Random excerpts from a story i deleted, but can't get out of my head. this excerpt: Life is good. At least until reality crashes the party.
Gai x OC
After a perfect day of training with his precious students, winning a series of increasingly difficult challenges with his Rival, and receiving a service award for completing a successful mission, Konoha's Blue Beast was eager to be home for the day.
If someone told him five years ago that a slow night at home would become his favorite pass time, past-Gai would've laughed outright in their face.
Life is funny like that.
Here he was, Maito Gai-Youthful taijutsu master of the Hidden Leaf—moving through his home in eager anticipation to an evening in.
Ah, he reached his destination.
Gai walked into his bedroom quietly, moving carefully as to not disturb the sleeping figure on the bed.
With chakra-cushioned feet, the jounin stepped silently over the wooden floors, coming to the bedside. As always, he was in awe of the sight before him.
The soft afternoon light spilled into the bedroom, casting it in a warm glow. It made his wife's tan skin seem like a rich amber, and her red curls like an endless scarlet ocean spilling over the beige, cotton sheets and pillows of their bed.
Kami, she's beautiful.
The more he looked at her, the more he felt his heart swell with love.
Sitting at the foot of the bed next to where she laid, Gai was happy not to disturb her slumber when the mattress dipped under the weight of his muscular frame.
Her back was to him as she laid on her side, slumbering in a midday nap. A light, leaf-printed blanket, once rested at her shoulders, now sat around her hips from her usual tossing. Thankfully, she seemed settled despite the late afternoon sun dappling the walls of their bedroom in cozy hues of orange and gold.
Even though she returned home from the hospital a few months ago, Nami's exhaustion was still high. That meant constant naps were a new norm for the Uzumaki as her body recovered from the ordeal.
Resting a hand on her foot and gently squeezing it affectionately, Gai thought back to how both of their lives changed in the last several months.
Indeed, sleep was a rare commodity for both of them in those early days after the hospital. Neither of them expected her stay and recovery to last several days, spilling into weeks.
Even so, Gai always prided his ability to bounce back quickly. He's used to powering on a lack of sleep from missions, and adapting on the fly.
(Granted, the sleeplessness he's experiencing now isn't mission-induced. And he definitely finds himself more… deprived, even after sparse moments of rest…)
Even so! Within the first month, Maito Gai was able to bounce back to a…semblance of his prior self, adapting to this new norm.
On the other hand, his lovely wife Tsunami—since she was the one who physically went through the ordeal, and she didn't take field assignments as often—found herself in a chronic state of sleepiness.
Some days, the Uzumaki sealing master had more energy. She'd wake in the mornings only a little after Gai, who was always an early riser for training. From there Nami bustled around their home, mostly resting but active enough to do small tasks. (Not that Gai let her lift a finger.) Then the day ended with them enjoying a meal as a family. Those days were easiest, and it reminded them of times before.
But days like today weren't out of the norm either. Where Nami would rise at the start of the day, and find herself quickly exhausted by lunch. Soon after eating lunch, she'd doze off and sleep through the afternoon until Gai roused her for dinner and her medicine.
Long story short, sleeping in shifts was how the Maito-Uzumaki couple operated now.
But that worked for them. That meant Gai had moments like this.
Moments where he paused, allowing himself to slow to a stop so he can take in and savor what was happening around him. Moments like something out of one of his daydreams back when they were still in an ambiguous, sort of "more-than-friends" situation. Moments that, even though Gai loves Tsunami with his all, somehow—there was more love to give the amazing woman next to him.
Feeling his emotions rise again, Gai couldn't help but follow through with his desires.
Nami barely stirred as he moved near her head, and leant down to kiss her temple.
"Mmm.." The exhausted Uzumaki smiled a bit in her sleep, nuzzling the pillow more.
Gai grinned. She always responded to his proximity, even when asleep.
Nami mumbled and readjusted her body into a more comfortable position. One hand slid under her pillow, propping her head on her arm. The other hand, however, stayed stretched out to her side across the mattress.
Gai's gaze slid to her right, just off the edge of their bed.
Even in her sleep, Nami ever so gently held onto a tiny hand that was wrapped around one of her fingers.
Gai still couldn't believe he was a father now.
He still found himself surprised when he finds baby regalia in a space where, previously, sat his training gear or Nami's sealing tools.
Two small babies laid in a bedside bassinet next to her. Their little, round bellies rose and fell, almost in sync, as they dozed next to their exhausted mother. From where Gai was, their tiny noses, rosy cheeks, and soft breathing sounds made them look like mirror images, like shadow clones.
But Gai, now several months into parenthood, knew better and could differentiate the twins with no problem.
(Afterall, he spent many a night and day taking in their tiny faces. Mapping the lines of their baby-soft features, searching for glimpses of him and Nami, and tracing them on his heart in a permanent tattoo that forever bleeds for them.
Sometimes Gai felt intimidated by these big feelings. But one thing he knew for sure:
He'll do anything for these babies, these small gifts from the heavens.)
One baby, slightly smaller than the other, had their little face turned toward the opposite wall as they slept. Though, he couldn't see all their features, Gai could make out the wisps of black curls peeking from under the edge of a fitted cap that signified it was his little girl, Kaida.
Gai has a daughter.
A sweet, darling girl!
The thought of his little dragon lily's birth both still sent shivers down his spine and made his heart leap with joy all at the same time.
When she arrived in the world, minutes after her brother, Maito Kaida was quiet and smaller than her twin. With Nami's condition, the couple was fearful for Kaida's health, expecting her to inherit her mother's sickly disposition.
Fortunately, instead, she inherited Gai's fighting spirit, and the strong life force of her Uzumaki mother. Within ten days, Kaida met all her medical milestones, and she was sent home. In the days after, she would start showing her energetic disposition, letting her parents know they were in for a handful when she actually walked and talked.
He smiled tenderly as she wiggled in her sleep before settling down, facing her twin.
This brought his eyes to the second baby.
Gai had a son.
A son!
Maito Daichi was more subdued in nature than his twin and father. But like his little sister, the baby boy was a darling mix of his parents. Like his sister, little Dai inherited his mother's curly hair. But unlike Kaida, his hair was more sparse, taking its time to grow in.
Gai had fun molding the patch of soft baby curls at the top of his son's head into random shapes at bath time. The resulting 'oos' and 'aahs' of cooing from his little boy always enraptured Gai's attention completely.
From there, the similarities between the twins only grew: dark grey eyes that seemed to fluctuate between a lighter shade like Nami's and a darker one like his; dark hair with a mind of it's own; and—to Gai's delight and Nami's amusement—their eyebrows are growing in!
When he first exclaimed this exciting development a few months ago to a room full of loved ones, he expected the same enthusiasm from them. His students and Rival were visiting his home to a few days after the babies were born. They were helping Gai pack bags for a longer-than-expected stay.
Lee, of course, had starry eyes filled of unshed tears. "That's wonderful Gai-sensei!"
Neji nodded, calmer than Lee, but just as interested. "Indeed, it's to be expected. Such a notable feature would be hard to miss from your children."
Of course, it was his brilliant TenTen who didn't hesitate to tease him.
She happily reminded her sensei that babies, especially newborns, were constantly growing. "They might look like you one moment, Gai-sensei, then BAM! Nami-shifu the next." The weapons-fuuinjutstu specialist said from her place in the living room.
Gai huffed quietly remembering the teasing sound of agreement Kakashi made before unhelpfully chiming in. "She's right Gai. After all, the Uzumaki clan has pretty strong genes. Who knows? They might end up with wild red hair like Nami's." The masked man was all jest, trying to lighten the frazzled Gai's mood.
At the time, Nami was still in the hospital with Kaida, the smaller of the twins.
Both mother and daughter needed special care for their respective conditions. Gai was constantly between the NICU and the high-risk maternity room, ensuring everything was well. Fortunately, their loved ones provided all the support he could ask for.
(He still didn't know how to thank them for all they did. He would've been lost in those first few weeks without them.)
Fortunately, 18 days after coming into the world, the Maito family was able to return home. Complete and with everyone intact.
Mumbling choice words at the two mentally, Gai leant to get a closer look at his babies.
Gai has babies!
Gai is a FATHER.
With that thought, he thought of his own father.
Maito Dai crosses his mind often these days.
There are times Gai wishes he could speak to his father, asking him for advice. Needing to hear encouragement. Wanting the guidance of someone he can trust unwaveringly.
As he thought earlier, Gai considers himself an expert adaptor.
He tries not to linger on heartbreak and loss. But…
Well. It's different with his dad.
After all…
He thought back to several months ago.
("He's one of, if not THE greatest man we both knew." Nami's soft voice filled Gai's ears as he clung to her, crying tears of shock, love, sorrow and joy.
You see, just a few moments ago, Nami shared her idea of a name for one of their babies.
Back when the couple first found out they were having twins, they made a deal: each parent is responsible for one baby's name. They'd both come up with a list, and they'd agree which was best.
"I like Daichi." She said, rubbing down her round stomach, looking at her husband. She was sitting on a comfortable bench as he trained nearby. She always enjoyed spending time with him like this.
Gai couldn't believe she wanted to name their child after his father.
"N-Nami…" He said thickly, his voice trembling from emotion.
She wiped his cheeks of his tears, gently cradling his face. He leant into her hold, watching her with an almost desperate fervor.
"Well why not?" She seemed to hum, talking easily as if she hadn't just BLEW GAI'S MIND! "I think of the person who loved you most, your dad, Dai." She held up one finger. "Then I think of the person who loved me most…" She brings another finger up. Her eyes grow sad and soft. "My mom, Nichiha." She puts the two fingers side-by-side and lifts her glistening, silver eyes to Gai's dark, soulful ones.
"So… Dai. Chi." She smiled, now shedding happy tears of her own. "Do you like it?"
He kissed her hands then hugged her to him. "Hai… Yes. Kami, yes!" He laughed and kissed her head, then hugged her close.)
So to continue honoring his father, Gai promised himself to give his absolute ALL for his family—just like he does with his Rival, his Students, and his dreams.
Something in him twinged when he thought of the word, "dream."
Gai shook it off, dismissing it as sleep deprivation.
"Oh! The food." The jounin's mind turned to more pressing matters, and the weird feeling slipped from his mind entirely.
"Can't keep her waiting," He whispered with a grin, standing from the bed carefully. Within moments, Gai quickly left the bedroom to finish dinner for him and his family.
.
.
.
In the room he left, the edge of the wooden walls seem to flake, like layers of paper peeling away.
The dream was fading.
Reality closed in.
.
.
.
Later, Gai would wake up from the Infinite tsukyomi on the verge of death. When he finally came to awareness in Konoha, in pain and delirious from opening the 8th Gate, he will later find out he asked for his wife and children. Repeatedly. Over several days.
That's when they told him the truth.
His heart broke once when they told him the family and amazing life he dreamt was an illusion.
It broke again when they said he may not walk again.
What was left shattered, when he heard about the death of his boy, Neji.
When did reality become so cruel?