"Ryuuzaki-san, you have two choices," Smile "and you will like neither of them."

"Okaa-san… Okaa-san…" little hands were pushing against the exhausted woman's body.

"Immawake Immawake…" Sakuno grumbled, rolling to her side but still refusing to get up.

"Kaa-san!" the little boy raised his voice slightly. Sakuno was still for a while before she suddenly rolled around and started tickling Tahe's sides. His laughter rang through the air while his feet and hands flailed around, trying to get his mother off who was out of the danger zone and between his legs.

"K-Kaa-san s-stop!" Tahe pleaded as tears of laughter was running down his cheeks.

"What's the special word?" Sakuno teased, unaware of the drowsy man that woke up due to the sounds of laughter and was now putting on his glasses to see the sight in front of him. Said man then leaned on his side and observed the innocent and untouched happiness that radiated between mother and son.

"P-P-P- Okaa-san! Please stop!" Tahe finally managed to get the words out before his mother stopped. Tahe was breathing heavily and looking up at his mother with eyes of adoration before his mother flomped back onto the bed, still unaware of the man that was awake. Tahe then cuddled up next to his mother and laid his head on her shoulder. Sakuno circled her arms around her son before holding him close to her.

"Mama," Tahe called out, using an endearment that he only uses in times of weakness or at times when it was just him and his mother.

"Hm?" Sakuno gave a noise of acknowledgement.

"Are the bad guys coming?" Tahe's little voice quivered as he clutched onto his mother's (or father's) shirt. Sakuno stilled for a while before pulling Tahe up for a kiss on his forehead.

"You will be okay, Tahe." Neither Tahe nor Tezuka noticed her lack of including herself in that sentence.

"How about you, mama?" Tahe asked, looking at Sakuno at eye level. Sakuno smiled.

"Mama's going to go to all the Wimbledon games without you if you don't catch me!" Sakuno bounced up and ran out of the door. Tahe froze for a bit before calling "Mama, no! You can't go without me!" he stumbled through all the blankets, getting tangled and falling over to his side on the bed. Seeing this, he finally noticed Tezuka was awake.

"Otou-sama, help me?" his little voice inquired, still uncertain about this new male figure in his life.

Tezuka swiftly got up and untangled the little body. However, before Tahe could say anything, Tezuka lifted the boy onto his shoulders, still uncertain. Tahe looked at him in confusion.

"We will catch your kaa-san faster this way." Tahe seemed to accept this before raising his little fist up, "CHARGE!"

Sakuno was hiding behind the wall at the corner, next to the stairs when she saw the duo that emerged from the room. Old feelings came back on when she and Tezuka would use to 'play' tag ("stamina training," he said but her running and him jogging for 5 minutes before he catches her hardly counts as 'training'). She pointed an accusatory finger at them, "that's not fair!" A familiar glint appeared in Tezuka's eyes as a tiny smirk started growing on him. Well, now Sakuno knows where Tahe gets that look from.

"Peekaboo, Sakuno. I see you." Tezuka said slowly before charging.

"Noooooo!" Sakuno squelled as she rushed down the circular staircase ("why was it circular?", she thought, "It's like I'm not getting anywhere!). For once, she didn't stumble and she would be proud of herself if the demon king of tennis himself wasn't hot on her tails. She could hear her little boy's laughter from the adrenaline and of his makeshift "donkey-that-runs-1000-miles-an-hour".

The game brought them to the kitchen again, with the dining table between them. Sakuno feinted right but Tezuka saw right through it. He whispered to the boy on his shoulders before letting him down. Sakuno watched curiously but cautiously. Was Tahe too heavy for him? Well, Mitsu-kun did seem very skinny last night. Maybe…? Tezuka feinted left which put Sakuno on edge again. Just when she was about to make a run for it, a little hand grabbed onto Sakuno's ankle.

"Got you!" Tahe said with a bright smile, appearing under the table. Then two arms then encircled Sakuno whilst her attention was on Tahe.

"Caught you too." She could feel Tezuka nuzzling his face into her hair and she could not express how she felt in words. Only one word could explain how she felt now.

Complete.

If only this morning could last forever.


"Good morning, senpai. I hope you don't mind me borrowing your kitchen," Sakuno greeted Oishi, who woke up early than his red-headed boyfriend. Oishi noticed that Sakuno was not wearing the shirt Kikumaru gave her but rather a familiar t-shirt and Kikumaru's blue shorts.

"No, it's fine. We did say you could make yourself at home," Oishi said before he turned his attention to the quiet males sitting on the dining table, the young one that seemed to have his brows furrowed in concentration. Tahe then slowly moved a shogi piece and looked up at Tezuka for approval. Tezuka nodded and made his own move before greeting Oishi. Tahe then snapped out of his concentration and cheerfully greeted the mother hen (or was it grandmother hen now?) before turning his attention back to the game.

"Oh, Kunimitsu, do you of any diet you're supposed to be on?" Sakuno called out from the kitchen, not realising her slip of tongue. However, Tezuka and Oishi noticed whilst Tahe was still staring adamantly at the shogi board.

"N-No… It's fine." Tezuka stammered slightly before he replied.

"Alright, pancakes then?" Sakuno called back. Tahe broke out of his concentration before running to the kitchen, "I wanna help! I wanna help!" again and again. The two men heard a melodious laughter before a "Hai, hai".

"So, I take things are going well?" Oishi decided to speak. He was slightly nervous. It had been years since he was able to speak to Tezuka like this. The last time was years ago because since Sakuno left, Tezuka's relationships with his friends have gradually decreased.

"Yes, I think so," Tezuka replied, fingering some shogi pieces. He then placed it down and looked at Oishi, "I need to protect them. Will you help me?"

"Yes, of course, Tezuka."

"Eiji, why did you lend her this t-shirt to go to bed in? This is… pretty bright and I think she would much rather wear the other t-shirts you have."

"I know. It was on purpose."

"… You've been hanging out with Fuji too much."

"Nyaaa Shuichiro, don't be jealous!"

"Sigh."

Pat Pat

"Good job."