Chapter Text
The heat of the summer barely grazed the world as a breeze swept through, fluttering the curtains of the bedroom window and the busy chatter, dinging bells of the bicycles and the rolling wheels of the few cars driving nearby softly drifted through the open window. Noises that were familiar now, lulling her to sink comfortably in her bed as effectively as one of the lullabies she used to sing to Hina.
Suddenly tired eyes blinked to regain their energy, even as her grip slackened and the book she was reading now rested against her round belly. She peered past the novel and rested a hand on it, running it along the curvature that had not been there in the past few months, barely containing their little package soon to be delivered to the world.
Azusa smiled as she thought of the little bundle she was about to hold in her arms, still inside her for the moment, a sight and feeling she didn’t think she’d ever feel again.
The memory of the first time she had become pregnant drifted to her mind, when her connection to the rest of HTT was beginning to teeter with uncertainty, and her ex had shown no inclination of his eventual departure.
The happiness had been buried by shame and anxiety, forcing Azusa to clam shut much longer than she had intended, finding herself in isolation by her own doing. She remembered the look of disappointment on her parents’ faces when she had initially told them, it had made her stomach drop and it took everything in her not to throw up her insides after the awkward, heavy conversation that took place.
At the time, she was thankful, elated, that her ex had sat next to her, holding her hand. He hadn’t said much to her parents, simply sat as a quiet passerby, but it was enough for her. Enough to keep the nausea from overflowing onto the floor and had allowed her to cry into his chest afterward.
Perhaps if she had looked closely enough, if the anguish from her parents initially cutting her off from their life hadn’t been so heartbreaking, she would have noticed the noticeable discomfort on his face.
Perhaps it was a sign of what was coming, had she been aware enough to notice.
Maybe then she wouldn’t have felt so blindsided when he left without a word, never looking back, and taking any strength she had left to face anyone with him.
A part of her wondered where he was now.
Another part of her wondered what life would have been like if he had never left, and Hina had known her biological father all along. Would they have had another child sooner, if at all?
Her hand subconsciously caressed her stomach as she looked to the window, where the breeze still fluttered the curtains, and the district still sang loudly. Was that Takeda’s voice she had just heard, as boisterous as ever?
She chuckled softly.
She supposed if her ex had stayed, even the life he would have given her wouldn’t have been as magical as the one she had now, with Yui.
Maybe she would have finally reached out far sooner, as he had left just when she had gathered the courage to seek out her old friends, effectively crushing it before she had a chance to.
She was thankful by then her parents had come around. She remembered the moment she was brave enough to go back to them with her ex and show them the ultrasound pictures. In an instant, with their eyes lit up in wonder, they apologized, and her mother began weeping as she cooed over the photos.
Her father had stared at the ground for a moment before looking at her ex, making him promise to stay by her side no matter what.
He had sworn to it.
Yet she soon found herself crying in her mother’s arms, devastated, and alone. Her mother did her best to console her as her father stormed up and down the house, cursing her ex and threatening to find him.
Feeling the weight of everything, not just the baby inside her, had led to intentions to reach out abandoned, and she forced herself to pick up the pieces alone. Crushed by shame, she didn’t dare try to reach out, not when everything had already gone impossibly wrong.
She couldn’t bare for that to blow up in her face, not when she already felt she had been blown to smithereens.
It would take her a long time to find all the pieces that made her whole again, and even by the time Hina was six, she was sure she had permanently lost some.
And so, Azusa had mastered the art of shoving her deepest worries and soul crushing anxieties from a growing Hina and her own parents, forcing her shoulders taller than they wanted to be, ignoring the exhaustion they must have felt carrying a delicate façade of a perfect, unphased parent.
A sharp kick in her belly snapped her out of her thoughts and she dropped her book with a wince, hearing it thud against the ground. Her other hand flew to her belly, rubbing it with both against a series of kicks suddenly unleashed. “Alright, alright,” She said softly. “No more sad thoughts, I understand, Ayumi.” As if the baby inside understood, the kicking ceased, and Azusa closed her eyes, leaning back with an exhale.
The sensation of soft skin sliding over her hand, fingers expertly sliding between each other and interlocking to rest on her belly pulled her eyes open. Azusa’s gaze slightly turned to the spot next to her, watching as Yui slowly leaned her body up slightly and moved their joined hands away, replacing them with her cheek instead. “Sad thoughts? Not on our watch, right, Ayumi?” Yui mumbled; voice still thick with sleep as the brunette closed her eyes again. Azusa felt another, lighter, kick and Yui giggled. “That’s right.”
Azusa reached out with her other hand, running a hand through brown, fluffy, locks.
She supposed she had found her last missing pieces when she walked in that shop all those years ago, when Hina was six and had stumbled onto her playing guitar after she had pulled Muttan out of the secluded corner of the depths of her storage space and mind.
Chocolate eyes fluttered open at the sensation, bleary with sleep clearly ready to take over, the brunette smiled at her. Realizing her tired state, Azusa spoke softly, almost as if she was trying to lull Yui to sleep. Given all the hard work Yui had put into tending to her every need, Azusa thought she deserved a good day’s nap. “I thought you were asleep?”
Yui hummed, taking a deep breath and snuggled further as gently as she could. “I didn’t want to really fall asleep until I knew you did. What if you needed something?” Azusa’s heart warmed and her smile turned wobbly as she threaded her fingers through Yui’s hair and cupped a soft cheek.
She truly was lucky.
“Then I would have woken you up, silly.” Azusa laughed, and Yui gave her a disbelieving look.
“Oh? Like that one time you wanted to get something using the step ladder, and almost fell?” Azusa laughed nervously, the memory of the incident still fresh in her mind. She had been so sure that she could handle something so simple, she was just pregnant, not incapable.
Yet, she supposed she still wasn’t used to the extra weight of the baby in her, and she had misjudged the edge of the stepping ladder, and her heart had jumped to her lungs as she felt the air sprint past her, marking her speedy decline to the floor.
By some miracle, Yui had known she had gotten out of bed, and she fell into soft familiar arms.
What wasn’t so familiar was the scolding she received afterwards, with her sitting on her knees on their bed, looking down shamefully like a child as Yui stood above her, hand on hip, vehemently scolding her for attempting to do something so reckless.
A cherished memory now, one that they both were able to laugh about, though Azusa still found Yui sticking annoyingly close at times.
Though a reminder of the lack of company that had plagued her during her first pregnancy, where instead of a loving embrace she found cold, stiff air, eased all frustrations and she found herself selfishly reaching for Yui, desperate to close the little distance Yui had created for her comfort.
She found herself reaching once again, hand lightly gripping Yui’s chin and tugging it. “Yui…” The brunette instantly shot up, raising on her hands and knees and shuffling closer over her body until their faces were inches apart. Azusa quickly wrapped her arms around Yui’s shoulders as the brunette gave her a peck on her forehead, then nose, then one cheek, then the other, and then pausing at her lips. Azusa whined, needy and clingy and Yui giggled before ducking her head and caressing Azusa’s lips with her own, slow and languid and serene.
“Hey, moms, can I- ack!” Hina’s voice, boisterous and unaware, intruded on the space, rattling the calmness of the room. Neither adult minded, as they pulled away with a chuckle to see Hina at the doorway, turned away slightly with her hands over her eyes.
Slowly, it seemed the days that her childish innocence made her unperturbed and at times joyful of their displays of affection were being left in the past, slowly becoming replaced by a moodiness that would only intensify inevitably in her teenage years.
Yui, just as unperturbed by Hina’s reaction, simply turned back around and gave Azusa another peck on the lips, causing the dark-haired woman to giggle and playfully tell Yui to knock it off, for Hina was in the room.
Yui simply answered with indifference and began peppering her face in kisses, making Azusa giggle in delight and Hina groan behind them. “Mooom, Senseiiii.” Hina whined behind them, and Yui finally relented, leaning back onto her knees as she allowed Azusa a moment of reprieve against the barrage of love and Hina to turn her attention back to them, albeit with puffed out cheeks.
Yui giggled and leaned closer to Azusa again. “She’s like a cute little hamster,” Yui said softly, causing another fit of giggles from Azusa. Yui’s heart soared at the sight of her sinking into the bed, smile so large it barely fit her face and eyes closed from pure joy.
Yui couldn’t believe how lucky she was.
Once Azusa’s fit of giggles had calmed down, Yui turned back to Hina. “What’s up, Hina?”
The newly dropped honorific still stumbled in Yui’s mouth slightly, a sensation she welcomed if it meant it would soon be forgotten about and would become the new normal. Yui relished how far they had come, while she may still be Hina’s “sensei”, they had all come to understand what Hina had truly meant, and the honorific had lost its welcome the more the years went by.
It had lost its welcome when Yui had substituted in Azusa’s place for the student teacher conferences, it had lost its welcome during family outings between all three of them, and it had certainly lost its welcome when Yui and Azusa had shared their “I do’s” at the altar.
At Yui’s words, Hina smiled as she leaned back with her hands behind her back, twirling from side to side lightly, allowing the comfort and joy at Yui’s call to move her about. “Oh, nothing really, Sensei,” Yui smiled and nodded, glancing back Azusa’s belly and placing her hand over it. She was about to invite Hina over to feel the baby when the girl spoke up once more. “Oh, me and Mei-chan want to go to the bookstore. What are you two doing?”
“Nothing, really, just relaxing,” Yui continued for Azusa, who had settled down and was leaning back, simply watching the exchange with love in her eyes. “Oh, the baby kicked earlier.”
“Awe, really?” Hina whined, dashing to Azusa’s other side, only pausing to pick up the book Azusa had dropped. The woman smiled appreciably as she took it from Hina, who paid her no mind as she stared where Yui’s hand was, perched on the height of Azusa’s belly.
A part of her wanted to shy away from their gaze as they stared at the most obvious, if temporary, physical attribute of herself.
“Is it still kicking?”
“She, Hina, and hmm… maybe, lets see,” Yui took Hina’s hand gently, placing the small palm where hers had just been. Yui’s hand covered Hina’s and they both paused and waited with baited breaths. After some moments of stillness, Hina’s shoulders slumped slightly.
“Guess not,” She grumbled as she began sliding her palm back. Suddenly, rather violently, that had Azusa wincing, a kick, and Hina’s eyes brightened as she shot her palm back to where it had just been. “Woah! There!” Her palm followed the kicks, each one lighter than the last until they stopped all together and Azusa let out a sigh of relief.
“Isn’t that great, Hina? She must be excited to meet her big sister.” Yui exclaimed and Hina nodded, bouncing on her toes as she grinned at them.
They both smiled at her joy. When the news shook their world initially, shattering it at the realization that Sasaki’s spell had brought another deep, secret wish of theirs to fruition, that the spell even had the possibility of doing such a thing, they had worried about Hina.
Yui remembered the worry that engulfed Azusa leading up to the moment they sat the girl down to tell her the news, worried that she wouldn’t take kindly to the idea of no longer being an only child. They held each other’s hands, letting the contact ground them, and told her in one breath and held the next.
Hina had paused, more confused than anything as she tried to remember what the adults told her about biology and looked over both her moms’.
That alone was an awkward conversation.
One that Hina hadn’t fully understood yet, but she didn’t spend too much time thinking about it. Instead, she brushed it away and a wide, eager smile planted itself on her face. “I’m going to be a big sister, then?” She had jumped in joy, talking about all the things she would show her younger sibling, all the cool magical girl shows she would introduce to her cute little sister or brother, and the two adults let out a sigh of relief.
“I can’t wait to tell Mei-chan about this!” Hina’s voice pulled Yui out of her thoughts, and she quickly ran off, only to find herself meekly shuffling back into their room, twirling her fingers. “Ah, can I…”
“Yes, Hina, but be back in time for dinner.” Azusa approved and Hina beamed, only to shuffle in place again.
“Uhm… can I have some money?” Azusa sighed as Yui chuckled and after a back-and-forth exchange, they relented on to the understanding that she would get a smaller allowance that week. When Yui returned from giving the money to Hina and wishing her a fun time, she gingerly climbed back into bed and laid against their headboard, opening her arms for Azusa, who greedily, if slowly, shuffled into her rightful place.
Azusa hummed, exhaling any tension from her body as Yui kissed the side of her head. The sounds of Hina’s retreating footsteps eventually dwindled to nothing but the ambience of a busy afternoon flowing in through the open window. Azusa looked down at her belly, at the arms holding her close, and swore her carefully tuned ears caught the sound of Hina shouting Mei’s name in the distance.
She let out a light, airy chuckle at Hina’s excitement, able to reach heights that she had never been able to achieve before. Not until they had found Yui, all those years ago. She gave her belly a rub; another aspect that would have never been achieved without the woman at her side.
Gone were the days of just her and Hina, of her exhaustion threatening her collapse and Hina’s crippling shyness bringing her down just the same.
Instead, she was surrounded by the warm glow of a growing future, one that had Hina propelling forward at speeds even Azusa couldn’t imagine. A future with the one that held her heart, holding her and Hina with love and care.
And soon, the newest addition to the family, ready to burst out of her at any second.
Ayumi kicked once more, so gently Azusa nearly missed it.
Yes, soon it would be the four of them, and despite the odd circumstances behind it, she would never want it any other way.
They didn’t have to wait long until Ayumi made her appearance in the world.
It had been a normal day, and Yui had been downstairs working. She was aware of Azusa upstairs, and as much as she wanted to stay up there with her, she had resigned herself to the fact that work couldn’t stop for herself.
So, like any other day, she proudly worked with Azusa taking up most of her mind, though with it being the weekend and Hina had stayed home, Yui’s mind silenced itself to a more peaceful tune, and took comfort in the fact that Hina would help anyway she could.
“If there’s anything you can’t help your mom with, come get me, okay? I’ll be downstairs like always.” Yui would always say.
“H-hey, I’m not helpless, you know!” Azusa would screech indignantly, and Yui found it adorable. Azusa would pout at Yui’s reaction, only furthering it, and it wasn’t until Yui’s kiss would the pout ease into a serene expression, and Yui would tell her it was all out of love and care.
Hina was beginning to roll her eyes more and more at such interactions and would find anything else more interesting.
Still, Hina’s excitement over her future role as a big sister propelled her to happily help, and when Yui would make her way upstairs, Hina would excitedly tell her of all the ways she helped Azusa. Yui and Azusa both chuckled and smiled and let her go on about the day, and perhaps even exaggerate the amount a little if it meant Hina would puff her chest out proudly just a little more and cause her smile to broaden.
So, with a sense of ease and excitement, she continued her work duties, chatting and selling to newcomers and regulars alike, though her regulars regularly asked about Azusa. And Yui would grin and spare no detail, her excitement practically causing her body to vibrate.
She was in the middle of telling Momo, who had been visiting and brought cupcakes for all of them as Mugi tended to one of the more mundane background tasks, when Hina had burst through the door rather suddenly. Everyone jerked slightly at the intrusion and Yui’s nerves shot up at the panting, worried form of Hina running up to her.
Before she had been able to get a word out, Hina had begun speaking a mile a minute. “Sensei, Sensei! It’s mom! S-she said to get you, uh, something about water, the floor was wet! I-it was clear, uhm-” Yui’s eyes widened and Momo’s hand stilled an anxious Hina. Large garnet eyes looked up at the older woman in worry, who chuckled and rubbed her shoulder in comfort.
“It sounds like her water just broke,” Momo nodded to herself and looked at Yui, who still stood in shock, and gave the brunette a comforting shoulder pat of her own. It was enough to startle Yui back to the present, for Hina’s small, scared frame to jerk her into action and sent her speeding past the two of them. “Your Sensei will take care of your mom, don’t you worry.”
Their voices quickly disappeared behind the door as she sprinted to their apartment, where she stumbled into Azusa standing in the kitchen, holding her belly and taking deep, measured breaths. At Yui’s loud entrance, she looked up, eyes wincing in pain yet a smile on her face. “Yui.” The brunette was at her side in an instant.
“W-what do I do? No, wait, don’t tell me, we have to-” Yui began rambling, taking a heavy pause as she tried to remember everything they had spoke of for the special moment. Yui’s brows furrowed at frustration that began leaking into her other features, and Azusa placed a comforting hand on her cheek, causing chocolate eyes to look at her.
“Hey, it’s okay, just like we talked about. Mugi will drive us, right?” Azusa said as gently as she could despite the huffs of pain and aching body, with knees threatening to buckle by the second. As if summoned, the blond walked into the room, gently holding onto Azusa’s other side.
“This is so exciting!” Mugi was practically gushing. “Let’s go, Yui-chan! My car is already in front of the store.” Yui, with nerves that were clumping up in her throat, simply nodded vigorously and held on to Azusa as they made their way down the stairs.
The store had already been closed by Mugi, with Hina, Momo, and Takeda waiting at the front. At their appearance, Takeda stepped in for Mugi, allowing the blond to jump into the driver’s seat as he gave Azusa words of encouragement and helped her into the car.
Azusa smiled appreciatively and gave her thanks, to which he grinned and wished her the best of luck. “I can’t wait to see the little tyke later.”
Once in the car with the others and the door closed by Takeda, Mugi spun around in the driver seat for a split moment. “I already told the others; they’ll be there waiting.”
“Isn’t that great, Azusa?” Yui whispered softly as the car bucked forward, her arm wrapped around Azusa as she grunted and Mugi sent an apologetic gaze her way through the rearview mirror. “Everyone will be here for this, for you.” Azusa sank into her arms at the words and reached out with her hand that wasn’t clasped in Yui’s to deftly run her fingers along Hina’s cheek, who was sitting next to her anxiously.
She wasn’t alone.
She wasn’t alone as she sat in the car, next to the fruits of her labor the first time around and the love she had discovered again after so many hopeless years.
She wasn’t alone as they arrived at the hospital and Mugi took Hina to wait with the others who had begun trickling in as she was wheeled into the delivery room with Yui at her side.
She wasn’t alone as she screamed in pain and crushed Yui’s hand until the noise was replaced with wails of a small bundle. She panted as she craned her head to see the bundle rise in the doctor’s arms, announcing Ayumi’s arrival and placing her into Azusa’s arms.
She felt hands sweep sweaty bangs aside, but her gaze only fell to the small thing in her arms, already so loud and with tuffs of brown hair.
She was perfect.
She eventually ripped her gaze away from Ayumi, who’s screeching quickly dissipated and looked up at Yui, who hovered nearby with bright, sparkling, chocolate eyes. Memories of the last time she was in a hospital bed in such a way, pushing Hina out with no partner at her side, her mother forced to be a stand in as she yearned for his warmth.
She recalled the fear that had hung underneath all the joyous emotions, the empty space next to her too great to fully ignore. She looked up at the chocolate eyes that swirled with warmth, whose warm presence always wrapped around her, securing her right where she loved and belonged.
“Yui,” Azusa’s tired voice called out, her shining garnet eyes softly gazing into warm chocolate ones that pulled her lips into a wide, happy smile that watered her eyes. “Look, she has your hair, see?” Yui peered down at the newborn with glistening eyes, slowly, softly, running a finger along the soft brown locks. “I love you so much, I couldn’t have done this alone, thank you.”
Yui felt her heart tug, the photograph she had seen long ago of Azusa holding Hina in the hospital bed, with no one at her side, flashed before her mind. Yui instantly reached down, kissing the top of Azusa’s head and running a finger along Ayumi’s cheek. “I told you; you’ll never be alone again. You’ll never have to do this alone. Right, Ayumi?”
This time, instead of a kick, she received a gurgle as tiny fists shot into the air. They both giggled and some of Azusa’s exhaustion overtook her as the nurses took Ayumi away for a final clean up and the two were sent to Azusa’s recovery room.
It wasn’t long until Ayumi returned, cleaned and swaddled in a blanket, and the nurse helped place Ayumi in her arms. She sat in the chair next to Azusa’s bed, holding Ayumi in her arms, gazing down at the innocent life as they waited for the rest of their friends and family to come into the room.
God, Ayumi was so tiny.
She weighed nothing as she wiggled about in her arms, already so active despite the mere minutes she was in the world. Yui laughed, light and shaky as her eyes began stinging as she stared down at the innocent face. “I’ll take good care of you, I promise.” Yui barely kept her voice under control, barely containing it to a loud whisper. She glanced at a half-asleep Azusa, who refused to look away from the moment. “All of you, I promise.”
“We know…” Azusa’s sleepy voice rang out. “I wouldn’t want this with anyone else but you, Yui, please keeping taking care of us like you always do.” Azusa’s happy, tired smile shot through Yui, sending unshed tears to fall.
“Hey now, no crying over the new kid,” A new voice popped up and Yui looked to the doorway, where her friends were trickling in, presents in hand. All eyes were on Ayumi.
“Sensei!” Hina instantly let go of Mugi’s hand and dashed to Yui, screeching to a stop just shy of crashing into them and gazing at her new little sister. Yui repositioned her arms, making sure Hina had a good view as the others made their way to Azusa.
“She’s perfect, Azusa.” Yui heard Mio say.
“They all are.” Azusa whispered, and a quick look up saw that both Mio and Azusa were looking her way, though Azusa’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. Mio looked back at Azusa, chuckling as she brushed some of Azusa’s bangs out of her face.
“We’re sorry we missed Hina’s,” Mugi said softly, taking Azusa’s hand in her own. “But we’re here now.” And then Azusa couldn’t stop shaking as tears freely fell down her face. Yui smiled as their friends held Azusa tenderly, speaking comforting words as they excitedly spoke of days to come.
This is what she should have had with Hina. The bitter thought probed her mind, forcing memories of the anguish Azusa had first admitted to her, all those years ago.
She looked at Hina, who hadn’t moved or looked away from Ayumi, and the sweetness overtook the bitterness of the thoughts, reminding her it was far into the past.
She may not have been able to erase the past, or Azusa’s former anguish, but as she stared at Hina’s bright, garnet eyes, she knew she would do anything to light the way for all of them, never let any one of them drift alone in the dark.
“Hina,” Yui said softly, and Hina finally ripped her eyes away from Ayumi. “You’ll help me out, won’t you?”
Hina’s eyes brightened even more, smile wide as she bounced on her toes. “Of course! Anything you need, Sensei!”
Yui chuckled at the enthusiasm. “You don’t have to do much, Hina. But, you know how my little sister is only a year younger?” Hina tilted her head and turned back to their friends, at Ui, who was absolutely gushing to Azusa, before looking back at Yui and nodding. “Well, Aunt Ui didn’t need my help much,” It was much more opposite than it should have been, a realization that came late and plagued Yui with guilt. She looked down at Ayumi, softly running a finger along her cheek. She briefly wondered how things would have been different if she had been the proper elder sibling growing up.
She shook her head. Thoughts like that would do any good right now. “Anyway, your little sister is a lot younger than you, and can’t do anything right now. She’s going to look up to you, you know? So, promise you’ll be the best big sister you can be, okay?” Hina’s eyes widened as she took in Yui’s words and puffed out her chest.
“I will! I promise!” Yui smiled and stood up, directing Hina to sit on the chair she had just been occupying. Hina eagerly climbed up into it, and after following her directions, Yui carefully placed Ayumi in Hina’s arms and smiled as Hina sat still, enraptured by the moment.
The soft clicking of a snapshot had her looking up, at Mugi with her camera out and Azusa, burrowed in her hospital bed surrounded by friends, whose puffy garnet eyes glistened under the sterile lights above them and a smile so wide it stretched her face. Mio’s hand caressed Azusa’s shoulder and both Yui and Azusa looked around them at their friends that held the same amazement in their eyes at the sight.
Azusa would never relive her experience of seclusion again.
Yui looked to Hina, promising to do the same, to never let the light diminish from bright, hopeful garnet eyes.
Nor would she allow Ayumi to catch a glimpse of the heartache that had fallen on Azusa, or even herself.
Yui leaned down, giving both girls a peck on their head before collecting Ayumi in her arms and bringing her to Azusa. Once Ayumi was settled in Azusa’s arms, Yui placed a soft, long peck on her head, resting her lips for a beat longer to press every ounce of warmth that was still bubbling inside her.
Together, with their newest member of the family, not a single one of them would be alone.