"Aoi Aoi" Is My Name!

The house was quiet in that comfortable sort of way that only came after years of sharing the same space. It was a silence that didn't feel empty, but rather full of history—of whispered secrets in the dark, of laughter echoing off the walls, and of the quiet, steady rhythm of two lives becoming one. Morning sunlight spilled through the curtains, warming the polished kitchen floor while the tea maker hummed softly in the background, a domestic lullaby for a new day.

Akane Aoi emerged from the bedroom, the transition from sleep to his professional persona already halfway complete. He was a flurry of coordinated movement, his shirt's buttons only half-fastened and his tie hanging loosely around his neck like a silk noose he hadn't quite tightened yet. In his left hand, he clutched a leather portfolio with a grip that bordered on reverent. Inside was a sketch he had spent hours perfecting—a rendering of Aoi in her wedding kimono, a piece he intended to show his colleagues today, perhaps as a silent boast of the beauty that awaited him at home.

Aoi looked up from the counter where she was meticulously packing Akane’s lunch. She smiled to herself, the expression soft and private, her white nightgown fluttering around her ankles as she straightened up. The fabric was light, but it couldn't hide the heavy, beautiful burden she carried. She rested a palm over the apex of her stomach, feeling the familiar, solid weight of their daughter.

At eight months pregnant, Aoi felt as though she were carrying a small, restless planet. Her belly protruded like a sore thumb against her otherwise petite frame, a physical testament to the "holy, particularly affectionate circumstances" Akane liked to brag about when he thought she wasn't listening. Her legs, once capable of dancing through the halls of Kamome Academy, now seemed to protest the simple act of standing for more than ten minutes.

Even so, she turned around with grace, clasping her hands in front of her. "Good morning, Akane-kun! Did you sleep well?"

Akane’s eyes drifted over to her, his focus snapping instantly from his tie to his wife. His face broke out in a subtle, genuine smile as he approached her, his feet moving almost automatically, drawn by a gravity only she possessed. The fierce, unbridled love that had once manifested as teenage desperation and supernatural pacts had settled into something deeper—something soft, enduring, and fiercely protective.

"I did, thank you very much," he said, reaching her side in an instant. He framed her face with his hands, his thumbs tracing the line of her cheekbones. "You're absolutely radiant today. It was depressing seeing you unable to sleep on your side like always. I felt like I couldn't get close enough to you."

Aoi giggled, the sound like wind chimes in the morning breeze. "Hehe, oh, dear... You're quite handsome with your new glasses, too, Akane-kun. They make you look very distinguished."

Akane adjusted the frames on the bridge of his nose, a faint blush creeping up his neck. "I like to think they're for good luck! And to look smarter to Minamoto. I can't have him thinking the years have dulled my edge, even if I am a family man now."

"They do! At least, I think so..." Aoi tilted her head, her purple eyes shimmering. "Do you want a morning kiss? I missed you yesterday, even though you were only in the next room."

"I missed you, too," Akane murmured, his voice dropping an octave. "Aoi... I love you."

"I love you too...!"

As Akane captured her lips in a kiss, he couldn't help himself. He swept her up, his arms hooking beneath her knees and around her back. Aoi’s toes left the ground, and she let out a delighted squeak that dissolved into a giggle. Even after all these years, after the near-end of the world and the merging of their lives, it still amazed her how easily one quiet greeting could dissolve his hard-earned composure.

"My sweet time keeper," Aoi mumbled against his lips, pulling back just enough to breathe.

"The time keeper who wishes he had Kako's abilities right now so he could possibly replay every moment with you," Akane said lovingly. He set her down gently, mindful of her balance, and clutched his portfolio a bit tighter.

Aoi’s eyes narrowed playfully, spotting the way he shielded the paper. "I'm assuming you loved me enough today to draw something in that, right?"

Akane froze. He thought he could slip out the door before she questioned the contents of his work bag. "N-no... not necessarily," he whispered, beginning to turn toward the door.

"Please...!" Aoi reached out, grabbing his sleeve with surprising strength for someone so close to her due date. "I'm only curious, honey! Is it a secret project?"

"No.... oh!"

In her eagerness, Aoi tugged a bit too hard. Her center of gravity was not what it used to be, and she felt herself tipping. Akane gasped, dropping his bag to catch her, but she managed to land softly on her bum on the kitchen rug. She didn't even seem to notice the dull thud, her eyes already locked onto the paper that had slid out of the portfolio.

She flipped it over, her breath catching in her throat. "O-oh...!"

It was her. Not just a sketch, but a masterpiece of devotion. Every fold of the silk kimono, every intricate floral pattern, and the specific, luminous way her eyes looked when she was happy—it was all there, captured in graphite and charcoal.

Akane sighed, defeated, and took a seat on the floor next to her. He checked his watch; he had a few minutes to spare before the train. "You know I would have tried to get it back if you weren't carrying our daughter," he said softly, his hand finding the small of her back. "And... if you weren't the love of my life, just beginning."

Aoi looked up from the drawing, her expression puzzled. "Just beginning? But we've been together for so long."

"I've been a little... off-limits, according to others," Akane commented, his gaze drifting to the window. Aoi took his hand, her fingers interlacing with his, while her other hand clutched the canvas. "Too far away to get to know personally. I spent so long guarded, Aoi. I started out as a time keeper and a school wonder who didn't trust the people he worked with, who couldn't see the good in spirits. I was a boy who only cared about one thing in a world that felt like it was falling apart."

He squeezed her hand, his thumb stroking her knuckles. "And now, they live among us in peace. The boundaries between the near and far shores have settled into a quiet truce. To think you are my wife, Aoi... it's the greatest honor of my life. Thank you for staying with me, even when I was difficult."

"Oh..." Aoi’s face heated up, a delicate rose hue spreading across her cheeks. Akane reached out, pushing her bangs back and placing a lingering, tender kiss on her forehead. She smiled, lifting his large hand to her lips and kissing his palm.

As Akane backed off slightly, his hands found their natural resting place around Aoi’s waist, providing a steady anchor. He leaned forward, resting the weight of his head against her chest, listening to the synchronized rhythm of her heart and the faint, muffled sounds of the life growing within her.

"...Akane-kun," Aoi stuttered, her fingers beginning to run through his messy ginger hair. "If you rest like this, I might lactate. I'm just so milk-filled nowadays, my body is getting too ready."

"Shh," Akane shushed gently, lifting his gaze to meet hers. His eyes were clear, devoid of his usual frantic energy. "That's only natural. It’s part of you. And Aoi is all that matters to me."

"I see..."

"Is that foreign to you, Aoi? That I loved the version of you that cried at everything, and the version of you that’s going to be strong enough to bring our baby here?"

Aoi felt a lump form in her throat, a mixture of hormones and overwhelming gratitude. "Oh! No... it's not, and... I deeply appreciate being loved like this. I used to think I had to be perfect to be loved, or that I had to be a certain way to keep people interested. But with you, I just... I just have to be Aoi."

"Then you and I are one and the same," Akane said. He sat up straighter, his expression turning solemn but sweet. "Now, listen. I want to talk to you before the world asks for me. Before the city and the spirits and the office demand my time."

He began to speak, his voice a low murmur that filled the kitchen. He talked of the sacredness of the moment he first saw her from a distance at the shrine, a memory he kept locked in a golden casket in his mind. He talked of the day they had conceived their daughter—a night of such profound connection that it felt as though the stars themselves had aligned. And he talked of how he’d love to meet her—Nekoyashiki, the name they had chosen after weeks of playful debate—very soon.

"She’s going to have your eyes," Akane insisted, his hand moving to the curve of Aoi’s stomach. "And hopefully my common sense, though your charm wouldn't hurt."

"I think she'll have your stubbornness," Aoi countered with a wink.

Breakfast passed in a peaceful blur. They moved through the motions of a shared life—clinking tea cups, the smell of toasted bread, and idle conversation about the due date, grocery lists, and whether they were running low on the expensive tea leaves Aoi liked. It wasn't an exciting morning by any stretch of the imagination, not compared to their youth spent dodging supernatural entities, but Aoi loved it. This mundane safety was the greatest gift he could have ever given her.

When it was finally time to leave, Akane slipped on his suit jacket. He adjusted his shoulders, reclaiming the confidence of a man about to step onto a stage.

"I'll make today shine!" he declared, striking a minor pose that made Aoi laugh.

As naturally as breathing, Aoi stepped closer to him before he could reach the front door. "One moment, love!"

"Hm?"

She reached up, her petite frame straining slightly as she smoothed the lapel of his jacket. Her fingers were practiced and sure as she straightened his tie, centering the knot perfectly. A stubborn strand of ginger hair had escaped his styling gel; she tucked it neatly back into place behind his ear.

"There. Please, try your very best today. Don't work too hard, but make sure everyone knows how talented you are."

Akane blinked, his bravado melting into a bashful grin. "Was it that messy as to grace it with your thorough taming, Ao-chan? Or did you just want an excuse to touch me?"

Aoi tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Just a little."

"I see. I've been enlightened!" Akane cleared his throat, suddenly finding the pattern on the entryway rug very interesting.

"Akane-kun is very adorable like this, too...!" Aoi teased.

"...Best compliment in the world," he muttered, his ears already turning a bright, tell-tale pink.

Aoi leaned back, admiring her handiwork. He looked sharp, professional, and dearly loved. "There. Now you really look... like a man in love. Do I really make your heart race that fast, that you're revealing me to the people there, Akane-kun?"

A brief, intense light swirled through Akane’s eyes behind his glasses. It was the look of a man who had stared into the abyss and decided to build a garden on its edge. He had loved Aoi since they were children. He had sacrificed his humanity to become a school wonder just to ensure she had a future. He had fought time itself to keep her heart beating. And today, standing in their foyer, she still felt like someone far too good for their apartment, yet she was his wife, carrying the greatest thing he had ever felt.

For a brief moment, all of Akane's usual sharp-tongued confidence vanished, replaced by raw sincerity. "...Thank you." The words came out much quieter than usual, heavy with everything he couldn't say.

Aoi’s smile softened, her hand lingering on his arm. "Have a wonderful day. I'd like to go lay down for a bit; the baby is quite active this morning. I think she wants to go for a walk, but my ankles say otherwise."

"And you have a wonderful day as well, darling!" Akane said, his energy returning. He took two steps toward the door before pausing, a knowing smile crossing his face. "Make sure to use the new breast pump we bought. It’ll help with the discomfort. Neko-chan plans on turning our entire life around very soon, so we need you at your best."

"That's right!" Aoi beamed, wincing slightly as a particularly insistent kick landed against her ribs. "I'll make sure to take care of myself before you're back. Again, have a wonderful day, my love."

She stepped forward and pressed a lingering kiss to his jaw, standing on the very tips of her toes. Akane caught her, one hand resting over her belly to feel their daughter’s greeting, the other cradling the back of her head to draw her closer.

"If we persist in this good course, Heaven's blessing shall be ours," Akane whispered into her ear, a phrase that sounded like a prayer.

He pulled away, adjusted his glasses one last time, and opened the door to the bustling world outside. "I'll be off!"

"I love you...!" Aoi called out as the door clicked shut.

She stood in the quiet hallway for a moment, the morning sun still warm on her skin. She looked down at her belly, patting the spot where the kick had been. "Did you hear that, Nekoyashiki? Your father is going to change the world today. But don't worry—he'll be home for dinner."