The Moments Between Us

Summary: A collection of one-shot/drabble moments shared between Natsume Hyūga and Ruka Nogi as strangers, enemies, best friends, and lovers. Based on a list of 100 personal challenge prompts on LJ.

Rating: K – M (but will be mostly classified as T)

Disclaimer: still not mine m(_ _)m

Memory 7 –The First Day of Day Care

Pairing(s): Natsume x Ruka

Warning(s): Nothing but a cute family moment and some boy on boy making out haha

Rating: K+

Summary: Their differences made them beautiful.

Based on: Prompt 024 –Family

When Kasame Nori had seen a certain Hyūga Yōichi walk into her daycare, she had a feeling that he would be a special child. Especially when she noticed that his hands were both held on either side by his parents. His very male, very beautiful parents.

Now, don't think she was against non-hetersexual couples or something as frivolous as that. No, Nori had seen them before—both male and female as they dropped their child off under her care. No, she was all for free love, but what caught her attention with this certain family was how different the two father's had been. Nori had seen a lifetime of troubles amongst couples who tried but were just too different to fix their marriage, and sadly, none of them worked out. It was even worse when they had children to fight for between them.

So, as she watched the dark haired father come closer, all masculine and intimidating aura, with his fair haired spouse following, all soft and kind smiles; she decided to keep a close eye on them.

"Hello," the blonde looked even prettier up close, Nori realized, a twinge of something akin to jealousy flaring in her chest. She smiled at him through and stood up, dusting her apron before she bowed to him in greeting.

"This is Yo-chan," graceful hands moved to try and pry the resisting child from where he was burying his face into the blonde's neck. A weak smile was shot when the child refused to move, and the raven haired man, who seemingly had a sense for these kinds of things, stepped forward with advancing arms.

The ashen haired boy protested with a muffled cry of "tou-san!" as he was pulled away sharply but carefully at the same time. Teary blue eyes met the odd crimson eyes of his taller father's before he turned his wobbling lips toward his nervous looking blonde parent. "kaa-san! Yo-chan doesn't want to go! Yo-chan wants to stay with kaa-san and tou-san at home!"

The blonde parent, who was addressed as the mother, instantly turned to his darker haired significant other. His blue eyes were pleading and sad, but even before he could open his mouth, the darker one huffed out a "No." silencing any and all protests that the smaller male was going to make.

"Kaa-san!"

"Natsume," the blonde tried again, finding his voice, "we could always come back next year! Yo-chan's only four!"

Crimson eyes rolled, "he's only four now Ruka. You've babied him too much and at the rate you're going, one pouty look and you'd take the kid out of freaking high school if he asked."

Nori's head swiveled from Hyūga Natsume back to Hyūga Ruka in all his crushed beauty. His sad cornflower blue eyes had a teary eyed look to them, but all protest and fight seemed to have gone from him when his dark haired husband handed their child back into his arms.

"Kaa-san…?" Yōichi's voice was wavy, his lower lip jutted out in a shaky pout. Ruka smiled sadly at his baby boy before glancing at Natsume who stared back impassively. Then Ruka took a deep sigh and hugged his baby close, kissing him softly on the cheek as his hands rubbed at his back.

"Y-you'll have loads of fun here, Yo-chan," a sad smile, "there's plenty of kids here for you to make friends with—even more than the kids at the park! So…" he kneeled on the ground, pushing his child's arms off of him until they were apart. "Kaa-san and tou-san have to leave now," his hands brushed at the messy ashen hair lovingly and Nori's heart filled with warmth at the scene.

Natsume kneeled down next to them and reached out his fingers to brush away at the tears that was starting to slip from the boy's endless blue eyes. Pink baby soft lips started to tremble, but with a raised dark eyebrow Yōichi stopped and took a deep breath. He sent a look back at the busily playing kids and let his eyes land on Nori herself before he threw himself into his parent's arms, letting them envelop his smaller body in a family hug.

"Kaa-san and tou-san… will come back to pick up Yo-chan, r-right?" the four-year-old asked with a loud sniffle when they broke apart into a loose circle.

"Every day as soon as the clock turns its small hand on the number five," Natsume's answer was said in the same hard tone, but Nori could tell that his words were as warm as the fire in his eyes. Yo-chan seemed to know too as he stared at his darker haired father, lips trembling again before he shook it off into a wavering smile. Then, he jumped onto the dark haired man and was instantly enveloped in a tight hug and a kiss to his messy hair before he was set free, taking off for the nearest play area without another look back.

Then, the parents both dark and light haired stood together. Their hands were firmly intertwined between them, but other than that and the tears that Hyūga Ruka was wiping away with his free hand, they looked as beautiful as they did when they first walked in.

"Please take care of our son," Natsume said calmly, his eyes holding a small warning that made Nori nod almost instantly after seeing it.

"Yes," Ruka said with a small sniffle, "his favorite color is blue, and we've already supplied his favorite blanket for nap time." Natsume nodded next to him, "And oh!" Nori turned her head back to Ruka whose lip started to tremble before he shook it off and smiled, "his favorite juice is either orange or apple—he hates grape."

Nori could only smile, starting to know where this whole conversation was going, but before Ruka could continue Natsume pulled him close. A swift kiss to his lips before a nod was sent in Nori's direction, and they were gone; Natsume dragging a dazed and slightly confused Ruka behind him.

Inside, Nori glanced out at the window just in time to see Ruka gain his senses and start to struggle against his obviously stronger husband. He started yelling something but Natsume moved quickly, his lips descending in a flash of pink that Nori knew would have tongue somehow involved. Ruka's hand was seen grasping onto the back of Natsume's black jacket weakly before it seemed to pound against the back only to be stopped when Natsume pulled away, moving quickly as he threw his smaller husband over his shoulder like a pack of potatoes.

Nori could only watch until they disappeared before she turned back to watching the children under her care. Her eyes landed on Hyūga Yōichi who was idly playing with a small pile of blocks looking every bit like the disgruntled child who wanted something but was reprimanded for saying that he wanted it. Then Nori thought back to his beautiful parents and found herself smiling inwardly.

Maybe she was wrong about opposites never working because, hadn't she, after all, just seen two obviously different people totally have a make-out session in front of her? Or maybe they were just meant to be, she didn't know.

Meant to be or not though, they certainly made one beautiful family.

A/N: this chapter was fun haha, i love gruff daddy natsume and kind mommy ruka! xD so cutteee ahaha

&&haha, thank you for all the chicken sucker comments xD next up with the comment-with-a-word-game!: 25% more muffin tops! yessirrs :D send me a comment saying 25% more muffin tops! and you shall get... *drumrolls*... NOTHING! :D/get's bricked.

okay, well :'( if my love means nothing to you that is *sniffs*