When they arrived at Eri's home, her very pregnant sister who was seated at the table, turned around and exclaimed, "Wow! He's hot!"
Takumi actually blushed, as Eri's brother-in-law looked at his wife and complained, "If I said that about a woman I'd just met you'd hit me!"
Yuki looked at her husband affectionately and told him smugly, "Don't worry Eiji, you're very cute and I adore you." Then she looked back at Takumi and Eri standing in the entry and announced cheerfully, "I'm so glad we decided to come down even though we only had one day. I'm almost too pregnant to travel."
Yuki patted her rounded belly with a smug expression. Eri stared at her sister's belly and then burst into tears. Her family reacted as one, as they stared at her with expressions of worry and shock.
Takumi pulled Eri into his arms and cradled her against his chest. He looked at her family over her short curls and said uncomfortably, "Um, hi. We're pregnant?"
After taking a deep breath, Minami looked at his wife and told her, "Your father is going to laugh himself sick." He turned his eyes back toward his youngest daughter and her new boyfriend. "He's been waiting for this day ever since I showed up on your doorstep at midnight."
Eri was still unable to respond, so Takumi explained quickly, "We found out when we went in for birth control."
Miyuki suggested dryly, "Another case of locking the barn after the horse is stolen. Or something like that?"
Takumi protested, "Not exactly? We were being careful, we just hit that one in ten thousand chance."
No one knew what to say and Eri continued to cry in his arms for a little bit. When she finally calmed down enough, they joined her family at the table.
As she settled shyly at his side, Takumi took a deep breath and then commented quietly, with an amused grin, "I see your sister gets your father's eyes and your mother's hair instead."
Yuki laughed and Eri complained, "Everyone always tells us that she takes after our mother more than I do, but they're not even related genetically."
Takumi blinked and glanced back and forth between them. "What?"
Yuki told him cheerfully, "I have a different biological mother, but our mother is still my real mother."
" Okay?" he replied questioningly.
Yuki looked at her father and said with a grin, "Our father knocked up one of his flings when he was young, so he won't have any room to scold you."
Miyuki added quickly, "It was before he met me!"
"Anyway, our mother immediately arranged to adopt me as soon as that woman decided she didn't want a baby." Yuki hesitated before adding, "I visit with her a little every few years because she kind of regrets it sometimes, but she's not my mother. Our grandparents on that side are great though!"
Miyuki agreed reluctantly, "Well, they are now, but it took them a while to adjust, and they almost sued for custody. Yuki was premature. She was born during our wedding ceremony, and her grandmother thought that I wouldn't be able to take proper care of her!" She looked indignant.
Minami hugged his wife and told them, "Miyuki insisted on naming her Yuki, for courage. And she spent our honeymoon in the hospital with our new daughter, while I frantically tried to prepare our apartment alone between visits. She really did all the baby care at first."
Takumi smiled uncertainly. "I have an uncle named Yuki, but his is written like snow, like a girl. You're backwards." Miyuki and Yuki both laughed, to his relief.
Minami shrugged and told Takumi, "So we've been there already, with the unexpected baby coming. It's stressful. Welcome to the family?"
Eri said uncomfortably, "I don't know if we'll get married."
Takumi hugged her and said calmly, "Even if you decide you won't marry me, I'll still be your child's father."
After a few moments Eri nodded, and smiled at him shyly.
Yuki told Eri enthusiastically, "Now we can talk about baby stuff together!"
Eri went white. Takumi hugged her against his side protectively.
Then he looked at her sister and asked ruefully, "Could you not yet? Eri is still pretty unhappy about it."
Eri nodded when her sister looked at her.
"Oh, okay," Yuki agreed. Then she asked curiously, "Did you just find out today?"
Takumi replied when Eri just cringed without answering, "The test was actually Friday afternoon."
"I just need time to get used to the idea I think," Eri explained faintly when her sister looked at her with surprise.
Eiji scolded his wife gently, "You wanted to get pregnant, imagine how you might have felt if it had happened right after our first time?"
"Can we talk about something else?" Eri asked plaintively.
Eiji obliged his sister-in-law by telling his wife's family about his latest projects at work, and Yuki contributed proud complaints about how much he was getting done and how much time he was spending on it.
When they finally headed home, Yuki and Eiji both hugged Eri affectionately and Yuki told her quietly, "Be brave Eri, you'll do great, and he seems like a good guy. I know you wouldn't have chosen a bad guy."
Eri gazed at her sister in mute surprise, but then nodded.
--
After they were gone, Takumi asked Eri, "Want help with your homework before I go?" Eri looked at him with such a stricken expression that he told her, "I'd be really happy if you decide to come home with me instead." If anything, she paled, and he asked anxiously, "What's wrong, what did I say?"
"I completely forgot I had homework, my tablet is still at your apartment," she explained anxiously.
"So come home with me," he suggested.
"I shouldn't always sleep at your place," she told him unhappily.
Some of his disappointment showed when he looked at her.
Miyuki looked at his expression, and leaned over to whisper conspiratorially, "Her father wouldn't let me move in with him until after he agreed to marry me, you'll have to be patient. They both act sweet and quiet, but they're really stubborn about silly things."
Takumi laughed. Then he pouted at Eri and told her, "Fine, I'll bring you home again when you're ready."
"Sorry," she apologized.
"It's not that far," he assured her comfortingly. "Don't worry about it." Then he asked more teasingly, "Want to bring a few clothes in case you change your mind?"
She shook her head and argued, "If I take clothes, you'll persuade me to stay."
He grinned at her and suggested lightly, "If you're persuadable, I'll persuade you to stay without clothes too, I like it when you're naked."
"Takumi!" she objected. With her cheeks flaming, she begged him, "Don't say things like that in front of my parents?"
Minami said complacently, "it's okay Eri, I still like it when your mother is naked too." He leaned over and kissed his wife affectionately.
Eri covered her face and demanded, "Let's go now Takumi!"
He leapt to his feet and agreeably bundled her out the door, with a quick, "See you later."