#he already tried to make a house for pochi when he was only staying a short time

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

Pov you married Baji

[sassypantsjaxon]

Festivals and Afterparties...

Kiku was already dressed when Ludwig arrived at his home. “Sorry I’m late,” he said as Kiku gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“You’re fine,” Kiku assured him, “Would you like to come in for a minute? I could make some tea?”

“No, I’m fine. We can go as soon as you’re ready.”

“One minute,” Kiku assured him with a soft smile before going back upstairs. Ludwig took the time to greet Kiku’s dog, who was also waiting by the door. “Alright,” Kiku said as he returned, shrugging his haori over his shoulders. He held on to Ludwig’s arm to support himself as he slid his shoes on. “Pochi, be good, I’ll be home later.”

Ludwig couldn’t help but smile as Kiku bid his dog farewell and locked his door before they left. Kiku hadn’t quite let go of Ludwig yet, just sliding his hand down from his elbow to hold his hand instead. Ludwig smiled down at him as they walked towards the station.

Kiku was wearing a dark blue kimono with a light floral pattern on it. Next to his traditional clothes, Ludwig felt a little underdressed in his sweater and sport jacket. “You look nice.” he said.

“Thank you,” Kiku glanced up at him, “So do you. And thank you for agreeing to come with me.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Kiku smiled, both of them knowing they could go back and forth all night with just gratitude and compliments. “How was work today?”

“It was good. But one of my students has been giving me some trouble, so I’ll have to see who I can talk to about that.” Kiku nodded. “What about you? Did you do anything exciting today?”

“No,” Kiku let go of his hand when they boarded the train, “Just this.” They sat down next to each other as the train started moving again. “Have you been to one of these festivals before?”

Ludwig shook his head, “I went to a shrine at new years, though.”

“I’ll make sure you don’t get lost or carried away.” Kiku assured him with another soft smile.

…

“Do…” Kiku paused as someone passed them on the platform, “Would you like to come home with me?” He asked as they waited for their trains after leaving the festival.

Ludwig looked at his boyfriend. Kiku was avoiding looking at him, instead watching as his train pulled into the station. If he didn’t make his decision now, Kiku would get on the train, and Ludwig would return to his flat by himself. “Yes, I’d like that.”

Even though Kiku still wasn’t looking at him, Ludwig could see him smile as they got onto the train together. It was a bit more crowded this time, so they were forced to stand together as the train started moving. Kiku’s cheeks were flushed a soft pink as he glanced up at Ludwig, it was a sharp contrast to the dark silk he was wearing. He looked beautiful.

Ludwig leaned down to kiss him, but Kiku pulled away at the last second, “Stop that,” he whispered, “We’re in public.” But that didn’t stop him from carefully wrapping his fingers together with Ludwig’s.

They were the only ones to get off at Kiku’s stop, Ludwig even waited until the train had pulled away before stealing a kiss. “You could at least wait until we’re home,” Kiku laughed as Ludwig kissed him again.

“It’s a good thing you don’t live far from here,” Ludwig murmured against his skin, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Kiku kissed him back, “Let’s go home…”

Neither of them let go of the other’s hand as Kiku led them to his house. Ludwig kissed his hand, distracting him as Kiku tried to use his other hand to unlock his door. Ludwig kissed his cheek and jaw and throat as he gently pushed Kiku’s haori off his shoulders and they left their shoes by the door.

“Come with me,” Kiku whispered as he led Ludwig upstairs to his bedroom. He leaned against the door to close it as Ludwig continued to kiss him. Kiku slowly ran his fingers through Ludwig’s hair, taking control of the kiss, deepening it and forcing Ludwig to slow down. 

Ludwig shrugged off his jacket as Kiku pulled on his tie to loosen it. His hands found Kiku’s waist and he hesitated as he looked down at Kiku’s traditional clothes. 

Kiku kissed his jaw, “Is there something wrong?” he asked, noticing Ludwig’s hesitance.

“I...don’t know how to remove this…”

Kiku looked down at his clothes, laughing a little, “Would you like me to do it?”

“I...would like...for you...to show me how…?”

Kiku looked up at him again, the pink flush returning to his cheeks, “...Alright…” He guided Ludwig’s hand to his back and the knot at the back of his obi, “Start by untying this…”

Ludwig leaned down to kiss him again as his fingers loosened the material, letting it fall to the floor. He bit Kiku’s lip, making him yelp in surprise and pull back. “Good,” Ludwig laughed, “Now what?”

“Um, there’s a fold here,” Kiku lifted some of the material around his waist, revealing another belt hidden there, “And then untie that,” Ludwig tucked his fingers under the koshi-himo, using it to pull Kiku that much closer before detangling the knot and dropping that too. Kiku looked up at him, close enough for them to breathe the same air. “And now that can come off.” Ludwig pushed his kimono open, off his shoulders, letting it join the rest of his clothes, leaving Kiku in his nagajuban. “You’re going to pick that up later.” Kiku threatened.

Ludwig leaned down like he was going to kiss him again, stopping when Kiku tilted his head back to meet him. “What next?” he murmured, his lips barely brushing against Kiku’s.

Kiku lifted Ludwig’s hands back to his waist and to a piece of elastic wrapped around him, “There’s a clip here,” Ludwig released the belt, “Just like last time.” Kiku pulled Ludwig down to kiss him again, sucking on his lower lip until he opened his mouth. 

Ludwig let himself get carried away for a minute, forgetting what he was supposed to be doing until Kiku pulled away and tugged on his collar to get his attention. Ludwig opened the nagajuban, kissing Kiku’s neck and collarbone as he dropped the garment. He was down to just a simple shirt and pants now. He groaned as Ludwig sucked on his collarbone, running his hands through his hair again before stepping away from the pile of his clothes and leading Ludwig towards his bed.

Ludwig broke away just long enough to lift his shirt off, before pushing Kiku down onto the bed, laying him down to pull his pants away, and then kissing him again, from his mouth to his neck, and then down his chest and stomach to-

“Wait-” Kiku gasped, laughing a little. He looked up at Ludwig, who was still almost completely dressed. “Now it’s my turn.”

…

“You still have to pick up my things,” Kiku reminded him after they were done.

“Now?” Ludwig groaned, perfectly content to stay tangled up with Kiku until they both fell asleep.

“Yes.” Kiku gave his boyfriend a look that said he was serious.

Ludwig stole a quick kiss before getting up, “Fine.” He picked his undershirt off the floor and jokingly tossed it at Kiku, “But you’re replacing that.”

“That’s fine.” Kiku sat up a little, perfectly content to admire Ludwig’s naked body as he bent down to pick up all their clothes.

[simnovels-blog]

Rags to Riches - Chapter 16

Well, my dear friends on the other side of the screen... this is it. My last message until I pass on the torch of tale telling to my son Jack. We have been through quite the rollercoaster that was my life together. From now on, the focus will switch to Jack. Of course that doesn't mean I will disappear forever. I'll still be a part of my son's life. I just won't be the one telling our life story anymore. You see, today was the day of Jack's teen birthday. He was turning into an independent person now, and I wouldn't be able to keep track of all his life experiences anymore. Today was the last day you could say I had control over his life. I knew more than anyone that teens couldn't be controlled like when they were kids. He had to explore the world and all the life experiences that came with it by himself. All I could do was offer him advice or guidance. Jack was the man of the house now.

Earlier that day I decided that our empty cage needed a new resident. I caught birds all the time during my work, so it wasn't hard to find a suitable little guy to fill up the emptiness. I caught a little Cardinal. Funnily enough, the first bird I had ever caught had been a Cardinal as well. He seemed happy enough to become a part of our little family.

After Jack came home from school, it was time to set up his birthday party. He had invited the Lopez girls Consuela and Betty. Betty's birthday would be a day later. Even though no one had shown up yet, Jack was already feeling the groove outside! We had decorated the garden for the party. Unfortunately it started raining quite badly that afternoon, but Jack didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. He loved the outdoors no matter what the weather was.

Betty and Consuela showed up just in time. This was the first time I got to meet Jack's new best friend. Betty was a sweet little girl. She seemed calm and intelligent. I hoped they would stay friends even as teens.

When everyone was settled, it was time to blow out the candles and age up! Last time Jack blew out candles, he had set the cake on fire... luckily right now that chance would be pretty minor with the rain protecting us from such disasters. Even though I was going to miss my little boy, I was still excited to see him grow up into a handsome young man like his father had been.

And handsome he was indeed! I wasn't the only one who noticed this, because as soon as he had aged up Consuela already invited him to dance with her. 'Someone has to welcome you into the teen life, so I'll allow you a nice dance with me to get used to dealing with girls now,' she said with a smile.  Betty sighed. 'That doesn't make sense, Consuela, because he's already used to hanging out with me.' Jack didn't seem to mind to dance with Consuela at all though. I couldn't believe my son had already aged up into a guy old enough to slow-dance with girls!

I had to admit, it felt a little awkward watching my son with his hand on the hip of some girl. I knew he wasn't truly interested in Consuela. She was way too old for him after all. But still, watching my son who now had interests in stuff like romance and dating was a strange thing to realize. It still seemed like yesterday that I had to drag his protesting toddler butt off the bouncing bee. I wondered if Bruce was able to watch his son grow up from heaven as well... And if he was, did he have the same thoughts as me? I wish he was still here so I could ask him what it was like to be the parent of a teenager. I only had my own teenage experiences to build on and they hadn't been great.

Betty and Consuela left later that evening and Jack, Pochi and I enjoyed dinner together in the garden. I tried to give Jack advice on all sorts of things. I just rambled about girls and about how complicated they were and that he should always be careful not to hurt anyone's feelings. Jack just laughed at me and let me rant a little bit. I hoped he would stay this relaxed during his entire teen stage. I probably wouldn't have the strength to deal with a rebellious teen. But if Jack was anything like his father, I had nothing to worry about. I was hopeful that he had a wonderful life in front of him. Now it was up to him to tell you all about it.

[simnovels-blog]

Rags to Riches - Chapter 7

Bruce was a sweetheart. He never once complained about the fact that I was pregnant and that he was going to have another baby at his age. He was completely focused on taking care of me and making sure me and the baby would stay as healthy as possible. He would cook us a fresh meal every day and he did all the chores in the house like cleaning the toilet and the shower or taking out the trash. He was the perfect man to live with, I couldn't wish for anything more. His calm and happy mood also helped me get over the fact that I had a baby inside me. I was still convinced I'd be a crappy mother, but I wasn't as scared as I had been when we came back from the doctor that day. I was starting to get used to the feeling of being pregnant, though I dreaded the day that baby would come out of me.

Pochi had grown so much! He was a full grown dog now and a very behaved one. I think he might have been a genius, because he picked up any trick we taught him very quickly. Pochi loved bellyrubs and he was quite hyper, always running around the house and playing with his toys. If my child was anything like Pochi, maybe I could survive this.

Bruce thought it wasn't a good idea for me to keep working once I was in my third trimester. Though that time was still far away, I agreed with him and decided to teach Pochi how to hunt, so that he could take my place while I was pregnant. This way, at least we wouldn't lose so much income. As I had already guessed, Pochi picked up hunting very quickly. He was such a good dog!

The first thing he came home with was a leaf, but after that he managed to find us a mineral worth more than 200 simoleons. Even if Pochi could only hunt once or twice a day, this would already be a great help. I felt a little more relaxed now, not having to worry about money because of this baby. It did remind me of the fact that this baby was going to cost a bunch of money as well though. At least we had a spare room to turn into a nursery.

At some moments, my hormones would overwhelm me and I'd panic about having a baby. I'd start rambling about what a terrible mother I would be, since my mother was never a good example to me. I worried if I would love the child enough, and if it would love me back. Bruce was wise enough not to bother me during these moments. As soon as he noticed my hormone rants were coming up, he would take Pochi out for a walk to give me some space.

Time flew by way too quickly. Before I knew it, contractions started and there I was standing in our brand new nursery screaming my lungs out with Bruce panicking behind me. You'd think he'd know what to do, since he had fathered two sons already! 'I AM NOT READY FOR THISS STAY INSIDE!' I yelled at my stomach, more because it hurt like hell than because of fear. I tried to think of happy stuff while I was going through all of this, like a baby deer or a rainbow... but nothing could save me from the torture of labor.

After what seemed to be days, months, or maybe even ages, I was finally able to hold my very own baby in my arms. It was a beautiful baby boy. I felt tears on my cheeks as I looked at him and saw a perfect blend of me and Bruce. No matter how scary all of this was, watching my very own child that I had with the man I loved so much was the most beautiful thing in the world. I never expected it to happen, but I felt an intense happiness holding the little guy. For that brief moment I felt like all the fear, the pain and the anxiety had all been worth it. We decided to name him Jack.

I had heard and read many horror stories about how hard it was to take care of a newborn, but I had to say, Bruce was a miracle when it came to Jack. He had such good timing in his care, that Jack almost never felt the need to cry. He hardly woke us up at night, except when he needed a clean diaper. Feeding him the bottle was actually fun, watching his big innocent eyes stare at you as he suckled on it. Things were going so well, that I was starting to get anxious and wondered when our luck would come to an end.

Even with the new cost of taking care of a baby, we were able to save up enough money to build ourselves a beautiful garden. Bruce felt it was important Jack would have a garden to play in once he was old enough. I agreed with him, and a few weeks later we had a lovely little place outside, with a barbeque, a big doghouse for Pochi, a place to relax in the sun and even a little pond! For Jack we had bought a bouncy bee to ride on. He was too small for it now, but he would be able to use it soon enough.

Now that I wasn't pregnant anymore, I felt that it was time for the next step in the relationship between me and Bruce. We had been engaged for over a year already. Because I had gotten pregnant and didn't want to have a wedding while I had a thick belly, we had postponed it. After Jack was born, we were so busy taking care of him that we completely forgot about getting married for a while. But now that we were adjusted to our new family situation, it was about time I put on a wedding dress! We didn't invite anyone. We had some friends, but none of them felt important enough to celebrate this moment with. Our wedding was something special, something between just us. We could hold a private ceremony in our lovely new garden and no one would ever bother us with their curiosity. It was perfect. I spent nearly half of our savings on a wedding dress. This was the first time since I had come to Hidden Springs that I had an opportunity to dress up. I spent hours on my hair and face and I rented a bunch of jewelry that I could never afford to actually buy. Though it was a whole lot of money spent on something I would only wear once in my life, it felt more than worth it. For this special moment, I wanted to be the most beautiful girl in the entire world.

Bruce on the other hand, well... his wedding outfit was a different story. He did have a smoking and he was wearing it already when Jack suddenly started crying. It turned out he drank his milk way too quickly and needed to burp. But with that burp, a bunch of vomit came up as well and spilled all over Bruce's smoking! So in the end, he had to change back into his normal clothing... On top of that it started to rain as well. But to me, none of it mattered. I was the happiest girl today, marrying a man that some women could only dream of having!

I started with my vows. 'When I moved to this town, I had nothing. Not even a penny. I didn't know where I was and I had no friends or anyone I knew that could help me get on my feet. My parents had completely abandoned me and never even bothered to think about my wellbeing when they sent me away. For days I dug through trash and dirt, trying to find stuff to sell so that I could earn a meager living. I had to hide in the fire station at night, sleeping in the bed of an unknown stranger, always scared that the police would show up and arrest me for breaking and entering. After a while, I did manage to get myself a tiny house, but I can honestly tell you that even though I had a roof above my head, I didn't feel alive or happy at all. I was lonely, isolated. I had money a home and plenty of adventures in the woods, but I had no one to share it with. Until I met you. You changed my life forever by approaching me in that library. You saved me. Thanks to you I learned what it really felt like to live a full life, with love, comfort, warmth and happiness. When I stepped out of that bus a few years back, I could've never imagined standing here right now, looking this pretty for a man so beautiful and amazing that I am still scared every day that you are just a dream and that I will wake up all alone again... I love you more than you will ever understand. I want nothing but to spend the rest of my life together with you and our amazing son.'

Bruce tried to tell me his own vows after mine, but he was too emotional to express himself properly. 'I-I... you are so amazingly beautiful today. You are so beautiful every day. I'm the luckiest man alive, to have found you at a time I thought my happiness had passed already...' His voice trembled a lot. I could see his eyes tear up a little, but he held them back as hard as he could. I touched his cheek and smiled at him. 'It's alright my love, you don't have to say anything more. I know. I can feel it every day you are with me.' He smiled back at me.

We sealed our vows with an intense and beautiful kiss filled with love. Pochi had come outside to witness our love. Or maybe he just wanted us to fill his food bowl... Whatever it was, being there outside with the three of us felt perfect. This was by far the best day of my life.