Fireworks (Part 14)
Sprout
Summary:Aiba was in charge of Jun so he had no idea what to do with the two children until Sakurai suggested the festival happening in town.
Aiba couldn’t take his eyes off of Sakurai the following day after their short walk at the beach, and he certainly couldn’t keep his mind off of him. Unfortunately, however, Kazu demanded his attention every moment Aiba looked up at Sakurai as if Kazu was jealous of the silent exchanges between his father and Sakurai
“Don’t worry, Kazu,” Aiba giggled as he hugged his son. “You’re my number one and it will stay that way forever.” And he meant it. The moment he considered Kazu as his son, there was nothing else left in the world to lose and he was completely content with his life. Well, it was an exaggeration. He really was content with his son, but he felt like there was something missing. What it was, Aiba had no idea, but he wanted to know what it was and hoped that he would find out soon.
“That’s adorable,” he heard his sister-in-law say in awe as she took a seat beside him with Ataru on her lap. “I’ve never heard you talk like that to anyone before. Kazu-chan has you in his grip, huh?”
Aiba rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Very funny,” he said sarcastically. “Kazu really is important to me, so, yes, I would lose every dignity I have in me. I don’t care if it’s embarrassing… Now I know what it feels like to be you and Yuusuke at the same time.”
“Oh please,” she laughed out loud, causing both the childrens’ eyes to widen from the loud sound. “You don’t know how hard it was having this little one inside of me. It was nine months of miracle and hell at the same time.”
“Oh, I can imagine,” he told her, remembering how many women who were in labor or were out of labor talked about the grueling nine months they had to go through for a miracle. On his first day of work, however, he couldn’t stand hearing it in person and preferred reading about it in books. But of course, he eventually got used to it and it gave him more information than books can offer.
“But seriously, nii-san, what do you plan on doing in the future for you and Kazu-chan?”
“I…” To be honest, he really didn’t know how to answer that when he realized that he’s never given it a thought.
“Haven’t thought about it?” She asked as if she had read his mind. “It’s okay. You have all the time to think about it before, you know, Kazu-chan attends preschool. But because you’re a clueless father, I have two advices to give you: save up a dollar every day for Kazu’s college tuition and never leave him out of your sight. Children… they are the most miraculous and amazing thing that can ever happen in your life. Once you have your first kid, that’s when you realize your life is so much more.”
“T-thank you, Kaori. This really means a lot to me.”
“No problem, nii-san. Anytime you’re worried about something or need help with Kazu-chan, you come to me and we’ll sort it out. Also, do you happen to know where Yuusuke went? He escaped as soon as he heard Ataru crying. You won’t turn out like that, right?”
Aiba shook his head. “No, of course not! I think Yuusuke wasn’t trying to escape. I think he didn’t know what to do.”
“He really doesn’t,” Kaori agreed. “I’m gonna look around for him.” And with that, she left them alone once again until Ohno, looking as tired as ever. Both he and Jun looked like twins for a second with identical tired expressions on their faces.
Aiba couldn’t hold back his laughter as Ohno took the empty seat beside him. “I think you’re sleepwalking, Oh-chan.”
“Oh. Am I? Is this a dream?”
“No, silly,” Aiba giggled as he pinched Ohno’s arm eliciting a tiny yelp from the man. Last night, both Kazu and Jun wouldn’t stop crying for unknown reasons. Both single fathers already fed them, changed their diapers, and played with them but neither children refused to calm down until the fathers joined forces and put their children together in the play pen. It was very tiring for the both of them since it was an hour past midnight and the children didn’t fall asleep until 3AM. But unlike Ohno, Aiba was full of energy.
“A longer night,” Ohno sighed. “Jun woke up an hour after just so I could change his diapers and I had to stay up with him until he finally went to sleep.”
“Aww. You can take a nap, Oh-chan. I’ll take care of Jun-chan.”
“Really? You would do that for me?”
“Of course! Now go nap.”
“Yay,” Ohno said tiredly as he got up. “I really, really appreciate this. Thank you Aiba-chan. I owe you one.”
Before Aiba was about to tell him that he didn’t have to, Ohno was already ascending up the stairs.
“What do you boys want to do today?” Aiba asked as he eyed both of the children sitting quietly on the couch. “Play? Go to the beach? Nap time?”
“How about we go to the festival right now?”
Both he and the children jolted in surprise from the voice behind them. Aiba didn’t have to look around to see who it was.
Just as Sakurai had mentioned, there was a summer festival going on today and for the whole week. Aiba and Yuusuke always used to go every year when they were kids, but they stopped when they both moved out of their parents’ house. During those times, Aiba missed it a lot. He wanted to go, but whenever the festival began, he was busy with work and he barely even had time for himself. It wasn’t such a bad thought! Besides, it would be their first festival.
“Sure!” Aiba agreed. “I’ll be down with the kids in a few.” With that said, he went upstairs to his room with Kazu on his right arm and Jun on the other. After dressing both of them up in baby male yukata versions, that used to belong to him and Yuusuke, Aiba was ready to go. On the other hand, Aiba decided to wear a simple dark blue yukata that had white thin lines running down vertically. He bought it a few summers ago and had planned on wearing it to any summer festivals he had the chance to go to, but that never happened until now. When he went back downstairs, he saw that Sakurai was already waiting for him, but this time the doctor was wearing a yukata as well, and he styled his bangs slightly apart from each other so his forehead was exposed. It was a lighter blue compared to Aiba’s yukata and probably looked much better on Sakurai than it did on him.
“I don’t usually wear these,” Sakurai confessed. “But your mother insisted and I couldn’t say no.”
“But it looks amazing on you,” Aiba mumbled out loud without thinking and hadn’t realized he said it until he saw a rare blush on Sakurai’s face. “Ah…”
“Thank you,” Sakurai mumbled. “You look amazing today too, as well as the kids.”
Aiba felt his heart was ready to crawl out of his mouth and jump around in happiness from Sakurai’s compliment, but he had to calm himself down or the strength he had for carrying the children in his arms would fail him. But he was failing and Sakurai came in time to keep him from dopping the children.
“Be careful,” Sakurai warned as he took Jun from him. “I’ll hold Jun-chan for you.”
Before they left, Aiba asked his sister-in-law for her stroller for Jun. Once the children were settled in their strollers, they headed out for the festival.
Aiba was glad that the festival was only a block away from the beach house. Once they were there, Aiba had to excuse himself for a bit to sit down on the nearest bench to rest his feet.
“I’m sorry,” Aiba apologized as soon as Sakurai sat beside him.
“Don’t worry about it, Aiba-san. We have all of the afternoon and nighttime until fireworks.”
He couldn’t be more grateful towards the man. Not only did Sakurai remind him of the festival and helped him with Jun, he was also understandable. Sakurai would make such a great father… Aiba shook his head free of images about Sakurai acting as a father to Kazu. It was like the dream he had that one time where he and Sakurai each had a wedding band on their ring finger and Sakurai was taking care of Kazu who was a toddler in that dream.
“Is something wrong?” Sakurai’s worried question brought him back to reality. “You were squirming and you had this weird look on your face.”
“It’s nothing!” Aiba exclaimed as he stood up and grabbed hold of Kazu’s stroller. If was afraid that if he looked at Sakurai in the eyes, the doctor would read his mind. “Nothing at all!”
“Are you sure?”
“Y-yeah!”
“If you say so…”
The rest of their time at the festival was spent entertaining themselves and the children. Sakurai was kind enough to buy them food and toys for the children, as well as trying out for games that required strength, all of which Sakurai, ironically, failed. He did win ring toss three times and won Kazu, Jun and Aiba each teddy bears.
“You’re not going to get one for yourself?” Aiba asked him as they began walking away from the booth.
“No, I won’t.”
“Aww,” Aiba pouted. “If you want, I can get you something! I’m very good at the basketball. I’ve always won for as long as I can remember.”
Sakurai raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
“Are ya doubting me?”
“Am I?”
Aiba could tell that Sakurai was teasing him and he wasn’t going to fall for it that easily. With a determined grin, Aiba stomped over to the basketball court where there were already people gathered. It was as if they knew he was coming and they would watch him win every shot. “You’re going to regret doubting me!”
Once Aiba paid for his turn, they told him a few set of instructions that he didn’t need to pay attention to. He already knew the rules and the mechanic of the game: he has to shoot the ball through the hoops twelve times as he went around the court after every shot. It was usually hard for someone who didn’t have a strong wrist, but luckily Aiba always shot hoops when he had the free time to.
“Start!” The referee announced and Aiba switched onto his game mode.
Every time he shot a perfect throw, he heard cheering from the background and it encourage Aiba to do better. Finally, after his last and final shot, he won the biggest prize they had to offer: a huge brown teddy bear.
“I told you I could do it,” Aiba smirked arrogantly as he shoved the huge bear in Sakurai’s arms. “I still got game.”
“Wow, that’s amazing, Aiba-san! Where did you learn how to play like that? And I’m sorry for doubting you, it’s just that I can’t imagine you playing basketball.”
“That’s okay, Sho-san. My brother, Pa and I used to play a lot on the basketball court near our house. Pa taught us how to play that by the end of my senior year at high school, I was able to beat him to it.”
“Well, thank you, Aiba-san… but I think Kazu-chan should get the prize. He deserves it more than I do.”
“But…”
“Here,” Sakurai handed Kazu the huge bear, but obviously he couldn’t hold it because it was so big, so Sakurai had to hold it for him instead. “I’ll hold it for you, Kazu-chan.”
“T-then what should I get you?” Aiba asked in distress. He really had to get Sakurai at least something so he wouldn’t feel so guilty, but when he was about to talk about it, Sakurai pulled him close at the same time the fireworks began.
“Being with you is enough, Masaki,” he whispered near his ear so only Aiba could hear it. “May I hold your hand?”
Aiba could feel his heart beating loudly against his chest and he swore that it was louder than the fireworks. Words really couldn’t explain how Aiba felt, but if he could put it into one word, it’ll only come out as utter nonsense. After he managed to choke a yes, Sakurai pulled away from him and slipped his hand on Aiba’s sweaty and nervous hand. He felt his own hand tightening around Sakurai’s hand as he looked up at the sky where there were a ton of fireworks lighting and coloring the night sky. What he felt right now -- as Sakurai intertwined his fingers with Aiba’s -- was fireworks. And it felt completely, and utterly amazing.
TBC
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