“Papa!”
A tall, handsome blonde sitting at a large, oak desk looks up, registering the cry. In moments, exasperation dominates his features and he rises to his feet, groaning as a sharp pain shocks his lower back. A gentle hand places itself on his back, helping him up.
“I’m not an old man,” The blonde grumbles. The figure chuckles lightly, removing his hand when the man is straightened.
“I’m sorry, sir. Perhaps you should go see Yoi-san.” He suggested after a moment, his eyes thoughtful. The blonde man nodded, reaching for the door as the tiny voice wailed again, this time closer.
“That might be a good idea anyway. I have to go for my follow-up exam.” He winced, touching a scar at his chest. The figure squeezed his shoulder.
“Tou-san!” The voice squealed again, angrily this time.
“Maa…I’m coming, dearest.” He said, opening the door. Standing before him, dressed in her usual, pink silk gown, glaring at him like he had just grounded her was his two and a half year old daughter, Amaya.
“Tou-san!” She shouted again, much to his disappointment. What had he done to upset her so?
Groaning, he bent to her level so that he was eye to eye with her small, angry face. She stared back at him, her eyes and nose scrunched up as if she had smelled something fowl. He let his eyes drift over her form, checking to see if she had been hurt, but there was no sign of any injury.
Only anger.
“Amaya,” He cooed quietly, bending again to take her into his arms. Her anger vanished at once, replaced with a content smile. She curled her small arms to her chest, melting into his big chest with a sigh.
“Papa…” She sighed, happy. He smiled, kissing her blonde, curly locks before pulling her face away from his chest with one hand and looking deep into her gaze.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” He asked lightly, smiling when she kissed his nose, a regular gesture between them both. He had come to realize that sharing such gestures made his regular separations from his family easier to bear for not just him, but for them as well. He had rarely told anyone, but he felt the gesture was needed to remind him that he truly had a real, honest family and that he really, truly was a father.
The reminder snapped him away from the thought of his daughter momentarily when his thoughts turned to his heavily pregnant wife in the nursery, waiting for the birth of their two, newest children. He made a mental reminder to visit her again before the day was out.
“Daddy,” His daughter again drew his attention. He kissed her silky hair again, pulling the hair away from her face so that he could look into her eyes again.
“Yes, Amaya, what’s wrong?”
She looked at him steadily, tears forming in her dark blue orbs. Immediately concerned, he bounced her up and down in his arms, pacing the length of the room, hushing her. He turned to the figure standing in the corner of the room.
“Ozuru,” He addressed the tall, silver haired man, who nodded in acknowledgment. “Please, please, could you run to Amaya’s room and get her nurse to turn down her bed? I’m not sure she’s feeling well.”
The man bowed; his eyes respectfully on the floor. “Of course my lord.” Then he was gone in a flash of grey.
When he was sure they were alone, Naruto turned back to his only daughter, concerned. She was quiet now, occasionally whimpering and tugging at his shirt collar. After a while, he went back to his desk, her in his lap, and began again to sign invitations for the ball. He smiled, remembering how the other kingdoms had demanded to come see the soon-to-be-born kits. The excitement had been too much, the guests too great, so he had come up with one viable solution.
A ball.
He had just set aside another invitation when his ears caught the whispering of a tiny voice. He grabbed yet another invitation, signing his name to the paper.
“What was that?” He asked her, his voice quiet.
She leaned away from him, her gaze sorrowful and confused. “I said that I love you daddy.” She said, kissing his nose in her regular gesture.
The pen dancing across the page paused, the hand holding the blue pen tangling its fingers in her hair. “Where did this come from?” He asked her, his voice again concerned.
She snuggled into his chest again, her warm breath tickling his neck. “Do you love me daddy?” She asked, her expression turning toward hysteria.
He nodded quickly, pulling her into his line of vision. “Yes, yes, Amy…” He told her, using her nickname. “Now what’s this all about?”
She looked away guiltily, her eyes shining with premature tears again. “I don’t think momma loves me anymore.” She whimpered, scrubbing at her eyes, ruining the delicate silk.
“Now baby, why would you think that your mother doesn’t love you? You know we do.” He found concern gripping his stomach like shards of ice. “Tell me why you would think like that?’
She pouted cutely, her lower lip poking out in a small, pink bulk. “Because momma told me that she wont pay attention to me a lot anymore once my baby sister and brother are here.” Her eyes were bright with tears. “She won’t love me!”
He began to laugh a deep booming laugh. Many servants in the castle looked up when he did, disturbed by the hysterical laugh coming from their leader.
She growled darkly, hurt shining in her tear filled eyes. “Papa!”
He laughed again, looking up when Ozuru walked in, nodding once. “Her bed is ready, my lord.”
He grinned and took his fuming daughter into his arms again, walking the length of the room to the door. “Come on, dearest. Let me tell you something.”
* * * * * * *
Naruto tucked his daughter away in her bed, kissing her soft, golden locks that were splayed across her silk, pink pillow. “Amaya, listen to me.” He waited until her eyes met his. “You understand that your mother is going to have a baby, right?”
She nodded, watching him sleepily.
“Good, now what you don’t understand is that you won’t be the only one we have to give attention to. I’m going to have to give a lot of attention to your brother and sister once they’re born. It won’t be just you anymore.”
Her face slipped into a pout. “But why? I want you to love me too!”
He patted her head, sitting near her pillow. “Yes, but these are kits, Amaya, and kits need a lot of attention. You have to feed them and love them and change them. Your mother is having three kits and she’s going to need all the help she can get.”
His daughter promptly growled at him, narrowing her eyes. “Well I want mommy to love me more!” She snapped.
Anger and impatience flared in his abruptly. “Amaya!” She cringed at his anger, flinching away from him. “That’s not nice at all, Amaya. Your mother loves you very much and you know that, but we really need to focus on your brother and sister right now.” His anger melted at her tears. “I know it must be a hard thing to accept, but you’re going to have to be a big kit now. I love you, but I love these kits too.”
She seemed more curious now, yearning to know something. “Daddy, where do kits come from.”
Blood flowed to his cheeks, coloring his whiskers a dark pink. Quick images flashed through his mind. A dark room, sly giggles, hot pants against his smooth, tanned chest, urgent, rushed cries, they all flashed in his mind suddenly.
“Daddy, are you sick?” She turned to look at her nurse, who had frozen in her chores, pink also coloring her face. “Maa, Mira-chan, I think papa’s sick again. He’s all red like when he’s sick.”
The female fox promptly finished her chores quickly and left, a deep flush to her cheeks. When she was gone, Naruto spoke, his voice waving. “Um, we’ll get into that once you have a mate.”
She didn’t seem satisfied, but dropped the subject anyway. “So you do love me? You and momma will love me even after the Choko, Huyu, and Mina have been born?” She asked him, raising her hands for a hug.
He leaned down, kissing her forehead. “Of course, Amaya. You will always be my best little girl.”
