A/N: Please enjoy: Chapter 19 :)

Chapter 19: Omiyamairi

xxx Tetsuhiro xxx

"Now, aren't you the prettiest sweetheart in the world, huh? Your daddy, uncle and niece all wore this ceremony dress when they were a month old like you, ne. Do you like it?"

Tetsuhiro buttoned the last of the buttons of the cream jumper before putting the sleeveless, lacy dress over Emi's head. Grinning at how she seemed to be swimming in the sheer amount of cotton, Tetsuhiro tied the satin ribbon at her neck neatly. He completed the ensemble with a bonnet that had the same scalloped edges as the dress and pulled on soft mittens on his baby's hands and feet. Lastly, he placed a kiss on Emi's downy cheeks, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her skin.

Emi had just turned a month old and according to tradition, they were going to bring her for her omiyamairi, the first shrine visit. Matsuda- san had already made an appointment in the morning for the blessing by the priest at their local shrine.

The main purpose of omiyamairi was to give thanks to the deities for the safe delivery of mother and child, as well as to bless and purify their newborn. Dressing up Emi in her ceremony dress, which had been passed down for generations in the Tatsumi family, was the last step before they were to set off for the temple.

Tetsuhiro swept his daughter from the bed, hugging her to his formal yukata dyed in tones of blue and green. Ah, his little girl was growing up so quickly. Already, she was a few inches bigger, her head that he could cup in one hand no longer as soft and wobbly as when they had first brought her home. Soon, they would hold her okuizome when she turned a hundred days old.

"Let's go, sweetheart! Daddy is already waiting outside for our little princess! Are we ready to surprise him with your beauty?" His daughter blinked at him, a little crease between her brows as he spoke. Tetsuhiro chuckled and soothed her forehead gently. "There, there. Why so grumpy, baby? You are freshly fed and changed and soon, we'll be receiving blessings for you! So, smile a little for Papa, shall we?" He kissed her pouted lips before opening the bedroom door.

"You were taking so long that I was going to come in and see what you were doing, Morinaga." Souichi appeared at the door as Tetsuhiro stepped out, his hands automatically reaching for Emi.

"Wow, Sempai…" Unable to tear his gaze off his lover, Tetsuhiro drank in the elegant and striking form that Souichi cut in a dark green kimono threaded with graceful bamboo shoots. Instead of being bound in its usual ponytail, his silvery- blonde hair had been combed into silky strands, framing his slender face perfectly. There was a whiff of sandalwood as Souichi turned away, carrying their daughter securely in his arms.

"Baka, why are you still standing there? We are going to run late for the blessing! Come on." Blithely unaware of Tetsuhiro's hungry gaze on the outline of his derrière against the tight wrapping of the yukata, Souichi turned back to glare at him. Emi peeked out at him over her father's shoulder, her grumpy expression seeming to mirror Souichi's.

Tetsuhiro grinned as he hurried behind his family. Really, Emi was growing up to be like another Sempai! But he was not complaining—it just meant that he would be able to pile his adoration on them doubly.

Loving the fact that the day marked the first family outing for the three of them, Tetsuhiro locked up, joined the two of them at the elevator, and went downstairs to meet with Matsuda- san, Kanako, and his older brother to go to the shrine together. It was definitely going to be a day filled with loads of blessings and laughter!

Or so he had thought.

Tetsuhiro could hardly believe his eyes as they came out to the apartment lobby. There, sitting on the visitors' sofa, was the woman whom he had thought he would never see again in his life.

However, there she was, an elegant, if thin, lady dressed formally in a conservative kimono. Her head was bent downwards, silver- streaked hair tied back in a chignon and secured with an ornate wooden clip. Morinaga Keiko was seated facing away from the elevators, her hands clutching a small satin pouch. She did not notice them immediately.

Morinaga Kunihiro stood up quickly the moment he saw the three of them. Tetsuhiro's older brother had a flustered expression, eyes flitting anxiously from Tetsuhiro to their mother as she finally realized their arrival and looked up. "Tetsuhiro and Souichi, good morning. Erm, Mother is here with me today…She—well, she said that she would like to be present at Emi's omiyamairi when I told her about it…So—" The older man fumbled for words, scorched by the heated glare that Souichi immediately aimed at them.

"I apologise for the sudden visit…However, I thought that it was appropriate for Emi's grandmother to be present at the ceremony later. Tetsuhiro, surely you would allow your mother this?" Morinaga Keiko came forwards to a frozen Tetsuhiro, her wooden sandals making clopping sounds on the linoleum. "Tetsuhiro?"

"M-mother—"

Unable to utter anything else, so shocked was he by the appearance of his estranged parent, Tetsuhiro instinctively stood closer to Souichi as the older woman approached them. His heart lurched at the familiar, lined face, so recently contorted in distress the last time he had seen it. He nodded distractedly at Kunihiro as a greeting and then turned back to his mother. "What about Father…? Is he here?"

"Ah, no—no he couldn't make it. However, we wanted to give this to Emi as a blessing from her grandparents." Keiko picked up the exquisitely wrapped package from the table and made to hand it to Tetsuhiro. "It's a—"

"I don't care what it is! You and that old buffoon can just take it, and your hypocritical blessings, back and shove it up your as—shove it in some garbage bin! We don't need you at the ceremony!" With Emi in one hand, Souichi snatched the gift from Tetsuhiro's numb fingers and promptly stuffed it back into the startled woman's grasp. Turning to Kunihiro, he glared at the man but did not say anything. "Let's go, Morinaga!"

"Tatsumi- san! I ask of you to at least be with my grandchild for this! You can't just dismiss her grandparents like this!" Keiko's voice was raised as she rushed forwards to them. The gift fell on the floor with a loud thud.

The security guards looked up, concerned. Tetsuhiro's mother gasped as she caught their stares and those of other neighbours. Grabbing hold of Tetsuhiro firmly, she managed to halt his steps and whispered fiercely, "Tetsuhiro, please!"

"Morinaga!" Out of patience, Souichi's shout jolted around the lobby. He wrenched Tetsuhiro's hand free from Keiko's grasp roughly, tugging the surprised man behind him. "It's too late for you to start showing your maternal side—you were the one who didn't protect Morinaga! You are ten thousand years too early for me to acknowledge you as Emi's grandmother!"

Souichi's violent outburst shocked Keiko to a gape- mouthed silence. "…Please, could we not talk about wha—what happened in the past? I just want to—I just want to see my granddaughter for today. Tetsuhiro…" His mother uttered his name again, her gaze beseeching.

"…I—" The tumble of emotions roiling through him rendered Tetsuhiro incapable of decision. On one hand, he did not want to agitate his lover further because he understood that Souichi was angry for his sake. However, on the other hand, it was his mother, and Emi's paternal grandmother! He glanced desperately at Souichi, noted the deep disapproval shimmering in his eyes. How the heck was he supposed to choose?

"Tetsuhiro, what do you, yourself, want? If you really don't wish for Mother to be there, then I'll personally drive her back. If the opposite is true, then, please, accept their gift, and let us be on our way. It is your choice, brother." Kunihiro came to him and spoke quietly, his eyes solemn.

In his brother's eyes, Tetsuhiro saw the empathy that he had longed for once upon a time. It warmed him and helped him make up his mind. No matter how strained his relations to his parents, he could not rob Emi of the chance to know her grandparents, or vice versa. "Mothe—"

"Hnn—hnn—uwahh—!" Even as the adults stood in a stalemate, their baby woke up, scared by the loud noise. Emi began to cry in earnest, her little face reddening with the effort of crying. "Uwah—uwah!"

"Sirs, madam, may I help you? There seems to be some trouble here." As Souichi's attention was taken up by Emi's sobs, a security guard approached them, his voice serious. Behind him, several housewives who had just come back from grocery shopping glanced in their direction, their eyes wide and curious.

Amidst the commotion, Morinaga Keiko startled visibly and she took small steps away from the guard involuntarily. Shaking her head vigourously, the older lady accidentally dropped her pouch and she hurriedly bent down, grabbing at it. "It's nothing! Please, just go away; stop looking at us! Tell those people to stop looking, too!"

Keiko's wariness about the stares of strangers was painfully obvious. She had stood up after picking up the pouch and now, her back was turned stiffly to the gaggle of curious onlookers at the lift lobby. Tetsuhiro touched her shoulder cautiously and felt her flinch. "—Mother…"

"There's not much trouble here; thank you for asking, though. Please, could you help us to guide those neighbours away? We would really appreciate that." Kunihiro conversed quietly with the guard, his body turned so that Keiko was blocked from view.

"…All right, sir, if you say so. I'll settle the neighbours. However, please do not cause further trouble to the tenants here. Kindly wrap it up here as soon as possible." With an overt glance towards Morinaga Keiko, the uniformed guard finally walked away.

"Mother, it's all right now. Those people are gone." Kunihiro exchanged a significant gaze with Tetsuhiro as he comforted the trembling woman. "If Tetsuhiro's family doesn't want us here, we should just go home, okay? We could visit another day…"

"…" His mother looked defeated as she kept her silence. With her hands wrapped around her thin body, Keiko also did not look further at Tetsuhiro as her eldest son picked up the fallen gift and his bag. A lock of errant hair fell melancholically away from her chignon, curtaining her profile.

Kunihiro began to guide their mother towards the exit, brushing by Tetsuhiro and Souichi as they did so. His older brother glanced at him again, empathy and rebuke warring in his eyes. Without another word, the glass doors slid shut behind them.

As the duo turned the corner, Tetsuhiro went forwards, the words of assent falling too late from his lips. The empty air in his palms felt cold as he slowly retracted them, curling his fingers into fists. Why? Why was it always so hard when it came to his parents?

Emi's cries were winding down to an exhausted whimper, intermingling with Souichi's soothing. There was a strange distance between the two men as neither spoke another word, the sudden appearance and exodus of Morinaga Keiko leaving a void in a day that was supposed to be filled with promise.

Tetsuhiro shut his eyes but the image of his mother's ramrod back as the neighbours pointed and stared refused to budge. Keiko had worn her dignity like a hard- won cloak. His father's words crashed over him.

"We threw away the television, cancelled the newspaper subscription; almost became hermits because of the scandal and gossip—!"

"Your mother—her group of housewife friends all forsook her! The only thing I know is that we suffered even after you left this goddamn town!"

Oh Kami. Suddenly feeling weak in the stomach, Tetsuhiro turned blindly to Souichi. He had to somehow, make it up to his mother. "Sempai, I know that you are against it but, please, could my mother join us at the omiyamairi? I only have this one request!"

Souichi did not immediately reply, merely looked at Tetsuhiro wordlessly with his piercing gaze. Their daughter was now dozing docilely in his arms, her bonnet slipping off slightly from her head. She was sweetly unaware of the charged atmosphere sizzling between her two fathers.

Are you really sure about this? Tetsuhiro could almost feel the physical jabs of the unasked questions from his lover. What Souichi was asking was not simply about whether Keiko could stay for the ceremony. Tetsuhiro bit his lip. There was no way that he could answer Sempai fully, not at this point. However, he found himself nodding his head. "Yes, Sempai…"

"Nothing I say would change your mind, right? Damnit, Morinaga! Shit—" Souichi punched his shoulder forcefully, his glare at once furious and grudging. "…Fine! She's your mother; if you want to call her back then do it!"

Tetsuhiro felt his shoulders sag with relief. Sempai had given his approval—! Uncaring of the security guards' scrutiny, he planted a kiss on Souichi's forehead, smoothing his hair tenderly. "Thank you, Sempai. You are the best!"

"—Idiot! Why are you still standing here? Your brother and mother will be gone if you don't go after them now!" Souichi bristled at the display of affection and he smacked Tetsuhiro again. "Go, before I change my mind!"

"Yes—yes! I'm going now! Please wait here for me, Sempai!" Waving madly at his lover and daughter, Tetsuhiro took off at a run, his own wooden sandals clacking madly against the stone pavement surrounding the apartment complex.

The morning sun shone down brightly as he searched for his family. They could not have gone too far, what with his mother's state of mind just now…Tetsuhiro looked around frantically, seeing only parked cars and pedestrians in the residential area. Where were they?!

After a few more minutes of fruitless searching where he was unable to spot Kunihiro or Keiko, Tetsuhiro decided to cut through the neighbourhood park to get to the subway station across the road, knowing that the duo had come to Nagoya by train.

The park was a green oasis. Trees swayed lightly in the spring breeze and wild flowers bloomed in clusters of pink and yellow on the grass. There were several park benches lined between the trees, and as Tetsuhiro trotted along the track, he finally spied a familiar- looking pair occupying one of them.

Slowing down to a walk, Tetsuhiro hesitantly approached his brother and mother. He could tell that his mother had just been crying, a handkerchief clutched in her bony hands. Kunihiro was a silent guardian by her side.

His brother saw him first. With a clatter, he stood up and opened his mouth to speak. Tetsuhiro shook his head to preempt him. Softly, he reached Keiko's side and he bent down, waiting patiently until his mother looked up.

Keiko's eye makeup was slightly marred by tears and her neat chignon was slowly falling apart. As she blinked in surprise, another teardrop escaped, streaking her powdered cheek. Tetsuhiro ignored her gasp as he extracted the wrung handkerchief from her hands. Quietly, he dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

Birdsong surrounded them as Tetsuhiro tended to his mother, cleaning up her appearance and hair until she was once again the elegant lady who had waited for him at the lobby. Once he was done, Tetsuhiro passed the handkerchief to Kunihiro and he stood up. Picking up the bags and gifts, he spoke only one sentence as his brother helped Keiko to her feet:

"Let us all go for Emi's omiyamairi."

"Good morning faithful followers. This is the Tatsumi and Morinaga family for the blessing of Tatsumi Emi, am I correct? Please, follow me into the inner hall." A shinto monk bowed in greeting, his robes swishing on the ground.

The seven of them had arrived safely at the Kawahara Shrine and now, after an hour of waiting, it was their turn to meet the priest and carry out the blessing ceremony for Emi.

Nothing had been said further about prickly issues once they had met up with Matsuda- san and Kanako, even though the two of them had clearly been curious about Tetsuhiro's mother.

Souichi had relinquished their baby for Keiko to carry once they had entered the shrine. Knowing the significance behind this action, Tetsuhiro had been mutely grateful to his Sempai for doing so. It meant a lot to him to see his mother's radiant smile as she played with Emi.

Now, all of them returned the bow and fell into step behind the monk as he led them past the main hallway and into another, smaller but more elaborate hall deep in the shrine. They were bidden to remove their shoes before entering the sacred place.

A priest dressed in the traditional robes of black and white was already waiting for them at the altar, burning incense and praying for a moment before he turned to them. As the monk hurried to pass him their details, the priest frowned and scrutinized them again.

Tetsuhiro knew what was causing the venerable man to be confused. Looking at his family, the only women there were either too young or too old to have just borne a child. He bit his lip, wondering if there was going to be trouble at this last step. Glancing to his side, Tetsuhiro saw how Keiko was cooing to their child, her finger gently stroking Emi's cheek. At least one problem had been overcome, no matter how temporary the solution was.

"Good morning to you all. I'm the presiding priest for the omiyamairi ceremony that you have kindly chosen to hold at Kawahara Shrine. I will be proceeding with the ceremony in a minute. However, since the blessing would require the father of the child to be the daihyou, would you kindly enlighten me as to which of you would be taking on this role…?"

The elderly priest spoke in a soft manner, his gestures collected and calm. It was apparent that he had grasped the situation. Tetsuhiro glanced at Souichi obliquely. It seemed that the speech that they had prepared for just such a situation was unneeded, after all.

They were just about to step out and introduce themselves as the parents of Emi when Keiko spoke out. Still carrying their child in her arms, she nodded solemnly at Tetsuhiro and Souichi before approaching the priest. "Priest- sama, as the elder of the family, I would like to introduce this child's parents to you in front of the deities." She turned back and beckoned Tetsuhiro and Souichi to go to her. "This is Morinaga Tetsuhiro, my son and the baby's father. And this is Tatsumi Souichi, Emi's father, too. As for the role of daihyou, please entrust it to my son, Tetsuhiro. Please, guide us smoothly through the ceremony details." She bowed respectfully at the priest.

Tetsuhiro saw the same surprise mirrored in Souichi's eyes as they bowed to the priest and resumed their positions. His mother had just acknowledged their relationship, not only to herself, but also to the priest and to the deities. Her simple gesture was powerfully meaningful.

"Morinaga Tetsuhiro, please step forward to receive the blessed branch of longevity for your child."

As the daihyou for the ceremony, Tetsuhiro accepted a supple branch that the priest passed him, which he waved over Emi three times before placing it on a small altar. Once that was done, he bowed twice to the deities, clapping his hands twice and then bowing once more to complete the ritual. Emi's full name was announced loudly so that the gods may bless their baby with a long and healthy life.

It was not long before the ceremony was completed and the priest presented Emi with an amulet for health. As was becoming usual for their child, she immediately charmed the elderly man with her bright gaze, blue- black hair contrasting beautifully with her apple- blush cheeks.

The wise man still did not comment on their unusual family circumstances and his smile was genuinely kind as he bade them farewell beneath the ancient wooden awnings. Tetsuhiro stayed behind to pass an ample donation to the priest, thanking him quietly for the blessings and also for his diplomacy.

Souichi was waiting for him outside the hall. He was alone, the others having adjourned to the main hall to buy amulets as a commemoration of the day. Seeing him there, Tetsuhiro hurried to put on his sandals, making his way to his lover with only one slipper donned on properly. "Sempai, thank you for waiting for me!"

"Baka—look at what you are doing! You are going to fall if you don't wear your shoes properly first! Tch!" With a clucking of his tongue, Souichi lent Tetsuhiro an arm to hold on to as he slipped on the sandal successfully. He turned to walk away the moment he was done, a beautiful lord in his elegant kimono.

"Sempai!" Tetsuhiro grabbed hold of Souichi's arm, halting the man in his step. Now that the omiyamairi was over and there were no other ears around to hear their conversation, Tetsuhiro wanted badly to have a private moment with his precious person. "Can we—can we stay here for a while?"

"Hmm…uhnn." Souichi had apparently noted the seriousness of his voice, for he nodded without argument. Tetsuhiro let go of his arm and they slowed down their pace, letting the tranquility of the inner courtyard calm them with its beauty.

"Thank you for letting my mother to be present at the ceremony. I know that many…things have happened with my parents and I'm not saying that they could be easily forgotten…" Tetsuhiro paused as Souichi turned towards him, his silhouette matching perfectly with the gracefulness of the willow trees behind him. "The fact that you gave Emi and my mother a fair chance to know each other makes me really happy, Sempai. You don't know how much it means to me—" Tetsuhiro's voice caught and he looked far ahead, blinking back the moisture in his eyes rapidly.

Warm fabric grazed his cheeks and absorbed the errant tears that had still managed to escape from his eyes. Tetsuhiro saw that it was Souichi's sleeve; his Sempai was somber as he wiped the drops of sadness from his face. Somehow, the simple gesture made him cry harder. Tetsuhiro pressed his face against Souichi's hand, unwilling to lose this point of touch that spoke volumes about his lover's thoughts.

Time became an insignificant detail in the solitary yard where the only people around were the two of them; the only sound the quiet rhythm of their breathing.

It was only the sonorous gong of the shrine's bell that caused them to break apart from each other. With a start, Souichi quickly retracted his hand, the yukata falling neatly into its folds again as he turned smartly towards the main hall. "We have made them wait long enough as it is, Morinaga. Your mother might well have carted Emi off to Kyuushuu by now! Come on!"

"Y-yes, Sempai!" Wiping the last of his tears away and still feeling the vestiges of warmth from his Sempai's hand, Tetsuhiro crossed the little yard with Souichi, their wooden clogs making pattering sounds against the hewn stone grounds.

As they made their way back to their family and to their daughter, Tetsuhiro knew that the omiyamairi had not only been a significant marker for Emi's growth. The day also signified a change in the dynamics of his and Souichi's relationship with his parents.

Whether things were going to improve from that point on was still a mystery. However, as Keiko and Emi came into view, as he came close enough to see the flash of happiness in his mother's eyes and in Emi's chuckles, Tetsuhiro could not help but think to himself that, yes, there would come a day and a place when their hearts could meet, and they would connect as a true family in all the ways that mattered.

To be continued.

A/N: Hi guys! Wow, the number of reviews for the last chapter was rather surprising-did you think that that was the last for this arc? Hehe, but i do hope that you enjoyed this latest chapter! As you may have already noticed, I would be wrapping Incendium up soon, probably in the next chapter or next two chapters. Thank you so much for reading the stories, really, really so much. :)

I would very much like to continue with the story series and tie up some more loose ends that I don't really want to put in Incendium. Please continue to support the two (or three hehe) of them :)