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Asami's Adventures in Fatherhood:
Last Minute Shopping.
AKA: The (Very) Late Christmas Special (Pt.1/2)
Note: This is completely cannon to our story, though it takes place a few months in the future of where our current storyline is! Right now, as of last chapter *Chapter 30*, we are in mid/late July!)
Dec. 24
Asami's POV
"Asami, stop being a baby! We talked about this last week!" Akihito scolded, tapping his foot impatiently.
"No, you talked about this and decided on your own. I never agreed to it." Asami countered with a sigh.
"Is your memory getting bad old man? I distinctly remember you agreeing to this."
The "Don of the Underworld" had had enough with this argument that was going nowhere. For the last thirty godforsaken minutes they had been fighting over him taking the kids to the mall to pick up last minute Christmas items they still needed, mostly for the purpose of getting them out of the house so Akihito could wrap gifts. Honestly, he didn't mind going to the mall for his feisty lover. What he did mind was Aki sending Kei off on a fully paid vacation to Hong Kong so he could be with Fei without even consulting him, and the little brat mouthing off to him in front of their children. That wasn't acceptable, not at all.
Asami stood from the table, leaving his breakfast behind as he pulled his glaring lover up with him, practically stomping towards his office. From behind him he could hear their daughter and Mayuri snickering over their bowls of eggs and rice. Once the door was shut, he turned and crossed his arms, giving the blonde a stern stare. "Kitten, I think you need to be reminded of who you are speaking to, and how you should be doing so in front of the children. Just because I don't agree with your version of that discussion doesn't mean my memory is failing and the "old man" comment will not go unpunished, Akihito."
"All I'm asking is for a little help around here, Ryuichi! I know you work and all, but being a stay at home parent isn't easy! I barely have time for anything! I've been putting together ALL of the Christmas plans, I've been getting everyone's gifts, I've been making time appear out of nowhere to get things done around here! All I want is from you is to take the kids out for ONE afternoon!" Akihito snapped, his face getting red with anger. It had been a long while since they had gotten this heated with one another.
"You do remember what happened the last time I took the kids to Scion with me, don't you? Do you really think that this is a good idea?!" He growled, narrowing his eyebrows.
"That was your own fault, Dummy! I told you not to give Masa markers, and then you left him alone!"
"I didn't give him the markers, he stole them. Not to mention I was only gone for a few minutes! How was I supposed to know he could do that much damage in such a short amount of time?"
"He's a toddler, Asami! Toddlers get into everything, they make messes everywhere, and they stick everything in their mouth! Not to mention Masahiko is a very clever boy." Akihito then rolled his eyes, "Besides, it's not like he did anything THAT bad…he just drew on the walls."
Asami had to pinch the bridge of his nose pretty hard to keep from losing his cool, not wanting to start their Christmas Eve off with a very angry little Kitten. "Akihito, it wasn't just the walls. It was my desk, the floor, every chair, ceiling, and the artwork hanging up. Neither Kei or I could figure out how he did it all to this day. What is he, Tarzan or something?" That comment seemed to lighten the mood…at least a little bit between them.
"No, the answer is pretty simple...I'm surprised neither of you have put two and two together. He stood on the chairs and threw them at the ceiling…the chairs and paintings were probably just the innocent bystanders…and probably the floor too."
"That doesn't make it any better, the artwork was worth millions."
"Yes, but they were ugly…"
"Akihito!" Asami rubbed his temples, trying to stave off the migraine that was threatening. He could feel his anger rising to a dangerous level as he stared into those fiery hazel eyes. The crimelord took a deep breath, calming himself before he tried to speak, but being cut off before he could.
"If you take the kids with you, I'll go to the "secret room" tonight, okay?" For a moment Asami was a little surprised, but he was soon smirking in satisfaction, his anger started to dissipate…a bit.
"That does sweeten the deal, but I think you can do better."
"What do you want, you perverted yakuza bastard?"
"Name calling will only add more to the previsions of the deal, Akihito."
"Fine. What are your demands, Asami-Sama?"
"They are not demands, but terms of agreement, Kitten. First: Tonight you will be a completely willing participant in our "secret room," just as you offered. Second: You will agree to anything I say or do while in there without complaint. Third: Never, and I mean never go behind my back and give my secretary a two-week paid vacation along with my private jet for said vacation to Hong Kong. Understood?"
At the mention of the vacation, Akihito's feisty look slowly became more sheepish. "…So…that's what you're angry about?" Asami nodded. "Sorry…I just…I wanted he and Fei to be together for the holidays. I mean, I couldn't imagine not being with you and the kids…and well…I could only imagine him being sad if he had to spend such an important holiday working. He has a family too, you know? Now that he and Fei are together, Tao is kind of weirdly like their kid…" That's an insane thought, Kei and Feilong with a kid…but Akihito isn't wrong.
Letting out a long sigh, Asami ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not angry over what you did, I'm angry of how you did it. We promised to talk about everything, well everything important that is, and you just went behind my back. Did you think I would have said no?"
"Well…no, but-"
"No but's, come to me next time and we will work something out. Also, please don't drug Kei again, or force him to take a two-week vacation without his consent…it's just rude." Finally a grin cracked on his lover's face.
"Hehe…I would have loved to see his face when he woke up." Aki snickered a bit, "But you're right, and I won't do it again. But in my defense, he would have said no. Even if you offered because that freak doesn't ever put himself first." Also very true.
"If that's all settled and we're in agreeance on everything, I'm tired of being angry. I'll take the kids, you get presents wrapped, and then tonight you owe me my reward."
"Hmm, fine. But do you seriously plan on taking the kids out…in that?" The blonde said pointedly, giving his suit a disapproving stare.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"Nothing if your plan is to scream "dangerous yakuza" around the mall."
Asami rolled his eyes, a small smirk playing on his pale lips. "Fine, but you have to pick out my outfit."
Grinning, Akihito grabbed his hand and pulled him from the office. "I was hoping you would say that." With that he was led up the stairs and into their bedroom. After three outfit changes (all of which he thought were fine, but apparently his Kitten is a picky little thing), and a long talk about the
"do's and don'ts" about taking the kids out, Asami was finally released as he was deemed suitable. Luckily he had texted Suoh while Aki was going through clothes, informing him of their change in plans. Like hell he would be going alone with those two monsters…that only spelled bad news. Back down stairs, he waited by the door beside his daughter and bodyguard, waiting for his lover to get their youngest member dressed and ready.
Ten or so minutes later the elevator finally opened, and Akihito walked out with a warmly dressed Masahiko…who looked very happy and proud of his outfit. Their little boy was wearing a blue and white sweater that had a cute panda on the front (wearing a Santa hat), a pair of grey jeans that had snowflakes embroidered along the sides, his pair of brown winter boots that had the white fur trim, and his panda backpack. Masa toddled his way over to them, raising his arms up for Asami to pick him up. Without a second thought, he lifted the small form into his arms, and was surprised when Masa cuddled up to his chest. Normally the toddler wasn't this affectionate with anyone but his mother, at least as of recently.
There was a small flash of light, and without even looking up he knew that Akihito must have snapped a picture of them from his phone. "Alright guys, be careful please. Kiyomi, stay near your father okay? Don't go running off without one of them with you." Akihito said as he fixed her hat.
"I know Mommy! You don't have to worry about anything!" She chirped with a grin, hugging him around the waist.
"We'll be fine, Kitten. Just take care of the house." Asami assured, leaning down and giving his lover a quick kiss…and at the same time Masa placed his own sloppy one on Aki's cheek.
"I will, don't worry." And with that, the group left.
After an hour of horrible traffic and listening to Masahiko make animal noises the entire trip, they had finally reached their destination. The mall. He had to admit he hadn't especially been excited for this trip, but after being trapped in the truck that long hearing cow and pig noises over and over (Those seemed to be his son's favorite), even the mall seemed like a safe haven. So the moment they were parked, Asami was practically throwing himself out of the car, feeling that migraine from earlier already coming back. This is going to be a long trip…
The door behind him opened and Kiyomi slid out of the leather car seat, Masahiko hoisted up in her arms. This sight of course sent a nervous chill through the crime lord, but he had seen her carry her brother many times…not for long periods of time but still. She liked showing off that she was a big sister.
"Princess, why don't you pass me or Uncle Kazumi your brother? You're going to get tired pretty quickly carrying him."
Kiyomi puffed out her cheeks a bit. "I can do it Daddy! I've gotten a lot stronger!" She's already struggling.
Cracking a small smile, Asami just shook his head. "I'm sure you have, sweetheart. But you've got to help me remember everything your mother needs me to get, and that requires you to have your hands free." She contemplated this for a moment before nodding, allowing Asami to scoop Masa up and set him up on his shoulders.
"So this means I get to be the leader, right?~" Kiyomi asked with an innocent grin, an innocent grin that Asami did not trust one bit. But…it was still too cute to say no to.
"Alright, fine. You're the leader." He agreed, trying to ignore the painful tugs to his hair coming from his son, who was now singing the opening to one the cartoons he watched. "So where too first little miss leader?" Asami mused, beginning to walk along side her as soon as Suoh had come around to meet them after grabbing the baby bag from the trunk.
"Well first we gotta talk about what you got Mama for Christmas! I gotta know if you got the right stuff or if I'm going have to save Christmas!" She chirped, that innocently sweet look still on her face.
"Your mother said he wanted a new set of knives, so that's what I got him." Asami replied, pretty confident about his gift choice.
"Uh huh, I know about that. I heard you talking to Uncle Kei about it. But what else?"
"What else? That's…what I got him." Asami said slowly, furrowing his eyebrows as they stepped through the automatic doors.
Kiyomi's sweet look morphed into a disapproving and unimpressed stare. "That's it?" She asked in an annoyed tone.
"Well, yes. That's what he wanted, a new set of knives. So I "splurged" and got him a set of Miyabi Birchwood kitchen knives."
"I can't believe you. Mama takes care of your kids, cooks every meal for you, he even puts up with you! And all you got him was a set of knives? Is that really all he's worth to you?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Yep, every ounce of confidence he had before was sapped right out of him by an almost nine-year-old. It didn't help that Suoh was stifling a chuckle behind him. Asami gave him a sideways glance, immediately shutting him up. I sign your paycheck, idiot.
Accepting his defeat, Asami let out a long sigh. "He's worth the world. So what exactly do you have in mind?"
With a smug look, Kiyomi pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket. "I made a list of all the things I've seen that Mama has looked at each time we've been at the mall." She unfolded it and held it out for him to look at. "Most everything is in the huge store upstairs on the fifth floor. It has just about everything there, so I've organized it by department and price. The ones highlighted in yellow are in the kitchen area, Green is in the home and furniture, Blue is Electronics, and then Pink is Videogames. The ones that are underlined are the more expensive gifts, as you can see the more lines under them means the more expense. The ones without lines are pretty affordable, but still are gifts you should think about. Now, if you notice there is one that is also circled. That one is the big gift you HAVE to get. It's the best one on the list, and the one Mama has been looking at FOREVER." Apparently "best" gift also meant most expensive…it was the only one with six lines under it. On the bright side, money wasn't exactly an issue in this family.
"So should I just get everything on the list?" He asked after reading through everything.
"No! That would be a very dumb idea. Mama would freak out that you spent too much. You need to get three. The big one, one in the middle, and then one of the affordable items." He's already going to think I'm spending too much...but he never asks for anything. So why not spoil him just a bit (Not that I don't already.) and follow this list? It's pretty handy anyway…I'm beginning to wonder how I ever managed without our little Princess.
"That's what I'll do then. But we have a few things we need to pick up while we're down here. A few last things your mother forgot for Christmas Dinner tomorrow." Not to mention birthday candles…since their daughter's birthday falls on the same day as the holiday…and they both have almost forgotten two years in a row. They were still getting used to this whole parent thing.
Kiyomi was back to looking all sweet and innocent, nodding cheerily. "Okay Daddy!~ Did Mommy make you a list?"
"Of course he did. He even gave me the "grocery envelope." Apparently we're budgeting even though we have no reason to budget."
"Mama says it's an old habit. I asked him about it once."
"Hm, that makes sense." He muttered to himself as they stepped into their first store, grabbing a basket from the tall stack.
So one store turned into four very quickly when he found out not everything could be found at just one store. Akihito was very specific about the brands that he wanted, which meant searching each and every store. This was made a little easier with Kiyomi who had been on these runs before, though she had begged him to stop at the Starbucks in the mall to get a Christmas Tree Frappuccino. Usually he would have denied her request, but how could he when the next day was both Christmas and her birthday? So they had stopped and grabbed one for her to sip on throughout their shopping. At their last store, almost an hour into their shopping, Suoh was already carrying a handful worth of grocery bags and they were finally at their last grocery store. By this point Masa had started to get a bit grumpy with being held, so he was now toddling beside them.
"Okay, so I think that's everything. Do you concur leader?" Asami looked down at his daughter, who had snatched the list at some point in the middle of store two.
"Nope! We're out of juice, Mama forgot to put it on the list." Kiyomi chirped, "I'll go grab some! I know where it is, so I'll be right back!" Before he could remind her of what Akihito had said about her running off, she was gone.
"Sir, should I follow her?"
"No, she'll be fine. She's still in the store and she's been taking those self defense classes. If anyone tries anything…well I'd hate to be them. She's a quick learner." It was as he said this that Asami felt his arm getting weighted down more and more, and glancing down he caught Masahiko putting an armful of canned fruit into the basket. A further glance he saw that it was filled with snacks of all kinds. How didn't I notice that before now? "Masahiko, you don't need all of this." Asami said calmly, beginning to put things back on the shelves.
"No Daddy!" Masa whined, trying to reach up and grab the food back. Looking back down, their matching golden eyes met and Asami could see the crocodile tears already coming. Oh god…You can't be serious.
"Masa baby, we already have this stuff at home. See? You just ate some of these this morning." Asami bent down, holding one of the many cans of pears out for him to see. "We have plenty, and you can eat them with you get home." Those tears started falling, the toddler shaking his head and reaching got the can.
"Mine! Mine mine mine!" He whined loudly, attracting attention from some of the other shoppers.
Lowering his voice to a hushed whisper, Asami gave the boy a stern look. "Masahiko, stop. You're making a scene and it's very rude to everyone around us." The only reply he got was Masa completely cracking, wailing loudly as he went full tantrum. He smacked at Asami's legs, trying to grab the can from him as though it were some toy he had taken away. The crimelord was at a loss for what to do, given Akihito was usually the one to handle their son whenever he became upset. He closed his eyes, trying to understand what his son was mumbling about, but it was mostly unintelligible. Wait a minute. What time is it? Glancing down at his watch, Asami mentally cursed. It was definitely past both Masahiko's snack time and nap time. Dammit, Akihito warned me about this.
"Okay, I understand now. You're hungry, aren't you?" The baby's wails only continued, but he nodded violently. "Suoh, I need you to take Masa somewhere to sit down and give him the snack Akihito packed. Kiyomi and I will do the rest of the shopping. After he's done, take him back to the car and let him nap in the backseat."
"Yes sir, I'll handle it." Suoh said, bending down and lifting Masa up into his arms, murmuring softly to the child in attempt to calm him. It was about this time that Kiyomi came around the corner, holding two large bottles of juice.
"Is Masa okay Daddy?" She asked with a frown, watching as her uncle walked off with her younger brother.
Asami nodded. "Lost track of time, he should have already eaten and be napping by now. Speaking of which, are you hungry? You usually have had your snack before now as well."
"No, I'm fine!~ I ate lots for breakfast." Asami gave her a small nod, before he headed for the cashier's station.
"Well if you get hungry, don't hesitate to inform me. We can stop at anytime and go get you something to eat."
"Don't worry, I'm pretty demanding when I'm hungry. Maybe not scream and cry demanding, but I will remind you every five minutes until you wear down." Just like an Asami. Good girl.
"Dully noted." He mused, grabbing the envelope out of his pocket once the cashier had rung up and bagged everything. "Now, let's get up to the fifth floor and look at everything on this list of yours." I might as well look at gifts for everyone else as well…Kitten has been hounding me since last year that I should be getting into the holiday spirit…so I'll surprise him.
By the end of their shopping, Asami had a cart full of gifts intended for the little "family." Along with a few things he had snuck into the bottom of the cart for his little Princess. Birthday gifts mostly, things he had watched her look at as they walked through the store. A few games for her portable system, along with a stuffed alpaca she had been eyeing since they walked into the store. Asami had found it oddly satisfying each time he found a gift he thought one of his friends would like, which was a completely new thing for the crimelord. He had only ever found satisfaction in buying things for Akihito…and in the past his brother, but besides that it had always seemed more like a chore rather than something enjoyable. But with Kiyomi by his side making jokes and giving her clever input on everything…it turned out to actually be rather exhilarating. He had actually found himself smiling more times than not, especially while listening to her overexplain why he should get a specific gift for a specific person. Most of her reasons were rather sound, though some were quite humorous. Such as the reason they should (And did) purchase Mayuri the ridiculously huge and extravagantly soft blanket was so he could properly cuddle with Suoh. Apparently they were having to use two separate blankets and that was apparently just unacceptable.
"I think we've gotten enough presents for everyone. Though I'm still in the opinion that getting the set of hairbrushes for your Uncle Fei is unnecessary. He likely has a whole arsenal of them."
"Probably, but those aren't as special as these." She chirped, grabbing the box from the cart. "Last year when I met Uncle Fei, I cried because he chopped all his hair off. I wanted to braid it, because I didn't have any of my own to practice on. But he told me that it would grow back…that we would both have our pretty hair again. And then he told me to go into Mama's room, because it would make his day. So…if it wasn't for Uncle Fei then I never would have met you. So…these brushes mean something special."
Asami was surprised with her words, having never heard anything about this before now. Neither she nor Fei had every mentioned that they had been the first meet, or that it was because of him that they even have the beautiful daughter they have today. It was a shocking discovery, and one that made him see the Baishe leader in a new light. Letting a soft smile appear, Asami nodded as he ran a hand through Kiyomi's fiery red hair. "They are certainly the perfect gift then. I regret doubting you."
"Mhm!~ So I'll buy them myself!" She chirped with a grin.
"Hmm, these are pretty expensive Kiyomi…are you sure you have enough?" Asami asked, glancing down at her. "Because I really don't mind purchasing them for you."
"Don't worry Daddy, I have enough! I've been saving so I can get everyone a gift! You, Mama, baby Masa, Uncle Fei and Kei, Uncle Mayuri and Kazumi, Uncle Rin and Yoh, Tao, Akise, and Izumi! I did most of my Christmas shopping last week with Mama, but I still needed to get gifts for Uncle Fei and Uncle Yoh!" Ah, so that explains the random kitchen gadgets. Yoh does enjoy cooking.
"If you have enough then go for it, but I really don't mind." He offered one last time as he began pulling things out of the cart to put on the conveyer belt.
"I know you don't, but I have the funds so I should buy it!~" She said with a grin, holding the box close to her chest. He had to admit he admired that about their princess, she didn't overly depend on them for things. She was independent in a lot of ways.
With the last item bagged, the crimelord reached into his pocket for his wallet…only to find it not there. Frowning, he patted both of his back pockets, then his front, and hell he even tried his jacket pockets. No wallet. I know I had it. It was with me when we got out of the truck. He wasn't panicked or anything, but this was definitely a big inconvenience.
"Is everything okay, sir?" The teenager behind the register asked, keeping a friendly tone. Well if this isn't embarrassing enough…
"I think my wallet fell out somewhere in the mall…" He muttered, frowning as he glanced around at his feet.
"Well, if you want I can hold the items for you until you find your wallet, sir. Of course it will have to be before my shift ends, but I'd be more than happy to." The kid said with a kind smile.
Before he could say anything, Kiyomi had her sparkly purple wallet out. "I'll take care of it Daddy!~" She chirped, before she passed up her own two items. "Add these please." The teen gave her an amused look.
"That's very sweet of you little miss, but I'm afraid this is a bit more than your pocket money can afford." He said gently, trying not to sound mean or condescending.
Kiyomi just smirked, her expression darkening a bit as she pulled out a handful of large yen bills. "I think I can cover it, Mr." She replied as she counted out her money, before passing up it up to the kid…who looked stunned as he took the money. This would be amusing if we weren't attracting stares. While she gathered her change, Asami grabbed the bags, ignoring all the strange looks they were receiving. Once he had them, they started heading out of the store. "You can pay me back when we get home with interest…but don't worry, I'll give you the family discount. Three percent interest rather than usual eight." Kiyomi pipped up once they were away from prying ears.
Asami raised an eyebrow, cracking a little smirk. "Charging your father interest? Isn't that usually only by the week?" He teased, though he fully intended on paying her extra.
"In most cases, but in this one it's by the hour. I'm just being a good business woman like you taught me." Smart girl.
ATTENTION ALL SHOPPERS: A CHILD IS MISSING IN THE MALL. THE ENTRANCE AND EXIT DOORS WILL BE LOCKED DOWN UNTIL THE CHILD IS FOUND. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.
As if knowing it were going to happen, he reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone out as it began vibrating. Of course. This is just my luck. Letting out a sigh, he answered the call. "Please tell me that announcement wasn't concerning Masahiko."
"I-I'm sorry Sir! I had just got him calmed down and he was eating…I-I only turned away for a minute and when I looked back he was gone!" So much for that holiday spirit.
"You're still on the first floor, right? Start looking there and work your way up. Kiyomi and I will check up here and make our way down. If you find him, call me immediately." Ending the call, he shoved the phone in his pocket and grabbed his daughter's hand. "Come on, we've got to go find your brother."
Fifteen minutes later and the search for the tiny child was coming up moot. There wasn't any sign of him on the fifth or the forth floor, and they hadn't received a call yet from Suoh so apparently he was having little luck as well. The more time that passed, the more worried and panicked he felt. What if he was kidnapped? What if someone had already taken him out of the mall and they were all wasting their time right now?
"Daddy, I've been trying to tell you! We should go down to the third floor and check Build-A-Bear! That's where he is!" Asami blinked, looking down at his daughter.
"What are you talking about?"
"Masa loves teddy bears, and he loves that store! That's where he is!" She replied huffily, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Why didn't you mention this before we went on a wild goose chase?" Asami asked as he headed for the escalators.
"I did! You just weren't listening! You kept telling me to walk faster." Was I ignoring her? I didn't even realize she was talking.
"I'm sorry Princess, I didn't realize I was ignoring you. This is just a very…stressful situation." Kiyomi only nodded, and thankfully she didn't look that upset. More understanding than anything else. Stepping off the elevator and allowing his daughter to take the lead a bit, he followed her to this teddy bear building store she had been talking about. It wasn't the sign that told him they had arrived, rather his guard/friend who was standing outside of it, looking staring inside the store with an amused grin on his face. "Suoh, what are you doing?" He growled as they approached.
The enormous blonde just held a finger up to his lips and waved them over, before pointing into the store. Following his gesture, Asami's eyes settled on the sight of his small toddler, who was pushing around one of those little kid carts that were at the entrance of the store. Inside the cart he had his backpack, a fully stuffed bear, and clothes galore for his little bear. And boy did he look proud of himself.
Strolling up to the register, Masahiko began grabbing his things and holding them up for the woman to reach over and take. The lady looked around, clearly looking for the parent of the child to make sure this was okay. Finally her eyes found Asami's, and he gave her a brief nod. He still had enough in the "grocery budget" envelope to afford a bear and some clothes, though he was definitely going to be having a stern conversation with his little monster about running off.
Staying back and watching the whole thing go down was admittedly very adorable, that is until it came time to pay for the bear. Asami had begun heading that way, but he was halted the moment he saw Masahiko reach into his backpack…and pulled out his wallet! Did he…Did that little brat pickpocket me? The boy took out as much of the bills his little hands could hold, and began passing it up to the cashier. And it was most definitely WAY more than that bear cost. The woman kept a smile on her face as she took out what Asami HOPED was the appropriate amount, before passing the money back down to Masa…who just tossed it into his backpack. Of course.
As she helped Masa get everything back into his little buggy, Asami turned to the other two. "We do NOT speak of this to ANYONE. Understood?"
"Y-Yes sir!" Suoh said quickly, struggling to keep a straight face. Kiyomi wasn't even trying to contain hers, giggling hysterically.
"Ooooh no!~ You can't expect my silence for free!~"
"Are you blackmailing me?"
"It's not blackmail, it's extortion! You taught me the difference!" I did. And now I regret it. (Not really)
"Fine, what are your demands?"
Kiyomi just grinned, a mischievous little glint in those chocolate eyes. "Six percent interest rather than three, aaaand I want you to take me to Harajuku and buy me all the sweets I want…now~" Asami felt his eye twitch. She wants me to go to that freak show of a prefecture?
"There is now way I'm taking you to Harajuku today. I can arrange your Uncle Kei to take you next week, if that's acceptable."
"Hehe, no. You're taking me today, or I'm telling Mama!~"
Gritting his teeth, he knew there wasn't going to be any budge room here. She looked determined, and if he really wanted this to be kept between them…he would have to give in. "One stop. We will go to one food stall, and that is all."
"How about five stops?" Kiyomi negotiated.
"Three."
"Deal!~" Kiyomi said with a smug grin. Dammit, I've taught her too well…Always start off higher than what you want.
Masa had finally noticed that they were there, and he came toddling quickly towards them, dragging his bags behind him with his snow flake themed teddy bear poking out of his backpack. "Dada!~" He squealed, and once he got over he was bouncing on his heels and babbling excitedly, pointing to the store and then at some of the workers, telling them all about what happened. Asami could only catch a few words (a lot of it was still baby babbles, but he did have quite a few words mixed in), especially with how fast he was talking, but it was enough to understand the jist of what he was saying. He wanted a bear, a nice lady helped him get the bear, and then he paid for it all by himself.
"That's great, but you can't go running off by yourself." Asami said calmly, trying not to raise his voice. He did not want a repeat of earlier.
The toddler looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows, and honestly the crimelord couldn't tell if the boy was confused of what he said, or if he was just trying to figure out if he was in trouble or not. Letting out a small sigh, he reached down to ruffle Masa's hair before lifting him up. "Let's just get out of here. We now have more places to run and Akihito will be expecting us home before dinner."
"Lunch first?" Kiyomi piped up from beside him as Suoh grabbed the Build-A-Bear bags.
"Yes yes, lunch first." He assured, right about the time he felt Masahiko's cheek fall against his shoulder. Looking down, he saw that the little monster had dozed off.
Good, let's just hope he stays that way for a while.
In the end they ended up home a lot later than the crimelord had anticipated, but still they managed to arrive before dinner…by only a little. Masahiko had napped for only about an hour, waking up just as the rest of them had finished eating lunch. He had planned on feeding him later from what Akihito had packed in the baby bag, but once he realized they were eating out…he wasn't having it. He wanted to eat what they had, so they ended up in that restaurant for an extra half hour than expected. When they finally got to Harajuku, Kiyomi was adamant on the three places she wanted to go…and none of them were safe for a messy toddler to eat. So while he took her off to get giant rainbow cotton candy and crème brûlée crepes (he made sure to buy an extra one for Akihito), Suoh went off with Masahiko to get him a cream puff from Beard Papa (A dozen of them, actually.) This time there wasn't any mishap of losing a child thanks to the fact Suoh kept the boy up on his shoulders the entire time.
The whole trip there hadn't been as horrible as he thought it would be, but that didn't mean he had particularly enjoyed it. It was a very loud, colorful, and just touristy part of Tokyo he himself didn't really find interesting. But Kiyomi had LOVED it. She wanted to take pictures with every cosplayer she saw, and dear lord when they walked by the Monster Café…she had spent ten minutes begging him to go in. Of course this was after they had already gone to their three places (Technically four if you included Beard Papa), and he was a man of his word…and he was teaching her to be a woman of hers. However, he did end up agreeing to take her there after New Year's…despite how much he hated the idea of it. Still, how could he tell his princess no?
Walking through the kitchen's Dutch door, Asami was greeted with the sight of his lover standing over the stove in his apron, working on what smelled to be a delicious dinner and chatting with Mayuri who was perched up on a barstool.
"OooOoo! Something smells amaaaazing Mommy!" Kiyomi chirped as she skipped through the kitchen towards the adjoining dining room, plopping herself down at the table. Masahiko was immediately all over his mother, hugging his leg tightly.
"I would hope so, it's your favorites after all. Hamburger steak with cut carrots, broccoli, and a fried egg." Akihito said with a grin, flipping the patties that were currently in the skillet before he turned pulled Masahiko up and settled him onto his hip. "Did you guys have fun?"
Setting the sweets and grocery bags down on the counter, and handing the other bags off to Suoh to take into his study, he turned to his love. "It was enjoyable, and we got everything you needed."
"And a little extra!~" Mayuri said with a grin, pointing to the Beard Papa box. Akihito turned to look at the box, raising an eyebrow.
"You brought home sweets? You do realize that we're making cookies tonight, right?"
"I'm aware, but now there will be more of a variety"
"Uh-huh." Akihito was eyeing him suspiciously. His eyes moved from Asami, to all the bags on the counter. Seeing something that warranted this suspicion, the blonde snatched up a little white bag off the counter, holding it up. "Comcrepe? You took the kids to Harajuku?" Dammit, I shouldn't have brought home evidence.
"…Yes, they wanted to go." Not a lie.
Shaking his head, the boy cracked a smile. "You're hopeless. You talk about me spoiling the kids all the time, yet you give into them the one day you're alone with them."
"Well as you said, the one day I'm alone with them. Isn't that exactly the day I should give into them?"
"And does that include taking Masahiko to Build-A-Bear the day before Christmas?~ What if Santa had wanted to get him that?~" Mayuri, I'm going to glue your mouth shut.
"You bought Masa a Build-A-Bear?!" Akihito's eyes quickly found the discarded backpack near the door, the bear sticking out of the top. Asami was preparing himself to be scolded (Meaning he was preparing himself to remain straight faced through it, though he always wanted to laugh), but he watched as that pissy expression morphed into a thoughtful one. "Actually, I can't be angry. It's too cute when I think of you building a bear for Masa."
Asami didn't say anything, instead he started putting away groceries to make himself busy. He wasn't going to outright lie, but he also was NOT going to let on to what happened what so ever. But it seemed he didn't need to, because Akihito was putting pieces together in his head pretty quickly.
"Okay, no. This doesn't sound right…you would never be seen doing something like that. What's going on?" When he didn't say anything, Aki gave their daughter a look…who hid behind her tablet. Masahiko on the other hand immediately began babbling away, and if he could form proper sentences Asami knew that the little brat would be snitching on them.
"Kazumi, Love!~ What is Ryu hiding from his precious little Kitten?" Mayuri asked the tall blonde as he entered the room again. He looked like he wanted to run away again. "Ooo…that's a guilty face!~"
"Bastard! You lost Masa, didn't you?!" How did he jump to that conclusion so quickly?! Unless…
"What would make you think I lost Masa?"
"The bear, Asami! The bear! You wouldn't have taken him into that store no matter how much he begged, and I know it!" As Akihito began plating the meat patties and sides, he shot a sideways glance to their "innocent" daughter. "Not to mention I know what our daughter's price of keeping her lips sealed is." Are those red hands I see?
Smirking, the crimelord leaned against the counter. "Oh do you now? And just what is it that you had to pay Kiyomi off for? What are you hiding from me?"
"Oooooh no! You do not get to turn this on me Mr.! I'm not the one who lost our son!"
"Heh, this time." Mayuri muttered over his cup of coffee. Akihito shot him a betrayed looked. "Oopsie, did I say that aloud?~ My bad!~"
"Looks like the pot is calling the kettle black." Asami mused.
"Yeah, well you're the kettle. So we're just as bad as each other." Akihito said with a huff, though he couldn't really look serious when he had Masa patting his cheeks and making silly sounds at him.
Shaking his head, Asami gave the boy a devilish smirk. "Actually, you're wrong."
"Excuse you? Just what exactly are you implying?"
"Oh I'm implying nothing. I'm stating that I'm not the kettle." He pointed his thumb to the giant, guilty man who had been trying to disappear into the wall this entire conversation. "Pot, meet your Kettle." There was a long moment of silence, before Mayuri burst into laughter. The blushing and fuming Akihito didn't look nearly as amused.
Dinner is going to be interesting.