Channels (MizukixOC)

Bonus! Chapter 36: One Big Happy Family

"Mizuki. Mizuki." 

"Yes, dear?" Mizuki mumbled. Rubbing his eyes. 

"I want mochi," Ume said, giving Mizuki sleepy puppy dog eyes. She laid next to him in their shared bed, resting her head on his shoulder.

"It's the middle of the night," Mizuki whispered.

"But I want mochi," Ume said, pouting . She shifted closer, lifting his head to rest his hand on her growing baby bump. Five months along and Mizuki had not stopped doting on her, even when she didn't particularly need his help. He would do any and all chores, including cooking meals for her and Sachi, which Mizuki begged Tomoe to teach him to do. He even attempted to receive prayers for Ume so she could rest, but that was where she drew the line. That was how she new that at 1:34 in the morning, Mizuki would go to the store and get her mochi.

"I'll be back soon, my blossom," Mizuki muttered, kissing her forehead, then her lips, and finally her stomach softly, before standing up and staggering to the door. 

Mizuki was snapped awake by the sound of Sachi's screams. Ume sat straight up in bed and began to stand up.

"I'll get it," Mizuki sighed.

Ume nodded and smiled softly as she laid back down Mizuki left the room quickly and returned with Sachi in his arms. He sat down on the bed beside Ume with Sachi in his lap and squeezed the little girl tightly.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Ume asked, running her fingers through Sachi's hair.

"Yeah," Sachi whispered.

"Was it about the monsters again?" 

"No."

"Was it about that time Tomoe was chasing Kurama with his foxfire and accidentally set off fireworks in the shrine?"

"No," Sachi said, giggling softly.

"That scared me," Mizuki sighed, "I started laughing and Tomoe aimed one of the fireworks at me."

Sachi giggled and shook her head.

"Then what was it about?" Ume asked.

Sachi's smile fell and a few tears slid down her cheeks.

"Sachi, how about we go get mommy some mochi together?" Mizuki asked.

Sachi nodded and Mizuki stood up, "We'll be back soon."

Ume kissed Sachi's forehead before letting them leave. Sachi was a daddy's girl without a doubt. Over the past five months everyone amongst the gods and the Mikage and Hearth and Home shrines had become family. However, Sachi gave the affectionate titles of Mother and Father to Ume and Mizuki. It had slipped out once on a shopping trip and she hadn't hesitated to call them mother and father since. She also loved visiting her Uncle Tomoe (after a long conversation about how white hair did not make him grandpa), Aung Nanami, and Uncle Kurama (after a long fight over Kurama telling Sachi to call Tomoe grandpa, ultimately resulting in Kurama's temporary name being 'chicken dinner'). 

Upon announcing Ume's pregnancy, Tomoe brought to Mizuki's attention that, as an adopted child, Sachi may begin to feel out of place or unwanted compared to Mizuki and Ume's birth child. Mizuki had noticed the truth in Tomoe's words when Sachi began to withdraw after all the progress Ume and Mizuki had made building trust. So Mizuki was certain, as they left the grounds of the beautiful, rebuilt shrine, that Sachi's nightmares were about the new baby.

As they were in the sky on Mizuki's snake, he asked Sachi once more, "What was your nightmare about."

"You, you and Ume didn't want me anymore b-because of the new baby!" Sachi sobbed suddenly, startling Mizuki, who immediately pulled her into a hug.

"Why would you think that?" Mizuki asked.

"Because you're having a real baby!"

"You will always be our daughter, Sachi," Mizuki said, holding her in his arms as they landed near a small store and he stepped off his snake, "And you can never be replaced or exchanged. You're not a dress. Ume and I love you dearly, little blossom, and-."

"Why do you need another baby if you love me? Aren't I enough?"

Mizuki chuckled softly as he wandered through the aisles looking for mochi, "Of course you're enough, but that's just it. You're so wonderful, we want to share you more. We want to have a big family with siblings to play with."

"But I don't need a sister or brother. I have you and Mommy and Uncle Tomoe and Aunt Nanami, and-."

"But being a big sister is special," Mizuki said, picking a mochi pack from the cooler and heading for the checkout, "youll have someone who looks up to you, and loves you, and will be your best friend."

"But what if you like the baby more than me? 

"Parents don't have favorites," Mizuki said, fumbling to find money in his pockets. Sachi giggled and handed him money from her pocket.

"You forgot it again," she said, "And you do have favorites! You spend a lot of time with Mommy and the baby."

"Because the baby can't take care of himself or herself. The baby in Mommy's tummy needs food and help growing from Mommy and since the baby makes Mommy tired, I have to help Mommy."

"Will you spend more time with me after the baby's born?"

"How about this?" Mizuki started, leaving the store and helping Sachi onto his snake, "We'll go somewhere tomorrow, anywhere you want as a family and I promise, I'll spend more time with you everday."

"Really?" Sachi asked.

"Yep," Mizuki said, giving her a kiss on the forehead, then tickling her. She laughed and squealed the whole way home as Mizuki gave her the one on one time she had been waiting for.

'How could I have neglected my little blossom?' Mizuki thought as he  arrived her inside on one arm, with mochi in the other arm.

"Is everything alright?" Ume asked, pulling Sachi into a cuddly hug and eagerly eating the mochi Mizuki brought. Mizuki chuckled and sat down beside then, hugging them tightly.

"Everything's fine. We figured it out," Mizuki said, kissing Ume softly, "I don't think there will be anymore nightmares."

Ume smiled, looking down to see Sachi fast asleep on her lap. Mizuki held Ume close with one arm while his free hand stroked Sachi's hair. Whe Ume's mochi was gone, she fell asleep, leaving Mizuki awake to admire his girls, like he intended did when he found them all sleeping in the same bed. He sighed contentedly and closed his eyes, a peaceful feeling fluttering in his heart.

***

Soon enough, Mizuki and Ume's baby was born; a lovely little girl with snow white hair and Ume's dark eyes. A bright blush littered her pale skin and charming freckles already dotted her cheeks. A soft glow surrounded the obviously yokai-like baby. Instead of envy, fear, or rejection, Sachi felt awe staring at the tkny helpless baby. She immediately understood how much attention such a fragile creature would need to live, but as she was pulled into bed by Ume to cuddle with her new baby sister, Sachi knew she would be included in everything she possibly could do to take care of the baby. Sachi loved her baby sister, Luna. Mizuki lay with one arm behind Ume's neck as she slept, limp and drained, Sachi resting between Ume and him, and little Luna in his arms. He was scared; scared he'd make a mistake again. But he wouldn't run, he wouldn't regret, and he would let fear overtake him, because every channel he traveled led him right back home where he belonged.