The Bad, The Bidder, and the Daughter (KBTBB)

Ota: Five

"Asuka. Stop it."

Asuka's eyes widened and she stopped screaming and stomping. Her daddy had never spoken in such a harsh tone with her before.

He sighed, "thank you. Now, go to the corner. You're in time out."

She started crying and yelling again at the though of being in trouble.

Takahiro groaned and silently prayed that something happened to cause Yui to come home early. But, alas, she wouldn't be off work for another three or four hours.

He'd never had to discipline Asuka before. She had always been a rather calm and well behaved child. It didn't make sense that suddenly put of no where she'd start to scream and stomp her head off. All he had said was that they were going to take family photos at the beach this weekend.

But he knew he couldn't just call his wife. She had enough on her plate.

Besides, the twins would be arriving in several four months. What kind of father would he be if he left everything up to his wife? He would need the practice calming down children. And Asuka was nine now, not six like when they first met. It would be much easier to soothe her.

He placed a hand on her head and knelt down to her eye level, "Asuka." He said more sternly than before.

She stoped screaming but kept crying.

"What's wrong? Did something happen at school today?"

She suddenly went silent.

"What happened? Were people bullying you?"

She shook her head.

"Then what's wrong?"

She took a deep breath before saying, "Izuki said that I wasn't really apart of the family now because you aren't my birth dad and you and mom are having your own babies..."

Takahiro froze.

How was he supposed to respond to this one?

He knew that Asuka was smart enough to figure out if he were to make something up on the spot with a lack of sincerity.

Finally, he just decided to pick her up, place her on the bar stool in the kitchen and heat up some cinnamon milk.

"Taka?"

He froze again, "I thought we had moved passed that a long time ago."

"Sorry, I didn't want to bother you anymore by calling you dad..."

He sighed and put and extra amount of whipped cream on top of the milk and handed it to her, "you know by now I prefer you call me that. But... if you feel more comfortable calling me Taka, I'll go with it. It's like I've told you since your mother and I got married, I will never force you to call me your father."

Asuka hung her head down, "it's okay. I prefer calling you dad too. Taka seems really weird now."

"Look at me," he said softly.

She complied.

"You will always be my princess, my sweetie, my daughter. Nothing in the world could change that. I love you so much, just as much as your mom. Just because there's going to be some new additions to the family doesn't mean I will love you any less. But..." Takahiro took a deep breath, "if you would like to know who your real father is, I will talk to your mom and see what we can do."