𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘 | rin matsuoka

Shizuka's Check-Up

[13/15]

» What is so real as the cry of a child?

"Wehhhhh, she's a tiny little thing! Are you sure you've been feeding her, [Name]?" [Name] chuckled as she carried Shizuka's car seat into the Matsuoka family home, placing her next to Rin's mother, who fawned over her gorgeous granddaughter.

"Of course I have!" laughed [Name], still smiling from what had just transpired. After closing the front door, she sat on an armchair across from Shizuka and her grandmother, watching on with a tilted head. Mrs Matsuoka looked up at [Name] after removing Shizuka from her car seat, saying, "Oh, Gou's here too, she's just in the kitchen."

"OH [NAAAAAAME]!" And, speak of the devil, none other than Gou came waltzing into the living room from the hallway, wearing a light pink apron over her casual clothing. Upon seeing her mother holding Shizuka, Gou squealed and rushed to her side, joining in the cooing and adoration.

"Shh!" exclaimed her mother, causing Gou to look apologetic and utter a quiet "sorry."

"Hey, where's nii-chan?" she asked, looking at [Name]. At this, [Name] couldn't contain her laughter anymore, and she burst out into a fit, confusing the two Matsuoka women.

"He's in the car crying," she snickered, snorting after saying it. Gou and her mother looked at [Name] with curiosity.

"What?"

"Why?" Their faces were purely blank, and both watched on as [Name] continued to laugh about it.

"Well, we just got back from Shizuka's first injection appointment, and the nurse said it had to be in her heel because she wasn't old enough to have it in her arm yet," [Name] began to explain. Gou pouted and looked down at her sleeping niece in pity.

"Oh you poor thing! That must have hurt so much!" [Name] giggled, and continued on with her story.

"Anyway, Rin was like "Wait, what are they doing?", so to give him a gist of what was happening, I made him hold Shizuka's legs," said [Name]. "She kicked around, kicked her dad a bit. But what really did Rin in was when the nurse injected the needle into her heel, and she just started screaming. I honestly think he had a hard time watching it; I don't blame him, it was hard for me too, to see her crying like that. But I just- tears were welling in his eyes, and even after the injection was done with, he started to cry, but every time I asked if he was okay he'd just deny it. I was sitting in the back seat with Shizuka anyway, so I really couldn't say or do much. Then we got here, I got out with Shizuka, and left Rin to cry his emotions out in the car."

"What?!" Gou guffawed and broke into choked laughter, while her mother merely grinned and shook her head.

"Well, Rin's always had a sensitive side," she said with a chuckle, joining in with [Name] and Gou's laughing fits. Just then, the front door open, and a bleary eyed Rin stepped in, shutting the door behind him. Gou jumped to her feet and bounded to her older brother, throwing her arms around him.

"Aww, nii-chan!" she cried, embracing him in a bear hug. The embarrassed redhead looked away, so that his family wouldn't see his red eyes. Gou released him from her grip, and then it was [Name]'s turn to offer him sympathy. Rising to her feet, [Name] walked over to her boyfriend and pulled him into a tight hug.

"My little bitchbaby," she said quietly with a smile, so that only Rin could hear her. He lowered his head, letting his bangs cover his face. [Name] let go of him and pushed his hair back, making him look up at her.

"Hey," she said softly, grabbing his hands and holding them in her own. "It's okay. It was hard."

"But you didn't start crying like an idiot, did you?" mumbled Rin incoherently, which threatened to make [Name] burst into laughter again.

"He's got a point!" called out his mother, making Rin blush furiously. He was embarrassed, not only because he had burst into tears, but because he was now a laughing stock within his own family. He and [Name] walked over to join his mother and sister in sitting down, and he buried his face in his hands.

"Now, now, Rin, it's okay," said his mother reassuringly, still holding her granddaughter. "It's natural for you to feel that way. You are her father, after all. It's not easy to watch your child when she's crying in pain, and especially when you can't do anything to stop it."

"But [Name]'s her mother. And. She didn't burst into tears."

"[Name]'s a woman, she's used to these kind of things," said Gou nonchalantly, waving her hand in the air. "And knowing [Name], she's probably seen a fair bit of injections in her life. Right?" [Name] nodded in agreement, noting all the injections she'd received as a child.

"Point is, Rin, it's okay to have a soft side. Shizuka's your daughter," said [Name] softly, smiling tenderly at her lover. Rin sighed, and slouched into his seat.

"I guess," he mumbled, crossing his arms and looking at Shizuka. "She looks better now, anyway." [Name] beamed.

"I'm never forgetting this, though."

"Amen!" The three women burst into laughter again, making poor Rin groan in agony. He could always rely on the women in his family to remind him of his weakest moments. But he didn't mind, not even a little.