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..........M.E.R.I.D.I.A.N......L.I.G.H.T.S..........

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"Chicken Nuggets or Bacon?"

"Alright!"

"Uh, I was asking you to choose between Chicken Nuggets or Bacon..."

"Both!"

"Honey, just pick one."

"Erm... both!" A sweet giggle sounded out in the cozy modern kitchen. The morning sun lightly illuminated the surroundings, giving it a quite comfy look.

"You already have two sunny side-up eggs and fried rice..." I tapped the table with a sarcastic finger, indicating the plate with the aforementioned foods. "I am not giving out Chicken Nuggets and Bacon. Now, choose."

"Why?" Her cute little brows furrowed as she pouted.

"You won't be able to finish it."

"Yes, I will."

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I will. And I can prove it." The kid had the decency to look mightily smug as she crossed her arms.

"No, you won't. Because I won't give you the chance to prove it." In turn, I cocked my hips while my hand rested sassily on my waist.

I know.

Arguing with a four year-old kid was a new kind of low for me.

But, that's what you get when your child just refused to cooperate.

"You need to believe in me more, Mommy." The little girl sighed, and mockingly raised her hands while shaking her head.

"Honestly, you look like my clone but that's where it ends. You really take after your father." I sighed bluntly.

"I love Daddy." She grinned mischievously.

Yep. Definitely her father.

Just then, we heard a humming engine as the car made its way onto the driveway. A moment later, the familiar slamming doors from the car was heard and my boys finally made their way inside the house.

"We're home!"

"Ma, I'm starving!"

"Me too."

"Take off your shoes first," Yuzuru called out as he headed towards the kitchen, already wearing his house slippers.

"How's my lovelies doing today?" Yuzuru ruffled the hair of our daughter, successfully getting a giggle out of the diminutive cutie.

"Your child is bullying me," I responded tonelessly.

"Aww, come here you." Yuzuru cradled my cheeks before giving me a big smooch.

"Eww! Gross!" Airi grimaced.

"Better get used to it, baby sis." Haruto was practically immune to the PDA as he slumped down tiredly at the kitchen table.

I laughed, before nudging Yuzuru away to set the table for the kids.

"You hungry?" I asked my husband.

"Nah. Maybe later," Yuzuru declined, as he embraced and tickled Airi. The sweet sound of Airi's laughter resounded through the kitchen as the father-daughter duo played around. Yuzuru had Airi on his lap as he continued to tickle her.

"Nuggets or Bacon?" I asked my boys, holding the pan in one hand, and the spatula in the other.

"All of em."

"Both for me."

"Eh? Mommy, why can't I have both too?" Airi protested as she watched me plate a full course meal of bacon, nuggets, eggs, fried rice, and apple juice for the boys.

"Because... you have a small appetite," Yuzuru answered for me, tickling Airi's side.

"That's not fair." Airi laughed for awhile, dodging her dad's hand, before she pouted again.

"Airi-chan, you will get a tummy ache if you eat too much," Yuzuru explained patiently while looking down at Airi. "You remember when you got a tummy ache before, right?"

Airi hesitated before nodding at her dad.

"That's why Mommy doesn't want to give you too much to eat," Yuzuru continued, patting Airi's head gently.

"... still." Airi sadly looked down at her lap.

Yuzuru and I exchanged a look before we simultaneously gave an exasperated smile.

"Alright, here's what we do." I transferred several nuggets on her plate. "Finish this first, and if you still don't feel full, then that's the time I'll give you some bacon. Deal?" I added, holding out my finger for a pinky-promise.

"Deal," Airi agreed, smiling. She also held out her finger and made a pinky-promise with me.

"Alright," Yuzuru started, took Airi off his lap and placed her on the chair, "I'll get the bags from the car. Boys, eat up, wash up, then don't forget to do your homework. It's Monday tomorrow."

"Ok, Dad."   "Yes, Daddy."

Yuzuru took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack before he went outside again.

After Yuzuru's exit, it seems like a tornado was let loose as the kids hurriedly gobbled up the food. It was the perfect description for the quote - 'the calm before the storm'.

"Kids! Settle down, will ya?" I tried to tame the commotion. "The food won't run, honestly! You'd think I'm starving you for years."

"Ma, more like decades. Dad's such a strict coach," whined Haruto, banging his head on the table in exhaustion.

"Want me to say that to Daddy?" I raised my brow at him.

Startled, Haruto immediately shook his head.

"You're just saying that 'cause you didn't land your Axel," Kiyoshi singsonged as he flicked a piece of pea towards Haruto.

"Kiyoshi! Don't play with your food."

"Sorry Mommy."

"Says the one who can't even land a jump," Haruto rebutted.

"I'm six." Kiyoshi held out his hand, proudly displaying five whole chubby fingers. "I'm too young for that."

"Nuh-uh, and that's five *baka (idiot)!"

"Don't call your brother that! Where did you learn that?" I reprimanded him.

"Sorry Ma-"

"I am!" Kiyoshi grumbled, readying on for a fight. He seemed to remember something as he pointed at me. "Mommy was thirteen when she first did jumps."

"But Uncle Shoma was six when he first did jumps," countered Haruto, before bragging arrogantly, "I was five when I first landed a jump. An Axel jump."

"You still didn't land your Axel today." Kiyoshi stuck out his tongue.

"Alright that's enough!" I clapped once to get the boys' attention. These kids could get me frazzled in no time. "The dining table is not the place for fighting."

"Sorry Ma."   "Sorry Mommy."

"Just eat your lunch." I sighed, rubbing my temple in exhaustion. "I need a bath... Haruto look after your siblings for awhile. No running around outside the house without Daddy looking after any of you, ya hear?"

"Ok, Ma. Got it."

"And Kiyoshi, for heaven's sake, finish your veggies. Trust me, I'll know if you don't. I know and the vacuum knows. Drop those peas on the floor again, I'll double your portion the next time," I warned him.

"Yes, Mommy." Kiyoshi guiltily raised his hand from under the table and placed back a handful of peas on his plate.

"Airi-chan," I started before sighing heavily as I saw that she sneaked a piece of bacon from her Kuya Haruto's plate. "I'm worried that you're turning more like me, day by day," I muttered silently.

"What Mommy?" Airi blinked her large innocent eyes up at me.

"Nothing honey, just stay with your Kuyas." I planted a kiss on her forehead, waved my hand to the kids, then headed up the stairs towards the master's bedroom.

I placed a hand on my lower back as I felt a little pain from how tense my muscles were. Rolling my shoulders in a practiced manner, I grabbed a fluffy towel from the dresser before entering the bathroom.

The bathroom had clean white tiles with the customary high tech toilet on the side. I said high tech because toilets in Japan had those mechanical contraptions that could automatically warm the toilet seat. A huge widespread mirror encompassed the entirety of the wall, and below that was a shiny metallic sink.

At the other end, there was a separate shower room and a single yet wide pristine bathtub. As a routine, I took a quick shower, scrubbing down the expanse of my body.

After my customary shower, I drew up a nice, warm bath and settled on my favorite place in the world.

My bathtub.

I leaned back on the tub, relaxing my body as I was surrounded by the comfortably warm water. I think I was too comfortable that I fell asleep for a bit, because I was suddenly woken up by a calloused hand gently touching my cheek.

"Yuzu," I whispered, leaning my face against his hand.

"You're so beautiful," Yuzuru softly said, as he gazed at me with tenderness.

"You mean fat." I playfully narrowed my eyes at him.

"No matter what shape you are now, or will be in the future, know that I will always love you. No matter what." He touched his lips against my cheek.

A deep blush dusted my face as I heard those words.

"You know..." I held out a hand out of the water and traced his sharp features.

From his brow, to his sharp cheek, to his thin nose, up to those lips. My gaze lingered on those thin moist lips of his.

"We've been married for almost a decade, yet you can still make me feel like a giddy pubescent teenage girl."

Yuzuru nipped the fingers touching his lips, smirking in such a rakish manner.

"That's more than ten years too late, don't you think?"

I shot him a confused smile.

"Remember that time in Nagoya? The first time we slept together?"

"Nagoya...? Wasn't it in Canada?"

"Not slept slept, but slept as in sleep." Yuzuru grinned lopsidedly, tapping my nose once.

I furrowed my brows as I tried to recall that particular time.

"I had such a huge crush on you, and I still do to be honest, but like you always said..."

"... I'm just too blind to see it," I finished his statement, quirking my lips. "Don't worry, my vision's plenty clear now." I leaned towards him, teasing him by hovering my lips near his own. The tension was palpable in the air, so much so that I fell into my own trap and kissed him in the end.

A few moments had passed before we parted ways.

"I'm glad you do now," Yuzuru continued, leaning his arm against the bathtub, "that time in Nagoya was hellish for me. I couldn't fall asleep even for a few minutes."

"Huh? Really?"

"Ahh, don't you know how hard it was for a teenage boy to sleep beside his crush, on a bed, while they're alone together without supervision?"

I snorted in laughter at the thought. Now that I thought about it, it was indeed hellish for him.

"Well, forgive me, I didn't know you were a hot-blooded man back then. Besides, didn't we sleep platonically together in the past? Like sleep as in sleep?" I raised a brow at him as I thought back on his utter laziness when faced with the summer heat.

"Heck, you're such a lazy bum in Canada when it's too hot outside. Also, that time that you're talking about, I only thought of you as a sometimes-annoying-sibling... I guess?"

"So, you have a habit of flashing your sometimes-annoying-sibling huh?"

My jaw dropped in outrage at the implication.

"I do not!"

"Well, you did. That's the main reason why I wasn't able to fall asleep. It was pure torture."

I snorted at that.

"Aww, poor baby." I mockingly cradled his face as I tried hard to restrain my laughter.

"And that's not the end of it."

"You're really talkative nowadays. There's more?"

"The morning after that time in Nagoya was just insane. You really tested the boundaries on that one... I was this close..." Yuzuru dropped his head with a thunk on the ledge of the bathtub.

I couldn't help it, I burst out in laughter at his expression.

"Sorry, it must've been hard." I ran my hand through his soft, silky hair, massaging his head gently as I did so.

"It's alright." Still laying his head on the edge of the bathtub, he turned his head and his phoenix eyes gazed up at me reverently. "It's all worth it in the end. I'll go through it a thousand times if I knew back then that I'll have this life now."

"Thank you, Yuzuru." I kissed his temple.

"No, thank you." He reached out and caressed the bump in my abdomen. I smiled softly at him as I placed my hand on top of his.

"Join me."

He stared at me for awhile before he tenderly smiled. He stood up from where he was sitting at the floor and then took off his clothes, throwing it into the hamper. He showered first, meticulously scrubbing his body as he knew my habit of cleaning up first before taking a bath.

I gazed up at him, tracing the fine lines of his muscled body as he strode towards me. I made space for him as he went on the tub and sat directly behind me. I turned to face him but I was surprised as Yuzuru captured my lips again, exchanging hot air for several moments.

A while later, I was comfortably nestled with my back against his chest as he protectively caressed my 6-month old bump, gliding his hand on my silky skin aided by the water surrounding us.

Yuzuru planted a sweet kiss on the junction of my neck before he whispered near my ear. 

"3 more months then we'll have a pairs team."

I tried to scowl at him but my lips kept on turning into a smile at the ludicrous notion.

"Pairs? Why not ice dancing?" I teased him.

"Ice dancing is already reserved for our next baby," Yuzuru immediately replied.

"What next baby? You out of your mind?" I jabbed my elbow back at him, hearing my husband laugh boisterously before hugging me even more closely to his firm and hot chest.

"Haruto is men singles, Kiyoshi is pair men, Airi is ladies singles." I felt my jaw drop as Yuzuru listed off our children and categorized them into teams. Right then, Yuzuru laid both hands on my large baby bump... well, babies bump. "Our baby girl here is pair lady, and our baby boy over here is ice dancing men. We still need one more baby to complete the team."

My mind stunted at that, maybe that's why I asked the next question.

"What if our next baby is a boy?"

"Then we'll make history by making a pair of men ice dancers." Yuzuru winked.

A hysterical giggle burst out inside me. I knew that, normally, I would be outraged by the suggestion of having another baby. We already had enough children as it was. Also, the pains of labor and delivery was no joke.

But I guess pregnancy hormones played a huge part in my current mood.

"I think this family made enough history for a lifetime." I grinned at him.

"If you didn't notice yet, the kids inherited our freaky overachiever nature. There's gotta be another Olympian in our family." Yuzuru narrowed his eyes in mock speculation.

"Olympic gold medalist?"

"Possibly..." Yuzuru kissed me.

"Most probably." He captured my lips again.

"Definitely."

No more words were said as he sealed it with a kiss.

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..........M.E.R.I.D.I.A.N......L.I.G.H.T.S..........

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HANYU KIDS

Hanyu Haruto: 7 years old

Hanyu Kiyoshi: 6 years old

Hanyu Airi: 4 years old

Hanyu Baby Girl: incoming in 3 more months

Hanyu Baby Boy: incoming in 3 more months

(What do you guys think of the names I picked?)

(Any suggestions on the incoming Baby Girl and Baby Boy?)

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(Wow, that's such a long scene. Usually, my chapters gets long because I have different scenes combined in it. But this one is just one whole continuous scene.)

(Did I go overboard with all the kissing scenes?)

(„ಡωಡ„)

(Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter. Thank you for all the reads and the love!~)

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