day two — kids
disclaimer — KNB © Tadatoshi Fujimaki
summary — if she'd broken his hand then it'd definitely been more than worth it.
note — pretty sure i left a lot of things unaddressed
It happens during a game.
The game.
The game Daiki has been waiting for his whole life.
The NBA Finals.
Their score is tied at the moment but the game is tipping in their favor.
And then as he's running past his guard and avoiding a screen, over the loud din of the crowds and commentators, he hears her.
"Oh...my water just broke."
And, in the most embarrassing point in his professional career (even worse then that time with Kagami where they crashed head first into each other trying to get the ball) Daiki trips. He tumbles and rolls, falling face face flat on the court.
All because Satsuki's water broke.
He'd told her not to come to the game, to just watch from the television in the hospital but no. He'd also told her to not sit court-side because, what if the ball flew into the stands on accident? What if a player went after it and crashed into her? What if her goddamn water broke and she needed to get to a hospital quick? But she has just sighed, exasperated, told him she wasn't due for a week and called him over-protective.
"TIME OUT!" He shouts, still on the floor.
The coach seems to hear him because he signals to the referee and the ref blows the whistle to pause the game. Kagami helps him up from the floor. Not that he needs any help getting up.
Anyway, he throws the ball to the referee and runs to Satsuki. He ignores the judging of the crowd and commentators, because they aren't important. Satsuki is important. And her water just broke. Her water just broke. Daiki breaks into a nervous sweat and dashes towards her. He picks her up and then he's gone. He doesn't have time to listen to people say how he just blew off his team's chance at winning a championship. He also doesn't have time to listen to his coach shout profanities after him. Besides, Daiki is pretty sure that Kagami would win this for them and then lecture Daiki.
"I told you not to come to the game goddammit," he hisses, running and trying his best not to jostle her too much, "But you wouldn't listen and look where we are now!"
"...you know I can walk still, right?"
Daiki ignores her. He knows there is a hospital near by because he made sure to check just in case something like this happened. He remembers clearly where everyplace that is qualified to deliver a baby is actually.
It does not take them long to reach the hospital. All the nurses stare at him as he carries Satsuki in. He is sweating and breathing hard. He feels dizzy and faint but that's just weird because, even carrying Satsuki, this run here is nothing. Luckily, one of the nurses asks what he needs.
"Um..." Daiki's tongue feels heavy and tied up.
"I'm in labor," Satsuki answers.
Daiki nods dumbly, agreeing.
"Okay, you guys are in luck, we have an Obstetrician here right now.
She's delivering another baby. Once she's done, I'll tell her to head to your room. It shouldn't take long."
Satsuki smiles politely and thanks her, as Daiki seems to have lost his use of speech. The nurse leads them to an empty room and helps Daiki lay her down on the hospital bed. The nurse hands Daiki a hospital gown and tells him to help Satsuki into that. She makes a joke about how getting Satsuki out of her clothes should be no problem. Daiki laughs, hysterically apparently because the nurse look at him like he's crazy and Satsuki has her 'what the hell is wrong with you' face.
He clears his throat to cover up his embarrassment, thanking the nurse, before waving her off. She closes the door to the room to give them privacy.
"You need to calm down." Is the first thing Satsuki says when the door closes.
He nods mutely and helps her put on the gown.
/
First of all, the nurse is fucking liar. She said it wouldn't take long but it's been like seven hours but if Daiki's being honest he lost count after three. But really, Daiki had read the books and this is their first kid so the fact that this is taking this long is not really a problem. What's really bothering him is the second of all.
And second of all is, Satsuki is squeezing his hand so hard it feels like it's going to break. Daiki has broken bones before(his arm that one times when they were five and a kitten had been stuck in a tree and Satsuki had cried because it was going to get lonely up there so Daiki didn't have any other choice but to climb the tree to get it; even though it was big tree and he was kind of scared). He can't really complain though. He can't really even breathe loudly to try and get past the pain because Satsuki glares at him. It's getting to the point that she's just frowning because he exists. So he just stays quiet and still, like a rabbit trying to avoid getting eaten.
Satsuki though, is breathing evenly. She has a scowl on her face but her breathing is calm and measured. They'd practice for this but Daiki is finding it hard to breathe at all.
It's around hour ten when the nurse comes in. She smiles at Satsuki and Satsuki smiles back, squeezing Daiki's hand even harder. He can't help the yelp he lets out.
"Oh, dear, are you okay? You look pale."
Daiki doesn't even have a chance to answer because Satsuki answers for him.
"He's fine. He's just a big baby."
He's not. Daiki is not. He is not a big baby but Satsuki has gained some type of super strength from being in labor and he does not want her to break his hand.
"I'm...ow! fu—FINE. I'M TOTALLY FINE." Daiki says, when he catches sight of Satsuki's darkening expression, smiling as best as he can through his teeth.
The nurse looks at him strangely but nods.
"Okay...well, the doctor will be here soon."
She leaves again, leaving behind a paper cup of water. Daiki grabs it and thinks about drinking it but Satsuki's hand is squeezing his really hard and her breathing is starting to become uneven so he hands it to her.
She drinks it one gulp before crushing the paper cup her hand. Daiki takes it from her grip hesitantly and shoots it into the trash can that's by the door. It does not miss despite the pain in his other hand that makes him less focused.
After that, it's just Satsuki holding (trying to break) his hand and trying to regulate her quickening inhale and exhale of oxygen. Daiki breathes along with her.
/
Okay, what the fuck. Don't the nurses usually offer drugs for the pain? It's hitting hour eighteen and no one has offered drugs yet. For Satsuki. For the pain. He cannot take this.
"Satsuki," he says, grinding his teeth, "I know this hurts but can you please let go of my hand."
She turns to him in surprise and her grip loosens on his hand. Daiki takes the opportunity to take his hand back. He lets out a sigh of relief, massaging his bruised hand. He regrets his action.
Satsuki is looking at him and her face is thunderous.
"Um," Daiki starts nervously, feeling a cold sweat starting to come on.
He is saved though by the doctor coming in.
"Well, how are the parents to be?" She smiles brightly, looking between him and Satsuki.
Satsuki smiles at her, "We are just peachy, doc! Thank you for asking."
"Alright then! You ready for this baby to come out of you?"
"Yup!"
"Okay so how far apart are you contractions?"
"About a minute apart."
It's Daiki that answers and both Satsuki and the doctor are caught-off guard. The doctor recovers more quickly than Satsuki though. She gives him a thumbs up. Satsuki is still looking at him slack-jawed.
He gives her an exasperated look, "What? I pay attention, ya know..."
She closes her mouth.
The doctor is looking under Satsuki's gown to see how far along she is.
"Well you're 10 centimeters dilated so when the next contraction comes I want you to push. If you feel like you can't, don't force yourself just breathe, wait, and then we'll try again."
Satsuki nods. She is gripping the sheets of the hospital bed so hard her knuckles are white. Daiki hadn't really noticed before but she is sweating a lot and her hair is sticking to her skin. He's reminded of how strong Satsuki really it. He loosens her grip on the sheets. She turns to him and looks about ready to punch him.
"You can squeeze my hand if you want," he says.
She exhales heavily and nods, taking his hand once again.
She grits her teeth and grips his hand hard as she starts to push.
Daiki does not care if she breaks his hand.
/
Satsuki is shivering like she's freezing but her skin feels hot. The doctor assures him that this is normal. Daiki wipes the sweat from Satsuki's forehead with a towel the nurse had brought him.
"I can see the head just one last push and you guys can hold your baby, Ms. Momoi."
Daiki can hear something crack (his hand he's pretty sure but he's too busy to care right now) as Satsuki gives a shout and pushes one last time.
/
Daiki is sure something is wrong. The doctor is holding their baby and it's not crying. Babies usually cry when they come out don't they? He's starting to feel sick.
The doctor calls the nurse in.
"H-hey—!"
But Satsuki holding onto his hand stops him from yelling in panicked anger. She's crying.
"Please..." she says, "I'm sorry, Dai-chan. This is my fault...I should have listened to you."
Satsuki is stifling sobs. Daiki hugs her. She clings on to him.
"No, don't worry. The baby is okay...you're okay. You have nothing to be sorry about."
Turns out Daiki is right.
The nurse comes in to help the doctor. The doctor clamps before cutting the umbilical cord. The nurse takes the baby. She places the baby in a transparent bassinet. Daiki watches while holding Satsuki to his chest. The doctor is quick to head over to the baby. The nurse goes to Daiki.
"He's breathing but we still need to clear out his lungs. He's healthy, you have nothing to worry about. We'll hand him to you as soon as the doctor is done."
The tightness that had encompassed Daiki's chest leaves. He nods to the nurse and she places a reassuring hand on Daiki's arm.
He's happy. He lifts Satsuki's face to kiss her. She hiccups against his lips and sniffles.
"He's fine," Daiki says, peppering Satsuki's face with kisses. Her skin is salty but he doesn't care. Satsuki is fine. The baby is fine. And Daiki is happy.
/
When the doctor congratulates them on a healthy baby boy and hands him the baby—his baby, Satsuki's baby, their baby—Daiki is not ashamed to say that he panics a little.
The kid is tiny in Daiki's arms. A small bundle of tiny soft, fragile bones and muscles.
What if he drops him?
The chances of that happening though are slim to none. Even if he did he'd still be able to catch him—he's reflexes were amazing, after all (thank god for basketball)—but still, that didn't stop him from inwardly panicking.
But even though he would never drop their kid, there is still the possibility of Daiki crushing him. The kid is fucking tiny in Daiki's arms. How the hell can something be so tiny? Daiki feels gargantuan in comparison. It frightens him that he is holding something so small and extremely precious as a life, his son's life in his hands and arms.
Daiki is starting to feel a little dizzy. He shakes away the feeling though. His will is strong.
He feels Satsuki's hand on his arm.
She holds her hands out, her voice sounds watery, "Can I hold him?"
"Yeah..." Daiki is careful with the baby's head, cradling and supporting it as he hands Satsuki their child.
Satsuki's breath is shaky and she let's out a happy laugh when the baby is finally in her arms.
Daiki feels his hear swell with pride and happiness. He's pretty sure his cheeks are gonna be sore with how wide he's smiling.
He kisses Satsuki on the forehead, "You done good, Satsuki. He's beautiful."
She shakes her head, "We did good. He has half of your DNA so take responsibility because I'm not taking the blame for that."
"Jeez," Daiki grumbles, stroking his son's head, his hair is soft and downy, "Your mom is a pain in the ass but she loves us so—ugh!"
Satsuki had squeezed his hand.
"You should get that checked out, Dai-chan. It might be fractured," she coos softly as she kisses her son's head.
"...you are really cruel."
Satsuki smiles up at him, teeth shining like pearls, "But you loooove us, right?"
Daiki does not sulk (really he doesn't). Also, he does not walk away because he is sulking, he walks away because Satsuki is right and he should get his hand checked out by a doctor.
"I'll be back," he says flippantly.
"Okay. Don't take long."
She's not even looking at him but that's okay. Because the look she is wearing as she looks down at their kid is one that Daiki will remember for a very long time, forever probably. It's filled with love and unadulterated happiness.
Pure and warm like the last few rays of sunlight before the sun disappears until the next day.
Daiki wants to preserve it forever. Engrave it into his soul. Tuck it away in a safe place in his heart.
With that image still on his eyelids every time he blinks, Daiki walks out to get his hand checked out.
If Satsuki had broken his hand then definitely been more than worth it.
endnote — very happy aomomos ahhhh -o