Bonus Chapter 2:
Azi's Bedtime Story
For a better reading experience, play the song in the media section.
Iwaizumi was completely immersed in the newspaper he was holding as he propped his left leg over the other.
Footsteps scuffed against the tiles as a young girl draped an arm around his neck, and attacked him with a kiss. "Goodnight, Daddy." The nine-year old Czari smiled sweetly, as she gently nuzzled her cheek against her father's.
"Good night, Czarina! Sleep well." Iwaizumi gave her a goodnight kiss before she went running towards the staircase.
"Czari?" Iwaizumi called, stopping Czari in her tracks. She swiveled her head back to the living room, as she shifted her weight on one leg and cocked a brow. "Yes, Daddy?"
"Your sister, Azi? Is she in bed already?" Iwaizumi pursed his lips, his eyes switching from one article on the newspaper to another.
Czari shook her head vehemently even though her father wasn't looking her way and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Azalea won't listen to me, Daddy. She's already in her PJs, but she's still on the porch with Prada."
Iwaizumi was left with no choice but to put down the newspaper he was holding. He heaved a deep breath, as he rolled his eyes and headed outside.
A smile crept up his face when he saw the figure of his youngest daughter, sitting on the doorstep with her pet nestled in her lap.
Iwaizumi slowly sat beside her, and she didn't even dare to look his way. He stared at her awestruck expression, as her eyes gazed the night sky.
Iwaizumi smiled as he continued to marvel at his adopted child. She was a wonderful kid, as wonderful as Czari.
Azi reminded him of Oikawa a lot. She pretty much resembled his features. Azi has pitch-brown locks that is always tied in a neat pigtail. A few strands of her hair cascaded over her forehead, and it pretty much complimented her bright hazel eyes.
Like Oikawa, she beared one of the most powerful and expressive pair of eyes Iwaizumi had seen his whole life. She had this innocent expression on her face, and she is always filled with curiosity.
She pretty much reflected Oikawa's bubbly attitude, but she was as stubborn, as Iwaizumi could get.
Azalea was like their daughter because her personality and appearance was a perfect mixture of Oikawa and his, to say the least. Which was probably the reason he adopted her, back when she was only a few months old.
"You're thinking so deep, I think I'm gonna drown in your thoughts." Iwaizumi said in a jest, as a soft giggle escaped his lips.
"Ah~!" The three year-old squealed in shock as her tiny hands cupped her face. Her father's statement cutting her off from her trance.
"Relax, it's just Daddy."
"You scared me!" Azi retorted, as she hugged Iwaizumi tightly and stared back at the skies. She had a great penchant for stars and other heavenly bodies. And as ironic as it sounded, like Oikawa, she thought aliens were real.
"Daddy, why is Prada not eating?" She pouted. Azi tried to feed her with another loaf of bread again, but the Pomeranian Husky rejected once more.
"You just fed her an hour ago, she's still full." Iwaizumi smirked, his daughter's eyebrows furrowed, as she shot him a quizzical look.
"But that's an hour ago!"
"Let's get you to bed now, little one." Iwaizumi shrugged off his daughter's tantrums, as he patted her head lightly. He tried to pick her up, but she resisted.
"No!" She snapped. "I still wanna watch the stars!"
"How long are you gonna watch the stars?" Iwaizumi copied her expression, which irked her even more. He stifled his laughs at his daughter's expense. Azi looked even cuter when she was mad and irritated.
"I'm gonna watch them until they go and disappear." She exclaimed in a playful tone, and beamed at Iwaizumi, who was unamused.
He rolled his eyes as he let out a huff of annoyance. "But that would be morning already! C'mon, let's get you to bed."
Azi's face collapsed into a frown, as she relented to her father's request. Iwaizumi picked her up, and the two of them went inside the house. Azi propped her chin on top of her father's shoulder as she clung to his neck and pouted. "Azi hates Daddy Zumi."
Iwaizumi couldn't help but chuckle as he carefully laid her in bed. "No, Azi loves Daddy Zumi." He insisted, but the little girl was paying him no attention. Her eyes were fixed on the ceiling, where glow-in-the-dark stickers of planets and constellations were plastered on it.
"Is Daddy Kawa a lot nicer than you?"
Iwaizumi chuckled before planting a small kiss on her little forehead. "Yeah, Daddy Kawa is a lot nicer than Daddy Zumi. If he was alive, you two would get along."
Azi pouted as she looked away and faced the wall. She heaved a deep sigh as random thoughts crossed her mind. "Why do Nee-chan and I have two fathers, and no mommy?"
Iwaizumi giggled, as he looked at her daughter in awe. A huge smile crossed his mouth, as he hugged Azi from the back. "Sometimes it's like that, sweetie. Go to sleep, already. It's getting pretty late."
"Where's Oba-san?" Azi turned to face him once more, and Iwaizumi had to roll his eyes again at her curiosity.
"I told you already, she's gone for the whole week because she's on a vacation." Iwaizumi forced a smile, and a disappointed look appeared on Azi's face.
"She's the one who tells me bedtime stories! I can't sleep without bedtime stories!" Azi clenched her fists, as she dabbed the pillows twice.
"But your Oba-san is not around, Azi."
"But you are, so you'll tell me a story." Azi grinned, much to Iwaizumi's disappointment. He let out a soft grunt and smiled at the girl, who had an expectant look on her face.
"Once upon a time," Iwaizumi started his story. "Uhh~uhm,"
"What?" Azi glared at him, growing impatient at his slow start.
"I'm thinking Azalea, I'm thinking." He cupped his chin with his fingers as he thought deep. It took Iwaizumi a few seconds before he was able to find the right words to say. "There was a Kraken~"
"What's a Kraken?"
"A kraken is a huge sea monster that is responsible for the death of many sailors! It lurks around the murky depths of the ocean, as it waits for its prey!" Iwaizumi's storytelling was pretty much animated, with the voice modulation, the actions and all. Azi covered her face with her blanket, littered with star patterns, as she began to quiver.
"Ahh~!" She shrieked, "Change the story, Daddy! Change the story! It's scaring me, it's gonna give me nightmares!"
Iwaizumi's expression softened when Azi started to sob, and he couldn't help but feel guilty for scaring his precious child. "What do you want then? An ogre? A troll? A giant? A dragon?"
"No! No! I don't want scary creatures! I want fairies, and princes, and princesses!"
Iwaizumi scratched the back of his head, as he rolled his eyes for the nth time that night. He didn't have a knack for stories like that, unlike Kiyoko, and he sure was having a hard time thinking of another story plot.
"There was once a pig who fell in love with a frog~"
"What are their names?" Azi pursed her lips, shaking her head at her father's missing details.
"Piggy and Froggy." Iwaizumi flashed a stoic expression, expecting another violent reaction from the little girl, but was glad that it didn't happen. "Piggy and Froggy fell in love and they were inseparable. They got married and lived happily ever after! The end!"
Azi's mouth fell agape, tears starting to edge her eyes, as she stared at her father in disbelief. "That's not nice!" She started to cry, and Iwaizumi had to make her stop.
"You're not trying hard enough, Daddy! You don't love me!" Azi squealed, rubbing her eyes with her tiny hands, and Iwaizumi grimaced.
"S-Sorry, sweetie. Okay, okay, I'll tell another one." A brilliant thought crossed his mind, as Azi calmed down. She looked at Iwaizumi who was grinning wide and had a meaningful look on his face.
He cleared his throat before speaking on his animated voice. "Once upon a time, in two neighboring kingdoms, lived two princes — Prince Tofu and Prince Milk Bread."
He was cut off when Azi giggled and said, "Why would the Kings and Queens of the two kingdoms name their sons that, Daddy?"
"I don't know, just let me finish." He smiled. "They were the best of friends! They practically grew up, and did everything together!"
"Prince Milk Bread was full of silly antics, just like you," Iwaizumi pinched the tip of her nose, causing Azi to shriek. "And Prince Tofu was more of the serious type."
"They had lots and lots of differences. They rarely agree on things, but they cared for each other as much as they cared for themselves. Prince Milk Bread was always bullied, but Prince Tofu was always there to rescue him. Whenever someone made Prince Milk Bread cry, Prince Tofu would just hold his hand and squeeze it tight, and Prince Milk Bread would settle down and smile."
"Prince Tofu was always Prince Milk Bread's hero, Daddy?" Iwaizumi nodded at his daughter's inquiry.
"You see, Prince Milk Bread was so annoying. So, Prince Tofu never showed him that he cared. He was mean to him, but Prince Tofu loved Prince Milk Bread so much, that he was willing to go to extreme measures just for him. They shared the same sport, and they love everything about it. They loved volleyball~"
"Like you and Daddy Kawa?"
"Yes." He agreed, "Like me and your Daddy Kawa."
"Volleyball was their common ground, it was their stress reliever. They were both great at it. When they reached eighth grade, they realized something. They realized that they were in love with each other!" Iwaizumi flailed his finger in delight, but the expression he showed was the exact opposite of Azi's.
"But both of them are boys?" Her eyebrows furrowed, as she pursed her lips. Azi's expression somewhat told Iwaizumi that she wanted enlightenment.
"Love knows no gender, Azi. Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive to its destination, full of hope. I want you to remember that as you grow up." Iwaizumi flashed a cheeky grin, but Azi's look remained unchanged.
"But, I don't understand!" She pouted, fiddling with her fingers, and shaking her toes.
"It's because you're still too young to understand." He kissed Azi before he continued with his story, "It wasn't easy for the both of them, Azi. They faced many challenges, there were lots of hindrance that they encountered. One of which was when Prince Tofu was betrothed to a Princess from another neighboring kingdom."
"What's betro~ what's the word again, Daddy?"
Iwaizumi chuckled at her daughter's expression, "Betrothed. To be arranged in marriage."
"Huh? But Prince Tofu is in love with Prince Milk Bread? Didn't his parents know that?"
"Unfortunately, they didn't. The King and Queen of his kingdom wanted to wed him off, because they were getting poor and it was the only way. So when Prince Milk Bread found out, he was furious! He immediately broke up with Prince Tofu, and it seemed that all hope was lost since that day~"
Iwaizumi was cut off once more by his daughter, who managed to pinch him. Her expression turned sour, as she glared at Iwaizumi, "Don't tell me it's ending already!"
"No!" Iwaizumi shook his head vehemently. "The two princes stopped talking to each other since that day. Their relationship was stained. Prince Milk Bread went far far away from Prince Tofu, and they never got to see each other for three years. But after three years, the both of them were invited to a royal wedding, and for the first time in three years, Prince Tofu and Prince Milk Bread saw each other. Prince Tofu tried to resolve everything, but Prince Milk Bread was so filled with rage and anger, that he told Prince Tofu that he completely erased him out of his life. However, deep down, he knew it was a lie."
Iwaizumi stopped momentarily when Azi started sobbing. He flashed a sweet smile, as he gently wiped her tears away. "Did Prince Milk Bread forgive Prince Tofu?"
"Yes." Her mood brightened up.
"Prince Milk Bread forgave Prince Tofu when he realized that he was sincere. Prince Milk Bread found out that Prince Tofu had a little princess. He had a daughter with the Princess he was betrothed to."
"What's the little princess' name?" Azi's eyebrows furrowed. Her grumpy and nosy expression elicited a soft giggle from her father.
"Princess Czarina." Azi's eyes widened, and her mouth fell agape, much to her father's amusement.
"Like Nee-chan's name?" She tilted her head to the side, hugging her astronaut plushie tightly.
Iwaizumi nodded his head in response, "Yes! Like Nee-chan's name." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, as he pursed his lips. "Shall I continue now? If you keep on interrupting me, this story is never gonna end!"
"Sorry!" Azi flashed a peace sign. Iwaizumi smiled, as her gesture reminded him of Oikawa again.
He turned on her lampshade before continuing, as per Azi's request. "Their bond grew stronger than the first time. Their love blossomed to the fullest this time, but, one day, Prince Milk Bread disappeared. For a year, he didn't show up, and Prince Tofu was getting worried. As each day passed by, Prince Tofu started to hate Prince Milk Bread for leaving him again. He was filled with so much hate and anger. In his mind were several questions that needed to be answered. Prince Tofu was never the same when Prince Milk Bread was gone for the second time."
"Did Prince Milk Bread get kidnapped by a dragon?" Azi guessed.
"I thought you said no dragons!"
"Okay, so what happened?"
"When Prince Tofu went to a kingdom far, far away to visit his little Princess Czarina, his carriage was destroyed. He had to spend the night at a small cabin in the woods owned by a lovely, old couple. The couple looked very, very familiar. The old man reminded Prince Tofu of Prince Milk Bread. They had a significant resemblance." Azi flailed her fingers energetically as she asked permission to interrupt.
"Maybe they're Prince Milk Bread's grandparents!" She shrieked, and Iwaizumi giggled at her intuitiveness.
"You're right, Azi! The old couple were the former King and Queen of Prince Milk Bread's kingdom."
Iwaizumi was interrupted once more when Azi raised a question, "What was his kingdom's name, by the way?"
His eyes gazed the ceiling as he thought deep. It took a couple more seconds before Iwaizumi voiced out the first thing that crossed his mind. "The Milky Way Kingdom."
Azi beamed, her eyes glistening in awe. "Wow!" She mouthed, and Iwaizumi patted her head lightly before going on with the story.
"And there they were, the answers to Prince Tofu's questions were right before his eyes! He found out that during the whole year when he was gone, Prince Milk Bread was in the small cabin. Prince Tofu was glad to see Prince Milk Bread again, but this time he seemed different. He was weak, fragile and frail. It was as if his life was sucked out of him. And that's when Prince Tofu found out that Prince Milk Bread had cancer." Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, as he remembered the pain he felt when he first saw Oikawa lying in bed, almost lifeless. Iwaizumi did his best to hold the tears back, as he composed himself in front of his daughter.
"Nee-chan said Daddy Kawa died because of blood cancer! I hate cancer!" Azi mumbled, curling her tiny fists into a tight ball.
"Yeah, I hate cancer, too." Iwaizumi let out a huff of annoyance at the thought. "When Prince Milk Bread woke up, he couldn't remember anything about Prince Tofu because of his illness. The former Queen handed Prince Tofu the letters Prince Milk Bread wrote when he was gone for a year, and it brought tears to his eyes. The two of them started from scratch once more, their relationship was back to square one because Prince Tofu felt like a stranger to Prince Milk Bread this time. He was able to live for a month, but eventually Prince Milk Bread lost the battle. He died, but he died happy. Prince Tofu was depressed, but he knew life went on, and he did move on, but Prince Milk Bread's memories would forever remain in his heart. The End."
Iwaizumi smiled at Azi, who was already sleepy, but her eyes glistened with tears. "But that was a nice story, why did it have to end that way?" She sobbed.
"It's not always the ending that counts, Azi. It's the memories they made, and the happy moments they shared before their story came to a close. Life isn't always what you expect it to be, but everything happens for a reason. Despite all the pain, Prince Milk Bread and Prince Tofu had no regrets, because the fight was worth it. In fact, a few years after Prince Milk Bread died, their own daughter was born. She was sent from heaven and was given to Prince Tofu to be taken care of. The little Princess and Prince Milk Bread were very much alike. That is why Prince Tofu loved her very much, because the little princess was a living reminder of his true love."
"What's the name of the princess?" Azi was already half asleep. Her eyelids were heavy, and her eyes fluttered close.
Iwaizumi smiled at the sight of his daughter, as she dozed off to sleep. He stooped down and planted a small kiss on her forehead, switching off her lampshade, before he smiled.
"It was you, Azi."