Odoroki
twenty-seven.
The first thing that Natasha saw when she woke up was the glow of Christmas lights. Warm colors flooded through the window, and because these lights were the only light, she figured that it was morning. She shifted a little, turning toward the glow, and sighed, realizing that she was alone in bed and that there was a lovely ache in her stomach. She sighed again, and she sat up, closing her eyes as the motion brought on more lightheadedness than she’d been prepared for.
She smiled a little, glancing around for any signs of Yuu, and shook her head as she heard him humming in the kitchen. Then, carefully, she slid out of bed, and she followed the scent of pancakes and tea, and she leaned against the doorframe when she got to the kitchen, taking Yuu in. His hair was still ruffled and messy from sleep, and his torso was covered by only an apron, and he looked beyond content.
She coughed quietly to get his attention, and he lifted his head to look at her, and he smiled. Her heart melted as the smile spread into a grin, and she smiled right back. She let her head rest against the doorframe, and she let a hand rest on her stomach, and she watched the love smolder in his eyes. “Ohayo,” she said softly, and he beamed, glancing away long enough to flip the pancakes and the looking back at her. “You’re up awfully early, you know.”
He chuckled, and he shut the stove off- the pancakes were golden brown, and he wanted nothing more than to be holding her, anyway. “Wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed,” he said, and he smiled, untying his apron and draping it on a chair. “But since you’re up, I guess breakfast at the table wouldn’t be too bad.” He paused, taking a moment to really gaze at her, and he smiled. “Merry Christmas, by the way.”
She melted. “Merry Christmas to you, too, love.”
He smiled, and he extended a hand for her, and she walked over to him, opting to wrap her arms around his neck instead. He chuckled, and when she lifted her head to look up at him, she was greeted with a warm smile and a kiss. His arms slid around her, his hands resting on the dip of her back, and he held her as close as he could. She held on tight, letting her fingers slip through the strands of hair at the back of his neck, and he sighed into the kiss, his lips parting just slightly against hers. She shivered against him as he kissed her bottom lip and upper lip separately, and again as he pulled back just slightly before kissing her again.
The flutter in her stomach made itself known once again, and she couldn’t help but smile as he broke the kiss and stroked her cheek, tucking back her hair. “Breakfast at the table sounds perfect,” she said, and he smiled, and he claimed another kiss- it was shorter, and it was softer, but it still made Natasha feel as though she could melt. As long as Yuu was with her, she’d eat pancakes on the floor if she had to.
He smiled and hummed softly in content as he kissed her forehead, and then he drew back, one arm still around her and the other reaching out to pull out a chair. “Have a seat, love,” he said softly. “I’ll have your breakfast to you before you know it.”
She smiled, stretching up to kiss him before she complied. She sat, and she blushed as he gently pushed the chair forward, and she could begin to understand what kind of strength playing guitar for years had given him. She felt him kiss the top of her head, and then she heard him humming as he transferred the freshly made pancakes to their plates- setting her plate in front of her before placing his own on the table across from her. He coated them with syrup for her, cut a square of butter for her, and she giggled as he cursed- syrup had somehow managed to splatter from pancakes to his pajama pants, and it would most likely leave a stain.
And then he was stirring her tea for her, setting it in front of her, and he smiled as he picked up the coffee he’d made for himself, setting it near his plate. “Dig in,” he said, and he bent down to kiss her temple before he sat down as well. She raised an eyebrow at him, smiling and picking up the fork he’d set out for her, and shook her head as she decided that she was hungry and that the food he’d made looked really good.
And then as they ate, it was comfortable silence. Once he’d started eating, she smiled and reached out to take his free hand, and she could feel goose bumps forming on her skin as he chuckled and squeezed her hand. It was nice- for lack of a better word- to be close to him, and their baby spent most of the meal shifting happily within her womb, as though he could sense that his father was nearby. And Natasha spent the meal eating quietly, laughing softly whenever Yuu muttered under his breath about his food escaping him, and she thought that it was kind of adorable, watching him adjust to a fork.
She assumed that he’d been using chopsticks a lot lately, and so it was only fair that she could giggle at his expense, suppressing the urge to remind him that he was just as horrible with silverware as she was with chopsticks.
It was nice, though, that he didn’t mind eating with one hand and holding on to her hand with the other. And with his thumb gently rubbing the back of her hand, she was reminded of the way that he liked to remind her that he loved her, and little things such as that were enough to melt her into a puddle. And, every once in a while, she squeezed his hand gently just to see him look up at her and smile, and moments like that made her melt, too.
It felt perfectly domestic, being with him, as though she lived here with him in Tokyo, as if they’d been married for years. It felt natural, and it felt perfect, and Natasha felt damn lucky that she’d met Yuu. And now, nearly nineteen weeks into it, she couldn’t imagine why she’d been so petrified of having a baby with him.
He was patient, and he was loving, and he had a heart of gold, and he would make her happy, and he would be an excellent father.
She knew then, while eating the last of her pancakes and watching him do the same, that he was the one for her.
She smiled a little, glancing around for any signs of Yuu, and shook her head as she heard him humming in the kitchen. Then, carefully, she slid out of bed, and she followed the scent of pancakes and tea, and she leaned against the doorframe when she got to the kitchen, taking Yuu in. His hair was still ruffled and messy from sleep, and his torso was covered by only an apron, and he looked beyond content.
She coughed quietly to get his attention, and he lifted his head to look at her, and he smiled. Her heart melted as the smile spread into a grin, and she smiled right back. She let her head rest against the doorframe, and she let a hand rest on her stomach, and she watched the love smolder in his eyes. “Ohayo,” she said softly, and he beamed, glancing away long enough to flip the pancakes and the looking back at her. “You’re up awfully early, you know.”
He chuckled, and he shut the stove off- the pancakes were golden brown, and he wanted nothing more than to be holding her, anyway. “Wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed,” he said, and he smiled, untying his apron and draping it on a chair. “But since you’re up, I guess breakfast at the table wouldn’t be too bad.” He paused, taking a moment to really gaze at her, and he smiled. “Merry Christmas, by the way.”
She melted. “Merry Christmas to you, too, love.”
He smiled, and he extended a hand for her, and she walked over to him, opting to wrap her arms around his neck instead. He chuckled, and when she lifted her head to look up at him, she was greeted with a warm smile and a kiss. His arms slid around her, his hands resting on the dip of her back, and he held her as close as he could. She held on tight, letting her fingers slip through the strands of hair at the back of his neck, and he sighed into the kiss, his lips parting just slightly against hers. She shivered against him as he kissed her bottom lip and upper lip separately, and again as he pulled back just slightly before kissing her again.
The flutter in her stomach made itself known once again, and she couldn’t help but smile as he broke the kiss and stroked her cheek, tucking back her hair. “Breakfast at the table sounds perfect,” she said, and he smiled, and he claimed another kiss- it was shorter, and it was softer, but it still made Natasha feel as though she could melt. As long as Yuu was with her, she’d eat pancakes on the floor if she had to.
He smiled and hummed softly in content as he kissed her forehead, and then he drew back, one arm still around her and the other reaching out to pull out a chair. “Have a seat, love,” he said softly. “I’ll have your breakfast to you before you know it.”
She smiled, stretching up to kiss him before she complied. She sat, and she blushed as he gently pushed the chair forward, and she could begin to understand what kind of strength playing guitar for years had given him. She felt him kiss the top of her head, and then she heard him humming as he transferred the freshly made pancakes to their plates- setting her plate in front of her before placing his own on the table across from her. He coated them with syrup for her, cut a square of butter for her, and she giggled as he cursed- syrup had somehow managed to splatter from pancakes to his pajama pants, and it would most likely leave a stain.
And then he was stirring her tea for her, setting it in front of her, and he smiled as he picked up the coffee he’d made for himself, setting it near his plate. “Dig in,” he said, and he bent down to kiss her temple before he sat down as well. She raised an eyebrow at him, smiling and picking up the fork he’d set out for her, and shook her head as she decided that she was hungry and that the food he’d made looked really good.
And then as they ate, it was comfortable silence. Once he’d started eating, she smiled and reached out to take his free hand, and she could feel goose bumps forming on her skin as he chuckled and squeezed her hand. It was nice- for lack of a better word- to be close to him, and their baby spent most of the meal shifting happily within her womb, as though he could sense that his father was nearby. And Natasha spent the meal eating quietly, laughing softly whenever Yuu muttered under his breath about his food escaping him, and she thought that it was kind of adorable, watching him adjust to a fork.
She assumed that he’d been using chopsticks a lot lately, and so it was only fair that she could giggle at his expense, suppressing the urge to remind him that he was just as horrible with silverware as she was with chopsticks.
It was nice, though, that he didn’t mind eating with one hand and holding on to her hand with the other. And with his thumb gently rubbing the back of her hand, she was reminded of the way that he liked to remind her that he loved her, and little things such as that were enough to melt her into a puddle. And, every once in a while, she squeezed his hand gently just to see him look up at her and smile, and moments like that made her melt, too.
It felt perfectly domestic, being with him, as though she lived here with him in Tokyo, as if they’d been married for years. It felt natural, and it felt perfect, and Natasha felt damn lucky that she’d met Yuu. And now, nearly nineteen weeks into it, she couldn’t imagine why she’d been so petrified of having a baby with him.
He was patient, and he was loving, and he had a heart of gold, and he would make her happy, and he would be an excellent father.
She knew then, while eating the last of her pancakes and watching him do the same, that he was the one for her.