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Ren was having a perfect dream. He was back at LeBlanc, empty except for him and Makoto, who was snuggled into his side. Two steaming cups of coffee and curry were laid out in front of them as they talked about their days.
Makoto turned to look at him, eyes bright and smile wide. She reached a hand towards him and then...
Poked his face. Twice.
When Ren awoke with a start, there was a pair of red eyes staring back at him.
The small figure was pressed up against his side of the bed, their eyes focused intently on his. He barely had time to register what was going on before they reached their hand out and prodded his forehead once again to make sure he was really awake.
He wrinkled his nose as realization groggily set in. Ah, of course. Today was the day.
Ren lifted a finger to his lips and the little boy nodded. Carefully, he shot a look over his shoulder to make sure the figure beside him was still asleep. As he silently maneuvered himself out of bed, the little boy ran out of the room at top speed, wobbling from side to side as he did so. Ren chuckled to himself at the child’s enthusiasm as he followed, closing the door to his bedroom as stealthily as he could manage. Makoto tended to be a light sleeper.
The little boy was already waiting for him in the kitchen, bouncing on the balls of his feet near the island counter. He was dressed in his brand new pajamas that Ann and Ryuji had recently gifted him, a beige outfit adorned with colorful llamas - a recent fixation of his. His closet was full of cute clothes courtesy of Ann and Haru, it was almost a challenge to make sure he wore everything at least once before he outgrew them. Makoto was convinced with his many growth spurts that he would be tall like his dad, if not taller.
Ren ruffled his son’s hair as he approached the kitchen counter, smiling as the boy wrapped himself around his father’s leg. “Eager to start, are we?”
Ryo’s eyes were wide as he nodded profusely. “What’s first, Papa?”
He yawned. “Well, before we do anything, Papa needs coffee. Mama would be very angry if you got hurt because I was still half-asleep.”
Ren picked up the boy and placed him on the counter, making sure he was safely situated before getting to work. Ryo proceeded to swing his feet listlessly as his father prepared a pot of Makoto’s favorite blend.
As the coffee brewed, Ren took a moment to watch his son. Makoto liked to describe Ryo as a mini-Ren due to the shape of his face, his height and his curly black head of hair, although he did have the red Niijima eyes that his father loved so much. A little over three years old now, it finally felt like his personality was beginning to solidify and shine through. Smart like his mom but as mischievous as his dad, he was certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with when he got older. While he hadn’t exactly been planned, he had been far from unwanted by both his parents and his surrogate family, who loved to coddle him. Even Aunt Sae let her icy exterior warm around her nephew. She’d never admit it, but the little boy had her wrapped around his finger.
Once the coffee was finished brewing, Ren poured himself a cup and turned to his son who looked like he might burst from anticipation. He was being surprisingly patient for a three-year-old, especially since he knew how much the little boy had been looking forward to this morning. “Alright, let’s get started.”
Ryo’s eyes shone brightly with excitement. “What are we making, Papa?”
Having thoroughly planned out this birthday breakfast for Makoto for weeks now, Ren already had a menu of his wife’s favorites in mind. He’d had to sneak out the night before, under the guise of needing to help Futaba with something, to pick up the ingredients he needed and place them into the fridge without her noticing. She was fast asleep when he’d returned home and hadn’t stirred; it appeared his capabilities for stealth were still in check from his Phantom Thief days.
He got to work on preparing the Oyakodon, putting his son in charge of making the simpler dishes, which included spreading marmalade on Makoto’s favorite homemade bread and cutting up bananas to mix in yogurt (with a plastic knife, of course). The little boy took his assigned tasks seriously, a look of deep contemplation on his face as he prepared the food for his mother.
Ren began to watch his son again, pulling out his phone to take a few candid shots of the little boy working that he knew Makoto would appreciate later. He couldn’t help but wonder if he’d remember moments like these when he got older. Ren himself didn’t remember much from that age and he doubted his wife did either.
When Ryo finished with the bread and the yogurt, Ren put him in charge of pouring juice into glasses, ready to step in and save the situation should it look like a spill was imminent. But he managed his assignment skillfully.
“That’s a lot of food, Papa,” Ryo remarked as Ren finished up with the Oyakodon, placing it in a bowl on the counter.
Ren smirked, wondering if his son would become a calorie counter some day like his mother. “Well, we have a big day today. We’re going to take Mama to a bunch of fun places.”
“Really?” Ryo’s eyes were wide.
“Really,” he confirmed. “We’re going to go to the park, then to Dome Town - remember the place with the Ferris wheel?”
The little boy nodded enthusiastically. “Can we see the fish too?”
“If that’s what Mama wants. It’s her day today,” Ren said, although he knew Makoto would give into anything her son wanted. Especially since they both had a shared love for the aquarium that Ren didn’t quite understand but indulged nonetheless. “Then we’re going out for supper with Aunt Sae and all of Mama’s friends.”
“Oh boy,” Ryo sighed. “That’s a lot. I hope Mama doesn’t get tired.”
Ren chewed on his lip to keep himself from laughing at how cute his kid could get. “Do you have your present for Mama?”
“In my room!” He responded excitedly. “I’ll go get it!”
Ren helped him off the counter, chuckling as the boy ran off to fulfill his mission. Ryo quickly came running back, a small box in his hands which he delicately placed on the kitchen table, needing to stand on the tips of his toes to reach. He shot a concerned look over his shoulder before announcing in a loud whisper, “I think Mama is awake!”
Sure enough, Ren heard the sound of shuffling from the bedroom followed by the door opening. Out stepped a sleepy Makoto, who stopped dead in her tracks at the sight in front of her. It was unusual for either Amamiya to be awake before her, let alone with such a large spread prepared.
The little boy wasted no time in dashing towards his mother, reaching out to be held. “Happy Birthday, Mama!”
Makoto laughed, smiling as she picked up her son and placed him on her hip. He wrapped his arms around her middle, snuggling into her side as she ran a hand through his unkempt hair. “Thank you, darling.”
She flashed Ren a curious look as she made her way towards the kitchen, still stroking her son’s head affectionately. “And what are my boys up to this morning?”
“Well, Ryo made you breakfast and I helped,” Ren said coyly, giving her a quick good morning kiss as she came closer. Ryo giggled conspiratorially from Makoto’s arms and Ren flashed him a wink. “Why don’t we start eating before it gets cold?”
The total mama’s boy that he was, Ryo insisted on sitting in Makoto’s lap as the family ate breakfast together and Ren went over all the activities they had planned for the day. Makoto made sure to compliment Ryo for every dish, and the little boy ate up all the praise. As soon as Makoto was done with her food, Ryo pointed at the gift box which was still sitting in the middle of the table unopened. “Open your present, Mama!”
Ren passed the box over to Makoto. Ryo was still on her lap and was craning his neck to get a better look at the gift as it was revealed. Ren hadn’t told him what was inside as he was horrible at keeping secrets and would have surely ruined the surprise.
“Ooh,” he said in a hushed whisper as his mother opened the box to reveal an elegant wristwatch. Her lips curved into a smile as she noticed that in contrast to the high-quality black band and gold casing, the background of the dial featured the face of a cartoon panda that they all knew too well. “Mama, it’s Buchi-kun!”
“Oh, wow!” Makoto exclaimed enthusiastically, a little forcefully for Ryo’s sake but Ren could see the genuine delight there too. “What an amazing present. I love it. Thank you, darling.” She pulled back the little boy’s wild fringe to give him a kiss on the forehead. He looked like he was in heaven as he basked in his mother’s affection.
“I’m glad you like it,” Ren told her with a smile. “I know you were looking for a new watch to wear outside of the office.”
“Where did you even get this? I didn’t think they made Buchi watches.”
“They don’t,” he admitted a little sheepishly. “It may have been a custom order.”
Makoto gave him the look, the one she usually reserved when she thought he had gone too far with a gesture or a gift. But she didn’t say anything, following up her look with a grateful smile. Placing the box on the table, she wrapped her arms around the child in her lap, hugging him close. “Ryo-kun, why don’t you head to your room and play for a bit? I’ll come soon to help you get dressed, okay?”
The little boy followed her instructions without complaint, running off to his room with a slight waddle that he still hadn’t grown out of. His parents watched him go fondly.
Once they were alone, Makoto stood up from her chair and saddled up to Ren, wrapping her arms around his neck and reaching down to kiss him gratefully. “That was a very cute move you pulled today, Super Dad.”
“Nothing but the best for my Queen’s birthday,” he told her, pulling on her waist to bring her onto his lap. “And we’re just getting started.”
She pouted back at him. “How am I ever going to match this on your next birthday?”
“I’m sure you’ll manage,” he said with a laugh. Makoto rested her head against his chest and he sighed contentedly as she snuggled into him. “Hey, Mako…I’ve been thinking.”
“About?”
“Now that Ryo’s getting older...have you thought about maybe having another one?”
There was a long pause. Eventually, she maneuvered away from his chest to look up at him and he was relieved to see a hint of a smile on her face. Instead of saying anything, she reached up to grab his face and pulled him in for a much deeper kiss than anything they’d already shared that morning.
When they separated, her smile was even wider. “It would be nice to have another girl around,” she said coyly. “Not that I don’t love my boys.”
Ren grinned back at her, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear then stroking her cheek affectionately. “That sounds wonderful.”
Before either of them could elaborate, they were interrupted by the sound of a loud crash from the other room.
Ren sighed. “Since it’s your birthday, I’ll go see whatever that was. Go get ready, we’ve got a big day ahead of us.”
Makoto kissed him on the cheek. “Sounds like a plan.”