Chapter 69: Fatherhood

It started with a phone call.

Technically, it started with the end of a phone call. Kyoya faintly heard Jin saying goodbye to her sister from the kitchen, and three seconds later Jin was launching herself onto the couch cushion beside her husband. Snuggling her way beneath his arm, Kyoya watched in amusement as Jin settled herself into his lap.

"Why hello there."

"Hi."

They shared a quick peck before Kyoya set his book off to the side, knowing he was not going to be continuing it for some time.

"So, what did Haruhi have to talk to you about?"

At once, Jin let out a little squeal, her clenched fists pressing themselves against her chest. Kyoya raised an eyebrow. Whatever it was, it had to be good. He hadn't seen Jin this excited since Haruhi's wedding bouquet had landed squarely in Hikaru's lap, the man's face growing redder than his hair as his girlfriend blushed and looked askance.

"Okay, okay. You can't tell anyone else, you can't even talk to Tamaki about this because Haru swore me to secrecy, but apparently Haru and Tamaki are starting to try!"

Jin started squealing again, and Kyoya almost opened his mouth to ask what Jin meant by 'try' when it clicked in his head.

"Oh! Really?"

"Yes! I am so ready to be the best aunt in history! Like not even joking I am going to spoil their kid rotten! I wonder if they'll need any help decorating the nursery or if Tamaki will insist on doing it himself? I have a feeling that as soon as Haru starts showing he's going to try and forbid her from moving at all. Like that's ever going to happen! Ah, I'm just so excited! I bet their kid is going to be the cutest ever… Kyo? You okay? You're being really quiet."

"Hm?" Kyoya blinked himself out of his thoughts. Jin was staring at him, all her previous excitement replaced with concern. He wanted to smile and soothe her worries, but something… there was something he needed to ask first.

"I'm okay, Darling. I guess I was just thinking."

"Thinking? About what?"

"Well, you mentioned being the best aunt, so I was thinking of my being an uncle and that got me wondering… do you think I'd be a good dad?"

Clearly, Jin had not been expecting that. She gave Kyoya a long stare, not answering right away. As spontaneous as his question had been, Kyoya knew his wife well enough to know she would seriously consider her response. After a while, Jin gave a short hum and nodded.

"Yes, you would."

"You think?"

"Well, there's only one real way to find out." Jin's cheeks were pink, even as she said the words. Kyoya couldn't help but wonder if this was something she had been thinking about before now. He certainly had.

"It could make some things difficult."

"I suppose. A lot would have to change."

"Yes."

Jin leaned her head on Kyoya's shoulder, her voice no more than a whisper. "But it would be nice."

They were quiet for another moment.

"Jin?"

"Yes, Kyoya?"

"... Let's have a baby."

"Hey! Have you heard from Kyoya and Jin?"

"Huh?" Hikaru set his drink down with a rather heavy hand, the edges of his vision already starting to blur. The fairy lights strewn around the dark room and the bass-boosted music coming from the huge speakers by the television weren't helping in the slightest. On the television, some famous American singer was wailing their heart out to the overcrowded Times Square. If he focused, Hikaru could just faintly hear his wife's voice dancing above the song.

Beside him, Kaoru leaned in closer to shout, "Kyoya and Jin! I haven't seen them yet! Do you think they got stuck at the shrine?"

"They didn't come to the shrine!" Hikaru angrily began pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Skipping out on New Years? Not on my watch."

Standing up, because even when drunk Hikaru wasn't about to shout during a phone call, the redhead stumbled out of the sitting room and into the significantly quieter kitchen. He spotted Mori and Hisayo by the window and went to join them.

"And then Reiko was like- Oh, hi Hikaru! You look upset."

"I am! Jin and Kyoya are late!" Hikaru nearly fell down on the window ledge, barely getting caught by his friend's quick reflexes. "So I came to find a quiet place to find out what's going on!"

Without further ado, Hikaru dialed Kyoya's number and held his phone up to his ear. At his side, Hisayo was saying something to her husband, but Hikaru didn't have the frame of mind to focus on two things at once. And the ringing was starting to hurt his head. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long for it to stop.

"Hello?"

"Hey!" At the sound of his friend's voice, Hikaru's anger dissipated and he smiled. "Listen, I know you and Jin didn't accept the Facebook invite because, y'know, it's Facebook , but I think the event page still said the party started at 9. What's your ETA?"

Across town, the Ootori household was as opposite as could be from the Hitachiin's party scene. Their lights were on, if at a dim setting, and the only noises came from Jin bustling around the kitchen and the sound of Kyoya bouncing the baby seat holding a sleeping Setsuko with his foot. Junko was in Kyoya's arms, quietly staring at her father with a thumb in her mouth.

Kyoya sucked in a deep breath before readjusting the phone in his hand. "Hikaru? I don't know how many times I have to explain this to you, but we now have children. We can't go out to a New Year's party, they aren't even one year old yet. "

"Kyo? Who are you talking to?" Jin called out, her voice followed by the sound of something being set on the countertop. "Is it Tamaki? If it is, invite him and Haru over. I made too much ozoni."

Back on the other side of the phone call, Hikaru blinked heavily, having been momentarily distracted by someone calling for another toast in the kitchen. "So… as soon as you pick up Tamaki and Haruhi?"

"No."

Beep beep.

Hikaru pulled the phone away from his ear in a daze. "He hung up on me…"

"He sure did, buddy." Hisayo cooed as Mori gently pulled Hikaru's phone away from him. "Now, how about we get you some water, hm? You can call Kyoya again tomorrow."

"Okay…"

At first, Jin hadn't noticed that Kyoya didn't return to bed. In her defense, she hadn't exactly been awake when he left. As soon as Kyoya promised "I'll get her" and she stopped hearing the baby crying through the monitor, Jin had fallen back asleep in an instant. Except being a mother had given Jin some strange sixth sense of when things were out of place around the house, which is why she was crawling out of bed at nearly five in the morning trying to hunt down her missing husband.

She checked the room that was right next to the master bedroom, which was also currently their daughter's nursery. A quick peek inside gave Jin a bit of a heart attack, because instead of two babies she only saw one. Junko was still sound asleep in her crib, but Setsuko's was empty. Feeling more awake with every passing second, Jin didn't bother looking in the two empty bedrooms or the dark hall bathroom before hurrying downstairs.

To her relief, as soon as Jin got to the bottom of the stairs, she noticed a faint yellow light coming from the living room. Following the light, Jin's worry was immediately replaced with fondness. Lying on the couch was Kyoya with Setsuko curled up on his chest, both of them fast asleep. The light was coming from the lamp on the side table by Kyoya's head, casting deep shadows across both of their sleeping faces.

If Jin had remembered to grab her phone, she would've snapped at least five photos.

But she hadn't, so instead she just savored the sight for another few moments before making her move. As precious as the scene was, she didn't want Kyoya to wake up with a crick in his neck, away from his alarm clock, and with their daughter's full diaper resting on his stomach. Jin's first order of business was to take Setsuko back upstairs to her crib and hope that she would sleep through the rest of the night. Then Jin would come back down to fetch her husband.

Kyoya let out a grunt as soon as Jin started to lift Setsuko off his chest. Like a moron she stopped and let go, watching in surprise as Kyoya tightened his grip on their daughter and rolled onto his side, cradling Setsuko against his chest. After a few seconds Jin crouched down with a smile and gently shook her husband's shoulder.

"Kyo? Kyoya, I need you to wake up."

Now that they had children, it didn't take much to wake Kyoya up. Jin's soft voice was more than enough to get her husband to start opening his eyes. The little scowl on his face was pretty cute, too. Jin waited as Kyoya started looking around, letting him remember how he had gotten to where he was first. As soon as he laid eyes on the baby in his arms, Kyoya's cheeks flushed a light pink.

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Jin's smile widened and she leaned forward to kiss Kyoya's forehead. "You're so cute, Kyo. You refused to let Setsu-chan go when I tried to take her back to bed."

"I did?"

"Mhm." Jin gently eased the baby from Kyoya's arms so he could stand up, already yawning. "It was adorable, but I figured you'd rather spend the last few hours of sleep in our bed as opposed to the couch."

"Right. Right. I'll let you head up the stairs first. I'll turn off the lights behind you."

"Okay." Jin quickly gave him another kiss on the cheek. "Don't fall back asleep."

"I won't. You took away my cuddle buddy."

"Awww…"

"We should do this more often!" Tamaki called out over the roof of the car, one of his hands reaching down for his son, Masa, to play with temporarily from his car seat. On the other side of the car, Kyoya rolled his eyes. He was still bent over in the back seat, trying to finish buckling Junko into the middle car seat without accidentally elbowing Setsuko in the process. When he had agreed to take the children for a walk in the park while Jin and Haruhi went to a nearby onsen for a few hours relaxation, he hadn't factored in finding Tamaki already parked outside their house and moving the twin's car seats into his own car.

Finally securing his daughters and kissing them both on the forehead, Kyoya backed out of the car and shut the door. "Perhaps. Though it is quite cramped with three car seats."

"You said it!" Tamaki laughed as he carefully shut the door on his side as well. "It'll only get worse when we have more! I'll need to buy a bigger car!"

Kyoya chuckled, smiling down at his children through the glass. More… yes, Kyoya still wanted more children. Just not now. Perhaps once Junko and Setsuko start getting along better?

"Hey, Kyoya?"

He looked up, not at all surprised to find his friend looking very much like he just saw a baby bird fall out of a tree. After all these years, Tamaki still had yet to grow out of his bizarre mood swings. At least he only had them around his friends instead of during his company meetings.

"What is it, Tamaki?"

"Do you think our families will stay close? I mean, we're close now, but once our families start growing bigger we'll have less time to spend with each other… what if by the time Masa, Jun-chan, and Setsu-chan are in high school, they're basically strangers?"

"Stop." Kyoya held up a hand, proud that he still had the power to cut Tamaki's ramblings off instantly. "First, you forget that our children are cousins and are related through two of the closest siblings I've ever known. Meanwhile, their fathers are best friends and have been for years and they also happen to live in the same neighborhood. As for the others, I can't promise anything for certain, but I have a feeling you of all people won't allow any irreversible distance to be created between our families. I have a sneaking suspicion that however many children we have, they'll be friends with each other in some way, shape, or form for many years to come."

Tamaki's bottom lip was trembling and Kyoya was already regretting his words. Now he was going to be stuck next to the overemotional blond for twenty minutes until they got back to Kyoya's home. Perhaps longer if Tamaki decided to stay and let their children play together in Kyoya's living room.

"Aw, Kyoya. Who knew you were such a-"

Click.

Kyoya snapped to attention, recognizing the noise but desperately hoping he heard wrong. Tamaki was staring down at his door in horror. He yanked on the handle three more times in succession.

Click, click, click.

"Uhh…"

"Did you just lock my children in the car?"

"N-no, the keys-"

"Where are the keys, Tamaki?"

"I put them in the bag-"

"What bag? The bag you put under Masa's seat?"

"I didn't-"

"Oh my god, Tamaki, I told you to not put the keys in the bag!"

"Masa!" Tamaki darted to the back door. "Masa, it's okay sweetie! Daddy's gonna get you out!"

Kyoya might've rolled his eyes or perhaps attacked Tamaki if he wasn't busy smiling down reassuringly at his own daughters, grateful that he'd had the sense to crack the windows before getting out earlier. "Don't worry. You're okay-"

" A, I, U, E, O~ Ka, Ki, Ku, Ke, Ko~ "

"Are you singing to them? People get arrested for this, Baka! " Kyoya groaned at the strangled sound Tamaki let out at that. "Just- just call OnStar; they can unlock the car remotely!"

"Oh, right!" Tamaki let out a huge breath that once again cut out as he began patting his pockets frantically.

"You've got to be shitting me."

"MY PHONE'S IN THE BAG!"

Kyoya pressed his forehead against the roof of the car, taking in a deep breath to steady himself before pulling his own phone out of his pocket. He wasn't going to kill Tamaki… he was not . Not yet . Not until after he unlocked the car and got home and promptly threw Tamaki under the bus when their wives found out about this little adventure.

Kyoya quickly found OnStar in his own contact list, grateful that Jin had managed to convince him to purchase the service at the beginning of their marriage. He was also grateful that Haruhi, knowing her husband, had shared hers and Tamaki's code with the Ootori's on the off chance they'd need it.

"OnStar customer service."

"Hello, my friend accidentally locked our children in their car. I have their code." He got the go ahead and repeated the code, realizing almost too late why Tamaki had suddenly gone quiet.

"I SWEAR I'M GONNA BREAK THE WINDOW!"

"Excuse me for a moment." Kyoya pressed his phone against his chest as he ran to intercept his friend and the park bench he was now holding above his head. " IF YOU GET GLASS ON MY DAUGHTERS I WILL END YOU, SUOH! "

Getting the bench back on the ground was surprisingly not as difficult as it sounded, and before long Kyoya was sitting on Tamaki's back to keep him pinned on that same bench while he finished the call.

"I'm sorry about that."

"No, it's no trouble, Sir. We've just sent the signal, so your friend's car should be unlocking any moment now. Please tell your friend that her children will be fine."

"That's a man."

"Really?"

"Indeed." Kyoya stood up and walked back over to the car. Sure enough, the door opened without a problem. Sighing in relief, he thanked the OnStar worker profusely before hanging up, quickly pressing the unlock button for the rest of the car doors. It was unnecessary, since Tamaki had already opened Masa's car door and scooped his son out, but better safe than sorry.

"That… that was amazing! Did that come from space? Wow…"

Kyoya marched around his friend and fished the car keys out of the bag before turning to face Tamaki head on. The blond went stiff, holding his son a little closer to his chest.

He pointed the keys at Tamaki's face, voice low as he promised, "I am driving us back to my house, since you're obviously too shaken to drive. Once our wives get back they will be told the truth, so do not expect me to come to your aid. Understood?"

Tamaki gulped. Kyoya assumed that meant 'yes' and walked away to coddle his own children.

Kyoya woke up to the scent of breakfast, beating his alarm by four minutes. As the twins slowly came closer to their first birthdays, Kyoya's body had finally grown accustomed to waking at the slightest noise. A skill he put to good use heading off midnight crying before it even started, keeping at least one baby asleep at a time. On the other hand how Jin managed to get up and start breakfast without waking Kyoya up every day never failed to impress and somewhat frighten him.

Sliding out of bed and right into his house slippers, Kyoya followed the sounds downstairs and into the kitchen. Jin didn't appear to notice him at first, too busy flitting around in the early morning light. This gave Kyoya plenty of time to stand and stare in adoration, just as transfixed by his wife as the day he realized he was in love. God, love made him so cliche.

The moment ended when Jin turned around. Her surprise quickly morphed into a beaming smile.

"Good morning, Dear," she whispered.

"Good morning." He walked around the peninsula counter and didn't stop until Jin was in his arms. Jin fell into a kiss without a fight, practically melting against her husband as he carefully pushed her back against the counter. Nipping at Jin's lower lip, Kyoya coaxed out a moan before moving to muffle his wife entirely. There was a hint of a question peeking out beneath the raw hunger and wandering hands, but just then a crackling cry came out of the baby monitor sitting next to the sink.

Jin fell away with a gasp, catching her breath even as Kyoya's mouth dropped to her bare shoulder. He littered a few quick kisses against the skin there, thumbs rubbing soothingly over her hips. Another cry got him moving.

"I'll get the girls."

"Thank you." Jin gifted Kyoya a final kiss on the cheek before sending him right back upstairs. As he went, Kyoya contemplated how he loved his daughters beyond the reaches of the universe and back… despite the fact that they needed to work on their timing.

In the nursery, both girls were awake. Junko was trying to pull herself up by the edge of her crib, so Kyoya scooped her up first.

"Good morning, little ones." He kissed Junko's forehead first, then Setsuko's once he had her in his arms. "Did your mother's cooking wake you up, too?"

Setsuko made babbling noises at her father and Junko just rubbed at her eyes, nearly smacking her sister and her father in the process. Kyoya nodded solemnly and carried them back downstairs.

From there the morning proceeded as usual. Kyoya settled the girls into their high chairs while Jin finished the last of breakfast. Once Jin took over feeding the girls, Kyoya went back upstairs for the last time to get ready for work. But not before planting another kiss on his wife, making Junko giggle and Setsuko whimper like she was about to cry. Jin gave him a half-hearted glare as he walked away before any chaos could erupt.

Speeding through his morning, Kyoya was back at the table dressed and packed for work with half an hour to spare. In between bites of his own breakfast, the next twenty minutes passed by in a lazy atmosphere, peppered with laughter and a few kisses here and there.

Kyoya knew that Jin knew he was sneaking glances at her belly, but neither comment on it. Jin knew that Kyoya was still thinking about her proposition, so there was no point in her bringing it up again. She understood Kyoya's wariness over getting pregnant again so soon since their first time around produced twins, she'd been a little cautious about bringing it up too, but she also knew he wasn't entirely opposed to the idea either.

However, when the time came for Kyoya to leave, they both pushed their thoughts about expanding their family off to the side. Kyoya helped Jin move the twins into their play pen in the living room, where they could keep an eye on them even as Kyoya said his goodbyes.

Jin handed Kyoya his briefcase as he finished pulling on his shoes. "Be safe, work hard, call me when you're on your way home and all that jazz."

"Of course, Darling." He leaned forward and met Jin's kiss in the middle. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Kyoya turned the handle and was about to pull the door open when a tiny voice called out, "O-san."

Together, both parents turned their heads towards the twin's play area. Setsuko was off to one side, playing with a stuffed animal and looking none the wiser to her parent's astonished stares. Her sister, however, was holding onto the edge of the play area's fence, peering over the edge with one arm reached over in her parent's direction.

When neither adult moved, Junko stated again, "O-tō-san," and made grabbing motions with her hand.

Jin moved after a few seconds, slowly walking over and picking up their eldest daughter. Kyoya set his briefcase down, keeping his eyes fixed on Junko as Jin carried her over to him. With slightly shaking hands, he carefully took Junko in his arms.

Pleased with herself, Junko settled herself against Kyoya's chest with a final mumbled, "O-tōsan."

Above her, Kyoya was pressing his lips together tightly in an attempt to ward off the tears. Junko's first word. He had been his daughter's first word. Kyoya sucked in a quick breath before kissing his daughter on the head. Jin looked to be close to tears, too.

"Couldn't you just...call in sick?"

Kyoya wanted to. Oh, how very much he wanted to.

"I wish I could, but I can't."

Jin's shoulders deflated, but she nodded in understanding. "Well, I hope your day gets even better."

"I doubt it will," he responded before handing Junko back, kissing Jin one final time before picking up his briefcase and heading out the door. He faintly heard a 'Buh-bye, Tōsan!" as he shut the door.

He was definitely having a conversation with Jin when he came home. He wondered if Junko and Setsuko would rather have a baby brother or sister...

This is ridiculous, Kyoya couldn't help but think. In front of him, Junko and Setsuko were blinking curiously at their father and the three strange items he had placed in between him and them.

As it was with all things, Kyoya had heard about this "test" from Tamaki. The strange fascination the blond man had with Japanese traditions had expanded in his adulthood to include an adoration of anything of East Asian descent. Recently, as Masa's first birthday had recently come and gone, a Chinese and Korean tradition had taken place in the Suoh household.

Kyoya had been a personal witness, stopped by his friend while on the hunt for Junko's missing pacifier. Tamaki was in the process of "predicting Masa's future" with the tradition he had "discovered" while roaming the internet. The name of the test escaped him at the moment, but what Kyoya remembered was that various items were to be placed in front of the child, and depending on what the child reached for first would determine their future career or aspirations in life.

Kyoya, understandably, found the whole thing moronic. Shouldn't Tamaki know better than to judge a child's future based on their actions as a one year old? Had Masa not had a meltdown the week before because he wasn't allowed to lick the electrical socket?

Regardless, Kyoya wished his friend luck, quickly discovered the missing pacifier amid the clean dishes on the counter, and had left before Masa had made his decision. Only now, while Jin was taking a quick shower and Kyoya was left to watch over his oddly quiet daughters, he couldn't help but feel a little interested. Or perhaps that was boredom?

He watched quietly as Junko and Setsuko looked at the array of objects Kyoya had just come back from collecting. There was a pen, a thousand yen note, and a small stuffed cat that had been the source of more than one fight between his daughters. Depending on which object was grabbed first would, theoretically, tell Kyoya what they would treasure most in their future.

Setsuko moved first.

At first, he thought she was going for the money. Despite his reservations about the accuracy of the test, a part of Kyoya tensed up. But her pudgy toddler hand moved right over the note and onto Kyoya's leg. Junko moved right after her sister, and soon both girls were attempting to get comfortable in Kyoya's lap.

It was then that Kyoya realized they had made their decision.

And they had chosen him.

Before long Jin was rushing down the stairs, still wrapped up in her bathrobe, only to find the commotion she was searching for was her husband crying in the middle of the living room holding their daughters in his lap.

Even as he boarded the plane, Kyoya was ready to turn his family around the second Jin gave the word. Honestly he wanted her to. He was so ready to call up his family's pilot and have him ready the Ootori family's private jet for departure, no matter how much their commuter plane tickets had cost.

In his mind, the cost was nothing if they didn't have to deal with the dirty looks they were receiving from the other passengers. No one -repeat: no one - was allowed to look at his wife and children like they were anything less than gifts from the universe itself. It didn't matter that they were boarding a plane that would take them halfway around the world.

Really, if anyone was at fault for the current situation, it belonged to the as-of-yet-unknown third party who demanded that Kyoya join the international meeting in person. The nameless man had even made a joke about how everyone had to be tired of doing video meetings, as if he was doing Kyoya a favor. That man had better not be a spokesperson or of great significance in the company that wanted to work with the Ootori Group, or he was in for a rude awakening. Because if working around different time zones was too much of a hassle for these individuals, then their proposed business alliance was sounding less and less promising by the minute.

These grievances were what lead Kyoya to his current predicament on this plane.

He had been complaining about being forced to leave Jin alone with the twins while she was pregnant when his wife suggested, "Well, why don't all four of us go? Make it a family vacation to New York?"

Kyoya had loved the idea as much as he loved basically everything Jin said. There was nothing Kyoya hated more than wasting resources due to someone's mistake. Wasted time included. This way, even if the meeting turned out to be a bust, Kyoya would still have three full days making memories with his budding family to counteract the negativity.

Unfortunately, that also meant he and Jin had to put the twins on a plane for the first time.

They had planned, and planned, and read so many articles they ended up countering each other's recommendations. They had new, cheap toys wrapped up for as-needed discovery, plenty of snacks, books, and movies for additional entertainment, and most importantly: Delta One seating. They had entertained the idea of sitting across the aisle from each other, but decided with only one other passenger in their row, "new scenery" wasn't worth whatever extra attention they might get for sitting apart.

They were as ready as they would ever be and it was time to put it all to the test. Thankfully, they reached their seats without much hassle, the other passengers distracted by loading their own things into the storage compartments or settling in for the long flight. Those who did notice the babies and decide to show their displeasure on their faces were quick to look away when they were spotted by Kyoya. Or perhaps Jin's face was scarier. It was a tough call.

Both parents agreed that their children had been perfect angels while waiting at the gate. Setsuko had been content with being curled up with a toy in Kyoya's lap while Jin followed Junko as she crawled under the seats in fascination. Otherwise the girls had been watching a cartoon on Kyoya's cell phone, cheerfully giggling at the silliness taking place on the screen. Most of the passengers watching in their spare time had smiled or cooed at the girls right up until they started getting ready to board.

"Kyo-kun? Can you hold Setsu-chan for a moment?"

"Oh, yes." Quickly moving Junko to his left arm to make room, Kyoya bounced his children while his wife took her seat by the window. She settled into her seat with ease and Kyoya handed both children off so he could do the same. Trial One: Complete.

Trials Two, Three, and Four also passed without a hitch, but then it was time for take-off. Otherwise known as: Reason number 2,841 Kyoya Ootori will go grey before his 40th birthday. Jin had enough trouble with long flights as it was, with her tendency to get airsick if she ate anything besides bland crackers, so it was hard to tell how she would handle the journey while pregnant, and they had Junko and Setsuko to look after while also learning for the first time how their daughters handled flying.

For these many reasons, Jin had both of the girls in her lap during take-off, keeping them together for comfort while Kyoya had his left arm stretched across their stomachs for an additional sense of security. To both parent's relief and their foresight to entice their girls to eat a few snacks as the plane started moving, their daughters made it through the pressure change without a single meltdown. Junko had whimpered a bit when the engines first fired up, but all in all it had been smooth sailing (Kyoya mentally knocked on wood for the tenth time in that past hour).

As it was, the first hour passed by quickly. With the girls in Jin's lap, alternating between staring out the window or looking around the plane interior, Kyoya was able to fire up his laptop briefly to answer the few emails he had acquired that morning. As he was technically on vacation and had briefly delegated various projects to some of his employees, his inbox was remarkably empty. It still took him almost a full hour to reply to them all, Kyoya shutting his laptop right as the girls started whining and squirming in Jin's lap.

"I think it's nap time," Jin whispered to her husband. Kyoya nodded and reached out to hold his daughters. Despite their sassy expressions, Junko and Setsuko cuddled up close to Kyoya's chest and made themselves comfortable. Jin shut the window and turned off the overhead light, but she was just a bit too slow. When she went to bring Setsuko back into her arms the little girl resisted, curling her fists into Kyoya's t-shirt and wiggling her butt like a little rebel.

The two parents exchanged a look, one apologetic and the other resigned. Heaving a great sigh, Kyoya reclined into his seat and shifted the girls into a more comfortable position in his arms. A quick glance told him that Junko was already fast asleep with Setsuko not far behind. The sound of a camera shutter had Kyoya cutting his eyes to the left, where his wife was slowly lowering her phone to reveal a smile.

Kyoya hoped she would send it to his phone.

Cooking for toddlers is hard enough on a daily basis. Kyoya had no idea how Jin managed to cook, clean and care for their children while also working from home. Even on Wednesdays when Kyoya stayed home to help out around his phone meetings, Jin's mothering skills astounded him. Especially her ability to create healthy meals their daughters would actually eat.

Kyoya's mother had mentioned long ago that when Kyoya had children of his own, his years of being a picky eater were going to bite him back ten fold, and she had been right. In the past year, Kyoya swore Junko and Setsuko spent more time wearing their food than eating it. He had no idea how his little darlings were not severely underweight… if it weren't for this fact that his wife was capable of performing miracles and was also the best mother Kyoya had ever known.

A piece of paper with the title "Junko and Setsuko approved Okonomiyaki" written at the top in Jin's looped handwriting was currently pinned to the cupboard above the stove. Kyoya was trying incredibly hard to not grit his teeth as he worked, body tense and stiff in a way he wasn't used to. Probably because his thoughts were permanently trying to wander away from the very hot stove that he really should be focusing on right now since-

"Daddy! Daddy! Up, Daddy! Pweeeease?"

"Setsu-chan…"

"Daaaaaaddy!"

Setting the spatula down to the side, Kyoya turned and picked his daughter up and onto his hip with only a minor strain from his back. His daughter's whining quickly transformed into happy giggles as she looped her arms around Kyoya's neck and settled in. Kyoya moved her to his left arm before wielding the spatula once again. He was glad the girls were still young enough to be held in one arm. They were approaching two years now, and wouldn't stay small for much longer.

"Daddy, where is Mommy?"

Kyoya unstuck the savory pancakes from the griddle as he answered, "She's still at the hospital."

"Why?"

"Because she just had your baby brother. Remember? We named him Kazuki."

"Oh… coming home?"

"Yes, she's coming home today. Grandpa Ranka is bringing her home. She'll be here after you girls eat dinner."

"Dinner now!"

Kyoya switched the griddle to its warming setting and set the spatula down again. "I know you want to see Mommy again soon, but you have to wait a little longer. How about you go get Jun-chan while-"

"Nooooo! Daddy! Up, Daddy! Up!"

Kyoya shut his eyes as he heaved his little girl back up into his arms before her feet even touched the ground. He couldn't help the way his heart squeezed every time his daughters called him 'Daddy', even when they were determined to make things more difficult than they needed to be.

Even so, Kyoya managed to decorate the pancakes, plate dinner, and even fetch Junko from the girl's room with Setsuko in his arms until she agreed to sit on her own at the table. To his great relief, the girls seemed to really enjoy the meal he made (even though they both refused the vegetables he had grilled on the side), and were just finishing up their rice bowls when Kyoya felt his phone chime. He gave the screen a quick peek before smiling across the table conspiringly.

"Girls? I think someone's here."

Without further explanation, Junko and Setsuko scrambled out of their seats and towards the door to the garage, leaving Kyoya behind to clear the dishes. He managed to move most of them into the sink before the door opened and he immediately stopped caring about something so superficial.

Ranka came in first with two duffle bags swung over his shoulders and his granddaughters rushed him for hugs. With clear delight, Ranka showered the two with love as Kyoya squeezed behind the man to reach his wife. Jin carefully stepped over the threshold and straight into Kyoya's arms.

The two shared a quick peck before Kyoya peered down at the little blue bundle carefully swaddled up in Jin's arms. Smiling at Kyoya's obvious fascination, Jin handed him Kazuki before turning around to shut the door. At that point, Jin's daughters spotted her over their grandfather's shoulders. Scurrying out of Ranka's arms with much enthusiasm, they hugged Jin's legs and babbled about how badly they had missed her.

"Bring Ka-ki?" Setsuko asked first.

"Yeah! Where Zu-ki?" Junko followed up.

Jin smiled down at her girls, a little upset she couldn't pick them up yet to hug them, and turned back around to her husband. He had his back to the group, eyes remaining glued to the baby in his arms. She rolled her eyes in fondness.

"Kyo? You need to share the new baby."

"No." He held his son away from the others, also smiling as Junko and Setsuko instantly started whining.

"Daddy!"

"Share!"

Kyoya sighed and turned back around. "Fine…"

Crouching down, Kyoya let the girls look at their little brother again. Just like when they first saw Kazuki in the hospital, they seemed mesmerized by how little he was in their daddy's arms. It didn't surprise any of the adults when Setsuko quietly asked to hold him. Having discussed the possibility before, Jin and Kyoya agreed but had them all move to the living room.

Ranka said his goodbyes first, since he still had a late shift at the bar to get ready for, but not long afterwards the new family of five were seated on the couch together and Kyoya was gently easing Kazuki into Setsuko's arms. It was a magical scene, even if Kyoya had to keep a hand ready to stabilize his son's head if needed. Jin watched on, absentmindedly rubbing at the sides of her still aching belly.

The twins were actually quiet for a full minute as they looked at their baby brother, much like they had been in the hospital. Of course, as soon as that minute was over Junko was bouncing off the couch claiming she had to get something for Kazuki. Doing his best not to heave a heavy sigh, Kyoya stood up as well to follow. Setsuko was still staring at her little brother and would probably be entertained by that long enough for Kyoya to find Junko and return-

"See! We need tags!"

There was a split second pause between Kyoya spotting Junko in the dining room holding up a sharpie and him running towards her full-tilt. She didn't even have the time to move to pull off the cap before Kyoya was plucking it from her hand and scooping her up with his free arm. Thankfully, she seemed more confused than upset by her suddenly empty hand.

Kyoya's chest was heaving from the sudden exertion, but he still managed to ask, "What tags?"

Junko pouted then and pointed at her shirt. "Tags… with names."

"Name tags? Why… oh. You mean so Kazuki can tell you and Setsu-chan apart?"

"Mhm."

Kyoya pondered a reasonable answer as he slipped the sharpie into a basket sitting on the kitchen counter, too high for his children to reach. "Well… it will take some time before Kazuki can speak your names. But what if Mommy and I get you girls necklaces? We can put charms on them with your names if you'd like that."

Junko gasped in glee, pushing herself up Kyoya's chest until they were face to face. "Necklace, Daddy? Pretty necklace?"

"The prettiest."

Junko giggled and kicked her feet around, crawling to her sister to share the news as soon as Kyoya set her back down on the couch. Jin was back to holding Kazuki and she gladly leaned against Kyoya's chest as he sat down beside her. Junko and Setsuko were too busy giggling and playing to notice their parents acting all sappy. Jin sighed, resting her head against Kyoya's shoulder.

"You know," she yawned, "I've never seen such speed and agility from you before."

"I guess I'm not as old as I thought."

"Mmm…"

"Don't think that just because you gave birth you'll be protected forever, Darling."

Jin grinned before snuggling closer to her husband. "Wouldn't dream of it, Dear."

No one likes waking up early. Or at the very least, no one should in Jin's opinion. And as the mother of three young children, Jin herself felt particularly reverent towards the mornings she got to sleep in.

Today was not supposed to be one of those days.

When she woke up naturally, with no alarms or baby cries, Jin was on edge in an instant. She sat up and looked around, her sleep-addled mind frantically coming up with questions she needed answers to. Where were her babies? What day was it? What time was it? Where was her husband?

That last question came around when Jin looked at the empty spot in bed beside her. The rumpled sheets were cold under her palm and another wave of anxiety crashed over her. If Kyoya had woken up and left, how on earth had Jin slept through it? There were times when all it took to wake her up was for Kyoya to roll over in his sleep!

Realizing she wasn't going to get any answers by staying in bed, Jin snatched up her glasses and hopped out of bed. The doors to their children's bedrooms were all opened, and a quick peek showed Jin that all three were also missing from their beds. Trying not to let her imagination run wild with panic, Jin hurried down the stairs.

She was almost to the bottom when she finally heard Kyoya's voice.

"Here… it… comes! Choo choo!"

A muffled 'choo choo' answered Jin's husband, joined by two laughing baby voices, and Jin risked a peek around the corner. She quickly brought up her left hand to cover her mouth and swallowed back a squeal. Kyoya was bustling around the kitchen wearing one of the gag aprons Hikaru had gifted them as a housewarming gift. The apron, which was currently claiming to be Kyoya's "This is my "pretend I can cook" apron", was smudged with fresh stains that were most likely flour, milk, and eggs considering the scent of pancakes in the air.

Kyoya wasn't alone in the kitchen, either. He had somehow managed to fit two chairs with the girl's booster seats and Kazuki's high chair in with him, all without waking Jin up. An impressive feat.

Deciding to let the scene before her play out a little longer, Jin sat down on the bottom stair and watched around the corner as Kyoya flipped another pair of pancakes off the griddle before turning back to his children. At this angle, Jin could see the smear of batter across her husband's cheek that caught the light as he smiled. Kazuki babbled nonsense and tried to grab Kyoya's apron as he picked up a container of baby food off the counter.

"Daddy! Daddy! Be an airplane!"

"Yeah! Airplane!"

Kyoya gave his daughters his best scheming expression before readying the spoon by his shoulder. He turned back to his son and began swinging the spoon to the left and right. "This is Corn Flight number 8 coming in at a 45 degree angle, ready for landing. Is the tarmac clear?"

Kazuki giggled and squealed along with his sisters, opening his mouth readily for Kyoya. He was still giggling as he was fed, producing a little spit up that bubbled on his lips, but Kyoya was quick to swipe it away. Behind him, the girls were making more requests in between eating the small bites of pancake littered on their own trays.

Jin watched as trains, boats, trucks, and a few more airplanes were steered through their kitchen with her smiling husband at the helm. His grin was only matched by their children's cute smiles. After another few spoonfuls, Kyoya set the baby food down and gave Kazuki a teasing flick on his nose. He did the same to Setsuko and Junko in turn before straightening up and walking over to the griddle. He scooped out another two pancake's worth of batter onto the griddle, the responding sizzling soon interrupted by Junko shrieking.

"Momma!"

Kyoya nearly spilled the bowl of batter all down his front in his haste to turn around.

Jin laughed in between kissing both Junko and Setsuko on the forehead. "Good morning, babies. Is Daddy making pancakes?"

"Pan-cake, Momma! Pan-cake!"

"He is? " Jin gasped in feigned shock before moving to her son. "Next you'll be telling me Daddy was making… silly noises, too!"

"Choo-choo!" Setsuko called out.

This time Jin laughed outright. "He did? Well, does Daddy make good 'choo-choo' noises at least?"

"Daddy!"

By that point, Kyoya had saved the pancake batter, his clothes, and the pancakes cooking on the griddle and was striding across the kitchen tile towards his wife. He pressed a good morning kiss to Jin's mouth that she returned with pleasure. Right up until she started giggling so hard the kiss broke apart.

"What is it?"

"You taste like pancakes."

One of the best and worst things about having multiple kids at different ages was managing nap time. Junko and Setsuko were on the same schedule, thank god , but Kazuki was decidedly not. As Jin shut the door to the girl's room, she had to force herself not to slide down onto the floor and take a nap there herself.

Instead, Jin walked down the stairs and into the living room where Kyoya was supposed to be entertaining Kazuki. As she rounded the corner, she found her husband on the floor hovering over her son who was laying on his back. The two boys were staring intently at each other, both of Kazuki's little feet in Kyoya's hands and being wiggled around to stimulate him.

"Come on, Kazuki. Say 'Momma'. 'Mom'... 'ma'."

Kazuki babbled in response, shaking his fists and churning his legs. Smiling despite her exhaustion, Jin collapsed sideways onto the couch. Kyoya gave her a quick side smile before returning to his quest. Jin yawned and rolled onto her back.

"So you don't want his first word to be Dada?"

"Hell no. The other two won't leave me alone. This one's yours."

Jin nearly fell off the couch.

Another disadvantage to various nap times… sometimes the kids overshot them.

That was how Jin ended up sitting on the couch with Setsuko curled against her side at almost 20 minutes to 10 pm. It was clear with all the yawning and stretching she was doing that Setsuko was struggling to stay awake, but the same could not be said for her sister.

"Wheeeeee!" Junko made another lap in front of the couch, her favorite yellow blackie trailing behind her like a cape. Jin just watched her eldest go by. If she tried to stop Junko now, she would have a hell of a time trying to get her to calm down enough for bed. At this point, it was in her best interest to let Junko get out all her energy now. If that came from her running in circles around the first floor, then so be it.

Over Junko's screaming, Jin faintly heard her husband coming back down the stairs from putting Kazuki to bed. Their son slept like a log and was starting to sleep through the night, too. Small blessings. Especially on nights when his sisters were more-

"Aaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaah! "

-like that.

Jin listened as her daughter sprinted past the kitchen and into the dining room, about to loop in front of the stairs as Kyoya was coming down. Just as Jin was beginning to wish for them to not collide, Junko let out a screech of laughter.

"What do we have here? Junko what are you doing?"

Kyoya's questions were answered with only more laughter, and as they two rounded the corner into the living room Jin saw why. Junko was currently tucked into Kyoya's right elbow while his left hand tickled her sides mercilessly. Kyoya personally looked just as tired as Jin felt, but he managed to hold his squirming daughter long enough to drop her on the other end of the couch. Before Junko could start to run away Kyoya fell to his knees and resumed his tickle torture.

"Junko, what has gotten into you?" Kyoya ducked his head and blew a raspberry against her bare tummy. "You're screaming and laughing and for what? Is something ailing you?"

"Da-da- daddy! "

"Yes, what is it?"

Kyoya released Junko for a moment to let her breathe, but once she looked to be recovering he attacked her again. And again. Until finally she was curled up by Setsuko's side, softly snoring with some of her hair stuck to the corner of her mouth. Kyoya himself was a little out of breath and sweaty, but he was smiling as he sat down on the other end of the couch.

"Is it strange I feel proud of myself for that?"

"Not at all. I'm proud of you, too. Now help me carry them to bed."

When Kyoya and Jin first started having kids, they knew there would be many changes to their everyday lives. Sometimes the compromises they made weren't all that fun and occasionally even irritating, but there were other "problems" that didn't require a solution at all. For example: grocery shopping.

Ever since they moved in together, Kyoya and Jin preferred to go shopping together. It cut their trip time almost in half and was one of the few outings they had where it was highly unlikely they'd be recognized and/or stopped for business reasons. And despite their worries, having children didn't change that sentiment much at all.

Making sure to avoid their children's nap times, every weekend Jin and Kyoya would pile their family into the car and drive to the nearest grocery store. Then Kyoya or Jin would put on the baby carrier, the other would help strap said babies in, and they'd go shopping like normal. This particular day, Jin was in charge of carrying Kazuki around. He was swaddled up on her back, still a little sleepy from his earlier nap and just peacefully gazing around the store. Responsibility for Junko and Setsuko fell to both parents, since Jin had Kazuki and Kyoya had the cart.

They had been asked before why they didn't just have one parent go shopping while the other stayed home with the kids. That was what Haruhi and Tamaki did after all. But the Ootori's, who currently had three young children between them, preferred to have both parents around to take care of the kids whenever possible. That way, they weren't alone while being outnumbered. Kyoya had started working from home on Wednesdays once Kazuki was born to help ease Jin's burden with that same logic. The two were a co-parenting book's dream outcome, and they were going to stick with it.

That being said, shopping together was more of a safety net than anything. Now that Junko and Setsuko could walk themselves and had an exponentially growing hunger for new information and individuality, when the girls got restless the parents could split them up and grab a few items themselves from the list before meeting back up. There was also the added bonus of the kids being remarkably well-behaved in public. Sure, the Ootori's weren't miracle workers and their kids still cried whether they were in public or not, but that was usually due to hunger or sleepiness or overstimulation, and the two parents thought they had a pretty good handle on that after almost three years.

Until the first tantrum.

"Mommy, can I have ice cream?"

Jin smiled sadly at Junko and gave her hair a soft pet. "Sorry Jun-chan, but not today. How about we have popsicles after lunch?"

That was evidently not the answer Junko wanted, because her face screwed up and her chin wobbled right before she threw her head back and started wailing in the middle of the aisle. For a second, her parents were stunned and just stared at their sobbing child who abruptly fell back to lay on the dirty floor. An elderly woman who was looking at the frozen vegetables further down the aisle also turned towards the sound, adopting an embarrassed expression for the two parents.

Jin's heart broke at the sound of her daughter crying, while at the same time her cheeks flushed from embarrassment. Before she could do more than crouch down and say her daughter's name, however, Kyoya plucked the girl off the ground and into his arms. Junko only screamed louder and flailed, trying to escape, but Kyoya's hardened expression gave away no sense of discomfort.

He informed Jin he'd be waiting in the car with Junko, told Setsuko to listen to her mother, and carried Junko's squirming body down the aisle. The little girl attracted a lot of attention while leaving the store, and if it weren't for the store manager knowing the Ootori's as regular shoppers Kyoya might have been stopped on suspicion of kidnapping.

They make it to the car in record time, and despite Junko's writhing and twisting and screaming for her mother Kyoya managed to get her buckled down into her car seat without harm. The following five minutes were some of the worst in Kyoya's life. He sat in the driver's seat and watched in the rearview mirror as one of the most precious people in his life howled and cried like she was being tortured, tugging at her carseat straps and calling him one name after the other.

Those five minutes ended with Junko sniffling miserably and resting her head against the side rest of her seat. Once Jin returned with their other children and their groceries, Junko was asleep and Kyoya had just finished wiping the tears and snot off of her face.

The drive home was quiet, even Setsuko and Kazuki keeping to themselves with their personal car toys. Jin had her hand resting between the front seats for Kyoya to take and squeeze whenever he could. The heavy atmosphere followed the family all the way home. Once they got there, Kyoya carried his eldest child out of the car and into the house without a word while Jin led the other two to their play area in the living room.

Kyoya gently brushed at Junko's hair after he laid her down on her bed. As he pulled away, Junko rolled a bit in her sleep and made a noise, stopping her father dead in his tracks. Her eyelids fluttered and a faint whine of "Daddy…" was breathed through her lips before she drifted off again. Kyoya carefully tucked her in, slid her kitty stuffed animal into her arms, and kissed her forehead before walking out of the bedroom.

When she woke up he'd explain why she couldn't do that in public and they'd hopefully hug it out, but for now Kyoya would let her sleep.

"Girls, why are you still up? Didn't Mommy tell you it's time for bed?"

"We can't, Daddy!"

"There's a scary monster in our closet!"

"Scarier than Mommy?"

"..."

"..."

"Okay, good night, girls. I'll leave the nightlight on."

"Thank you, Daddy!"

"Night night!"

Kyoya considered himself to be a very lucky man. He had three healthy, wonderful children with his wife that he adored. Just that morning he had woken up on his youngest's 1st birthday. Kazuki, the remarkably peaceful baby he was, had taken the day's celebration in stride. He giggled and smiled cutely as his uncles and aunts doted upon him, and had enjoyed smearing green and white cake frosting all over his lips and chubby cheeks.

The party only lasted for an hour that evening but it was fairly chaotic with all of the young children around. With twelve adults and nine children all under the age of three, it didn't surprise or scare Kyoya when he realized he hadn't seen much of his daughters for the last 10 minutes or so of the party. Tamaki had said he'd seen them in their playroom when he went to get Masa and Kaede, so there was no reason to panic. Even if all the party guests were now gone and he still wasn't exactly sure where they were at.

He had just come back up the stairs from searching the playroom they had set up in the basement when Jin called out, "Kyo? I just put Kazuki to bed. Could you get the girls ready for their bath?"

"Yes, Darling. Once I find th… what do you two think you're doing?! "

"Kyoya?! What happened? What's wrong?"

Kyoya didn't respond, too shocked and furious to even think properly. Setsuko dropped her markers the moment Kyoya shouted, her brown eyes wide and already watery, Junko just as stunned. Setsuko tried to climb down and away as her father approached, properly sobbing as Kyoya picked her up in one arm while his free hand snatched the paint out of Junko's hand. His eldest began crying and reaching for the paint, dropping her brush onto the carpet and getting her blue handprints all over the couch and Kyoya's clothes in the process. By that point, Jin was rushing around the corner and picking Junko up herself, her eyes flitting back and forth across the mess. Kyoya's shock had faded away by this point, now completely replaced by anger.

Setting the paint down on the nearby side table, he lifted Setsuko up to eye level.

"Why did you do this?"

Setsuko sobbed harder and tried to hug her father around his neck, but he refused to pull her closer. Junko also didn't seem to be able to answer, her face pressed tightly to her mother's neck as she cried. Kyoya locked eyes with his wife, and silently she convinced him to hold off on his interrogation for the time being.

Kyoya continued to fume in silence as he helped his wife carry their daughters upstairs and prepare their bath. Once the girls were a little more settled down and soaking in the warm water, Jin took over and Kyoya went back downstairs to try to clean the mess before it was too late.

It took Kyoya twenty five minutes to move the couch and sponge the paint off of the fabric, and another fifteen minutes to make a dent on the messy walls. As he scrubbed, Kyoya's anger smoldered until it died down to a single flickering flame. He was still upset about the whole mess, but he loved his daughters no matter what they did.

Even vandalizing the house.

Kyoya shook his head, hardly able to believe he could find humor in the situation. What was that phrase again? Terrible twos? Or was it terrible threes? Either way, he could believe the sentiment behind the statement. With a great sigh, Kyoya sat back and looked up at the remaining mess of crayon and paint marks left to be washed off.

Ugh, and they're the oldest, too. What was I thinking when I wanted more children?

Kyoya blinked in surprise at his own thought process. Did he not want any more children? He had been fine with the idea the last time he thought about it. But when faced with one of the negatives about parenting… was a fourth child really something he wanted? Their agreement to three pregnancies still stood, as far as he was aware. They didn't technically need more now . Maybe once they weren't so busy they could have another?

When, though , Kyoya's mind unhelpfully reminded him. When will we not be busy? We have three children and full time jobs. Soon the kids will be in school and we'll need to start keeping track of their schoolwork, their hobbies, their friends. And what about Jin? What does Jin want?

What does Jin want? Maybe she was over the whole "being pregnant" thing? And taking care of their babies while working a remote full-time job wasn't easy. Kyoya could attest.

Tossing the rag back into the soapy water beside him, Kyoya cast his gaze up to the ceiling. The girl's bedroom was above his head. If he went up there now, he might catch them as Jin was tucking them in. He'd reassure his babies that he still loved them before talking to Jin about his current thought process. And if she was fine with stopping with just three kids… well, Tamaki would surely be thrilled.

No use waiting around then, I guess. Letting out another sigh, Kyoya stood, stretched his back, and went upstairs to find his wife and children.

He was about halfway up the stairs when he heard Jin's soft voice. For a split second, Kyoya couldn't make out what she was saying and assumed she was talking to the girls about their behavior. He stopped on the following step and listened. To his surprise, Jin wasn't talking. She was signing.

" A dream… is a wish… your heart makes… "

Kyoya listened as his wife's voice fluttered down to his ears. Silently tip-toeing up the rest of the way, Kyoya snuck down the hallway until he was standing at the doorway to the twin's bedroom. The room was a long rectangle with the girl's beds on one end and their play area at the other. At Kyoya's current angle, he could just barely see Jin sitting in the rocking chair next to the girl's bookshelf, their daughters in the crooks of her arms.

As Kyoya watched in silence, Jin switched to another Disney lullaby. Leaning a little further into the doorway, Kyoya saw Junko's little face, her eyes already closed as she was lulled to sleep. He could also see Setsuko's hands as they slowly stopped gripping Jin's grey nightshirt and fell into her lap. Like in the fairytales of old, Kyoya could feel his heart melt at the sight.

He loved his family. He loved them so much...

The former Shadow King straightened up and looked behind him, back down the stairs where he had been frustrated and angry and ready to swear off having any more kids for the rest of his life. But for what? A little mess? For his children acting like children? It was a silly reason to make such a drastic 180 degree swing on his life.

He turned back to the twin's room as Jin's final song wound down. With a sense of grace and ease Kyoya could never hope to achieve, he watched his wife rock herself up out of the chair and into a standing position without jostling the two little girls in her arms. Entering the room, Kyoya followed Jin as she carried the girls to their beds. Jin didn't look the slightest bit surprised when her husband appeared by her side, merely giving him a pensive smile as he transferred Setsuko from Jin's arms and into her bed.

He carefully pulled her purple sheets up to her shoulders, softly patting her head before swapping spots with Jin and bidding Junko a silent good night as well. Kyoya casts his gaze over to his wife, who was currently brushing Setsuko's short hair out of her face with gentle hands.

It's worth it.

Without a word, Kyoya stood up and offered a hand to help Jin to her feet. Quietly leading his wife out into the hallway, he stopped and waited for Jin to close the bedroom door behind them before making his announcement.

"It's worth it. Everything. Every early morning, every midnight cry, every bathroom accident, every mishap, every mess, every scream, every dirty diaper… everything."

"Wha… Kyoya?" Jin looked so confused by her husband's declaration, reaching up to cradle his face between her hands. "What's all this about? Is this about the mess downstairs?"

Instead of answering right away, Kyoya pulled her flush against his body. Standing toe to toe, forehead to forehead, Kyoya waited for a beat as Jin searched his eyes imploringly. He knew she was growing concerned and once they started talking he'd gladly explain the thought process that led him to this point.

But in order to start their conversation…

" Perhaps… we can start talking about having a fourth? "

"Jin… it's really-"

"Don't even try, Kyoya Ootori. Look, we're already here so you might as well get this over with."

Sighing, but never one to draw out unnecessary arguments, Kyoya gave in and got out of the car. He waited for Jin to join him before the two started walking up to the hospital. The man glowered at the tall building as they approached, the grey clouds of late April showers growing ominously behind it serving as a good mirror of Kyoya's current mood. Ironic though it may be, Kyoya was not a fan of going to hospitals for his own sake. He tolerated them for his job and when they were welcoming his children into the world, but he always felt stressed when he was there for his own health.

Much like why they were there today.

A quick chat with the main receptionist and a short wait time in the lobby later, Jin and Kyoya were led into a consultation room to wait for the doctor. As they waited, Kyoya scrolled through the emails he had accumulated over the past hour while Jin read the posters put up around the room. Kyoya wanted to reassure his wife that everything was fine, but so far his lack of concern had been dismissed. Though he supposed he couldn't blame her. If Jin had been the one throwing up every morning for the past three days, Kyoya would want to know exactly what was going on as soon as possible.

A woman wearing a bright white lab coat entered the room and introduced herself before immediately beginning the consultation. After asking Kyoya if it was alright for Jin to answer for him (it was) she began her questions while also moving her stethoscope around the man's abdomen.

"Vomiting? How many times a day does this happen?"

"He usually throws up in the morning right after waking up. Yesterday he also threw up after breakfast. So far that's been the only time of day."

"I see…" The doctor made Kyoya breathe deeply, made a small note on her clipboard, and cast a curious eye at Jin. "How many days has this been going on?"

"Three as of this morning," Jin relayed. Kyoya's left hand was starting to pick at the paper sheet beneath him, growing more and more nervous the longer he sat on the observation table. If this was actually something serious, what would happen to his family? Would he have to start fathering his children from a hospital bed?

"Have there been any changes to your diet as of recently?"

"Well, we've been trying for another child recently so we haven't had much raw fish as of late. But other than that, no. "

"Hmm… interesting."

Jin sat closer in her chair, Kyoya spotting the way her right hand was anxiously clutching at her purse. "Do you think that's the cause of it?"

"Perhaps. There is something I would like to test first." The doctor returned her stethoscope back around her neck, gathered her things, and opened the door before beckoning Jin to follow. "Ootori-san, if you could come with me for just a moment."

The doctor's request was surprising, but after a brief hand squeeze and reassuring smile, Jin followed the doctor out into the hallway. As soon as the door shut behind them, Kyoya released a long breath and leaned back on his hands. Dragging the toes of his shoes back and forth across the tile floor, Kyoya tried to distract himself from the current situation. But what could the doctor want with Jin if they were there for Kyoya? Unless… the situation was more dire than they thought?

Shutting his eyes, Kyoya began to repeat the theme song of their daughter's favorite television show in his mind. It was about a princess who could transform into a crime-fighting cat, if he remembered correctly. They had only just started watching it last week and were becoming quite obsessed with it. Their next birthday party would probably be a themed celebration.

Assuming I'm still around.

Kyoya shook his head frantically. Now was not the time to be thinking that way! It was only a stomachache! The doctor was probably just giving Jin a meal plan to follow for a week to see if that would fix the situation.

If that were the case, then why didn't the doctor take me with them? And why would they still be gone?

Those last two questions circled around Kyoya's head for another fifteen minutes as he waited for his wife and the doctor to return. When the door opened and Jin walked back inside, the only reason Kyoya didn't immediately pounce with his questions was because of the air of excitement surrounding his wife.

"Jin?"

"Ah, I believe congratulations are in order, Ootori-san."

Kyoya looked between the two smiling people in front of him, a small pinprick of an idea beginning to develop as Jin stepped forward to take his hand. "What's going on? Does this have anything to do with my stomach problems?"

The doctor smiled and nodded. "I'm pleased to say there is nothing physically wrong with you, and you are as healthy as ever. What you have been experiencing is what we call Couvade syndrome, otherwise known as "sympathy pregnancy"."

"...Pregnancy?"

The house was quiet. Too quiet.

Kyoya sat up straight and looked up at the ceiling, eyes narrowing. With baby #4 on the way and three toddlers to look out for, Kyoya and Jin finally agreed that it was time for Kyoya to have a more permanent office in their home to work from. Now, instead of setting up once a week at their kitchen table, every other day Kyoya would be answering phone calls and faxes from a little office in their basement.

There was a small play mat set up behind Kyoya's chair for whenever they needed to spread the children around the house, and once the baby arrived there would be a cradle placed in there, too. They were experienced parents at this point. They knew what they were doing.

Which might be why Kyoya knew that silence outside of naptime was something to be worried about.

Locking his computer temporarily and setting his phone to voicemail, Kyoya stood up and left the office. The longer the quiet went on the faster he moved until Kyoya was taking the last few stairs two at a time. Stepping out onto the first floor, the first thing Kyoya saw was his wife speedily typing at her own computer, her left leg bouncing harshly by her side.

"Darling? Where are the kids?"

"Hm? They should be in the living room," Jin answered, a strange look passing over her face as she too suddenly noticed the odd quiet. "What are they-"

"Daaaaaddy!"

Kyoya lept into action, rushing into the living room to the sound of his son's crying and his wife frantically arranging her work space to follow him. At first glance, Kyoya couldn't tell where his son even was. All he could see were his daughters who were currently constructing a lego block tower… that was shaking.

As Kyoya ran towards the girls, they both dropped the roof they were attempting to build and scurried off. From the sounds of their shrieks and laughter, they weren't too upset about being caught. Kyoya decided to let their mother catch them while he fished his son out from the middle of the block tower.

He was probably going to have to work for the next half hour with his son cradled against his chest. Having older siblings could be quite traumatizing.

When Kyoya was younger and fantasized about owning his family's business, his favorite thing about it was the travel. Before he was in middle school his fantasizing mostly stemmed from an ignored desire to escape, but after he met Jin and learned of her love for travelling his daydreams took on a new tone. While they were dating, engaged, and married without children Kyoya took great pleasure in whisking Jin away to explore and enjoy the world.

Now that they had more responsibilities, travelling was starting to take a more sour turn.

Oh, they still went out as often as they could with their children, but until they grew older and could be trusted to function by themselves at a certain capacity, Jin and Kyoya had decided to keep their family travels within Japan. Travelling out of the country together had to be put on pause as soon as Kazuki came into the world.

Which is why Kyoya was currently falling into the bed of a London hotel booked for him and him alone.

Groaning into the soft bedspread, Kyoya tried to toe off his socks with minimal success. With another exaggerated groan, he rolled onto his back and debated whether or not it was worth sitting up to get them off his feet. The uncomfortableness of cold, damp, clinging fabric ended up winning. After exerting way more effort than was necessary Kyoya managed to get the wet socks off of his body and fling them towards the tile flooring by the door.

The socks, in accordance with the rest of Kyoya's day, did not quite reach the tile and instead flopped over his laptop bag resting against the nearby wall. Kyoya glared as hard as he could at the socks before flopping backwards onto the bed and began shimming his pants off as well. He wasn't normally one to take his clothes off without something else to change into, but he had already been treated to dinner and would need the bottoms of his pants to dry overnight in case the airline was still unable to locate and return his bag by the following morning.

Once Kyoya had more energy and was able to stop cursing the trip for all it was worth, he stood up and began to prepare himself for tomorrow. He had another three days to survive in London, and so long as there were no more meetings about " why they were there" Kyoya was sure he could endure it.

Maybe.

Kyoya's subconscious couldn't help but remind him of how badly he was missing his wife and children. His loneliness had brought a sour outlook to the London skyline even before he stepped off the plane. Plodding across the room to the provided desk, Kyoya flicked the wet socks off his laptop bag and went about booting up the computer. He needed to look up a nearby tailor for more suitable clothes if worse came to worse. First order of business, though, was to check his email.

To Kyoya's great surprise, there was only one new email in his inbox. Sent not ten minutes ago. It was from the email Ootori.J.2021 with the subject line of "When's Daddy coming home?"

He opened it immediately and read:

Hello Dear,

Junko asked me when you were coming home two hours after you left yesterday evening and has repeated the question every hour since. Setsuko joined in three hours ago and Kazuki started crying when you weren't there for dinner. They all slept in our bed because they wanted to be here in case you showed up in the middle of the night and cried this morning when you still weren't here.

Kyoya, a skype call would not go amiss. They want to hear Daddy's voice.

P.S.: So do I.

Kyoya opened Skype before he even realized he was smiling. To his great relief the hotel's wifi connection was strong and fast, and before long he was pressing the call button beside his Home address.

In a remarkable shift of his luck, a video screen appeared after only a few seconds of waiting. As the picture cleared, Kyoya was blessed by a vision of his wife smiling back at him. She was wearing a large white sweater, her favorite winter pajama top that Kyoya knew from recent memories just barely managed to surround Jin's 3rd trimester baby belly. Her hair was unbrushed and a steaming mug of tea was sitting in the corner of the screen, hitting the nine hour time difference square on the head.

"Good morning, Darling."

"Good evening, Dear. How's London?"

"Horrible."

"Horrible?" A look of concern took over Jin's smile and she leaned in a little closer. "Why? What happened?"

Kyoya sighed as a rush of exhaustion crashed over his body at the mere memory of it all. "The airline lost my bag, the meeting I was rushed to today was utterly useless, and I stepped in a pothole full of slush on my way to the hotel," he griped. "But the worst part is I'm missing you and the kids terribly."

"Oh, Kyo… I'm so sorry. But I know I can help you with at least one of those things." With a loving smile, Jin turned around and beckoned someone off screen to come closer. "Jun-chan, come over here for a moment, sweetheart!"

Kyoya did his best to wait patiently as Jin ushered their eldest into what little remaining lap space she had before turning them to face the screen. Junko made herself comfortable before looking up. As soon as she saw Kyoya on screen-

"Daddy!"

"Hello, little one."

"Daddy, I miss you! Come home!"

And if the sadness in his daughter's little voice wasn't enough to break Kyoya's heart, even just a little bit, the damage was guaranteed when his other daughter suddenly appeared at Jin's elbow, squealing the same request as her sister. Suddenly a third voice piped up in the background asking for Momma, and after heaving herself up off the chair Jin went to collect Kazuki for the call.

And even though their son was a momma's boy, that didn't stop him from clapping his hands and chanting, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" upon seeing Kyoya's face.

What a good day , Kyoya mused as his daughters started telling him about their breakfast that morning.

"Daddy! Lookit!"

Kyoya lowered his book into his lap and smiled at Kazuki and the colorful paper he was holding up for him. "Oh my, what a pretty butterfly! And what's that in the background?"

"A fox!"

"A fox?"

"Yeah! Like the baby foxes that were in Uncle Tamaki and Aunt Haruhi's yard!"

"They were very cute, weren't they?"

"Uh huh," Kazuki exclaimed, already laying back down on his play mat and getting another paper ready. Kyoya noted the mess-less markers scattered around the boy, pleased and surprised to find they all had their caps on. Whether or not the colors matched remained to be seen.

The sound of the sliding door opening and shutting was what drew Kyoya's attention away next. To his delight, it was Jin finally coming outside to enjoy the summer warmth. Without hesitation, Kyoya set his book aside entirely and reached out for his youngest child who was curled up against Jin's chest. In response, Hana blinked sleepily and reached back.

As Jin eased their baby into Kyoya's arms, she nodded over to Kazuki's mat. "I see you have one child entertained. What have you done with the other two?"

"See for yourself," was Kyoya's response, waving his hand towards the edge of their backyard while not taking his eyes off the six-month-old staring up at him.

Jin did exactly that, looking out at the yard. It was a fairly decent sized stretch of land with plenty of space to entertain children and adults alike. A few trees dotted the very back of their property, offering shade over their (very fenced in) koi pond. A handful of circular gardens, full of flowers erupting with color, were strategically placed around the grounds to fill but not overcrowd the space. Off to the left was a shed for all of their gardener's equipment, and surrounding the whole property was a wooden fence that-

"Kyoya, what are the girls doing?" Jin took one step towards the porch stairs before her husband grabbed her hand. The only reason Jin did not continue to panic was due to the downright smug expression Kyoya was wearing. "Kyoya..?"

"The twins were bored, so I gave them a job."

"To paint the fence- "

"It's water."

Jin blinked. Then watched as her daughters gleefully dipped their big paint brushes into a bucket by their feet and splash the liquid across the wooden fence. Before the twin's very eyes, the already dark wood darkened even further and they chatted with each other in delight as they moved on to the next section. Jin's eyes drifted the other way along the fence until she could see where the sun had already dried the wood back to its natural color. Suddenly Kyoya's air of superiority made sense.

"Impressive, I'll give you that one."

"Thank you, Darling." Kyoya made a face at Hana, who giggled in response. "And what are you going to do about it, Ha-chan? You're going to be growing up with experienced parents. Your big sisters might catch me off guard every once in a while, but you're going to have to be awfully crafty if you plan to do the same."

"Dear, don't challenge her! It'll come back to haunt you!"

"Maybe." He lifted Hana up to nuzzle her belly and kiss her nose. "But I'll enjoy teasing her until then."

"What has got you in such a cheerful mood? Are you that proud of yourself?"

"No," Kyoya smirked up at his wife, eyes darkening dangerously. "I just realized that since Ha-chan is the last one, as soon as she's old enough to not need a monitor I can finally make our bedroom soundproof. It's an exciting thought."

Jin gaped at her husband as her cheeks flushed horribly. For a moment, Kyoya watched in self-satisfaction as his wife made aborted noises and hand gestures before promptly spinning around and walking back inside, hands thrown up above her head in an "I can't even" gesture.

Warning: Mentions of Pedophilia

Kyoya was smiling as he parked the family's van into an empty parking spot. Jin was beside him, as always, singing softly along to the radio. Kyoya let her finish the song, passing the time by staring out the window. From his position, Kyoya could see the front of the preschool and the corner of the playground. He still remembered the first time he saw the building, put off by how it looked so easily accessible to outsiders. Now, after a few months of getting used to dropping Junko and Setsuko off on their own every morning, Kyoya did feel slightly more at ease.

"Kyo?"

He turned to face his wife who was offering him a slip of paper from between her fingers. With a smile, he grabbed it and leaned over to plant a quick kiss on his wife's cheek before unbuckling himself and exiting the van. Behind him, he hears Kazuki ask Jin to turn the music up again while Hana claps in agreement. Kyoya's whole chest feels warm, but he hardly notices it anymore considering how often he feels it.

Walking briskly up to the sidewalk, Kyoya slips the paper into his pocket for safe keeping. On it was a list of ingredients for the cupcakes Jin would be making to bring in on Junko and Setsuko's birthday next week. Kyoya could hardly believe his little girls were already turning 4.

As Kyoya got closer to the school's front gate, he passed by where the brick wall ended and the chain link fence began. He peeked through and saw his daughter's class playing as the day slowly drew to a close. Kyoya spotted the teacher near the side of the school, patching up what was probably a scraped knee. Coming to a brief stop, Kyoya scanned the playground for his children. He found them rather quickly, running around the castle play structure with three other kids. They looked like they were playing tag.

Kyoya kept walking, glad to see his daughters fitting in with more children their age, when he saw something flash ahead of him. Curious, he quieted his steps and moved closer. On the other side of the gate opening there was a large tree. The only reason it hadn't been removed was because it had grown into the chain fence itself and would therefore be incredibly expensive and damaging to get rid of.

Kyoya could just faintly see the outline of a figure standing behind it.

Was it another parent? If so why were they hiding? And what was that flash-

Another flash sparked in Kyoya's vision, and from his current position he could finally see where it was coming from.

A camera.

Without a sound, Kyoya stormed over around the tree and pinned the figure against the fence. Understandably, the man let out a squawk and started flailing about, but Kyoya wasn't an inexperienced opponent. Jin had given him a few lessons when they were younger, just in case a cougar tried to exude power over the young Ootori heir (again). But that was the past. The present had Kyoya snatching the camera out of the man's hands before knocking his legs out from under him. The man shouted again, attempting to punch Kyoya and the knee he was now pressing into the stranger's back. With one hand, Kyoya fumbled with the camera until he could access the photos just taken.

The very first one he saw was of Setsuko at the top of the slide.

Shaking with rage, it took all of Kyoya's self restraint to not smash the camera into a thousand pieces. Instead, he carefully sets it as far away as he could before shoving the man over onto his back. He managed to catch a glancing blow off of Kyoya's side before being punched square in the face. Kyoya landed a second, and a third punch before he heard Jin calling out to him. He hadn't even noticed her approaching.

"Kyoya! What are you doing?"

"He was taking photos of our daughters!"

Enough said.

The next thing he knew, Kyoya was sitting on the pavement and the pervert screamed as Jin took over, painfully pinning him to the ground. Still trying to control his shaking, Kyoya stood and grabbed the camera just as two teachers ran up to them, a young man and a stern-looking woman. More adults were rushing out of the building to help corral the children away.

"What is the meaning of this-"

"This man was taking photos of my children and others." Kyoya turned the camera around to show them the proof and watched as the teacher's eyes grew wide in horror. "Someone should phone the police. Now."

The woman, who Kyoya now recognized as the vice principal, nodded and walked off, her phone already out of her pocket. The man waved another teacher over and they walked over to Jin and the cursing man. Probably to take over in pinning him down. They probably didn't know that it would take a lot of convincing to pry Jin away from what little legal revenge she could partake in.

"Daddy!"

"Daddy?"

Kyoya ran down the sidewalk and through the school's gates at the sound of his daughter's voices, shoving the camera into the vice principal's arms along the way. Junko and Setsuko scampered out of the reach of the monitor and into Kyoya's arms. They're smiling, so excited to see him. They don't have a clue as to what just happened to them and their friends…

Kyoya heaved himself back into a standing position, the adrenaline that was keeping his hand from aching also holding off his back strain. Above the ringing in his ears, Kyoya can hear the girls asking about the man their momma was sitting on, and where were their brother and sister, and what was going on, and, and, and-

Kyoya could hardly hold himself together. He was still shaking. So was Jin when she finally ran over to throw herself into the hug.

The two exchange a worried look over their children's heads. It only took one look for Kyoya to know his wife was considering switching the girls to Ouran Academy sooner, too.

Kyoya held his breath as he gently laid Hana down for her nap. Out of all four of their children, Hana was by far the most fickle sleeper. She had to be cradled in someone's arms to take her naps, and if her parents so much as stepped wrong while carrying her to the crib she would wake up and let loose her fury.

Still, as their baby inched closer to her 1st birthday, Kyoya and Jin felt they had somewhat mastered the new learning curve thrown at them. Enough so that they felt confident in leaving one parent alone in the house around Hana's nap time. For example, the twins had a check-up with their pediatrician today, and there had been no issues with Jin taking the girls while Kyoya was left alone with Kazuki and Hana.

And there would continue to be no problems as soon as Kyoya closed… the… door…

Boom!

Kyoya's heart lodged itself in his throat at the sound of something heavy falling downstairs, followed by crying. He bolted down the stairs and into the kitchen, socks nearly sending him to the ground himself as he surveyed the damage he found. Kazuki was sitting on the floor, sobbing up at his father with his face and hands covered in something brown.

Kyoya's eyes cut to the countertop, where a batch of brownies were waiting. Walking closer to his son, Kyoya sees that at least half of the brownies had been demolished, crumbs and chocolate smears all over the counter, Kazuki's body, and on the chair that had been pushed against the counter. If Kyoya had to wager a guess, he'd say his son had slipped and fallen off the chair as he tried to make his escape.

With gentle hands, Kyoya scooped Kazuki up into his arms and rubbed his back in a soothing gesture. Kazuki sniffled and apologized through his tears, snot and drool dribbling down his face. Kyoya continues to soothe the boy as he takes him back upstairs. Kazuki whimpers softly as the two make their way into the master bathroom, his chocolate-covered fingers clutching tightly at Kyoya's shirt.

Setting his son next to the sink, Kyoya quickly fetched a washcloth and ran it under warm water. Kazuki stayed quiet as his father carefully cleaned up his face, flinching when he rubbed the cloth over his chin. Once his son's face was clean, Kyoya took a closer look at the bruise on Kazuki's chin.

"It doesn't look too bad, Kazu-kun." Kyoya told him, offering a soft smile. "I'm not going to punish you. Your little chair move was clever, and since you are definitely not having dessert and you'll probably have a tummy ache tonight, that's punishment enough. But you can't do that again. Having so much chocolate isn't good for you. And your mother would get jealous."

Kyoya punctuates his last phrase with a tickle to Kazuki's belly, making his son giggle. For a moment, the duo just smile at each other and Kyoya honestly feels like his heart might overflow with emotion.

Then Kazuki's face twists and up and he whimpers, wrapping his arms around his stomach.

Here we go, Kyoya thinks, swiftly grabbing his son to place him in front of the toilet.

"Your daughters are so polite, Ootori-san!"

"Thank you."

"How adorable! Will they be attending Ouran Academy?"

"Of course. Junko and Setsuko are already in the kindergarten program. Kazuki will be starting preschool next April."

"It's so nice that you're helping your wife with the children tonight."

"I help my wife every night with our children. I've also taken to working from home with her throughout the week."

Kyoya smiled politely as yet another person joined the circle of employees showering him with questions about his children. A part of him didn't mind it; he would obviously much rather talk about his children and wife than work. But another part wished they would let him enjoy the party with his family, too. Above a couple heads, he could see Jin, Junko and Setsuko still at their table with Kyoya's older brothers. Jin was conversing with a friend of hers from the accounting department while their daughters had one uncle each doting upon them. Kyoya spotted what looked suspiciously like cupcake wrappers on Setsuko's and Yuichi's plates.

Jin and Kyoya had agreed a few nights ago that Kazuki and Hana were a bit too young for business parties. Until recently, they also thought the twins were too young for it. Hikaru and Kaoru were already starting to rub their troublemaking selves off on Kyoya's daughters, and the last thing the Ootori's needed was one of their children causing a disturbance at their first public appearance. But the employee holiday party wasn't as daunting as many other parties put on by the Ootori group, and it was one Jin missed attending. For the past four years, Jin had either been busy recovering from her pregnancy or looking after their kids, feeling guilty about asking their friends to babysit when they all had their own children to care for as well.

So this year, Kyoya sat his wife down and they worked out a plan. Junko and Setsuko were old enough to quietly entertain themselves through a few speeches, and Hikaru had been happy to take in Kazuki and Hana for the night. Kyoya was mildly worried when his friend's excuse was "I haven't been able to corrupt these two yet", but Jin's excitement over finally meeting with her department again in person was enough for Kyoya to worry about Hikaru later.

"Ootori-san?"

Kyoya returned his attention to the group, surprised to see that one of his father's old advisors had joined them. The man had retired some years ago, but since his daughter still worked for the company he occasionally tagged along. Kyoya recalled a rumor that he had been one of the few employees who wanted to challenge Kyoya's claim to the title of CEO when he first started work.

"Matsukawa-san, how nice to see you again."

"Likewise. It's nice to see you taking the company to new heights."

"Thank you."

"And your wife is a delight to converse with as always. Your daughters are positively charming."

"Thank you," Kyoya repeated, a little more sincerely.

"Out of curiosity, have you decided which of your children to name as your heir?"

Kyoya tightened his grip on his champagne glass, but otherwise did not let his discomfort show. Matsukawa's expression was one of polite inquiry, but Kyoya knew better. He knew he was expected to name his only son his heir. If he didn't, then he would be expected to give Junko, his eldest, the title. And past that, Kyoya had heard through the grapevine that some expected him to give his youngest his company, much like Kyoya's father had eventually done for him. But the very thought of pitting his children against one another like Kyoya had been with his siblings made Kyoya's stomach roil in disgust.

He opened his mouth to let Matsukawa know it was none of his business when a faint pull on his pant leg broke Kyoya's concentration. He looked down in surprise at his eldest as she yawned and rubbed her eyes with her free hand.

"Daddy?" Junko blinked blearily up at Kyoya's face, unaware of how everyone around them was holding their breath. "Will you carry me? 'M tired…"

Without hesitation, Kyoya set his unfinished champagne on the tray of a passing butler and lifted Junko into his arms. In seconds, Junko was nuzzling her face against his shoulder. Kyoya cleared his throat and turned back to the now gaping Matsukawa.

"Forgive the interruption, Matsukawa-san. As for your question about my heir, I have decided not to name any of my children at this time. Once they're older I may change my mind, but as of this moment I refuse to let my children grow up to be anyone but themselves. Now, if you will excuse me, I should probably collect the rest of my family and head home. It's almost past their bedtime, as you can see."

Kyoya ignored the stares he got as he walked across the room. Whispers follow in his wake, but Kyoya saw more smiles than anything, so he doesn't bother to comment. And if a photo of him cradling Junko appeared on the front of a tabloid magazine the following week, claiming Kyoya to be "Father of the Year"...

Well, he wasn't about to turn down such a flattering title.

Warning: Missing Children

The scariest moment of Kyoya's life began with four words.

"Kyoya… Kazuki is missing."

Up until that point, it had been a fun summer day. The Ootori's had invited their friends and family to their house for a barbeque. They had set up a few kiddie pools, sprinklers, and yard games across the back lawn while the food and tables were closer to the house. Kyoya had been sitting with Hana, Reiko and her and Honey's youngest, Sadao, at the smallest kiddie pool when Jin came rushing up to them in a panic to tell him their son was missing.

Kyoya was out of his chair, handing off his daughter and running up to the house in the span of a second. By the time he finished double-checking all the rooms in the basement and made his way back to the main floor, half of the adults were searching, too. But there was no sign of the 4-year-old.

Jin was pacing in front of the couch with her phone to her ear. Kyoya faintly heard Aijima's voice coming from the speaker, meaning Jin was putting Kyoya's guards on the case. Jin never gave Kyoya's guards commands, unless it included taking a break to chat with her. Kyoya felt his stomach drop to his toes. He watched his wife hang up the phone and hold the device against her chest. Her shoulders shook and Kyoya knew she was about five seconds from crying. She was scared. Kyoya was, too.

Quickly taking the next ten steps forward to wrap Jin up in his arms, Kyoya pulled out his own phone and started scrolling through his contacts for his family's private police force. If there ever was a time to use them-

"I see him! Jin! Kyoya!"

Kyoya and Jin abruptly dropped their phones on the couch and raced towards Ranka's voice. Jin's father was in the front yard, already hurrying towards the little boy walking down the sidewalk towards them. Ranka only had a few moments of holding the boy in his arms before Jin and Kyoya were taking over, Kyoya squeezing his son and wife close to his chest. Tears of relief dripped down over Kyoya's cheeks as Jin tried to ask Kazuki where he had gone through her own tears. Their son sounded confused as he explained.

"I can't cross the street without holding someone's hand."

Jin gave a little laugh at his reasoning, nodding and agreeing and telling Kazuki he was a good boy for remembering. Kyoya didn't say anything, just pressed a few kisses to the top of his son's head.

Kyoya didn't set Kazuki down for another hour.

Kyoya would never disagree that working full time from home and being a caretaker at the same time was an incredibly difficult job. Never. He did it himself and was seriously going to invest in installing a hot tub somewhere on their property after soundproofing the master bedroom just for something his wife could relax in after a long day.

But Kyoya also knew that being a CEO was difficult, too.

That evening, Kyoya only had enough energy to kick off his shoes and plod to the living room before he collapsed onto the couch in exhaustion. Thankfully, Jin was already there, watching Hana play with her stuffed animals on the playmat.

Dropping his briefcase onto the floor, Kyoya gave his youngest a kiss on the head before falling backwards onto the couch with his head in Jin's lap. Eyes already shut, Kyoya grabbed Jin's hand and placed it firmly on top of his head. With a stifled chuckle, Jin proceeded to stroke his hair, fingers combing out his styling gel as she watched her husband's stress lines fade from his face. He turned his head and pressed his cheek against Jin's stomach with a hum, pleased with any form of contact he could get.

"Where are the other kids," he asked sleepily, an afternoon nap calling his name.

"Kazuki is still at Kaoru's. Apparently Matsuo was asking for him all morning," Jin murmured, "And as far as I know, the twins are still reading in their room."

"A peaceful afternoon?"

The sharp sounds of battle cries suddenly flooded the house, startling Hana enough that the poor baby started to whimper with the threat of tears. Jin gave her husband an unimpressed look.

"You had to ask?"

Before Kyoya could think up an appropriate apology, he heard the sounds of his eldest daughters charging across the room towards him. A large mass launched itself onto Kyoya's stomach, knocking the wind out of him with a pained grunt. Without thinking, he grabbed his attacker and held tight.

"Ahh! Jun-chan, help! The fearsome Shadow Dragon has captured me!"

Shadow Dragon?

"I'll save you, Setsu-chan! I need your help to rescue the princess!"

Kyoya looked up at his wife and smiled. Princess… I suppose they have that part right.

Not wasting any more time, Kyoya heaved himself into a sitting position with a low roar, hoisting Setsuko higher off the ground. "Did you foolish knights truly believe you could best me? I am the Shadow Dragon, and you shall fear me!"

"I do not fear you!"

"Well you should!"

Kyoya wiggled his fingers into the back of Setsuko's knee and the girl screeched, calling out for her sister amid her laughter. Junko scrambled up onto the couch, wielding what Kyoya now recognized as five markers attached to each other in a makeshift sword. Behind him, Kyoya heard his wife join in on the play, begging the 'brave knights' to save her. Kyoya briefly cuts his gaze to Hana, who thankfully was no longer crying but instead watching the scene in fascination. He wondered how old she would be before her sisters started including her in their play fights?

"Release my partner! Have at you!"

Junko's "sword" smacked against Kyoya's right bicep and broke into pieces. She stared at the damage for a long moment before looking up at her father's smug smile.

"Uh oh."

With an exaggerated yelp Junko took off, her father at her heels with Setsuko tossed over his shoulder. Jin was left behind to laugh until she couldn't breathe.

With four children in the house, noise was a given constant. Whether it was through talking, playing, or crying, the only time there was peace in the Ootori household was at night. It was currently just past 10 and Kyoya had just returned to bed from putting the twins to sleep. Jin was already snuggled up under the blankets, glasses perched on the edge of her nose as she read a book. Kyoya made a quick detour to her side of the bed to give her a swift peck on the cheek before moving to change his clothes.

"No issues tonight, I take it?"

"Out like little lights," Kyoya responded, already pulling on his sleep shirt. On his bedside table, he heard his phone vibrate with a news update and went to check it. Crawling into bed in his shirt and boxers, Kyoya opened the notification.

"It looks like that panda finally gave birth."

Jin hums and turns the page, not entirely paying attention. "Really… well, I'm sure the news will find some other pregnancy to talk about soon enough."

Kyoya slowly lowered his phone and looked at his wife, one eyebrow slightly arched.

" No, Kyoya."