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Aoi and Taro moved together not long after they decided to marry. Which wasn't to far away either... But one thing after another! (Her mother couldn't decide between stressing over wedding preparations and scolding Aoi, in her own caring way, for her 'whirlwind romance'. They might be going fast, but it was real! Thank you very much!)

Or rather, Aoi moved into the warehouse that Taro somehow moved into after fully retiring, after she convinced Taro of the idea with the store! (And it really looked better from the inside. No risk of the building collapsing or anything.)

And so they were quite busy. With their upcoming wedding and renovating the building. Or rather researching for now what it would need to open a store in the first place...

In the meantime Aoi got used to living with her fiance. (Soon to be husband!)

Some things she expected from what she already knew about him. Like having to remind him that living of ration bars really wasn't the way to go. (Though he seemed to have no problem accepting and eating any actual food. Enjoying it even as it seemed.) Or the smell of smoke lingering around him and inside the apartment. (The second they luckily managed to get rid of after Aoi asked him to smoke outside.) Also Taro having nightmares as it seemed, which woke him up at random times and led to Aoi sometimes waking up alone wasn't strange, if you considered his former life full of blood and death. (He never woke her up with his nightmares. He woke up quietly and left the bed quietly. Almost like a ghost.)

Seeing him randomly clean weapons, usually while sitting in front of the TV, still scared her in the first moment. But she guessed their were just to many habits to get rid of at once. And it seemed to be something... meditative to him? Sort of? He was calm and collected while doing it, so she decided not to comment on it. (For now. If their family would grow she would ask him to at least do it somewhere more private than the living room.)

But her fiancée was more than just expected things.

She did not expect him to have a dinosaur plush keychain for once. (Self made?) But there it was, protecting Taros keys, hanging at the wall next to the entrance.

("Do you like dinosaurs, Taro?"

"Huh? No. Not really. Why?"

"Oh you know... Because of-"

"It's from someone else."

"Ah... Oh... Sorry.)

Then there were the times when Taros skin was just cold. Really cold. Freezing! But he didn't even seem to care. Or barely even noticed when it happend. Which honestly worried her a bit... But Taro just told her that "it happened" and that it was nothing to worry about. Whatever that meant. (And was there a hole somewhere in the wall or so? Sometimes Aoi also suddenly started freezing before it stopped.)

And then there was the TV. Now, Aoi knew that Taro just liked watching movies. It was often running in the background. She didn't mind really.

But why leave it on during the night? And not just turning it on when he woke up in the night. No. She once caught him specifically turn it on and switch to a specific channel before he came to bed.

Weird. And she couldn't explain it to herself with his past or anything. It was just weird.

And wasn't that just wasting energy?

But somehow she just never got around to ask. They were busy after all. So things like that just slipped.

So one day, when she had to stand up again before sleeping to go to the toilet, she just turned it off. What could go wrong?

She was almost asleep when the air turned cold suddenly, for just a second. (They should check if the windows were properly insulated!) Taro shot up, stood up and walked out of the bedroom. Two minutes later he was back and laid back down. Though with his back to her...

"Taro?", she asked softly. "Is something wrong?"

He didn't answer at first. Sleeping already? So Aoi decided to relax and close her eyes. Maybe he just needed some space...

"The TV has to stay on."

Aoi blinked her eyes open. She looked to the side, but it was still only Taros back she coule see.

Why did he persist on that? Strange.

"Okay.", she decided to say. "I'm sorry."

He didn't answer. 

Weird. But oh well. Aoi decided to just accept it as one of his weird quirks. She fell asleep soon after.

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Aoi opened the grocery bags her soon to be husband just brough back and started to sort them out. Veggies, veggies, fresh meat, ground meat, dry meat... Didn't she tell him to not buy this type anymore? Fruit, fruit, and... Mac'N Cheese? Since when Taro ate this?

"Honey?" Where was her fiance off to?

"Yeah?" Taro walked in the kitchen, his whole figure dripping with water.

"Wha-? What happened to you?! Why are you so wet?"

Aoi dropped everything on her hands to look for a towel. In her frantic state, she didn't notice the surprise on Taro's face. When she turned back, he was already behind her.

"Wah! You spooked me! Here is the towel, go change quickly, or you will catch a cold! And why did you walk around? The kitchen is all wet now!"

"Ah, I'm sorry. The pipe suddenly bursted and I fixed it back. Still need to check it again later though."

"Oh okay, I'll call the plumber over. Just go change!"

As she called for the local plumber, Aoi also grabbed a mop and started to clean the water on the floor. When she finished both tasks and turned back to the groceries, she had a strange feeling.

"Huh? Wasn't there a strange item I wanted to ask Taro about? What was it?" Putting each item aside, she got to the pack of dried meat. "Was it this one? TARO! Didn't I tell you not to buy meat from this brand anymore? They used too much chemicals during processing!"

A faint voice yelling answered her, "IS THAT SO? SORRY I FORGOT!!"

"OKAY! Remember it next time!" Aoi put the package aside and continued stacking the things, she still felt like something was missing. Probably not something important... I hope.

A few days later, Aoi finally remembered what the strange thing she forgot she saw was. Mac'N Cheese. It was reminded in the form of torn out package in their trash bin. '

What?'

Using two fingers to pick the package up, she also saw the thrown out food under. Seeing the amount, it could be the whole package here, and it's already smell spoiled. She just changed this bag in this morning!

Dropping the package back, Aoi washed her hands and went to find her fiance. She soon found him trying to do the legal papers on the table they built as a future cashier downstairs.

"Taro?"

"Hum?"

"Did you buy Mac'N Cheese a few days ago, hide it until it spoiled and now throw away?"

She could see the moment he froze, even hear the gears in his head running. Aoi folded her arms in front, wondering how Taro was going to explain.

"Uh... I-I was just... Uhh... You see, I kinda need it?"

Taro stumbled around his words with glances flying back and forth from the papers in front of him, to a random corner, then to Aoi and repeated. Aoi sighed, she should have expected it. Taro had told him about his childhood along time ago, she supposed some habits were never going to be rid of. But still, Mac'N Cheese?

"Okay, I understand. But you need healthier food and not just that stuff. I'll make you dried fruits, how about that?"

"Uh- uhm. Yes? I guess? Thank you."

Her fiance was so cute when he's confused. It made her heart ache a bit everytime he became all nervous in front of just a little care. It would be fine now, Aoi was here, Taro would never have to be so lonely. She would fill his life up with love, starting with dried fruits.

As she returned up stairs to make her fiance some snacks, Aoi didn't notice he was glaring into the air.

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"Taro?" Aoi called as she hauled a large box into the storage after a trip to the mall. Their store was better furnished than before, but there were still a lot to do. She hoped they can finish it before the wedding, so her stomach wouldn't look so large when wearing the dress.

"Taro?!" Three more boxes of items were still outside, it shouldn't take this long to park the bike. Aoi ventured out again, looking for her fiance.

"-old you, we don't need it!"

Taro? Aoi was confused, was there some telemarketer or something?

"This is a convenient store, but it doesn't mean there are everything here. Especially not those!"

Not a telemarketer? Was Taro calling someone? Didn't he say he cut all ties with the assassin world? Or did he make a new friend?

"They were not things you lot should have in the first place. I regret giving one to you."

Aoi leaned to the door, tried her best to take a peak without Taro seeing her. From her perspective, she could only see Taro's back. He was holding a large box, definitely saw their new stuff, but then without hands, how did he hold the phone? Aoi could see that Taro was standing straight and not tucking a phone at his neck.

"I said no. And that's- what are you doing, Aoi?"

Taro suddenly turned back and stared straight into her eyes. She had to admit it spooked her somewhat.

"N-nothing! I was just wondering why you take so long. And I heard you talking so I didn't want to interupt." Aoi tried to appear calm as she walked out. "There's still boxes outside, I'll go take them. You should hurry if we want to unpack before dinner."

Taro just nodded and brought the box on his hands, two boxes, into the storage. And he already came back to take the last one even before Aoi managed to lift it up.

"You should go rest. Today we walked a lot."

"Thank you! I'll make dinner while you put them in places then."

As Aoi went upstairs, she scolded herself for letting her nerves preventing the question. It's fine, she could always ask after dinner.

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"I didn't know you like origami?" Aoi was pleasantly surprised. Her husband found a hobby! "They look so good too!"

"Ah, uh. Not really, I just found making them really calming." Taro blushed prettily, the barest hint of pink on the top of his cheeks and ears. He was folding a paper crane, with several more on the table. Aoi sat down beside him, contently watching him in his focus zone. As he finished the newest one, Aoi couldn't help but ask.

"I saw some paper planes and frogs around a few days ago. Did you keep them?"

"Ah yeah I do, why do you ask?"

"Just checking. Do you think the baby would like papercraft?" Aoi patted her growing stomach. It became much more visible after the wedding, at least the morning sickness reduced.

The warmth on her hand pulled her back. Taro put his hand on hers, over her stomach. "I think, we would find out soon. Even if the baby doesn't like papercraft, we can always find something else."

Aoi smiled, her husband was so adorable when he's serious. "I guess we do. Now let's clean them up and rest for the day, shall we?"

If there was one thing that Aoi hated about pregnacy, it would be bathroom trips in the middle of the night. Covering her mouth as she yawned, her steps were also getting heavier too. Tracing the wall with the other hand, Aoi couldn't even open her eyes right now.

When she was more sober after some water to the face, she didn't need to trace the wall to go back to her room anymore. But consequencely, she was also able to see more than before, especially the red flickering dot over the window at the end of the hallway.

Aoi was not someone who got spooked easily, she used to have monthly horror movie marathon with her friends in their teenage years. But now she's quite alone, and also pregnant. She couldn't help but feel quite nervous.

"Taro?" She called into their bedroom, he would know what to do, right? No answer, she slowly moved into the bedroom, flicked the light on for good measure, and Taro was not on the bed.

What?! Where is he?! A surge of panic rose in Aoi's chest. "TARO?!" She didn't care that whatever outside could hear her anymore. "TARO WHERE ARE YOU?!"

She grabbed her phone on the bedside cabinet and her cardigan thrown over the chair at her makeup table. Opening Taro's contact in her phone, she wrapped the wool coat over herself and rushed downstairs, as quick as she could with limited vision because of her stomach. The call only took two ring to go through.

"Hello? Aoi?"

"Oh my goodness, Taro are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Why- Why are you awake at this time? Shouldn't you be in bed?!"

Aoi let out a sigh of relief as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "I did, and I had to go to the bathroom. When I came back, I didn't see you there. I was afraid something happened."

A soft hum from the other side of the line helped with calming her nerves, even just a little bit. Her eyes caught the opening of the side door, facing the blank piece of land next to their house.

"You should go back to bed, it's getting cold outside."

Aoi huffed into the phone as she approach the door. "The panic made me fully awake now, I'm also having my cardigan with me, don't worry."

"Ah, sorry about that. Still, you should- Aoi?"

She turned off the call and raised an eyebrow at her husband, who was standing next to a makeshift firepit, which was originally a BBQ stand, with a bucket of paper and a bottle of gasoline by his feet.

"Why are you out here? You would get a cold."

"I told you I have my cardigan, didn't I? And what are you doing here?" She glanced to the side of their house, seems like the red light from the window she saw was from this firepit of her idiot husband.

"I was just... burning something. It would look weird during the day, so..."

"So you do it in the night?"

Taro gave her a light nod, looking a bit embarassed. She sighed, it sounded strange, but her Taro has always been strange, at least to the social standards. It was one of the things she loved of him though.

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Hana was amazing. And sure, maybe all new mothers said that about their babies, but Hana was really amazing!

When she let them sleep that is...

She knew it was normal! Her mother warned them about it. Her birth preparation course had told them.

But babies really had no normal sleep schedule...

Luckily her husband didn't really had one either. And had no problem with soothing a crying Hana before Aoi could even wake up. (She did feel a bit bad about it at the beginning. But unlike her, Taro also had the ability to fall asleep in seconds at any random time of the day somehow.)

Meanwhile Aoi had trouble falling back asleep after going to the toilet in the middle of the night. Just like now.

Science had developed so far, but they still had nothing to solve post partum bladder issues?

Aoi was to young for this... (She ignored the image of her mother staring at her, when Aoi had told her that she had gotten pregnant at 19.)

She stopped on her way back to the bedroom when she could hear Taros voice in the living room. She peeked through the living room door and smiled when she saw Taro sitting in dim light on the carpet with Hana in his arms.

Good to see that he wasn't scared of holding their daughter anymore. He really had been a nervous wreck the first few days. (More than he was before at least.)

Cute... Aoi chuckled. Taros head shot up to look at her. Surprise on his face.

Oh my? Did he actually not notice her?

"Are you two exchanging secrets while I'm sleeping?"

"Eh? Hana can't even speak yet..."

"Just a joke, Taro."

"Oh, I see."

Aoi walked over, ignored a somewhat familiar chill that went through her body for a moment, and went on her knees to give Taro a kiss. Then she followed Hanas nose with her finger. The baby made some babbling sounds.

"Are you keeping your papa awake?"

Although, she preferred this over nightmares keeping her husband awake.

Aoi fought back a yawn. And her itching eyes reminded her of how tired she really was at the moment.

"I have it handled.", Taro said. "Go back to sleep."

"Really?"

Her husband nodded with a light smile. (Aoi had paid attention for long enough now to tell even his less obvious expressions apart.)

"Then good luck."

Aoi pushed herself up again with a sigh and made her way back to their bedroom.

"You can see him, don't you?", she could barely make out Taro saying.

Wait what? Oh well. She was probably just overtired.

She didn't notice it at first. Probably both cause she was getting used to having a baby in the first place and because they didn't really start to actively reach for something with their tiny hands until they were around 4 months old at least.

The first time Aoi probably actually paid attention to it was when Hana was around 6 months old. She was inside her play gate, while Aoi was emptying the dishwasher. Taro was working on some touchups down in the store.

It was nice. Their little family~

Hana made some cooing sounds, and Aoi turned around to look at her. However the little girl wasn't busy with her stuffed animal, or the tactile play blanket. She was seemingly reaching for something in the air.

"What are you doing?", Aoi asked playfully.

Hana cooed again. It didn't sound like she was in distress or anything. More like she was happy at something...

But she was reaching in the air.

Ah... Babies couldn't really play pretend yet, right? How weird.

Or maybe Hana was just being silly.

Hana did not stop reaching and cooeing, later babbling, into the air. She was not just 'being silly'. Even though she still didn't seem to be distressed about... whatever she was doing.

Maybe it was something with her eyes? Hopefully?? That would be better news than Hana possibly seeing things that weren't there!

And from all things that were weird, her husband was completely calm about it somehow! The same Taro that was usually the first one to panic first when the bathwater just appeared to be of a slightly higher temperature than usual.

"Your baby is completely healthy!", the doctor said with a smile. "A prime example of a babies health even!"

Huh?

"Are you sure?", Aoi asked. Her voice not really her worry. "Like really sure??"

"Miss, I know you two are first time parents. You're probably worrying about all kind of things that could go wrong. And that is totally normal. But I assure both of you. We made all kinds of test. And your daughter is absolutely fine."

Well... That was good. Right?

But that still didn't explain what Hana was doing??

"Uhm...", Taro said from behind. Hana strapped in the baby carrier at his chest. "Maybe she's just playing?"

That guy...

"If you thought that's what it is you could have just said so!"

-"No, I did..."

 Aoi quickly turned around to the doctor again and bowed deeply.

"I am so sorry! For wasting your time like this!"

"Ah, no no! Please. I'd rather have parents come in and they're baby be fine than the opposite."

So. Hana was completely healthy. Which was good. It was amazing! Maybe she was actually just playing in her own way!

Except for the way Taro was sometimes looking at Hana when she was reaching for whatever in the air.

It was as if...

As if Taro could also see whatever Hana seemed to see?

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