A/N: I meant to have this done a week ago over spring break and it just wouldn't cooperate. You get to meet three new characters here, so you were warned.

Warnings: OCs

Disclaimer: I own Aiko, Naoki, Junko, Kunikaya, Junyoshi, and anyone else you don't recognize. But that's it. Anyone you do is property of Konomi Takeshi, who we are all thankful is alive, yes?

—

When he got back to his small apartment, Kaidoh made a beeline for the bathroom. He needed to brush his teeth and shower. Half an hour later he plopped down into his desk chair, absently rubbing a towel over his wet hair while he turned on his computer.

His email exploded onto the screen the moment he logged in. "You have 26 new messages!" the bubble told him.

Clicking on it, he discovered they were all from one Momoshiro Takeshi.

Hey, I know it's late, so I didn't want to call you, but if you're still up could you call me? I need someone to talk to.

Hey, man. I could really use someone to talk to right now.

Bro, what the hell? I know you don't have work tomorrow. No way you're asleep!

Kaiiiiiiiidoooooh! Ryoma's being a bitch and this bartender can't understand me well.

I'm about to start my tenth beer. Call me later. Love you, man.

Kaidoh rolled his eyes and scrolled down to read the time stamp on the most recent one. Around nine his time, but Momo was in America, so four in the morning if the math he'd done in his head was correct.

It would be around four in the afternoon there now, he supposed, reaching to pull his phone from his jean pocket. It only took two rings for the phone to pick up.

"Momo's still sleeping." Ryoma's voice filtered through the speaker.

"Wake him up, Echizen."

"Whatever."

Ryoma shouted something and there was an annoyed retort of "Fuck off, he's not my girlfriend," before Momo grunted into the phone.

"What bit his ass?"

"He had to come pick me up at four thirty from a bar."

"It's his fault anyways."

"I know… Anyways, where were you last night?"

"Inui-sempai's."

He could practically hear Momo smirk.

"Finally tracked him down?"

"Shut up. He's…" Kaidoh wasn't sure Inui would want him to tell Momo about everything that happened.

"He's what?"

Well, Kikumaru knew, so it wasn't like he'd be the one with the blame… "His wife died, and no one had heard from him. He'd locked himself in his apartment with his son—"

"Wait! You're telling me he got married and had a kid!"

"That's what I said, moron. Anyway, I went over to check on him last night and ended up crashing there."

"How'd it happen?"

"Car crash… never would have even known if Naoki—his son—hadn't ended up in pediatrics…"

"Oh man, was Eiji there?"

Kaidoh snorted. "That would have been interesting, but no. So what happened with Echizen that you needed to go drown yourself in a bottle?"

"Tried to talk to him about dating again…" It sounded like Momo had pulled a pillow over his head.

"You might as well have tried to get him to talk to his dad…"

—

"He's on the phone with his work, Naoki just finished a bottle, and I have a lunch date with Fujiko and Junko-kun. Bye~!" Kikumaru patted Naoki's head and then Kaidoh's before he waltzed out of Inui's apartment.

Kaidoh bounced the baby gently as he started towards Naoki's room to put him down for a nap. He glanced at Inui, who was still talking to his boss quietly. Inui looked back at him, staring. Red flooded Inui's cheeks and he spun around, asking the person on the other end to repeat what they'd just said.

He wondered absently if Inui was mad about something…

—

"Oi~! Fujiko!" Eiji waved his best friend over to their usual table. Fuji glided past the quaint cafe's hostess and between the tables to theirs in the back corner effortlessly.

They hugged and sat down, launching immediately into everything that had happened since this time last week—their last luncheon.

"But, yeah, the new office is going to open tomorrow, Oishi just has to organize his office, and he won't let me touch any of it." Eiji sighed. "You know how weird he is about those kinds of things some times. Anyways, where's Junko-kun, is she running late?"

Fuji nodded, setting down his tea. "Piano practice ran over again."

"Oh no… I hope Kaya-chan didn't get in trouble again…"

Fuji smiled. "She certainly is just like her father. They got lucky with Junyoshi."

"Don't jinx it, Fujiko~!"

And then a young woman entered the restaurant, a little girl walking alongside her with her arms crossed and a little boy being tugged along.

"Sorry we're late." She shrugged off her coat and knelt to help the little boy out of his own. "Someone very much dislikes being told she's doing things wrong." The little girl, who had plopped down in a chair, gave her mother an annoyed look and grabbed a menu, blocking her mother's displeased frown from view.

"Uncle Fuji, tell Mom she doesn't like being told she's wrong either." She looked at the man to her right.

"Junko-chan, Kaya-chan says—"

"Fuji-kun…." She glared at him as she set the little boy in the chair next to his sister.

"Ne~ Don't shoot the messenger~!" Eiji laughed as she sat down between him and her son.

"Kaya-chan, what happened at piano practice today?" Eiji leaned forward curiously.

"Ono-sensei taught me a new song and I changed it because it sounded better and she yelled at me." The little girl shut the menu with a snap and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Right, Junyoshi?" She looked to her brother.

"Yeah, it sounded pretty when Kaya-nee did it." He smiled up at his sister.

Junko sighed and pulled a coloring book and crayons out of her bag, placating the children for the moment. "Fuji-kun, you wouldn't mind taking the kids back to your Mitsu would you? Mine wants me to meet him at the studio."

"Of course not." Fuji smiled. "Maybe we can go to the park with your dad?" He looked over at the kids.

"Yeah!" They both lit up.

"Cheater," Junko muttered.

"Bribery always works with children, Junko-chan." He smirked softly, waving the waitress over.

She pulled out her notepad and a pen as she stepped up to the table. "Ready to order, Fuji-san? Kikumaru-san? Tezuka-san?"

Half-way through their meal, after Junko had finished giving them an update on the kids, herself, and her Mitsu, Eiji finally got his chance to talk.

"Wait, Eiji-kun, do you know her last name? Aiko-san's?" Junko looked up at him, a little confused.

Eiji thought for a minute. "I think it was Matsumoto?"

"I went to high school with her. We were on the debate team together…" She trailed off, frowning.

"Really?" Fuji and Eiji both leaned towards her a little. "What was she like?"

"Very smart, very temperamental, very quiet." She set her glass down. "I can't see her getting married and having a family, though…"

Fuji and Eiji glanced at each other. "Inui is a little like that too. Too smart for his own good, eccentric. Maybe that was what they needed…" Fuji smiled thoughtfully.

"And she was so damn stubborn."

"Most of the people Inui associated with in high school were," Fuji noted.

"Like you?" she snarked back.

Eiji sighed. "Right… But! Kaidoh went over last night—"

"Kaidoh?" Junko tilted her head slightly. "The awkward one?"

"Yes, let me finish, Junko-kun!" Eiji demanded. "Kaidoh went over last night and Inui was a complete mess—hadn't eaten much or slept since it happened. He hadn't called his work, or gone in for his follow up appointment. Kaidoh made him shower and eat and sleep last night, and straightened up a little. And then I came over and made him take care of work and Naoki's daycare and stuff like that."

"Mama, what will happen to the baby?" Junyoshi had apparently been listening intently and was tugging at his mother's sleeve worriedly.

"His dad will take care of him," his older sister answered. "Just like when we're not with Mom and Mr. Ashizuka, Dad and Uncle Fuji take care of us."

"But he only has a daddy now…" The little boy frowned in confusion.

"He—"

"Kunikaya…" Junko warned. "Junyoshi, his dad will take good care of him."

"Besides, Jun—" Eiji gestured excitedly. "—Kaidoh will take good care of both of them. He's a nurse, just like me. He knows what to do, so don't worry too much, okay?"

Junyoshi nodded. "Okay."

—

"Bye, Mama!"

"Bye, Mom!"

Fuji took each of the kids' hands as they parted ways outside the cafe.

"Do you guys want to get ice cream before or after we go to the park?"

"After, last time we did before Jun got sick."

"I did not!"

"So you didn't throw up on Mr. Ashizuka?"

"Now, now," Fuji hushed them.

"He did," Kunikaya protested.

Fuji smiled and bounced the little boy in his arms comfortingly. "It's not very nice to tease, Kaya-chan."

"I know."

"And, Jun, you shouldn't let your guard down, even if it's your sister." Fuji smiled and squeezed the four year-old's hand.

"You sound like Dad." Kunikaya rolled her eyes.

Fuji hummed. "Saa. I guess you're right."

"Uncle Fuji, when did you and Dad meet?"

"I must have told you this story a hundred times by now, Jun."

"But it's funny." Kunikaya tugged his hand. "Dad never lets people beat him at things unless he wants them to."

"I don't know about that." Fuji smiled, pulling out his keys as the walked up the front steps to a house.

"Kunimitsu?" Fuji called as he opened the door, kicking off his shoes and hanging up the three of their coats.

"Dad!"

"Daddy!"

The kids ran to greet Tezuka as he came down the stairs. "Syusuke? I thought Junko was bringing them back." He knelt to hug them.

"Surprise. She got a call from her Mitsu and asked me to bring them back for her."

Tezuka stood and kissed Fuji briefly.

"That's gross, Dad." Kunikaya grimaced, covering her little brother's eyes.

"We'll remember that when you start dating." Fuji patted her head and kissed Tezuka again. "C'mon, I promised we'd take them to the park and get ice cream afterwards."

"You spoil them."

"One of the three of us has to. Otherwise they'll turn out to be grumpy and sour, just like their Dad." Fuji smiled playfully, pulling away from Tezuka to scoop up Junyoshi, who was an almost exact replica of the former Seigaku captain. "Isn't that right, Jun? We don't want two stoic lady-killers running around Japan, huh?"

"Right!" he agreed. "And Kaya-nee would be like Mama, right?"

"Exactly." Fuji nodded.

"I would not! Mom dates too many boys. She should just stick to one like Dad and Uncle Fuji. I wouldn't be like her." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms.

Tezuka lifted her up. "Mom just hasn't found her Uncle Fuji yet, Kunikaya."

"I know, but I wish she'd hurry up! Kinda like Dad and getting ready for the park!" She smiled cutely, something Tezuka would never be sure if she'd picked up from Fuji or her mother, and squeezed his neck in a hug.

He half-smiled at his daughter's antics. "Let's get your coats back on."

—

A/N about my honorific choices: I chose to have Eiji call Junko "Junko-kun" because she's not the type of person who would appreciate being called "chan," but they know each other too well to use "san." Fuji calls her "Junko-chan" because they like to pick at each other. And… no one calls Eiji "Kikumaru" because… in my brain he doesn't like it. And that's that.