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Falling In and Out of Sanity
Fandom: Nobuta wo Produce
Written for: lynnmonster in the Yuletide 2006 Challenge
by Nu Hiep
Many thanks to my best friend and beta for her diligent editing of this story. Her input was crucial in the writing process.
I very much hope that this story matches the spirit of the original series.
The baby's name is Hikaru, because Hikaru means light and hope and all that stuff that Shuji didn't really know about until he met Akira and Nobuta. But that didn't come until much, much later - the name and the baby formula and the worrying and parenting. Right then, right there, he was too busy freaking out and then keeping Akira from freaking out too, because Akira could get pretty crazy when he was angry/frightened/panicked.
"What do you mean, `Here's the baby'?" Akira flailed and hovered around Nobuta, jerking away whenever the baby waved its tiny hands. Nobuta stared back at him, cradling the whimpering infant in her arms. "You can't just walk into a man's apartment and tell him, `Here's the baby'!"
"Calm down!" Shuji grabbed a handful of Akira's shirt, pulling him away from Nobuta, but Akira shrugged him off like he was little more than a suit jacket.
"Whose baby is that?" Akira demanded, face reddening, "It's not - not - that Shittaka punk's is it? Is it?" Nobuta blinked, uncomprehending, and Akira balled his fists.
"That was five years ago," Shuji interrupted, "I don't think she even remembers Shittaka."
"I'm gonna kill `im!"
"You're not going to kill anyone!" Shuji said, shoving Akira from the side, just enough to talk to Nobuta. "Nobuta, seriously, that's not your baby, is it?"
Nobuta shook her head.
"Oh - oh, then that's okay, I guess," Akira said, suddenly calm again, slouching sideways as if nothing had happened. Shuji rolled his eyes.
"So then whose baby is that?" Akira asked, peering curiously into the folds of the blanket swaddling the baby. Shuji craned his head forward too.
"Mariko's."
"What?" Both boys jumped back into each other's arms, recoiling as if Nobuta was cradling a hissing black adder. Shuji gripped Akira's muscled arm like it was his last lifeline.
No. Way. There was just - No. Way.
"Are you serious?" Shuji yelled, and Akira winced, shoving Shuji away from him. Shuji stepped back towards Nobuta, really looking at the baby this time, looking for Mariko in its wrinkled face. That little pink creature couldn't have come from Mariko - not lovely, elegant, patient Mariko. "Are - are you really serious?"
Nobuta nodded. This was Nobuta. She was always serious. Shuji and Akira stared at the baby, then at one another.
"Impossible," Akira muttered, and Shuji nodded. Mariko was not the type, right? A girl who had everything wouldn't make a mistake like this, right? The boys glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes, thinking the same thing. How well did anyone know perfect Mariko, after all?
"Wait, so when did - I mean, did you know the whole time?" Shuji asked, "The whole time she was pregnant."
"You guys are best friends, right?" Akira added.
Nobuta nodded.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Shuji asked. Nobuta told them everything, called them every week with reports and photos and sent things she thought they'd enjoy in the mail.
"Mariko didn't want anyone to know." Girl's secrets again. Sometimes Shuji forgot that Nobuta was a girl.
"Wow," Akira said, and Shuji had to agree.
"Wait - but why?" Shuji asked Nobuta, "Why bring the baby here?"
"We didn't know what to do," Nobuta answered, "But Shuji always knows."
"Wait, wait - what?" Shuji was twenty-two and getting old fast. He hadn't heard her right. "What do you mean, `Shuji always knows'?"
Nobuta offered the baby to Shuji as an answer. Akira immediately backed away, hands up in a warding gesture. Traitor.
"Whoa, no - no way," Shuji protested as Nobuta shoved the baby against his chest. Shuji's arms automatically wrapped around the bundle and he found himself holding an armful of blanket and child. When had she gotten so assertive?
"Wait - wait! What am I supposed to do with this?" Shuji demanded, voice rising with hysteria. He tried to give the baby back, but Nobuta was already walking towards the door.
"Keep it until Mariko's ready to take her back," Nobuta replied, and she was firm about this, Shuji could tell.
"Whoa, I'm sorry, Shuji-kun," Akira said, shaking his head, "If you're going to keep that thing, then you're going to have to find a different apartment." Akira started to walk away, heading towards the kitchen.
"What?" Shuji squawked in dismay. This was the penthouse apartment Akira's dad gave him as a graduation gift, and Shuji was sponging off him, as friends did.
"Akira," Nobuta, her voice disapproving, "You help too."
"What?" It was Akira's turn to be dismayed, "But Nobuta-"
"No."
"Fine." Akira never denied Nobuta. Ever.
"Nobuta, but how long are we supposed to watch the baby?" Shuji asked, a note of desperation in his voice.
"Yeah, you know men are bad with children," Akira chimed in, "Kids wouldn't survive to adulthood if they didn't have mothers."
"For as long as it takes Mariko to decide what she wants to do with it," Nobuta replied.
And that was that.
****
Akira was right. He was almost always right. Somehow, men were bad with children.
For instance, they didn't know the baby's name for nearly a month. Akira noticed first.
After a month.
"Shuji-kun," Akira said, juggling the baby on one hip and an armful of diapers on the other, "What's the baby's name?"
"Huh?" Shuji looked up from where he slumped on the couch in his interview clothes, suit pants rucked up to his knees so that a stretch of hairy leg showed above his black dress socks. He was embroidering over a vomit stain on one of the baby's shirts. "Umm . . . `Baby,' obviously."
"Wait," Akira stopped and tossed the diapers on the glass-topped dining room table, "You don't know either?"
The two men stared at each other.
"Shuji-kun is a bad father." Akira shook his head. The baby gurgled.
Shuji just rolled his eyes and called Nobuta.
Apparently the baby's name was Hikaru, but whether that was Mariko's choice or Nobuta's remained a mystery.
****
Life continued in relative peace for several months. Well, as peaceful as life with a baby could be, what with the midnight feedings, the illness, the crying and wailing and constant, constant vigilance. But Shuji and Akira managed, learning from the advice of their fathers, the neighbors, and various authoritative Internet childrearing sites. Akira even subscribed them to a mailing list of new mothers. They agreed on Nobuko as their user handle.
"Trouble in paradise, Shuji-kun!" Akira burst into Shuji's room, and threw himself onto the bed with a whumph of displaced air. The bed springs creaked.
"Careful!" Shuji admonished. The baby sat in his lap, trying to reach the laptop on Shuji's desk, and he swatted her hands away gently.
"Shuji-kun, you have to help me," Akira moaned, writhing around on Shuji's bed, knocking off pillows and books, "My dad wants me to start work next week."
"Then go to work." Shuji turned back to his computer and continued typing an email to the new mothers mailing list. Hikaru was teething now, and his dad said that freezing her teething ring would help numb the pain of her teeth breaking through her gums, but Shuji wanted a second opinion. What if her tongue got stuck or something?
"But, Shuji!" Akira bounced off the bed and grabbed Shuji's shoulders, shaking him.
"Get off!" Shuji swatted at Akira's hands too, annoyed, and curled an arm protectively around Hikaru's head.
"What do I do? I have no idea how to be an executive. I don't - I don't know how to act. I don't want to be a boring salaryman! I don't want to change myself. I don't even own a suit!" Akira paced back and forth, waving his hands about frantically, half hysterical.
"Akira - Akira!" Shuji said, interrupting Akira's panic attack, "Just remember Nobuta."
"What about Nobuta?" Akira stopped pacing, hands fisted in his bleached hair.
"Being popular's a lot like being an executive, right?"
"Um . . . no." Akira stared at Shuji.
"No, listen," Shuji said, impatient. "Try to think about it like this: You're not being an executive. You're playing an executive."
"Like acting?"
"Yeah."
"Shuji-kun, no way," Akira scoffed, bending over and taking Hikaru out of Shuji's lap. He tickled the baby, making sickening cooing sounds.
"Akira, listen to me, you're not going to change. You're not going to become boring. Just think of it as producing." Shuji got up, picking pillows off the floor.
"Producing? Producing me?"
"Yeah, producing the `executive'" Shuji answered, straightening, a book in one hand and a t-shirt in the other.
"Do you think it'll work?" Akira asked, dubious. He kissed Hikaru's cheek absent-mindedly.
"Everything's got rules" Shuji replied, waving a hand at Akira's scoffing expression. "We'll figure it out, right?"
"Right." Akira nodded, rocking back on his heels.
"Don't worry, you've got me." Shuji grinned.
"Really?" Akira smiled.
"Yeah, I'll produce you, Company Executive Kusano Akira," Shuji said, taking Hikaru from Akira, "And Hikaru-chan will help too, won't she?" Shuji planted a kiss on her other cheek.
"Cool, now that's the man I chose," Akira cheered, grinning back, "I knew there was a reason I let you live here."
****
Shuji worked at Starlights, a small talent agency in Japan for women. They managed mostly magazine models and a few popular gravuri models, but none of their girls had made it to the big time yet. The founders formerly worked for places like Johnny's Entertainment and Stardust Promotions, but broke off and formed their own company.
Shuji started working there about four months after Hikaru-chan moved in with them, assisting Tanaka-san, a jovial, aging, veteran manager, with his various clients. It was mostly scut work - ordering office supplies, making photocopies, faxing contracts, assembling portfolios - but it was important scut work. It exposed Shuji to the backstage process of making an idol, which wasn't a pretty process. But Shuji knew that already, didn't he? All the girls reminded him of Nobuta. Maybe they were louder. Maybe they were more poised, but each one was Nobuta all the same.
"Shuji-kun, good, I'm glad you here - whoa!" Tanaka-san said, staring at the giggling baby in Shuji's arms, "What's with the baby?"
"I am so, so sorry, sir," Shuji said desperately, trying not to drop the diaper bag, the baby, the baby carrier, or the stack of photocopies in his arms as he bowed jerkily, "I - my roommate had to go to work today and there wasn't anyone to take her!"
"Shuji-kun - Shuji-kun," Tanaka-san laughed, grabbing the photocopies away from Shuji, "I was just joking." He patted Shuji on the shoulder. "Is she yours?"
"What - oh no! No." Shuji shook his head, trying to untangle Hikaru's fingers from his hair. "She - Hikaru-chan - belongs to a friend of mine. I'm - she needed me to take care of the baby for a while. She's kind of in a situation." Shuji mumbled the last bit awkwardly.
"Hikaru-chan is really cute, isn't she?" Tanaka-san said, tickling the baby, and she grabbed his finger. "That's fine. I understand. I have three daughters myself. I'll let you process this new client and do desk work today, but find someone else to take her next time, okay?"
"Hai!" Shuji bowed to Tanaka-san, grateful. "Thank you, Tanaka-san!"
"Now, take a look out there," Tanaka-san motioned him over to the window that looked out over the small waiting room, pointing at one of the potential clients.
"Yes?" Shuji peered through the window, trying to be discreet.
"See that girl in the green dress?"
Shuji nodded. The girl in question was a tiny sprite with a head of bleached curls, and skinny, pale limbs. She was definitely cute. A distinct face - sweet looking - definitely uncommon, unusual.
"That's our new client. Kishimoto Sakura. Seventeen-years-old. Talented kid. Very photogenic. Can dance, sing, act, hell, she could probably levitate if she wanted to." Tanaka-san leaned against the far wall, arms crossed over his chest. "Problem is that no one wants her."
"What?" Shuji turned to look at Tanaka-san. Hikaru cooed in agreement.
"I know. I've been shopping her picture around to all the magazines and television stations, but no one's interested. I'm trying to think of what to do with her. This kid's got what it takes to be big."
"It might take something a little unconventional to get her noticed," Shuji murmured, stroking Hikaru's hair absently.
"Well, keep your ear to the ground, Shuji-kun, and let me know if you can think of anything." Tanaka-san levered himself off the wall and walked towards his office.
"Sure," Shuji replied.
****
The best place to be on a Saturday morning, in Akira's opinion, was in bed. His favorite time was early morning when the light of dawn was just peeping through the slats of the custom blinds. Akira could just pull the blankets over his head and go back to sleep, because he didn't have anywhere to go.
Ever since Hikaru-chan arrived, however, those sacred Saturday mornings had gone the way of the dinosaurs and cassette tapes.
"Akira, wake up!" Akira's door banged open, and Shuji stomped into the room. Akira burrowed deeper into his warm nest of sheets.
"Go away," Akira groaned in vain.
"It's your turn to watch the baby. I need to take a shower. Here."
A squealing lump landed on his stomach, and Akira swore, catching the baby before she tumbled off.
"Careful! That's a baby, not a sack of rice!" Akira glared at Shuji's retreating back.
"Feed her, okay?" Shuji said over his shoulder.
"Awww . . ." Akira whined. Hikaru-chan laughed. Akira made a kissing face at her. Kon-kon! His fingers nipped her tiny nose, and she giggled.
"Hey, I had to sleep with her last night," Shuji replied, leaning in Akira's doorway so that the light from the hallway backlit his slender figure. "For some reason, she woke up at three in the morning and wouldn't go back to sleep until nearly four."
"Oh no, Hikaru-chan!" Akira pulled the baby down and kissed her forehead, "Did you have a bad dream?" Hikaru-chan blew tiny spit bubbles, and Akira laughed.
"Just feed her," Shuji called as he walked away, "And the bassinet's going in your room tonight."
"Hai, hai, Shuji-papa!" Akira hollered back, getting out of bed, swinging the squealing baby over his head. She was getting heavy.
"Don't call me that!" Shuji yelled.
****
"Working sucks," Akira announced as soon as he walked into the apartment. He kicked off his shoes and flopped onto the couch, too tired to even change out of his suit.
"Okaeri nasai," Shuji replied tiredly, emerging from the kitchen, "Dinner's takeout tonight." He dropped down on the couch next to Akira.
"Too tired to eat," Akira groaned. Turning his head slightly, he asked, "Where's the baby?"
"Asleep already," Shuji answered.
"Really?" Akira frowned. He tried vainly to lift his arm to check his watch, but he couldn't quite manage it.
"It's nearly ten o'clock, Akira."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Man, I hate work." Akira sighed, slumping further into the couch, propping his feet on the coffee table.
"My division's got no money, no resources, two assistants, one accountant, and an octogenarian for a secretary. How am I supposed to market this goddamn product if I have nothing?" Akira grumbled to himself. His dad was surely setting him up for failure at this rate.
Shuji just nodded along, trying not to fall asleep on the couch like they did last week.
Akira continued, "We don't even have enough for a commercial or even a printed ad campaign, let alone the money to hire anyone to be our spokesperson." He reached up and loosened his tie.
Shuji sat up with a start. "What did you say?"
"Huh?" Akira looked over. "I said we had no money for commercials."
"No, the last thing you said."
"I can't hire a spokesperson?"
Shuji stared at him for a second and then grinned.
"I think I know what you can do," Shuji said, "And it'll help us too."
Akira also sat up, intrigued.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, we've got this girl... Here's my idea, remember the Nobuta keychains?"
****
Shuji was brilliant, as expected.
Both the product and the girl took off, a real underground youth sensation. Sakura-chan was everywhere, and she sold everything they put into her pretty little hands. Akira and Shuji were working more and more these days. Akira's stock skyrocketed, and he began expanding his operations, buying up companies and establishing a growing operation under his father's umbrella corporation. Sakura-chan requested that Shuji be her manager, putting her career solely in his hands. Applicants turned up in the dozens at Starlight, keeping everyone busy.
When Shuji and Akira both had to work, they would end up calling Shuji's dad, dropping the baby off with him while they rushed off to corporate meetings and recording sessions. Every now and then - between foisting Hikaru-chan off on various family members and friends - they talked about calling Nobuta to ask about giving the baby back, but they somehow never found the time. After all, Mariko would be ready when she was ready, right?
Eventually, they were earning enough money to hire a nanny, and they just stopped thinking about it altogether.
****
Akira was sitting in the bathtub of the master bath, but he wasn't actually bathing. It was only two in the afternoon. There wasn't even any water in the tub.
Akira was hiding.
Someone knock on the bathroom door.
"Akira, come out of there." It was Shuji.
"Come on, Akira, it wasn't that bad." Akira tried to ignore him.
"Look, Hikaru doesn't hate you. You're not a bad father." Akira groaned and slid down farther into the bathtub.
This all started because Mr. Ducky-san had died.
Mr. Ducky-san, Hikaru's favorite toy, had somehow got caught under a dining room chair leg. Akira - faithful, intrepid father that he was - heroically tried to save Mr. Ducky-san. Only it hadn't quite worked out that way. Akira had grabbed the toy and sort of . . . tore him in half. All by accident of course, but he couldn't explain that to a two-year-old, not when he was standing there holding only half a duck with the stuffing exploded all over the room.
There had been a long moment of silence that was imediately followed by wailing.
Hikaru carried on as if her own father had died.
Damn duck.
"I'm a terrible father!" Akira yelled back, burying his face in his hands. He had locked himself in the bathroom in shame and despair. It was the only place in the penthouse that had a proper lock.
"Akira, stop being such a baby." Shuji sounded impatient.
"I'm not being a baby!" Akira shouted, crossing his arms over his chest, determined not to leave the bathtub ever again.
A long silence ensued, and Akira assumed Shuji had left him to wither.
Another knock on the door.
"Go away," Akira said.
"Akira, Hikaru-chan has something to say to you."
Akira sat up quickly, nearly falling over himself to get out of the tub. He fumbled with the lock on the door. Stupid lock. He never really used it anyway.
Yanking the door open, he found Shuji kneeling next to a pouting Hikaru-chan. Akira dropped to his knees, peering anxiously at the baby's face.
"I'm really sorry, Hikaru-chan," Akira apologized hopefully, "I really didn't mean to break Mr. Ducky-san.
Hikaru didn't answer, just stared at her toes, pouting. Akira looked at Shuji, who put an arm around the baby, coaxing, "Come on, Hikaru-chan, what do you say when someone apologizes to you?"
Hikaru angrily shook off Shuji's arm and glared at Akira.
"Tou-chan, hate!" Hikaru said, and ran past Shuji. Both men stared after her in shock.
"Huh, I wonder where she learned that word," Shuji mused.
Akira just shut the door in his face.
Eventually, Akira did have to leave the bathroom, if only to sit in on a teleconference call to discuss a potential buyout. Hikaru was still not talking to him, and after dinner, Akira went back to the office to look over some figures that his assistants faxed him. This new firm looked very promising, with a good, solid product no less. Absorbed in his work, Akira didn't notice Hikaru-chan until he felt a small tug on his sleeve.
"What - oh, Hikaru-chan," Akira said, looking down at the baby leaning against his chair.
"Bath time?" Hikaru asked, looking at him hopefully. Bed time was Shuji's job, but bath time was definitely Akira's territory.
"Aren't you still mad at me, Hikaru-chan?" Akira asked, ruffling her short, dark hair. Hikaru just pushed his hand off and tried to climb into Akira's lap. Akira picked her up under her arms and pulled her up. She settled into his embrace, and Akira assumed that she had forgiven him.
Hikaru held up Mr. Ducky-san for inspection. Akira took the toy from her and looked. It had been stitched neatly together again with some orange contrasting thread.
"I really am sorry about Mr. Ducky-san," Akira said quietly, kissing the top of her head.
Hikaru-chan patted his arm, and reached to take the toy back.
"Shuji-papa made it okay," Hikaru replied, hugging the duck.
"Yeah," Akira answered, "Shuji-papa makes everything okay."
Hikaru and Akira-tou-chan sat together for a while in the dim office, illuminated only by the desk lamp.
****
On weekends, Akira and Hikaru-chan were on their own.
Shuji-papa had to attend events with that little bird of a pop idol he managed, only coming home late at night with perfume in his hair and bags under his eyes. Sometimes he didn't come home at all, and baby Hikaru would sit by the apartment door in her piggy pajamas with the mangled ducky toy in her arms, waiting for him.
But Shuji-papa was no heartbreaking slacker, after all.
He always left a message on Akira's mobile phone, and the two of them - Akira-tou-chan and Hikaru - would listen to it together. She would sit in Akira's lap, tiny hands curled around the black phone, her chubby face pressed up against the glowing screen, listening.
And Shuji-papa would sing.
He sang her favorite bedtime songs, because he knew Hikaru wouldn't go to bed without them. Only after hearing his voice would her eyes droop, finally letting the phone slide out of her hands onto the leather couch stained with baby vomit and black felt pen. Then Akira-tou-chan would put her to bed, kiss her little face and settle down in his office with two fingers of scotch and a book. Before going to bed, he'd delete Shuji's voicemail from his phone.
Sometimes Akira really hated Shuji-papa.
****
Shuji's favorite family picture was of Akira and Hikaru-chan napping together.
It had been a typical weekend at the Kiritani-Kusano residence. Akira and Hikaru had been chasing each other around the living room one Saturday, a veritable explosion of toys and foam balls and childish laughter on all sides. Akira was teaching Hikaru-chan how to roughhouse Kusano-family style, much to Shuji's horror.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"What? We're playing, right Hikaru-chan?"
"Yay!"
"You're wrestling with the baby! Put her down!"
"It's call playing, Shu-u-ji-kun!"
"What are you teaching her?"
"How to defend herself from nasty boys, of course."
"She's only one."
"Can't start too soon, that's what Tou-chan says."
"What? Oh - just - I don't want to know about it."
"Shuji-papa says it's okay! Wanna learn judo, Hikaru-chan?"
"Yay!"
Shuji just shut the door of his office and tried to relax with some embroidery. Hikaru-chan had ripped the knees on her favorite pink corduroy overalls, and Shuji had promised to resurrect it like he did with the dishtowels and Mr. Ducky-san. At some point, without his noticing, the noise had died down and an eerie silence filled the apartment.
That's when Shuji started panicking.
Shuji had run into the living room - pink overalls in one hand and a blue bobbin of floss in the other - trying to shout Akira and Hikaru's names past the lump in his throat, only to find the pair peacefully asleep on the floor. They were sprawled out on the designer rug, Hikaru snuggled on top of the broad expanse of Akira's chest. Oblivious to the baby drooling on his expensive shirt, Akira slept with one arm under his head, the other around the child.
Shuji sagged to the floor and buried his face in his hands, laughing quietly. He had been ready to have a heart attack and there they were, happily asleep. Eventually, he'd taken a picture with his camera phone and kept it as the background for years. Every now and again, while hanging out in the dressing room, waiting for Sakura-chan to get ready, Shuji would pull up the picture and smile. Both baby and man sported the ridiculous topknots that Shuji used to keep his hair off his face.
Two oblivious, happy fools, with Shuji as, perhaps, the happiest fool of all.
****
It was a couple weeks after Hikaru-chan's second birthday when Nobuta called them. Shuji was organizing the birthday party pictures into a pink leather album embossed with silver sakura blossoms. It was a gift from Shuji's mother. He had the photos organized into piles and was gluing them onto the fancy, acid-free paper with rubber cement when his cell phone rang. Shuji reached over and answered the phone, trying not to get glue on the keypads.
"Yo, Kiritani here," he said, smoothing down a picture of Hikaru-chan smearing cake onto Akira's face with a tiny fist. Shuji had told him not to wear that black silk shirt.
"Shuji-kun."
"Nobuta?"
"Yes."
"Hey! How are you?"
"Good."
"How's the job?"
"Fine. This place, I'm learning a lot. It's good."
"I'm glad to hear it. I'm sorry I haven't called lately."
"It's fine."
"I'll send you some photos of Hikaru-chan's birthday party later. I'm organizing them right now. She's getting so big."
"I need to talk to you."
"Yeah. Sure. You can talk to me about anything, Nobuta."
"It's about Hikaru-chan."
". . . What?"
"Shuji-kun, Mariko wants to see Hikaru-chan."
"Mariko?"
"I'll be coming by next weekend to visit. Mariko would like to meet her then."
Shuji held the cell phone loosely in his hand, not answering.
"Shuji-kun?"
"Um . . . it's - it's just a little sudden, that's all." Shuji cleared his throat.
"Shuji-kun."
"Maybe we could do it some other time?"
"Shuji-kun. Hikaru-chan is her daughter." Shuji could hear Nobuta frowning over the phone.
Shuji didn't answer.
"Shuji-kun."
"Hikaru is my daughter too," he said finally.
In the end, Shuji agreed for Mariko and Nobuta to come over the next Saturday in the morning.
****
Akira's days had become a routine. Wake up, go to work, come home. Akira hadn't thought that adult routines would be at all good or even desirable, but the coming home part had become something delightful, full of hugs and kisses and cute babies. Maybe one day there would be puppies involved too.
"Tadaima," Akira called out as he came in the door, kicking off his shoes as usual, "What's for dinner, Shuji?"
There was no answer.
"Shuji?" Akira looked around, shrugging off his coat and jacket. "Shuji? Hikaru-chan? Hikaru-chan!"
He heard a flurry of little footsteps on the bare wood floor, and Hikaru-chan ran around the hallway corner. The baby barreled towards him at full speed, throwing her arms around his legs, hiding her face in his knees.
"Hikaru-chan? Hikaru, honey, what's wrong?" Akira bent and picked her up, hugging her tightly.
"What's wrong, Hikaru-chan? Where's Shuji-papa?" Hikaru-chan clung stubbornly to his neck, shaking her head.
"Okay, Hikaru-chan. You're scaring me now. Where's Shuji-papa?" Akira started walking towards the kitchen, looking around for Shuji. Where was that guy? His heart was beating hard as he peered in one room after another.
"Shuji? Shuji!" Akira found him sitting on Hikaru's bed, head in his hands. They'd converted the guestroom into the baby's bedroom when she was old enough to sleep alone. Akira ran over, and roughly shook Shuji's shoulder.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Shuji?" Akira felt his heart clench. "You're scaring Hikaru-chan."
"Nobuta called today." Shuji just sat there, and refused to look at him.
"Nobuta calls every Thursday," Akira replied, getting angry. Hikaru made an unhappy noise and Akira rubbed her back gently.
"Mariko wants the baby back," Shuji said dully. "She wants to come meet Hikaru-chan on Saturday. That's all that Nobuta said." Shuji let out a long, shuddering breath. "What are we going do?" Shuji asked, just a little hysterical, "What if Mariko takes Hikaru back?"
Akira didn't answer.
"Akira, I don't know what I'd do if - if . . ." Shuji trailed off, burying his face in his hands again.
Akira said nothing. He put the baby down, and she ran to Shuji, throwing her arms around him. Shuji picked her up and Hikaru-chan burrowed her face in his neck. Akira turned away from them both. He reached into the pocket of his neatly pressed, blue slacks to pull out his cell phone. Akira dialed a number from memory.
"Akira! Did you hear a single word I was saying? Mariko may be taking Hikaru-chan!" Shuji said, getting angrier with each word, "Say something, dammnit!"
Akira turned around, finally meeting Shuji's eyes. Shuji's eyes were bloodshot and red.
"What are you doing?" Shuji demanded, voice hoarse, cracking.
"Calling my lawyer," Akira answered.
****
They didn't say it, but Friday night was probably their last night together. So Shuji and Akira took the day off of work and did all the things they'd been meaning to do. They went to Tokyo Disney and took dumb photos together after the Black Cauldron ride. Akira ate too many cookies, and Hikaru-chan played with the petting zoo animals at the park. Shuji blew up colorful balloons, and they all went to the beach to eat bento and drink warm tea. It would have been the best day ever, if only it hadn't been the day before the worst.
That night, they bought the entire collection of princess films from Disney and watched it together - Shuji, Hikaru, and Akira - until Hikaru fell asleep. Akira turned off the TV, and they sat for awhile on the couch with Hikaru between them, saying nothing. Around ten o'clock, Shuji picked up the baby to put her to bed. Before he could move, Akira grabbed his arm and steered them to his room. Shuji blinked in confusion, and Akira pointed at his king-sized bed. Shuji nodded, then lay the baby down in the middle of the bed. They both climbed in on either side of her.
Just for tonight, then.
They didn't talk.
They didn't need to talk.
Shuji placed his hand over Hikaru's little chest, her breath strong and slow under his palm. He could feel the heat radiating from her tiny body. Would this, after all, be the last time he would hold his daughter? Shuji's hand tightened convulsively at the thought, and Hikaru stirred in her sleep.
Akira's warm, large hand covered his, palm soft against his dry skin. A thumb stroked the back of his hand in gentle sweeps, and Shuji relaxed his grip on the baby. Surely with both of them together, they wouldn't lose the baby, right? Akira agreed silently, gripping Shuji's bony wrist, awkward but sure. Together they lay in the dark, listening to the baby sleep, fingers twined.
****
"Kusano-san, I have prepared the necessary materials as you have requested."
Fukawa-san - an impeccable, balding man in his fifties - placed a fat manila folder on Akira's glass-topped desk, sliding it across before seating himself.
"We can press forward with the proceedings at any time."
Flipping the folder open, Akira quickly scanned through the contents. School grades. Employment histories. Credit reports. Fukawa-san was as thorough as he expected.
"It should be relatively easy to win the case considering the evidence."
Sitting on top of the pile were copies of health records. Lists of medications. Payment slips for counseling services.
"We can easily begin the paperwork in advanced should the negotiations fall through."
Akira shook his head.
"That won't be necessary anymore," Akira said, closing the manila folder, "Saturday's negotiations proceeded satisfactorily. The other party elected to relinquish all rights without contest."
"Very good, sir. Would you like me to proceed directly to the adoption papers then?"
"Yes," Akira answered, "please."
Fukawa-san nodded politely, stood up and reached to pick up the manila folder, but Akira placed a firm hand over it.
"I'll dispose of these myself."
Fukawa-san nodded diffidently, "As you will, sir." He turned, picked up his briefcase and quietly left.
Akira stared at the door for a moment before carrying the manila folder to his high-capacity shredder.
He then proceeded to shred every last document himself, one by one.
****
"Tou-chan, tou-chan," Hikaru grabbed the sleeve of Akira's dress shirt and tugged impatiently.
"Just a second, Hikaru-chan," Akira murmured, engrossed in paging through the latest financial summary. The end of the first quarter looked good - very, very good. But they should probably be more conservative with some of the investments in the technology sector.
"Tooouuu-chaaan," Hikaru whined.
"Yes, what is it?" Akira glanced over at his daughter. She hung on the armrest of his office chair, pouting.
"Hikaru wants Shuji-papa."
"I'm sorry, Hikaru-chan," Akira said, "But Shuji-papa's going to the filming studio for a commercial shoot right after he gets off his flight." Akira reached over and nipped her nose with his fingers. "I'm afraid Shuji-papa won't be home for a while."
"Want Shuji-papa!" Hikaru started to bounce and flail her hands in that way that always preceded a crying fit. Uh-oh. Akira looked around quickly, trying to find something to head it off, but there was only a bag of toys scattered on the floor of his corporate office. Of all the days for their nanny to fall ill, Akira mentally cursed. Hikaru was starting to get a little shrill, and Akira patted his pockets, looking for something to pacify her.
Ah hah!
Akira pulled out his cell phone.
"Look, Hikaru-chan, Shuji-papa's left a message for you!"
Hikaru's whining stopped immediately. Akira dialed the voicemail quickly and pulled up Shuji's last message from two weeks ago. Thank god he hadn't gotten around to erasing it. Hikaru reached eagerly for the phone, and he handed it to her.
Crisis averted.
"Tou-chan!" Hikaru threw the cell phone back at her father after a few moments, and scowled.
"What? What is it?" Akira fumbled and grabbed the phone before it fell.
"It's old!" Akira blinked. The baby could tell? His baby could tell the difference between an old voicemail and a new one? Wow, she was getting pretty smart. Only to be expected of Mariko's child, after all. Akira grinned.
"Okay, okay, sorry, Hikaru-chan," Akira picked her up and pulled her into his lap. She put her arms around his neck and lay her head on his shoulder.
"Want Shuji-papa."
"Yeah, I know, kiddo. Me too." Akira rested his cheek on her head, rubbing her back, placating.
A tentative knock on the door was followed by Tachibana, one of Shuji's original assistants. He came in carrying a file.
"Kusano-san, here is the contract from the meeting this morning. Fukawa-san says that we are ready to finalize the buyout." Tachibana placed the file on his desk, and Akira opened it, nodding approval.
"Good, go ahead with the paperwork, please," Akira said, flipping through the pages of the agreement.
"Yes, sir. You can depend on me, sir." Tachibana bowed politely and waved goodbye to Hikaru before turning to leave. Akira nodded absently, staring at the contract. Blue Star Incorporated would be the latest addition to their company.
"Wait!" Akira called as Tachibana closed the door.
"Yes, sir? Was there something else you needed?" Tachibana asked, looking concerned.
"Actually, yes," Akira shifted a curious Hikaru in his lap so he could check his watch. Just in time. "Tachibana, have the car brought around. There's someone I need to pick up from the airport."
****
Shuji walked out of the airport terminal into the afternoon sun, sliding his sunglasses on and trying not to be openly annoyed. Sakura-chan was being clingy again, and Shuji discreetly tried to shake her off his arm.
"Shuji-san was really cool when he told that photographer off," Sakura exclaimed, giggling. She tightened her grip on his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder cutely.
"Ah, it was nothing," Shuji muttered, exchanging glances with Reiko-san, Sakura-chan's publicist, over the top of his glasses. Reiko rolled her eyes and shook her head. Why couldn't these kids want boys their own age?
The three walked towards the company car that was waiting on the curb to pick them up and take them to the studio. Shuji suppressed a sigh. They'd been touring all week, and he just wanted to go home. Sakura-chan, charming as she was, paled in comparison to the thought of his daughter and Akira
Before Shuji could get into the van, a limo pulled up behind the company car. Shuji stopped, staring curiously. A man in a neat black suit jumped out of the front passenger seat, and ran to open the back door. Shuji's mouth dropped open slightly as a handsome, familiar-looking young executive stepped out. He was tall and imposing, broad-shouldered in his tailored Italian silk-wool suit and sharp designer sunglasses.
"Cool," Sakura-chan breathed beside Shuji, letting go of his arm. Shuji agreed. When had that guy gotten so cool?
The young executive paused for a moment, looking over at them, and Sakura squealed excitedly. A moment later, a tiny little girl jumped out of the limo and ran towards them.
"Shuji-papa!"
"Hikaru-chan!" Shuji grinned and walked forward. Hikaru jumped into his arms, and Shuji lifted her up to give her a big hug.
"How's my girl?" He'd missed her the whole week.
While Sakura-chan looked on in confusion, Akira sauntered over, playing the powerful young businessman from the tips of his toes to the top of his hair.
"Yo," Akira greeted Shuji, hands in his pockets. It was ruining the silhouette of the suit slightly, but Akira ended up looking damn cool anyway.
"Yo," Shuji answered, nodding his head with a big, hopelessly happy grin on his face.
"We heard your plane was coming in today, so Hikaru-chan and I decided to come get you," Akira said, smirking a bit. Bastard always was one step ahead.
"Oh, well-" Shuji began, but Sakura-chan interrupted him.
"We're supposed to go record a commercial." She fluttered her eyelashes prettily. Shuji grit his teeth.
"Ah, you're Sakura-chan, right?" Akira smiled lazily at her. Sakura nodded cutely.
"Hai!"
"And you're going to shoot a commercial for that new energy drink, right?"
"Hai!" Sakura-chan was positively vibrating with glee.
"Wait," Shuji interrupted, "How do you know which commercial we're shooting?" He glared at Akira, who smiled blandly.
"That's because I just bought Blue Star Incorporated this morning. The deal was finalized right before I left the office. It is now a subsidiary company of my corporation." Akira couldn't contain his grin now. Dork.
"That's great!" Sakura-chan bubbled.
"Well, no, actually, that's not so great," Akira sighed, taking off his sunglasses, "Because I'm afraid that with the transition of the management, we're just going to have to put the launch of the drink on hold."
Shuji was going to kill him.
"Really?" Reiko-san asked, looking concerned. Sakura-chan turned pale.
"Yeah," Akira said, "But don't worry, we plan to keep our contract with Sakura-chan, of course." He smiled insincerely at Sakura-chan, who stared at him with huge eyes. "We're just going to do it later. After I've taken a vacation."
"I don't know about you, Shuji-kun," Akira continued, grinning at Shuji this time, "But I don't think I've spent enough time with my family lately."
Okay, so maybe Shuji wasn't going to kill him, but maiming would definitely be involved. Hikaru cheered.
****
In the end, Shuji elected not to maim Akira after all. Being a functionally single parent would have sucked.
After putting Hikaru to bed that night, Akira and Shuji were cleaning up in the kitchen together.
"Mariko called this morning. She wanted to know that if she could take Hikaru to the park for a couple hours this weekend." Shuji opened the dishwasher and started pulling out the clean cups.
"Yeah, that sounds okay." Akira dumped the leftovers into Tupperware containers.
"Really?" Shuji asked.
"Yeah, why?" Akira looked up at Shuji.
"Uh, nothing." Shuji went back to putting away the cups. Akira shrugged.
"Mariko's a nice girl. Hikaru-chan is going to grow up smart, just like her mom."
"Wait. You never said anything like that before." Shuji stopped and stared at Akira.
"I haven't?" Akira threw the Tupperware boxes into the fridge.
"No."
"Oh, well, it's true. Mariko's a strong woman."
"Wait - wait a minute." Shuji was getting confused. "There you go again. Seriously. You talk about her like she's your best friend now." Akira laughed at him, leaning on the refrigerator door.
"What's wrong with what I'm saying? Jealous?" Akira waggled his eyebrows at Shuji.
"No!" Shuji said, annoyed. "No, I'm not jealous. You're crazy." Akira just laughed harder.
"Shuji-kun is jealous! He thinks I like Mariko-chan better." Akira levered himself off the refrigerator and draped his arms around Shuji affectionately.
"Shut up! It's nothing." Shuji muttered to himself, but didn't move to shove Akira off. "It's just - well, I don't know, you never seemed to like Mariko much."
"That's not true," Akira said, chin resting on Shuji's shoulder and arms around his waist.
"Yes, it is," Shuji insisted, "You never liked her when we were dating."
"It's not that I don't like her," Akira countered, tickling Shuji.
"Ah! Stop that!" Shuji shoved Akira away. "No? Well, then what is it?" Shuji crossed his arms, challenging Akira playfully. But this time, it was Akira who looked away, hands on his hips, staring at his bare feet.
After a long moment, Akira asked, "Would you have . . ." He trailed off, shifting from foot to foot. Akira turned to leave, trying to escape, but Shuji grabbed his arm.
"No wait, what is it?" Shuji asked, frowning.
"Nothing." Akira shook his head, brushing it off.
"No, it's not nothing," Shuji replied. "You can't just start saying something and then say `nothing.' What is it? You can tell me."
"It's just," Akira said, trying to look at anything but Shuji, "I thought that if Mariko took Hikaru, then maybe . . ."
"Then maybe what?"
"Would you have gone with them?" Akira asked quickly, looking up at Shuji finally.
"Gone with Mariko and Hikaru?" Shuji shook his head. "Why would I do that?"
"Because Shuji-kun loves Hikaru-chan more than anything else," Akira answered. He gave Shuji an intent look, but it was Shuji's turn to laugh.
"Akira," Shuji took Akira's hand, "I love other people too."
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