Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's note: This is just a one-shot thing that I happened to think of, if you like it, then read it. If you hate it then don't read it. I don't mind. But please review and let me know anyway…I would appreciate it! It's quite sad in the first part but it gets fluffy soon enough.
Nishikado Soujirou had only cried a total of four times in his entire life; after the age of three that is. He simply hadn't felt the need to cry apart from those four instances. Some may have called him cold, others may have accused him of being unfeeling and many would have gone as far as to say that he was heartless. In actual fact, he was none of those things. Those four particular events that had moved him to tears were important to him and they had played a crucial role in shaping him to be the man that he was today. Even while watching the notebook, he had stared at the screen through tearless eyes while Akira, Rui and even Tsukasa had shed a few.
The first time that Soujirou remembered crying was a month after his sixth birthday. It was when his best friend in the whole word, his golden retriever Momo, had passed on into the land of the spirits. When he was young Momo had been his only confidant, never questioning, never judging and an ever willing companion. Momo had been part of the family since before Soujirou was born. Actually his beloved Momo had died saving his life. It was a tragic event that had taken Soujirou practically all his life to forget but still he couldn't erase the fact that Momo had died saving him. It had been Soujirou's fault in the first place that Momo had lost his life.
As a child he had been incredibly sheltered and realizing that he knew nothing of the world outside his school and house, he had decided to explore the realm beyond the doorstep. It had been Momo who had followed him diligently, ensuring that no harm befell his precious master. Unfortunately while crossing the road a short distance outside his door, he had neglected checking for cars and this simple mistake cost his best friend his life. Momo had been quick to react; giving Soujirou an almighty nudge, pushing him out of harms way. Poor Momo hadn't been so lucky. Soujirou had nearly vomited at the sight of his faithful Momo's blood but it didn't stop him from hugging his best friend as his dog took its final breaths.
The once warm chocolate orbs of Soujirou's best friend now stared back at him lifelessly, displaying the ghost of love that Momo had for his master. Soujirou, unable to stem the flow of his grief clutched Momo's golden brown fur and sobbed with all his might. That was how his parents had found him ten minutes later. His mother and father had tried to drag him away from the carcass but no matter how much they tried, Soujirou had remained by Momo. They didn't understand the bond between a man and his best friend. After Momo's death, Soujirou had been a cesspool of misery until his mother had invited Akira, Rui and Tsukasa over to play. They had, in their own childish (at the time) way, begun to heal the void in his heart that Momo had left but despite that Soujirou had never been the same again.
The second time that Soujirou had remembered crying was when he was seventeen years old. His brother Shochirou had emancipated himself and left the house. Soujirou had always looked up to his brother. Souchirou had taken care of him, taken him under his wing. His father had barely been around, since he worked all the time. Soujirou's lack of a father figure had been made up for by his brother. Souchirou who had been more than five years older than him had looked after him better than Soujirou imagined his own father would. Shouchirou's departure had caused somewhat of a domino effect in Soujirou. It was then that the drinking, womanizing and late night escapades started. It was his way of rebelling against his parents.
When his brother left the house, it was like he'd taken a part of Soujirou with him. He remembered the loud arguing, the accusations and the tears just before his brother left. It was the first time that Soujirou had heard his brother raise his voice.
"Take care of yourself Jirou" were the last words that his brother had said to him. It made him detest his parents. They were the cause of Souchirou's departure. He had watched helplessly as his brother packed his bag, taking only the necessary items. He had looked on as Souchirou walked down the gravel driveway of the Nishikado house with his back facing the place that he'd grown up in and it was then that Soujirou's eyes welled with tears. He did nothing to halt the flow of the salty liquid that streamed down his face. He had lost a person that he held close to his heart. It was his love for Sara that had kept him somewhat sane but even then, it was undeniable that Soujirou had never been the same again.
The third time that Soujirou had remembered crying had been in his first year of university. By chance he had stumbled upon Sara again. Hinata Sara had been his first love. Their families had been close friends and they had played together as children. He had lost contact with her after standing her up one Valentine's Day and for a while he hadn't known where she was; until he was told by Yuki that she had been the teacher at the tea ceremony class that Yuki attended. He had loved Sara from the moment that they had first played together. Call it fate or destiny, but it had been through Yuki that he had found her again. He hadn't known what Sara had wanted to tell him when she called him out at six in the morning and he hadn't wanted to either until Yuki showed it to him.
He hadn't intended to meet Yuki. He was too busy enjoying the hostesses at club Coco. They were beautiful and willing, what was not to enjoy? Although there was a niggling in the back of his mind that he just couldn't ignore. Yuki was alone, waiting for him. At that time of the morning, there were a lot of unruly people around. The drunken club goers would be spilling out on the streets as many clubs closed at that time. Yuki would be vulnerable to their drunken urges and their roaming hands. He couldn't let anything happen to her on his account.
As the sun raised its golden head above the horizon, the words disappeared before his eyes and Soujirou felt something tug at his heart. Standing there with Yuki while he witnessed Sara's message seemed to really eat away a fragment of his soul. He mourned for the love lost and grieved over a destiny that was never his to begin with. His face scrunched into a frown and before he could control it, his voice choked with his sobs. Like a baby crying for its mother, that was how he would have described it. That day changed something within him. Knowing her message at last, Soujirou could attain some form of closure. He could move on with his life. Yuki had helped change something within him and it was without a doubt that Soujirou had never been the same again.
The fourth time that Soujirou had remembered crying had been the hardest that he had cried in his entire life. He had felt a happiness that he hadn't been able to explain. He never thought that he would bawl over such a thing but he did, all because the nurse had said those two simple words:
"She's fine". He had burst into sobs. It was the least manly he had ever been in his entire life but the relief was too overwhelming. He was afraid for her; she'd been having complications throughout the nine months and they were warned that there were possible chances of miscarriage. He thought of how he would have felt if he'd lost her, his sobs became louder to the point where he was almost gasping for breath. He was sobbing his heat out but the baby hadn't even come yet. "She's just having contractions, the baby should be here any time now" the nurse said with a sympathetic smile in Soujirou's direction.
When he got the call, Soujirou had been in the middle of a meeting with his business associates. He wanted to set up a branch of his hotel chain in Europe. Akira and Rui had dropped by his home on their way back from work to see if he had been available to hang out when they'd found her doubled over in pain and had immediately rushed her to the hospital. Soujirou knew he shouldn't have listened to her. He had insisted that his mother or his mother-in-law be around to babysit her during the weekends when the house help were on leave. But she had protested saying that she didn't want to inconvenience anyone. It was just like her, not to want to cause trouble to anyone but herself. He had cut his meeting short, apologizing to his associates saying that he had to leave because his wife was about to give birth. They had understood, many of them being middle aged men who had families of their own. He had rushed into the waiting room forty five minutes after his meeting to find everyone there already waiting for him.
"It's ok" Tsukasa of all people soothed rubbing Soujirou's back comfortingly. "At least you're only crying. I fainted".
"I peed in my pants" his brother in law Ken added helpfully.
"I-I-I" Soujirou had managed to choke out. He was still overwhelmed with emotion and it was on display for all to see.
He was grateful to Momo, Sara and his brother Souchirou. They had helped him feel what it would be like to lose friends, love and family. Now as he sat in the waiting room of the hospital that his family had built, he couldn't help but feel thankful. Surrounding him were his friends, his family and they were the people that he loved. However, there was someone missing, his wife.
"I wonder if it's a girl" Akira said thoughtfully. "If she turns out looking like her mother, she'll be a heartbreaker".
"If it's a boy he might turn out like Soujirou, then he'd literally be a heartbreaker" Rui mused and he and Akira chortled over the lame joke.
"Ha-ha very funny" Tsukushi said with a disapproving frown as she glanced at Soujirou who sat with his elbows on his knees anticipating the result. "I suppose you two think you're hilarious".
"Oh come on Makino don't you think it's funny too?" Akira asked and Tsukushi frowned.
"No, can't you see that the poor man is wrought with worry?" she asked putting her hands on her hips.
They looked up when the doors of the operating opened and a nurse rushed out, her hands covered in blood. Everyone stood up as she approached.
"I'm sorry Nishikado-san" she said as she addressed him. "There are a few complications; the baby is taking a lot longer to come out than we thought".
Soujirou turned pale "w-what does this mean?"
"She's in a lot of pain, we're going to have to wait a few more minutes, if the baby doesn't come then we'll do a caesarian" she replied and with a bow of her head, she went back into the operating theatre. There was a loud wail coming from a pram a little distance away from Soujirou and Tsukasa and Tsukushi rushed to it.
"How is little Tsukashi?" Soujirou asked, trying to distract himself from his worries.
"He's fine" Tsukasa replied "although he doesn't wake us up in the middle of the night, he's a constant ball of energy!"
"Yes" Tsukushi agreed "and now that he's teething, he wants to bite everything in sight".
"But I bet being a parent is fun isn't it? You go through things together and you come out being stronger people?" Soujirou asked as he used his index finger to touch one of Tsukashi's chubby arms.
"Yeah, there are days when I want to scream from the lack of sleep and all the stress, but one little smile from him or a giggle and all my frustration is gone" Tsukushi said smiling fondly at her son.
Soujirou began pacing up and down the waiting room; it gave him something to do other than sitting around waiting for things to happen. His mother put her hand on his shoulder "Jirou, you have to calm down. She'll be fine; the baby will be fine too".
"I know ma, I just can't help but worry. It's been hours already" he said with a tired sigh as he ruffled a hand through his hair.
"I know its tough Jirou, but don't worry ne? Everything will be fine?" He allowed himself to be pulled into a hug and he took a deep breath. He was always comforted by his mother. He felt like a child again but he didn't care. He needed his mother's comfort.
"Everyone thank you for coming down. I know you must all be tired, so why don't you all go back and get some rest? I'll call as soon as something happens" Soujirou said a little while later, addressing everyone.
"If you think for a second that we'll leave you then you've got another thing coming" Akira said as he made himself more comfortable, sinking into his chair.
"Well if Soujirou thinks that we're going to leave him then he's a bigger baka than I thought" Tsukasa said.
"I'm not leaving my sister either" Ken called from behind Akira. More voices followed in agreement.
"Well I guess that's that" Rui said.
"We might be here for a while" Tsukasa said "so how about I make us a little more comfortable?"
"I'll help" Rui added and both made calls to their cell phones simultaneously.
Half an hour later, there was a noise in the doorway and footsteps were heard. Tsukasa's men came into view carrying cushions and a large armchair. They passed around large cushions to each person in the waiting room and placed the large armchair in front of Soujirou.
"What is this?" he asked staring at the chair.
"It's for you" Tsukasa replied as a matter of fact. "You're the leading man so you deserve the special chair".
"Uh thanks?" Soujirou said as his friends forced him into the chair.
"Ah they're here" Rui exclaimed as his men walked into the waiting room. They grouped together at a corner of the waiting room and within minutes they'd set up a mini buffet table. "Right then, everyone food's ready so let's eat!"
"Thanks guys" Soujirou said.
"Apparently there's a swarm of press heading here. They got wind that you're here awaiting the arrival of your first child and they want the scoop" Akira said looking up from the message on his phone. Seeing Soujirou's face Akira smiled "don't worry Soujirou I'll take care of it". Akira made a phone call and a few minutes later he shut his phone with a satisfied snap. "All taken care of" he replied.
"Guys…I-I don't know how to thank you" Soujirou said speechless.
"Just let us babysit baby Nishikado once in a while and we'll call it even" Akira replied cheerfully and Soujirou smiled.
"Sure" Soujirou replied.
"Nishikado-san?" It was the nurse that had come out earlier.
"Yes?" he asked rushing to stand before her.
"Your wife is fine, she just gave birth to a healthy baby girl" she replied with a smile and Soujirou beamed so wide that his face seemed to glow.
"Can I see her?" he asked and she nodded.
"Sure but at the moment only you can go in" she said and there were groans of protest from the other people in the waiting room.
Soujirou rushed into the "F4 ward" that his family built for special use of the F4. There was his wife lying on the hospital bed looking drained and exhausted. He felt his heart skip a beat as he spied the fluffy pink bundle in her arms. He walked slowly and cautiously towards her as if every step he took would quake the earth beneath him.
"Yuki" he breathed softly and her head turned towards him. She smiled a happy but tired smile. "Yuki" he said again as he moved to sit on the bed beside her.
"Look at her, isn't she beautiful?" Yuki used her index finger and gently pushed aside the fabric of the blanket shielding part of their baby's face.
"She looks like you" Soujirou whispered as he peered into the blanket.
"She's barely an hour old, how can you tell who she looks like?" Yuki asked with a chuckle.
"She definitely looks like you because she's beautiful" he remarked and Yuki smiled at him.
"I can't believe we created her" She said as she watched the sleeping infant.
"I just had a part in it, you did all the work" he remarked and gently planted a kiss on her head. He watched their baby for a few minutes in a comfortable silence, stroking Yuki's hair. He was proud of her and his heart swelled with love for her. For their baby.
"You want to hold her?" she asked and he held out his arms.
"Oi Soujirou don't drop her" Akira called from the doorway before Yuki could place their daughter in Soujirou's arms.
"Yeah and let us see her too" Rui said.
"I hope she hasn't inherited your promiscuous ways" Tsukasa added as he too stepped into the ward.
"Shut up Tsukasa! I'm a one woman man now" he remarked.
"You'd better make that two" Yuki said and they laughed. She placed the pink bundle in Soujirou's arms and he felt a twinge of fear. His daughter was so small and what if he dropped her? As if reading his thoughts Yuki patted him lightly on the arm.
"Don't worry you won't drop her".
He looked down at his daughter- his daughter. Those two words seemed to ignite a flame within him. She was his. He had helped create her. She opened her mouth and gave a tiny yawn and he melted.
"Kawaii ne?" Akira exclaimed getting a good look at the baby's face.
"Hontoni!" Rui agreed.
"She'll make a good match for my Tsukashi" Tsukasa remarked.
"Domyouji-san, she's not even a day old and you're already trying to marry her off to your son?" Yuki asked with a chuckle.
"He likes to get straight to the point" Tsukushi said as she eyed her husband disapprovingly.
"I have to reserve her quickly, with a face like that; she might be snatched up immediately!" Tsukasa explained and Tsukushi shook her head in disbelief. "She must marry my son Soujirou!" Tsukasa called as he was led out of the ward by Tsukushi twisting his ear.
The fifth time that Nishikado Soujirou had been reduced to tears had been on an occasion that had caused him an unexplainable amount of happiness. He had become a father. As he held his baby girl in his arms, he could do nothing as the tears rolled down his cheeks. He had never been so full of joy before and never did he think for a second that he could feel this way.
"I'll protect you" he whispered, his lips inches from the pink bundle. "I won't let anything hurt you. Your papa is here ne? There's nothing to worry about" he said as he nuzzled his face into the blanket.
As Soujirou held his daughter, he could think of nothing else but her. They a family now, Yuki, his baby and him. He promised himself that he would never be like his father. He would love and care for her with all his mind, heart and soul. Soujirou laughed as his tears dripped onto his impeccable Armani suit. He didn't care that he was crying in front of his friends and family. Nothing seemed to matter in comparison to her. He had experienced an epiphany in the form of a baby. It was undeniable that she had changed him; he wanted to be the best that he could be for her. He was going to try his best. He knew his life would never be the same again. Hell, he knew that he would never be the same again. He would be better.
Author's note: Did you like it? That was my one shot…oh well…it was just something that I played around with…sorry if it's not what you expected…I just wanted the idea out of my head. Please review, i would really appreciate it!! Take care! Huggies! I'll try to update Suki Yuki and All i need soon!