When Takumi got home, he dropped his work things at the door as soon as he caught sight of Eri's face, and rushed over to her. "What's wrong? Why have you been crying?" he demanded.

She stared up at him for a long moment and then she covered her face for a minute, and laughed.

He dropped to his knees beside her and asked worriedly, "Eri?"

She leaned against him as she told him laughingly, despite the traces of earlier tears that still lingered on her face, "I wouldn't believe you could really tell, if you hadn't explained how you could even tell that I wanted you right when we met."

He hugged her against him. "Are you afraid to tell me why you've been crying?" he asked unhappily. "I told you I want to be here when you need to cry."

"I love you Takumi," she said suddenly.

"Me too, I love you too," he replied quickly.

She sighed and cuddled into him. He hugged her gently and caressed her until she finally admitted after a while, "I still wish I wasn't pregnant. My uncle and Chisa even suggested I could quit school today when I cried during our lunch."

Takumi's grip on her tightened and Eri wondered if anyone else she'd ever met would have been able to just look at her and see that she'd spent time crying.

After a minute he asked miserably, "Do you want to get rid of it so you can stay in school and keep doing everything that you want to? It's not too late yet."

Eri didn't reply, she just pushed herself back enough to stare at him in shock.

He caressed her face as he told her, "I really love you Eri. I want you to be happy. If you really can't stand to have this baby, it's okay." He swallowed and couldn't stop the tears that formed at the corners of his eyes.

"Don't cry Takumi," she begged him quickly. "I don't want to get rid of our baby." He looked at her doubtfully as she insisted, "I really don't, I swear it! I just wish I could have a few years with you first. But I can't, so sometimes it's going to make me cry. I'm sorry, but don't cry please?" She kissed away the tears at the corners of his eyes and then looked at him anxiously.

He gave a little laugh as he complained, "How unfair, telling me you're going to keep crying and asking me not to cry?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized unhappily. It was really an unfair thing to ask of him.

He took a shuddering breath and brushed at his own face for a moment. "I'll try Eri," he promised after he'd regained some of his usual composure.

"I really love you," she insisted again.

He kissed her and she clung to him, and then opened her mouth inviting him deeper. He made love to her on the floor, gently and simply, the way she liked best.

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Afterward she kissed him and kissed him again until he laughed and whispered, "I believe you Eri."

"I love you so much, how did I not realize it?" she asked.

He grinned at her and suggested teasingly, "Maybe you were distracted by the sex?" She blushed from head to toe and he whispered, "You're so freaking cute I could die."

She looked at him for a long moment, and then told him seriously, "You'd better not die if the baby and I are going to be relying on you to take care of us."

He blinked at her and then replied firmly, "I'll call my brother and ask him how to set things up so that you'll both be taken care of even if anything does ever happen to me Eri. I've never done it before, but I know that it's possible, and I know the place he works deals with marriage contracts sometimes."

She protested rather anxiously, "I'd really rather you not die?"

He laughed as he agreed, "Me too! I want to spend a whole lifetime with you. But I don't want you to suffer if I can't. I promised I'll take good care of you, and I meant it." She gazed at him silently for so long that he leaned in and kissed her and added comfortingly, "My health is fine, and I think I'm a careful driver?"

She blushed again and Todd him, "I think there must be a million girls who hate me for worrying about having your baby right now."

"What?!" he protested questioningly.

She explained with a half teasing question, "A stunningly handsome man who sweeps them off their feet and takes responsibility for all the consequences?"

He kissed her fingers and told her, "I wish technology were a little more advanced and I really could take all the consequences Eri. I wish we could keep the baby and you didn't have to deal with being pregnant or sick every morning, and you could take your time and do whatever you wanted."

She leaned and kissed him. "I'll get used to it, I promise. It'll just take me awhile because I'm slow."

"You're not slow," he scolded gently. She looked at him doubtfully and he informed her calmly, "You're just a control freak." When she gasped he asked teasingly, "You didn't know? You even like to be on top and prevent me from using my hands when we're having sex."

She blushed as she protested vehemently, "I don't try to control you!"

"No," he agreed calmly, "but you can if it'll make you happier? I don't mind if my wife is demanding."

"Takumi!" she protested helplessly.

He kissed her and then informed her cheerfully, "I'm only half joking Eri. As far as I can tell, the only things that make you cry are the ones you can't control. And I wish you would be more demanding if there's anything I can do to make you happier."

She looked at him challengingly and asked, "Even if I tell you that I want five thousand so I can go ahead and order the 20k keyboard now?"

He laughed and as he replied, "That's not even a challenge Eri, I'd love to, let's do it right now."

"Takumi," she said breathlessly.

He grinned at her, as he added, "But between that, and our deposits here, and the rest of the furniture I want to get, I'm afraid Paris will have to wait another month or three, okay?"

She covered her face and complained, "I wish I'd never brought it up, I really don't know if I ever want to go."

He kissed her gently and then insisted, "That's okay too, I don't mind if you never do."

He pulled on his clothes, and helped her dress, and then insisted, "Let's order your keyboard now."

"Really?" she asked.

"Really," he replied seriously.

--

They drove to the coast and watched the sunset the night Takumi finally coaxed Eri into ordering wedding rings.