Sacrifice, Part III
Notes: SMUTTTTT.
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"So…if you don't mind me asking, where are you from?"
Hattori Azuma looked up, surprised. He had been sitting by himself in one of the many rooms in Yagami Koji's house, sipping a glass of red wine, when the newest inclusion appeared. Inaba Kurt was carrying a beer, appearing a little perplexed. He was built like he lifted bricks for a living which was apt as that's apparently what he did, having moved to Mineral some months ago to build houses with his grandfather and brother. His brown hair was pulled up into a spiky do, a blue headband around his head today. Having known Carrie for about a year now, Kurt was a little tamer than he would have ever expected her to go for for a boyfriend but he guessed she may have wanted and needed that.
One night maybe a month or two ago, Jilliana came home in tears. She told him that Carrie confessed that the years she was missing that she was strung out on drugs and ended up having Hayato during this excursion. He always knew Carrie was way too exciting. At the time, he smiled. "But at least she felt comfortable enough to finally tell you, right? She didn't have to."
He understood that people hated to hear things after the fact, especially when it was that bad, but he had to respect when people finally talked. Even…her.
His mother confessed to being, essentially, the ringleader in the plot to murder Takeru. She didn't really have to, she didn't even pull the trigger, but she took ownership. The judge found her guilty as an accessory and first degree but had some 'mercy'. She was sentenced to fifteen years. Rick? He got pretty much 'endless' until maybe someone else thought to speak on his behalf. It wasn't looking too good this time.
Azuma's father came to visit him in the hospital, alarmed to hear about everything that happened. "I…I always knew your mother was a little…ambitious but not sinister."
To be honest, Azuma wasn't sure how his mother was ever married. "Your mother was ambitious. She wanted to be Superwoman. She was Superwoman. Just Tsumaru's death ate at her. Until then? Your mother was great. I…I'm sorry you didn't get to see her at her best."
Jilliana snuck over to his room when he was initially injured, demanding to know what even happened. "…I just didn't want to see her hurt, Jilliana. At the end of the day, she's still my mother."
"I…I understand, Azu. Just…"
She was still his mother. And he went to see her in jail. They finally talked.
It was a bit of rehashing, how she raised Tsumaru and whatnot and their parents being away a lot. There was a little bit more this time, something with an abusive unrelated 'uncle' that watched over them and whatnot. 'Blumenthal'. Also a doctor, an English partner at their private family practice. "He used to speak very poorly to Tsumaru and I. Called us names like 'muckbloods' and whatnot. I think he was racist but he needed your grandfather's clinic to maintain a job while he was here. His wife and son were nice though."
"I guess it made you feel like you needed to defend and punish people?"
"…You know, probably so. I felt very defensive after all those years on-and-off with his 'patronage'. I wondered why my parents didn't just take us with them too but after a while I realized I just needed to protect myself."
Fair enough. "Mom…why'd you not take your maiden name back?"
That was something that came up with his father's visit. He forgot that his mother's maiden name was Ishikawa. She was still a Hattori by all legal standards. His father frowned thoughtfully and shrugged. "Maybe it was too much work?"
His mother had worked in the legal system, she probably could have gotten that expedited fairly quickly. When he asked, she'd made a sour face and tapped her fingers against the table. "…I don't know, Azuma. Your father was my first love, maybe I just was feeling wistful about something aside from your uncle."
"You treated dad like garbage, mom. You telling him he was entirely worthless broke him."
"Mankind has this terrible habit of turning back inadequacies of themselves on others, Azuma. It's not an excuse but it happens more than it should. As you know, being that I forced you to be a doctor to be like your uncle. Your father stuck by me for a long time and I'd be a fool not to recognize it. It stings but I'm…I'm glad he found a woman to respect him."
… "You've lost a lot, mother. Like, a lot. Now you've lost your freedom."
Rinko shrugged. "Honestly, I've spent your life stewing in rage. Half that time spent recovering and cooling off is probably a gift, frankly. I need to figure out where to go from here."
He guessed…she got to start over and find herself too.
Azuma sipped his wine, waving Kurt to sit on the other end of the couch. Kurt was an easy read. He kept to himself and he wouldn't normally ask this question. He'd probably heard from Carrie and wondered what sort of person he was that brought this sort of drama to the family. Azuma was glad he was at a point where he figured that out.
"I'm from Kitakyushu" Azuma replied.
"No kidding? I'm from Fukuoka" Kurt said, surprised.
"Oh, so we were neighbors. What school did you go to?"
It'd been some time since all that now, since his mother tried to put a hole in this almost impenetrable family. Something was very funny about them, just the sheer energy. He had been having dinner with Jilliana's parents after the shooting and Jill mentioned with a groan how she had to delay her publishing. Azuma was reminded of his hallucination of his uncle and how he was advised to tell her the man wanted to be in her story. Which was insanity but he mentioned it. "It was really odd but before I came out of my coma, I dreamed about I think my Uncle? In the dream, he said something about telling you he'd be honored to be in your story if you'd have him, Jill-san. I dunno why he'd be in a story though?"
Jill and Cliff were entirely silent before Jill excused herself to another room. Great, he'd said something stupid. They made him feel welcome as can be but he internally felt he was on thin ice with the family as is. Cliff did give him a bit of a puzzled look. "…Did you know she was arguing with herself over that? She's been writing about her experiences but didn't want to make your mother mad by including a character based on your Uncle."
Azuma was confused too. He had had no living idea.He didn't know what Jilliana's mother even wrote about. How…?
A coincidence. That's all it was. It stood an equivalent chance of being pure nonsense when he told them about it, a 'what are you talking about?' moment. Jilliana didn't think so. "Did he say anything else?"
The letter. If he went to that shed and found a letter, he had literally had an encounter with a ghost and that did not bode well because he was practical and just not fantastical enough for that. He told Jilliana and she dragged him to the clinic and the old abandoned shed. Azuma walked in with confidence that this was going to be just a wild goose chase.
For whatever damn reason, there was a yellowed envelope wedged between a shelf with old rusted shears and boxes on it. Written in ink was 'Rinko' and he was freaked all the way out. Jilliana didn't seem bothered one bit. 'Stuff like this just happens around our family, Azu'. Oh, she meant magic? They were doctors, magic was supposed to be off the table.
He…really, really had wanted to open it and read it. Maybe it was just an invoice, after all, or a will. Jilliana told him, like his mother literally didn't try to have her brother killed and ended up having her shot instead, that he should just give it to Rinko. Reluctantly, on another visit, he ended the visit by giving it to her. She'd been confused and he advised 'from your brother'. She…broke down into tears again. He hadn't been back to ask what the man wrote but when he called last, she seemed in very good spirits. Maybe…maybe, on top of it all, she had also found closure.
"Hayato is always talking about you and how you guys play soccer" Kurt said after some small talk, addressing his son and Jilliana's nephew.
"He's a good kid. It's been fun being around him. My childhood didn't look quite like his" Tsumaru smiled wistfully.
Kurt nodded in agreement. "I wonder if I'll be able to keep it going…Carrie's done so well without anyone but her family this long."
Shaking his head, Azuma set his empty bottle down, "Nah, I…I think when you can have both parents you should have both parents. As long as they're…decent."
"Guess that's what I worry about" Kurt chuckled some.
In some aspects, he did wonder if he was going to be a good…anything after all this. Things…things were going so well with Jilliana, he was alarmed. They returned home after all this and went back to being doctors and boyfriend and girlfriend. They even took a vacation two months ago…the more time went by, the more he knew she…she was the most solid introduction to his life, the girl he was bred to hate.
"Azu! Do you want some cheesecake?" Jilliana peeked in.
"That sounds good, Jilli" he smiled, looking back at her.
She pouted at both he and Kurt, "Why are you two shacked up in here? Come socialize!"
He snickered, dusting his pants off, "We're just talking about you charming ladies and how lucky we are to have you, dear."
"Uh huh" she stuck out her tongue, "Well, you can do that out here."
Azuma laughed, standing, "Fine, fine…"
Kurt stood with a smile as well, stuffing his hands into his pockets as Jilliana left the room again. "…After everything, I'm hoping to start over again with her. It's a nice thought."
Yea. After everything? After having his mother raise him purely to hate and be someone else's clone, after her trying to kill people to right her own perceived wrongs, after just having to start over…
Being here with her was a nice thought.
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It seemed ever so slightly fast: Carrie got married.
Izumi Jilliana smiled, walking around in the red maid-of-honor dress Carrie got her. She hadn't had maids but insisted that Jilliana had to be there beside her. It made her teary. Somehow, even when they grew closer, she never imagined that sentiment from Carrie of all people.
Just…it was a little fast? When Carrie told their family about what she had actually been caught up in for five years, she was…crushed. Carrie was smarter than that. Drug use? Prostitution? There…there was no reason she got that far. And then the father of Hayato was right there with her…?
Alas, Kurt was a fantastic addition to their brood. Shy and honest, hardworking and loving, Jilliana was just relieved it was this person and not the sort of wild and irresponsible person Carrie typically went for. Kurt wasn't 'up to no good'.
But…it'd just almost been a year and they were getting married? Jilliana got that they'd been together for those five years but under the most undesirable of circumstances. They didn't know all the quirks of each other just yet or if they were ready for every storm. It just seemed a little fast.
However…
After a beautiful wedding, Carrie and Kurt were preparing to be swept off to their honeymoon. Jilliana was sleepy and ready to go to bed, Azuma also pretty dead on his feet. Being a doctor just based on the time they didn't spend sleeping kind of sucked. She looked up when Carrie smiled broadly and was suddenly holding her bouquet. Eh? "I'm throwing the bouquet!"
Oh. Jilliana's eyes widened as some of the women present squealed. Oh, she didn't have to be a part of that. Azuma wandered closer to her, smiling, "This was nice. This is the first wedding I've ever been to."
This startled Jilliana, having been to…many weddings in her lifetime. "You didn't go to your dad's?"
"Nah, mom wouldn't let me and they just had a small thing at the courthouse. I guess it would have been nice to see."
…Oh. Lifting her arms merely to hug her poor Azu, a bouquet landed in her arms instead.
She gawked, wide-eyed and stunned. There was no way. Carrie had to have thrown it at her on purpose! Leering in Carrie's direction, she found her sister grinning and called to their dad. "Hey daddy, Jilli's next!"
Oh God, their dad had been in his feelings all day over Carrie getting married and he instantly blanched. Not yet! Azuma and her just got together…Azuma turned red and laughed shyly. Ugh, no pressure, that…that wasn't necessary.
Jilliana still held the flowers as the family gathered outside to see the happy couple off. Hayato waved happily at them, gushing that they 'have fun'. Yea, those two were probably about to have a little too much fun. Azuma picked Hayato up higher so he could wave longer. She smiled at him and slipped her hand into his free one. But…she hoped one day.
Maybe.
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Jilliana scowled pensively, swiping and typing on her phone as she sat on the couch in their home. Azuma was stretched across the other end, his feet in her lap, watching television. It was already midnight but they were still wound up from a frantic day. She'd delivered close to three kids today which was pretty hefty nowadays, especially as they were back to back. Quick, too. Apparently that wasn't going to be the case for her predicament.
"Azu?"
"Yea, baby?"
"I think we should have separate rooms when we go to my grandparent's beach house. And I probably need to sleep in the guest room tonight."
Azuma looked to her swiftly, confused. She made a face when everyone's schedule was completely stacked. "My birth control implant needs to be updated and I won't be able to get it done since I'm in the NICU all this week and we leave next week. They won't let me do it to myself, of course."
Her boyfriend smirked some, raising a brow, "Jilli, I'm not sure how either of us are conscious right now to begin with but I think we can either not have sex or be 'safe' for two weeks."
"No, you don't understand" she sulked, leering at him, "My family is notorious for unexpected pregnancies, Azu. I think it's rumored not one of my mom's siblings were planned, all six of them."
"But there were twins" Azuma countered reasonably.
"Yes, Azu, theyhad two unexpected set of twins in a row then had an unexpected sixth child."
"…Huh. That's true, I hadn't thought about it like that. I have two twofers in a row, I'm definitely not risking the possibility of three" Azuma remarked, wide-eyed.
Jilliana shook her head, pouting more, "And it's not just them. According to Carrie, she was safe-ish and boom, Hayato. Kaede with Sachiko. Hell, they told Keiji and his wife they couldn't even have kids and they've had kids. We are absurdly fertile. I cannot risk it. I'd manage to get pregnant through osmosis and I couldn't even question 'how?'."
"Osmosis though, Jilli?" Azuma snickered.
"You are not taking me seriously, this is real."
He chuckled and sat up, kissing her cheek, "If it's all the same to you, unless my 'boys' are somehow able to travel out of my penis without me knowing and travels all the way to find one of your eggs, I would like to be able to sleep in the same bed."
Giving him a dreadful look, she grumbled as she stood, "Fine. But we cannot have sex."
"That's fine, the old man is too tired to get it up anyway" he yawned widely, standing as well to stretch.
She smirked and followed him up the steps, checking her phone for messages, "Maybe not now, Azu, but when we're on vacation?"
Grandpa Yamada surprised their grandmother with, what her Uncle Koji called the most 'bougie thing ever', a beach house for their anniversary. While Grandma Dana was pretty lackadaisical about it at first, when he actually took her to the house on a small island in the Caribbean, she fell absolutely in love. She had invited them all out to come stay for a week and Jilliana agreed they needed an escape.
Of course, the house was big but with most of the Yagami and other family on board to go, it probably was going to be close quarters. She would say she could share a room with Carrie but her and Kurt were still newlyweds…huh, Jilliana probably would have to sleep with Azu.
Sitting on the bed as he took off his shirt, scratching his semi-muscly belly, she swallowed. Just…two weeks, that's all. She wasn't as…vigorous as her sister was so two weeks should be fine. He eased off his slacks and dropped them into the hamper, heading toward the bathroom. He did have a nice butt though.
Jilliana shook her head stiffly, slapping her cheek to snap out of it. Nope, nope, this was not the time. Her and Azu had known each other for years, been together for almost two now, but it was still fairly new and having a baby right now would be setting up for disaster.
Two weeks. No osmosis.
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"It is…absolutely beautiful out here."
Hattori Azuma stood on the crystal sands, his eyes incapable of traveling from the sheer blue waters. It was so…clean. Yagami Yamada was nearby on a beach chair, smiling somewhat. "It is. I never thought about coming to places like this growing up but when I came out for a seminar and saw it, I just knew this is a piece of something I wanted Dana and I to have. Something told me she'd love it."
Yagada herself was actually out playing in the water with her daughter, granddaughters, and forward, seeming delighted as they splashed around and dove into the sea. The water itself was so warm and comfortable he found he was okay with it. This…this was definitely the vacation he needed.
Yamada's eyes closed somewhat as his sons meandered back, all of them holding this most…whimsical thing that Azuma always thought was just this mythical aspect of islands portrayed in media: they were drinking out of a coconut.
"Why does something tell me there's not just coconut milk in that?" Yamada questioned, actually sort of dry.
Azuma couldn't help laugh as they all looked mischievous, handing the man one. Koji sat on a nearby beach chair, yawning, "It was awesome, old man. There was just this random bar hanging out in the middle of the water. There was no way we were not getting drinks from them."
"Seriously" Shaun grinned, looking out at the sea, "I know we've goneto all sorts of places but this is the first time I can say I've felt actually relaxed. Like, we went to plenty of tropics but this?"
"It is nice" Shin agreed, sitting beside Koji.
Somehow, Yamada seemed like the type to not drink anything aside from the practical one glass of red wine but he actually took a sip of the coconut concoction. His brow rose and he looked at it, "…Is this brown rum?"
"Yea, we figured you wouldn't want any flighty Malibu" teased Nelly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Azuma chuckled as they all heckled their father before he started to go up to the on-shore bar to get himself a drink. Their family made him kind of wish his dad and him were closer. And definitely his mom, he smiled, looking back to see Dana had come out of the water to start berating them a bit while they scattered, laughing. Oh well, maybe…maybe if they had kids.
He flustered, ordering a Bahama Mama just because, and looked to Jilliana who was stretched across a rope hammock with Carrie, also sipping drinks but out of a pineapple. They were giggly and enjoying themselves. The kids were around, of course, but he guessed if they had a baby right now, half of their time would be devoted to them. One day but that could wait.
Walking to his girlfriend, the woman looked up and smiled at him. "Hi, Azu. The sand getting to you yet?"
"You mean this powdery goodness that only slightly coats my warmly drenched feet?"
Carrie laughed, "Sounds like a 'no'."
He raised a brow, noticing that they seemed 'chilled' but not the 'chill' they had after drinking a glass or two of wine. "Uh…are those…virgin pineapples?"
Jilliana giggled, "You can tell? I can't get it out of Carrie why she's not drinking but I'm trying to avoid getting drunk and turning into little Miss Slutty McSlut Slut."
"Now Jilli, slut is a very strong not woman-friendly word" Carrie grinned lazily.
"I know" Jilliana droned, "But with all the booze and warm feelings, that's exactly what I would be the stereotype of—for one person, anyway."
Azuma blushed but smirked, wandering to the nearby other hammock and shakily lying across it with his drink in hand. "Carrie, can you advise your sister that condoms have come a long way if she's feeling particularly strongly about us having sex."
Grinning even more, Carrie nudged Jilliana with her toe playfully, "It's still funny to me the ever responsible and virtuous oldest is so against the usage of condoms."
"I am not against the usage of condoms as a birth control and to avoid STDs but, for us, just using them? I do not care for them" Jilliana's nose wrinkled.
"Sorry, Azuma, you are not getting nailed on effin' vacation. I silently weep for you" Carrie said rather solemnly.
With another chuckle, he closed his eyes and shook his head, "It's fine. It'd be pretty awkward anyway considering we're elbow deep in all of your uncles and parents…"
The sun was downright oppressive, he thought absently. It wasn't humid which was perfect but he had been applying sun screen all day and still looked about two shades darker than usual. On Jilliana, the added toning looked…very nice, especially with that blue bikini. Sipping his beverage, absently gazing at her, he started to feel a little more disappointed.
"Well, lemme go find my hubby" Carrie sighed, working her way out of the hammock.
Azuma's brows furrowed at the… particularly shaped markings across Carrie's back and legs. Jilliana smirked, surprisingly remarking, "Yea, let him know you found the whips and chains club of the island."
Carrie looked confused before looking back and laughing, shaking her butt a little, "He might be inspired to get a little kinky."
With a shake of her head as Carrie made her way back toward the main area, Jilliana stood and got into the hammock with him. God, the smell of sunscreen and the beach was so intoxicating. Not only was it such a comforting aroma, it was…a little intoxicating. She scowled at him, "Hey, dude."
"Sorry, sorry. Got a little excited for a second, it'll pass."
Azuma swallowed as Jilliana bit her lip, turning inward, chest to chest. Oh boy. He closed his eyes as she stroked his length through the shorts he was wearing, nipping at his bottom lip teasingly. "I'm sorry I let it expire. We could have the house all to ourselves right now…"
She shivered as he ran his hand down her inner thigh, feeling her shake against his body. Damn. "I-It's okay. L-let's go to the bar in the ocean your uncles were talking about to forget about it."
With a smile and a nod, she stood up, holding his hand as they headed toward the beach edge of paradise. Okay, yea, sex wasn't one of the end all and be all in their relationship but given that they had so little time together, it…it kind of was just occurring to them a little more. But, if she were concerned about getting pregnant and had this rather strange concept that she was super fertile, so be it. He wouldn't push it, they were patient people.
Children could wait.
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"Oh my gosh! Congratulations, Jilliana, you're expecting!"
Azuma stared at one of the doctors at the hospital where they worked like she'd grown another head.
What in the living hell was she saying? Jilliana just smiled some as the woman advised they'd have to remove the contraceptive transplant which apparently was too little too late. Pregnant? From—from how?
He couldn't say a word after they left. She hadn't been feeling well, saying she felt nauseous and bloated. Azuma took her to her primary care doctor and now…no.
Finding himself already having pulled into their driveway, he finally slapped his hand against the wheel. There was no way. "I want a second opinion! We didn't touch each other until you had that implant and I don't care what you said about osmosis or whatever and not questioning it b-but there's no way!"
His girlfriend was silent before looking to him absently. What?! He might have had a wet dream during the vacation a month ago and maybe—no! No one was that fertile! It'd be a one in a billion chance easy!
"You remember the Friday before we left the Bahamas?"
"What? What about it?"
"You remember…tequila?"
Azuma scowled, remembering nothing of the sort given he avoided the liquor like the plague just from horror stories he'd heard. Or…
…Or wait. No. He…
It was a little place that they took the family motorboat to. They walked around and were haggled by vendors until they decided to have dinner and head back to the beach house. The mistake which was a bit dangerous for OTHER reasons was the guy that offered to take them back if they wanted to stay longer. All the uncles, even Koji, decided to head back to prepare for them leaving tomorrow. Jilliana's generation? They made the mistake of staying.
Carrie still wasn't drinking but certainly didn't stop him, Kurt, her cousin's Kaede, Steiner, Hoshiko, Jyun, and…Jilliana from downing some of the smoothest tequila he'd ever tasted. They were just sitting there, shooting shots RIGHT from the bottle into their mouths and laughing uproariously about absolutely nothing. The native guy had laughed AT them as he should and he was the one to suggest they head on back before it got too late. Azuma remembered…bits and pieces after that?
He remembered Jilliana had on this tight blue mid-drift with cut off shorts that shaped around that nice, cushy bottom of hers. That tan made her eyes pop like the ocean they sailed and he might have remembered some other things popping.
If…he tried to pinpoint and recall that moment, he remembered them all staggering into the house and him collapsing on their bed. Jilliana was at the end of the bed, smiling at him sultrily. She crawled across the mattress and sat on his crouch with those tight little shorts and the mid-drift he now saw she was bra free underneath.
His hand might have reached out and tugged the hem of the pants down low to hopefully get a little look. It got pretty low but not low enough for his taste so he may have unbuttoned them to see that little line of flesh.
She pouted when he dragged them completely down and lifted the shirt over her perfect tits. "Azuma, we can't…"
He…might have told her to lie on her back, they were about to get into a nice anatomy lesson. He may have ran his fingers up and down the two lips of skin before parting them. His fingers may have folded back the pink flesh surrounding the little nub and rubbed it gently but mercilessly. Jilliana may have been moaning and grabbing his arm, whimpering not to stop, so he might have added a bit more vigor as she grew wet.
He had slipped his fingers between the flesh, continuing to thumb her clit, jerking himself out and stroking as he pumped his FINGERS between the slippery folds. Her hips were coming off the bed as her leg began to shake, crying for him to stop. He…did stop? Yea, he got her off, that was it. Still no…
Well, no, he may have told her she wasn't done yet as far as he was concerned. She was covering her mouth as he isolated her throbbing hard clit again to move his tongue around. He sucked, he nipped, he licked. She came again…but again, there was still no…
Jilliana told him 'enough' and then proceeded to jump on top of him, sliding her soaking wet pussy down his hard cock and riding him with everything she had. He…yea, he probably did come inside of her but that was just once!
But…he…may have started slapping her ass and pumping into her again after she sucked his dick. And he…he might have fingered her into another orgasm before giving it to her one more time.
He…could have SWORN this was something he dreamed but the next morning, while the both of them were crying from the most dramatic hangover he'd ever had, he might have noticed they were pretty sticky and naked?
Azuma gawked, staring out of the window of their car as the rain fell. "…Tequila."
Jilliana sighed deeply and he clenched his head, "J-Jilliana! Did that actually happen?! I thought it was like the world's best sex dream!"
His girlfriend smacked his arm, pouting at him, "Yes, it happened, dork. I just didn't tell you because I thought you remembered and didn't want to mention it."
"I-I mean, I-I didn't…I didn't force you, did I?" he rasped weakly.
Thank God, she rapidly shook her head to the negative, "No, no, Azu, I…I was most definitely on board with everything that happened that night, I am not going to suggest otherwise. Just…now we have a nice bundle of joy to show for it."
"…Man, you really weren't kidding" he whispered, wide-eyed, "It was literally one night."
"Yea…"
Azuma looked to her as she twiddled her fingers…but smiled. "I'm sorry, Azu, but I-I am a little excited. I shouldn't be but I am. I'm sorry."
Oh, thank goodness. "Why are you apologizing, silly? I-I'm happy you're happy. I know we're…fresh at this but I-I would hate for you to be unhappy. I-I promise I will be the best father I can be."
"I know" she whispered, "It's just…we're both doctors and I don't know if it'll be fair to our baby. They deserve so much and I don't know if we'll even be available to give."
That much was very true. He kissed her temple, grabbing the umbrella from the pocket in the back of his seat. "I can take on less work until our baby is in school. It won't be much of a loss to me as long as I keep practicing."
"But…" she pouted so cutely, "I would be jealous."
Azuma couldn't help laugh, opening the door to open the umbrella, "Of me getting to be home with our baby? I would be too. Let's worry about that a little more down the line, okay?"
Well…great. He was now about to be a father. He technically hadn't seen his father since he was shot, the man advising his wife was dogging him about spending time away from home. Maybe so, maybe she didn't want him seeing his old family, but…
Unfortunately, that was going to have to have very little to do with him now. He was going to be a father. And he may have had closure with his family but…he had to do better than they had. Just had to.
…And there was one thing he didn't have to do but wanted to. He'd…hoped it'd come before this step but he hadn't wanted to be too fast, to feed into any superstitions. Well, the same way Jilliana said her family was absurdly fertile and she was now pregnant, she also said they were kind of magical.
Time to start the next chapter.
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She was so angry with herself.
'Well, your back hurts? You still need to get your rest!'. 'You can't stomach anything? Well, try to eat this and this but you have to eat!'. 'You're putting on too much weight with the baby, try this!'. Those women had the patience of saints with her because if she heard it one more time from HER obstetrician, she'd have a meltdown.
Jilliana stared miserably at the bubbly woman who still had a waist and wasn't carrying twelve extra pounds of baby and potentially water. Bloated seemed like a compliment to what Jilliana actually felt. Her baby wanted not one healthy thing. Not one. Okay, strawberries, cucumbers, watermelon—some of which she shouldn't be eating per dietary suggestions for pregnant women—but salads? Quinoa? All other greens? Five months in and her baby would not have it. For a while, the best days were when he just allowed her to get queasy and not throw up for four hours straight.
He, her growing little man, wanted all things unhealthy and barely nutritious. Cereal. And not the good ones, she was talking the Froot Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Captain Crunch, colorful sugar wheat. Oh, and chili dogs? Nachos? Loaded fries? He absolutely thrived on it. Azuma had seemed shocked at first. "I've never seen you even eat half this stuff!"
Exactly. That was exactly the sort of nonsense she also questioned because there were things she literally may have tasted once in her life that she hated and never wanted again that her baby wanted. He was not psychic, he was not present when she was ten and decided fried Oreos were not for her. All the same, that taste hit her buds and his greedy baby self said 'That. That is what I want at four in the morning, mama, that thing you hated from twenty plus years ago'.
It was outrageous that she was allowed to speak to these women as some grand healer and know-it-all prior to being pregnant. Yes, she still knew that everything she advised was important and valid. Nutrients were important, she actually started taking an antiemetic so that Junior was keeping that salad in his system whether he wanted it or not. She knew being active was important, she started taking walks with Azu again though her body wanted no part of it. Just she said it with an air of authority prior to this, an air of 'you must and have no choice or you're failing yourself and your baby'. Yes, she always said it nicely but she was insistent there was 'no choice'. Now? Oh no, there were choices. It took every bit of fight against the mental, physical, and even weirdly sometimes spiritual to make the good ones but there were sure as hell choices and all the bad ones were absolutely the easiest and most seductive. Sometimes she fried her own damn Oreos.
"Definitely work some more greens in, Hattori-san. And make sure to take your vitamins!"
Somehow advising the woman to go jump off a cliff absently popped into Jilliana's mind but that was cruel and unnecessary when she was doing exactly what she was supposed to do. Just Jilliana's baby had seemed to make the decision that greens of a specific sort were the devil's work and all the antiemetics in the world wouldn't make him like them. His price was that they curl up in bed for a couple hours with a stomachache. Jilliana smiled and thanked her for the advice before struggling off the table and leaving. Four more months to eviction, baby, and you were leaving on time.
"Hey, how'd your visit go?"
Jilliana looked at her little sister, Inaba Carrie, irritably. The younger grinned, standing from the chair in the waiting room, "I told you this wasn't a picnic.
"Oh, I'm past that bit of knowledge. What aggravates me is you're off acting in a drama and seven months pregnant!"
With a laugh, Carrie patted her round belly. After Jilliana found out, she went with Azuma to have dinner with her parents to make the announcement. Surprisingly, Carrie and Kurt were already there at the old vineyard when they arrived. Upon questioning this occurrence, Carrie confirmed she had an 'announcement' too. Their papa gawked in horror when they proclaimed, entirely unintentionally, in unison, 'I'm pregnant'.
"WHAT?"
Jilliana had gasped, looking to Carrie who was looking at her with the same expression, "That's why you weren't drinking at the beach!"
"I guess that tequila did you and Azuma in too" she teased.
Poor Izumi Cliff buried his face in his hands while their mother looked amused. "You all sure know how to put your poor papa through the ringer."
Azuma flustered, "W-Well, maybe it's not appropriate for me to ask then."
"Ask what, sweetie?" Jilliana had blinked.
"Hattori-san! We bought you some more things for the baby!" called some of her coworker nurses.
"Izumi Jilliana, would you marry me?"
Jilliana turned with a warm smile, gushing to them they shouldn't have, especially since she wanted to invite them to her baby shower she was having for friends. They insisted they were seeing all sorts of cute things for the first baby in the department in eight years so that wouldn't be an issue. They told her to go see her 'hubby' before she left, that he was being run ragged by a recent cave in in one of the small mines, and seeing her might lift his spirits. Her hubby.
Obviously, when Azu voiced this rather random and, again, fast declaration, Jilliana couldn't help think it was to make her an 'honest woman', being pregnant before marriage and all. While she was ready to declare this when he asked in front of her family, he added on, "—Whenever—or if you're comfortable with me, when you think we're the right fit, whenever…whenever this is the framework you wanted, I want…I want to still be in the running for that place."
…Was he still running? After everything? She didn't trust him because of his mother and he ended up getting shot during that whole affair. He advised her mother to introduce the character of his uncle whom was well-received in her recently released novel. He actually took Hayato and her other cousin's to their soccer games by himself. He…he had a place here. Hattori Azuma was in her 'framework'. It was so soon though…
"Yes."
While she fancied herself to be someone that took five to six years to make such a decision, it didn't even faze her when she heard his reasoning. He'd…he'd come a long way to feel like he wasn't in the shadows. She accepted because really, he never had been.
It was such a rush, her poor papa just as disgruntled as ever, as they got together dresses and gowns and flowers. Yagami Dana made such a beautiful lace-back dress that Jilliana couldn't even dream about fitting now and a dark charcoal tuxedo for Azuma. Like Carrie, she spared everyone of being a maid but did decree her sister the maid-of-honor. Azuma asked Takeru to be his best man, figuring she may appreciate that. Takeru, back to his usual spirited self but with a new sense of maturity, grinned that he figured he could responsibly take care of the ring until it was show time.
About a month later, they had the affair in a beautiful garden with Roman columns and ivy wrapping around stone. It was quite warm still in early September but the crisp smells of Autumn were just starting to reintroduce themselves and it was absolutely perfect. There wasn't a hint of apprehension amongst them, her papa citing the second time was easier, and she was now Hattori Jilliana.
Walking along the hospital with her sister, she pouted, "Do you mind if I check on Azu? I know you want to get back home."
"Tuh, to Kurt's crazy ass grandma? We're getting ice-cream after we see him, right?"
Jilliana chuckled, shaking her head as she pressed the button coordinating to Azuma's floor in the elevator. Inaba Kurt's grandmother was everything old-fashioned that existed from a few generations ago. That Carrie was pregnant and acting was appalling for other reasons aside from her ankles were swollen to the max. Carrie questioned sometimes if she understood exactly what she had married into. Jilliana would worry also, but, well, that was the precursor to her relationship. She hadn't met Azuma's grandparents but, according to him, he technically hadn't either so she guessed that was an experience for them to share if it occurred.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Izumi ladies!"
Jilliana and Carrie entered the pulmonary area with masks on at the behest of the other nurses. Once they came further in, they were greeted by Iwata-san, an old man they used to terrorize in their youth. They smiled, walking to his side as he lied on a stretcher in the hallway, covered in dust. "Not quite anymore, Iwata-san, but close enough! What happened?"
"Aww, helping that silly grandson of mine get jewels out of the mine. I told him I'm too old for that stuff" he scoffed with a cough.
Carrie frowned, "Tim's okay though, right?"
"He's the only one that's okay, actually" he chuckled, "Hightailed it to get help once the mine fell in. Ah well, guess ol' Gray has the blacksmith market cornered for a little while."
"You'll be up in no time" Jilliana offered, patting his hand.
"And no offense but Amazon has had the blacksmith market cornered for a lot a while now anyway" Carrie teased.
Iwata-san made a pouty face, "Now does Amazon give you the same charm as our shops?"
Jilliana giggled, "Not at all."
"Amazon doesn't have a thirty minute turn around for sharpening an ax, that's for sure" Carrie chuckled.
"I'm sure that's just a matter of time too. All the old ways will die out and all us geezers will have to retire" Iwata-san sighed gravely.
Now Jilliana's turn to pout, she was about to advise she hoped that wasn't the case. While Mineral was very clearly progressing forward, just having okayed the train from mainland Hondo to here, she hoped some of it stayed the same. She knew her and her child's childhood wouldn't be the same but…
"Enough of that doom and gloom. You two ready for your little handfuls?"
"If he's anything like he is in the womb right now, he will very much be a handful and I am not ready" Jilliana groaned.
"Ain't by the same man, is it?"
"Iwata-san, of course not" Jilliana stuck out her tongue.
Carrie winked, "I dunno, you know how I feel about the dark-eyed ones…"
Jilliana smirked at her sister as Iwata-san laughed, "That one's always been trouble. You've both got good men. Kurt always provides us good business and your doctor here has been fixing us up nice and quick."
"Yea, I think we did all right" Jilliana smiled warmly.
"Jilli?"
Looking up, her smile broadened as Hattori Azuma appeared, carrying a box. He looked pensive, "Sweetheart-"
"I've had my mask on the whole time" she interrupted dryly, standing, "Did you need me to do anything? Hook up oxygen? Check for O2 levels?"
Azuma smirked, kissing her forehead, "You are off the clock until my son stops terrorizing you."
Due to some of the difficulties she was having, the hospital cleared her to start maternity leave this month. It was a blessing and definitely progressive but…she was sort of bored. Azuma sighed, stroking his hair away from his forehead, "…I get off in about an hour, baby. Promise."
"Okay…"
They bid farewell to Azuma and Iwata-san as they made their way downstairs to the lobby. Jilliana absently blinked at Megumi-san who was side-eying her. While most of the hospital knew and accepted that she and Azuma were now married, Megumi-san spread rumors about how 'fast' she was. Not too long ago, she may have agreed on the speed in regard to her marriage but…
She liked being Hattori Jilliana.
Carrie gasped that they should go get some ice-cream from Kai's Beach House. Jilliana teasingly reminded her it was February and neither of them liked the cold. Carrie tilted her head as her daughter started to move in her belly, either a knee or elbow emerging underneath the flesh. Her baby wasn't quite there yet but he better be as chill as Emma was.
Emma. Carrie knew right away that she wanted to name her daughter Emma. It was a character in something they watched growing up and even when Carrie was in her 'dark' stage, she'd been adamant the name would be for her first daughter. For as much as Jilliana had always wanted children, she had never been dead set on a name. She'd been looking but nothing seemed quite right.
"Nee-sans!"
They both looked up, nonplussed but groaning together in exasperation as Takeru pulled up in a car by himself. It'd be fine if it was legal for him to drive. He was almost to sixteen but not quite. "Takeru-"
"Hey, hey, dad said I could drive by myself if I wanted! It's practice for New York."
Carrie looked very amused. "Itoto-san, I promise you will not want to drive in New York. I guess it would be best to get experience now because you won't be doing much of it there."
Time was flying. It was like their parents made that promise he could start college when he turned sixteen and sixteen was just around the corner. Jilliana felt herself become misty-eyed. Takeru simply smirked. "Sis, do not cry because I'm leaving in half a year. You won't even have time for me with you having a kid."
"Oh, but you were like my first baby and now you're going to college!"
Carrie sighed softly. Takeru just grinned cheesily, "Yea, you guys did a good job raising me, I guess. C'mon, I dunno what would make either of you walk around with a bowling ball attached to your body."
"Yea, mistakes were made" Carrie agreed, her brows tweaking as she climbed into the passenger's seat.
Jilliana reluctantly climbed into the back and sighed as Takeru drove them around Mineral, Carrie requesting they go somewhere with a banana split. Well…maybe her little man would accept the health benefits of a banana if it was smothered in chocolate and whipped cream.
"What do you think I should name my baby?" she asked the two as they headed toward an ice-cream shop.
"Zeppelin" Takeru said all too seriously.
"Hattori Zeppelin, Takeru?" Carrie snickered.
Jilliana blinked languidly as Takeru looked perplexed, "…Huh, that last name is tricky. He sounds like a classic rock samurai."
Watching all of the stores they passed, Jilliana figured she would discuss it more with Azu but even he was perplexed. "I can think of a dozen names for a girl but a boy? I don't know."
"Jilliana? I think I have a suggestion but I don't know what you'd think of it."
She looked up when Carrie spoke rather quietly, surprised. Eh? "Oh? Well, shoot."
"I think it'll be something that your husband will appreciate too."
"That's it, just name him Azuma Junior and call it a day" nodded Takeru.
Jilliana made a face and Carrie smirked, tapping him chidingly, "No…but it's a similar idea. A sign of good faith for both of our families."
…Hmm?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"…How are you?"
"…Fair, I guess. Little different when you have to wheel yourself around."
Yagami Popuri sat on the other side of the glass, staring at her older brother. He looked tired and weak. She wasn't sure how she even figured to speak to him again.
Did it eat at her that he never bothered to tell her? A little. What ate at her the most was it seemed like Rick didn't tell her or their mother to protect them. That was a redeeming factor for a damn murderer. But…she had to know. "Rick, why didn't you tell us?"
Rick adjusted his glasses on his nose, staring away from her, before shrugging. "Figured it wouldn't do any good."
"Mom could have left-"
Her older brother scoffed loudly, "Oh really, Popuri? Your beloved husband left you for almost fifteen years to start up with a healthier woman to have a healthier family and you'd just make it?"
"You've always had this sexist idea that women are weaker, Rick, but we make it when you men fuck up."
Rick was quiet for a second. "…Maybe. Just I don't know if anyone can accept how the person you love would rather spend almost two decades lying than tell you the truth."
Popuri hesitated. That… "…I guess I do have to concede that may be damaging."
"I really don't know, Popuri. Mom made it a lot of years and she probably figured at some point he wasn't coming back. Remember how he called though? Remember how he made it sound like he was making such 'strides'?"
Swallowing, she gripped her fists and stared down, "…He painted a very lovely picture."
It went without saying and she had a pretty good idea but she had to ask: "Has he tried to talk to you since the incident?"
"Ha, no. I'm sure I'm the garbage of the Earth just for considering setting him up."
"Well, you're not getting any points for that" Popuri snorted, tapping the table, "…Is he why you're in here, Rick?"
Rick rolled his eyes upward. She thought he was annoyed but he was thinking. Maybe a little too hard. She expected him to have a sob story he hoped would make her soften to all the damage he'd done. She wasn't that naïve anymore.
"No."
…No? "No?"
"The world is full of people that have crap parents, Popuri, that make bad decisions and go off and do things like our dad did. While a lot of them decided to use it for a wrong, a whole lot of them decided to do the right damn thing. It wouldn't have killed me to do the right damn thing. Maybe I would be married to Karen right now with a kid instead of your brother-in-law and running that chicken farm. But I get myself put in jail because I thought I could assault someone, murder someone. Then I get a second chance and do the same exact shit. This time I don't have legs. I could've been you, Popuri."
… "And you still would have known."
"Yea, I'd take knowing in a nice house with a wife and both legs to sitting in jail with the same knowledge and nothing to show for it."
Leaning back, Popuri took a deep breath, "…You won't be up for bail for another thirty years, brother. That's a long time but…maybe I'll think about speaking up for you when that time comes. And this time I want you to get the hell out of here, start over, and don't look back."
Rick smiled some, adjusting his glasses, "I won't get my hopes up I'll live that long, Popuri, but it'll be something to look forward to. Sorry you ended up with such trash relatives that need you to bail them out of jail on murder charges."
Popuri groaned, "The murder…you do deserve to be in here."
"Undoubtedly. Judge would probably deny me instantly. But it's a nice thought. Don't put too much of that into it though. It's just a thought and I deserve to be here. To die here."
"…I'm sorry you felt I was too weak to face this with you, nii-san."
His red eyes closed some, gazing away. "…That was all I had control of: not letting you wonder what it was we did wrong."
She gaped some and the guard announced the visit was over. Rick wheeled himself back and shook his head, "…Get back to your perfect family and perfect life, Popuri. The problems are going to always be underneath what you built but that's in your control."
…Or going to rot away everything.
Koji yawned widely, scratching his belly as he collapsed onto their bed face first, hugging his pillow. Popuri glanced at him as she stared at her phone. In her messages contained a text to her father. He'd messaged, complaining that no one was picking up his calls now and it must have something to do with her 'stupid husband'. It did not. And her husband had not once left her to start a whole new family so addressing him as 'stupid' did a whole other number on her nerves. She pretty much wrote a dissertation on what a despicable human being he was and that she would block his number in every format available. She was very tempted to hit 'send'.
…But. "Kochi?"
"Mm? Yea, baby?" Koji responded drowsily.
"…Your…your parents, have they…have they ever kept a big secret from you?"
"Probably."
"…Probably?"
"My parents are secretive people. I'm sure there's any litany of things they've never told me" Koji murmured, his dark eyes opening to gaze at her, "Why?"
She hesitated. She…she wanted to talk to someone with a new perspective about it but she just knew Koji: he'd want her to go seek these people out and she wanted nothing to do with them. Her husband sat up, tilting his head, "Baby, we kind of went through this with the Mark dealy and then the whole daughter on birth control dealy? I don't know if it's quite on that level but you know you can tell me things. And if I react the way you don't want me to, just tell me. I'm a flexible guy."
Popuri groaned and rubbed her face. Right, right. Communication. Stretching her legs across his, she bit her lip, "…When I went to see Rick after the shooting, he told me to look up 'Hoshimiya Stephanie' and that he thought I was strong enough now."
Koji's brows furrowed. "Hoshimiya Stephanie? The entertainer MC? She's been at a few conferences I went to. Why? What about her?"
Quietly, she twiddled with his fingers. Koji gazed at her before rolling his eyes around, mouthing, "Oh wow."
"Mm."
"…I mean, was it just a one-off affair? Not that it makes it any better-"
"No" she muttered, "He left us, met this woman's mother, married her, and had a child. The poor lady found out he had a wife somewhere else and divorced him exactly at the time he came back to us. He ran out of options."
"Piece of shit."
"It won't ever excuse what Rick did but-but I just saw him today and I asked why he didn't tell me too? Why'd he face that burden alone? He…he told me that that's all he had control over: not having to let me think about what it is we did wrong."
Koji's eyes widened as she could barely whisper, "And he's right: that's all I've been wondering ever since he told me to look her up. What on Earth made it so hard he'd leave his barely ten-year-old children and sick wife to fend for themselves? Did we annoy him? Were we too much trouble? What made him just leave with a lie and start over?"
Sniffling, she wiped her eye. "And if these are the same questions that ate Rick up at night then I can see why he rotted away."
Her husband didn't say anything for a moment before gently hugging her against him. Finally, after a few more moments of silence, he murmured, "Well…I guess he was an okay big brother at least in one way."
"He shouldn't have" she hissed, "He shouldn't have kept that burden all on himself and he shouldn't have kept that secret so I accepted that garbage so freely back into my life. I let him mistreat my children, my husband—and he's a liar. A bitch ass liar."
"Popuri, the thing with Rick was almost two years ago now. Why didn't you tell me you were dealing with this?"
"…You're so family-oriented, Kochi. I just knew you'd want me to meet Stephanie and I-I just can't. It's not her fault nor her mothers but I just can't meet the family he did want."
Koji looked flabbergasted. "Popuri, what the hell? You think I'd force you to do anything, especially that? I feel bad for them but I'm more concerned with you and how you're handling this and it doesn't sound like you're handling it too great."
She shook her head as he gently sat her up, holding her shoulders, "First off? I, shockingly, know where Rick is coming from with this 'what is it that I did wrong?' thing but neither of you did anything wrong. If your dad couldn't deal with his circumstances, he could have been less cowardly telling you he couldn't handle it anymore and left. Where that would have left you, I don't know, but running off on a bold-faced lie about finding some 'cure' for your mother and then shacking up with some lady that didn't know he was already married?"
"Maybe she did" Popuri grumbled.
"That's the thing about the eighties and nineties, Popuri, without social media, we could be blank slates in every town we wanted. Plus, you don't really think people will go to the trouble of moving in and proposing if it's just a booty call. And it was a deception to multiple parties. One of which was to a young son and daughter that probably looked up to a father that left on a whim."
"I know…"
"So what do you want me to do? Throw him off a cliff?" Koji asked, his tone just a little too serious.
Popuri could only groan as he rubbed her back, "I am entirely serious."
"Yea, that's the worst part" she smirked, leaning in to kiss him, "…I feel better just having talked about it. I…I guess I'm not used to talking about how I feel."
"It's not an easy thing…but I'm always here."
She curled against him and felt him fall asleep. She wasn't quite there yet but was somewhat relieved. It didn't rectify not one damn thing he did or the fact that she was leaving that bastard there to lie to her poor mother, something her husband was bound to notice soon and seethe over. He was very protective of mothers…
…She'd just had to put her son back in jail. Lillia didn't need the extra strain and Popuri didn't have it in her heart to release that burden to her. For now…for now, Koji, her sweet prince that actually returned to her, not completely the same but devoted in his efforts, would do. This…this wasn't going to eat away at her. Not when their family was still growing…
But what was it they did wrong?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hattori Azuma smiled as he curled up on the small hospital bed with his wife, staring in awe at this…this being that already meant the world to him.
He simply hadn't had time. He honest to God wrote his mother a letter telling her he was married and expecting a child. That was during Jilliana's seventh month and he hadn't gotten a word back. He figured old biases never died and she was probably wondering had he lost his mind. That…that was neither here nor there. What was decided though, she might not forgive him for either but…when Jilliana said it, he thought it was a perfect idea.
Their son was nestled against his mama, swaddled and staring at them with the most dreary expression. Jilliana had him three hours ago and, aside from allowing him to hold him a few times, hadn't put him down yet. Azuma chuckled softly, leaning closer to them. Their baby had the clearest blue eyes, honestly even bluer than his mama's which was somewhat shocking, with the little wisps of dark hair. He was a handsome little guy…
Jilliana asked him four months ago, shyly, if he thought it was a good idea to name their son 'Tsumaru'.
Tsumaru? The Uncle his mother forced him to emulate? The same man whose memory had tore apart his parent's marriage to the point he seldom saw his dad and his mother dogged the living hell out of him during his entire upbringing? The one that caused his mother such malice and rage that she attempted to kill his now relatives and that only through him getting shot she backed down? That man? The name of his son?
Azuma remembered that brief tumultuous spark of emotions when his wife suggested it before it just settled in like a missing piece in their puzzle. No. Not that man. That person that sacrificed himself for the life of his wife's mother so that she could be here with them today. That same person that helped and saved lives and would have wanted his sister to carry on knowing that everything he'd ever done he'd done with love. No matter what came between him and his sister, that person would have never stopped loving her. He would have known she still cared. That person that wrote a letter to her but never got to mail it that probably confirmed these things? That was the person he was honoring. His son would never have to live up to any expectations but his own, Azuma knew that for a fact. All the same, he could respect Ishikawa Tsumaru's good intentions. If it'd been that way all along, it would have been so much different.
"Oh Azu" Jilliana gushed, untucking Tsumaru enough so she could hold his finger, "I can't get over him. I just can't. He's so beautiful. I'm just going to be crying all the time now."
"He is rather adorable" Azuma agreed, "I love you, Jilliana."
She smiled at him, that same smile she gave him even when she was aware he was raised to hate her existence for absolutely nothing. It was so warm and giving and that's why he pushed himself this far. Not only for himself but this woman that gave the world to him. Grinning, he kissed her lips before kissing Tsumaru's forehead.
"I know you don't want to but it's time to share him with the world."
"Oh pooh" she pouted.
… "…Baby?"
"Yes, sweetie?"
"When…when he gets a little age on him, would…would you mind if I took him to see my mother? I know she's done a lot of bad to our family but I…I just kind of want her to see what that name could have meant: something good."
He expected his wife to balk at the idea but she nodded. "I think that'll be awesome, Azu."
Relieved, he messaged Jilliana's family and his father that their son was born, attaching a picture of their drowsy baby. Tsumaru even tweaked a bit of a smile, much to Jilliana's delight. Carrie text, despite it being six in the morning, that she was on her way along with Takeru and their parents. Jilliana pursed her lips, "…Now I won't get to hold him for at least two hours."
"You're gonna spoil our baby rotten, aren't ya?" he teased.
"Yea" she grinned.
Shaking his head with a chuckle, Azuma took another picture of the two, posting it to his account. His father surprised him by texting back: 'Congratulations, son'. Azuma stared, wondering if the man even thought to ask if he could come see Tsumaru. Oh well.
He smiled as Jill and Cliff appeared, the woman squealing about her grandbaby. Takeru drowsily joked that all of his nephews and niece were breaking up their blond trend, baby Emma Inaba's hair turning a darker color after being born blonde. Jilliana laughed, stating it was unlikely any of them would have blond children, actually. Maybe. He'd like a little girl that looked like her too…
…Never would he have thought he'd have gotten here. He…he found himself.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Izumi Jill made a face as she sat at her laptop, trying to break her writer's block. She was…distracted by a lot of things.
"O-Oh, uh oh, oh, oh, you don't have to go-oh-oh!"
She blinked languidly as Takeru was collecting things from around the living room, throwing them into a box, singing. "You hurt me to my so-o-o-ul; Darling, please don't go-o-o-o!"
"Takeru."
Her baby grinned at her, just exuding pure excitement, "Sorry, mama, I'll be quiet."
Groaning, she stood and set her writing aside. It was foolish to even think she could anyway. He…he was leaving her soon.
It was crazy when she told him he could go when he was sixteen that sixteen pretty much popped up the next day. He'd waited patiently and she couldn't recant no matter how much she wanted to. Her first baby just had a baby and now her actual baby was leaving for college. It was…so surreal.
"You're packing so sloppily" she sulked, taking the box from him, "How will you know how to find anything?"
"I don't plan on taking too much, mama. Just clothes and instruments and some knickknacks."
Right…right. He gave her a big sweet kiss on the cheek, all smiles. "I promise I'll make you proud, mama."
"Oh Take, you know you already have" she pouted, petting his hair, "I'm just…I'm just going to have an empty nest. I don't know how to take it."
"Well, just don't get too lonely and have another kid because I don't know if we can handle that."
Smirking, she slapped his arm and sighed as he skipped off. Oh well, she had two brand new grandchildren to go and spoil to her heart's content and they were just ten minutes away. And he didn't know it but now that fast travel was becoming more accessible, Takeru was about to be around an hour away too. But, since he was going to be her big college boy, she'd try to stick to her grandbabies for now.
Jill smiled softly, hugging her arms. When her daughter named her grandson after Tsumaru, she was shocked but it ended up being just perfect. He…he still had a place here and she hoped if there was an out there, he saw it. His name had been used for so much animosity and…and to give it to his great-nephew? Jilliana credited it as an idea of Carrie's to show good faith between both her and Azuma's family.
…This grandma was just in love with the idea. The other one? She…she wasn't so sure.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was 'unconventional' per the guard and they had to go through a lot more checks. 'Why would you bring a baby to a place like this?', Azuma had heard whispered. That wasn't any of their concern. He…he just needed to show her. She may not like it and he'd really considered that over the last few months. Azuma just…really needed to show her where he'd been able to go being Hattori Azuma.
He smirked as his drool machine son gummed on his hand, sitting in the room without glass as he requested months back. At just five months old, Tsumaru was the picture perfect example of one spoiled ass baby. He didn't like sitting by himself longer than maybe two minutes which was honestly two minutes too long considering Jilliana almost never put the little joker down. He was starting to move around and wanted to flip over now, shocking his mama. Tsumaru informed her that when he started walking he'd probably be a little disinterested in just being her lap baby to which she decried completely. Yep, his son might be a mama's boy. He could not relate but it was kind of cute.
His mother, the one that barely held his hand growing up, came into the room. She stared blankly, pausing as the guard closed the door. Uh oh. Azuma stood, "Hi, mom."
"…Hi."
"I have someone I'd like you to meet."
Hattori Rinko approached slowly, her eyes narrowing some at his son. The baby just stared at her. "…So that's your son, huh? Has it been that long already?"
He nodded, "It has gone by pretty fast, huh?"
She pursed her lips and he almost chuckled when she begrudgingly held her arms out. Handing the baby to her, he watched as she looked him over almost absently. While it was insane he was actually concerned she might chuck his baby to the floor when he told her, he…he just wanted her to know.
"Mama, I'd like you to meet Hattori Tsumaru, your grandson."
The woman looked up sharply, her face full of shock. Uh oh. "I-I suppose we could have asked first, mama, but-"
All he could do was panic as she suddenly started to cry, the biggest stream of tears rolling down her face. Choking out, she rasped, "O-Oh. Oh."
"We…We just wanted to honor his memory in something we loved. That's what Uncle deserves."
Sniffling in hard, Rinko laughed shakily, rubbing at her face. "Y-Yes. Yes, y-you're right, th-that's how it should have been. H-Hello, Tsumaru. Y-You have a very special name."
Tsumaru gurgled, blinking at her. She actually smiled, "…You even look like your Uncle."
Azuma folded his hands together, looking to her solemnly, "…I won't hold him to the expectations you held me to, mother. I expect him to be a decent person and that's all."
She quietly bounced Tsumaru a bit before looking to him, "Your uncle wrote to me that he was sorry that we'd had a disagreement, that he supported me and that he knew that no matter what foot we were on, he knew our bond remained. He gave me so much credit and I let him down. I…I let you down too by being too blind to see that. So, while it may shock you, if you had planned anything out for this baby, I would probably smack you silly."
He laughed softly, grinning at his son, "Well, I'd be lying if I didn't say I don't envision grandeur for him…"
"Of course" Rinko scoffed, "You don't envision failure and suffering for your kids. It…it just might not always come out the way you thought."
"…Mm."
He took a picture of them together, sending it to Jilliana. Rinko gave the baby a big kiss on the cheek, cooing, "…Not that you'd remember but this was my favorite stage. You just would lie around and nibble on your fingers."
Azuma's brows furrowed at this, having trouble believing his mother preferred when he was an incoherent mini-human. "I did. You were my own created distraction then, I…I didn't focus on things quite as much."
Well…that was true. His mother was generally pragmatic when it came to some things so if she bothered to have him, she was going to assure he was cared for and a baby definitely needed a lot of that. "Guess you should have just kept kicking out babies."
She leered at him before sighing, "…Maybe. Has your father seen him yet?"
Five months later? "Nope. Hasn't even mentioned it."
"I'll give him a call then. Our grandson needs Hattori grandparents too and I won't get to be that for a while."
Azuma shrugged awkwardly. "I'm not forcing him to be something he rather clearly doesn't want to be. Or his wife won't let him be."
"I'm still calling him. He…he doesn't need to be out of this one's life too."
Azuma frowned and the guard called, 'Time's up'. Rinko pouted, handing Tsumaru back and pinching his pudgy cheeks, "Until next time, Tsumaru."
She kissed his cheek next, affection still so weird between them. Just…he guessed she was trying. Just as the guard came in to escort her back to her cell, she murmured, "…I understand completely if she won't but bring your wife some time. I…I would like to apologize to her."
…Oh. "I…I will."
Leaving without another word, he started out of the facility for his car, about to call Jilliana and update her on the affair. She'd text back to the picture that she was thrilled his mom seemed to take so well to their baby. Yea, that…that was shocking, wasn't it?
All this time, he'd just been taking strides to improve himself and bring closure to a terrible situation. When his mother had her epiphany, he wanted to bring her closure too to all the things she had festering in her head about her brother.
Just…not only was there closure, other doors were opening to new possibilities and new feelings. The damage was done for a lot of things, especially what his mother had done to his wife and her family—she had meant to make them suffer.
While that may have meant they might never sit at the same dinner table together, it did mean that…that he wasn't the only one making a better way for himself.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Aww, sissy, stop it."
Hattori Jilliana couldn't stop the wash of tears as they all stood in the airport. It was too soon. It was too soon, he was too young, and he was a baby and he shouldn't be going anywhere. Izumi Takeru had a backpack on his back and all his documents in his hand to board the plane to college. Her baby brother. He was eligible to go to school here in Japan but no, he wanted to travel to America. Her baby.
Inaba Carrie smirked, ruffling Takeru's hair and kissing his cheek, "I do a movie in Boston in a few months, I'll check on you then."
Takeru nodded and Jilliana sobbed, "How can you be so casual? He's a little boy!"
"Oh, Jilliana" Carrie rolled her eyes, "He has an opportunity, he should take it. I'll be over there all the time, Rosa should be going to America too and not that far away should he need some emergency assistance—I doubt it though! Just promise me you won't get into anything hard, Takeru."
"Promise, nee-san" he assured.
With a snivel, Jilliana clasped his hands, "Y-You be mindful when you're walking the streets. And-and carry your key and have an emergency set in your bag. And if you feel sick, you seek immediate treatment and-and if you have sex, wrap up."
"You know, that went very, very uncomfortably left at the end" Takeru smirked.
"It was all truth, bub" Carrie leered, poking him in the chest, "No glove, no love."
Takeru sighed airily, "I'll have you know, I was saving my virginity for Sharron…"
Sharron, Yukina Steiner's little sister, was 21-years-old and also started college early. While she had been going to Tokyo University until recently, she managed to get into Cambridge in the UK. Meaning she was not thinking one darn thing about this little twerp. Even Jilliana gave him something of a look of disbelief. "So you won't be having sex ever then?"
"Ouch, nee-san! A boy can dream, right?"
Carrie snickered, "With your track record, that is all that will be. Well, if you get past hand holding with your casual flings then, wear a condom, please. You do not need to have a kid this early."
"And wear one even if your partner says they're on the pill! Sexually transmitted diseases are still rampant" Jilliana scolded.
"Yea, I'm exiting stage left on this conversation-" Takeru pointed over his shoulder, backing away.
Cliff and Jill Izumi emerged from the check-in, carrying two small bags as they were going to escort Takeru to where he was staying. Their Uncle Tony was allowing him and Motosuwa Kenji to stay in his New York estate, a very small three bedroom house in Rochester that he bought when he worked there for a few years. It was slightly illegal to have two underaged students living without adult supervision…and Jilliana agreed! However, Takeru and Kenji were going to be out there winging it on this adventure that terrified her for her baby brother…
"All right, let's start heading in, Takeru. We'll see you ladies when we get back" Cliff smiled softly.
"Okay. Safe travels, you guys. And call us every week, Takeru" Carrie commanded.
"Every week?" Jilliana gawked, "Every day!"
"For God's sake, Jilli, he's in college! He's going to be partying!"
Takeru smirked, his eyes closing some as their mother groaned, "I will not and I will call every week because I will be busy with school. I love you two so much and thank you for believing in me. I won't let you down."
"See? Now you're going to make me cry" Carrie pouted, hugging him tightly, "I love you too, itoto."
Jilliana smiled reassuringly and kissed his forehead, giving him a quick squeeze. Jill also wistfully held Takeru's hand as they disappeared down the corridor and Jilliana couldn't help think that'd be her and Tsumu-chan one day…
…One step at a time, he just learned to roll over. She had…a little time before he ran off to start his journey.
Carrie stared after them before elbowing her, "So, wanna fail the Bechdel Test again?"
"I now also have a baby boy I never stop talking about so I will also forever fail the Bechdel test" Jilliana joked.
"Now I won't say we should never talk about anything other than our boys but…considering everything, I think we did okay?"
Jilliana was very reluctant to allow her beloved son go to see Azu's mother. While she wasn't certain why, something in her head said the woman might hurt him and she'd have had to go postal. It was aggravating, the woman seeking to not just hurt Takeru but kill him, but…well, she didn't love one more than the other but one was nestled inside her body for nine months and she was in charge of keeping him safe. Just…she'd known Azuma needed it.
She was so surprised to get that picture of the woman holding Tsumu-chan. He looked perfectly comfortable and she looked enraptured. It…it didn't seem like the woman she knew. And in that, Jilliana realized she didn't know the woman at all. She'd…definitely made a bad impression just from acts alone.
But, Azuma advised that the woman wanted to meet her one day. That sounded terrifying and like something she ought to turn down just out of self-respect. She told her mother and Jill had fallen quiet. "Honest to God? I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I don't believe I'm the type of person that would ever find a way to justify killing. I believe there are people I want dead but…I do know, had it been one of my brothers, I would be destroyed. For as much of a knucklehead as they are, I know just from almost losing a few of your uncles that I would be. I don't know where her head space was to escalate to this point and I don't think I forgive her? But, honestly, I don't know."
Jilliana didn't either. It seemed contrived and cheap that because the woman changed on her son's deathbed they were going to accept her with open arms. Just, considering everything, was it? Was it cheesy that 'forgiveness' would overcome? As her mom said, she wasn't sure she forgave the woman. She just couldn't say she wouldn't want Rinko to try to do better. It seemed almost as contrived that the villain remain so…
The late Tsumaru's sacrifice had come at some cost. Realistically, the outcome of Rinko's plots were pretty good despite how high the risks were. No one died and their families were able to conclude a lot of what troubled them. She now had no doubts about Azuma's intention and she had the namesake for the man that kept their legacy going.
A new beginning, a new start. Carrie was about to be a part of a Hollywood movie and Takeru was starting to school to be the musician he always dreamed he would be. She and Azuma would continue down this steady road, saving one person at a time. She had not one duplicitous feeling about where she was going.
…Time would tell.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
End notes:
So I went to the Bahamas last year and I can't describe how absolutely amazing it was. Having seen only the Atlantic Ocean off our polluted shores, just seeing that blue water—actually blue was something out of fiction. Just writing this sequence made me want to go back there.
Iwata-san is Tai from Magical Melody, Bob and Tim's grandpa. Bob was mentioned as a physical trainer in Yume.
Takeru is singing 'D'yer Mak'er' by Led Zeppelin.
Sweet LORD, I can't explain how awesome it is to finally finish this after years. It's a little rough in places and the pacing is off to me but when it fit, it fit. I had a lot of dead spots that kept me in writer's block but here we are.
So, Stephanie, the MC that you can marry if you buy the Trio of Towns DLC, is a new development. When I wrote the first sequence when Popuri spoke to her dad, something said to me: what is his deal? In the game, he goes off to 'find a cure' for his wife. By Harvest Moon/Story of Season's standards, this might be realistic but in reality? And I had actually left this rather weird component in place. I said to myself, 'nah, this dude never came back in any of the BTN; he started over'. This changed components of Rick too which is amazing. He was always the archetype crazy murderer. And he was going that direction again with Rinko but he has issues.
What this means for edits, not really sure? I actually had no intention of having Popuri meet Stephanie but I had a thought and it was kind of funny. I may write it this weekend.
My timeline's may be skewed. This should be around the time in Yume where Rosa is thinking about going to school and Chihaya is reeling over it being in the States. This of course puts this in the midst of some of the Yume events which Koji mentions when he talks to Popuri.
I have literally no idea why Otome is on hiatus? But it is and I will get back to that in the nearish future. I think I have one more hill to tackle…
Thanks for reading, as always.
Always~
Dark Ryuu