So, really quick after the recent submission, but this is for today (Day 4)

A quickie about Family.

Enjoy ^^

"Please! Just quiet down!"

The voice was desperate, almost as much as the wailing babe in his arms was for comfort that his parent was doing his best to give him. Strong arms bounced the baby up and down, green eyes looking over his baby girl crying her lungs out.

"Shhh! Oh shhh!" the young man whispered, his hands running over the head of dark hair on her head, the little arms flailing and kicking out as though she was in some sort of pain her father could not diagnose, "please… papa will be mad if you keep crying…"

Makoto Tachibana wanted to make what he just told his daughter sound better, that his father wasn't someone who would snap because he came home and the baby was yet settled, it was just Makoto that wanted his daughter to calm down, wanted Sosuke to have a good night for once in a what felt like a long time.

Their meeting had been thanks to their friends, Rin and Haru, and an accident to boot. Since he knew Rin, the young couple decided to visit him and Sosuke, being Rin's friend and partner on the force, brought the redhead the coat he left behind.

At least, that was the excuse.

Makoto suspected, as he brought out a fourth cup of tea, that he was here to keep an eye on Rin and Haru, especially because it was evident that Sosuke didn't like the latter. Thankfully, both he and Rin diffused the situation with an almost practiced ease. Since Sosuke had no reason to be near Makoto, the other felt he wouldn't see him again, so it was a surprise when the young man showed up on his doorstep, his confident smirk hidden behind a faint blush.

Somehow they developed, from sometimes coffee dates to romantic nights out, complete with a candlelit dinner and sheets smelling of sweat and sex, both young men panting hard, looking at each other as they wondered how they got to where they were.

Sosuke loved the bright smile and warm eyes that he received whenever Makoto looked at him, how he was gentle with almost everything he did for everyone he knew. His patience was never-ending and his generosity was bottomless; to Sosuke, Makoto could do him no wrong.

That is, until the suggestion came forward that Makoto wanted a baby.

They had been together for two and a half years, all of which were filled with both laughter and fights, the two of them finding new things to love about each other every day they woke up together. Makoto felt blessed, and yet, empty. His volunteer work with the children at the community pool helped with the void, but not as much as he wished. Eventually, he realized the absence in his heart was caused by him wanting his own child, a little girl or boy that he and Sosuke could raise together.

His question was met with a laugh, the police officer acting like Makoto's request was a joke. When he came to understand that it was anything but, he begged for forgiveness, sitting with his lover on the couch as he mulled over the request.

Sosuke explained that he was unsure if he wanted a child or not, convinced he'd make a terrible father, the way he reacted to Haru enough to assure him that he'd overreact and snap at the child. Nodding at the explanation, Makoto felt his heart sink at the words, knowing that he wouldn't fill his absence, wondering where his relationship with Sosuke now stood.

Until a hand covered his own and a voice told him, "wait for me. I'll get there."

While he was doubtful, Makoto nodded, not wanting to throw away everything he had with the young man. He loved Sosuke, dearly; they had a house together, spent as much time together as they could.

It was a shock then when Sosuke came round as he promised, an adoption form held out to the green eyes to observe, the smile on the officer's lips the true smile he loved. After a rib-crushing hug, the two set to work on their adoption, finally blessed after months and months with a tiny baby girl.

They had been so happy to bring her home, so happy to hold her and feed her, Sosuke felt the joy radiate from Makoto while his partner was almost unsure about his feelings. Sosuke had said yes to every step of the process, even bought them a celebratory bottle of champagne when the baby was brought home. At the same time, Sosuke seemed to find any opportunity to hand the baby off to Makoto, letting the brunette take the lead.

He even seemed to go back to work earlier than he planned, assuring Makoto that it was only for a few weeks, the few weeks their baby became more stress inducing than ever before, especially when a horrible thought plagued Makoto's mind.

He thought Sosuke hated him for bringing the baby home.

What other reason would there be for the young man to be almost eager to leave him and the baby alone, to spend as little time as possible with them, to avoid touching their child.

"Please," Makoto whispered, tears blooming in his eyes, "shhh," his nose sniffled, "come on honey, just calm down."

With a sob, the young man sat down on the couch, the child to his shoulder as he tried once more to pat out any residual gas left in her. If the young man could just get her to calm down, then Sosuke could come home, have a nice dinner, and maybe have a good night's sleep.

"Shh baby girl," the young man pressed, "shh."

Still she cried, her body arching as she wailed in her daddy's arms, the young man trying to rock his infant girl back to sleep.

Makoto loved his baby, loved her bright blue eyes and dark hair, loved her smile, how close she liked to be to her fathers, how happy she got when Sosuke held her, the child looking dwarfed in his large muscles.

More than anything, Makoto loved how Sosuke looked when he was near her.

So why then did he avoid her, spend less time holding her, spent few hours with her.

"Shh," Makoto tried anew, "shh… please?" tears were held in the brim of his orbs, "calm down for papa? Just for tonight; give him a good night…"

"If I have you and her, it is."

Green eyes were surprised at the sight of his lover at the armrest of the couch, still in his police uniform with his arms over his chest, his smile looking down at Makoto.

"Got off early," he explained, "so, how are you?"

The emerald orbs stared at him for a moment longer, his arms still trying to calm his baby.

"S-Sosuke…" he started, his resolve crumbling as his lower lip quivered and he too began crying, his lover flinching.

"W-Wait… Makoto!?"

"I-I'm sorry!" the brunette sobbed, "I-I can't get her to quiet down, I've tried everything!"

"H-Hey now," Sosuke tried to console him, "it's not your fault, she's a baby! They're all like that, that's what Rin said too-"

"B-But you-you-"

Makoto couldn't seemed to get the words out of his chest, his lungs hiccoughing as he sobbed alongside his baby.

"I what?" the officer encouraged, his head tilting as he tried to meet the green eyes.

"You… hate me because I'm not a good father…"

The whisper was barely heard over the baby's cries, one of his hands lifting to rub the tears from his orbs, Sosuke saying nothing as he stared at his lover.

"Wh… What?" the young man finally asked, "whatever gave you that idea!?"

"I-I can't get her to settle," his lover confessed, "and-and you don't wanna bearound us anymore and-"

"Makoto," Sosuke started, sighing as he looked to his crying baby, "give her here."

Surprised, the young man took his daughter to his own arms, her crying form against the navy blue, his lips shushing her, his hands mirroring Makoto's.

"Makoto," the young man asked, his body settling beside the brunette's, "do… do you think I hate her?"

The brunette could do nothing but sob as he lowered his forehead to the shoulder that sported his police stripes, his fingers clutching at the fabric as he wanted to disappear, hating the fact that that question had indeed run through his mind, always squashed when he had a clear head.

"Makoto…"

His voice was a deep sigh, a free hand running over the short brown locks, lips pressing against them after.

"I'm sorry," Sosuke whispered, his lover calming down enough to look up to the teal, a saddened look on the police officer's face. "This is my fault," the young man continued as he turned back to the little girl flailing in his arms, "I… I don't spend as much time with her as I should."

"Wh… why not?" Makoto managed to choke out, still hating the doubt that had formed in his heart.

"I… I was hesitant in getting her and… and when I see you with her, it's like it's second nature to you," he swallowed thickly, "and with me, I feel clumsy, almost like I shouldn't be holding her," he hung his head, "I feel disgusting."

"Sosuke…"

It was Makoto's turn to comfort the other, the teal orbs looking towards him with flecks of guilt permeating the orbs.

"Y-You're so calm when you hold her," the young man convinced, "and-and she loves it so much, I see it in her eyes," they looked down to the baby, Makoto's long fingers reaching to touch the tiny hand, "you're her papa; she knows that."

"I'm sorry Makoto," Sosuke repeated, "I… I always thought… you were the better parent of the two of us so I-I guess… i-if I could give her more of you…"

"I'm just as new to this as you are," Makoto pointed out, the fingers around his face gently stroking the deep rings under his green eyes.

"And here I am giving you all the responsibility," the police officer sighed, "Makoto…" his lips retuned to kiss the young man's forehead, "I promise, she'll get my full attention, you're not going to do this alone."

"But your work-"

"They just had one or two little things that needed done, I'll give 'em to Rin," Sosuke brushed off, his nose lowering to touch Makoto's, "I need to make up for the uncertainty I caused you," he smiled, "I love her, Makoto, she's my daughter, and you've made us a family."

The young man did nothing but smile at the words, half hating himself for his stupidity; of course Sosuke loved his baby girl, there shouldn't have been any doubt about that and Makoto, in his rush to make Sosuke happy, shouldn't have tried to take on all the responsibility.

"Hey… Makoto," hot breath brushed over the younger's lips, causing the green eyes to quiver slightly at the contact.

"Y-Yeah?" the young man dared to ask.

"She's asleep," the dark eyebrows rose suggestively, "wanna play house?"

Emerald orbs looked towards his child, her blue eyes closed and her body no longer twitching, her form having settled in her Papa's arms.

"S-Sosuke-"

"Let me put her to bed," Sosuke whispered, his body rising with his little girl, "and then I'll get your answer."

Makoto watched as the young man walked with his infant to her room, his lips curling into a smile at her sleeping face. Every time he saw Makoto holding their baby, he thought that the younger was better with her, that the brunette was always meant to be her father, and he was just there to support them. It always cut him deep, to think that his daughter loved Makoto more than he, even though he could see why. His decisions to pass her to her daddy was from the desire to make her life the best she could have.

"Guess both daddies are really silly huh?" Sosuke whispered to the sleeping girl, "it's okay baby girl, we're all learning, that's what you do in a family."

She was absolutely precious to the two of them, his fingers gently running over her soft black hair that rivalled his own; she looked much like him, but seemed to act like Makoto, mostly calm and complacent, simply smiling soundlessly at everyone around her, even at her very young age.

"She's down," the young man called calmly, "Makoto-"

The police officer stumbled upon the sight of his lover, sprawled out on the couch, his eyes shut tight and his chest expanding with each breath, soft snores emanating from his lips.

Smiling with a soft chuckle, the young man reached to slide his arms underneath Makoto's back and legs, the man who was usually the largest of his friends carried like some new wedded bride to his bedroom.

"It's my turn to get her Makoto," Sosuke promised as he stripped his lover down to his boxers and tucked him underneath their duvet. "Thank you," the young man whispered as he kissed the forehead, "thank you for my family, Makoto."

Thanks for reading! Reviews please!