"You know," Nino says, staring after Jun and his sister, "you know they are a lot alike."
Sho looks at Nino and then at the figures walking away, growing smaller with distance. Kazue and Jun both are fierce and gentle, sharp and unexpectedly sweet. Jun sends e-mails with fireworks in the background to say 'happy birthday' and Kazue had actually looked in on him when he'd broken his thumb, bringing him dinner since she worked nearby—which Sho had later learned was a complete lie. They're smart and hard working and just as likely to mock as to coo. "That's why they suit each other, I guess," he tells Nino.
"Mm," says Nino. "I sort of wonder why he hasn't run away from her screaming, yet. Permanently, I mean."
"He's a lucky man," Sho says, putting his arm around Nino's waist. "He's a lucky man and he knows it. He's got a girl that he loves, one who loves him back, and she is going to give him the greatest gift a man can get."
"…trump cards?" Nino asks.
Sho has been weak to Nino ever since he realized that some wrong-number guy was indulging him in a really great conversation about the stock market. He tugs him closer and hugs him tighter. "Babies are the best kind of trump card," he tells him. "They can be anything, do anything, they are unlimited in every aspect."
"Then why do some of them grow up to be Aiba?" Nino asks him.
"Hey!" says Aiba. It's actually unclear if Aiba is talking to them or to the petting-zoo goats that are trying to steal the little sugar-cone of goat food he's holding on to and doling out in small pieces.
"And," Sho continues on, ignoring both Aiba and Nino, "and you get to raise them, help them discover the world and make their place in it and no matter what you do, they're still their own little person, their own tiny, little self with their own itty-bitty dreams and goals and wants and they grow up to be whoever it is that they want to be."
"Sho?" says Nino.
"They're not little mirrors, Nino," Sho goes on. This is the first time that Nino has really seemed to want to talk about his sister and Jun and their baby. "But you can look at a baby and see the past in them as much as you can see the bright, shining future. Your baby is a tiny piece of you, a tiny piece of your father and your mother and your grandparents."
"Sho?"
"And they're so cute," Sho says, remembering that Nino has not had the best of luck with fathers and occasionally feels like a total disappointment to his grandfather. He squeezes Nino tighter. "They're tiny and light and warm and they smell sweet and, even though they're really light they're actually this weight in your arms and against your chest."
"I'm twenty-five, Sho," Nino says and Sho looks down to see that he is cradling Nino to him.
Really, he thinks, Nino is adorable. Nino's got a face that never seems to age and that little-kitten smile that quirks his lips up when he's happy and those eyes. He can't resist pinching Nino's cheeks. "It's going to be a tiny, cute, little Nino-baby. With some Jun thrown in." He thinks about that and it occurs to him suddenly that Jun's baby with Kazue is going to be the most beautiful baby ever. "I hope he or she gets Jun's big smile—you know that great, big one that he pretends he doesn't have? And your little mole," he says, touching the spot on Nino's chin. "And maybe your hands." The thought makes him feel a little giddy because Nino's hands are tiny and cute as they are. "It is going to be a beautiful baby. Jun is so lucky."
"When he fucks off," Nino says, "you can have Kazue and the kid."
"…eh?" It draws Sho up short as he tries to refocus. "Kazue…?"
"I could be the father!" Aiba volunteers, still by the goat pen. "I could teach it baseball and golf!"
"You want to marry my sister?" Nino asks skeptically.
Aiba shudders. "No way! She's scary! But Sho-chan is right about babies being cute. When they're really little they're sort of like fat baby puppies. They sort of lay there and make whimpering noises. And if they don't have a diaper on, they pee on the carpet. At least, that's what my brother did when HE was a baby."
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Sho looks at Nino and then at the figures walking away, growing smaller with distance. Kazue and Jun both are fierce and gentle, sharp and unexpectedly sweet. Jun sends e-mails with fireworks in the background to say 'happy birthday' and Kazue had actually looked in on him when he'd broken his thumb, bringing him dinner since she worked nearby—which Sho had later learned was a complete lie. They're smart and hard working and just as likely to mock as to coo. "That's why they suit each other, I guess," he tells Nino.
"Mm," says Nino. "I sort of wonder why he hasn't run away from her screaming, yet. Permanently, I mean."
"He's a lucky man," Sho says, putting his arm around Nino's waist. "He's a lucky man and he knows it. He's got a girl that he loves, one who loves him back, and she is going to give him the greatest gift a man can get."
"…trump cards?" Nino asks.
Sho has been weak to Nino ever since he realized that some wrong-number guy was indulging him in a really great conversation about the stock market. He tugs him closer and hugs him tighter. "Babies are the best kind of trump card," he tells him. "They can be anything, do anything, they are unlimited in every aspect."
"Then why do some of them grow up to be Aiba?" Nino asks him.
"Hey!" says Aiba. It's actually unclear if Aiba is talking to them or to the petting-zoo goats that are trying to steal the little sugar-cone of goat food he's holding on to and doling out in small pieces.
"And," Sho continues on, ignoring both Aiba and Nino, "and you get to raise them, help them discover the world and make their place in it and no matter what you do, they're still their own little person, their own tiny, little self with their own itty-bitty dreams and goals and wants and they grow up to be whoever it is that they want to be."
"Sho?" says Nino.
"They're not little mirrors, Nino," Sho goes on. This is the first time that Nino has really seemed to want to talk about his sister and Jun and their baby. "But you can look at a baby and see the past in them as much as you can see the bright, shining future. Your baby is a tiny piece of you, a tiny piece of your father and your mother and your grandparents."
"Sho?"
"And they're so cute," Sho says, remembering that Nino has not had the best of luck with fathers and occasionally feels like a total disappointment to his grandfather. He squeezes Nino tighter. "They're tiny and light and warm and they smell sweet and, even though they're really light they're actually this weight in your arms and against your chest."
"I'm twenty-five, Sho," Nino says and Sho looks down to see that he is cradling Nino to him.
Really, he thinks, Nino is adorable. Nino's got a face that never seems to age and that little-kitten smile that quirks his lips up when he's happy and those eyes. He can't resist pinching Nino's cheeks. "It's going to be a tiny, cute, little Nino-baby. With some Jun thrown in." He thinks about that and it occurs to him suddenly that Jun's baby with Kazue is going to be the most beautiful baby ever. "I hope he or she gets Jun's big smile—you know that great, big one that he pretends he doesn't have? And your little mole," he says, touching the spot on Nino's chin. "And maybe your hands." The thought makes him feel a little giddy because Nino's hands are tiny and cute as they are. "It is going to be a beautiful baby. Jun is so lucky."
"When he fucks off," Nino says, "you can have Kazue and the kid."
"…eh?" It draws Sho up short as he tries to refocus. "Kazue…?"
"I could be the father!" Aiba volunteers, still by the goat pen. "I could teach it baseball and golf!"
"You want to marry my sister?" Nino asks skeptically.
Aiba shudders. "No way! She's scary! But Sho-chan is right about babies being cute. When they're really little they're sort of like fat baby puppies. They sort of lay there and make whimpering noises. And if they don't have a diaper on, they pee on the carpet. At least, that's what my brother did when HE was a baby."