To:
dalampasiganFrom:
kyjr Title: The Best Kind of Love
Pairing: Hongo Yuuji x Hongo Sachiko [Nishikido Ryo x Mizukawa Asami]
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Years and years later, the twins are four and climbing everything in sight. And that's when Yuuji decides that it's about time they take that holiday.
A/N: Spoilers for Inu wo Kau to Iu Koto. My knowledge of Hawaii comes from Lilo and Stitch. No, seriously; don't judge me. I hope you enjoy this :)
Love is a funny thing. It appears slowly; creeps up on you until you're blind and you don't know right from left and up from down, until you're spinning and spinning and the only thing you can focus on is that person right there in front of you. Love captures you and renders you useless; chases you down and winds around you like a hurricane. There's only one person you can think about; only one person you want to think about.
Yuuji loves Sachiko. He falls in love one summer day when her hair is long and the wind is strong; when all he knows is the twang of guitar strings and the taste of beer on his tongue. He's never loved before, really, but he knows as soon as he sees her that she's... she's something amazing.
She doesn't disappoint either; she's more amazing than he thinks she is. She grounds him and takes his breath away, and he knows he needs her. He needs her to complete his life. He needs those little kisses she presses to his cheek when he comes home; he needs those beautiful brown eyes on him forever.
He's thinking about proposing long before she finds out she's pregnant. But then she's stumbling into his lounge room, eyes wide and breathless, and tells him the news; he's terrified and ecstatic and hopeful and in love all at the same time, and his response is to ask her to be his forever.
They mature a little when Masaru is born; even more so when Mako arrives. They turn into adults; into parents. They're responsible for more than each other now, there are tiny little lives who rely on them. They both quit their jobs and Yuuji finds stable work where he needs to wear a suit to work and have sensible hair; Sachiko stays at home and makes sure dinner is ready when he gets back.
Times are tough and there isn't enough money but they still save up for a holiday - Sachiko always said that she'd like to go to Hawaii, so that's what they write on a great big tin. It's something that sort of sits there and inspires them, and it's nice to know that it's there. Money comes out of the tin as fast as it goes in, but they have a system. No-one quite understands the system but that's okay, because as long as they can't see the bottom, it's enough for now.
The little puppy is an unexpected addition to the family. Mako brings it home and it just kind of stays. Sky.
It's funny how much this little dog changes their lives. He changes them; he changes the children. Little Sky is a bundle of energy and happiness and they love him terribly... even when they lose him. Especially when they lose him.
It's a surprise when he walks into the hospital room and sees not one, but two babies. But he bundles one into his arms and takes them in, unconsciously thinking about the hours he'll have to pick up at work, thinking about the money that will have to be stretched, thinking about hospital bills and school fees and clothes and food--
Sachiko looks over at him with tired eyes and smiles, and Yuuji forgets all that. He presses a soft kiss to her cheek and looks back down at the baby, all pink and new and asleep; Sachiko's arm presses against his own as he sits next to her with the other baby and Masaru and Mako watch on with wide eyes as they take in their new siblings. Aoi and Haru. Yuuji doesn't know if he can be any happier than he already is at this moment.
Years and years later, the twins are four and climbing everything in sight. And that's when Yuuji decides that it's about time they take that holiday.
Sachiko organises everything, from the flight to the hotel to the itinerary. She does it all whilst battling with English websites and confusing terms, and Yuuji can't be more proud. They've got a countdown up on the fridge and Mako crosses the days out one by one in the mornings; her smiles get wider and wider when the days slowly dwindle down to the circled number zero.
Everything passes by in a blur of colour on the day they're due to leave. Their flight is horrible - Haru decides to wander into first class and Yuuji has to hunt him down again; Aoi has a tantrum and flings herself into the middle aisle to block the flight attendants. They lose her stuffed toy and spend about three quarters of an hour trying to find it again, only to realise that Haru has stashed it away under one of the seats.
The sea spreads out beneath them and suddenly everything is quiet as the little family watch the waves from the air. The ocean is the bluest blue, fringed with green and white, and it's so beautiful; they can barely believe they're there.
Sachiko kisses Yuuji just as the plane lands.
---
The ocean is even more beautiful up close.
The weather is nice and balmy, the sun hot but not unbearable. There are sunburnt tourists trekking across the white sand, sunglasses perched upon their noses and icecreams in their hands; there are people running down to the surf with surfboards tucked up under their arms, smiles on their faces as they call to their friends already in the water.
The children look up to Sachiko and Yuuji with pleading eyes. "Well, go on then," Sachiko laughs and the children are off, running down onto the sand, their happy shrieks sounding over the other hundreds of people dotting the beach.
Yuuji looks to Sachiko; her short brown hair blows across her face in the breeze. She catches his eye and she smirks before pushing him in the chest and rushing past him in hot pursuit of her children. Yuuji laughs as she tumbles head-first into the sand and quickly runs up to her to help her up. "Here," he laughs, holding a hand out, but she just pulls him down into the sand with her.
"Ain't no way I'm losing," she snorts, rubbing sand into his hair before pulling herself up and stumbling after the kids, who are now throwing wet sand at each other. "Loser!" she calls over her shoulder.
He spits the sand out of his mouth and ruffles his hair before standing. Sachiko has caught up to the kids and she's got Haru in her arms, spinning him around and around as Mako starts on a sandcastle and pouts at her brother, who is building a larger one right next to hers. Aoi is calling to him - "Daddy! Daddy!" - and so he goes quietly, trying to be inconspicuous with the loudest family in Japan.
And it's like they're shining with happiness, every single worry about money and work washing off them as they dive into that clear water. Yuuji and Sachiko have one twin each and the other two are trying to dunk each other under the water, happy smiles plastered on their faces.
Aoi has her hands around his neck and squeals when Masaru sprays water at her. She's daddy's girl - has been since she was tiny and had wrapped her tiny hand around his finger. He holds her tighter as a wave comes and jumps over it, laughing when she turns to stare at him with wide eyes. So they do it again and again, jumping over the tiny little waves that wash ashore and laughing at the way her legs tighten around his waist when the water splashes up.
Mako swims up to him where he's waist-deep in that beautiful blue, and beams at him. "You can see the fish!" she says, and dives back down. He smiles when she resurfaces to tell Sachiko, who laughs and nods before pushing Mako away with a smile on her face. Aoi tugs at his hair and he turns; she's pointing towards Masaru, who has his eyes on a tall foreign girl back on the beach.
"Oi, Masaru!" he yells, and he turns with a scowl on his face. "Aoi wants you!" Masaru's face changes into a dorky grin - the twins always melt his heart, no matter what - and heads down to the beach, that leggy blonde forgotten.
"There's my girl," he says, as he wades towards them. Aoi starts to struggle in Yuuji's arms so he lets her paddle to him, keeping his hands firmly around her waist. Masaru picks her up with a big smile and kisses her cheek, laughing when she flails and kicks water at him.
Their holiday is only for a week and a half, but that's all they need. They don't sightsee or go much further than the beach closest to their hotel; they wander the streets and laugh at the oddly shaped knick-knacks sold in stores - Masaru buys some, just for memories. Mako is in control of the camera and takes all kinds of photos - from her shoes to the waves on the beach to the footprints the family leave in the sand. Yuuji likes those ones the most.
There's one night when Sachiko wanders off. She says she's going to get midnight snacks for later but Yuuji knows she doesn't take her wallet; instead, she grabs Mako's camera before she leaves. So he leaves Masaru in charge and follows her down to the beach.
She's standing at the shore, watching the waves roll in. It's dark, but the night is lit by the beautiful glow of the moon, round and pale up in the sky. Her hair is blowing about her face and she looks peaceful as she stares out to the horizon, to where the sea meets the sky.
"Sachiko," he calls, his voice soft in the night. She turns, the camera limp in her hands, and smiles.
"Hey."
They're quiet; Yuuji takes his shoes off and stands next to her, the water lapping at his feet before pulling away again. She sighs and leans into him a little.
"I can't believe we're here," she says softly. He nods.
"I'm sorry we couldn't stay longer, though," he answers, and draws figures into the sand with his foot. She watches him awhile before speaking again.
"I don't care," she says, hands over her head as she stretches, all elegant lines. "I never thought I'd be able to come here at all. I thought it was just a stupid dream that was never going to eventuate into anything." There's a smile in her voice and Yuuji loves it.
"Of course it would," he sighs, and nods to himself. "I'd do anything for you."
"Yeah, but that's different--"
"Nope. I said I'd get you to Hawaii and I did," Yuuji explains, and he feels her head on his shoulder.
"The kids love it here," she says, and he hums. Her hand is in his, small and petite; she's all kinds of strong, but he still holds onto her tightly. He'll always hold onto her tightly.
"You love it here," Yuuji chuckles, and she pinches him. "Ouch!"
"I love you," she laughs, before kissing him.
She's still as beautiful as she was that day they met, and Yuuji falls in love all over again.
"When we get home, I think we should get another dog," Yuuji says, resting his forehead against hers. She stops to think about that, her eyes shining in the moonlight. He kisses her nose.
"I think so, too," she says, a secretive little smile playing about her lips.
"What're you th--"
And then she pushes him into the ocean, promptly leaping onto him and laughing wildly as he grabs around her waist and pulls her down with him. "You're an idiot," he laughs, dunking her head under and laughing when she splutters at him when she resurfaces. "Ha."
They're dripping with water when they make their way back to the hotel, their hair plastered to their heads and their hands entwined. "I hate you," Yuuji spits, but Sachiko just laughs and brushes her hair away from her face. It sticks out in all directions, and Yuuji chuckles.
"Right."
She knows he loves her; he knows she loves him.
They buy a little black and white puppy, who yaps and yips at everything that moves. It's a little girl and is absolutely obsessed with the twins; she follows their every move, tugging on their clothes until they pay attention to her. She gets them into even more trouble than Sky did and Sachiko constantly threatens to just leave her on the side of the road, but Yuuji knows she would never.
They call her Sora.
end.