WINTER BREEZE | t. muichiro

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞

( — TWELVE ; RATHER EVENTFUL EVENTS )

MILA WAS EXTREMELY HAPPY. Akito was finally able to finish his work and managed to spend some time with the kids. Although the twins kept persisting that it was better for him to focus on his job, Akito argued that they needed his attention too.

   It's fine, Papa. Besides, me and Hiro aren't lonely without you and Mama at all. We trust you, Tsubaki had said, all smiley and joyful.

   It scared Mila, how comfortable her children were with the entire situation. At first she thought their reaction would be panic or fear, but after noticing that neither kid showed these emotions—and instead showed fascination—Mila felt a worrying feeling gripping her consciousness.

   "Are you doing okay, hime?" Akito asked sweetly, using his nickname for Mila. "Your eyebrows keep creasing. Are you angry at something?"

   Mila sighed. It was only then she realized how exhausted she was. "No, I'm not mad, Akito. Just worried. About the kids. About us."

   "What about us, hime? Do you want to talk?"

Times like these was when Mila was eternally grateful for having a man like Akito as her husband. The Hanazuwa male always wanted to know what was wrong, or if they needed to talk about anything. Moral support was Akito's forte.

"No, I think I'm fine now. Thank you, Akito." Mila smiled warmly, shrugging her shoulders to prove her point. Her husband was somewhat reluctant to let the topic go, but nevertheless he chose to trust Mila.

KANAO HATED DOING CONFRONTATIONS. It wasn't her style to bite and intrude in people's privacy, but this was something that she desperately needed to know.

You're doing this for Mila's sake, you're doing this for Mila's sake, you're doing this fOR MILA'S SAKE—

That was the mantra that kept ringing in the Flower Hashira's mind as she paced back and forth outside a certain someone's hospital room.