound so disappointed," pouted Yuzu placing her hands on either side of Mei, making sure to caress the rings on Mei's left hand while her face continued to inch closer to her wife's. "You forget, we still have a lifetime together."

"Sometimes it feels like we've already been married that long," said Mei coldly, turning her face away from Yuzu, doing her best to avoid that familiar wide-eyed gaze, though the redness of her ears and the small upward curl of her lips

Yuzu's mouth once more fell open in surprise at Mei's commentary before slowly twisting upward into a smile as she rested her head on Mei's chest and laughed.

"That...okay...that was a good joke."

"I'm glad." Mei carefully wrapped her arms around Yuzu and closed her eyes when her wife did the same, causing much of her stress to melt away.

"Feeling better," asked Yuzu kissing Mei's neck before resting her head on the taller woman's shoulder, squeezing her tightly.

"I will be soon." Mei's grip tightened around Yuzu briefly before relaxing. "But as much as I want to spend some time alone with you, I think it might be wiser for us to go and check on the children. I'm sure Yui already brought out the sushi I ordered and Airi's eaten almost half of it."

"You got sushi?" Yuzu's head jerked up at this revelation and Mei could see her eyes sparkling. "Why didn't you say so sooner? It's been forever since we had sushi. Did you get any nigiri? What about saba? And please tell me you got Airi her own serving of unagi. I don't want them fighting over it like last time."

"It's all taken care of." Mei smiled at Yuzu's excitement and followed her out of the bathroom, her hand firmly gripping Yuzu's. "I took every precaution."

"Come on, Airi, save some for the rest of us." Mei and Yuzu both sighed as they heard Yui's voice echo down the hall. "Your mom bought this whole tray; you can share one piece."

"But this unagi came in a box with my name on it. So I don't have to share. You can eat the chicken since Mommy didn't say what's spicy, and I don't want to eat something yucky."

"Seems like you spoke too soon," said Yuzu, smirking while Mei rolled her eyes at the argument that was taking place.

"I guess so." Mei let out a loud sigh as they rounded the corner but smiled when she saw Hideki pour the batter onto the grill, his face looking uncannily like his mother's.

"Will you two stop fighting," he growled while he loaded some shredded bacon and other toppings onto the sizzling grill. "It's sushi, and we have a whole tray of it, is it that big of a deal if you don't get one type."

"Fine, then I'll just eat this."

Yui reached over and stuffed a slice of inarizushi and maguro nigiri into her mouth while Airi shoved yet another piece of unagi into her mouth and began chewing happily; rice covering her face.

"I don't care," snipped Hideki as Yui crammed another piece of lean tuna into her mouth, his eyebrow twitching furiously as his best friend began to loudly chew on one of his two favorite types of sushi.

"Pfw 'are," asked Yui before picking up another piece, this time one of the larger pieces of inarizushi and began poking him in the cheek with one of her fingers before swallowing what was already in her mouth. "It's delicious. Your mom got the good stuff. You better eat some before it's all gone."

"I'll eat some when I'm ready," snapped Hideki, just as Yui popped her latest piece into her mouth, making her choke a little and Airi laugh.

"That's enough, you three," sighed Mei, moving to where Hideki was while Yuzu moved to the seat between her and Airi and began trying to help their daughter clean her face before they started the rest of their meal. "Thank you for your help, Hideki. Take your seat, and I'll finish making this. Yui you can sit as well. However, I'd advise against stuffing your mouth. I'd hate to have you choke before the start of the new term, and it wouldn't look good for the academy if a student from another school died in my house. Not to mention what your parents would do to me if something happened to you."

"Yes, ma'am." Yui nodded and took her seat next to Hideki, earning her an elbow in the side while Hideki began eating as many pieces of mauro and inarizushi before Yui ate the remaining pieces. "Thanks again for having me tonight."

"It's our pleasure," laughed Yuzu after wiping the last bits of sauce and rice from Airi's face before sharing a piece of unagi. "It's been a while since you stayed over. Has school been going well?"

While Yui explained about everything going on with her school work, including her softball and track duties, Mei smiled as the laughter around her filled her ears, content with serving everyone until Yuzu forced her to sit down and eat something before it went cold.

When she was seated, Airi exited her seat and climbed in Mei's lap, bringing with her a plate full of kappa maki and tamagoyaki.

"I saved you some Mommy," said Airi, holding up a piece of the omelette sushi for Mei to eat. "You like this kind, right?"

"I do." Mei leaned down and took a bite of the piece and smiled as she chewed.

"It's good, huh?"

Mei nodded and swallowed and allowed Airi to feed her the remaining piece.

"It's excellent," said Mei after swallowing and grabbing a plate of the slightly overdone chicken wings, sniffed it, and placed a few pieces onto the plate Airi was now sharing with her. "Here, I don't think these pieces are spicy. Do you want me to try them before you eat?"

"I'll try it," whimpered Airi, picking up a fork and sniffing the chicken. "You don't like spicy stuff either, but you're hurt, so I'll make sure you don't get anything gross."

"I'll eat it," said Hideki, extending his chopsticks to steal a piece only to have his hand slapped by a scowling Mei.

"That was not smart," laughed Yuzu as she took a seat and began chewing on a piece of shrimp okonomiyaki before eating some saba.

"I guess not." Hideki snorted and shook his hand, and glared at his mother. "Did you have to slap me so hard? That hurt."

"Yes, I did," said Mei, squeezing a still oblivious Airi who had finally mustered up the courage to take a bite of the chicken and began chewing slowly.

"Whatever." Hideki shook his head and continued to eat, taking a large bite of a wing he knew to be spicy and swallowed. "At least I'm not a baby when it comes to spicy food."

"I'm not a baby," shouted Airi after swallowing her bite. "I just took a big bite, so Mommy didn't have to eat something spicy, and I can eat spicy stuff if I want to."

"Then, eat this." Hideki grabbed an uneaten piece of chicken and placed it on Mei and Airi's plate before eating another bite himself. "If you aren't a baby, then eat that."

"Fine." Airi set down the fork that still held the chicken she'd taste-tested for Mei, grabbed the slice her brother had given her and crammed it into her mouth, and began chewing. "'fe ehm nah a..."

Everyone watched as Airi's speech slowed and her face shifted from it's usual warm tan color to a shade of cinnamon as her eyes filled with tears as the spiciness of the food assaulted her tongue, setting her body on fire.

"Oh crap," mumbled Hideki while tears poured down his sisters cheeks as she continued to chew and he began filling Airi's cup with some milk.

"Nice one, Hideki," chided Yui, munching on a bit of mild chicken while Mei and Yuzu began helping a sniffing and coughing Airi get control of herself.

"Se...see," coughed Airi after taking a sip of milk and blowing her nose. "I told you I'm not a baby."

"Okay, okay." Hideki's face turned a bright shade of pink at the glare his mothers were giving him. "You're not a baby."

"That's right," said Airi through freshly fallen tears before sticking her tongue out at her brother. "I'm a big girl."

"Yes, yes, you are," agreed Yuzu before standing up and preparing to make some more food. "Now if you two are done trying to prove how grown-up you; do you want any more? There's plenty to go around."

After everyone agreed to another round of food, the meal continued in relative peace, with Hideki telling his family about all of the places he went while visiting New York. Most involved his adventures while staying in the city. But many included the trips they took them on to visit different academies in other cities and all the different foods he'd eaten along with pictures of all the friends he'd made and all the things they did.

There were pictures of them at ballparks, shopping centers, Times Square, museums, and so many other places that Mei and Yuzu wondered if Hideki had done any work at all. Luckily, their worries were alleviated when Hideki showed them the videos of the routines he'd practiced and shows he'd been in while he was away.

"Whoa! You can jump high," exclaimed Airi as she watched a video on Hideki's phone while Yuzu, her brother, and Yui began cleaning up.

"You've seen him jump like that," chuckled Mei as she watched the video alongside Airi, her arms still holding onto her daughter as if she were Kumagoro. "Though I am amazed at how much you've progressed to be able to keep up with the others. I'm very proud of you, Hideki."

"Thanks, Mom."

Yuzu watched Hideki's ears turn bright red and said, "Airi, did you want to tell Hideki about everything you did while he was away?"

"But he knows what we did, Mama." Airi slipped off the chair and walked into the kitchen and put Hideki's phone in his pocket. "He knows we went camping and stayed at the inn and stuff."

"That's true," said Mei, walking into the kitchen to help Yui get the dishes and food for their dessert. "We did do a good job of keeping him up to date about everything we were doing."

"Though you didn't tell me about taking Airi to meet her dad," grumbled Hideki, making Yuzu and Mei both sigh in frustration.

"That was a spur of the moment decision," said Yuzu, jamming her elbow into her son's side. "He just happened to be in town and Mei and I thought it would be a good idea for them to meet, even if it did blow up in our faces."

"I'm sorry."

Both Yuzu and Hideki stopped what they were doing and turned around to see Airi twisting the fabric of her pajamas as she stared down at her feet.

"It's okay, Sweetie," said Yuzu as she picked Airi up and hugged her. "Mommy and I know you were scared to meet him. We told you that so you don't need to say you're sorry. If anything, Mommy and I are sorry that we weren't honest with you about taking you to meet him."

"Really," asked Airi, nuzzling Yuzu before letting out a loud yawn and smacking her lips.

"Really," repeated Yuzu, kissing the top of her daughter's head. "And Mommy and I are very proud of you for apologizing to him and trying to be friends with him. Aren't we Mei?"

"Very proud," said Mei from the dining room. "It takes a lot of courage to do what you've done, and Mama and I are happy that you've come so far over the past few weeks."

"Are you proud of me, Hideki?"

Airi turned her head so quickly that her hair tickled Yuzu's nose, making her sneeze just before her son could reply.

"I am," chuckled Hideki after excusing Yuzu's sneeze. "You're the bravest kid I know."

Airi giggled and wrapped her arms around Yuzu's neck as she said, "My daddy said that I have a lot of cousins and a grandma and grandpa that I can visit if I want to when I'm older. Do you want to come?"

"I'll think about it," grunted Hideki, though he did his best to keep a smile on his face. "I might be busy with school or work. But if you want me to come and I can make the time, I will, though I'm not sure how your dad would feel about it."

"I'll ask him in my next letter," replied Airi before burying her face in Yuzu's chest. "Is that okay, Mama?"

"Sure, it is." Yuzu pat Airi's hair, recognizing this as one of the signs that Airi was ready to sleep and motioned for Hideki to go to the table so they could have dessert before she passed out.

The dessert that night ended up being three large rolled cakes with one being a chocolate cake filled with whipped cream and strawberries, another being a vanilla cake filled with raspberries and chocolate, with the final one being a brown tiramisu style cake.

"Wow," said Airi, from Yuzu's lap while Yui and Hideki began cutting slices for everyone. "Mama, you made these by yourself?"

"Yep," said Yuzu, accepting a small plate with three slices for her and Airi to share. "I had to go in a couple of hours before the shop opened to make them. Do they taste good?"

All of the kids nodded in agreement while Mei quietly ate her slices of tiramisu and chocolate cake.

"Mei," asked Yuzu while Airi began devouring the cakes she was supposed to be sharing with her mother. "Do you like them?"

Swallowing her latest bite, Mei turned her attention to Yuzu, a small blush on her cheeks as she nodded and said, "They're delicious Yuzu. Thank you for making them."

"Thank God," sighed Yuzu with a relieved smile, finally turning her attention to her and Airi's plate only to find it empty and Airi downing another glass of milk. "Airi, where'd the cake go?"

"It's in my tummy," exclaimed Airi before letting out a loud burp. "Excuse me."

"Here, Mama," laughed Hideki as he grabbed the plate and placed a few more slices it, making sure to add a couple of extra slices in case Airi got it in her mind that she wanted seconds.

"Thanks, Little Man," said Yuzu with a wink causing Hideki to blush for what seemed like the fiftieth time that night.

Only nodding in reply, Hideki headed to the kitchen to prepare some coffee and finish the dishes while Mei and Yui continued their talk about her plans after graduation. When they reached the part about Yui explaining she was looking into law school or following in her dad's footsteps and entering the technology field, Yuzu felt something warm on her shoulder and wasn't surprised to see Airi sleeping soundly. Yuzu couldn't help but chuckle at the way Airi's mouth remained open as she snored quietly.

"So much for the sleepover," said Yuzu before standing up and with a little help from Mei, managed to step away from the table. "Looks like all the excitement wore her out."

"It's fine, Yuzu-san," yawned Yui as she accepted a cup of coffee from Hideki and offered one to Mei, who politely declined. "We'll still be here in the morning, so I'll make sure to play with her then. Thanks for all the food, it was great."

"You're quite welcome," said Mei, nodding at the two teens. "Hideki, do you want to help us put her to bed while you get the futon for Yui?"

"Sure."

Hideki set down his coffee cup and excused himself before following his mothers upstairs and into Airi's room.

While Hideki busied himself with finding the futon they used for company, Mei pulled back Airi's comforter as Yuzu began to place her down onto the soft mattress, only for her daughter's arms to grip her tightly and started whining.

"It's okay," whispered Yuzu, as she carefully pried Airi's arms from her neck. "Mommy and I are just putting you in your bed. See?"

"Huh?" Airi opened her eyes and blinked before allowing her eyes to focus on her moms. "I'm in bed?"

"Yes," said Mei sitting on the side of the mattress while Yuzu knelt on the floor next to her. "You're safe in bed and Mama and I are tucking you in."

"Oh, okay," yawned Airi as she rolled over and grabbed her stuffed owl. "Is Hideki here?"

"He's grabbing a futon for Yui," explained Yuzu, pulling the comforter over Airi and kissing her temple. "Do you want to say good night?"

Airi nodded and Mei left to grab Hideki, who appeared looking annoyed at the request as it meant having to pick up the futon again, but happy that Airi wanted to talk to him.

"What's up, Squirt," he asked as he dropped down on the other side of the bed and took a moment to poke Airi on the forehead. "You feeling sick?"

"No." Airi shook her head and curled up tight against her owl. "I just wanted to know if you were mad at me."

"Why would I be mad at you?" Hideki's eyebrow arched at the question and looked at his moms, who both shook their heads in confusion. "Did you sneak into my room and steal one of my shirts again?"

"Yes," said Airi with a giggle and pointed at her dresser. "It's in my dresser, but I was wondering if you were mad at me cus I was talking to my daddy? If you are, I'll stop talking to him."

"I'm...I'm not mad at you for that," stammered Hideki while Yuzu coughed uncomfortably and Mei remained positioned next to the door. "And I don't want you to stop talking to him. So don't say that, okay?"

"Then how come you looked mad," asked Airi through a yawn. "My daddy's nice and he didn't get mad at me for running away from him at the festival."

"I know he's nice," said Hideki quietly. "I've met your dad, but it's just difficult to like someone who isn't around a lot, does that make sense?"

"Sorta." Airi squeezed her owl and gave him a tired smile. "He said he's gonna visit more, so maybe you can be friends the next time he comes over?"

"I'll try." Hideki raised his hand and extended his pinkie. "I promise."

"Okay." Airi reached up and locked their fingers before letting her hand drop onto the bed. "I'm gonna go to sleep. You can go away now."

Hideki laughed and patted Airi's hair and said, "Sleep tight Squirt."

When he was gone, Mei approached the bed and along with Yuzu, gave Airi her goodnight kisses, earning them a sleepy, "I love you," from the girl before leaving her to sleep.

When they returned to the living room, there were unsurprised to find that Yui had already taken her customary place below the couch, while Hideki was stretched out across the sofa, his leg propped up on one of the arms. Both of them were engrossed in an action movie with Yui sitting up on her futon, shouting at the screen while Hideki was engrossed in a conversation on his phone, laughing at something the person on the other end had sent him.

"Whatcha reading," asked Yuzu, trying to catch a glimpse of what the message said, but was rewarded with a black screen.

"None of your business," he grunted as he sat up to talk with his moms.

"It's probably this girl he was telling me about on our way back from Akihabara," said Yui without looking back. "Come on! What kind of crap is that? How'd he even live through that? Jeez. I get it's a movie, but a little more realism wouldn't kill ya."

"Keep your voice down, Yui," said Mei with an annoyed sigh. "Airi's asleep and I don't want her to wake up."

"Sorry, Mei-san." Yui grabbed the remote and turned the television down just before a gunfight broke out.

"Thank you, dear." Mei gave Yui an appreciative smile before turning her attention to her son. "What's this about a girl?"

"It's nothing, Mom." Hideki rolled his eyes and placed a cautious kick at the back of Yui's head. "She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"I'm sure." Mei shook her head and gave Hideki a gentle smoke on the back of the head. "Remember our rule, Hideki. No dating until after high school. I don't want you getting distracted or leading this poor girl on."

"Relax, Mom." Hideki tossed his phone to the other end of the couch and ran his hands over his face. "Mama, can you please tell her there's nothing to worry about?"

"Okay, everyone, simmer down. It's been a long day for everyone, and we're all tired," said Yuzu with a nervous smile while Yui slowly crawled away from the couch. "Hideki, we just came to say good night and that we're glad to have you home. Mei, can we please go to bed and talk about this tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Very well." Mei nodded and approached the couch and leaned down to give Hideki a quick, awkward hug. "Good night, Hideki. I want you to know that despite what happened earlier, I am happy that you're home."

"I know, Mom." Making sure that he didn't touch his mother's injured wrist, Hideki gave her forearm a quick squeeze. "I'm happy to be home too. Good night."

"Good night, Hideki."

After kissing him on the temple, Mei stepped away and waited for Yuzu to do the same before heading into their room. Once they shut the door behind them, Yuzu proceeded to take a quick shower while Mei changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed, not even bothering to open the book she'd meant to finish. Instead, she turned on the television, not even paying attention to the movie she'd turned on.

"That feels better," exclaimed Yuzu, appearing wearing only a fresh pair of underwear and a towel draped over her bare chest. "Aren't you going to shower, Mei?"

"I took one before my meeting," responded Mei, a slight flush to her cheeks. Mei wasn't sure if it was because of the sight of Yuzu's mostly naked body or the scene of a man and woman in a passionate was anyone's guess, though Mei was leaning toward the former. "Do you need help with your hair?"

"I think I'm good," giggled Yuzu before slipping a long shirt over her head and skipping toward the bed, unaware of what was on the television. When she reached the edge, Yuzu hopped onto the mattress, causing Mei to bounce upon her impact. "See, I already combed it."

Yuzu lifted Mei's arm and allowed her fingers to work their way through her silky hair.

"Feel good," asked Yuzu, closing her eyes as she felt the heel of Mei's palm brush her cheek.

"Very." Mei nodded and leaned in, giving Yuzu a soft kiss on her lips, tasting the remnants of her wife's toothpaste.

Moaning at the feeling of Mei's tongue against hers, Yuzu reciprocated by placing her hand on Mei's, her fingernails stroking the edge of Mei's ears, making her wife moan at the same moment the woman on the screen did.

"What are you watching," asked Yuzu, breaking the kiss and turning her head toward the screen just in time to see the man and woman begin making love.

"I don't know." Mei fumbled around behind her for the remote, her face growing redder when she accidentally turned it up instead of off, making the woman's moans even louder. "Damn it, why won't it.."

"Give it here," laughed Yuzu, taking the remote from Mei and pressing the power button, sending the room into sweet silent bliss save for Yuzu's laughter.

"Why'd you turn that on," chuckled Yuzu, trying to ease the tension but instead of getting Mei to talk, all the blonde did was force Mei to lift the blankets and proceed to bury herself beneath them as she covered her face with her arms, trying to recover from her embarrassment.

"Okay," sighed Yuzu before patting Mei on her hip. "I understand."

There was a momentary shift to the mattress as Yuzu's weight was removed from the bed, followed by the gentle sound of her footsteps. Mei heard a soft click and noticed the darkness around her grow denser. Pulling her knees up to her chest, Mei remained quiet as she listened to the comforter shift, followed by the cooling sensation of the air on her back before feeling Yuzu's familiar warmth.

"It's okay, Mei," whispered Yuzu after wrapping herself around Mei's balled up form. "You got nothing to be embarrassed about."

"I can't believe I turned something like that on," sniffed Mei before rolling over and clutching Yuzu's shirt. "Not only that, but I turned the volume up. What'll the kids think if they heard…."

"They'll probably think it was an accident," chuckled Yuzu as she stroked Mei's hair. "It's not like they haven't seen us watch a romance movie before."

"They haven't seen us watch a movie with scenes like that." Mei shook her head and moved closer to Yuzu. "Honestly, I didn't even know that the movie had those kinds of scenes. I just turned the television on to whatever channel it was last left on, and that's what was playing."

"You don't need to explain yourself to me, Mei." Yuzu kissed her wife's head and shifted her body down so she was face to face with her, though the only way she could tell she'd reached her destination when she felt her nose brush against Mei's. "I know the only reason you watch romance movies is because you know I enjoy them. So stop worrying about it. I'm sure Hideki and Yui are watching some loud, dumb movie or are playing a game, and Airi is out cold. Besides you, Harumin, and Matsuri have seen me read way worse than what was on the screen."

"That is true," chuckled Mei, pressing her nose against Yuzu's before closing her eyes. "You've always had strange tastes."

"Well, you married me, so that makes you pretty strange too."

They both chuckled and Mei felt Yuzu's fingers against her cheek before kissing her forehead and giggling.

"What's so funny?" Mei's eyes opened at the sound, and for a moment, she could see the faintest outline of Yuzu's head in the darkness.

"I was just thinking about that trip we took in high school." Yuzu's hand moved upwards and began stroking the hairs that were covering Mei's forehead. "Back before we started dating and when you and Himeko shared a room. I came to talk to you and she burst in and you..."

"I shut the lights off and pulled you under the covers," said Mei, a small hint of sadness in her voice. "Yes, I remember. I also remember that you thought it'd be a good idea to go ahead and start kissing me and, while I may understand your intentions now, at the time, it wasn't appreciated."

"I know." Yuzu rubbed her nose against Mei's forehead and closed her eyes, breathing in the subtle floral scent of the shampoo she'd used earlier. "The look on your face said plenty and I hope you know that I wasn't proud of myself. All I wanted was for you to understand how I felt and that trip was really frustrating. Then there was that whole thing with Sara and...well...I'm sorry, Mei even though I've said it a whole bunch of times already.

"I understand. There are many things I'm sorry for too Yuzu." Careful to avoid her injured wrist, Mei's arm wound its way around Yuzu's body and squeezed, forcing a sigh from her wife. "What's the matter, Yuzu? Did I say something wrong?"

"No," said the blonde as she continued to caress Mei's hair. "No, you didn't say anything wrong. I'm just feeling bad because I keep thinking I should be over all of this stuff already, you know? We've been married forever, we got two kids, and there are days where sometimes I can't help but watch you with them and wonder, 'Why me?'"

"I understand." Mei placed her hand on Yuzu's chest and pulled the ring out from beneath the blonde's shirt and began rubbing it. "I have those thoughts too and I'm not proud of myself for thinking them. But if it helps, I am happy with our life together."

"I know you are." Yuzu smiled as she felt Mei begin rolling the old gold ring around as Hideki and Yui started to shout at something that was happening on the television.

"Why do teenagers have to be so loud," sighed Yuzu as she lifted the covers and looked over at the clock to see that it was almost ten and groaned. "And when did I start feeling so old? Seriously it's not even ten, and I already feel drained."

"Don't feel too bad." Mei kissed Yuzu's ring before letting it fall to her chest. "Now you know how I've felt for most of my life."

"That explains so much," laughed Yuzu as Mei removed herself from beneath the blanket, giving the door a concerned look.

"Mei?" Yuzu lifted her head and started to ask what was going on when Mei pressed a finger to her mouth.

"I thought I heard something," whispered Mei, turning her ear toward the door, trying to confirm her suspicions.

"What?" Yuzu sat up and did something similar to what Mei was doing but didn't hear anything. "I don't hear anything…."

Before Yuzu could finish, she saw a smile flash across Mei's face followed by the sudden weight of her wife's body pressing her down into the mattress, her legs straddling Yuzu's hips in an attempt to keep all of her weight centered.

"Mei, come on," grunted Yuzu as she tried to push her wife off her. "This is embarrassing. What if the kids..."

"Just be quiet and listen," whispered Mei just as a loud laugh echoed up the stairs followed by a familiar whine.

"Stupid Hideki," they heard Airi mumble as she stomped her way down the hall. "I'm gonna kick his butt."

"That can't be good," said Yuzu, snickering as she heard Airi take a moment to run back toward the bathroom and then the flush of the toilet.

"Airi? Mom? Mama?"

Mei and Yuzu both grew stiff at hearing Hideki call for them, his voice a little closer than it had been previously.

"Are you guys up?"

"Yeah! I am!"

They heard the bathroom door shut and the sound of Airi running toward the stairs.

"What's the matter, Squirt? You have a bad dream?"

Both Mei and Yuzu chuckled at hearing Hideki's new nickname for his sister but remained glued to their spots on the bed as they listened to the conversation.

"You woke me up," they heard Airi whine along with a stamp of her foot. "And I didn't have a bad dream; I had a good dream and you ruined it."

"I'm sorry. But you gotta keep it down. Mom and Mama might be sleeping, and we don't want to wake them up do we?"

"If they woke up, that's your fault because you and Yui were loud."

"That's true," said Hideki with a nervous chuckle. "But I think we're okay. If they were up, they'd have probably come out and yelled at us by now."

"Wanna check?" They heard Airi's footsteps, and the sudden rattling of the doorknob caused both Mei and Yuzu to freeze. "We can see if they woke up and tuck them in if they did."

"Let's not and say we did," came Hideki's voice, followed by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. "They're in bed and if they're asleep, I don't think they'd appreciate us waking them up. But if you want, you can hang out with Yui and me for a bit until you go back to sleep? We're watching a grown-up movie, not a bad one, just a more grown-up one. I promise no blood and guts or anything bad, well there might be a couple of bad words."

"No, I'm okay." Mei and Yuzu both laughed at the way Airi yawned as she spoke. "I wanna go back to bed, can you tuck me in?"

"Sure thing, Squirt."

Outside the door, they could hear Hideki's heavy footfalls and Airi's hand leaving the doorknob. They waited for a moment, listening to their dull footsteps, but just as she began to relax, Yuzu's body clenched up when she heard Airi start trying to break into the room again.

"Airi, you gotta be quiet, or else we're gonna get in trouble."

"But I wanna say good night to Mommy and Mama," whined Airi through the door. "They always tuck me in, so I wanna tuck them in."

"That might not be a good idea," they heard Hideki say with a nervous laugh.

"How come?" There was the sound of the doorknob rattling as Airi spoke, followed by a groan of disappointment. "Aw man. They locked it."

"Then that means we need to leave them alone," said Hideki with a nervous cough.

"But why?" Mei and Yuzu both smiled and knew the other was imagining Airi's face puffing up as she pouted. "They never leave us alone when..."

"That's because Mama and Mom need alone time, just like you sometimes do. Maybe even more than you since they got work and us to take care of, so we need to let them be alone sometimes so they can feel better."

"I bet his face is bright red," whispered Yuzu, causing Mei to snort before covering her mouth and rolling off to the side.

"Shush," commanded Mei, gently smacking Yuzu on the shoulder right as Airi began speaking.

"But Mommy and Mama say that we help them feel better." There was a gentle thud against the door, followed by two more, and they figured it was Airi's hand smacking it. "Especially when we snuggle, so maybe I can do that to help them feel better?"

"As I said, Airi, that's a bad idea." Hideki's voice was shaky as he spoke, and Mei and Yuzu once again had to stifle their giggles. "Mom and Mama snuggling is sometimes way different than when you do it with them, so let's give them some privacy and I promise that if you ask them tomorrow, they'll say yes. Okay?"

"Okay." Both Mei and Yuzu smiled at her disappointment only to feel their hearts clench in their chest when Airi took a moment whisper, "Night Mama. Night Mommy. I love you," before following Hideki back down the hallway.

Once there was quiet, Mei lifted herself off the mattress and kissed Yuzu before saying, "Does that answer your question? Because if it doesn't, I'd be happy to explain it to you."

"It does," answered Yuzu, pulling Mei closer and kissing her neck.

"Good," whispered Mei, her body conforming to Yuzu's shape. "And just so you know, it's not only because of what you've done for the kids that you deserve this life, but, and I can't stress this enough, I wouldn't have come this far without you. Not only in regards to the school but in regards to our life as well, and Hideki's too. You forget how much we've grown together, and I don't want you to think that I've settled for you or that you don't deserve what we have. As I've said before, and will now say again, I spent too long feeling that way about us, I don't want you to start feeling that way either."

"I know."

Mei felt Yuzu begin to nuzzle her neck, the blonde's hair brushing the bottom of the ear, forcing Mei to summon all of her willpower to remain upright.

"I'm lucky to have you, Yuzu," continued Mei, her strength finally leaving her when Yuzu kissed her ear. "Even if I have to constantly remind you of it."

"Just think of it as making up for all the times you wouldn't believe me when I said it to you," sighed Yuzu, her warm breath sending a shiver down Mei's spine. "But I wouldn't be who I am without you either, so thanks for staying with me and putting up with my nonsense."

"I would be lying if I said I didn't find it entertaining." Carefully positioning her burnt arm next to Yuzu's head, Mei rested her head on Yuzu's breast and listened to the soft beat of her wife's heart. "But I like you, Yuzu. I like you just the way you are; flaws and all."

"I like you too, Mei," whispered Yuzu, enveloping them with the comforter before she returned to hugging her wife.

"Is this what you want," asked Mei, recognizing the signs that, despite their earlier flirting, Yuzu needed Mei close to her more than anything.

"Yeah," nodded Yuzu, holding onto Mei as if she were a teddy bear. "What about you? Do you want this? Or do you want to do what you were hinting at earlier?"

"I'm perfectly content with this." Mei let out a content sigh and kissed Yuzu's neck and cheek before placing her head on the blonde's shoulders. "As long as it's with you, I'm okay with it."

"We could go and grab Airi," suggested Yuzu with a chuckle. "She was right when she said that being near them helps. I wish Hideki hadn't grown up so quickly. I miss the way he used to run up to us and climb into our laps."

"I do, too," agreed Mei, allowing herself to relax. "But from the sounds of it, we have many more years of interruptions from her to come, so let's enjoy these moments when we can. I'm sure she'll bother us tomorrow, and for several days after once she's started school again."

"I can't wait."

Mei could feel the energy radiating from the smile she knew was plastered on Yuzu's face and sighed heavily at realizing that for the foreseeable future, she and Yuzu would have no privacy.

"Don't be like that." Yuzu shifted her body until Mei was resting next to her; their faces turned toward one another, allowing them to gaze into one another's eyes. "You just said you miss Hideki's snuggling, so I thought you'd be happy to take advantage of Airi wanting to be around us."

"I do," said Mei, not even trying to hide her disappointment as she caressed and kissed Yuzu's face. "I just don't want her taking up too much of our time."

"I promise she won't." Yuzu placed several kisses along her wife's face, making Mei protest for her to stop, though they quickly turned to laughs.

"That's enough," panted Mei after several moments of Yuzu's teasing, pushing the blonde away, but only by a couple of inches.

"Okay." Yuzu's kisses stopped immediately, though her grip remained just as tight. "Can I still hold you?"

"Of course you can." Mei shifted her body downward and placed her face against her wife's neck, taking a moment to bite the soft flesh.

"Ow!"

"That was for teasing me," snorted Mei before breathing in her wife's scent and closing her eyes. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Not really." There was a gentleness in Yuzu's voice which told Mei, that despite her protest, that the blonde had somewhat enjoyed what had transpired. "I was more surprised than anything."

"Okay." Even without opening her eyes, Mei knew Yuzu's body well enough to get the general vicinity of where she'd just bitten her wife and kissed the mark lovingly. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You didn't."

Mei felt Yuzu's lips on the top of her head and heard a satisfied sigh escape her and knew that she had limited time before Yuzu fell asleep.

"Sleep well, Yuzu," she whispered, wrapping her injured wrist around Yuzu's waist. "I love you, and I'll be here when you wake."

"I love you too, Mei." Yuzu let out another yawn, so very much like Airi's and rubbed her cheek lovingly against Mei's head. "So very much."

Shortly after hearing those words, Mei listened to the gentle snores of her wife's peaceful sleep and smiled, allowing herself the time to cherish the quiet between them, with only the occasional interruption from Hideki and Yui's laughter and quiet shouts at the television screen. Luckily, Airi didn't wake up and before she fell asleep, Mei turned on the movie she and Yuzu had watched when the blonde had come back from her first trip to England. As the first sword fight of the film began, Mei felt herself begin to drift off to sleep, her smile growing larger as she felt Yuzu's protective embrace fill her with warmth.