Forever With You

“They kicked you out, didn’t they?”
“Yeah.”
Takeda-sensei tsked, and looked both disappointed and angry. “Do you mind telling me when…?”
“I was suffering a bad bout of morning sickness. My cousins figured it out, and within days I was out. A friend let me stay with them while I figured out what to do next.”
“And have you?”
“Not beyond coming here. Sorry, sensei.”
“It’s okay.”
He was silent for a while, and Hitoka finished her meal while she waited. Almost mindlessly, he gathered up her dishes, took them to the sink and washed them. Then, he went to a drawer, pulled out some paper and a pen, and began writing.
“Sensei?”
“I know someone who’ll be able to help. I don’t know if you remember him or not, but he was also a former student of mine. Kei Tsukishima.” He looked up at her questioningly.
She shook her head. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Ah, well. Anyway, this letter will introduce you to them, and I’m giving you a reference for any job they might have for you.”
“Thank you, sensei.”
“You may stay here for as long as you need to, alright? However, I don’t know how long they’ll be there…” he was thinking, talking, and writing all at once, so she was confused rather quickly.
“Sensei?”
“Yes, Yacchan?”
“I’m sorry, but ‘they?’ And where is ‘there’?”
“Terribly sorry!” He apologized quickly. “ ‘They’ are Prince Kuroo and Prince Tsukishima.”
“What?! But I can’t…”
“I’ll withdraw all your money from the savings account I opened for you, and it should be enough for a first-class ticket, plus expenses. You’ll go there when you’re ready.”
“But sensei…!”
He came around to her, placing what he’d written in a large envelope, and then giving it to her.
“Hand this to them, Yacchan. I assume you’re close to your due date, yes?”
“Yes, but…”
“They’ll take care of you.” When she tried to protest again, he shushed her, crouched down, and looked her squarely in the eyes. “Life has been throwing everything it can at you, testing you, making you stronger. It may not feel like it right now, but this is an opportunity for you to start over. A new life, if you will. One for you, and your child.”
“Sensei, I…”
He shook his head. “I'll get your room ready. You need to warm up properly, and I’m willing to bet you need a decent night’s sleep.”

“Taichi?”
“Yes, your grace?”

Eita paced the main room in his suite, dressed formally for Tetsu’s birthday dinner. Yacchan finally shooed him out of the nursery, claiming she was “absolutely, perfectly fine, thank you very much, and you should go spend time with Prince Kuroo.” She was laughing as she ushered him through the door, and they spent at least another five minutes saying see ya later, both unwilling to say goodbye.

“I need you to access our archives, specifically genealogical records.”
Taichi nodded. “I assume I’ll be looking up information for your lady friend?”
“Yeah. But I only want to know the family tree.”
“Okay, but, Semi? Shouldn’t you ask her?”
“I got the overwhelming feeling that she wants nothing to do with the surviving members of her family. That as far as she’s concerned, she and her daughter are all that’s left.”
“Ah.”
“I just want to confirm a few things.”
“Alright. I’ll need her family name.”
“Yachi. Her name is Hitoka Yachi, and you might be able to narrow down the search if you start around the year we were sent away during the outbreak.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
“Thank you.”
“Does this mean I don’t have to go as your aide to the dinner?”
Eita laughed til he almost cried. “I knew you’d ask that! Yes, you get the night free from your duties. Just look up that information for me. I’ll take Kenjiro.”
Taichi muttered. “Oh, he’ll love that! You might not, though…”

At that same moment, the subject of their current conversation walked into the room. Taichi snickered, wrote down a few notes, and then left to go start his assignment. Eita rolled his eyes, and then faced Kenjiro.

“It’s your turn to be my aide at dinner,” he said unceremoniously.
Kenjiro looked like he’d been hit over the head, but was quick to recover.
“Alright, your grace. I’ll go get changed.”
“You do that. Oh, and Kenjiro?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Let’s keep the pomp and circumstance to a bare minimum, alright?”

Eita tried not to laugh as the man left in a huff and muttering something about Proper Protocols During A State Dinner.

~*~

For her first evening with all the children, Kiyoko insisted she relax as much as possible. But, Hitoka was just happy to be here, and would often sit with the kids on the floor as they drew their pictures, made sculptures with their colored clay, or, in Haru and Yuki’s case, ran circles around everyone, occasionally luring another to follow them.

It was the kind of child-like chaos Hitoka loved. And so did her daughter, who was happily screeching as she wobbled on her little feet, her tiny hands gripping her mother’s fingers tight. She’d lift a foot, and set it back down again, as if she wanted to walk, or rather, run, after the boys. Then, she’d fall on her bottom and giggle, completely unbothered.

“She’ll be running before you know it,” Runa said from beside her.
“I know. We’ll have to baby-proof the castle.”
Runa giggled. “And keep a supply of bandages and stuff handy.”
“True.”

Runa was about to say something else, but was interrupted by the door opening. Hitoka could smell the savory scents of their dinner, brought to them by the kitchen staff that could be spared. Her stomach rumbled, and she laughed as she picked Aiko up and then accepted a hand up to her feet from Runa.

“I thought the children were to join their parents,” Eri said quietly as they quickly cleared the table and set everything up for the kids to eat.
“I guess plans changed,” Kiyoko replied. “I’m sure Prince Kuroo will want to spend some time with the kids.”
“Yeah,” the other agreed. “Isn’t there something planned later in the week? An outing to the theme park?”
“I think so…”

Hitoka only half-listened to the two nursery maids chatter. She was busy helping a few of the visiting nannies get their charges dressed and ready for their own dinner. It wasn’t to be as formal as the one their parent’s were attending, but they still made the effort to look nice. Eventually, she was given little Isami to wash up and make presentable. With two squirming little babies, she literally had her hands full. And yet, with all the effort made by Runa to keep them, she also had a pair of three year olds to wrangle. So, she gave Aiko to the younger maid. Isami's nanny came over and apologized for the inconvenience, to which Hitoka kindly assured her she was more than happy to help, if needed. Once the lady left with her charge, Hitoka realized a few things:

She didn’t feel the twins clutching her skirts like they always did.
She didn’t recall asking them to hold her skirts like she always did.
She didn’t see the boys around her, or anywhere in the nursery at all.

She double checked each room, searching for the boys in every possible hiding spot, and still came up empty. And then she noticed the open door. Oh. Oh no. Surely, they didn’t just…

“Kiyoko, the boys…”
“Right. Probably went to the royal suite to find their dads.”
“That’s not even on this floor!”
“I’ll go after them, ma’am.”
“No. I will. They might not listen to you. If I go, they’ll treat it as a game, but eventually come back to me.”
Kiyoko smiled kindly. “It’s no surprise to anyone that they think you’re their mother.”
Hitoka flushed. “I don’t know why anyone thinks that. I have explained countless times…”
“Go get your boys, hon. Hopefully, they haven’t gone far.”
“Right.”
She was out the door in seconds, hoping against hope that the boys wouldn’t find a way down to the dining room. And, in all likelihood, knew they probably would.

~*~

“See? I told you they were super curious,” Tetsu muttered to him as the birthday feast went on. The dishes from the first remove had been cleared, and now the second was being placed on the table.
“It’s only by the barest threads of politeness that they aren’t asking me outright about her,” he replied, reaching for a serving spoon from the nearest dish.
“Your Grace, allow me,” Kenjiro interrupted, and swiftly moved to serve him. Once he was finished, he handed him his fork and stepped back.
“Is he always like that?”
“Dear god, yes. He’s new, so he’s taking the job seriously. Taichi and I have been trying to loosen him up, but, well…” he gestured at his plate.
“Get him drunk,” Tetsu offered playfully.
“Good idea. But if it backfires, it’s all your fault.”
“Duly noted.”

Eita had to admit that, formality aside, it was nice to see friends he hadn’t seen in a long while. Years, in the case of both the Miyans. And… definitely not long enough in the case of Terushima.

The brash young ruler of Johzenji was, as some in their circle liked to call him, and ‘acquired taste.’ If that were the case, then he’d never formed a liking for him. The man had taken rude, crude, and socially unacceptable as a challenge, and somehow made it into something tolerably passable. He was borderline everything. Pushed as far as he could, and yet somehow managed to toe the line.

If Eita had to nail down what he thought of the man, he’d instantly say Terushima embodied the reputation everyone pinned wrongly on Tetsu before he married Kei. The playboy who had his fun wherever he went, leaving broken hearts in his wake. Male, female… it didn’t matter to Terushima. He’d stay for as long as he wanted to, and then leave if things became too messy. He considered it his right to do so, using his rank and privilege to get what he wanted.

Eita had no use for him. Had no desire to do more than nod politely in his direction, and then be off to do his own thing. He couldn’t say he hated him; he felt nothing towards the man. As long as he didn’t try to stir up any trouble with him, Terushima could go fling himself off a cliff, for all he cared.

And it was clear that Tetsu and Kei felt the same way. Forced to be all that was polite and hospitable while he was here. In fact, the man had just burst out laughing at one of his servants, who had the misfortune of tripping and falling to the floor. Beside him, Tetsu practically growled.

“I hate him.”
“I see,” Eita replied, taking in the molten silver gaze his friend leveled at Terushima. “Clearly, you’re not alone,” he added, looking across the table at Kei, whose expression was cold as ice, and his eyes even colder. “Maybe you can tell me…”
“As Kei said before, it’s not our story to tell,” Tetsu returned. “It’s not good.”
“I gathered that.”

Moments later, the doors to the dining room opened, and two little boys ran pell mell for Tetsu, screaming ‘happy birthday, papa’ as they went. Instantly, Tetsu’s mood lightened, and he was out of his chair and kneeling on the floor to scoop up his boys. He was so absorbed in watching his friend laugh and play with his sons that he didn’t notice what else happened. Not until Kei moved to his feet, his stance that of someone ready to run, if necessary.