There was still a chill in the air and a light dusting of snow on the ground, but the sun shone brightly and the sky was bright blue. It was Valentines day and Sam had just finished picking up some food from a high end local Italian place for a nice night in with his beautiful, wonderful girlfriend and their children. He was now driving towards the local wine store while on the phone with San-Li. He smiled as he heard one of the twins crying in the background.
"Is that Sammy?" He asked with a small laugh.
"Yeah I made the mistake of breast feeding Keiko first this time." San-Li mumbled. "I'm burping her now, but you know how he gets when he gets hungry."
"I thought you usually feed Sammy first?"
"I tried feeding him first but he wasn't hungry then." San-Li chuckled. "Now he's in the living room with Fina probably, pulling her hair out again."
Sam walked into the wine store and realized that had no idea what he was looking for. But he wanted this night to be special so he picked up the darkest and most expensive one and waited in line to purchase it.
"I thought Keiko was the hair puller." Sam said. "Or was that jewelry she likes to pull?"
"Jewelry. Remember what she did to your mom's earrings during Christmas dinner?" She snickered. "Keiko made mommy very proud that day. Yes she did. Yes you did, sweetheart."
"Stop that San-Li, you know my mom was trying to be nice for the twins sake." But Sam could hear Keiko giggle in the background and he couldn't help but laugh as well.
He reached the register and took out his wallet to pay, but the cashier held out his hand to stop him.
"Oh no, you don't have to pay." The man smiled at him. "After you fixed my generator when no one else could, it's the least I can do for you."
"Um, thanks." Sam smiled as he wrapped it for him. "But it was no problem really."
"I insist." The cashier handed him the wine. "Happy Valentines Day."
"You too sir." Sam waved to him and left.
Sam pulled up to San-Li's apartment around six-thirty and headed up to her floor. He felt excited since he hadn't seen them all day and he something exciting to show San-Li. He had been working on it for the longest time and he had recently finished.
Using the key San-Li had given him he opened the door with a large grin already on his face. San-Li and Fina were sitting in living room with each twin on their lap ad Alex sitting between them. In only three short months Sammy and Keiko had grown and developed enough that they were able to sit up in someone's lap.
"Sam!" San-Li put the twin she was holding in Alex's lap and went over to him. "I missed you! How was school?"
"I almost don't feel like I need it anymore." Sam pulled her into a tight embrace. "Especially since it keeps me away from my wife and children."
"I'm not your wife." San-Li rolled her eyes and turned to Fina. "Thanks Fina, you can go meet with Fred now."
Fina stood up and brought San-Li the baby she was holding. "It's not a problem San-Li , I love helping you with the twins."
San-Li grunted as she settled the baby in her arms. "Have fun, but not too much or you'll end up like me."
"Happy with two wonderful children and a man who loves you." Sam finished for her with a slight nudge. "Good night Fina."
Fina closed the door with a wave and Sam leaned down to kissed San-Li. The baby in her arms cooed and when he leaned over to kiss them as well, the twin made a grab for his glasses, letting him know that it was Keiko.
"Hey, how's daddy's little girl?" Sam smiled at her.
Keiko stared at him for a moment, but sure enough started to smile at him and flared her arms to show that she was excited to see him. But when San-Li made a move to place her in his arms, Sam hastily backed away.
"What are you doing San-Li?" He asked in mild alarm. "You know I need to be sitting down before I can hold them."
"Oh will you relax?" San-Li scoffed. "It's not that hard once you get used to it. Here, try it."
She tried putting Keiko in his arms again, and he went rigid. "San-Li don't! I might drop her."
"Fine." San-Li settled her back onto her hip again. "Baby."
"Well excuse me for being cautious." Sam pulled her back to kiss her on the forehead.
San-Li rolled her eyes and gestured for him to sit on the couch. Alex carefully transferred Sammy onto his lap and resumed his usual place on the bean bag chair next to the couch.
Sam marveled at the weight of his young son. True he saw him and Keiko every day but it never ceased to amaze Sam how fast they were growing. He cradled Sammy in his arms and his son readily smiled up at him. It amazed Sam how much he really did look like a perfect combination of him and San-Li.
"So what did you want to show me?" San -Li said sitting next to him.
"I'll show you after we get the twins to sleep." Sam said gently sifting Sammy to a rocking position. "It's a valentines day surprise."
"I told you that you didn't have to do anything special." She whispered shifting Keiko into the same position. "Hey Alex turn the TV down until they go the sleep."
Alex rolled his eyes but obeyed. Sam and San-Li rocked their twins in unison. As Sammy's eyes begun to drift closed, Sam watched San-Li as she rocked Keiko. She was still wearing her hair long and loose, falling well past her shoulders. Her eyes were beginning to look less tired as the twins began to sleep regularly though the night.
"Do you mind if I start spending the night here again?" Sam whispered. "I miss sleeping next to you."
"If you want." San-Li shrugged. "I would just hate for the twins to keep you up during a school night."
"I don't mind." Sam smiled.
After about an hour of rocking Sammy fell asleep first followed slowly by Keiko. Sam stood up extremely cautious and followed San-Li into Alex's room which he was sharing with the twins. They laid them down in the special dual cribs Sam had made and San-Li turned on the baby monitor Sam specially modified.
"Geez isn't there anything I use that you haven't made or modified?" San-Li chuckled closing the door as they left. "And how do you find time to do all of this?"
"What can I say, you and the twins inspire me." Sam shrugged. "I've been working on stuff even before you officially retired. And I've just finished something really amazing. Come see!"
Sam grabbed her hand and pulled her into the kitchen. He gestured for Alex to join them and pulled three plates out of the cabinet. He then pulled out a small rectangular box, about five inches by four inches long and placed it on the table.
"Okay, so remember I told you about that luggage system, back when you were time thieving?" Sam said eagerly. "Well I topped my original design and made this!"
Alex looked up at him with an eyebrow raised in question. Sam drew in a sharp breath of excitement and pressed the small button at the top. The rectangle unfolded itself larger and larger until it unfolded completely revealing the full course Italian take out he bought earlier, still steaming hot.
"Holy Sh**!" San-Li exclaimed and Alex's jaw dropped. "How the hell did you do that?"
"Lots of studying, lots of research, and a lot of failed prototypes." Sam chuckled and wrapped an arm around San-Li's waist. "I actually got the idea from when we traveled to Japan together and you had to bring that geisha make up and costumes."
Alex quickly grabbed a plate and immediately started loading up his plate. San-Li and Sam looked at each other and laughed. They quickly fixed a plate for themselves and headed for San-Li's room and closed the door.
"Ugh, I still can't believe that Fred and Joe actually saw me give birth." San-Li shuddered and took another sip of wine. "If I hadn't been in so much pain I would have kicked them out."
"They did help a lot in birthing the twins." Sam pointed out.
"Yeah, but they both saw... down there."
"At least now I definitely don't have to worry about Fred hooking up with you behind my back." Sam snickered. "After what he saw, he'll never think about you that way again."
San-Li punched him in his arm. "You jerk, I told you that you never had to worry about that in the first place."
Sam laughed and kissed her on the cheek. They were lounging on he bed, drinking the bottle of wine he brought. He had used another one of his cubes to keep it chilling in a bucket of ice which was now sitting on the floor next to them. Usually Sam didn't drink alcohol, but he felt like this was an special enough occasion.
Things were going great between them and their new family. He was in love and happy, and things were really starting to look up with MIT just around the corner. Which was why wanted to take the next step with San-Li.
"You know, I've been thinking about cutting my hair." San-Li said leaning over to pour herself more wine. "Sammy keeps yanking at it and I feel so drab. And fat. I still have a load of pregnancy fat left over."
Sam laughed and shook his head. "You look beautiful."
"Whatever." She mumbled in response.
Sam's eyes traveled over her body as she leaned over the side of the bed. The pregnancy fat San-Li was referring to made her more curvacious and her rear looked amazing in the tight boy shorts she was wearing. And she when she sat back up his eyes automatically went to her still swollen and plumb breasts.
Sam felt the wine starting to take effect as a heat broke out over his body. He set his glass down on the floor and leaned forward, pressing kisses up San-Li's arm.
"What are you doing?" She giggled. "I'm still all lactate-y and stuff."
"Mm-hm." Sam smiled and pressed his lips to her ear. "I have one more surprise for you."
He went over to his bag and pulled out a flat jewelry box. San-Li gasped when he pulled it out and almost choked on her whine. He opened it to reveal two keys nestled side by side. She looked relieved but also a little confused.
"Um, I'm pretty sure I already gave you the key to my place." She said.
"You did." Sam grinned and pressed his lips to her ear again . "This isn't for your place, it's for our place."
"Shut up! You did not!" San-Li shot straight up and stared at him. "Samuel Walterson Kikin, you did not!"
"I did." Sam grinned. "I've been selling some more blue prints and made some investments and I found us a bigger apartment. It only costs about three thousand a month and with how good things have been going for me lately, I'm pretty sure I can afford it for as long as we need it."
San-Li squealed in excitement and threw her arms around him. "This is great! With the settlement from Max I can cover rent for you!"
Sam tilted his head in confusion."Max?"
"Guy I retired my time thieving business to." San-Li explained dismissively. "But this is so great! I can't believe you did this."
"I'll do anything for you." Sam smiled and started kissing down her jaw line. "And our children. And Alex."
San-Li gasped as Sam let his hand slip under her shirt and caress the underside of her breast. He smiled against her neck. It had been so long since they've been together this way, that Sam almost forgot what it felt like to be so completely turned on.
"S-sam," San-Li stuttered. "Is this a good idea?"
"I don't know," he whispered licking her collarbone. "It feels pretty good to me. Unless you don't want to, then I completely understand."
San-Li gave that oh-so familiar seductive chuckle and her hand went straight for the bulge in his pant, making him gasp and his face heat up.
"Okay." San-Li smirked. "As long as you don't get me pregnant again."
Sam only smiled and quickly turned out the light.