#takaofamily

[lyaenidae]

Moving in

Up in Miki's bedroom, Kenta kept telling her how cool her house was. And of course, she had to have him try the bed already. He was the only one who actually thought he was going to sleep in the backyard, of course she had no intention of letting him go that far away !

It was both of their first times, and afterwards, they went downstairs to have a cup of tea and a little snack.

Down on the balcony, they were just constantly smiling to each other. Kenta thought it was the best time to give her the one thing he'd been holding onto since he'd got back from his time alone in Granite Falls...

It meant a lot to him, it was symbol of the long-lasting bond they had with each other, a reminder of when exactly he'd fallen for her... He'd caught some rainbow fireflies of his own to gift to her. And with it, he'd attached a message, written with his whole heart.

Not only did she love it, but she also had a gift from him. A trinket she'd found back when she was living in San Myshuno, that had made her think of him at the time.

"How funny would it be if it had been on the same day that we'd gotten these gifts for each other, without even realising it !" he laughed. And even if it hadn't been exactly the same day, it was definitely around the same time. They put these two gifts together in the kitchen, so that they could see them often.

And life went on quite peacefully after that day, Miki going to school, learning everything she could as quickly as possible, and Kenta still enjoying his job but having some nice home time to counter the fast pacing that was forced on him there...

[lyaenidae]

Blooming relationship

Kenta and Miki kept seeing each other, almost every day after his work shift. They would go on little movie dates, no pressure, just hanging out together. Always just so happy to be with each other. And they were making sure to actually catch the movie this time, and mostly tried to keep the making out to during of after the movie !

They would take long walks by the water, enjoying all the things they shared, from their wild experiences to their more settled habits and lifestyles.

They just couldn't get enough of each other, sometimes going out really late just to grab some food together before they went to bed.

Slowly getting to know each other again, while remembering the good old times. And then, one Sunday morning, Kenta decided today was the day. He phoned her early, crossing his fingers that she wouldn't be still asleep.

She was out of bed, but not dressed just yet. "Hey Ken, what's up ?" "Hey ! I was just wondering if you wanted to meet up later today ?" "Sure, I don't have much planned for the day, I'd love to see you !"

"I'm going on a hike this morning, I need to clear my head a bit, work's been driving me crazy lately, but we can meet up this afternoon at Gilbert Gardens if you're up for it !" "Sounds good, see you then" she smiled, her senses tingling, something was up with him, he wasn't acting like usual. And she was right, he was planning to ask her something special.

[lyaenidae]

Kaisei is born

The morning of the due date, Kenta is out in the garden and notices that him and Miki aren't the only one making babies on this land...

Everything is ready, everyone knows what they're going to do and how to do it. This birth is planned at home this time, so that nothing can surprise the couple and they can stay focused. Sumire is having a great time looking cute, awaiting her baby brother's arrival.

But then, as he's burping her, proud of his little family, Kenta can feel something under his feet. They have gotten used to it now, and he knows how to handle little seismic disruptions, but he feels like this one might be slightly stronger than the usual... And as it keeps getting worse and worse, Miki comes through the door, with the expected news : she's in labour already.

It is safe to say that there was a little bit of panic. Sumi got dumped somewhere they knew she wouldn't feel the rumbling earth, safe and sound, and Kenta went to prepare the bath, even though the tremors weren't slowing down...

In a bit of a panic, he convinced Miki that it would probably be better to have the baby in the bedroom, where everything was more or less soft and squishy, in case the earthquake kept getting worse. She agreed and they moved room.

Both the birth and the earthquake went on for a long time. Kenta had to go get Sumi and hold her, give her a nap, take a nap himself... And then finally, Kaisei Takao was born.

[lyaenidae]

Making another one ?

Sumire is hitting new milestones every day, leaving her parents with a lot of pride, but also a bit of a bittersweet feeling that she's growing up too fast.

One morning, as they sit down for breakfast, Kenta asks, trying to sound innocent : "Don't you think we're doing great with her ?" "Of course we are, you are the greatest dad !"

"So........" "So you want another one ?" she laughs, guessing where this conversation was heading. "Yeah." he admits, his smile only half mischievous.

"And it so happens that I have been thinking about it for a while now too. I really don't want to have only one child anyway, and I think it would be nice if they were sort of close in age" "Shall we start trying then ?" "I am all yours ! And if it takes a little while... Well we could practice as much as possible" she says with a wink.

That Sunday, as Kenta went to the community library to read up on work things and take Sumi out, she reached even more milestones.

And while that was happening... Miki started feeling nauseous.

She had put a little bit of weight on already but thought it might because of Kenta's great cooking skills. She wasn't expecting things to happen this quickly, if she was honest. But that day, while Kenta was out, she took a pregnancy test... And when he came back, changing Sumi to get her ready for her nap and putting her down for a moment...

Miki met him in the bathroom, too surprised to wait any longer to share the news !

"Ken, we're having another baby !" "Wow, this fast ?! That's amazing !! I didn't think we would be this efficient !" "Me neither" she laughs. "Alright, let me go put our first born to sleep and I will take care of you and our second baby !" he promised. A little while later, he was coming back out of Sumi's bedroom and promising his wife everything she wanted.

"What do you think, should the kids share a bedroom ?" "Well... I was wondering if we could use the recent promotion money I got to extend the house a bit and get a third bedroom... That way, we would never have to worry about one baby waking up the other, or teenagers being mad they have to share a room..."

"That's a great idea. Maybe we can move the garden along a little and find space at the back of the house for it." "Oh that's a good idea !" "Good, it's settled then. Now come here, let's celebrate..."

From then on, the house was planned to get an extension and Miki got to enjoy her second pregnancy....... almost as much as she had enjoyed the first one. Even though this one was giving her much more gas, back pains and nausea...

She even had to take a few days off from work towards the end of the pregnancy, which she wasn't too mad about because she got to enjoy some quality time with her daughter as a result.

The garden was moved, the house extended, and everything was ready for the arrival of baby number two.

[lyaenidae]

Random pics of Taku coming over for his sister to show him pics on her phone and to do pushups next to his niece :P

I choose to think he needed advice and that's why he came over. And then maybe he just wanted to get on Sumi's level ? Who knows !

[lyaenidae]

And right after, Winterfest !

They didn't leave Mt Komorebi alone and took the ferry back along with Kenta's family, to spend Winterfest all together in San Sequoia.

On Winterfest morning, some people had trouble waking up, but others were ready to break as many milestones as possible !

It seemed as if Sumire knew she was watched by even more people for a few days, so she couldn't help but make it interesting for them ! Although, the family reunited under the same roof for more than a day was already cause for celebration, and spirits were high.

The afternoon was amazing, everyone having some quiet time and Itsuki having time to bond with his grandchild.

Later, as Miki was putting Sumi to sleep, everyone finished their Grand Dinner, Sakura and Isui proving that, like mother like son, they could fit loads more in their bellies than other people could !

After the food, Isui got to tell his grandad everything he thought he was going to get for Winterfest, and Kenta and Sakura took some time to properly reconnect and share deeper conversations. This is what family gatherings are for after all.

Then it was time for the gifts !!!

Kenta snuck outside to give Isui his top secret gift of a little rodent creature he had found in their garden, and told him exactly how to take care of it.

When they came back inside, Miki was opening her last gift, the one Kenta had gotten for her. He shoots her a knowing glance before she opens it and realises the box is empty.

"Is there nothing in there ?" She tears the wrapping paper and finds out it's a box for a coffee maker, but with nothing inside. "It's already set up in the kitchen for you, my dad and I just put it in when you were putting Sumi to bed. Just in case you need it urgently !" He winks, knowing how long she's wanted to get one of them and yet refrained because she didn't want to rely on it too much. "I'll keep you right, if needed, don't worry" he adds, smiling at her when she starts cheering after having finally seen it.

As an extra present, and probably to keep her mother from using the coffee maker too quickly, Sumire slept through the night for the first time on Winterfest. That was the best present either of them got that year.

[lyaenidae]

Harvestfest, and a first birthday !

It's Harvestfest !

And it's also Haeju's first birthday ! Not only has Miki just met her niece, not able to come over sooner to see the baby, but she's also aging up into an infant today !

Sumi is a bit confused, not fully understanding the concept of birthdays just yet, but she trusts her grandad and knows he won't pass her to her uncle, who just loves playing tricks on her already ! She'll stay a safe distance.

Her other uncle is trying to pretend he made the food, and as everyone starts eating and sharing stories about the year that just passed, Sumi finally falls asleep, in her daddy's arms, as usual.

She only wakes up again when they are about to leave and her little cousin Haeju has finally aged up. Taku doesn't exactly know how to take care of her just yet, but he's confident they'll get there. He can always call Miki for information if needed.

[lyaenidae]

First infant milestones

Oh, isn't it the perfect moment when your first born coos for the first time ? Or when you discover more and more about what makes her unique and different from all the other babies you've held in your life ?

Sumire is a child who isn't missing out on th elove her parents have to offer. She breaks milestones like you've never seen before, even sometimes at night while sleeping, just in case you forgot about her, forcing her mummy to give her her first bath before leaving for work the next day...

And also seeing said mother take a quick nap on the floor after having dropped her back in her crib.

After work that day, they enjoy a little bit of peace and quiet while Sumi has a nap, and Kenta takes the opportunity to make a great meal for them.

"How did your day go ?" "You mean the 10 minutes I managed to keep my eyes open ?" he laughs. "Yeah... This is hard." "Exhausting... Come here, we don't get any time to ourselves anymore, I want to enjoy it !"

When they finally sit down to eat, both of them are aware that their baby could wake up any minute now. They enjoy a nice dinner, sharing their different experiences with her and smiling about how tired but happy they are.

Later that evening, after they enjoyed going to bed at the same time for once, Sumi wakes up. It's Kenta's turn.

And when he hears her laugh for the very first time, he decides, right there and then. As exhausting as it is, he wants to have many more babies, wants to give joy to all of these little humans that seem so precious to him... He'll have to talk to Miki about it.

[lyaenidae]

Sumi's first trip to Mt Komorebi

As soon as she aged into an infant, Kenta and Miki took their first born daughter back to their home town. She seemed quite curious about everything around her, happily snuggled into her parents' arms.

She gave her first real smile to her auntie Sakura, as soon as she saw her again, and while her daddy was catching up with his little brother's drama.

When she got a bit unsettled again in Sakura's arms, she got passed back to Kenta, who made a point to introduce her a bit better to Isui, who didn't really have a chance to bound with the baby originally during their visit at the house.

Being in his childhood house made him feel safe and nostalgic. He couldn't help to take a moment to himself, as he was trying to put the baby to sleep in the quieter living-room, and think of all he had done in his life... Of all his achievements though, this one seemed the most important.

A few hours later, as Sumi was still asleep, Kenta, Miki, Sakura and Isui decided to go on a little hike in the bamboo forest, maybe even to pay a visit to Kenta and Sakura's mum.

As tired as Miki was feeling, still not getting as much rest as she would have liked, she managed to get really excited when her best friend from back home, who was also almost her sister-in-law, caught up with them and started walking alongside them, keeping up with the pace even though she was intensely pregnant.

As they approached the cemetery, Sumi started to wake up again and fuss a little.

They managed to side track it and focus on being close to their mother's grave, telling little Sumi how proud her grandma would be if she saw her.

Meanwhile, Miki and Nanami were catching up, revealing all the hardships and gossip that had been happening to them and around them.

"How are you ? Taku says you're not the happiest pregnant woman..." "That's an understatement if you want my opinion ! This little one is making my life hell ! I can't wait until she's out and about, then I can really take care of her !" "Can I ?" Miki asked, not wanting to overstep any boundaries.

"Of course, go ahead ! And while you're at it, give me all the advice you can think of, I'm going to need it !" Nanami laughed.

"It's so nice to see you, you know !" Miki said after she had given all of the information she could. "I know, I'm so happy to have you around a little !" "When's my brother going to make you my actual sister-in-law then ?" "Your guess is as good as mine ! And it's not for lack of trying on my part, I love him to bits, I'm even carrying his spawn ffs !"

Their laughter reached the other side of the bamboo forest, their spirits always high when together.

[lyaenidae]

Introducing Sumire to everyone

Just before she turned into an infant, Miki and Kenta decided it would be nice for their friends to meet her as a baby. They had a small garden party and their old neighbours, as well as Miki's old boss came.

Both of them were so happy to have everyone over. And their friends were very happy to... not meet Sumi properly ! Because she slept through the whole thing !

The next day, they managed to make a trip out of the house, to go and see Miki's best friend in San Sequoia, as well as her husband and three children.

"Dude, a toddler, an infant AND a baby ? How are you doing this ? I'm not even sure we're using the right diapers most of the time ! Do you have a secret ?" asked Kenta, bewildered that their house was still standing. "I think you're doing perfectly already, just make sure you go through hardships as a team, it really does help..." said Nasib with a kind of calm Kenta hoped he would one day be able to reach.

Then they spent time with the kiddos, some upstairs, and some downstairs.

When they went home, they were both a bit reassured about their future infant. But they still made sure to appreciate the last of the newborn state as much as possible, not letting her leave their arms, always with her, day and night.

At some point, they looked at each other, a knowing smile creeping up on their faces...

"She looks so much like you... I can't wait to have more..." Kenta said, hesitant at first. "Ken ! That's exactly what I was thinking !" she smiled, a few tears in her eyes, hormones still playing up. "I love you two..." "Me too."

[lyaenidae]

Welcoming their first baby !

Her water broke in the middle of the night, and of course, they hadn't considered this when deciding not to get a car because everything is walking distance in their neighbourhood. So Miki had an unprepared bathroom delivery ! Good thing that their doctor was on the phone with them the whole time... But anyway, that's how Sumire Takao-Akiyama came into the world ! Already loved to bits by both her parents, but particularly her mum, who was sure that everything would be perfect the minute she got to smell her head.

"She's so pretty isn't she ?" said Kenta as soon as they had her cleaned up and in her bassinet.

"Yeah, she's amazing !" confirmed Miki, dozing off. "You're even more amazing my love..." he whispered to her, giving her a smile that meant the world to both of them.

Then he spent the next hours holding Sumire, getting her anything she needed as soon as she needed it. Meanwhile, Miki let herself slowly drift off on the chair. Both of them struggled to leave the baby's room that next morning.

Later that day, Miki got a call from Kenta's dad after the news had been shared. Itsuki was only calling to tell her he was so incredibly proud of the three of them and that they could call him anytime if they ever needed anything, even just reassurance about something. He had been a father three times, sometimes on his own, so he knew how scary it could get, and how much a listening ear could do.

Miki assured him that they would absolutely love to have them around to meet the baby as soon as it was possible. They also invited her side of the family, and Sumi met her family only a couple days later.

It helped a great deal, to have family around. But then they also felt a bit more focused on the baby when everyone went back home on the ferry. They were able to really bask in the newborn stage and appreciate it as much as possible, knowing very well Sumi wouldn't stay this small for ever !

Trying to prepare for that next stage, actually, Kenta built her a little bird mobile, already finding so many things he could do for his little princess.

[lyaenidae]

Saying goodbye to your best friend

Soon, it was time for Miki's old boss, Amber's real owner, to come back into town. And everyone thought it was just the right time for Amber to go back to live with her at the townhouse, especially as Miki was getting dangerously close to her due-date.

But that didn't mean it made it easy. That morning, Miki got up really early, woken up by the baby moving around a bit too much. And she spent the whole morning hanging out with the dog that had became such a bit part of her life... When her old boss came knocking, later that day, Amber seemed so happy to see her, it softened the pain for Miki and Kenta.

They welcomed her in and she thanked them profusely for everything they had done for her, as well as Amber.

After loads of catching up, but still too soon, it was time to say goodbye. Miki gave Amber all of the love she could, sure that she'd bee seeing her soon, but still very sad to have to part.

And then, without missing a beat, Amber headed straight for Kenta.

He had started loving her the same way Miki did, as his own dog, but he didn't realise she had also bonded with him enough to want him to give him pets and hugs before leaving their house. He gave them the special smooches she loved, holding his tears back.

When Amber left with her owner, the house was the same as it had always been, and yet it felt quite empty to them.

"Don't you think we'll feel lonely without her ?" "I'm sure we will. We'll miss her. But soon we'll have a little baby crawling around, so I'm sure the house will feel crazy enough without Amber around. Although we need to have her over as often as possible !" "Yeah... I'm a bit worried about this baby. How do we know we'll do a good job ? Plus, there have been tons of seismic phenomenon lately here..."

"Come here" he said, folding his arms around her. "Tons of people have grown up here, with those tremors and earthquakes, I'm sure our children will be fine with it ! And I don't even know how you can think we might do a bad job, considering everything we do as a team always succeeds." "Mmh..." she said, seemingly not convinced. "Trust me, I'll prove it to you. It might take years, but we'll both be so proud and happy, I can feel it." "Well I'm glad you feel this way, because I feel like I could burst any second now !"

"And I can't wait to meet this sweet little baby that we'll grow together." - It's a good thing they were ready for it, because Miki went into labour that very night. -

[lyaenidae]

The biggest kind of news

The day has come. For a few days now, Miki has been waking up with nausea and not been able to shake it off for a couple of hours.

Thinking about all these times they talked about having a baby and the few times they didn't use protection, she takes a test, which reveals what she thought it would.

It feels a bit surreal at first. Eventually, Kenta comes home from work, and as she's about to say it for the first time, it finally sinks in, and she's a bit choked up. Kenta puts his keys and wallet down before asking her, from across the house : "Miki, how are you feeling ? Did you see that the rebate day money came in ?"

"I did Ken... But that wasn't the best news I've had today..." she answers, coming out of the bathroom as he's about to go in the bedroom looking for her. "Oh ? Are you feeling better ?" "Not quite, I suspect this is going to be a problem for a little while actually... But at least now I know what provokes it..." "Do you ?" "Ken... It's morning sickness !"

"You're- We're having a baby ?!" he asks, a surge of happiness overcoming him at once. "I am, we ARE !" she says, her smile rivalling with his. "Our regular tries have paid ? You've done a test ?" "Two tests !" she laughs. "I just did another one just before you came home because I needed to be 100% sure before getting you excited !" "Oh I am excited, my love !"

Amber whines at them, wondering what the yelling and excitement is about. When they part, Kenta slowly caresses her cheek, smiling. "I can't wait to have a mini crossover of us, running around this house. I'm so happy, thank you !" "Why are you thanking me ? We've done this together, much like everything else" she smiles, loving him a bit more every word. "Absolutely, and we will make sure to keep it that way !" "Now do you feel like celebrating ?" Miki asks, a bit of mischief in her tone.

"I do... And after that, I'll run you a bath so you can relax, and I'll make dinner tonight !" Kenta couldn't tame the huge smile on his face. It was just all so perfect. He wanted the whole world to meet Miki, or someone raised by her. He wanted everyone to always know that no one else could even compare to how great of a human she was.

And he did take care of her that night, making sure she had everything she could possibly need. He'd always been very attentive, and he couldn't help being even more aware now.

[lyaenidae]

In the meantime... in Mt Komorebi

Seiji cam over to help with the move and had a few interesting conversations with Kenta while doing so. Including some in which his love interests were heavily discussed. Yes, love interests, plural. And that's not even the juiciest bit... Remember when Seiji and his mom moved out of Itsuki's house ? They went to live with Kiana's best friend, who also had children. Two. About the same age as Seiji. And although only one of them seemed to have a crush on him originally, with enough time and moments together, Seiji ended up dating both of them... ... AT THE SAME TIME.

Of course, they weren't aware of this... But after he speaking with his big brother, Seiji realised that he wasn't with either of them for the right reasons. And being with both of them without the other knowing had become a bit too complicated. So he asked them both if they could simply just stay friends. Even though he still had an appreciation for Kiko's body.

And just like that, Seiji was single again. But this didn't last long, as he met a girl at work not too long after. Just a few dates, some babysitting Seiji's nephew, and there they were, developing strong feelings for each other and becoming official !

We'll now go back to our regularly scheduled updates of Kenta and Miki, hope you liked seeing a bit more of Seiji !

[lyaenidae]

Moving to their own house !

The day has come, Miki and Kenta are leaving their lovely townhouse behind. And it's bittersweet.

Miki spends days packing, returning the house to the state it was in when she moved in. She takes time to reassure Amber, who's getting worried they're going to leave her behind. "Of course you're coming with us little one ! At least as long as my old boss isn't back in town, then you can come back to live in this house."

It takes a lot of effort, but by the time Kenta's home from work that day, everything is ready. And that's a good thing because Seiji is coming over to give them a hand. Before his brother arrives, Kenta takes a minute to watch over Miki as she's napping on their soon-to-be old couch, day-dreaming, still as in love with her as ever.

Sooner than later, Seiji knocks on the door and everything is set in motion quite quickly, even the dog helping out, or getting in the way, depends who you ask !

Soon, everything has been moved to the new house and Miki is trying to convince Amber that this house is safe and she can come inside without fear.

Of course, that very first night, they christen the bedroom...

Then the next morning, Miki is leaving early to her new job as a judge, a colleague giving her a lift. Kenta takes a bit longer to wake up, not used to his new surroundings, and starts unpacking to feel a bit more at home. All their little trinkets and gifts to each other are rapidly put out on display in the new house.

The neighbours of course come knocking, and Kenta gets dressed quickly to welcome them in, not letting them stay too long as he's got to get to work very soon.

Quickly, a routine starts to settle for them both. Life is easy, days are short, there's always things to do, the new house comes along and their jobs take a lot of their time.

One night, Kenta crosses path with a small rabbit and starts talking to it like he used to do it during their trip to HoB. The bunny seems surprised at first but can't help but be intrigued by this human telling him he's the reason the area is now suitable for rabbits to live in. They exchange life lessons and gifts, before Kenta goes to sleep, dreaming about his future in this house.

[lyaenidae]

What comes after

The day after the wedding, Miki and Kenta are discussing the fact that Miki quit her job as an interior decorator to be a Judge, as she's making them something to eat.

"I really think I'll miss it loads. Law isn't as creative of a field..." "You can always decorate our house..." says Kenta, clearly hiding something. "The townhouse ? You know I can't do that, I've changed everything I could change there, my old boss will soon come back to SanSequoia and when she does, it has to be more or less how she left it..." "No, Miki. I mean the house we bought."

"The one in the green neighbourhood ?! The one we put an offer on months ago ?!" "Yes. They just called. We got it !" More celebrating ensued and when they got back, they started packing the townhouse up. Miki felt so much better, especially since the new house would only be a short walking distance from her new job.