A new future

A Surprise with a Happy Ending

Chibiusa was in the middle of taking a shower when she heard her phone ringing. She hastily rinsed off and reached for her phone. Her gut feeling told her it was Seiya calling. As she read the words displayed on the screen, she froze for a moment. Then she quickly spun around, got dressed, towel-dried her hair, and rushed down the stairs.

Mamoru was at the front door, about to leave, when he saw her.

"What's going on?"

"I'm glad you're still here. You have to drive me back to the hospital. Now."

"Why? Is something wrong with Bunny or the babies?"

"She's awake!"

Mamoru looked at her in disbelief. "Okay. Let's go."

Both of them jumped into his car. As he pulled up in front of the hospital, he briefly considered whether he should also go inside. After all, he and Bunny were no longer a couple, but she still meant a lot to him, even if Seiya still harbored ill feelings toward him.

Chibiusa had already gotten out of the car and was looking at him through the open door.

"Are you coming?"

"Do you really think it's a good idea?"

"Of course! And now get out."

Chibiusa knocked softly on the door before opening it. Seiya was lying on the bed, Bunny held tightly in his arms. Her head rested on his chest, and her eyes were slightly open.

"Man, you really gave us a scare. I thought I'd have to raise these two with Seiya while you slept like Sleeping Beauty," Chibiusa chirped, pulling up a chair beside the bed. Mamoru stayed in the doorway, Seiya's sharp gaze making it clear that he wasn't welcome.

"I just dropped by to give Chibiusa a ride. I'm glad to see you're getting better, Bunny. I'll come by in the next few days. Get well soon."

Bunny wanted to say something in return, but she was too weak. She gave him a wistful smile, then turned her gaze to Chibiusa.

Seiya sat up a bit. "Chibiusa, will you stay with Bunny for a while? I'll go check on the little ones."

Chibiusa nodded.

In the following weeks, Bunny continued to regain her strength, but she was never alone. When Seiya had to work, someone was always by her side, helping her and taking care of the twins. Besides his job, Seiya continued to prepare the surprise for Bunny, often assisted by Haruka.

Today was the day they could finally bring their family home. After seven endless weeks, Seiya stood in front of his car, trying to install the car seats with Yaten's help.

"I'm sure there must be an error in the manual. This doesn't look right," Yaten grumbled, who had been looking at the pictures for half an hour and was now trying to explain to Seiya what he was doing wrong.

Seiya had installed and uninstalled the seats several times and was also cursing under his breath. "If we don't get these in the car soon, I'll have to fetch Bunny on foot."

Taiki glanced over Yaten's shoulder at the manual as he walked by. "It's not that hard. Did you read the text as well? Everything is described there."

His brothers shot him annoyed looks. Seiya crawled out of the car and handed him one of the seats.

"Good, if it's not that difficult, then I wish you a lot of fun installing them. I need to make a quick call to Ruka. Thanks, Taiki."

Before Taiki could reply, Seiya had already disappeared inside. Yaten chuckled briefly and handed Taiki the instructions as well. Seiya quickly took out his phone to call Haruka.

"Yes?"

"Ruka? It's me. How far along are you?"

"Almost done, just a few more details."

"How long will it take?"

"Maybe an hour. Are you on your way already?"

"I'm about to leave. That should work out timing-wise. Thanks again for your help. It was fantastic."

"No problem. Say hi to my moon face. See you tonight."

When Seiya returned outside, Taiki had actually managed it, and both car seats were properly installed in the car. As Seiya drove off, he felt the rising nervousness. How would Bunny react to his surprise? How would life together as a family be? The twins were almost eight weeks old now, but in the hospital, there were always nurses, caregivers, and midwives to consult. At home, they would be on their own.

When Seiya entered the room, Bunny was already beaming at him. She looked quite fit again, although she had dark circles under her eyes and tousled hair.

"I thought you'd never come," she said tiredly and gave him a kiss on the lips. "And forget about you all here? Never. Are you ready?"

"Yes, definitely," Bunny laughed briefly. "I've fed them, changed their diapers, and dressed them. I got all the paperwork, yes, I think I haven't forgotten anything." Proudly, Seiya picked up Ichiro and Saori, placed them in their car seats, and left the hospital with his family.

During the car ride, Bunny began to get suspicious. "Where are you going? Home is in the other direction."

Seiya put on his sunglasses and gave her a teasing grin, trying to confuse her a bit. He took a huge detour through Tokyo.

"Where are you going? We've already been here," Bunny continued to complain while Seiya turned up the music a bit louder. He had missed her, the old Bunny who got worked up easily and got upset about every little thing. The thought made his grin even wider.

"Seiya, I'm talking to you, damn it! Where are we going?"

"You'll see as soon as you calm down. Otherwise, I'll keep driving loops around Tokyo. The tank is full, and I have time. The two in the back have been fed and changed, so they'll sleep for at least two to three hours. It's up to you, my dear."

Bunny raised her eyebrows in annoyance but said nothing more. She also wanted to arrive at their destination eventually.

After another round, Seiya finally turned into a street and stopped. Bunny's curiosity grew. "Um... this is the old house," she said awkwardly, looking at Seiya.

He took a key out of his pocket. "No, this is our house. I talked to Yaten and Taiki. It belongs to us. It's for our family."

Bunny's eyes lit up. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

She joyfully snatched the key from his hand and excitedly ran to the door. She immediately noticed that there had been some changes, and Seiya picked up the sleeping children in their seats and followed slowly. Bunny couldn't stop marveling. "This... this... is so beautiful. It looks exactly like the dream world. When did you do all of this?" she stammered as she reached the living room.

Seiya placed the children down and scratched his head. "It wasn't easy, but Haruka was a big help."

Bunny stared at him in disbelief, thinking she must have misheard. "Haruka? My Haruka? You two renovated this place together without tearing each other apart?"

Seiya burst into laughter. "Yes, believe it or not, but we actually became friends. She's coming over for the housewarming party later."

"What housewarming party?"

"Well, the house needs to be inaugurated. Now don't tell me you're not up for that. I even invited your parents and Shingo."

Bunny beamed from ear to ear. Everything was just perfect. Seiya took a few steps towards her and pulled her close.

"Everything will be fine now. You'll see, and next year in the spring, we'll have the wedding you've always wanted," he whispered in her ear before passionately kissing her. This was the beginning of their new future.

The End