Forever With You

Seventeen

"We're a mess," Eita said, smiling helplessly at her.
"Yeah, you are. Sit down and I'll help you."
"Yes, ma'am."
He sat back down and adjusted Aiko so that they both faced her.
"I suppose it's a good thing I thought to bring two washcloths," she said as she took the carrot-stained bib off her daughter, and cleaned her up quickly. "Looks like she got your shirt, too. I can take her so you can change..."
"It's fine," he assured her, hitching the baby a little higher. She immediately crowed with delight and reached up to pat his face. Hitoka chuckled, put down the used cloth, and picked up the clean one.
"If I may?"
"Please do. I kinda have my hands full," he replied.

His voice cracked just a little, and Hitoka was charmed, but she bit her lip and started gently cleaning Eita's face and neck. She tried not to look into his dark brown eyes, even though his were fastened on her. They flickered from her hair to her face, and then back to her eyes. As she finished, with one long sweep along the side of his face, his eyes slowly closed and he tilted his head, as if to lean into her touch. And then, he caught himself with a mumbled apology and that sweet, shy grin she loved to see. Her heart fluttered, and little butterflies trembled in her stomach. Catching herself before she could fall any further, Hitoka stopped and eased away.

"All done," she whispered.
"Are you sure?" he grinned at her, clearly attempting to lighten things between them.
"Yeah. Oh, let me take her and get her changed." She held her hands out for her baby, but instead, Eita slowly stood up and winked at both her and her daughter.
"I can do it. You should finish your meal."
"Oh, but..."
"Don't worry, I got this!" He walked over to where they'd set up a changing station for incidents like this. "I'm a pro, just watch. Preferably while you eat."

Hitoka sighed with exasperation and sat down in the chair he just vacated, and served herself some raw veggies, and made a few small slider sandwiches to nibble on. She wasn't used to this, being taken care of or having someone else help with her baby. It was nice, if she were honest, but it still felt weird. And as she watched Eita expertly change her daughter into a fresh nappy and clean clothes, cooing at her, tickling her to make her laugh, letting her grasp his fingers, smiling at her, she was even more captivated.

"You've done this before," she said without thinking. But he grinned at her and nodded.
"I'm an only child, but my parents weren't. As soon as I was old enough, I was asked to start helping with my smaller cousins."
He picked up Aiko and settled her in his arms, briefly looking about until he found her stuffy, which he gave to her. Almost without thinking about it.
"I grew tired of it, naturally, when I was a teen," he continued his story, sitting down across from her, with Aiko facing away from him. "By then, some of the older children were given the duty of looking after their younger siblings, so no one really cared that I stopped."
"Sounds like you stopped liking children."
Eita shrugged. "I guess I did. They're super loud, race around constantly, don't understand closed doors for privacy," he listed. "Always wanting attention when you have other things to do. Typical kid stuff."
Aiko squealed happily, and tossed her stuffy, giggling like she always did. Eita rolled his eyes and bent down to get the stuffy, holding her tight so she didn't fall.
"What changed your mind?"
"Honestly? After my investiture, I visited other nations. Mostly as a formality, to meet the other nobility, get caught up on current affairs, and so on. Most had kids that I was able to meet, but also avoid. It wasn't until I met Tetsu and Kei's twins that I started to think kids weren't so bad after all."
"How did they manage that?"
"I can't really explain what it was they did, but just watching them with each other, so different in personality, yet can't bear to be apart for any amount of time. Seeing how they interact with their parents, and with others close to them. It was fascinating, and also endearing."
"They call you Uncle Eita, and they love when you play your guitar," she added softly.
"Yeah. Which completely surprised me, to be honest. I was just playing one day, and the next thing I knew, two little boys had toddled up to me, and sat down, listening to me."
"They love you."
Eita blushed. "I guess so."
Aiko yawned, and they both chuckled when she rubbed her eyes and laughed like she hadn't just let them know she was tired.
"Looks like someone needs a nap," he said, turning her daughter so that she faced him. "Would it be alright if I did the honors?"
"Sure."