Work Text:
It was a bright early summer morning. Temperature’s perfect, not a single cloud in sight, sun’s rising brightly over the horizon–
“AAAAAGGH!!”
And to top it all off, a pregnant mother wailing in pain. “Hold on Halle–”
*FWIP*
Ignoring Yamaha Suzuki’s words of encouragement, Halley Suzuki gripped the collar of his shirt tight, “Listen. To me. We are… NEVER having another kid. Two and done. WE clear?!”
“C-Crystal.”
“If you two are quite finished, someone needs to be birthed.”
“DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!”
“I’M YOUR DAMN DOCTOR NOW PUSH!!!”
“DAMN YOOOOUU!!!”
…
But all that pain was worth it, seeing a new baby boy sleeping gently in her arms after a short burst of crying. “Congratulations on the new baby boy.” It was in one ear out the other for Halley, she was too busy staring at her new baby boy, but the one thing she did hear from her doctor was “Do you have a name for him?”
She decided on a name the moment she laid eyes on him, “His name is–” But before she could answer, a small ray of sunlight filtered through a hole in the curtain, bathing the baby boy in its warm glow as he slowly opened his eyes.
It was a phenomenon Halley wasn’t expecting, it felt like a cliche plot device used only in cheesy stories! But fate has a bizarre way of working, and this coincidence made her slightly rethink her name choice.
“Sunny, his name is Sunny.”
And so… on July 20th, 2000. 8:32 A.M. Sunny Suzuki was born.
New Affinity Link Established!
Sunny--->Halley
Mah Mah!
Sunny<---Halley
My beautiful baby boy
…
The first two weeks of Sunny’s entrance into the world was… hectic to say the least. Surgery recovery, doctor’s appointments, random and rather frequent bouts of crying (though he calms down almost instantly when he’s held), washing her hands so much she went through three whole bottles of hand soap, and then there’s the act of feeding him.
But the biggest hurdle…
“Mooooom!” Was her hyperactive three year old girl, Mari Suzuki.
“Yes hun?”
“Play with me!”
“Can’t, feeding your baby brother.” Mari just pouted and sulked, “But when he’s able to move around more, then you can play with him!”
“But I don’t wanna!” The thought of having to share her precious toys with anyone was something she would never let come to fruition. Give her toys or give her timeout! “And why do you love him so much! All he does is cry and poop himself!”
She was also a little annoyed from being constantly woken up in the middle of the night due to Sunny's crying.
Halley meanwhile just rolled her eyes, “You say that but may I remind you that just three years ago you were just like him?”
“Nu-uh! I was a good baby!”
“HA!” Halley barked out a laugh, “Oh please you were crying just as much if not more on your first NIGHT than he has in his first two weeks.”
Yeah Mari’s infant years were… well full of crying and screaming. Like Sunny if you set her down even a second then she was back to her fits. But it made teaching her Delayed Gratification easier.
“You remind me of how my brother acted when I came around, but just you wait. When The One Moment happens to you, you’ll see the joys of having a baby sibling.”
She doubted her mother, but she went back to playing with her dolls alone.
New Affinity Link Established!
Sunny--->Mari
Buh?
Sunny<---Mari
Why?
…
Two months have passed and Sunny’s crying habit has finally subsided and he’s slowly beginning to grasp how to crawl. Which means Halley can take things a little easier and Mari can get acquainted with her baby brother.
…
…
And her feelings haven’t really changed. Don’t get her wrong she tried to play with him, but all her attempts ended with him just sitting there. Staring at her while he suckled on his pacifier.
‘Maybe I’m doing it wrong.’ Mari thought, before having the genius idea to lay out the toys before him to have him pick. There was just one problem… ‘What do… boys like?’
Mari then decided to throw all thought out the window and set just a random assortment of toys before him, “There you go, now play.”
…
…
In… response? To Mari’s gesture, Sunny got on his hands and knees and began rocking himself back and forth. So this attempt ended in failure, much to Mari’s mild frustration. “Ugh… what’s so good about having a brother anyway?”
Meanwhile, Sunny continued to stare at her.
Affinity Link Updated!
Sunny--->Mari
Babah
Sunny<---Mari
Loud and Annoying.
…
Another month came and went and it was time for one of Mari’s favorite times of year, Halloween. Ooooooh spooky!
Ahem… anyway. It was a fun time for all. The decorations, the pumpkin carvings, THE CANDY!! But above all else, Mari’s favorite thing about Halloween is the costumes. Dressing up in little costumes just felt extremely fun for her. And she was excited to dress up as a pirate this year!
…
…
At least… that was the original plan anyway. Halley on the other hand thought it was too good of an opportunity to NOT have both Mari and Sunny do a themed pair costume. Which Mari was fine with, the pirate costume can always be saved for next year… What she wasn’t fine with was her mother’s idea of the pair costume.
“Come on out Mari! We gotta take a picture!”
“C-Coming…” Mari muttered, taking a deep breath and stepping out of the bathroom. Revealing her Marigold costume.
“Daaaw!” And her mother’s cooing wasn’t helping the matter. She wanted to be cool this year, not cute dang it! “Oh here! Hold your sunlight!” It didn’t help that she pushed Sunny, who she put into a little sun costume, into her arms while she grabbed her camera. And if holding a pretty heavy baby wasn’t enough…
*Boop*
His curious hands are poking and prodding her face and nose. Which is only spurring their mother on to take even more photos.
Affinity Link Updated!
Sunny--->Mari
Bweh!
Sunny<---Mari
Ruining everything I love.
…
A few more months have passed, and Sunny has leveled up from light rocks to crawling, and the explorative baby has quickly taken advantage of that mobility. If he sees a location you best believe he was going to try to get to it… which has very quickly gotten on Mari’s nerves. “Sunny no! You can’t go there!”
It was a constant struggle of making sure Sunny doesn’t either A.) Get stuck or B.) Get hurt. And umm…
“Sunny not the stairs!” Yeah it’s a struggle. Especially considering he’s pretty heavy for the three year old. “Mom used those gate things for me all the time, but for you? Nooooo. None of those for you because she clearly loves you more…”
She was definitely going to give Halley a stern talking to when she gets home.
Affinity Link Updated!
Sunny<---Mari
Just sit still!!
…
Taking her daughter’s advice, Halley put up the impenetrable walls that are known simply as Baby Gates™. Leaving the siblings alone once again in the living room. But with the added protection (that Sunny definitely tried to get past at least seven times), Mari can finally take it easy and watch some TV.
…
…
At least she would if she didn’t notice Sunny constantly staring at her but this time void of a pacifier. “What do you want?” Yeah she was still upset over yesterday, and poor innocent Sunny has no idea what she’s on about. “You know you made it really hard yesterday with all of your crawling around.” She leaned in closer to really get up in his soft squishy face, “Why can’t you just sit still?” Curious, Sunny lifted his hand up to Mari’s face, “And what are you doing now–”
*Boop*
And promptly tapped her nose with his little index finger. He booped her again!
“Pfft, hehe.” He giggled to himself as he tried to do it again.
“H-Hey!” Mari exclaimed, insulted that he ignored her very passionate triade to just boop her nose as she scooted back.
“Boh.” But Sunny set his sights on that nose and damn it he’s gonna boop it till the cows come home!
He began crawling towards Mari who scooted back with each advancement… but soon she hit the brick wall that was the armrest and Sunny was in hot pursuit! “S-Stay back!” She exclaimed, but his developing infant brain couldn’t comprehend her statement as he began crawling onto her lap and began touching her whole face.
*Click*
And the sibling’s mother did nothing to assist, deciding that this moment was the perfect photo op. “M-Mom!”
“Just got back to see my darling angels playing around.” She cooed, taking enjoyment out of this.
“G-Get him off of me!”
“Oh fiiiine.” Halley saved her daughter from Baby Sunny’s onslaught, “It’s time for his new food anyway.”
And with that, Halley took Sunny into the kitchen, leaving Mari bitterly defeated at the tiny baby hands of Tiny Baby Sunny.
Affinity Link Updated!
Sunny--->Mari
Bubuh!
Sunny<---Mari
Stop touching me!
…
Today is a time of celebration! It is Christmas, and more importantly it’s Sunny’s first Christmas. Which means Halley and the massive Suzuki family has the perfect excuse to spoil him rotten. Or at least try to…
“Dad, what the heck is he gonna do with a Rice Cooker?”
“It’s for his future! I'm gonna teach that boy how to cook.” Grandpa Ryōri Musōka exclaimed, while
“Not if I make him into a musician!” Grandma Yoko Suzuki countered, earning a scoff from the old man.
“MAKE him? You’re stripping him of his choice before he’s even a year old?!”
“I’m only thinking about what's good for the family!”
Yeah there was a bit of tension in the family, tension Sunny didn’t like, so he promptly crawled away towards his sulking sister. “Oh hey Sunny.” She muttered, “How are YOUR presents?” She felt like she was cast to the wayside while her brother was spoiled.
But Sunny could tell that she was sad and didn’t like it, so he crawled over to the Christmas tree and picked up a dropped Ornament while picking up a discarded present bow from the ground. With his items procured and some quick arts and crafts Sunny crawled back towards Mari to give her his ‘Present’.
…
…
Mari’s chest tightened, a feeling she didn’t know or understand. But she held the Ornament in her hand as a smile wormed its way to her face.
‘Maybe having a brother wasn’t so bad…’
Affinity Link Updated!
Sunny<---Mari
Not so bad after all...
…
*PLAP*
‘Never mind…’
It was March 1st, Mari’s birthday. A time of celebration at reaching another year of age and more importantly… Cake. Delicious cake made for her and her alone!
At least that’s how it used to be, now she pretty much has to share HER cake with Sunny… who knocked over his slice causing it to fall onto the floor.
Perfectly good cake, a slice she could have eaten and enjoyed herself… now on the floor and about to be food for the waste receptacle. All because he was still looking at her. And what’s worse?
“Oh Sunny, cake goes into your mouth not the floor.” Was that he got away with it? When she would drop cake she would get scolded for it. ‘How come he didn’t get in trouble? Is it because he’s a baby? I’m only… only…’ Mari held out her fingers, ‘One… two… three… Three. Three years older!’
Mari pouted in her seat, determined to not let this ‘unfairness’ continue for much longer.
Affinity Link Updated!
Sunny<---Mari
This isn't fair.
…
She let the unfairness continue for a bit longer though, as four months have passed with the roles being reversed. As it’s Sunny’s 1st Birthday party!
But unlike Mari’s cake Sunny got several smaller cupcakes. ‘Unfair! He got more cake!’ She exclaimed in her head as she glared at her baby brother, who was still staring at her. ‘And he’s STILL looking at me’
“Will you stop staring at me!” Mari has had enough, much to the dismay of her father.
“Mari…”
“Why do you keep staring at me? Why do you like to crawl around and make me have to chase you around everywhere!”
“Muh… muh…”
“Have nothing to say for yourself? Just making noises?”
“Muh… muh…”
“Mari that’s enough–” But Halley held up her hand, making Yamaha stop talking.
“Why did Mom and Dad have to have you, everything was better before–”
“Mawi!” Mari stopped talking, as any anger she felt instantly evaporated.
“W-What?”
“Mawi! Mawi!” Sunny exclaimed with a happy face.
“Y-Your first word!” A big bright smile grew on Mari’s face, “I-I’m your first word!” With a burst of Toddler Adrenaline, Mari scooped up Sunny in her arms to hug him tight, “I’m his first word! Mom! Dad! Did you hear?!”
‘Well she took less time than my Brother did, that’s for sure.’ Halley thought, smiling at the sight of Mari loving her brother. “Of course we did.”
It took a full year, but... "I love you Sunny!"
Mari’s moment of love and adoration for her baby brother finally came.
Affinity Link Updated!
Sunny--->Mari
Mawi!
Sunny<---Mari
I love you Sunny!
The End