Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. It belongs to Takaya Natsuki. This applies to all further chapters of "A Name for Baby".
Chapter 1: Kyou and Tohru
"He's...he's so beautiful..."
Gushed for perhaps the billionth time since the miraculous invention of babies, the words were as yet un-cliched as the nurse placed the baby boy in his tired, yet ecstatic, mother's arms. The father leaned over and stroked said wee gentleman's tiny head. It was already covered with soft orange fuzz.
"He looks just like you, Kyou" smiled the mother at the father. He smiled back at her, kissed her quickly and said, "But he has your nose, Tohru."
She immediately blushed and began saying, "Eh? Eh? Is there something wrong with that?"
He laughed quietly and kissed her again, longer this time, to shush her. "It means that it's the most beautiful little nose in the world," he told her when he had finished.
Tohru paused, then smiled back at him. "Kyou...I love you."
Gentle warmth streamed from his expression. "I love you, too."
"Well," said the nurse, a large, buxom woman in her "waning" years who nevertheless had the energy of a twenty-year old, "have you decided on a name yet?"
His parents looked at each other. A question was in his eyes, one that had been asked before and been forgotten.
"You mean you didn't pick a name yet, Tohru?"
"Sumimasen! Sumimasen!" Tohru immediately began bowing in apology. The nurse and Kyou simultaneously said, "Ah!" and rushed to stop her impulsive bowing. "Sohma-san, please calm down!" the nurse said. Tohru subsided. "Sumimasen," she said again, quieter this time.
"Well, it's alright," the nurse said cheerfully, "we'll just put him down as "Little One Sohma" for now, and you two can choose a name when you're ready. Okay?" She walked briskly, albeit heavily, out the room.
Kyou looked from her back to his wife. Tohru's eyes were brimming with tell-tale tears. Oh dear, he thought.
"Tohru..."
The tsunami came. "Kyou! I'm so sorry!" (sob) "It just slipped my mind...I don't know how, but I've just been so happy" (sob) "waiting for this little one to come, and planning out the years" (sob) "and wondering how I was going to introduce him to Okaa-san, and...and..."
"Tohru. Look at me." The firmness of his voice instantly commanded her attention. He sighed, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her face carefully. "Don't worry about it. We'll think of a name as soon as we get home."
(Sniff) "Really?"
Three days later, back at home, no name yet within the radar.
Kyou is beginning to get a little annoyed. Although he tries not to show it, Tohru is by now very sensitive to his feelings and picks up on it right away.
She is still hormonal from the whole pregnancy things. This results in tears. Many tears.
But the baby is still adorable. He opens and closes his wee hands when his parents come near, as if he wants to grab ahold and never let go. His eyes are currently blue. They may or may not change color as time passes. Kyou hopes they don't; Tohru hopes they change to red.
There is singing often, soft singing, as if embarrassed that anyone but Little One can hear it. Kyou hears that singing sometimes, passing by the door of their bedroom; he pauses, listening, well aware that if he opens the door, even a crack, the singing will stop.
But Little One is as yet unnamed.
One afternoon, a Sunday, full of sunlight and the sweet, fresh smell of the first cutting of spring grass and clover, Kyou comes into the room determinedly. He holds more than one "Name the Baby" book.
Tohru, who has just finished feeding Little One, looks up with astonishment on her face. "Kyou..."
He sets the books down on the nightstand with a gentle "thump". "It will be done," he tells her, grimly.
She maneuvers Little One over her shoulder and begins patting his back. When he burps, it is tiny, almost inaudible, the sweetest sound in the world.
Tohru can't wait to hear him laugh. He can't smile yet; just looks about at the wide, wide world around him with big eyes full of wonder.
Kyou opens the first book. His eyes fall to the middle of the first page. "Akihiko, Akihiro, Akio, Akira...argh, why do these all sound so close to Akito!" He mutters dirty language under his breath, flips to the middle of the book.
"Kyou..." She gives him a small, but definite, disapproving look. He accepts it with the due amount of shame.
"Jirou...that means 'second son', no good, Katsu..."
"That's a lot like my father's name, Katsuya..."
"I don't like it."
"Ohh..."
"Keiji...respectful second son...what the heck?" He forgets her warning and mutters more *** language.
She has given him a chance. Even Tohru has her limits. She thwacks him on the shoulder.
"What the heck was that? A mosquito bite?"
Another thwack, somewhat harder. He considers getting her angrier, just for the fun of it, but decides it wouldn't be a good example for their as yet innocent son.
"Takeyuki...no way...Takehiko...'prince', reminds me too much of You-Know-Who..."
He shuts the book with such force that the displaced air blows the bangs out of his face. "Argh...this book is useless!" He sets it down on top of the other books, comes over to Tohru's side and sits on the side of the bed.
She puts Little One down on her lap and rocks back and forth, lulling him to sleep. "Well, there are plenty of people we could name him after. What about something like Shigure?"
He gives her a dirty look. "No. Way."
"Ah, ah, sumimasen, my fault, I'm sorry," she says flusteredly. Little One looks up at her with the threat of tears and she hastily commences rocking.
She thinks for a moment. "What about Ayame? That's a nice name..."
He actually goes so far as to grab her shoulders for the sake of a full-force glare straight in the eye. "If you name him after that person, I will never forgive you."
"Ah, sumimasen..." She flutters her hands distractedly.
She thinks again. "We could name him after Haru or Momiji..."
"No way. I'm not having a son named 'early spring' or 'maple leaves.'"
She looks slightly crestfallen. "I...I kind of like names like that..."
Another tsunami on the rise. Kyou wraps his arms around her and attempts to quell the storm. "Tohru...I'm sorry...I didn't mean it that way..."
Too late. He spends the next five minutes trying to calm her down.
She hands Little One to him, a smile back on her face as she watches him carefully cradle the sleeping baby in his arms. "I'll go make us some tea," she says, and begins to walk out the door.
"You do realize this isn't over," he reminds her. She turns back from the door. She has forgotten again already. He groans and closes his eyes. "Go ahead, go ahead. "
She brings back tea a little while later. Little One has awoken and is fussing a little. She picks him back up, rocks him, eyes closed contentedly.
He is still determined. "Tohru."
"Oh, right." She considers for a moment. "Well, you know, maybe we should name him Yuki...he is one of the closest people to us and..."
She stops short at the look in his eyes. "Or not, or not," she says quickly, "but what about one of Yuki's friends, you know, Kakeru, or Nao?"
"NO."
"Okay then...ano...well, what's your father's name?"
He reaches up and grabs his hair in both hands, groaning. "That is a definite no in any case."
"But what is it?"
"It doesn't matter."
The phone rings. Kyou picks up. "Moshi moshi?"
"Kyou-kun!" He immediately throws the phone down on the bed. "Damn dog! You're the last one I feel like talking to right now."
"Tohru-kun, Kyou's being meeeeaan..." whines the voice from the bed.
She picks up. "Ah, sumimasen, Shigure. Nice weather isn't it?"
"Un! I hope you're doing well. We heard the news yesterday. Congratulations! What did you name him?"
"Sore wa...ano...we haven't decided yet..."
"Sou desu ka? Well, what about something like Hatori or Kazuma?"
"No," comes Kyou's voice from the floor. He has sunk there, back against the side of the bed. He looks a little angry and a little sick.
A little silence. Tohru begins to wonder if Shigure has been deeply offended and has decided never to talk to them again. "Ano...Shigure..."
A tiny chuckle on the other end. "I'm still here, Tohru-kun."
"Oh, ii desu."
A thoughtful pause. "Tohru, tell me, how do you feel about baby?"
"I love him! He's the most darling thing on earth. His tiny hands are so perfect...his little face is so beautiful..." She looks down fondly on the sleeping child, mouth slightly open as he breathes in his sleep. She murmers softly at him, "Daisuki, daisuki..."
"Well, that's your answer, then, isn't it, Tohru-kun?" Her eyes open widely. "Eh?"
"Name him Daisuke! Then all your problems are solved!"
She rolls the name over her tongue, like delicious mochi, or even better yet, chocolate. "Daisuke, Daisuke...Kyou, what do you think?"
At this point he's willing to go for anything. But he likes the name, too. So he grunts in assent and sips his tea, still on the floor.
And Little One now has a name.