Title: Baby Pictures
Author: Potato Maiden
Pairing: Umi Ryuuzaki/Ascot
Fandom: Magic Knight Rayearth
Theme: #22 - Cradle
Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Knight Rayearth, it, and all it's components belong to Clamp, who refuse to answer my phone calls...

Umi sat on the floor of the library, flipping through a few old, dusty photo albums. You know the ones, with the embarrassing pictures of you lying butt naked on the bear skin rug in front of a roaring fire? Yes, those. Some of these photo albums were hers, some were archives of peoples lives in Cephiro. The one she was currently looking at had a picture of Princess Emeraude, probably months before becoming the pillar, looking on happily outside the windows, with some paper spread out around herself. As she turned the page, a picture, most likely taken in succession to the previous one showed the master mage bonking the princess on the head with his staff. Umi smiled at some of these pictures as she got through the album. She picked up one that was labeled 'Pre-Zagato', this album, definitely sparking Umi's interest, and started flipping through it. The was one picture that caught her eye. It was of a younger Caldina, leaning over a cradle. Inside the cradle, all Umi could see was a pair of brilliant jade eyes staring up at her, the brown mop of bangs, just starting to cover the baby's eyes. Carefully, Umi took out the picture and placed it into one of her albums. She continued to flip through it, finding a picture of Ascot lying butt naked on what could have been a bear skin rug, a bright red blush on his two year old cheeks, brown bangs covering his eyes.

Standing up, Umi gathered up the albums that were scattered haphazardly around her and placed them on a roundish table. She had taken the one involving Ascot's picture and left the room. Walking down the hall, she knocked on the door to his room and waited until the door opened.

"May I come in?" she asked. Ascot nodded, a slight blush creeping on his cheeks. Umi sat on the chair across from his bed, album in lap.

"What's that Umi?"

"A photo album. I found it in the library and found a rather adorable picture. Want to see it?" Ascot nodded, wondering what the picture was. She opened it and flipped to the bare butt Ascot picture. Ascot's blush deepened and he looked away the minute his eyes saw it.

"How'd you find it?"

"Just looking really. I think it's really adorable. Even this one." she showed him a picture of a teenage Caldina pulling on his hat, a wide grin on her tanned face. "Don't be embarrassed. I have a couple pictures that make me embarrassed." she said, closing the book. Ascot opened his mouth to speak but Umi cut him off. "No, you can't see them." she added. Caldina came bounding into the room, a picture hanging in her hand.

"Is this you Umi?" she asked, showing Umi the picture. Umi's cerulean eyes widened as she snatched the picture away.

"No."

"I think it is!" said Caldina in a sing-song voice.

"I want to see." Ascot said quietly. Despite Umi iron grip of doom, Caldina pried the picture from the blushing blue knight and handed it to Ascot.

"It's just like mine." he said finally. Umi sent the Chizetan dancer an evil glare of death, signaling her to leave.

"It looks like I'll be leaving! Enjoy yourselves!" she said, dancing out of the room. Umi and Ascot exchanged nervous glances.

"How she found those, I'll never know." Umi sighed defeated. She stood up, holding the album in her arms, she walked to the door.

"Umi." Ascot said once the girl was out of the room. Umi turned around. "Your picture looks..." he paused, looking for the right word. "Adorable." he said. Umi half smiled, walked back in the room, toward Ascot and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Ascot." she turned and left the room, heading back to the library to put the album away. In his room, Ascot stood planted to the spot, eyes widened and a light pink etched upon his stunned face. Oh boy, was Ascot happy.

a/n: Halfway done!