Hey everyone! Thanks for continuing on to the next chapter of this story, which means you either like it or LOVE IT! Just kidding...somewhat! Something to say about this story, hmm. Well for one, it was inspired by an idea that crossed my mind when I thought. What if I liked a girl, she rejected me, gets married, dies and then I have to take care of her child somehow! Yeah, weird thoughts happen when you're in the shower O-O. Also inspiration comes from me as a guy thinking what it is like to be a father, and of course you will soon for you girls out there what it's like being a mother! I had to read a lot about children for this so hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Oh and why is this chapter called The Blessed Child? That's what Keiko means! READ ON NOODLE!
Tsuna on the last day of high school was rejected by his one true love, Kyoko, who is soon married afterwards, and then killed later in a car crash, letting Tsuna suffer for some time after three years. And on one fateful day he is visited by Hana, Kyoko's best friend who tells him he is chosen to be the guardian of Kyoko's child Keiko. What will he do and how will he react to this girl?
Tsuna felt the air around him, it was warm he noticed but a bit smelly. He doesn't tidy up as often because he doesn't get visitors as much. His house was meant for the solitary Tsuna after all. The room's lighting was dim, the walls were a bleak gray, and the apartment itself was only one room with a bathroom and closet. He had acquired some furniture for himself and some decorations as gifts over the years. His home at first sight would be called a depressing one representing his heart itself, dark and lonely. Yet, near the corner of a room was a window which you can see the bright sun out of that beamed a heavenly light through the room. Tsuna felt himself being touched by this light, and perhaps that light was a sign of hope and good fortune he thought to himself. And indeed it truly was...
"Well, I understand if you don't think you can do it Tsuna. But rest assured, you will receive aid from the organizations to make sure you can pay for your upkeep and take care of her if money is an issue..." Hana said to Tsuna who had come to tell him all of this news about Keiko and Kyoko.
"How long am I expected to take care of her?" Tsuna asked simply as he looked away from the sleepy little girl and looked directly at Hana who seemed to want to shy away from this question.
"Well...ideally? For a long time. It would be like raising her like a father. But I mean, I would do it myself but...I want to believe in Kyoko's judgement. As I want you too, Tsuna-san. She had to choose you for a reason, right?" Hana said attempting to be friendly with Tsuna but he simply made a gloomy face.
"I haven't seen or spoken to Kyoko in over three years, Hana…and when she is gone from this world this is finally the only chance I get to see her...in this way," He said looking to Keiko who wobbled cutely over to Hana. She tripped as she walked over the carpet and Hana had to pick her up and sat her on her lap. Tsuna got another look at this girl who looked just like Kyoko, the girl he once dearly loved. It was like looking in the mirror, he was glad he couldn't tell what features belonged to her father. She wore a small, pink rain jacket and even had on rain boots as well. Her hood was put down by Hana which revealed her long auburn hair. She yawned again.
"...Have you guys been traveling long?" Tsuna asked Hana after seeing the sleepy child.
"Oh! Y-yes...we have. We traveled all the way from Namimori you know. Coming out to Tokyo like this was about a four hour trip from there, and she didn't get much sleep last night either." The little girl laid her head on Hana's chest and Hana began to rock her slowly and gently. Coaxing her to sleep it seems.
"Was she staying with you this entire time?"
"Up to a little while ago yes. Before that she stayed with her parents until..." She whispered the last part of her sentence. "...the accident happened."
Seeing her whisper it let Tsuna know that Keiko doesn't truly understand what happened to her parents. Yet she came in and told Tsuna that her mom believed Tsuna to be a good father? Tsuna wanted to ask her about it but she is only about three years old...wait.
"How...old is this girl?" Tsuna asked Hana whose eyes widened and she looked down at the slowly falling to sleep Keiko.
"Oh...I felt that question would come up. She is as you might have guessed five years old...soon to be six," She says softly.
"Five and a half? That's..crazy! That would mean Kyoko was pregnant...in high school. No way..." Tsuna thought back to the day he was rejected. His last image of her was vivid in his mind as he tried to recall her appearance and behavior. She may have shown some signs of pregnancy if he takes that into consideration now but she didn't seem too big yet. She must have been very early in the stages of pregnancy.
"It's true. This girl will be turning six this December. Kyoko got pregnant in her senior year of high school sometime in March by her boyfriend at the time. I know this must be a shock to you for it was only known by a few females closer to her. Her bridesmaids at her wedding...were you there Tsuna?"
"...No...I wasn't. Sorry," Tsuna told her. He would rather not recall that time either. He was there but from a distance watching the wedding.
"Oh...no it's fine. Well the only people who knew about her pregnancy were myself, Haru, Chrome, and another girl younger than Chrome. I don't recall her name but she seemed to understand pregnancy really well and had helped Kyoko cope with hers. We decided to keep it a secret from the rest of her friends as we felt that if others knew...Kyoko would get treated differently. Like a slut at the school, when the circumstances weren't like that at all..."
"...I understand. Being pregnant in high school for a girl would be tough. When everyone calls you a whore and gives you looks and try to tell you how to live your life with the child..." Tsuna said and surprised Hana.
"Tsuna?"
"I can understand Kyoko perfectly and why she had to hide it. If people knew, she wouldn't be treated the same way by those closer to her. She chose to keep the baby and protect it from the world by hiding the baby. I can understand that. Since she chose to keep the child, she would do anything to protect that child from harm and abuse." Hana looked at Tsuna with astonishment at his words; she didn't expect him to say something like that at all. She expected anger instead from Tsuna. Tsuna looked at Keiko who was near a sleep and though he felt guilty about it, he needed to talk to her.
"Umm, hello there Keiko," Tsuna said to the small girl. Her beady eyes slowly opened up and looked at Tsuna who gave her a small smile which she gave a smile back to. "Hello, Papa Tsuna." She said cheerfully which made Tsuna take a step back mentally. She already knows who he is and doesn't seem shy around him at all, and on that matter calls him Papa Tsuna.
"Umm...how are you?"
"I am good, how about you?" She says with her tone changing in the last part of her sentence. Tsuna was surprised to see her forming sentences, though at about five years old as he remembered his mom saying to him, a baby girl can form small sentences and can use some pronouns, learning from her parents how to speak very early on, and with Kyoko as a mother. Tsuna know she must have been diligent in teaching her.
"I am fine. Thank you for asking." Tsuna says with a warm smile unknowingly.
"You're welcome." Tsuna then gave a small laugh as he noticed her having trouble with her R's and W's. It was very cute of her he thought and she spoke in her child like manner and had some tone shifts but you could still understand her despite being a stranger to her.
"So...Keiko...umm...do you know why you're here?" Tsuna asked as Hana looked at him with a worried face. Tsuna looked at her letting her know it was fine with his facial expression, though still worried she let him continue.
"Umm...not weally. Just...to spend time with papa?" She said rubber her eyes again.
"Papa? You mean me?"
"Yeah...Ms. Hana said I was going to visit Papa Tsuna. Like a vacashion."
"Oh...I see...you tired Keiko?"
"Yeah..." She said letting her eyes close. Tsuna sat up from the couch and began to fix it up, sliding the cushions all the way back in place against the couch. He cleared off any trash or other stuff and then went to the closet down the hall across from the couch on the left side to retrieve a blanket and a sheet. He laid out a sheet first on the couch and then told Hana to let her rest on it. Hana complied and took off her jacket to show she was wearing a small white shirt with the numbers 27 on it. She set Keiko down gently on the couch and Tsuna put the blanket over her up to her shoulders and she was soon sound asleep.
Tsuna looked down at this sleeping girl for a moment as Hana gave him a concerned look.
"She's truly blessed isn't she? Tsuna says with a soft smile.
"Blessed?" Hana replied to him.
"Yeah...she truly is blessed to be so fortunate. To have such a great mother, to be able to smile like this. She even greets someone like me with a smile and doesn't shy away from me despite not knowing me too well. A child's heart is...really innocent and pure isn't it?"
Once again Hana found a peculiar part within Tsuna. Her impression of Tsuna was that of a negative one which didn't change when she entered his house to see how gloomy it was. She long thought of him as No-Good Tsuna (Dame-Tsuna) since High School. Someone completely hopeless and wasn't capable of anything yet his words were so understanding and wise. Despite all the things she said, Tsuna accepted them and came to terms with them quite quickly. She was beginning to understand why Kyoko may have chosen Tsuna to be the guardian of this child.
Hana smiled. "Yes..she truly is blessed." But not even a moment after she said that she got a call on her cell phone. She excused herself to another part of the room which Tsuna didn't mind as he continued to watch Keiko. Though he could over hear her talking on the phone, it seemed very important and she was talking about how she needed more time. But it seems the other person on the phone wasn't having it. She sighed and complied then closed her phone. She looked at Tsuna than Keiko.
"Umm...Tsuna-san?"
"Yeah Hana-san?" Tsuna replied somewhat concerned for her.
"Would it be too much to ask of you to take care of Keiko for a little while? I have to go somewhere, it's urgent you see. A client needs my help with some paper work."
"I don't mind...but a client? What do you work as?"
"A lawyer of course. Someone had to help Kyoko with her marital issues..." She sighed putting her phone in her purse and heading for the door.
Tsuna wanted to speak up and ask about what she meant by marital issues but she was already out the door before he could ask. And though he was very curious about that, he felt that maybe he wouldn't want to know at the same time. He looked back at Keiko who was still sound asleep and scratched his head. He guessed he wouldn't have to do much since she was asleep. He decided to take this time to think about things as he got on the computer he had in the corner of the room by the window on the wall. He got on Google and typed in various things like "Children", "How to take care of a baby?", and "Children Milestones." as the hours went by to the afternoon.
He checked the desktop computer's clock for the time. Tsuna noticed it was getting late and he wondered when Hana would be back. But to speak of coincidence, he heard a knocking at the door.
"Must be Hana..." Tsuna got up from his chair and went over to the door. The door wasn't locked which Tsuna forgets to do when one leaves his house since it isn't very often he has to open it up. He opened up the door however to see who he expected to be Hana but instead...was Haru! Standing there in a green jacket with a pink top on, blue denim jeans, and some green flats. She carried a grocery bag of sorts as was undoubtedly her, as she had that big smile on her face when she saw Tsuna at the door. She didn't change much form five years ago. Also supported by when she quickly embraces Tsuna loudly.
"TSUNAAAAAAAAAA!" She yells as she hugs Tsuna tightly with her arms reaching all the way around his back and her head against his now beating rapidly heart.
"H-Haru?!" Tsuna exclaims as she rocks him back and forth nearly falling over in the process. He was surprised to see her and wondered why she was here but then quickly remembered that Keiko is sleeping and loud mouth Haru is not needed right now.
"TSU-mmf mmf!" Tsuna covered her mouth quickly in panic to shut her up and looked back to the couch. It was quiet, Keiko was still sleeping. He sighed with relief; as he felt Haru bite his hand, he wanted to scream in pain but gently pulled his hand away from her who was pouting.
"What's the big idea of covering my mouth like that? Is that how you greet a beautiful girl who hasn't seen you in three years? Huh Tsuna?!" She stomps her foot and gives a really intimidating look as Tsuna backed down in fear.
"S-sorry...it's just that there is a girl sleeping on the couch and-"
"A GIRL!? TSUNA YOU DOG- MMF!" Tsuna quickly covered her mouth again and began to shush her again.
"Please Haru! She's sleeping I said!" He whispers to her looking back to check. Still no sound thankfully and lets her go again.
"Ohhh...I see." She smiled at Tsuna who smiled back now that she understands. But sadly that was ruined when he got a hot slap to the left side of his face. "Put your hand on my mouth again and I'll put you in the corner!" She whispers somewhat pointing to him with her finger in his face. Tsuna rubbed his face gently that was throbbing in pain.
"S-sorry Haru...well..it's nice seeing you!" Tsuna tried to say happily but he got an evil look instead.
"Mmhmm...SO who's this girl of yours huh? A victim of a one-night stand huh?" She peers into the room at the couch and tries to get in but Tsuna blocks her.
"No! It's not like that Haru, she's-"
"Mmm? Papa Tsuna...?" They hear a lowly tone right beside the both of them at the door as the sleep Keiko walks up to them.
"Oh...Keiko..I thought you were sleeping..." Tsuna kneels down in front of her.
"I was in the bathwoom..." She pointed down the hall where the bathroom was.
"Oh...you're potty trained?"
"Sowta...I missed..."
"You...missed? Oh...oh! It's...okay Keiko...I'll...clean it up."
"Okay Papa. Oh. Hi, lady." She says simply as she walked over to Haru who looked very shocked to see her.
"K-Keiko? Is that you?" She exclaims looking at her.
"Yeah?" She says confused. Haru must have met her when she was younger but she can't remember her.
"I can't believe it! Tsuna, why is she here with you?" She looked at Tsuna who rubbed his head.
"I'm...taking care of her...for now…until Hana-san gets back at least."
"Oh...I see. So...I guess you know...then?" She said with her hands held together and legs stuck to the other. Her eyes darted to the floor, unable to look Tsuna in the eyes.
"Yeah...but I'm fine for the most part. Don't worry about me, Haru." Tsuna said with a small smile as he picked up Keiko with his one arm under her bottom and the other supporting her back. "But...come on in Haru."
"Oh, thank you Tsuna." She says while taking off her shoes at the door and walking in and looking around.
"Quite the place you got here...Tsuna." She jokes but Tsuna knew what she was thinking.
"Yeah...I know. I really should brighten things up in here a bit shouldn't I?"
"Some...light would be a good first step!" She laughed.
"I have a window open..."
"Some MORE light...Tsuna!"
The two began to laugh and Keiko looked at the two of them. Her grip on Tsuna's shirt tightened when she saw Haru laughing along with Tsuna.
"Papa Tsuna. I'm hungwy!" She stated somewhat angrily.
"Ah? Hungry? Oh...well..." Tsuna looked somewhat worried as he thought about what she could eat in his small kitchen that took up part of the room.
"Oh! Don't worry; I brought some food over for us to eat. She can have some! I don't mind; just let me fix it up for you two." Haru smiled as she walks over to the kitchen and set the bag down on the counter.
"Thank you Haru. You're a life saver!" Tsuna smiled as he looked at Keiko who seemed a little bit unhappy with this but satisfied at the same time.
Tsuna looked at this image and for a moment seeing Haru like this, he noticed she has gotten more beautiful over the years, no longer a high school girl but a grown woman with a woman's body. Not to mention there she was cooking food for him and a little girl, it almost and only for a second to Tsuna…felt like a family to him…Keiko the daughter, him the father, and Haru the...mother? He quickly shook his head and came to reality. He sat down on the couch and set Keiko down next to him. He cleared the table for Haru to put down a few plates of Shrimp Fried Rice. Haru and Tsuna said their blessings and Keiko simply held her hands together. The three of them began eating and Tsuna and Haru chatted about the past and how lives are for each of them now.
"So Haru, what are you doing now a days?"" Tsuna asked putting more food in his mouth and made sure to feed Keiko as well.
"Well..." She stopped eating and looked at Tsuna. "My job is why you're here. Hana told you how some services will be helping you if you choose to take care of Keiko and well...I'm from one of those services, a Day Care if you will. I'm here to help you take care of Keiko! Though I wanted to get here before Hana did...which was why I was surprised to see Keiko..."
Keiko looked up at her with big eyes. "I know you, lady?" She said in her usual angelic like tone Tsuna thought.
Haru responded to her in a cute baby way. "Yes you do Keiko! I met you when you were younger!" Haru smiled at her.
"Hmm...I don't wemember you old lady..."
"OLD LADY!?" Haru said obviously agitated but tried to hide it. Tsuna was tempted to run and hide but that's not very macho...or brave.
"I don't like you either..." She said folding her arms pouting.
"Ah! I'm...s-sorry Keiko.." Her mood quickly changed at hearing those words.
"K-Keiko..! Don't say that to people, that's not nice. Now apologize to Haru." Tsuna scolded her. Keiko's face turned sad and she looked to Haru and told her she was sorry.
"I'm sorry Haru..she didn't mean it," Tsuna said rubbing Keiko's head.
"No...it's fine. I should be used to some children not liking me. But I wonder what I did to her." Haru said with a sad face looking at Keiko who went back to eating to avoid Haru's eyes.
"Yeah...I don't really know myself...but I know she truly doesn't mean it." Tsuna said softly as Haru looked at him. She was surprised at how easily Keiko listened to Tsuna and how he understood her so quickly.
"So...I guess you're going to take care of her then Tsuna?" Haru asked Tsuna who looked up at her. He forgot about that as he got caught up in the pace of things.
"Oh...well...I'm not...I.." Tsuna stopped and thought for a moment.
"Hey! I'm here to help you, Tsuna! Super Haru is on the case to help you! I will be helping you a lot if you choose to do so, so you won't be alone in all of this! I work with children every day! I can take care of a little girl easily and I helped Kyoko before with Keiko." She says proudly in a super hero stance.
Tsuna can only think of how great that sounds, this girl truly is blessed. She gets to smile and laugh easily, to have such a pure heart. She gets fed easily and can be taken care of such great people like Haru and Hana. How blessed can this girl be? Good fortune just surrounds this girl...and when Tsuna thought that. He looked to Haru...so does that mean good fortune will be with Tsuna too?
"Papa...I get to be with you wight?" She tugged on Tsuna's sleeve and Tsuna and Haru both looked at her. "Mommy told me...that I...can be happy with you...can I?" She looks up at Tsuna with pleading eyes that looked like stars of hope. Tsuna not only saw the face of a lonely child but the face of Kyoko pleading for him to take care of this girl. He looked at Haru who he knew would support him. He looked out the window to the sky that was still bright.
"Yeah Keiko...of course you will be happy with me. I'll make sure to take care of you along with Haru here. I may not be the best guy in the world or worthy of being a father...but...I'll do it for you Keiko (Kyoko)..."
The small girl gave him a big smile with a kiss on the cheek making Tsuna blush.
"Awhh! Tsuna! You're blushing! BIG HUG!" Haru stood up wanting to give Tsuna a hug. Tsuna sighed and shyly complied to her request as Haru hugged him deeply. Tsuna felt her chest against his and the warmth of a hug, a hug. When was the last time he has gotten one of those he wondered as he hugged her back. It was good...to have Haru right here beside him. Haru thought the same thing about Tsuna...but sadly Keiko wasn't too fond of this. She got off the couch and got on the table behind Haru who was hugging Tsuna. She grabbed some hot shrimp and put it in her underwear.
"Hahi!" Haru shouted as she felt the hot shrimp slide into her underwear and burn her bottom. She pushed Tsuna down on the couch and landed on top of him, her chest on Tsuna's face and his arms wrapped around her waist.
"Ow...s-sorry Tsuna...I didn't mean to push you down..." Haru darted her eyes at the smiling Keiko looking innocent with a finger placed on her lips. "Why you..."
And at that moment Hana came through the door with some take out. "Sorry I'm late Tsuna! The client was taking a while and-" She dropped her bag at the sight of Tsuna and Haru.
Tsuna who got his head from under Haru got some air and looked at Hana with huge eyes. "Umm...w-welcome back Hana..."
"H-hi...Hana..." Haru says shyly waving at her.
"Haru...Tsuna..." Haru and Tsuna both saw a huge fiery aura around Hana straight out of an anime. They both gulped in fear as Keiko smiled and walked around the room cheerfully to Hana.
"Tsuna...I told you to watch over her. NOT GET BUSY WITH HARU!"
"No, no! It's not like that!" Tsuna shouted in panic.
"Oh yeah? So she just accidently fell on top of you? Is that it?" She shouts with her arms on her hip and an angry expression.
At the same time they both said, "Yes...?"
"Mmhmm. Keiko honey, step outside for a moment. Auntie Hana has to talk to the two of them for a moment okay?"
"Okay!" She replied happily as she walks out the door and gives an evil look to Haru who saw the devil itself in that girl.
"Now then..." She rolls up her sleeves and her hands go to fists as Haru and Tsuna began to panic on the couch. And on that day under the sky, a family was born. A family that will only continue to grow and grow under the sky...along with the seedlings for love...
NEXT CHAPTER: The Mother Haru!
Hope you guys enjoyed reading! See ya next time! I wrote this pretty late so hope you guys don't mind some errors!
