A/N: Hello people of the internet. Very long time no see, am I right? Hope you're all doing well and have not been affected too much or too finally by this pandemic. I'm sorry for the absence, too. Life...really got in the way. Really did. We had the quarantine here during which I worked my ass off while almost most people stayed at home or worked from home so yeah and then we finally moved and we had that to deal with. To give you an idea it was half a month ago we finally finished with getting our things together properly. So yeah, wild. You know? No time to sit and write and for inspiration to come properly. But I'm starting to get back on my feet, yay.
Story wise, I decided to give this story one more chapter to go, to give the ending proper attention and care, otherwise I fear I'll rush it and I don't want to. So this one, and one more chapter to go. I have decided on the next AU, too and I am excited to write that one, too but I fear if I start on it I'll leave this one alone so I won't do anything too "dangerous". Fun fact, a truck driver almost ran me over yesterday and I finished this chapter out of sheer frustration and way to channel my anger. I mean, he had the gall to swear and call me all kinds of names because HE almost ran me over. Oh ho ho if he had stopped the truck and gotten off I would have attacked him; I was already sizing him up to be honest. So, here you go; next chapter is up, I hope you enjoy babies.
Title: Fake it till you make it
Genre:Romance, humour, slice of life, child care(kind of)
AU: Fake Marriage, Modernday
The entire next week was surreal. Everything had changed...but in the end, nothing had, not practically. She could say things had improved. He was being more open with her; he talked more, asked her more, demanded more...complained more. Much, much more. Who'd have thought he was the type. In fact, when she mentioned it to Okita one day on the phone, he burst out laughing.
"Aww, Saitou is finally accepting you," he'd joked but she, being her, decided to tell him the truth. Sufficed to say, he didn't let her live it down. "No, no, you're seeing things, don't tell him anything," he mimicked her from that one day, once upon a time and she had to shake her head. "Maybe because you already knew you were in love with him, huh? And you didn't want to bring yourself to admit it."
"Fine, you were right; feel better now?"
"Of course."
"You really are impossible."
"The important part is," he breezed past the insult "he's the one who suggested this and my hopes of him not spending eternity alone are rekindled."
"Such drama..." she joked. "Well, whatever; now you know. I really wanted to share the news with someone who would understand."
"I do; I'm very happy for you."
"Thank you Souji; hope this leads you to come to terms with how you need to change your ways, too."
She had hanged up before he managed to protest or question her, but hearing Souji say that put her in a very good mood.
When Hajime came back that day, she was on her phone again though talking to someone else; someone who had only been putting her in a bad mood lately. And he could tell she was in a bad mood just by glimpsing at her body language, before he ever got to see her furrowed brow and pursed lips.
Aiko came to greet him first; Tokio heard him, spared a smile, a mouthed "welcome back" and went back to her call. It must have been intense. Still, he went through his routine like normal and once he had washed his hands, he came close to her. When she still offered her cheek for a kiss, he relaxed a little. Things weren't as bad as he had thought. So, he kissed her and went to the fridge, get himself a cold bottle of water.
A sigh escaped her. "Father, enough; you said all you had to say. Good luck." She made a small pause. "Yes, that's all I have to say to you. Because I'm tired dad; so tired of you and your demands and constantly having to adjust myself to them. So It ends here. Good luck with brother; no, I love you both. I just won't put up with your shit anymore. Bye."
She had removed the device from her ear even before she spoke the last word and simply ended the call. Her father wasn't done, Hajime heard incoherent noises even as she dropped the line, but she hadn't cared. She simply put it on the counter, taking a deep breath, and turned her eyes to Hajime and his looming presence. Her smile small, sad and exhausted...but honest.
"It's good to see you," was all she said, head lolling for a second. Then she picked herself up and kissed him fleetingly, as she turned to set the table.
"Wanna tell me what all that was about?"
"Oh, it's..."
She paused. She was about to dismiss him, say everything was fine. But it sure as hell wasn't. Thinking to what Okita had told her this morning and the fact that Hajime too had asked her to be open – and seeing he was already doing it – she decided to do the same. Looking over his shoulder, to spot Aiko and seeing she was nowhere to be found, she must have gone to her room or the bathroom, she decided to share.
"It's father; he always pitches a fit when things don't go his way. Seeing the fiasco on Thursday didn't prompt me to leave you for any of the jerks he brought to the party, he changed tactics...as in, he told me to my face, since I won't leave you, I ain't never seeing management."
Flabbergasted, he gestured with his hand "what"; she sighed.
"He threw in my face how he considers you to be a poor choice and if I don't think so, then obviously my critical thinking isn't what it used to be, or what they thought it was, thus I am bound to make bad choices if I take the helm of the corporation." She shook her head gingerly. "This is his latest intimidation tactic; don't worry, it too will change."
"What if it doesn't?"
"There's no way it won't. Look, dad knows how I think. Did you know, mum said he thought I was faking the engagement." The look of alarm on his face was cute. "Naturally, I denied all, but I'm trying to show you, he really knows the way my mind works. But at the same time, I know how his works, too." She shrugged. "He'll change tactics again, once he sees this isn't working either."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I am. He said I need to get married, I got engaged; it didn't work, because he didn't like you, so he tried to scare you. That didn't work either, so he tried to have you replaced; that didn't work yet again, so now he's bullying me, saying how disappointed he is. When that won't work, either, he'll find something new. Until he finally comes to terms with the fact you won't be going away and then he'll focus on the corporation and not my private life and will do the right thing, aka, name me CEO."
"Can you really choose a CEO?"
"...no, but it's sort of a legitimate thing for the previous one to weigh in about the next one."
"So you still have to earn some votes."
Her smirk, he noticed, was genuine, too. "I already have. The big majority is in my favour, otherwise, I'd have never done something so drastic." She sighed. "Point is, my father is a drama queen. It'll pass. I'm just...so sad, he resorted to this. I suppose this means he's just that desperate."
"And what was that bit about your brother?"
"I didn't tell you, did I? Remember how we were three candidates: my brother, the other guy and I? Well, the other guy pulled his name, once he found out I was engaged, despite my father's displeasure." Saitou looked surprised. "Yeah, exactly; he was basically running against my brother, he knew he had no chance against me. But since I didn't fold under dad's pressure, he knew he had lost. So, the only candidate left, if I'm out of the picture, is brother." She chuckled. "You didn't hear me from the start; when dad announced I was no longer eligible, I basically snubbed that if he wanted Tora to be the CEO after him because he's a man and all that, all he had to do was say so, and not make up ridiculous excuses."
She laughed heartily then. "Tora is capable and all, but I'm better; we all know that. So that did come as a blow to him. Not to mention, I also implied that if he did that, appointed brother and then retired, it'd be oh so easy for me to get the position; Tora is reasonable. When he'd see that he always came to me for all the big decisions, he'd simply give up and allow me to take over unofficially and in the end, officially. He didn't like that one bit either."
"You drive a hard bargain."
Her expression said "naturally" and he had to hand it to her, she knew not only how to get what she wanted, but make it look like it was the right thing.
"What if he never gives in, though?"
The question was deemed unnecessary. "He will."
"But what if he doesn't?"
She considered, somber. "Then I will have to resort to dirty tactics, which so far I haven't even gone near, out of respect and love for my family. If they keep playing dirty though, so will I. After all, trying to extort your child into doing what you think is right as a parent is at the very least a dirty tactic. Anyway, no use thinking about it. I won't have to resort to that."
That was when Hajime realised for the first time she too was raised in the same environment as that Hideo guy he hadn't liked one bit; it was just that she actively chose not to act that way. His appreciation for her increased a little,
"Anyway, dinner's ready. Let's eat." She looked over his shoulder again; Aiko was nowhere to be found. "Aiko, honey, come! Dinner's ready!"
She waited until she heard a faint "I'm coming" from somewhere and then she proceeded to set the table. He helped. "What do you have in mind for tomorrow?" she asked then, seeing Aiko was taking her time.
"I haven't decided yet; is there something you want to do?"
"I want to dine out," she said wistfully "I don't want to cook or have to worry about food."
"Then let's have dinner; any place you missed?"
She shook her head. "Not particularly, but if you want me to pick a restaurant so you won't have to, I don't mind."
"Then do it." It was almost eerie how easily she saw through him, but he sort of liked it. "I'll tell Okita to babysit; he's been complaining he doesn't see Aiko enough, lately."
"So we go to my apartment; I'll make sure we have breakfast." A smile. "I could also make sure we have something decent to sleep on, too..."
"No," a chuckle hid in his refusal "leave it alone. Besides, even if I agreed, you couldn't possibly put it together so fast."
She smirked, eyes glinting. "Is that a challenge? Because all you have to do is just say yes and by the time we go there tomorrow night, we'll have a brand new bed, I promise."
Her smirk was eager; he was taken aback. On one hand, no; it was his bed. He minded how easily she discarded things and how readily she put her wallet forward for the next new thing—not to mention, he had spent so many nights, so much time, had made so many memories on that bed. He refused to let it go so easily. On the other...wasn't this the entire point? Moving on? Baby steps, his mind screamed in protest, and this definitely wasn't that. But so what? She wanted a new bed, they could afford a new bed and he wasn't even all that excited about the certain bed when he and Yaso had bought it all those years ago. Come to think of it, he'd been complaining the whole time because Yaso had chosen it alone, without asking his opinion and the mattress had been too soft for his back. Maybe it wasn't Tokio's attitude but simple nostalgia that prevented him from getting a new one—the more he thought about it, the more he remembered how they had actually fought back then over it.
Huh. How curious. He was under the impression he'd been the one to choose it, but no, it wasn't. The mind was a tricky thing.
"Well?" She bounced on her feet. "What do you say?"
"...fine. But only if you manage to pull it off. I have no intention sleeping on the floor."
"Hmm?" Her eyebrow rose. "And here I thought you are the traditional type. I'd think you'd kill for a futon."
"And then my back would kill me instantly." She threw her head back laughing. "No futon; proper mattress."
"Great! I'll make it happen."
With new purpose, she left the table that night earlier than usual, going to her laptop, leaving father and daughter behind. Easily falling back to old habits, they took about half an hour to actually get up from their chairs, as they talked about their days. How interesting, both adults noted by looking at one another amused, ever since Aiko accidentally punched Sissy in the face, the two came closer. Apparently, today was the day Sissy accepted her apology officially and even went as far as to hug her with no ulterior motive, as well as give her the letter. Aiko shared how she too was thinking of accepting Sissy's apology, if she kept this up, as the letter had been very heartfelt and sincere – not in those exact words –.
Both adults approved.
Then they realised their apology letter never came through the mail and already a week had gone by. "I don't want to do anything further, but if they don't send me those letters, both school and her father, I might chase after this matter out of spite," Tokio confined, thoughtful, once Aiko had gone to bed.
"Let's not be petty."
"But if I don't make some sort of commotion, they will think they can do this again."
"...we will wait; if the two weeks are up and we see nothing, we can send them an email in the form of "must have missed those letters" and see what they do from there."
"That's reasonable." She shrugged. "After all, letters get misplaced; and you're right, I don't want to come off as petty. I am merciful, after all."
"Right..."
"Shut up," her eyes slid to him "you want to be on my good graces; remember how you left me in charge of buying a new bed?"
He swallowed his attitude in an instant. "Want a chamomile? My mother brought over some honey yesterday, said it was one hundred percent natural."
Her smirk was that of a victor. "No, thank you honey. I'm good."
That night she went to bed after him, for the first time in their common life. He had been dead on his feet, seeing they were too close to catching their guy and she was giddy about the new bed, giddy about going on a first real date with him as well as kind of upset at her father and the latest development in the ever-growing soap opera he was spinning in his head. Add to that a penchant for stubbornness as well as a tiny streak of a perfectionist inside her, she couldn't close her eyes if she didn't know all that could be done today, were done. Then, she set alarm clocks at different times for the next day, for various tasks: call her dear Yumi to make the necessary preparations for their stay, call the people at the company from which she bought the bed frame and the mattress and ask for a speedy delivery; have them assemble it and the hire someone to clean it—hopefully the firm would collaborate with someone to offer such services.
All in all, when she lay down next to Hajime, he was fast asleep.
Next day went by without her so much as having a moment to breathe. In between work, she took short breaks just to make sure everything was going off without a hitch with the furniture, as well as make sure Yumi remembered to buy groceries—she had her go over to the apartment every Friday morning to clean, whether they stayed or not, but had instructed her to get perishables only if Tokio told her so. Then, she had to call the restaurant she picked to reserve them a table or, as Tokio liked to call it, inform them when she'd be dropping by, because there was no way they wouldn't be seated, no matter how popular the place was.
Then, once work was done, she had to get to her appointments—beauty day today again but,with a hope, at least tonight they'd get to be useful. Feeling heat and a rush of excitement bubble in her tummy, she went straight home, seeing Masu had taken care of picking Aiko up. Surprisingly, they were nowhere to be found when she got there, meaning Masu kept her over to her home. She could work with that—she wanted to take a little longer than usual to choose her outfit for tonight. It was going to be a special occasion after all. As she made up her mind on what to wear, she knew exactly what to pair it with, both for tonight and tonight.
Once she had made sure she had everything she needed, she started getting the bath ready and finally went and picked up Aiko.
"Where are you going tonight mamma?"
"We decided on a restaurant."
"Ah, that's why grandma had me eat with them."
"Yes; and guess who's coming to stay with you?" The little girl perked up. "Souji-jii-san."
"Souji-jii-san," Aiko echoed overjoyed and literally skipped to her room, to leave her bag. She was still speaking his name when she came back, bounce in her step remaining. "I'll tell him all about Sissy, too! Did you know mamma, today we played together."
"That's amazing, sweetie; I'm very happy for you. Did you ask her to?"
"No; I was playing with Hori-chan and she came and sat there next to us. Hori said she could join if she wasn't going to be mean and she nodded and we played. And she wasn't mean to me at all! Hori-chan was very happy, too."
"Aw, that's great. Did Hori-chan get along with Sissy?"
"When she wasn't being mean to me."
"So, now you all get along."
"Yes."
"How nice." Just as she was about to ask something more, she heard keys to the door. "Daddy's back; go greet him."
As if programmed, she ran to the front door excited. She hugged his legs as soon as he was visible. "Hello, little plum."
"Daddy, daddy, daddy, welcome back! Today Sissy and I played together without fighting at all."
If you can't beat them, join them, Hajime thought amused. "That's great; was it just the two of you?"
"No, Hori-chan was there, too but he didn't need to tell her to be nice a second time, we played very well."
"Sounds to me, like Sissy is slowly warming up to you."
"Yes! And today, I accepted her apology."
"If you feel that's the right thing to do, you did well to do it. But if you notice her getting colder again, now that you did, don't be too disappointed."
"Yes mamma."
"But if you see her warming up to you more, that's a good thing. You made a new friend." A little unconventionally, granted, but a friend nonetheless. "Now, the water will be ready in fifteen minutes; why don't we go first?" Tokio suggested to the little girl who seemed to be thrilled by the idea.
"Yes mamma, yes! Will you do my hair like last time? Like waves?"
"Whatever you want. Now go pick out something to wear after your bath and make sure it's more than one colour, okay?" Nodding repeatedly, she hopped away. "She's been in an exceedingly good mood lately," Tokio commented, smile wide, as she watched her disappear. "It's infectious."
"I missed it; I can't stand seeing her sad." He shook his head. "Last week was hell for more than one reasons."
"Last week did feel like a month," she agreed, going closer to him. A sigh left her lips and she put her head on his chest. "But we're through it."
"We are," he assured, his arms coming around her.
Her smile had returned, he noticed, a little teasing, as she looked up at him for a long time. At first he thought she was just enjoying the moment, but she was studying his face instead. "And tonight we get to rest; also, if you're looking for the opportune moment to kiss me, this is it." Without hesitation and despite her words, she simply pushed herself to her full height and planted a kiss on his lips.
She felt him smirk as he kissed her back; they parted after a moment.
"Don't beg, your excellency; it doesn't become you."
"Excuse you, I was not begging."
"It sounded like it." She smacked his chest. "It did."
"Is that why it didn't work?" He looked at her wondered; she elaborated. "I still had to do it myself."
"Are you complaining?" She pretended to be above this conversation suddenly, looking away, eyebrows high. "Maybe don't be so petulant; or impatient, next time." She pursed her lips. "Oh, I'm sorry, does everything have to happen at your pace?"
"Mmmmaybe."
Instead of saying something back, he simply grabbed her and kissed her; he liked the element of surprise, especially since she always seemed to have everything figured out in a neat little schedule. She didn't fight him, of course; she just wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. But this once, neither wanted to stop. That feeling of lightheadedness returned; electricity ran right through her, giving her a pleasant vibe. Her toes and fingers curled again; ah, it felt so good...
Her breath was spent before his; she broke apart and tried to talk, but he didn't let her. She didn't resist him the second time either, but when she felt her heart beat ridiculously rapid, she decided to catch her breath whether he liked it or not.
"You don't always have to have the last word you know," she teased once her panting had calmed down, resting her forehead on his.
"Says you."
She laughed. "Save something for later," was all she said, tone as suggestive as ever. She slowly extracted herself from his arms, tossing her hair. "I decided on a traditional Japanese restaurant I've been meaning to revisit for ages yet kept putting off for some reason. I think you'll enjoy it."
"Sounds good."
"Best part? They are hosting an event tonight! They'll have a live cooking show and kabuki dancers!"
"How do they combine the two?"
She clicked her tongue. "They won't happen at the same time," she didn't believe she had to make the distinction "they are different parts of the same event."
"How long do you think we'll be eating?"
"You are deplorable," she complained, distaste evident; he just smirked.
"We won't take three hours for two plates of food, Takagi."
"But it's not just a meal; it's an experience."
"I want to have a drink, too you know."
"You will; as many as you like...back at my apartment." She winked. "Now go decide what you're going to wear; I already picked mine."
"...it's kimono-themed, isn't it?"
She had to chuckle. "Yes actually, though I went the modern route and didn't choose to wear an actual kimono."
"Thank Buddha."
"So perceptive, detective, well done."
"Oh yeah, it takes a genius to figure out."
She rolled her eyes, heading for the bathroom. "Just do as I say and everyone's lives will be easier..."
He raised his hands in defense. "I'm going; you go take your bath so we won't be late, it's seven already."
By the time Okita arrived, half an hour early, per usual, she wasn't ready yet, per usual. But when she finally emerged, the short man actually whistled. She was wearing a crop top that resembled too much a kimono: from the oversized sleeves almost dragging behind her, to the pattern of the ibis and sakura blossoms, in white, pink and blue on the black fabric, as well as the wide sash-like white finish underneath her sternum, it was highly reminiscent of that. She had paired it with wide-leg, high-waist black slacks, tailored to perfection, with white stilettos.
"Look at Tokio-chan, a regular fashionista. When's your birthday again? I wanna buy you something fitting."
"Oh, oh I know," Aiko interjected excitedly. "We have our birthday on the same day, next Wednesday!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, really," Hajime assured, rolling his eyes "and don't encourage her Okita or next time she'll take two hours to get ready."
Tokio smacked him with her purse. "What's your problem? At least Souji appreciates the effort I put in to look good."
"Daddy doesn't like mamma being flashy because other men look," Aiko spoke, very self-satisfied and like sharing a huge secret; with the exception of a betrayed father, the rest of the adults looked at her impressed "he said so when he saw what mamma had hanging outside the closet."
"You" Hajime pressed a finger against his daughter's nose "have been a menace lately; didn't we say we don't repeat what we hear?"
"You only scold her now that she's speaking against you; didn't see you do the same when she told you what mother and I discussed."
"...that's different."
Okita laughed. "Aiko-chan, what have I told you? Whatever you overhear, you don't tell people; you only tell me and I judge if you repeat it to someone or not."
"Ah, right; sorry Souji-jii-san."
But both Saitou and Tokio were appalled. "Don't teach my daughter to gossip or spy for you," she protested, redirecting her purse on Okita's arm.
"I would rather keep my mouth shut forever than have a mole in my own home." He turned to his daughter, who still looked proud. "Informants never have it good, don't you forget that."
"She's been feeding me information her entire life," he gloated, shit-eating grin in full effect "now take your flashy fiance and go have dinner, you plain bastard."
"...we'll talk at a length tomorrow," Saitou gave a warning to his daughter – who just giggled – as he helped Tokio into another one of her impressive coats "but for now, have fun with Okita. And don't stay up too late, I'll know."
"Bye sweetie, have fun," Tokio too bid her goodbye, as she blew a kiss, not wanting to get lipstick on Aiko's cheek "and you," she stared at Okita "behave."
"That's my line," Saitou joked but warned his friend at the same time. "Thanks for tonight, though; see you tomorrow."
"Buh bye!"
"Hajime, take our case," she remembered last moment, but Okita spotted it first and had the decency to bring it to them.
"Have fun you two, too," he wished as they exited "and make sure I have a lot of dirty little secrets to uncover tomorrow."
That little prick...! He knew just what to say to set a mood—weird or not. As they descended the stairs, Tokio had to try her damnest not to laugh at the expression of absolute restraint and shame on Hajime's face. "Don't worry," she said in the end "we'll torture him by never sharing anything." A moment passed; there was silence. When her smirk returned, he knew he'd hear something he wouldn't like. "So," she started innocently enough "how can I use the information your daughter gave me to my full advantage, I wonder."
"Tokio," he began, defensive, but she cut him off with a soft chuckle.
"Don't worry, I'm only teasing...I already know. And you'll just have to find out."
His sigh was labored; her mirth, unforced. "I already need a drink."
He did get his drink, first thing after they sat, before they ordered. Actually, they weren't going to order, the menu for the day was predetermined by the chef for this special occasion, with only few exceptions to anyone who might have been allergic to any ingredient. Other than that, they all had the same things. He didn't mind, he ate almost everything. And since he could drink even before food was served, even better. Though, it did sting a little he could only order sake.
Turns out, they stayed there two full hours. First came the dancers, to enchant them with their performance. Then came the chefs, four in total, so every costumer in the restaurant had full view of the cooking; while they ate, live music played. Once they were finished, the dancers returned, but this once they took longer. All the while, beautiful geisha served their drink and for a once-a-year kind of thing, he found it very entertaining.
They still left as soon as the event was officially finished. Their sake was all well and good but in the end, he wanted the comfort of his home, where he could drink at a leisure and however he liked. Not to mention, the sake Tokio kept at home was more to his taste, thus only had two cups there. Plus, Tokio had been strangely subdued; maybe it was just his imagination, maybe it wasn't. He could only be certain if he put her in a place she was familiar with and had nothing else to look at but him.
Once they got there, she exhaled, relief washing over her as soon as she took off her shoes. At the same time, though, this seemed to give her a second wind, as she would zoom from space to space: couch, kitchen and back again.
"Still want that drink?" she asked, innocently enough, but he wasn't the type to fall for tricks. He recognised the tone, the pitch of her voice was too innocuous. She had something brewing and he didn't know if he'd love it or hate it; there was no in-between with her. "Sure," he replied, watching her carefully.
She hadn't even made an attempt to change yet, and she was breezing through every motion with practiced ease; a slight fidget. Anticipation? He started worrying a little. Did she spike the sake with something? "You'll drink, too?"
"I don't know. If I feel like it..."
She had already started bringing out the cups, the pitcher, the tray...and was that a platter? They just ate though. He caught her eye, suspicious; she waved him away. "We never had dessert; you wanted us to leave, remember?"
"And you predicted as much thus had someone bring over..." he craned his neck to spot the delicacies "chocolate sweets?" She nodded, a whole other layer in that self-satisfied smirk of hers. "Interesting. What else did you predict?"
"That you'd be suspicious about it." She popped a small brownie-like square piece of chocolate in her mouth. "But allow me to inform you, there's nothing suspicious about chocolate. At least, not in this form."
He actually liked chocolate, so he simply shrugged. There was a glint in her eye that he missed, as he had just turned his back, having chosen the seat that faced the television set. "Say Hajime," she began, "which sake do you prefer? They say aged sake goes better with chocolate's rich flavour; has tones of caramel or vanilla in them."
"Bring whatever you want; if you thought this through to that extent, you're definitely the expert between the two of us."
"Right; koshu it is." She considered. "You don't think—?"
A very familiar and seemingly usual sound distracted her; her head snapped to the elevator, alarmed to see what was going on. Slightly concerned, he turned to her, only to turn to wherever she was looking at, too and they both focused their eyes to the entrance and the elevator's door which was bound to open any second now. Because, after all, someone had taken the elevator, at this time of night, to get to her apartment.
Who the hell could it be?
Tense, they waited until the indicator above the door turned on; they fleetingly looked at one another, at a complete loss for words, but braced themselves anyway.
And yet, nothing prepared them for who emerged behind those doors: Shinoda Miki exited the elevator looking all kinds of shocked and angry. Tokio's eyes grew wide, as she watched stupefied, nay, mesmerised, the woman tread close, looking all sorts of scandalised. Saitou, on the other hand, was dumbfounded by her sheer audacity, apprehensive yet furious at the same time.
"Miki," he finally spoke drawing the older woman's attention, almost causing her to jump "what the hell are you doing here?"
"How are you here on the first place?" Tokio asked instead, knowing full well no one escaped that many layers of security by accident.
"I informed them I needed to speak to Saitou Hajime about his daughter and how it was urgent."
"So, by misleading them."
Her eyes ran up and down the both of them multiple times, taking everything in about their appearance and position: him, tie undone, jacket on the chair, sitting back and trying to relax. Her, dressed to impress – or at least, whatever she could see of Tokio – still wore make up, in the kitchen, preparing a sweet snack, next to sake cups.
"Why are you here Miki," he demanded this once, standing to his full height. Tokio, as if sensing eminent danger, left the counter, opting to come behind the man, who neared his former mother in law.
"Huh!" She looked around the apartment with antipathy and distaste at the same time. "You have a nerve, asking me that. Why are you here?"
He was right; audacity it was. "You dare ask me that? What business is it of yours what I do and why?"
"Because your antics put my granddaughter in the way of people's gossip! What will the neighbours say?"
"You mean my mother?"
"I mean everyone! Look at you, coming here, in the middle of nowhere, to do what? Escape your child? Is she not important? Don't you want to spend time with her? Why are you in a rented luxurious apartment with her?"
"What's the problem with me?" Tokio half-complained, half felt self-conscious.
"Oh please! As if I don't see what you are: expensive, formal suit for the court, expensive fashionable clothes here—you're clearly bleeding him dry! Otherwise why would a young, beautiful woman like you spend your time on someone like him—with a child no less?"
The amount of stupid this truly was, eluded Tokio, but she could easily tell just how offended she was getting by the second, which was actually more than Saitou, who appeared to be too mystified for words.
"You're spending his money by making him buy you pretty clothes, pretty rings and rent expensive apartments. Look at this place! So big and high-end...! But you can't afford this Hajime. And by trying to satisfy her ridiculous wants, my grandchild is going without something she needs, all because you wanted her! Or maybe, because you want the court to think you can afford it, therefore are more suitable to be her guardian, but huh! As if; just the fact you go into the trouble of doing something like this proves the exact opposite. Or do you truly think hiring a prostitute to play the role of a mother—"
Miki never got to her point; a slap right to the face stunned her into silence.
Saitou, alarmed, grabbed Tokio back, trying to stop her from doing it again, but by her stance alone, it was clear she was not going to try it a second time. After all, her goal was to shut her up and it worked pretty well.
"How dare you? How dare you? How dare you? Do you think—"
Tokio stopped to take a deep breath, as well as unhand herself.
"You come into my home, calling me a prostitute? How fucking dare you? Do you know why you had to lie to the security down there? Because they are paid to stop everyone not invited coming up; these are private houses! And the one you're currently standing in, happens to be mine. This" she gestured at everything around her "is where I lived before I moved in with Hajime; I still pay rent for it. And before you open your big mouth and say the next ignorant thing, I need no one else's money to buy my clothes and shoes and accessories, but my own. What the hell gave you the idea I was hired?"
"...no one knew about you; his mother even told me you announced your engagement after he was served the papers."
Even now, she held accusation in her tone. "So fucking what? All that proves is that you rushed him enough to propose to me before his parents even knew me." Miki took a step back. "Not to mention, you dared imply Hajime would rather pay an exorbitant amount of money to me rather than put that money away for his child's education, just to spite you; what kind of person do you think he is? What kind of parent? Shame on you for making those accusations when you know full well that can't be further from the truth. Maybe you hoped? Or did you expect him to be alone forever because his first marriage ended tragically?" Tokio sighed. "Look here, Miki-san, I don't know what the hell your goal was by coming here, but you better leave before I actually call security, or worse, have you arrested for trespassing."
That scared her. "You wouldn't..."
"Why the hell not?"
"B, but the trial is in five days! If you have me arrested it will look too bad."
"The hearing is in five days; and yeah, exactly—you look pretty bad from where I'm standing right now."
"Please, don't; I'll, I'll leave. I'm sorry I called you that, I wasn't thinking. Please, just try to understand I haven't been able to spend any time with my only grandchild for months now, I'm desperate."
"And whose fault is that?" Tokio barked.
"She's my only grandchild," she repeated, almost crying; Hajime was not going to lie, he had started feeling guilty. "Please, understand, please; I only had one daughter. And that daughter is now gone. She only had one child and now, because of him, I can't see her, too."
"You can't see your grandchild because you're too stubborn to admit you're wrong, not because he won't let you; even the court decided so, two weeks ago, remember?" Miki almost started crying. "Oh please; take your crocodile tears to someone who'll fall for them. You did this to yourself. You're asking me to show you pity; why? Were you not the one who put this ridiculous legal thing into motion by claiming he is unfit to be a single parent on the first place? Weren't you the one who basically alleged he's not good enough to be her father full time? If all you wanted was to see your grandchild, you'd have never done this."
She made a small pause, to allow Miki to brace herself; what she was about to say, would hurt. Also, Hajime; this would hurt both.
"Your daughter's dead, sadly. And she's not coming back. And, apparently, after five whole years, you came to terms with it. But instead of acting like any other normal person would and seek help from your husband, or friends or even Hajime, who had been nothing but kind to you, you turn around and attack him, for a chance to have a child again. I'm very sorry to tell you this, but just because Aiko's a spitting image of Yaso, it doesn't mean she is Yaso. She's this whole other person, with this whole other personality, dreams and aspirations. And she adores her father. So, what do you hope to achieve? There are only three end-scenarios, which none look good, or at least better for you."
Tokio shook her head.
"Worst case scenario for you, you lose, she stays with her father just like before, nothing changed. Best case scenario, you somehow, inexplicably, win and she comes live with you half her non-adult life. But even then, all you will have accomplished is separating them. And when she loves her father so much and knows you're the reason she has to spend much less time with him, do you think she'll be grateful? You think she'll thank you? She'll be bitter and angry and confused at the least! And if she ever comes to terms with it, she'll also be quite cold—or maybe, she'll grow to resent you for putting her through it. The chance of her resenting her father down the line exists, too and all of that, just because you couldn't get into your head, your grandchild, your child's child, isn't yours. She's his. Just because you lost a daughter doesn't mean he should lose one, too."
This once, Miki was honestly close to crying; the tears pooling in her eyes were honest. It caused Tokio to sigh.
"I know for a fact Aiko misses you, so you must be a good grandmother; and Hajime actually still talks nicely of you, despite everything, so there's plenty of chance for reconciliation."
That must have been news to her, for the way she looked at Saitou, impressed and shocked, was too real.
"Thus, I beg you, don't get on my bad side. I am very protective and I only know what problems you've caused them; I have plenty of resources. Don't make me use them. In five days from now, when you lose your case completely and finally realise what you put us all through, don't fight it. Don't put needless pride above the fact that yes, Aiko is your only grandchild. And if you want to keep seeing her, then you have better apologise to her and Hajime and never, ever, pull the same shit again. After all, I can justify this as you finally acting out your grief over your daughter, but if it happens a second time... And I won't hesitate to move heaven and earth to make sure you can only see Aiko twice a year at most. Don't forget, you may be her birth mother's mother, but I am soon to be her step mother; the only one she ever met and has already accepted. And guess what; I too have a mother. The two of them get along very well, in fact, same as my father. And Aiko calls her grandma san, an is, grandma number three. But she can easily bump up to status grandma number two, if you don't mend your ways."
She stopped talking again, just so her threat could properly sink in; if Miki's horrified expression was any indication, it did.
"Let's not get to that point; I want us to have a good relationship. I know you mean a lot to the both of them. And yet, don't you think even for a moment I will hesitate to do any of the things I just said if you ever try to do this again. Do we understand each other?"
She nodded.
"Forgive me for slapping you; it was inexcusable." Miki simply blinked but that was the only apology she would get. "Now, if you don't mind, please leave."
"Right, sorry..." She looked around her, numb. "I, I'm going to go now." She spared a last look for Hajime who had his best poker face on, trying to look as if he was one hundred per cent expecting this. "Forgive me for saying all those things. Have a pleasant evening."
She was gone behind the elevator doors in three seconds. The moment she did, Tokio deflated.
"Oh dear Buddha..."
She almost doubled over in fact, sagging pathetically. But she stood properly again, sighing. Her eyes went momentarily to the kitchen counter and the abandoned platter that wasn't even filled with all the delicious chocolates yet, feeling a little depressed. "That was surreal. I didn't—..."
When she turned to face Hajime, still standing behind her, she was surprised to find him...staring at her. Intently. It was so focused, it caused her to falter; she probed for an explanation. She felt the strong feelings swirling at the pit of his stomach and had to make sure everything was alright.
"Hajime?"
"I..."
He reached out for her; she didn't move, but did watch with interest as his hand came to cup her cheek. There was a very long moment of silence. "I appreciate you." He said nothing else, simply leaned towards her to plant a lingering kiss on her forehead. It made her smile. That simple statement was far too loaded; it hid more behind it and she had a sneaking suspicion what that could have been.
"I do, too," she chose to say and kissed his hand as she removed it from her cheek. "And I can understand if you no longer want to have that drink and just want to go to bed," she sighed the last part.
"Yeah, that was kind of crazy; I feel like the drinking won't be fun after it."
"Right? Let's just go to sleep." He nodded. "Your nightclothes are still in the case—I'll take everything out right now actually, don't want them getting wrinkled. I'll go to the bathroom first; when I'm done you can go, too and then come to bed."
But he never did.
At least, not when, curious, blinking through her sleep, she looked at her screen to see thirty three minutes had indeed passed since she last checked the time, when she'd been unpacking the small case. What happened? Slightly alarmed, she pushed the covers to the side and walked to the living room...where she found him, sitting on the couch in his nightclothes, pretty out of it. His eyes were unfocused, hands idly clasped in his lap.
Ah shit; she bet all that talk made him think of Yaso at the worst possible moment. Still, she couldn't just leave him there. "Aren't you coming to bed?"
He focused immediately; he hyper-focused, in fact, she could tell his whole body twitched at the sound of her voice, but he never turned to look at her. "...I don't know."
He sounded a little petulant, but there was a sense of teasing in his tone, too; not all was lost. She tried not to smile. "What is it?"
"It might sound like nothing to you, but I'm upset because I did tell you how I wanted to take things slow, but—..."
He finally turned to look at her and she gave him pause. Well, her appearance did. He was both disbelieving of the sight and amused. "Tokio, what are you wearing?"
She felt her cheeks turn a little red but smiled, too. "...my nightgown."
"What kinda nightgown is that?"
Incredibly short, with a deep neckline and long sleeves in the same pattern and material as the rest of it: black silk with red and white orchids, golden sash and hemming around the sleeves and the collar, highly reminiscent of a kimono. Her smirk became a little shy.
"The only one I brought, again." His eyebrows rose, a chuckle threatening to escape. "It was a traditional-themed evening, so..." she shrugged and as she did, the fabric slipped and her shoulder became exposed. She didn't bother to fix it and it distracted him; greatly. "That doesn't matter now, though," she wrapped it up without further elaboration "since Miki came and sort of ruined the surprise."
He cocked his head, regarding her closely. "Tokio, are you trying to seduce me?" She did nothing but look away, so he decided to list all of his reasons for thinking so: "Chocolate platter, sake, special night, that nightgown..." He coaxed her closer by extending his arm; she took it. "Are you?"
"I was," she admitted finally, trying not to feel shy "I had planned to. But apparently, there's some things you just can't plan for."
He pulled her down in his lap. "True..." His lips found her cheek; then, her jaw. She shivered.
"I guess you were right," she admitted, but not really.
He smirked. "Or not; what happened was unfortunate." He pecked her jaw again but then he descended to her neck; she shivered more. "It'd be a shame to let all of your effort go to waste, though."
"Oh?"
"Mhmm..."
Things got interesting again. She looked down, noticing how he was too preoccupied with kissing her neck or inhaling her scent to give much attention to what she was going to say. His hands had come around her before, but now they were slowly exploring the rest of her...he found a tender spot on her neck then and she had to lean back, as a guttural sound left her mouth.
He really liked that and serving as his cue, he claimed her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Before she knew it, he was pushing forward, lying her on her back. As they took their time, savouring the feeling of each other, her fingertips traced the nape of his neck; he didn't shiver like she did though, as much as he liked it. He stopped kissing her and pulled themselves upright.
"And here I was, worrying I might be rushing you," he admitted, not at all bitter or annoyed; simply blaming himself for his lapse in judgment.
She shook her head, completely misinterpreting him. "If you don't feel like you want to do this, you don't have to; I'm sorry if it felt like I was trying to guilt you into it."
"No, no, Tokio, not at all," he assured, a small smile there. "It's the exact opposite. I...I didn't know how to properly convey what I wanted." He smirked. "But I didn't have to."
She never got to tease him for his sense of propriety, as he kissed her again; but this once, it was different. It was hungry. It was so instinctive and consuming, it sparked something primal within her and she made a point to show him, any way possible, just how much she enjoyed this and he needn't "telling" twice; he swept her up, she wrapped her feet around him. They made all the way to the bedroom like that, until he threw her on—...
"You did buy a new bed after all," he came to realise, as something felt a little different.
A Cheshire grin spread on her face. "You bet; all so we can inaugurate this new chapter in our lives—no," she drawled as he came right at her, making her feel ticklish amongst everything else "don't do that, I can't."
"Oh you can just fine."
She laughed as he "attacked" her again, but that was the last real words they exchanged for the next hour. After all, there were too many things left unsaid between them, too many gestures not explained, or properly appreciated. And he did appreciate her; unfathomably so. He was reminded of it again tonight. No one had ever stood up for him like that, it was heartwarming. It really meant a lot—too much to be put to words. And he really wanted to show her how much of an impact she had made; not just now, though definitely now too. Her coming into his life, any way she did, brought nothing but good changes and he was grateful. He was...happy.
He was happy.
After Buddha knows exactly how long and it was all because of her. And he wanted to let her know. And, he hoped, that's what he did.
"Hajime..." she poked him with her leg. "I don't feel like sleeping." He murmured something she didn't really pay attention to. Suddenly, she had an epiphany. "Let's go eat some of the chocolate!"
An eye popped open. On one hand, chocolate. On the other, he was so tired...! He compromised. "Bring it here."
Elated, she jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen; she returned two moments later with a carton box of chocolates. "They are amazing, I swear; there's this patisserie two blocks away from home that I always pass by whenever I'm walking with Aiko and one day, I just couldn't resist. Got two of each of about six things and we ate them all. They were delicious."
His eyes grew wide. "Who's you?"
Her smile became sheepish. "...your mother, Aiko and I." When his eyes became scolding, she put up her hands. "If it makes you feel any better, it was the day I asked you if I could let her eat some."
"Oh that day when you both guilted me into it?"
"Yes," she admitted, smile turning modest. Shaking his head, he stole the piece she was going to eat. "Hey! That was my favourite."
"Then get another one. Or do you expect me to believe you only got one of your favourites?"
"...show off."
"It is good," he said after a moment. "Nice choice, Takagi."
"...I always make excellent choices," she bragged and popped one in her mouth. "Another?"
Well, at least he felt better about himself; if she was feeding him chocolates, he did something good. He was a little nervous about performing after such a long time, but it seemed like it all worked out for the best. Relieved, satisfied and happy, he slowly drifted off, Tokio's droning voice about this and that lulling him to sleep.
Next morning, he woke up feeling rested; and lighter. A metaphorical weight had lifted off his chest, as a literal one was now lying on top of it. He had opened his eyes very early, just after dawn, but he didn't feel like sleeping again. He just lay there, with Tokio under his arm, looking at the morning sun. It was peaceful. Exceedingly calming and beautiful, too, seeing the room had glass instead of a wall right in front of the bed and he could easily see the entire town at his feet. It had always been there, but this was the first time he really paid any attention to it; or enjoyed it. So, he savoured the moment, he savoured the quiet and he appreciated the view.
"Good morning," Tokio murmured sleepily, around eight.
"Good morning."
When they returned home that day, they made a point to keep Okita around for lunch and then for a nice walk...and tell him nothing of what happened, despite his numerous questions and insatiable whining.
.
.
"Honey, it's nothing; you're going to be alright. And although mama or papa won't be there with you, know we'll be thinking of nothing but you."
Tokio was squatting in front of Aiko, who almost cried at the sound of that, both next to Hajime who was still standing, trying his hardest to remain unaffected by the day. They were right in front of the court where the hearing would take place and they had instructed them to bring the child in...but all interested adults had to remain outside. Neither her grandma nor her father could accompany her inside – and definitely not Tokio, who had no legal leg to stand on, yet –.
"But it's my birthday," Aiko sniffled, lips turned downwards in a cartoonish way "why do I have to do this on my birthday?"
"It just happened to be on the same day, honey, it wasn't on purpose." That didn't help; Tokio looked up at Hajime for help, a little desperate.
"What did we say, little plum?" Her father's tone was lighter than she would have guessed. "Once this is over, we are all going to go looking for the perfect birthday gift. So, be patient now and you'll get to have fun later. Besides, your party will be on Saturday, yes? Not today; today is Wednesday, no child can attend a birthday party on such a day."
"R, right..."
"And the earlier you go in there, the earlier we'll leave. And don't forget, we have that other thing, too."
Aiko giggled. "I didn't."
"What other thing?" Tokio asked, hands on her middle, eyes small. She turned to Aiko. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"No..." she lied very obviously; Saitou couldn't help the smile.
He poked his daughter's nose. "Don't lie; you don't have to. And you, you don't have to know everything," he simply retorted, causing Tokio to puff out her chest in an effort to shoot something back, but he didn't let her. "You will find out eventually, once Aiko decides to go in."
That sobered everyone up, but Saitou still had things left to say. He finally knelt in front of his daughter and took her hands in his.
"Remember what we said: you only say the truth; no lies and no trying to make something sound better. Honesty is the best policy. If they make you feel uncomfortable, tell them. If they don't stop, tell them you can't continue. If anything happens, ask them to call for me. You are smart and you are a good girl; that's the truth. And we all love you very much. That's also true. But you must make sure you answer what they ask you."
Aiko kept nodding, every single time Saitou finished a sentence of suggestion; being so small in comparison to him, despite being tall for her age, made for a very adorable image in Tokio's eyes. It was a shame this was a stressful situation and certainly not happy and she couldn't snap a picture of them right this moment.
"Last but not least...don't worry. Those people in there only want what's best for you. So, if you are honest and clear, they won't even have to ask you to repeat yourself and you'll be out before you know it."
"But what if...what if when I come out...they are not happy with me?"
"With you?"
"With what I told them; and they dislike you?"
Tokio laughed, but it was muted. It was a "I can't believe my ears" and "oh man, this child really is surprisingly sharp" laugh. She kissed the top of her head and turned her, her way for a hug. "You don't have to worry about adult things yet. And I'm here, too. They'll like daddy; and if they don't, mommy'll help and try to make them like him, okay? Nothing's lost. But they will; they'll love him, yes? Because they are going to see him through your eyes and there's no one is this world you love more."
Relieved, a little encouraged, the girl gave a smile. Proud, both parents ushered her to the room. Catching Miki with the edge of their eyes, Tokio tried her hardest to make sure Aiko was inside before she turned to acknowledge the woman, who looked far less confident than ever before. She was in the company of her husband, Saitou informed her, who widened his eyes a fraction and a smile broke out in his face when he saw his former son-in-law, despite never leaving his wife's side. He saluted them both and beckoned for them to come closer.
"My boy, long time no see," he immediately gushed and instead of a bow, he gave Saitou a hug. Tokio was taken by surprise at the gesture, but more so to see her fiance return it as if it was normal. "How have you been? I missed you." Without waiting for an answer, he turned to her, offering a deep bow. "And you must be Tokio; I heard very much about you. I can't wait to get to know you first hand, too."
She had returned the bow and the smile, although quite taken aback by his friendly approach. Was that his norm? Was that why Miki hadn't taken him with her to court before? Was he just as upset as Saitou that his wife did this? She could understand why, even if he was, he'd still be by her side, but it would be an interesting fact.
"Indeed I am. You must be grandpa Rintaro, yes?" He nodded. "Pleased to meet you, I think."
"Can't blame you for being too careful," he shot a look at his wife who, insofar, had only graced them both with a nod "but I want you to know, we're very happy for you. We both are," he stressed, but Miki only looked away even more intently.
"...thank you," Tokio conceded too and made it a point to turn Miki's way to say it.
"She may not look like it now, but Hajime and her were very close; did you know? The first date he ever went on once our daughter had passed, two years later, was set up by my wife?"
Miki blushed an insane amount; Tokio's eyes became too wide but Saitou simply shook his head.
"Ah yes," he carried on, seeing he struck gold "Hajime really became a part of the family, even before he was married to Yaso; and Miki adored him. And when so much time had gone by and he was still alone, it broke our hearts. So she decided to help him out a little!" That's the part where Tokio actually broke out laughing. "Her name was Sachi and she was a friend of a friend; lovely girl. Naturally, it didn't work out."
"Well, people deal with grief at their own pace," Tokio made the grand declaration, shooting a very meaningful look towards Miki's way, who nodded, mutely.
"Quite true, young lady, quite true; so, should I call you Tokio or do you prefer something else? How about future misses Saitou?"
"No," she drawled, laughing "no, no; that sounds way too backwards; just Tokio."
"You know, ladies, I think we're gonna have a very short hearing in our hands. I saw the people escorting Aiko inside; they mostly deal with child abuse cases, not...this. I think child services got a little too wound up when they heard single father and a grandmother who was trying to claim her—maybe they misinterpreted." Everyone's eyes went to Miki. "I was there when she made the complaint," her husband tried to assure them "she only spoke of what she thought was neglect, nothing more. Maybe they jumped to conclusions."
"Neglect? Really? I haven't even—..."
Saitou stopped himself from speaking further, being acutely aware of how Miki reacted as if she was slapped, and mostly because he could see reconciliation not being too much of a wild dream, he decided to be agreeable, as much as he could. Thankfully, Tokio got his drift and instead of carrying on his line, she contented herself in a stern look and biting her tongue, in favour of peace.
"What we need to focus on, is this is going to be over soon; and we'll finally be able to go back to normal...if no grudges are held," Rintaro added in the end, looking at both his wife and his ex-son-in-law.
"You know me," was all Saitou said in return, "and I know you. We'll be fine."
There was silence after that; Tokio's eyes drifted to the room, everyone's followed, so they just stood there, huddled close, looking at the doors the hearing was taking place. They, naturally, couldn't hear what went on inside, but kept looking forward to the moment they opened again. Which happened fifteen minutes later. With a start, all four stood a little straighter and watched as Aiko ran out of there, running to her father.
He simply picked her up, kissing her cheek, and burying her head on his shoulder for a long moment. And then he looked at her. "What happened, little plum?"
"They were very polite and nice but a little scary; maybe because there were so many of them. Mama...!" Aiko held out her arms towards Tokio, who took her in her arms next and gave her a good squeeze. "They asked about papa a lot and then about mama but they asked about grandma Miki, too; I told them the truth."
"Good girl," all four adults chorused; grandpa Rintaro patted her head, but Aiko, in a rare request, motioned to Tokio she wanted to be put down. Once she was, she made two steps and hugged grandma's legs. Her parents were at the very least impressed; poor Miki was about to burst out in tears.
"I missed you..." she murmured and oh, it was so cute; Tokio wanted to cry, too. But she didn't and neither did grandma Miki who finally bent down and hugged her.
Once they were done, a woman in a strict suit approached them. "May I speak to Saitou-san and Takagi-san?"
"You stay with grandma and grandpa and don't start running around. Once we're done with this, we'll do what we promised yes? So be patient."
She nodded repeatedly and stopped bouncing on her feet; the two adults followed the woman.
"My name is Seiko Rei, I am the person in charge of your daughter's case. I...am sorry for all this trouble I must have caused. When your former mother in law came to us and complained about a small girl in the care of a man, who was a law enforcement agent...I assumed the worst. I am really sad to say people, especially men, in your profession tend to be violent. I feared the worst. But, thankfully, that was not the case. We could all tell you're raising her with love and care; and I found no case of neglect, as was your mother-in-law's complaint. And, judging by the fact your daughter seems very attached to your fiance," she turned to Tokio, nodding "I can only assume you are in the habit of making good choices. We see no reason to keep you any longer; have a good life, keep loving your child and congratulations. Hope you, too, Tokio-san, keep being a good mother to Aiko. Goodbye and hope I never have to see you professionally again."
They bowed to one another and she walked away; both adults sighed a huge sigh of relief and looked at one another knowingly.
"That went exceedingly well," Tokio admitted as she gave him a hug and then proceeded to whisper "and, in the end, I wasn't even needed. See? I told you, you'd be fine."
"You never know how your appearance weighted in but yeah; this is a relief," he murmured, almost supporting himself on her, breathing her in. Something about her scent relaxed him and right now his heart was beating a mile per minute.
Because, in the end, he was good enough. Just him, the single father that he was, all by himself, he'd been enough. Tokio was seen as an added bonus, he supposed, but not essential. And he was an idiot to panic and not trust in himself...not that he minded he ended up with this person in his arms somehow. It was good. It was nice, to have somebody to lean on and trust. To have someone to listen. Help even. Ah, his mind was a mess. He thought and felt too many things at the same time. He took a deep breath, kissed her on the forehead and they went back to the rest; he immediately picked up Aiko again.
"Seeing this is your birthday and you haven't seen your grandparents for a long time, how about we ask them to come with us for shopping and then lunch?"
"Yes! Yes, papa, yes!" She didn't ask to be put down but he had to tighten his hold a little because she was rocking too much and started gushing to her grandparents and Tokio about her previous birthdays and how they were spent. And then she had an epiphany. "Did you know mama and I have the same birthday? Mama's turning—how old?"
"Twenty nine."
"Mama's turning twenty nine! That's...more than me."
They all laughed. "You bet it is; twenty three entire years. But I had no idea you were so shrewd, my boy; finding a woman with the same birthday as your daughter, how convenient."
"It wasn't on purpose;" he idly defended himself "but it is convenient."
Just then Tokio's phone rang; Hajime stole a quick peek: it read dad. Ah, they must have called to wish her. "I'll take this in private," Tokio bemoaned as she flashed him her screen "won't take too long."
As Saitou explained the situation, his eyes followed Tokio as she went further away; although guarded, she was happy to hear from him; then a smile, then a bigger one...and then a frown. Her entire face fell then and she simply looked away from her phone, mildly upset. When she finished the call, he noticed how she had to brace herself, put on a big smile and then turn fully back on them. When she returned, he could hear the lie; or should he say, the concealed truth in her voice.
"It was father; he called to wish me a happy birthday; the entire family in fact. And you," she poked Aiko's nose "can expect a similar call later." The child beamed; Tokio ruffled her hair. "Let's go shopping now!"
In the end, her father didn't call Aiko; what he had arranged for, instead, was to have a video play on the screen of a shop, the same he had told Tokio to enter with her at a certain time, where the entire family, Tokio excluded, sang her a happy birthday and extended their warmest wishes, as well as a promise to visit at her party on Saturday. Then, an employee came out of nowhere and handed her a birthday present, addressed to Aiko, from the family of "Takagi Tora". It was the prettiest, most impressive bicycle, a little large for her, but not too much, with the note "for your first rides".
All adults present had a similar reaction – gawking or widening their eyes – but Tokio who simply shook her head, while Aiko was too busy trying to get up on her new bike and admire it correctly. "That petty idiot," she accused her brother "I'd told him I wanted to be the first to get her one and he does this..."
"This looks expensive though..." Miki breathed in, a little impressed.
"Money is the one thing he can spare; imagination he lacks, so he steals my ideas. Now what will I get her?"
"We," Saitou corrected; she rolled her eyes.
"Tomato, tomato..."
"How about a nice dress?"
"Next store they told me to go to is a clothing shop and I fear sister'll have bought her that gorgeous dress I had as a back up plan so that's a no, too. Maybe some jewelry; do we have her ears pierced?"
"Not yet." Saitou was quick to dismiss the idea.
"Why not? I know! Let's have her ears pierced and get her some nice earrings; it's going to be great, she'll love it."
"She's too young."
"Nonsense," Miki jumped in "we had Yaso's ears pierced when she was three."
Awed, but welcoming of the helping hand, Tokio turned to Hajime expectant. He didn't budge. "Son, they are right; earrings are a nice first gift and she's old enough now. Plus, Miki has been dying to give Aiko her mother's earrings—she kept them, from when Yaso was still a child."
"Well, I can't compete with that either...!" Tokio complained, looking to the sky with annoyance.
"We are going to get her something she needs," Hajime finalized "we'll see what that is after your family is finished with their treasure hunt, alright?"
"Fine," Tokio chuckled, amused by what he called her mom's bright idea. "Then we have two more stops: a clothing store and the square."
"Are they going to make a spectacle out of giving her a present?" He clicked his tongue. "I don't condone this; she'll get spoiled rotten."
"Oh, let her, for once in her life!" Miki complained, quite exasperated "if you're getting married soon, let them spoil her—she's the new family member. They want to make a good impression."
Tokio smiled, very earnestly, at the woman's outburst and nodded in thanks as the grandparents moved along, Aiko with them on her first bike; that's when she turned to him as her smile faded to a somber expression.
"Sometimes, money is all people have to bring to the table, especially in such situations. Let them; you bring all the rest. It's not a competition."
He sighed, but mentally made sure to note how easily she read him. "...just this once," he relented.
She beamed. "Just this once." She took his hand in hers and walked behind Aiko's grandparents and the too enthusiastic child, up on her bike.
A/N: I decided to end it here because, what can I say, I think it's a cute scene. Tell me your thoughts. So sorry for the long absence babies. And as always, I love you and appreciate you very much.
Kisses, FAI~!