Sano rubbed his right shoulder weakly. The freshly healed wound was pink in the center of the old scar. Sano smiled, at the time it hurt like hell, but it was so soon after that he got to really got to know the older man. "Stop sitting in the dirt and come at me" Saitou taunted. Saitou had finally decided that Sano was well enough to spar, lightly, so they had been practicing while Saiko was napping one Saturday afternoon a month or so after the fight.
Sano ran as fast as he could punching Saitou hard in the gut. Saitou managed to lunge back but it foot caught on one of Saiko's toys left in the yard. He fell backwards with Sano tumbling after. Sano rubbed a sweaty forehead on Saitou's with a warm smile. Saitou opened his mouth to scold Sano for not cleaning up the yard first, but Sano silenced him with a kiss. A few minutes later, but still mid sweaty loving kiss the couple heard a faint knocking.
Saiko was woken up by the frantic knocking and climbed out of bed and went to the door. She was not even two so it was not as if she could open the door, but she understood the concept. "Lo?" she asked the knocking fist. "Hello? Saiko? Go get your dada" Chika's unmistakable voice called out. Saiko nodded to the door after saying "kay." She looked around but did not see her dada. She frowned but felt the breeze and went to the open door. "Dada!" she called out not knowing exactly what else she was supposed to say.
Sano looked up confused at why Saiko need to call him in the middle of her nap. Saitou reluctantly let his lover go to their calling daughter. Sano ran to her side worried, breathily saying "Sa-chan what is wrong." She said "not wrong" and pointed at the door. Sano remembered the knocking and scooped up Saiko to go answered the door. He held in a groan as he recognized Chika in a formal kimono with a small girl with short hair standing behind her.
"Sano-senpai" Chika started softly. "Just call me Sanosuke all right?" he pleaded. "Sanosuke-san" she taunted him by not fully doing as he asked "This is my friend Aya-chan, she is the police commissioners daughter. We have seemed to lost her pet kitten, have you seen it?" she said softly. Sano's mind flashed to the past five minutes of making out with Saitou, nope no kitten in his memory. "Sorry no Chika-san" Sano finally admitted. Saitou had cleaned himself off and stealthily changed into his police uniform and stuck out of the house. He came around the front behind Chika and Aya and with his typical Fujita Gorou smile he spoke calmly "Chika-san, so good to see you out and about."
Chika turned around surprised at Saitou's stealthy appearance. "Gorou-san you work on Saturday?" she asked assuming he was coming from the police station. "Just checking on something, I see you have found Sagara-san's home. Little Saiko is as cute as ever" Little Saiko's eyes lit up and leaned forward out of Sano's arms reaching for da e thinking he was calling her. Sano reacted immediately spinning her around and holding her to his chest. "Actually it is her nap time I was in the back and the knocking woke her up and she found me." Sano admitted with a sweet smile.
Saitou hid his happy smile at Sano's quick thinking. "Chika-san what are you doing here anyways?" 'Gorou' asked kindly. "Oh Aya-chan lost her kitten, we thought it might have gotten into his yard is all, but I really only knew he lived her because Aya's daddy told us earlier today" she admitted embarrassed. "Sagara-san this surely is a police job I will let you tend to Saiko's nap" Saitou said giving Sano a secret wink before placing his hands on the girls shoulders leading them slowly away.
"Nap time, again, Saiko" Sano said lovingly. Saiko's lip trembled sadly. "Sa-chan?" Sano asked concerned. "Da e no bye bye" she cried out. Sano's heart dropped having to hide her relationship with Saitou was so cruel to her. Sano held her tightly and kissed her cheek softly. "Yes, but he will be back soon so don't worry" he said trying to comfort her as he walked her back to her bedroom. Sano tried to set Saiko down, but she clung to his neck digging her nails sharply in his neck. Her face was angry and she cried out "no lone!"
Sano sighed and fit himself in her tiny bed. His legs hung out of the bottom, but Saitou had mentioned it was strong enough to hold the weight of an adult with Saiko so he figured it would be all right for him to sleep there. She fell back asleep quickly and not long after Sano fell asleep himself. Saitou found the kitten and had briefly considered getting one for their house, but reconsidered when he remembered he had a toddler and an ahou already, plus kitten's did not mix well with wolves, roosters, or chicks.
Saitou decided to pick up dinner from the Akebeko, with lots of meat. Sano's eyes snapped awake at the smell of fresh pork. He jumped out of Saiko's bed with her still sleeping in his arms and bolted towards the kitchen. Setting Saiko down gingerly on the counter Sano yanked the container of food out of Saitou's hands. Saitou frowned letting the hungry rooster wolf down the meal Saitou had so lovingly procured for him. Shaking his head Saitou ignored Sano's eating and walked to the counter lightly stroking the side of Saiko's head. "Sa-chan wake up it is dinner time" he said softly. She blinked a few times before sitting herself up. Saitou grabbed the non Sano accosted container and spooned small pieces of pork and rice into her favorite bowl.
The bowl was homemade a pottery attempt Sano and Saiko made for Saitou's birthday, since he complained her bowls were too kiddy. Sano had made the coil pot himself and let Saiko help him paint "serious" pictures on it. It ended up being caricatures of the family frowning and some squiggly pictures drawn by Saiko. Saitou loved it, but at the time all he said was "well it is better I suppose."
Saitou leaned against the counter sipping the small cup of miso soup with his other arm around Saiko worried she might fall from the counter. Finally Sano needed to breathe and started talking as fast as he had been eating. "So where were you all that time, did you find the kitten?" Sano asked. "Yes it was a few houses down, apparently quite a few officers live in this neighborhood, Tanaka-san's little boy was playing with it in the front yard. The whole way back to the police station Chika san was talking about how you should get the little boy and Saiko to have a play date."
Sano smiled and set his dish on the counter. He walked towards Saitou and lightly placed a hand over Saiko's eyes and while she used both of hers to try and pry them off Sano gave Saitou a wet and hard kiss to let him know how much he was actually missed. "Dada stop dada stop" she cried out before Sano finally let go. "Just playing a game Sa-chan your no fun" he said sticking his tongue out and putting a pinky to the corner of his eye going 'nyaaa'.
Putting on his tough dad face Saitou looked sternly at Saiko. "Are you finished?" he asked. "Ya ya" she said with a mischievous grin on her face. "Let me see" he went on. She looked down and slid the bowl away from her side. "No no Sa-chan you have to eat it all." He said with a teasing smile. "Dada is going to take out the trash while you finish." Sano pouted, but collected all the dinner containers and the other rubbish in the kitchen, walking it out of the house and to the barrel on the street.
It was still a while before they needed to put Saiko to bed, especially since she had just been napping so Sano was trying to decide what they would do with the time when he walked back in the house shivering a bit at the cold air that blew in the house as he closed the door. He walked into a very happy scene of Saiko playing on the floor with her rooster doll and Sano bent over the sink washing the dishes.
"I need a new jacket I cannot find my Aku one" Sano said dejectedly. "I will ask around for it, maybe the police picked it up, but I need you to do something for me Sanosuke." Saitou said breathily. Sanosuke's ears perked up at the use of his full name. He walked slowly to the kitchen wrapping his arms around Saitou's abdomen and kissing Saitou's back over his black police shirt lightly. "Yes?" Sano said lovingly. "I need you to … build a crate for Saiko's outside toys" Saitou said barely able to keep in a laugh. Sano's jaw dropped "oh all right Saitou I'll do that" Sano started. "Monday or at least wait till I am gone Sunday" Sano nodded into Saitou's back still holding tightly.
After Saitou finished with the dishes he disappeared to the back bedroom for a moment and called out to his lover and daughter "Saiko, Sano we are going to read a story tonight lets go into the front room" Sano smiled and scooped Saiko up walking into the front room. Headed toward the western type futon Sano sat down holding Saiko in his lap and Saitou sat on his left pulling out a children's book. "First story is called Red Riding Hood, it's a foreign tale so I bet even you haven't heard it Sano" Saitou said softly before he started to read.
Saitou had read eight stories from his fairytale book before he realized no one was listening. It was late and the only light in the room was from the two lanterns in the far corners. Saitou sighed closing the book gingerly. He set it next to him on the futon and leaned over carefully and pulled the blanket off the corner of the cushion. He genuinely smiled before unfolding the blanket carefully pulling the blanket up over the three of them. Sano was sleeping with his mouth open head leaning slightly on Saitou's shoulder. Saiko's mouth was agape as well drooling on Sano's bare chest. Slowly Saitou pulled the blanket up to cover everyone's legs up to Saiko's mid back. He leaned his head lightly onto Sano's and closed his eyes. 'This is a good life' Saitou thought, 'what took me so long?'