A Name for Baby
Chapter 2: Yuki and Machi
They are a family. Well, they were a family before, but now, with the wee one tucked in coddling arms, they feel more like a family.
Wow.
Machi's face, normally somewhat stoic, softened into little curves and crinkles that made Yuki want to eat her up like a gingersnap. He contented himself with a light kiss on the forehead.
"Good job, Machi."
She looked up at him, dark eyes widening as if, in that one little blissful moment, she had forgotten everything in the world but the Baby. Now she remembered the source of said child. A smile washed over her features like a wave smoothing over sand. "It's all thanks to you," she said. "You stayed with me the entire night."
He smiled and kissed her again. It had been an unusually long and tiring labor. But it was over now. Machi had already forgotten the pain and exhaustion in the delight of her new little girl.
There is a problem, even now, though. Yuki and Machi had been passing back and forth the responsibility of naming their daughter for the last three months. Yuki's excuse was that he didn't want their child to blame them for a weird name ten years down the road. Machi simply didn't care. The child is more important than the name. She had fretted about being a good mother, different from her own, since she and Yuki first started going together and she realized they would be together forever.
But children cannot be called "kodomo" forever. Each is as different as bright sunbeams. Thus, after some nudges from family members, etc., Yuki and Machi have been considering.
They discuss it at random intervals, from time to time. They have already ruled out his mother's name, her mother's name, Kagura, Izusu and Kisa. Yuki, quite honestly, wants as little reminder of his previous captivity as possible, and those names remind him of dark corners, of black painted walls.
Ayame is considered. Briefly. By Machi only. Yuki shoots it down with five bazookas, instantly. Mine is considered by Yuki. Machi has been traumatized enough by that lace-bearing lady. She refuses.
"Komaki?" he suggests, considering Kakeru's wife with the cheerful, selfless smile.
She narrows her eyes at him. "Boring."
He sighs. "Fine, your turn."
And so it continues. Otherwise, they are quite happy. Yuki is getting a master's degree in horticulture design; while he is away during the day, Machi coddles the Baby and introduces her to the finest anime. In her opinion. Yuki has never been into anime, and he makes fun of her from time to time.
One evening, Yuki comes home and sits down wearily by the kotatsu. He looks over at Machi, who is caught in one of her rare moments of complete, silly expression, of googooing and gagaing at her little daughter, who gurgles and makes little "ba...ba..." sounds back at her. His expression softens as he walks over to her and tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"I've considered some names, by the way," she says. He brightens. Finally. Maybe she'll take the responsibility, after all.
"Well?" he asks expectantly.
"Mm..." She puts a finger in the dent of her chin thoughtfully. "At first I thought of something like Sakura, but it's not really spring, and there aren't any cherry blossoms out right now, so it's not very applicable, is it?"
Not to mention extraordinarily cliche, Yuki thinks to himself. "Any others?"
"Well, how about Tomoyo?"
He laughs quietly. "Been watching too much 'Card Captor Sakura' recently?"
She sputters a little bit. "Why...why...how did you know?"
"Wild guess." He gets up and goes to the fridge to rummage for something edible. Probably something frozen. Machi cooks from time to time, but to be honest, neither of them really care what they eat (although Yuki prefers leeks, onions and miso), and besides, she's too caught up in the Baby to think much about cooking. The state of their residence has not noticeably improved from the condition of pre-Tohru Shigure's house.
It doesn't matter. Neatness isn't necessary. Love is. That, at least, overflows the apartment they live in.
Four days later, Yuki has visited Tohru. In desperation, he has borrowed their "Name the Baby" books. Two of them are boys names only; two are both boys and girls. It's these that he peruses after his own studies. He makes a little list of the ones he likes and confronts Machi with them the next morning before he leaves for class.
"Machi."
She looks up. The Baby has finished her first breakfast and is now letting out loud cooing sounds. When Machi burps her, it's an impossibly loud little burp. They are both astonished whenever they hear her.
He hands her the list. "Take a look at these, and we'll discuss them when I get home, okay?" he says.
She wordlessly takes the list. She considers it very briefly after he's left, and then tosses it aside with a sigh and puts on another anime.
He comes home that evening. Machi and the Baby are lying under the kotatsu, sleeping peacefully together. He smiles a little, watching them. Then his eyes narrow. There, on the floor, is his carefully made out list. Every name has been scratched out, and next to them are little notes.
1. Miyuki...are you seriously that narcissistic?
2. Sachi...lucky? Are you kidding me? Besides, too close to that annoying machine from Denno Coil. No way.
3. Suzu...cute. But no. I don't like bells. Once when I was a kid, I stood up too suddenly underneath one and got a lump on my head the size of Fuji-san.
4. Tama...I don't like jewels. They are too glittery and glitzy. I didn't even want a wedding ring, remember? You made me wear a plain band, anyway, but no diamonds for me!
5. Umeki...plum tree? Yeah, I really want to name my child after a TREE.
6. Asa, Asako, Choko...our child was born at 1:00 in the afternoon, if you will remember. Besides, she hates mornings. You should hear her scream when I try to wake her up before you leave in the morning. Not that you would notice at that time of day.
But I kind of like Koneko, don't you? So kawaii....
He ignores her little biting comments in the script. They show their love with little nips and quarrels. It is a not a bad thing, except that his relationship with Ayame is the same way, but more so. He focuses on the last name, then at a queasy misgiving, he looks it up in the book.
He groans. It does indeed mean "little cat."
That is a no.
Later on that evening, she parries with a few more names.
"You didn't like Koneko? Too bad...okay, what about Rei, or Misato?"
He raises an eyebrow. She takes that as a no. "What about Azuka?"
He sighs and walks over to the television set. He presses the "eject" button on the DVD player. Sure enough, there's Neon Genesis Evangelion.
The Baby, now fully awake, begins whimpering. Yuki and Machi are in the middle of a "discussion" and scarcely notice. Being thus ignored, she breaks out into full-on wails. Machi quickly begins to shush the little girl, to no great avail.
Yuki considers the flailing, screaming child for a minute. "What about Shizuko?"
"What is that, some sort of a dream?" she retorts, rocking said fussy child back and forth in a desperate attempt to quiet her before the neighbors started hitting the roof. Clearly, she doesn't even remotely take after her parents' quiet, introspective personalities. Yuki wonders if a cruel twist of fate had given him a child meant for his brother instead.
Machi has one last card up her sleeve. Ha, there are no DVDs around to incriminate her this time. "Okay, how about Shouka?"
"Huh? Where did that come from?" Did she actually manage to come up with a name completely on her own this time?
"Or Kotobuki?"
Now he gets it. He purses his lips, rummages around under the kotatsu for a while and then pulls out a volume. "You've been reading Takaya Natsuki again, haven't you?"
Her expression falls. "Yeah," she mumbles as he tosses "Tsubasa: Those with Wings" aside.
They are saved by the bell. Or, more accurately, the second most annoying ring tone ever.
They both freeze. The most annoying ring tone is reserved for Ayame, of course. The second is for...
He picks up. "Hello, Shigure."
"Ah, Yuki-kun! I heard about your little one entering the world two weeks ago, ne?"
"Um, yeah..."
"Sorry! I would have called earlier, but Akito is more persnickety than ever right about now so..."
There is a muffled, "Shigureeeee..." from the background. Then shuffling sounds that can only be Shigure fleeing the impending wrath of a very pregnant Akito. A little click that could be the lock on a door, and pounding sounds that could be said wrathful wife attempting to get at her mocking husband.
"Anyway, is there a name for your little girly yet?"
"Um...nope...we're trying, but..."
"Tell me, Yuki-kun, when you watch Machi hold your baby, how does she hold her?"
Yuki smiles, watching his wife cuddle the Baby, now much quieter, to her. "As something very precious, near and dear."
"Well then..."
Something clicks. The perfect name. "Chika. That's it! Thanks, Shigure..."
Yuki is not rude, but he doesn't like to talk to his older cousin any more than possible, so he hangs up and turns to Machi. She has already heard; she is already smiling.
"It's perfect, ne?" she says to him. "Chika...Chika-chan..."
Back at Shigure's, Akito has managed to break in to the room and now has him menacingly by the collar. He narrows his eyes at her. Being of the sadistic/masochistic personalities that they both are, such happenings have become regarded by the servants as "lover's quarrels".
"Shigure..." she hisses, her extra-large belly impeding her movements slightly, "What did you advise Yuki to name their daughter?"
"Oh, I didn't advise anything," he chuckles. "I merely guided him on the right path..."
She roars. "You gave him the name Chika, didn't you? You already know that's the name I wanted to give our daughter? And what about Kyou and Tohru's child? You guided them towards Daisuke, didn't you? I wanted that for our son, and you knew it!"
He chuckles. "It's your fault. I already told you I hated those names."
She backs off suddenly, eyes widening, her breathing coming in harsh gasps as her hands go to her belly. "Hatori...call Hatori," she gasps at Shigure.
Their quarrel forgotten, he helps her to a chair and whisks off for Hatori.
Thus it was that the the burden of names was passed from Kyou and Tohru's son, to Yuki and Machi's daughter, to Shigure and Akito's twins. Stubbornly, Kyou and Yuki both refused to lend any aid in naming Shigure's children.