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"Taiyaki~! Taiyaki~! Eating taiyaki with [Name]. It's so yummy, yummy~! Walking on the street with [Name] eating taiyaki~! Holding hands with [Name], walking, walking, eating, eating~! The birds go chirp chirp and the dogs go woof woof~!"

The song that Tetsu improvised was starting to get catchy to you, and he didn't stop singing the same song since you bought him his toasty waffle. You took a bite of your own while watching him march playfully with his taiyaki waving in his hand and the other hand gripping yours.

After you signaled him to sit at a near table, Tetsu chomped and winced.

"What's wrong?" you peered down at him.

"It's too hot...!" his tiny tongue stuck out as tears peeked at the corner of his eyes. Then he raised the half-bitten dessert to you. "Can you blow it for me? Like Daddy always do it."

Arching your brow, a small smile stretched on you at the sweet mention of his father. You can imagine it. You put a knee down to crouch to his level and wrap your hand around his that's holding the taiyaki, blowing a few breaths to cool the steamy waffle as the smell of red bean scented the air.

"Is it cool enough for you?" you let go, waiting for his validation.

Tetsu slowly bit into the pastry again with his baby teeth. The pace of his chewing increased, signaling that he's able to eat it without a hot bite. With his cheeks now stuffed of the taiyaki contents, his head nodded happily, elated at the simple act in blowing his food.

You laughed and pulled out a napkin to wipe at the smudge of red bean filling on his chin as you say. "You're a messy eater, aren't you?"

"That's what Daddy always say!" he giggled, his lips moving while you wiped his mouth. "Oh, guess what? Guess what?"

A hum seeped through you as an answer, watching his big eyes looking at you eagerly.

"It will be my birthday soon!" the excitement only grew stronger as he says this, and you can only reminisce the times you were excited for your birthday. You had twenty-five of them and the increasing number doesn't replenish the same euphoric feeling in aging anymore.

"Really? When is it?" you encouraged, matching the level to his amusement.

Tetsu counted his fingers before he faced them to you. "In six days! I'm going to ride rollercoasters with Daddy. He promised!"

"Did he now? That sounds like fun, Tetsu," you bantered. "And how old are you turning?"

"Five!" he screeched. "Will you come to my birthday?"

Tensing at the boy's proposal, getting an invite to someone's kid's birthday is a huge stepping stone which you never thought about doing except for your own in the future. You obviously don't want to refuse for the sake of his feelings but you were shaky in accepting it.

Choosing your words carefully, you had to be mindful of your situations and his. "Of course," you paused, "if your Daddy is okay with it."

Tetsu easily fell into it as your words amazed him tremendously. "Okay! We can ask him together!"

The timing was perfect. Because now, you felt your cell phone ringing through your pockets and you hurried your hand to grab it. The familiar name popped on your screen and you felt your body warming at the call - a video call in particular. What a coincidence.

Tetsu only grew curious at your reaction when you looked towards him.

"It's your Daddy," you lowered the phone to him. "Do you wanna answer?"

The boy gasped at the nice gesture and then took the cell phone from your hand to grasp it in between his pair. By helping him press the green button, you and Tetsu watched the lock-screen pan out to reveal a gorgeous face you once knew - Tooru's face with slight messy hair, plugged with bluetooth earphones in his ears.

"Hi Tetsu!" Surprised to see his son's face first, Tooru's eyes sparkled at the image of him.

"Daddy!" he cried. "Daddy, look! I found [Name]! We're having taiyaki."

"Taiyaki? Without me?" Tooru whimpered, looking a bit jealous to see that you two are together without him. Then, he found your mazed eyes watching his face move attentively as a heart warming smile that you always thought about touched his lips. "Aww, I heard [Name] picked you up. Is that true?"

Tetsu replied with a hum. "Yeah! She talked to auntie for permission."

Another wondrous discovery he made as Tooru's brows curved in awe, more surprised than you looked. "Really? I wish I was there to hear it."

"Listen, Daddy. Can we take [Name] to ride rollercoasters?" And your face look stunned by Tetsu's quick announcement. You figured the boy didn't want to waste a second to lose as he was more eager about his birthday than his dad calling to check up on him.

It was even a bigger shock to Tooru as you can tell he was growing a bit speechless the more he was wrapped in the conversation. You can feel your pits getting damp, feeling anxious of his answer and you haven't spoke a word to him yet.

"Rollercoasters? You mean on your birthday?" He watched his son shaking his head, nodding urgently. Tooru took a moment to ponder and then aimed his gaze at your way through the screen. "Is that okay with you, [Name]? You don't mind coming along with us?"

"I'll be happy to go," you said shortly.

"How about work?"

"I can request it off. My family won't mind me taking the day off for once."

It sounded easier than being done, but the brunette didn't question further since he can sense the sincerity in your voice. He looked more relaxed this time. "If you want her to come, Tetsu, I'll be happy to have her join us."

Then the smaller Oikawa threw his arms up, raising your cellphone with them as the camera is pointed at nothing. "Yay! [Name] is coming to my birthday!"

You were relieved. You didn't know what to expect out of it but it made you utterly happy to know that you're invited to their family day. The inclusion is sinking well for you.

"Put [Name] on the phone so I can talk to her, Tetsu," Tooru ordered and he did exactly what he told him to do by giving your phone back.

"Daddy wants to talk to you!" You took the phone from him before he went on in finishing the small bite of his taiyaki - now cold and less crispy.

Then you aimed the self-camera onto your face, your voice lowered to keep your conversation with Tooru private. "S-Sorry to drop the bomb on you."

"It's okay. When my sister texted me that you met Tetsu at school, I had to call you guys," he informed gently with eyes softening at the looks of your tensed face. "Seems like you two are getting along quite well."

"He's been good," you assured. "After this, I'm taking him home."

"He's not making a fuss, right? He's pretty spoiled when it comes to food and he likes to make a mess a lot. Sometimes he doesn't pay attention to where he's going so you kind of have to direct him when he walks," Tooru rambled carelessly as if he was more worried about you babysitting him than his son's well-being. This is where his parent instincts come into play.

You chuckled at the thought and helped to ease him. "We're fine, Oikawa. I chose to take him out and I don't feel troubled at all in doing so. Actually, it was his idea to go out with taiyaki with me."

And so, he did feel ease. The wrinkles on his forehead flattened and the worry in his eyes were washed away from his pupils. "Thank goodness," he exhaled a breath. "I just can't tell how he is with other people rather than me, my family, and Iwa-chan. I was taken back when I heard that he wanted to walk home with you."

"Oh, should I not?"

"No, no! I'm actually glad that it happened. He's getting comfortable with you, which makes it easier on me. I think that's why-" he stopped himself from talking like something was stuck in his throat.

Your head tilted. "You think what?"

"Uh, nothing. Just a passing thought." Tooru quickly corrected before you could reply. "I'll let you two go. Sorry I didn't get a chance to properly call you earlier. With work and everything..."

"Don't worry about it. Taking it slow, right?" you smiled. Now that he called you, it was no doubt that he's been busy and a constant worry about Tetsu. Giving him another reason to worry about, such as yourself, would be the last thing on his mind.

"Right." He returned the appeasing smile as a glint of his charming aura filled in his eyes, totally mesmerizing you for a brief moment before you noticed a text message bursted at the top of your screen. It was from Tooru.

"I'll make it up to you when I get back," it read, added with a kissing face at the end and you looked back at the video call to see that he was watching you read his text. Tooru winked with puckered lips, sending a silent kiss through the screen of your phone.

You gulped at the bold statement but Tetsu pushed his head against your shoulder before you can send a flirty text back. "Is Daddy sending kisses to [Name]?"

And you forgot for a brink second that the boy is sitting next to you, now curiously watching his dad on the screen from a far after he finished his taiyaki.

His mouth gaped. "I want kisses too, Daddy!"

You were heavily embarrassed by both Oikawa boys. Not only did Tooru sneaked in a flirt, but Tetsu witnessed his indecency which he did his best to hide from his son. You just hoped that he didn't understand relationships yet.

Tooru didn't argue, instead he just gave him the same flying kisses through the screen but more exaggerated. They were far better than the one you just received. "Okay, okay. I gotta go to a meeting right now. Make sure to stay safe, you two."

"Say bye to Daddy," you assisted Tetsu by waving your hand at the screen and he followed.

"Bye-bye, Daddy!" Tooru waved back before ending the call. The phone went dark then reverted back to the lock screen of your family's dog appearing in front of your eyes. Just when you put away your phone, Tetsu's hand found yours.

"I want more taiyaki, [Name]. Can we get another one?" but you denied his request after looking at the time. The evening was getting late and you had to inform him about dinner and his aunt waiting for him to come home. She threatened to kill you if you didn't.

"What did you eat today, Tetsu? You seem very hungry," you asked to make conversation, not thinking it was a serious note to point out.

"Apples... and peanut butter. Oh, and a cheese bread!" You waited for him to say more but he didn't. Sounds like, to you, that he didn't eat much.

So you quirked a brow. "That's it? Did your auntie pack it for you?"

He shook his head. "It's from school. Auntie is busy so she talks to sensei to give me school lunch."

"You don't have a bento?"

Tetsu paused to decipher your question. With a tilt of his head, he asked, "Bento? What's a bento?"

He doesn't know?

"It's a lunch box," you said while helping him slide off the chair to walk on the pavement of the sidewalk.

Tetsu looked up at your stern face with fascination. "Do mommies make bento for kids?"

An odd way to mention mothers, you thought. Your finger scratched at your cheek while peering down at the awaiting boy who is enthralled to know. "Er, yeah, I guess so but daddies can too."

"Daddy never made me one before... Bento sounds yummy."

Tooru hasn't? Not even once? To be fair, he is still a new dad and this is the age where Tetsu is starting school. Considering the breakfast he made, food would be such a waste if he were to make lunches for Tetsu.

When you stared down at the little man, he was in deep thought and you knew he felt different about not having the experience of bringing homemade lunches to school. He seems to want it and you felt bad for the little fellow.

You shouldn't, but you wanted to make sure Tetsu eats well during his father's absence. No one is making him food other than dinner, so you subconsciously spoke without thinking.

"Hey, Tetsu," you seek his attention. "Do you want me to make you lunch?"

"You will?" his voice cowered. Once he saw that you nodded, his lips beamed into another of his signature grins and began to wave his arms. "Yay! I get to have a bento!"

He was ecstatic at your word, dancing around to show gratitude. You were embarrassed since people are still out, strolling pass you two and also laughed at the boy's energetic form. When he stopped, Tetsu dove at your legs for a deep hug and you were caught off guard by his arms making you stumble back a a few steps.

"You're like a real mommy!"

Astounded by his words, his eyes shown pure happiness when he glanced up at you again, shocking you a little of his grown attachment that is obviously growing bigger. But you weren't so sure how to properly answer him. Was it right for him to say something like that about you - to you especially?

To change the topic, you slipped your hand in his to escort him down the semi-busy street. "Let's get you home, buddy."

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Posted: 05-03-21