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For All The Right Reasons - Chapter 14 - Final
Pairing: Sakumoto
Rating: This chapter NC-17
Genre: m-preg, romance, au
Disclaimer: This is entirely fiction, and couldn’t exist anywhere else but in my head.
Summary: Sakurai Sho has always achieved everything he's ever wanted in his successful business life. Why is it so different in his personal life? Sho has no idea that anything is even wrong with his marriage until he comes home one night and finds his young husband gone. Will he be able to find Jun and make things right between them again?
Previously: CH 1, CH 2, CH 3, CH 4, CH 5, CH 6, CH 7, CH 8, CH 9, CH 10, CH 11, CH 12, CH 13
Jun grumbled and shifted on the bed; the monitor strapped around his belly was severely restricting his movements and making him unaccountably angry.
He knew that he was being unreasonable and giving Sho a hard time, but it had been over an hour since the monitoring had begun and his doctor and told him that it might still be another three or four hours before it was time to deliver the baby. To his great distress there had been little progression since the monitor was attached, almost as if his baby hadn’t liked the feeling of its restrictive hold around his belly and was now refusing to cooperate.
The pains were much stronger now and with much less recovery time between one and the next and he was beginning to regret his decision to go through this labour without any pain relief.
Sho had been gone what felt like an uncalled for amount of time just to retrieve a cup of ice chips from the nurses station. If he didn't know better Jun could almost think that his husband was avoiding him.
The door slid open and he looked up expectantly but it wasn't Sho coming through the doorway with a big smile plastered across his face, but someone else altogether.
"So, little brother, where's my newest relative?" Shun asked as he plopped a gift basket down on the low table near the sofa.
"Still in here," Jun replied, grumpily poking his belly. "And don't even try to give me any words of encouragement because I am really not in the mood for that right now."
"Ah, so that explains why Sho is lurking near the nurses’ station wearing a haunted expression and trying to get coffee stains out of his shirt."
Jun flushed guiltily at the memory of half knocking half throwing Sho's coffee over him when he cheerfully told him how good it tasted. It wasn't that Jun even wanted coffee, but he hadn't been able to eat or even drink anything for hours now because of the upcoming caesarean and sucking on ice just seemed to make him thirstier.
But before he could respond the next pain gripped him. It was strong enough to make him curl into a breathless ball, gripping the ends of his pillow as he tried to contain his whines of pain.
Shun stood frozen to the spot looking around helplessly. He was horrified to see his brother in such pain but he didn't know what to do to comfort him. But a moment later Sho rushed past him and took Jun's hand, stroking his hair and speaking softly to him, wincing as Jun squeezed his fingers with all of his strength.
"It's alright baby, I’m here with you, just try and relax," Sho said as Jun whimpered and rocked with the pain.
Sho continued to rub Jun's back until he slowly relaxed as the contraction released him from its grasp. He brushed a stray tear from Jun's cheek and pressed a kiss to his sweaty forehead.
"Um, I should go," Shun said as he edged uncomfortably towards the door. He didn't have the strength to see his little brother like this and he had no wish to intrude on such intimate moments between the couple.
"Shun!" Jun said, opening his eyes and reaching out for his brother as he looked at him beseechingly.
Shun immediately stepped over and carefully hugged Jun, not wanting to disturb any of the monitoring equipment. "You don't need my help. You and Sho have everything perfectly under control. I'll be waiting downstairs in the coffee shop for news and in the meantime I will ring our parents and let them know how you're doing."
He gave Jun an extra squeeze before allowing Sho to walk him to the corridor.
++++
"Are you sure everything is okay?" Shun asked shakily.
Shun's face was pale and Sho steered him over to a chair and made him sit. “It’s perfectly normal; just taking a little longer than Jun’s doctor predicted it would.”
“But he is in so much pain. I don’t know how he can be so calm about it,” Shun said before taking a deep breath to steady his nerves.
“He is amazing and so much stronger than we think he is,” Sho replied, his own hands shaking slightly as he ran them through his hair making it even messier that it already was. “But you wouldn’t be calling him calm if you saw him throw that coffee at me a while ago.”
Shun laughed, “Seriously, you were drinking it in front of someone who hasn’t had anything to eat or drink in hours? You never learn do you?”
“It really hurt too. I have a red mark on my stomach,” Sho whined earning an incredulous look from his friend.
“Oh yeah, Jun’s pain is nothing compared to yours,” Shun drawled sarcastically.
“I…”
“I’m joking,” Shun said, standing up and draping his arm affectionately over Sho’s shoulders. “I think you are doing a marvellous job of helping Jun through this.”
“T-thanks.”
“I don’t want to impose on you any further, but could you please let me know how things are going?” Shun asked with a pleading expression.
“I’ll text you if anything changes,” Sho replied before rushing back towards Jun’s room as he heard him cry out as the next contraction struck.
++++
“Your baby is quite a stubborn little thing, but I think it’s finally time for us to move to the operating theatre,” Jun’s doctor pronounced after examining the printout from the monitor. “I’ll just go and make the arrangements and someone will come and collect Matsumoto-san shortly.
Sho sighed with relief; it had been a long two hours since Shun left and Jun had become increasingly frustrated and upset at the delay.
“Sho…” Jun said softly looking up at his husband with wide eyes.
“Yes baby?” Sho brushed Jun’s hair off his forehead and ran his fingertips down the side of his face.
“What if I told you that I’ve changed my mind?”
Sho’s heart began to pound. “Changed your mind? What about? About us? Have I done something wrong?”
Jun shook his head vehemently, “No not about us…about having the baby. I don’t think I’m ready. Can we come back next week?”
Sho tried, rather unsuccessfully, to disguise his snort of laughter earning himself a rather hard punch on the arm.
“It’s not funny!” Jun’s eyes flashed dangerously.
Sho rubbed his sore arm and giggled at the same time, “I’d like to see you try and walk out of here right now.”
“I could, just you wait and see,” Jun replied with a glare as he tried to make a dramatic exit. To his great embarrassment all he could manage to do was roll helplessly around on the bed like a beetle on its back.
Jun’s eyes met Sho’s and they both burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of Jun’s statement.
Sho bent and kissed Jun tenderly, “You have nothing to be afraid of. I’ll be with you all the way. We’re a team, remember?”
“Then I don’t suppose you could take one for the team and give birth for me?” Jun asked with an innocent blink.
“If only I could my love I would do it in a heartbeat,” Sho replied sincerely.
++++
Sho hesitantly followed the nurse into the theatre, afraid that he was going to be in the way. He was steered to a seat right next to Jun’s head; the only part of him visible above the drapes that screened the rest of his body from sight.
Jun was trembling slightly, his teeth chattering together lightly as Sho took his place beside him.
Sho’s fears were put to rest by a kind nurse who said, “Don’t worry Sakurai-san, your husband is just reacting to the anaesthetic, both he and your baby are fine.”
The bustle and noise of the doctors and nurses working around them faded to background noise as Sho gazed steadfastly into Jun’s eyes. He was rewarded with a look of such love from Jun that it almost took his breath away.
“Slight tug,” the doctor said.
Jun frowned at the strange feeling of pushing that was going on in his abdomen. It wasn’t painful, it just felt very peculiar, as if he could feel it but not feel it at the same time.
“Jun are you okay?” Sho whispered urgently, worried at the sudden pale shade of Jun’s face.
“Just one moment more and your baby will be here,” the doctor said.
And then the room was filled with the strong cry of a healthy baby and everyone laughed and smiled.
Sho sagged in relief and kissed Jun fervently, his tears of joy dripping onto Jun’s cheek.
“Congratulations to you both on the birth of your daughter.” Behind her surgical mask the doctor was smiling widely making small laughter lines appear around her eyes.
Sho kissed Jun one more time before following the nurse carrying the newborn over to be weighed and checked over.
Jun felt a desperate need to see his baby and make sure that all was well but he was unable to move as the doctor completed the surgery.
A short time later Sho returned to him carefully carrying a small blanket wrapped bundle which he laid gently on the operating table next to Jun’s head.
Jun turned his head and met the gaze of two large eyes set in a tiny pink face. His daughter yawned and blinked as if everything was far too exhausting for someone so small and new to the world.
He thought he had known what love was until this moment but this was something beyond the love he felt for Sho or his brother. It was a deep and primal bond that could never be broken. It felt as if an empty space in his heart that he didn’t even know existed was filled as he met the gaze of his daughter for the first time.
++++
“I brought you a tomato juice,” Sho said with a proud beam as he held the bottle out towards Jun who was finally allowed to drink properly.
Jun looked at it with disgust. “Ewww. Tomato juice? Why did you bring me that?”
“But…but you...”
“Can you bring me a strawberry blueberry banana smoothie instead and take that horrible substance away with you?” Jun replied, recoiling dramatically away from the bottle.
Sho opened with mouth to protest but then he saw the baby nestled on Jun’s chest, tucked under his pyjama top sleeping happily against his bare skin. Jun was looking quite exhausted but also triumphant as he stroked the downy black hair on her head with the tip of his finger and bent his head to breathe in the sweet fragrance of her skin. At that moment Sho decided that Jun should have anything he wanted; he would pull the moon from the sky for him if he could.
“But before you go, we really need to decide on a name,” Jun said, smiling as the baby made sucking motions in her sleep with her plump little lips.
“I want you to be the one to name her,” Sho replied, perching on the side of the bed and stroking the back of her tiny flexing fingers. “You did a wonderful thing that I still consider to be a miracle. You grew an entire human being from scratch and gifted me with this beautiful little creature.”
Jun’s eyes swam with tears as he looked at Sho and then down at his sleeping baby, captivated by her round cheeks and the frown on her face as she knitted her eyebrows together as she stirred slightly when Sho tickled under her chin.
“Hanami. Our beautiful blossom.” Jun had been thinking of names for months, mostly for girls since he assumed that Sho would want to name his firstborn son himself.
“Hanami.” Sho tested saying the name. “Hana-chan,” he added as he bent and pressed a light kiss to the crown of her head before doing the same to Jun. "I love it."
"You do?" Jun asked slowly, suddenly feeling very tired and finding it a struggle to keep his eyes open. He was still feeling the after effects of the anaesthetic.
"Would you like me to put her back in her crib so you can get some sleep?" Sho asked gently as he saw Jun's eyelids fluttering as he struggled to stay awake.
Jun nodded before yawning widely once again, wincing as he helped Sho to lift their daughter off his chest. The wound in his abdomen was beginning to hurt.
"Jun? What's wrong?" Sho was instantly alert, peering into Jun's eyes after carefully tucking Hana-chan into her crib.
"Nothing, it just hurts a bit," Jun replied, shifting uncomfortably.
"My poor Beauty," Sho said as he stroked Jun's face. "I'll tell the nurses that you need more medication. I have to go and talk to Shun and fetch your smoothie too. Oh and let our friends know the good news. I have about a hundred missed calls on my phone. My parents are really excited and must be looking forward to seeing their first grandchild in a couple of days."
Jun involuntarily winced at Sho's words, prompting Sho to hurry to fetch a nurse. But it wasn't a physical pain that made him wince; it was the thought of meeting Sho's parents that was causing him distress. They had agreed to not allow any visitors for the first day after the birth since they would both be exhausted and possibly still shell-shocked from the whole experience. Their friends had agreed immediately but Sho’s parents had been less happy about the delay.
++++
Jun was woken from his doze when the door slid open and Shun walked in clutching a jumbo sized smoothie in his hand.
“Shun?” Jun asked groggily. “Where’s Sho?”
“He’s down in the gift shop having a panic attack over what to buy, but don’t tell him that I told you. I just wanted you to have some warning in case he turns up with something hideous,” Shun said as he helped Jun to raise the bed far enough for him to be able to drink his smoothie.
Jun laughed and then winced, holding his hand onto his stomach as a dull throb of pain spread through his lower half.
“Sorry,” Shun said apologetically. “I know that you probably aren’t up to having visitors just yet but Sho asked me to bring you your drink. I think he’s still a little traumatised by the coffee incident earlier.”
“You aren’t a visitor, you’re family,” Jun said before taking a long slurp of his drink. “I’m happy that you are the first person to meet our little Hana-chan.”
“May I?” Shun asked glancing at the sleeping bundle in the crib briefly as if frightened of waking her just by looking.
“Of course, and don’t worry, she’s just been fed so she’s pretty docile at the moment.”
Shun tiptoed over and crouched down next to the sleeping baby instantly captivated by her tiny size and beautiful features.
“She looks like you both, but prettier,” Shun said with a soft laugh.
“I hope so since she’s a girl,” Jun replied with a proud smile.
“You did good, baby brother. I’m so proud of you,” Shun said. “You know that I’m going to spoil her rotten don’t you?”
“I would hope for nothing less,” Jun replied fondly.
++++
The next time Jun woke up it was because of the sound of singing coming from nearby his bed.
Sho was singing softly to their daughter who was gazing up at her father with fascination. Even though Jun knew that she couldn’t see that far yet she seemed to be completely enraptured by the fluffy purple and white toy panda that Sho was waving in front of her face. The bear was just the right size for her and had an enormous pair of eyes set in his cute furry face.
“She’s too small to have that yet,” Jun said. “But I’m sure that she will love it when she is older.”
“I know, but I wanted to buy her something. It’s technically her birthday after all,” Sho replied with a soppy grin.
“You are such an idiot sometimes,” Jun said in the softest and most loving tone that Sho had ever heard.
Sho pouted and pretended to look hurt prompting Jun to add, “But you’re my idiot and I love you with all my heart.”
“I love you too baby,” Sho replied, blinking back yet more tears. “I bought you a gift too but in the panic of you going into labour I left it at home.”
Jun bit back a joking remark that it was only Sho who was the panicking one, replying instead, “I already have the most perfect gift of all and she’s lying just over there.”
Sho perched on the edge of the bed and held Jun’s hand until he fell asleep once again. After checking on Hana-chan he dimmed the lights before settling down on the large squishy sofa in the corner of the suite, drifting off to sleep with a gentle smile still playing about his lips.
++++
The next day Hanami was a tiny bit more alert and certainly made her wishes known, crying whenever she felt that she was lacking something and needed the attention of either or preferably both of her parents.
Sho was astonished that so much noise could come from such a miniscule set of lungs, but Jun was happy to hear her, thinking that she was exercising and making herself stronger with every sound and movement that she made.
Jun had developed a fever from a slight infection to his wound and was being given intravenous antibiotics while being strictly confined to bed. This meant that Sho was the one being taught how to bathe and change their baby by the nurses, most of whom seemed to have developed a crush on him, at least according to Jun.
Even though he was feeling quite ill Jun insisted on taking care of the feedings though, cuddling his daughter in his arms, enjoying her small weight on his chest as she enthusiastically gulped down her formula with surprisingly loud slurping noises. Jun couldn't help laughing as he heard Sho slurping on a bowl of soup over on the couch, like a large echo.
"What?" Sho asked, looking at Jun with round eyes of utter innocence.
Hana-chan squirmed at looked up at Jun with an identical expression, making him giggle uncontrollably, which Sho put down to the fever, utterly unaware of what his husband was finding so amusing.
++++
Jun's parents had spoken to him on the phone but had not indicated that they would be visiting their grandchild any time soon. As soon as he had been married they had seemed to lose interest in him and he rarely heard from them in person. The only family member he was in regular contact with was Shun who he felt closer to now than he had at any other time in his life.
Perhaps it was the fever that was making him so emotional as he held his baby in his arms, stroking her plump cheek with a trembling finger as he encouraged her to take her bottle. But he couldn't brush off the worry that Sho's parents would be deeply disappointed in both him and his baby due to the fact that he had failed to have a boy. And in a tiny dark corner of his mind he wondered if Sho was feeling the same way also.
He only realized that he was crying when a drop of liquid landed on Hana's cheek, making her screw up her face with distaste. But even though she was displeased, once she started eating nothing could deter her from her single minded need to finish what she started. Jun sometimes wondered if there was any of him in her at all, since she seemed to be an exact replica of Sho.
Trying to stifle sobs while burping a newborn was no easy task and Hana who was obviously unsettled by his emotions began to whimper and wriggle unhappily before deciding to cry with all the lung power she possessed.
++++
A few minutes later when Aiba cautiously slid the door open a crack he didn't expect to be greeted by the sight of Jun sobbing helplessly as he tried to pacify a very upset baby who seemed to be winning the battle to cry loudest.
He bustled into the room followed by a bewildered Ohno and Nino who hung back nervously as Aiba plucked the wailing infant from Jun's arms and tried to calm her.
Aiba could see that Jun was on the edge of hysteria so he did the only thing that he could think of thrusting the baby into Nino's arms and telling him to sit on the sofa and rock her while he attended to Jun.
Nino froze in place terrified to be holding something so small and fragile, only moving when Ohno nudged him in the right direction, guiding him to the seat and humming at Hana-chan in an attempt to calm her.
In the meantime Aiba pulled Jun into his arms rubbing his back soothingly as his sobs gradually slowed. He was concerned by the heat that he felt radiating from Jun's body and wanted to call the nurses, but Jun stopped him from pressing the button.
"Please don't. I promise that I am okay," Jun said through the tears that were still running down his cheeks. “I’m just being silly.”
“But you’re burning hot,” Aiba chided as he wiped Jun’s face with a damp cloth that he found. “And why are you alone? Where’s Sho?” he added angrily.
“He’s meeting his parents and bringing them here,” Jun said taking a shuddering breath. He suddenly seemed to realize that Hana-chan was no longer in his arms and tried to scramble out of bed. “My baby! Where is she?”
Aiba physically restrained him, worried that he was going to tear his stitches, “She’s just over there with Nino and Ohno. She’s perfectly safe; please stay still before you hurt yourself.”
To everyone’s collective surprise Hana-chan was contentedly sucking on Nino’s pinkie finger as he rocked her gently in his arms, her earlier upset seemingly forgotten.
Jun looked at Aiba and clutched his arm. "I'm a mess! I can't let his parents see me like this. They'll take my baby away."
"Jun, they can't do that," Aiba said as he wiped the tears that continued to run down Jun's cheeks.
"They can! They can make Sho take our baby and go back to Tokyo with them."
Jun's eyes were wild and his breathing was unsteady as he collapsed back onto the bed.
Aiba made a snap decision, sending Ohno to intercept Sho and his parents. Sho needed to talk to Jun privately to set his mind at ease.
"Please just rest for a moment, Sho will be here soon."
Aiba looked over towards Nino, wondering how he was doing, but there was obviously nothing to worry about as Hana-chan slept peacefully in his arms. Nino was wearing a dreamy expression that Aiba had never seen on his face before.
++++
A short while later Sho rushed towards the room looking utterly confused and worried. Aiba intercepted him and steered him to the family room up the corridor.
"Ohno is entertaining my parents. He said that Jun is having some sort of meltdown," Sho said as he tried to push past Aiba. "Aiba, let me go! I need to go to Jun and our daughter."
"Sho calm down, Nino is with them. Please listen to me first." Aiba managed to wrangle Sho into a chair, sitting opposite him as he spoke. "Jun is worried that your parents are going to interfere with your lives again. He is afraid that they are going to take both you and Hana-chan away from him."
"That's ridiculous,” Sho blustered. "They would never...I wouldn't allow it."
"He's not thinking rationally right now. The fever and his hormones are muddling his mind. You need to go in there and calm him down and put his mind at ease," Aiba said firmly.
"I'm not sure that I know how," Sho said.
"Of course you do, just hold him and tell him that you love him."
++++
Hana-chan was asleep in her crib and Nino was holding Jun in his arms as he continued to cry.
Sho took a deep breath and tried to calm himself as he walked into the room. He paused to gaze at his tiny daughter, admiring her long lashes that brushed her cheeks; she looked so much like Jun while she slept.
When Sho squeezed Nino's shoulder, Nino slid away from the bed allowing Sho to seamlessly take his place. They exchanged a nod over Jun's head and Nino slipped from the room.
Jun was a mess, his cheeks red from the fever, snot mixing with his tears and dripping from his chin and his eyes were bloodshot and swollen. He barely seemed to even notice that it wasn't Nino holding him anymore.
"Hush sweetheart," Sho said softly in the same tone that he used on their daughter. "Please don't cry. Nothing is as bad as you think."
Jun looked tremulously at him as his tears continued to drop, "You can't say that. You don't even know what I'm thinking."
"Then why don't you tell me?" Sho said as he wiped Jun's face and handed him his medicine that had been prescribed that morning.
"Y-your parents...I disappointed them...I p-probably d-disappointed you too," Jun stuttered, angrily wiping away the tears that just wouldn't stop flowing.
Sho was at a loss, "What do you mean by disappointed?"
"B-because it took me so long to get p-pregnant and then I had a girl, not the boy that you all w-wanted," Jun said. "Well I don't care what you all think. If you want to leave me I can look after Hana-chan by myself," he added defiantly.
Sho knew that Jun was ill and distressed, but it hurt his heart to think that Jun could think that he would even contemplate abandoning his daughter or his marriage.
He cupped Jun's face, making sure that he was looking directly into his eyes when he answered him.
"Jun my love, I would die for you and for Hanami. She is perfect and beautiful and I love her with all my heart as I love you too. Please don't ever think that I would swap her for a boy," Sho said with all honesty. "And believe me, if my parents say even one word against either of you I will throw them out of this hospital with my own two hands."
Jun laugh-sobbed as Sho kissed his cheeks and lips, ignoring the salt and snot. "I'm sorry that I doubted you," he hiccupped.
"How long have you been worrying about this?" Sho said as he stroked Jun's back and continued to kiss him.
"Since we decided to not know the sex of our baby. I thought you didn't want to know because you didn't want to have to tell your parents the bad news if it was a girl."
"Jun..." Sho's shoulders slumped.
"I'm so, so, sorry. I should never have doubted you. My mind runs away with itself sometimes. I don't know why you put up with me."
"I don't put up with you, Beauty. I love you and I love Hanami. Do you believe me?" Sho searched Jun's eyes searching for the sign that he understood and trusted in his love and commitment.
"I do, I really do and I promise to ask for help in future when things overwhelm me." Jun's voice lost its weak wobble as he added, "I love you too Sho, more than you will ever know."
"I know exactly how much you love me sweetheart, you don't ever have to fear that I don't," Sho replied huskily, tears pricking his own eyes.
Hanami obviously decided that she had to join in with the crying as she began to grizzle unhappily in her crib.
Her parents exchanged loving smiles at the sound of her voicing her displeasure at being left out of the conversation.
"Perhaps she needs changing," Sho said as he went over to pick her up.
"No, Nino did it before you came," Jun replied, reaching out for his daughter.
"Nino?"
"Hana really seemed to take to him and I think he feels the same, but don't ever try and make him admit it," Jun said as he cuddled her comfortingly against his chest; the sound of his heartbeat always seemed to calm her down.
Sho pulled Jun against him wrapping his arms around him and cradling him against his body with their daughter protectively nestled between them. He kissed Jun and then kissed his daughter.
"I think I lost my mind," Jun said, his tears drying up as the medication kicked in.
"You just had a baby, of course you're emotional, but I'm not going to just brush off your concerns and pretend they aren't real. If you don't feel up to seeing my parents I will tell them to come back later," Sho said softly. "But just remember that I will be right here beside you the whole time."
"I think I can do it, but I look horrible," Jun said.
"You look gorgeous," Sho said, meaning every word. The sight of Jun holding their daughter was truly the most beautiful sight he'd ever laid eyes on, no matter how ravaged Jun's face was looking at that moment.
++++
Thirty minutes later when Sho ushered his parents into the room Jun's face was washed, his hair combed and drops had removed most of the red from his eyes. Jun's doctor had examined him and ordered more intravenous antibiotics after tutting over his raised temperature and blood pressure; until Jun's temperature returned to normal he would be staying in the hospital under her watchful eye.
Hana-chan was dressed in a pink frilly outfit that had been a present from Aiba and made her look like a perfect little doll. Jun clutched her protectively to his chest, smiling lovingly at her as she nuzzled his skin and made soft snuffling noises.
Sho hovered protectively beside them ready to leap to the defence of the two people who were his whole world.
But Jun's fears proved groundless as Sho's parents made a beeline towards Hanami, cooing over her as she blinked up at them before yawning widely as if she was bored with all the attention.
"Congratulations you two," Sho's father said as he stroked her cheek with the gentlest of touches.
"She is adorable," Sho's mother said as Jun carefully handed his daughter into her arms.
"She is everything we could have wished for," Sho said proudly as he squeezed Jun's hand.
"Even if she isn't a boy," Jun blurted out, immediately blushing at his lack of tact.
Sho's father looked abashed as he said, "We're sorry for pressuring you to have a child. It was none of our business and our interference almost destroyed your marriage. My son told me that I am a dinosaur with my belief that our family needs a male heir to carry the burden of our family business. I'm sure that if this little scrap here has inherited your determination and my son's stubbornness then she will be more than capable of handling things in the future."
Jun felt as if a great weight had finally shifted from his shoulders as he watched Hana-chan being cuddled and admired as Sho hovered protectively nearby as if ready to leap to her defence at a moment's notice.
++++
12 Months Later
Aiba burst through the door of the bakery, still in uniform from his shift at the hospital. "What did I miss? Have you done the cake yet?"
"Don't panic," Sho said, pointing to where Hana-chan was toddling across the floor on shaky legs holding firmly onto Nino's fingers as he walked backwards ahead of her. "Madam is still playing with her favourite uncle."
"Aww, I wanted her to like me best," Aiba whined.
"I'm her actual Uncle and I barely even get a look in," Shun laughed.
Jun emerged from the back of the bakery carrying a small cake covered with bright pink icing, followed by Ohno carrying a huge chocolate rum gateaux.
Sho lifted his daughter and placed her in her high chair as she pulled his hair babbling "papa, papa, papa."
Jun placed the pink cake in front of Hanami earning a toothy grin as she happily called, "dada, dada" reaching out her plump little arms towards him for a cuddle. Her parents placed smacking kisses on each cheek as she happily grabbed handfuls of cake and shoved them in the approximate direction of her face while everyone else sang 'Happy Birthday'.
++++
The guest of honour was asleep in her portable cot that permanently lived in Ohno's office, her favourite purple panda clutched tightly in one hand. The excitement of having all of her favourite people in the one place all paying her attention had hyped her up until exhaustion finally made her crash.
Out in the cafe corner Ohno and Nino were happily showing off their shiny new rings to Shun who had been unable to attend their recent wedding due to the high profile case he was currently working on.
Aiba pulled out his phone to show Shun his collection of embarrassing photos from the wedding weekend earning himself a death inducing glare from Nino. Ohno leapt in and kissed Nino until he stopped glaring and laughed instead.
They were on their sixth bottle of champagne and things were starting to get silly. Jun, who had declared that someone had to stay sober to look after Hana-chan was bringing out supplies of savoury snacks at regular intervals to try and sop up some of the alcohol.
Sho had also barely touched the champagne and when Jun put down his glass of pineapple juice and dashed out the back while everyone was occupied with the mini pizzas he immediately followed.
++++
"There, there, baby," Sho said as he rubbed Jun's back as he threw up for the third time that day. "Better out than in."
"As soon as I finish throwing up I am going to punch you so hard," Jun groaned as he pressed his face to the cold tiles, seeking some relief from his nausea.
Sho merely laughed and helped Jun up. He led him over to the washbasin, wiped his face with a handful of damp paper towels and gave him a breath mint after he rinsed his mouth out.
"Don't you dare laugh at me," Jun said as he clung weakly to Sho's neck as the room revolved around him. "You have no idea how much torture I am going to put you through for this."
"Oh!"
They both turned as they heard an exclamation from the doorway; in Jun's haste to reach the toilet they had forgotten to lock the door.
Aiba was standing there looking excited. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked as he took in Jun's green-tinged face and Sho's guilty expression.
"Um," Sho shuffled nervously almost dislodging Jun who wobbled dangerously.
Aiba immediately rushed over and helped Jun to sit on the closed lid of the toilet. He took Jun's pulse and frowned at what he felt. "If this isn't what I think this is then I am going to be very worried."
Sho and Jun shared a look; there was no way that they could possibly lie to Aiba, especially about a medical issue.
"We're having another baby," Sho declared proudly earning himself a glare from Jun.
"What's with the 'we'? The last time I looked I was the pregnant one. Unless you'd like to take over for the next eight months?" Jun said crankily.
"When you are doing such a wonderful job?" Sho said as he knelt in front of Jun and brushed his hair out of his eyes.
Jun gazed at him with such love that they both almost forgot that they weren't alone, that is until Aiba squealed end flung himself on the pair of them, squishing them together into a breathless lump.
"But this is a secret for the moment," Sho said as he wriggled out of Aiba's grasp. "Jun is only eight weeks so we want to just keep it to ourselves."
"Keep what to yourselves?" Nino asked as he joined them, sensing that something was happening that he needed to know about. Ohno was right behind and he looked at them all curiously.
Nino looked quite smug when he asked, "Did Aiba finally find out that Jun is pregnant?"
Sho looked at Nino with astonishment. "How do you know?"
"Please," Nino scoffed. "After all this time you doubt my powers?"
"I think it's wonderful," Ohno said as he wrapped his arm around Nino's waist and pulled him a safe distance away from Sho. "I have some pineapple tarts for Jun to take home with him, since that seems to be what he is already craving."
"How on earth...?" Sho asked; he was rapidly realizing that his secret had never really been a secret.
"He's my husband, of course I told him," Nino said, happily squeezing Ohno's butt.
"Is this a private club or can anyone come in," Shun asked as he squeezed himself into the tiny room. He looked around at everyone's foolishly grinning faces and asked, "What? What aren't you telling me?"
"How would you like another niece or nephew?" Jun asked as the colour gradually returned to his cheeks.
Shun immediately pushed his way over to Jun and raised him to his feet, hugging him tightly. "Baby brother, do you even need to ask? Hana-chan has made me seriously consider getting married just so I can have one of my own and I'm sure that this one will be just as perfect."
As if hearing the mention of her name Hanami began to cry loudly. Her panda had somehow escaped from her grasp and nobody was around to retrieve him for her.
At the sound of her wailing her doting uncles rushed to comfort her leaving her parents alone together in the bathroom.
Sho sighed with relief and carefully locked the door behind them.
++++
“Do you mind that everybody knows?” Jun asked. “I know you were excited about keeping it a secret.”
“I guess I don’t mind,” Sho said as he stood behind Jun, nibbling the side of his neck and wrapping his arms around his waist. “Since I was there when you peed on the stick three weeks ago, I’ve had lots of time to enjoy being the only one to know.”
“This time you will get the pleasure of being there every time I throw up, feel dizzy, fall asleep in he middle of dinner, get cranky, get indigestion and have excessively demanding cravings,” Jun said as he leaned back into his husband’s embrace, sighing happily as Sho soothingly rubbed his upset stomach.
“And I will treasure every moment of it, no matter how horrible you are to me,” Sho replied between kisses to Jun’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry that you missed out on the first weeks of my pregnancy with Hanami,” Jun said, turning to face Sho with a stricken expression.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. You did what you did for all the right reasons and now our marriage is much stronger for it. Plus, now I get to spend as much time with her as I like,” Sho said gently as he kissed Jun’s trembling lips. “If Nino will grant me five minutes with her that is.”
“The new hotel project is almost ready for presentation to your father. After that I probably won’t be in the office so much for the next few weeks until my morning sickness passes. I know that Nino loves to look after Hana-chan while we are working, but I don’t think that our clients will appreciate me throwing up on them.”
“Speaking of throwing up, I think you need some food,” Sho said worriedly.
“I’m fine,” Jun said as he pulled Sho closer.
“But our little bean sprout needs nourishment,” Sho protested.
“This just means that you want some of those mini quiche that Ohno has in the oven, right?” Jun replied with a giggle.
“Well…they did smell really good,” Sho said; his voice rising to a squeak as Jun ran his hand lightly over his crotch.
Jun shrugged and moved towards the door, only to be caught by Sho who pressed their hips firmly together and possessively captured his lips.
“I can always take some cold ones home with me for later,” Sho murmured as he squeezed Jun’s bottom between his hands.
“Mmmm,” Jun sighed as he melted into Sho’s embrace. “That’s only if Aiba doesn’t eat them all first.”
Jun knew that it was true love when Sho didn’t even flinch at the thought.
Rating: This chapter NC-17
Genre: m-preg, romance, au
Disclaimer: This is entirely fiction, and couldn’t exist anywhere else but in my head.
Summary: Sakurai Sho has always achieved everything he's ever wanted in his successful business life. Why is it so different in his personal life? Sho has no idea that anything is even wrong with his marriage until he comes home one night and finds his young husband gone. Will he be able to find Jun and make things right between them again?
Previously: CH 1, CH 2, CH 3, CH 4, CH 5, CH 6, CH 7, CH 8, CH 9, CH 10, CH 11, CH 12, CH 13
Jun grumbled and shifted on the bed; the monitor strapped around his belly was severely restricting his movements and making him unaccountably angry.
He knew that he was being unreasonable and giving Sho a hard time, but it had been over an hour since the monitoring had begun and his doctor and told him that it might still be another three or four hours before it was time to deliver the baby. To his great distress there had been little progression since the monitor was attached, almost as if his baby hadn’t liked the feeling of its restrictive hold around his belly and was now refusing to cooperate.
The pains were much stronger now and with much less recovery time between one and the next and he was beginning to regret his decision to go through this labour without any pain relief.
Sho had been gone what felt like an uncalled for amount of time just to retrieve a cup of ice chips from the nurses station. If he didn't know better Jun could almost think that his husband was avoiding him.
The door slid open and he looked up expectantly but it wasn't Sho coming through the doorway with a big smile plastered across his face, but someone else altogether.
"So, little brother, where's my newest relative?" Shun asked as he plopped a gift basket down on the low table near the sofa.
"Still in here," Jun replied, grumpily poking his belly. "And don't even try to give me any words of encouragement because I am really not in the mood for that right now."
"Ah, so that explains why Sho is lurking near the nurses’ station wearing a haunted expression and trying to get coffee stains out of his shirt."
Jun flushed guiltily at the memory of half knocking half throwing Sho's coffee over him when he cheerfully told him how good it tasted. It wasn't that Jun even wanted coffee, but he hadn't been able to eat or even drink anything for hours now because of the upcoming caesarean and sucking on ice just seemed to make him thirstier.
But before he could respond the next pain gripped him. It was strong enough to make him curl into a breathless ball, gripping the ends of his pillow as he tried to contain his whines of pain.
Shun stood frozen to the spot looking around helplessly. He was horrified to see his brother in such pain but he didn't know what to do to comfort him. But a moment later Sho rushed past him and took Jun's hand, stroking his hair and speaking softly to him, wincing as Jun squeezed his fingers with all of his strength.
"It's alright baby, I’m here with you, just try and relax," Sho said as Jun whimpered and rocked with the pain.
Sho continued to rub Jun's back until he slowly relaxed as the contraction released him from its grasp. He brushed a stray tear from Jun's cheek and pressed a kiss to his sweaty forehead.
"Um, I should go," Shun said as he edged uncomfortably towards the door. He didn't have the strength to see his little brother like this and he had no wish to intrude on such intimate moments between the couple.
"Shun!" Jun said, opening his eyes and reaching out for his brother as he looked at him beseechingly.
Shun immediately stepped over and carefully hugged Jun, not wanting to disturb any of the monitoring equipment. "You don't need my help. You and Sho have everything perfectly under control. I'll be waiting downstairs in the coffee shop for news and in the meantime I will ring our parents and let them know how you're doing."
He gave Jun an extra squeeze before allowing Sho to walk him to the corridor.
++++
"Are you sure everything is okay?" Shun asked shakily.
Shun's face was pale and Sho steered him over to a chair and made him sit. “It’s perfectly normal; just taking a little longer than Jun’s doctor predicted it would.”
“But he is in so much pain. I don’t know how he can be so calm about it,” Shun said before taking a deep breath to steady his nerves.
“He is amazing and so much stronger than we think he is,” Sho replied, his own hands shaking slightly as he ran them through his hair making it even messier that it already was. “But you wouldn’t be calling him calm if you saw him throw that coffee at me a while ago.”
Shun laughed, “Seriously, you were drinking it in front of someone who hasn’t had anything to eat or drink in hours? You never learn do you?”
“It really hurt too. I have a red mark on my stomach,” Sho whined earning an incredulous look from his friend.
“Oh yeah, Jun’s pain is nothing compared to yours,” Shun drawled sarcastically.
“I…”
“I’m joking,” Shun said, standing up and draping his arm affectionately over Sho’s shoulders. “I think you are doing a marvellous job of helping Jun through this.”
“T-thanks.”
“I don’t want to impose on you any further, but could you please let me know how things are going?” Shun asked with a pleading expression.
“I’ll text you if anything changes,” Sho replied before rushing back towards Jun’s room as he heard him cry out as the next contraction struck.
++++
“Your baby is quite a stubborn little thing, but I think it’s finally time for us to move to the operating theatre,” Jun’s doctor pronounced after examining the printout from the monitor. “I’ll just go and make the arrangements and someone will come and collect Matsumoto-san shortly.
Sho sighed with relief; it had been a long two hours since Shun left and Jun had become increasingly frustrated and upset at the delay.
“Sho…” Jun said softly looking up at his husband with wide eyes.
“Yes baby?” Sho brushed Jun’s hair off his forehead and ran his fingertips down the side of his face.
“What if I told you that I’ve changed my mind?”
Sho’s heart began to pound. “Changed your mind? What about? About us? Have I done something wrong?”
Jun shook his head vehemently, “No not about us…about having the baby. I don’t think I’m ready. Can we come back next week?”
Sho tried, rather unsuccessfully, to disguise his snort of laughter earning himself a rather hard punch on the arm.
“It’s not funny!” Jun’s eyes flashed dangerously.
Sho rubbed his sore arm and giggled at the same time, “I’d like to see you try and walk out of here right now.”
“I could, just you wait and see,” Jun replied with a glare as he tried to make a dramatic exit. To his great embarrassment all he could manage to do was roll helplessly around on the bed like a beetle on its back.
Jun’s eyes met Sho’s and they both burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of Jun’s statement.
Sho bent and kissed Jun tenderly, “You have nothing to be afraid of. I’ll be with you all the way. We’re a team, remember?”
“Then I don’t suppose you could take one for the team and give birth for me?” Jun asked with an innocent blink.
“If only I could my love I would do it in a heartbeat,” Sho replied sincerely.
++++
Sho hesitantly followed the nurse into the theatre, afraid that he was going to be in the way. He was steered to a seat right next to Jun’s head; the only part of him visible above the drapes that screened the rest of his body from sight.
Jun was trembling slightly, his teeth chattering together lightly as Sho took his place beside him.
Sho’s fears were put to rest by a kind nurse who said, “Don’t worry Sakurai-san, your husband is just reacting to the anaesthetic, both he and your baby are fine.”
The bustle and noise of the doctors and nurses working around them faded to background noise as Sho gazed steadfastly into Jun’s eyes. He was rewarded with a look of such love from Jun that it almost took his breath away.
“Slight tug,” the doctor said.
Jun frowned at the strange feeling of pushing that was going on in his abdomen. It wasn’t painful, it just felt very peculiar, as if he could feel it but not feel it at the same time.
“Jun are you okay?” Sho whispered urgently, worried at the sudden pale shade of Jun’s face.
“Just one moment more and your baby will be here,” the doctor said.
And then the room was filled with the strong cry of a healthy baby and everyone laughed and smiled.
Sho sagged in relief and kissed Jun fervently, his tears of joy dripping onto Jun’s cheek.
“Congratulations to you both on the birth of your daughter.” Behind her surgical mask the doctor was smiling widely making small laughter lines appear around her eyes.
Sho kissed Jun one more time before following the nurse carrying the newborn over to be weighed and checked over.
Jun felt a desperate need to see his baby and make sure that all was well but he was unable to move as the doctor completed the surgery.
A short time later Sho returned to him carefully carrying a small blanket wrapped bundle which he laid gently on the operating table next to Jun’s head.
Jun turned his head and met the gaze of two large eyes set in a tiny pink face. His daughter yawned and blinked as if everything was far too exhausting for someone so small and new to the world.
He thought he had known what love was until this moment but this was something beyond the love he felt for Sho or his brother. It was a deep and primal bond that could never be broken. It felt as if an empty space in his heart that he didn’t even know existed was filled as he met the gaze of his daughter for the first time.
++++
“I brought you a tomato juice,” Sho said with a proud beam as he held the bottle out towards Jun who was finally allowed to drink properly.
Jun looked at it with disgust. “Ewww. Tomato juice? Why did you bring me that?”
“But…but you...”
“Can you bring me a strawberry blueberry banana smoothie instead and take that horrible substance away with you?” Jun replied, recoiling dramatically away from the bottle.
Sho opened with mouth to protest but then he saw the baby nestled on Jun’s chest, tucked under his pyjama top sleeping happily against his bare skin. Jun was looking quite exhausted but also triumphant as he stroked the downy black hair on her head with the tip of his finger and bent his head to breathe in the sweet fragrance of her skin. At that moment Sho decided that Jun should have anything he wanted; he would pull the moon from the sky for him if he could.
“But before you go, we really need to decide on a name,” Jun said, smiling as the baby made sucking motions in her sleep with her plump little lips.
“I want you to be the one to name her,” Sho replied, perching on the side of the bed and stroking the back of her tiny flexing fingers. “You did a wonderful thing that I still consider to be a miracle. You grew an entire human being from scratch and gifted me with this beautiful little creature.”
Jun’s eyes swam with tears as he looked at Sho and then down at his sleeping baby, captivated by her round cheeks and the frown on her face as she knitted her eyebrows together as she stirred slightly when Sho tickled under her chin.
“Hanami. Our beautiful blossom.” Jun had been thinking of names for months, mostly for girls since he assumed that Sho would want to name his firstborn son himself.
“Hanami.” Sho tested saying the name. “Hana-chan,” he added as he bent and pressed a light kiss to the crown of her head before doing the same to Jun. "I love it."
"You do?" Jun asked slowly, suddenly feeling very tired and finding it a struggle to keep his eyes open. He was still feeling the after effects of the anaesthetic.
"Would you like me to put her back in her crib so you can get some sleep?" Sho asked gently as he saw Jun's eyelids fluttering as he struggled to stay awake.
Jun nodded before yawning widely once again, wincing as he helped Sho to lift their daughter off his chest. The wound in his abdomen was beginning to hurt.
"Jun? What's wrong?" Sho was instantly alert, peering into Jun's eyes after carefully tucking Hana-chan into her crib.
"Nothing, it just hurts a bit," Jun replied, shifting uncomfortably.
"My poor Beauty," Sho said as he stroked Jun's face. "I'll tell the nurses that you need more medication. I have to go and talk to Shun and fetch your smoothie too. Oh and let our friends know the good news. I have about a hundred missed calls on my phone. My parents are really excited and must be looking forward to seeing their first grandchild in a couple of days."
Jun involuntarily winced at Sho's words, prompting Sho to hurry to fetch a nurse. But it wasn't a physical pain that made him wince; it was the thought of meeting Sho's parents that was causing him distress. They had agreed to not allow any visitors for the first day after the birth since they would both be exhausted and possibly still shell-shocked from the whole experience. Their friends had agreed immediately but Sho’s parents had been less happy about the delay.
++++
Jun was woken from his doze when the door slid open and Shun walked in clutching a jumbo sized smoothie in his hand.
“Shun?” Jun asked groggily. “Where’s Sho?”
“He’s down in the gift shop having a panic attack over what to buy, but don’t tell him that I told you. I just wanted you to have some warning in case he turns up with something hideous,” Shun said as he helped Jun to raise the bed far enough for him to be able to drink his smoothie.
Jun laughed and then winced, holding his hand onto his stomach as a dull throb of pain spread through his lower half.
“Sorry,” Shun said apologetically. “I know that you probably aren’t up to having visitors just yet but Sho asked me to bring you your drink. I think he’s still a little traumatised by the coffee incident earlier.”
“You aren’t a visitor, you’re family,” Jun said before taking a long slurp of his drink. “I’m happy that you are the first person to meet our little Hana-chan.”
“May I?” Shun asked glancing at the sleeping bundle in the crib briefly as if frightened of waking her just by looking.
“Of course, and don’t worry, she’s just been fed so she’s pretty docile at the moment.”
Shun tiptoed over and crouched down next to the sleeping baby instantly captivated by her tiny size and beautiful features.
“She looks like you both, but prettier,” Shun said with a soft laugh.
“I hope so since she’s a girl,” Jun replied with a proud smile.
“You did good, baby brother. I’m so proud of you,” Shun said. “You know that I’m going to spoil her rotten don’t you?”
“I would hope for nothing less,” Jun replied fondly.
++++
The next time Jun woke up it was because of the sound of singing coming from nearby his bed.
Sho was singing softly to their daughter who was gazing up at her father with fascination. Even though Jun knew that she couldn’t see that far yet she seemed to be completely enraptured by the fluffy purple and white toy panda that Sho was waving in front of her face. The bear was just the right size for her and had an enormous pair of eyes set in his cute furry face.
“She’s too small to have that yet,” Jun said. “But I’m sure that she will love it when she is older.”
“I know, but I wanted to buy her something. It’s technically her birthday after all,” Sho replied with a soppy grin.
“You are such an idiot sometimes,” Jun said in the softest and most loving tone that Sho had ever heard.
Sho pouted and pretended to look hurt prompting Jun to add, “But you’re my idiot and I love you with all my heart.”
“I love you too baby,” Sho replied, blinking back yet more tears. “I bought you a gift too but in the panic of you going into labour I left it at home.”
Jun bit back a joking remark that it was only Sho who was the panicking one, replying instead, “I already have the most perfect gift of all and she’s lying just over there.”
Sho perched on the edge of the bed and held Jun’s hand until he fell asleep once again. After checking on Hana-chan he dimmed the lights before settling down on the large squishy sofa in the corner of the suite, drifting off to sleep with a gentle smile still playing about his lips.
++++
The next day Hanami was a tiny bit more alert and certainly made her wishes known, crying whenever she felt that she was lacking something and needed the attention of either or preferably both of her parents.
Sho was astonished that so much noise could come from such a miniscule set of lungs, but Jun was happy to hear her, thinking that she was exercising and making herself stronger with every sound and movement that she made.
Jun had developed a fever from a slight infection to his wound and was being given intravenous antibiotics while being strictly confined to bed. This meant that Sho was the one being taught how to bathe and change their baby by the nurses, most of whom seemed to have developed a crush on him, at least according to Jun.
Even though he was feeling quite ill Jun insisted on taking care of the feedings though, cuddling his daughter in his arms, enjoying her small weight on his chest as she enthusiastically gulped down her formula with surprisingly loud slurping noises. Jun couldn't help laughing as he heard Sho slurping on a bowl of soup over on the couch, like a large echo.
"What?" Sho asked, looking at Jun with round eyes of utter innocence.
Hana-chan squirmed at looked up at Jun with an identical expression, making him giggle uncontrollably, which Sho put down to the fever, utterly unaware of what his husband was finding so amusing.
++++
Jun's parents had spoken to him on the phone but had not indicated that they would be visiting their grandchild any time soon. As soon as he had been married they had seemed to lose interest in him and he rarely heard from them in person. The only family member he was in regular contact with was Shun who he felt closer to now than he had at any other time in his life.
Perhaps it was the fever that was making him so emotional as he held his baby in his arms, stroking her plump cheek with a trembling finger as he encouraged her to take her bottle. But he couldn't brush off the worry that Sho's parents would be deeply disappointed in both him and his baby due to the fact that he had failed to have a boy. And in a tiny dark corner of his mind he wondered if Sho was feeling the same way also.
He only realized that he was crying when a drop of liquid landed on Hana's cheek, making her screw up her face with distaste. But even though she was displeased, once she started eating nothing could deter her from her single minded need to finish what she started. Jun sometimes wondered if there was any of him in her at all, since she seemed to be an exact replica of Sho.
Trying to stifle sobs while burping a newborn was no easy task and Hana who was obviously unsettled by his emotions began to whimper and wriggle unhappily before deciding to cry with all the lung power she possessed.
++++
A few minutes later when Aiba cautiously slid the door open a crack he didn't expect to be greeted by the sight of Jun sobbing helplessly as he tried to pacify a very upset baby who seemed to be winning the battle to cry loudest.
He bustled into the room followed by a bewildered Ohno and Nino who hung back nervously as Aiba plucked the wailing infant from Jun's arms and tried to calm her.
Aiba could see that Jun was on the edge of hysteria so he did the only thing that he could think of thrusting the baby into Nino's arms and telling him to sit on the sofa and rock her while he attended to Jun.
Nino froze in place terrified to be holding something so small and fragile, only moving when Ohno nudged him in the right direction, guiding him to the seat and humming at Hana-chan in an attempt to calm her.
In the meantime Aiba pulled Jun into his arms rubbing his back soothingly as his sobs gradually slowed. He was concerned by the heat that he felt radiating from Jun's body and wanted to call the nurses, but Jun stopped him from pressing the button.
"Please don't. I promise that I am okay," Jun said through the tears that were still running down his cheeks. “I’m just being silly.”
“But you’re burning hot,” Aiba chided as he wiped Jun’s face with a damp cloth that he found. “And why are you alone? Where’s Sho?” he added angrily.
“He’s meeting his parents and bringing them here,” Jun said taking a shuddering breath. He suddenly seemed to realize that Hana-chan was no longer in his arms and tried to scramble out of bed. “My baby! Where is she?”
Aiba physically restrained him, worried that he was going to tear his stitches, “She’s just over there with Nino and Ohno. She’s perfectly safe; please stay still before you hurt yourself.”
To everyone’s collective surprise Hana-chan was contentedly sucking on Nino’s pinkie finger as he rocked her gently in his arms, her earlier upset seemingly forgotten.
Jun looked at Aiba and clutched his arm. "I'm a mess! I can't let his parents see me like this. They'll take my baby away."
"Jun, they can't do that," Aiba said as he wiped the tears that continued to run down Jun's cheeks.
"They can! They can make Sho take our baby and go back to Tokyo with them."
Jun's eyes were wild and his breathing was unsteady as he collapsed back onto the bed.
Aiba made a snap decision, sending Ohno to intercept Sho and his parents. Sho needed to talk to Jun privately to set his mind at ease.
"Please just rest for a moment, Sho will be here soon."
Aiba looked over towards Nino, wondering how he was doing, but there was obviously nothing to worry about as Hana-chan slept peacefully in his arms. Nino was wearing a dreamy expression that Aiba had never seen on his face before.
++++
A short while later Sho rushed towards the room looking utterly confused and worried. Aiba intercepted him and steered him to the family room up the corridor.
"Ohno is entertaining my parents. He said that Jun is having some sort of meltdown," Sho said as he tried to push past Aiba. "Aiba, let me go! I need to go to Jun and our daughter."
"Sho calm down, Nino is with them. Please listen to me first." Aiba managed to wrangle Sho into a chair, sitting opposite him as he spoke. "Jun is worried that your parents are going to interfere with your lives again. He is afraid that they are going to take both you and Hana-chan away from him."
"That's ridiculous,” Sho blustered. "They would never...I wouldn't allow it."
"He's not thinking rationally right now. The fever and his hormones are muddling his mind. You need to go in there and calm him down and put his mind at ease," Aiba said firmly.
"I'm not sure that I know how," Sho said.
"Of course you do, just hold him and tell him that you love him."
++++
Hana-chan was asleep in her crib and Nino was holding Jun in his arms as he continued to cry.
Sho took a deep breath and tried to calm himself as he walked into the room. He paused to gaze at his tiny daughter, admiring her long lashes that brushed her cheeks; she looked so much like Jun while she slept.
When Sho squeezed Nino's shoulder, Nino slid away from the bed allowing Sho to seamlessly take his place. They exchanged a nod over Jun's head and Nino slipped from the room.
Jun was a mess, his cheeks red from the fever, snot mixing with his tears and dripping from his chin and his eyes were bloodshot and swollen. He barely seemed to even notice that it wasn't Nino holding him anymore.
"Hush sweetheart," Sho said softly in the same tone that he used on their daughter. "Please don't cry. Nothing is as bad as you think."
Jun looked tremulously at him as his tears continued to drop, "You can't say that. You don't even know what I'm thinking."
"Then why don't you tell me?" Sho said as he wiped Jun's face and handed him his medicine that had been prescribed that morning.
"Y-your parents...I disappointed them...I p-probably d-disappointed you too," Jun stuttered, angrily wiping away the tears that just wouldn't stop flowing.
Sho was at a loss, "What do you mean by disappointed?"
"B-because it took me so long to get p-pregnant and then I had a girl, not the boy that you all w-wanted," Jun said. "Well I don't care what you all think. If you want to leave me I can look after Hana-chan by myself," he added defiantly.
Sho knew that Jun was ill and distressed, but it hurt his heart to think that Jun could think that he would even contemplate abandoning his daughter or his marriage.
He cupped Jun's face, making sure that he was looking directly into his eyes when he answered him.
"Jun my love, I would die for you and for Hanami. She is perfect and beautiful and I love her with all my heart as I love you too. Please don't ever think that I would swap her for a boy," Sho said with all honesty. "And believe me, if my parents say even one word against either of you I will throw them out of this hospital with my own two hands."
Jun laugh-sobbed as Sho kissed his cheeks and lips, ignoring the salt and snot. "I'm sorry that I doubted you," he hiccupped.
"How long have you been worrying about this?" Sho said as he stroked Jun's back and continued to kiss him.
"Since we decided to not know the sex of our baby. I thought you didn't want to know because you didn't want to have to tell your parents the bad news if it was a girl."
"Jun..." Sho's shoulders slumped.
"I'm so, so, sorry. I should never have doubted you. My mind runs away with itself sometimes. I don't know why you put up with me."
"I don't put up with you, Beauty. I love you and I love Hanami. Do you believe me?" Sho searched Jun's eyes searching for the sign that he understood and trusted in his love and commitment.
"I do, I really do and I promise to ask for help in future when things overwhelm me." Jun's voice lost its weak wobble as he added, "I love you too Sho, more than you will ever know."
"I know exactly how much you love me sweetheart, you don't ever have to fear that I don't," Sho replied huskily, tears pricking his own eyes.
Hanami obviously decided that she had to join in with the crying as she began to grizzle unhappily in her crib.
Her parents exchanged loving smiles at the sound of her voicing her displeasure at being left out of the conversation.
"Perhaps she needs changing," Sho said as he went over to pick her up.
"No, Nino did it before you came," Jun replied, reaching out for his daughter.
"Nino?"
"Hana really seemed to take to him and I think he feels the same, but don't ever try and make him admit it," Jun said as he cuddled her comfortingly against his chest; the sound of his heartbeat always seemed to calm her down.
Sho pulled Jun against him wrapping his arms around him and cradling him against his body with their daughter protectively nestled between them. He kissed Jun and then kissed his daughter.
"I think I lost my mind," Jun said, his tears drying up as the medication kicked in.
"You just had a baby, of course you're emotional, but I'm not going to just brush off your concerns and pretend they aren't real. If you don't feel up to seeing my parents I will tell them to come back later," Sho said softly. "But just remember that I will be right here beside you the whole time."
"I think I can do it, but I look horrible," Jun said.
"You look gorgeous," Sho said, meaning every word. The sight of Jun holding their daughter was truly the most beautiful sight he'd ever laid eyes on, no matter how ravaged Jun's face was looking at that moment.
++++
Thirty minutes later when Sho ushered his parents into the room Jun's face was washed, his hair combed and drops had removed most of the red from his eyes. Jun's doctor had examined him and ordered more intravenous antibiotics after tutting over his raised temperature and blood pressure; until Jun's temperature returned to normal he would be staying in the hospital under her watchful eye.
Hana-chan was dressed in a pink frilly outfit that had been a present from Aiba and made her look like a perfect little doll. Jun clutched her protectively to his chest, smiling lovingly at her as she nuzzled his skin and made soft snuffling noises.
Sho hovered protectively beside them ready to leap to the defence of the two people who were his whole world.
But Jun's fears proved groundless as Sho's parents made a beeline towards Hanami, cooing over her as she blinked up at them before yawning widely as if she was bored with all the attention.
"Congratulations you two," Sho's father said as he stroked her cheek with the gentlest of touches.
"She is adorable," Sho's mother said as Jun carefully handed his daughter into her arms.
"She is everything we could have wished for," Sho said proudly as he squeezed Jun's hand.
"Even if she isn't a boy," Jun blurted out, immediately blushing at his lack of tact.
Sho's father looked abashed as he said, "We're sorry for pressuring you to have a child. It was none of our business and our interference almost destroyed your marriage. My son told me that I am a dinosaur with my belief that our family needs a male heir to carry the burden of our family business. I'm sure that if this little scrap here has inherited your determination and my son's stubbornness then she will be more than capable of handling things in the future."
Jun felt as if a great weight had finally shifted from his shoulders as he watched Hana-chan being cuddled and admired as Sho hovered protectively nearby as if ready to leap to her defence at a moment's notice.
++++
12 Months Later
Aiba burst through the door of the bakery, still in uniform from his shift at the hospital. "What did I miss? Have you done the cake yet?"
"Don't panic," Sho said, pointing to where Hana-chan was toddling across the floor on shaky legs holding firmly onto Nino's fingers as he walked backwards ahead of her. "Madam is still playing with her favourite uncle."
"Aww, I wanted her to like me best," Aiba whined.
"I'm her actual Uncle and I barely even get a look in," Shun laughed.
Jun emerged from the back of the bakery carrying a small cake covered with bright pink icing, followed by Ohno carrying a huge chocolate rum gateaux.
Sho lifted his daughter and placed her in her high chair as she pulled his hair babbling "papa, papa, papa."
Jun placed the pink cake in front of Hanami earning a toothy grin as she happily called, "dada, dada" reaching out her plump little arms towards him for a cuddle. Her parents placed smacking kisses on each cheek as she happily grabbed handfuls of cake and shoved them in the approximate direction of her face while everyone else sang 'Happy Birthday'.
++++
The guest of honour was asleep in her portable cot that permanently lived in Ohno's office, her favourite purple panda clutched tightly in one hand. The excitement of having all of her favourite people in the one place all paying her attention had hyped her up until exhaustion finally made her crash.
Out in the cafe corner Ohno and Nino were happily showing off their shiny new rings to Shun who had been unable to attend their recent wedding due to the high profile case he was currently working on.
Aiba pulled out his phone to show Shun his collection of embarrassing photos from the wedding weekend earning himself a death inducing glare from Nino. Ohno leapt in and kissed Nino until he stopped glaring and laughed instead.
They were on their sixth bottle of champagne and things were starting to get silly. Jun, who had declared that someone had to stay sober to look after Hana-chan was bringing out supplies of savoury snacks at regular intervals to try and sop up some of the alcohol.
Sho had also barely touched the champagne and when Jun put down his glass of pineapple juice and dashed out the back while everyone was occupied with the mini pizzas he immediately followed.
++++
"There, there, baby," Sho said as he rubbed Jun's back as he threw up for the third time that day. "Better out than in."
"As soon as I finish throwing up I am going to punch you so hard," Jun groaned as he pressed his face to the cold tiles, seeking some relief from his nausea.
Sho merely laughed and helped Jun up. He led him over to the washbasin, wiped his face with a handful of damp paper towels and gave him a breath mint after he rinsed his mouth out.
"Don't you dare laugh at me," Jun said as he clung weakly to Sho's neck as the room revolved around him. "You have no idea how much torture I am going to put you through for this."
"Oh!"
They both turned as they heard an exclamation from the doorway; in Jun's haste to reach the toilet they had forgotten to lock the door.
Aiba was standing there looking excited. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked as he took in Jun's green-tinged face and Sho's guilty expression.
"Um," Sho shuffled nervously almost dislodging Jun who wobbled dangerously.
Aiba immediately rushed over and helped Jun to sit on the closed lid of the toilet. He took Jun's pulse and frowned at what he felt. "If this isn't what I think this is then I am going to be very worried."
Sho and Jun shared a look; there was no way that they could possibly lie to Aiba, especially about a medical issue.
"We're having another baby," Sho declared proudly earning himself a glare from Jun.
"What's with the 'we'? The last time I looked I was the pregnant one. Unless you'd like to take over for the next eight months?" Jun said crankily.
"When you are doing such a wonderful job?" Sho said as he knelt in front of Jun and brushed his hair out of his eyes.
Jun gazed at him with such love that they both almost forgot that they weren't alone, that is until Aiba squealed end flung himself on the pair of them, squishing them together into a breathless lump.
"But this is a secret for the moment," Sho said as he wriggled out of Aiba's grasp. "Jun is only eight weeks so we want to just keep it to ourselves."
"Keep what to yourselves?" Nino asked as he joined them, sensing that something was happening that he needed to know about. Ohno was right behind and he looked at them all curiously.
Nino looked quite smug when he asked, "Did Aiba finally find out that Jun is pregnant?"
Sho looked at Nino with astonishment. "How do you know?"
"Please," Nino scoffed. "After all this time you doubt my powers?"
"I think it's wonderful," Ohno said as he wrapped his arm around Nino's waist and pulled him a safe distance away from Sho. "I have some pineapple tarts for Jun to take home with him, since that seems to be what he is already craving."
"How on earth...?" Sho asked; he was rapidly realizing that his secret had never really been a secret.
"He's my husband, of course I told him," Nino said, happily squeezing Ohno's butt.
"Is this a private club or can anyone come in," Shun asked as he squeezed himself into the tiny room. He looked around at everyone's foolishly grinning faces and asked, "What? What aren't you telling me?"
"How would you like another niece or nephew?" Jun asked as the colour gradually returned to his cheeks.
Shun immediately pushed his way over to Jun and raised him to his feet, hugging him tightly. "Baby brother, do you even need to ask? Hana-chan has made me seriously consider getting married just so I can have one of my own and I'm sure that this one will be just as perfect."
As if hearing the mention of her name Hanami began to cry loudly. Her panda had somehow escaped from her grasp and nobody was around to retrieve him for her.
At the sound of her wailing her doting uncles rushed to comfort her leaving her parents alone together in the bathroom.
Sho sighed with relief and carefully locked the door behind them.
++++
“Do you mind that everybody knows?” Jun asked. “I know you were excited about keeping it a secret.”
“I guess I don’t mind,” Sho said as he stood behind Jun, nibbling the side of his neck and wrapping his arms around his waist. “Since I was there when you peed on the stick three weeks ago, I’ve had lots of time to enjoy being the only one to know.”
“This time you will get the pleasure of being there every time I throw up, feel dizzy, fall asleep in he middle of dinner, get cranky, get indigestion and have excessively demanding cravings,” Jun said as he leaned back into his husband’s embrace, sighing happily as Sho soothingly rubbed his upset stomach.
“And I will treasure every moment of it, no matter how horrible you are to me,” Sho replied between kisses to Jun’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry that you missed out on the first weeks of my pregnancy with Hanami,” Jun said, turning to face Sho with a stricken expression.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. You did what you did for all the right reasons and now our marriage is much stronger for it. Plus, now I get to spend as much time with her as I like,” Sho said gently as he kissed Jun’s trembling lips. “If Nino will grant me five minutes with her that is.”
“The new hotel project is almost ready for presentation to your father. After that I probably won’t be in the office so much for the next few weeks until my morning sickness passes. I know that Nino loves to look after Hana-chan while we are working, but I don’t think that our clients will appreciate me throwing up on them.”
“Speaking of throwing up, I think you need some food,” Sho said worriedly.
“I’m fine,” Jun said as he pulled Sho closer.
“But our little bean sprout needs nourishment,” Sho protested.
“This just means that you want some of those mini quiche that Ohno has in the oven, right?” Jun replied with a giggle.
“Well…they did smell really good,” Sho said; his voice rising to a squeak as Jun ran his hand lightly over his crotch.
Jun shrugged and moved towards the door, only to be caught by Sho who pressed their hips firmly together and possessively captured his lips.
“I can always take some cold ones home with me for later,” Sho murmured as he squeezed Jun’s bottom between his hands.
“Mmmm,” Jun sighed as he melted into Sho’s embrace. “That’s only if Aiba doesn’t eat them all first.”
Jun knew that it was true love when Sho didn’t even flinch at the thought.