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Taiga had more than enough reason to drag himself back home twice as fast as usual. Despite being drenched in sweat, exhausted from practice and mentally dead, he had no time to waste. So he was quick running back home, the sprint to his apartment feeling like it took twice as long as usual, but he wouldn't give up.

He couldn't give up on you.

'Just a little farther.' He encouraged himself, turning the corner and locking in on the apartment building. Lived a floor above his father, in order to help take care of him and let him spend time with his grandson who was fresh out the hospital. A precious four month old, born six weeks early and spending a lot of time in the ICU.

It took them a good two months before they got to hold Tetsuji, and Taiga didn't want to miss a second of it. Especially not with the situation you were currently in. Taiga swung the door of the complex open and hurried past reception.

"Good evening, Mr. Kagami."

"Yeah." He rushed to the elevator, earning an amused expression from the woman and a curious one from the coming attendant.

"Is he excited about the baby, again?"

"Most likely. I heard his son is congested. Nothing he should worry about."

"If what Mrs. Kagami says is true, seems like he'd be worried regardless."

"Case and point." She replied, watching as Taiga cursed to himself and nearly broke the elevator button trying to get it to go up. "Please be careful over there, Mr. Kagami."

Taiga looked up, blushing. "R-right. Sorry." He replied just as the doors slid open. He couldn't have gotten into the thing faster. They watched as he disappeared, attendant shaking his head.

"If he's not careful he's going to run himself ragged. He already looks like he's about to collapse."

They couldn't be more right. Taiga took heavy breaths, pressing his forehead against the doors, cool metal relaxing him for just a second. He'd need a shower. That would wait until after he got home, making sure you were okay. The text you sent him convinced him that he needed to get home as soon as possible.

"Hey, Taiga. Just wanted to let you know Tetsu's sick
he's got some congestion so he's having difficulty breathing
but other than that he'll be just fine."

It was the scariest thing he'd ever read. Hence the double time he drove himself forward with when the doors opened (and nearly sent him careening to the floor). Three doors down the top floor's hall, and there was home. He fished for the keys in his pocket, desperately trying to find a way to unlock the door.

"Come on, come on-" He snatched the keys and fiddled with the house key, trying to shove it in the lock in an attempt to unlock the God forsaken door. "Just-- get in the keyhole, come on...!"

It took him about four more seconds before the door opened on its own. Or rather, an exhausted mother holding a very tiny, fussy baby opened it for him.

"If you don't calm down you're going to break the door, one of these days." You mused, despite the tired smile on your face. Taiga nodded vigorously letting himself in, happy to drop his jacket and take the towel you held out for him to take care of the extensive sweat. "So, how was practice?"

"Fine," He said behind the damp towel, wiping himself off as he followed you into the open space. You settled on the couch, patting the spot next to you for him to take, "How's Tetsu?"

"He's not feeling too good." You told him honestly, sighing to yourself as you bounced him up and down on your chest. Said baby squeaked in protest, grasping your shirt and burying his face in your neck. "He keeps rolling around because he's having trouble breathing, but I've gotten him to sleep a little bit."

"Mm." Taiga grunted, dropping the towel to look at his little boy. You were both surprised when the doctors told you how small he was. Considering how large Taiga was, you expected him to be six pounds at least, even if he was premature. But thanks to fate and bad timing, Tetsuji Kagami was only three pounds, sixteen inches and struggling to breathe.

It was only natural Taiga would be worried about him, even if you thought he was going way over the top. Especially taking into account the fact that the baby was quite literally fine.

"You do know congestion isn't going to kill him, right?" You told him, and Taiga grimaced. You rolled your eyes. "He just needs some rest and a humidifier. Problem solved."

"But what if he gets worse?" Taiga tried to reason with you, gaze fixed on Tetsuji. You laugh, nudging his shoulder while adjusting the wiggly little man. "Will we...have to take him back to the hospital?"

You smiled sadly, seeing how anxious he looked even considering the idea of sending Tetsuji back to the ICU. You remembered the look on his face the first day you visited him, the sweet little baby in the Intensive Care Unit. Taiga couldn't look away, seeing how frail his son was. The tubes sticking out of tiny arms and legs in the small, blue incubator would forever be burned into your memory. You had a feeling it was scarred into Taiga's.

"Of course not." You tap his nose, resting a hand on Tetsuji's neck and head as you stood from the couch. "You worry too much. Like I said, he'll be totally fine; just needs some rest and a humidifier, you know?"

"B-but what if we have to?" Taiga protested. You gave him a look.

"Then they'll tell us to give him rest and a humidifier. I know this because I went to the doctor today, genius." You rolled your eyes, fetching a bottle of formula for the little boy. "Now how about you go wash up? You're kind of gross." You mused, but Taiga quickly disagreed.

"That's not necessary!" He told you, "I wanted to take care of Tetsuji. You should go relax or something, instead. You've been with him all day, haven't you?"

"I don't know..." You trailed off, shifting Tetsu so he rested on your other shoulder, "He's kind of a handful. That, and he's not a happy camper. You think you can handle him?"

"It'll be easy!" He assured you quickly, sitting up straight. "Besides, you need the rest. I'll feed him and then I can give him a bath, with me." Taiga promised, "I-isn't heat supposed to help get rid of congestion?"

"Humidity does, I guess." You agreed with him, listening to Tetsu's labored coughs. "...You really think you can take care of him?"

"I can." He promised, standing up to meet you half-way. The man had a solid foot over you, towering high above you and looking an awful lot more ominous than he intended. You quirked an eyebrow, wondering if Testuji would be able to breathe that high up in the atmosphere.

"If you say so." You finally relent. Taiga smiled happily, gingerly lifting the wiggle worm and resting him on his chest. "I'm gonna go ahead and run a bath. Why don't you two join me?"

"W-what?!" Taiga's face blew up into a blush, his gravelly volume upsetting Tetsuji. "Ah. Sorry, Tetsu." He apologized sheepishly as he tried to pacify the little one. "You're already suffering enough."

"Just come sneak into the bathroom after you're done feeding Tetsuji, okay? I'm sure it'll be better for him if he's spending time with his mommy and daddy, anyways. That, and you'll need someone to wash your back, right?"

"R-right." He stammered, shaking his head to will away any unpleasant thoughts. Tetsuji wouldn't take kindly to his parents getting steamy in the bathroom, after all. Instead he retreated to the couch, dismissing you quickly enough and sinking onto the cushions with a shaky exhale. "...Your mom is freakin' unpredictable, Tetsu. What're we gonna do with her?"

The baby's response was a whining for the bottle, which he was happy to give to his baby boy. Taiga watched him suck down the formula with a quirked smile, a soft chuckle escaping him when Tetsu fought between breathing and eating. It was a frustrating compromise, which Tetsu told him by crying out every time he had to detach from the bottle.

That was one thing Taiga noticed Tetsu shared with you; impatience.

"Hey, chill out." He nudged the baby, smiling nonetheless. "You'll get to eat and you'll be fine, got it?"

Tetsuji babbled something incoherent before dragging the bottle back to his lips. His father shook his head.

"You know, you're named after a pretty relaxed guy, Tetsu. I figured you'd be a little more laid back, you know? ...Then again, (Name) wanted to add the 'ji'. That'd explain why you're so impatient and stuff, huh?"

"Actually, 'Tetsuji' is supposed to mean he's driven and strong. Impatience's got nothing to do with it." You called, peeking from the corridor with a towel wrapped around your body. Taiga nearly did a double take. "He's almost done eating, right?"

"N-no! He's barely even-"

"-Aaah!" Tetsuji cried out, pushing the empty formula bottle away. Taiga cursed to himself.

"Finished?" You quirked an eyebrow. Taiga was obviously embarrassed of the idea, since the last time you shared a bath together it had been quite a little while. And well...the steaminess wasn't just from the hot water. "Hurry up and get a towel on. The sooner we get Tetsu in, the better."

Your promise was met with grumbles of protest, although Taiga gave in regardless. He rose from his seat and set the bottle in the sink, lumbering to the bathroom with baby in tow. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist once he skillfully removed his clothes, all while maneuvering a baby, no less. It was one of his lesser known talents, according to you.

"I was wondering when you'd get in here." You mused from the bathtub, pushing back the curtain to reveal bare legs kicking back and forth. Taiga scoffed, shifting Tetsu in his arms as he very cautiously joined you in the tub. It was large, the perfect size for his lanky self and his wife that managed to fit in perfectly between his legs.

"Just take Tetsu and shut your mouth." He growled, avoiding eye contact and slipping into the water. He barely managed to keep from shaking when you nestled between his legs, happily resting your head on his chest. You turned him around to face his parents, and Tetsu looked up at them curiously.

"Isn't this better, Tetsu?" You cooed, scooping some water up in your hand and rubbing the baby's chest. "This'll help you get better."

"You sure?" Taiga was, of course, unconvinced. But you just nodded, leaning back to look up at him with that quirky little smile that made his heart thump a little faster.

"I'm totally sure. Steam and humidity is what helps when you're congested. It works for babies, too!" You replied, gently lifting Tetsu and cradling him against your toasty towel. You continued rubbing his chest, "Just have to make sure he's able to breathe and the best way to do that is to massage his chest. It helps, especially with preemies."

He nodded slowly at your explanation, wrapping an arm around you and bringing the other hand to Tetsu's chest. "If you say so, then we might as well give it a try." He figured, and runs his hand over the baby's chest, although his hand may as well have taken up his entire body. You giggled to yourself, nuzzling his neck as you watched his cautious ministrations.

Tetsuji gurgled happily, looking up at his parents with big, beautiful brown eyes. Taiga smiled at him, something you mimicked when you glanced at your husband.

"He looks just like you, you know. I'll bet he'll be just as tall when he grows up." You mused. Taiga grunted, his hand gliding up from Tetsu's chest to his cheek.

"I dunno. If you're mixed in with it, he might end up a lot shorter."

"That'll be because your genes aren't strong enough, then!" You fought him with a mischievous grin. "But I'm sure he'll be just fine. He's a survivor; and you know he's going to own the court."

"Only if he starts learning basketball as soon as possible." Taiga replied almost grimly, but was grinning nonetheless. "Which'll start once we get this congestion thing taken care of. He's gonna be a strong kid, so we've gotta make sure we get him ready soon."

"Sounds good to me." You chuckled, lifting Tetsuji up to smile at his mama and daddy. "Are you gonna be the best basketball player ever?"

"Mmmah!"

"I-is that a yes?"

"I think so." You laughed loudly, letting him back down into the water. The two of you stayed like that for a while, taking turns holding the little one while helping Taiga get all cleaned up. And all you could think about as you held your baby was how wonderful it would be when he grew up, bigger and stronger than anybody could've hoped for.

Your little miracle, Kagami Tetsuji.

...

......

.........

............

...............

"...You know, Taiga, I just realized something."

"What's that?"

"I seem to recall Tetsuji was conceived because of a situation rather similar to this."

"W-what are you talking about??"

"Well, we were in the bath together, and I was washing your back like this, not to mention-"

"This is nothing like that!! This is absolutely nothing like that, and don't you dare even think about doing anything weird! Especially not when Tetsuji's in here, too!!"

"Who said anything about weird stuff? I was just pointing out how strangely similar everything is."

"Yeah, right."

"Oh, relax. It's not like I wanted to do anything in the first place. ...Or did I?"

"S-shut up!!!"

~Ende~

Description
Taiga had more than enough reason to drag himself back home twice as fast as usual. Despite being drenched in sweat, exhausted from practice and mentally dead, he had no time to waste. So he was quick running back home, the sprint to his apartment feeling like it took twice as long as usual, but he wouldn't give up.

He couldn't give up on you.

'Just a little farther.' He encouraged himself, turning the corner and locking in on the apartment building. Lived a floor above his father, in order to help take care of him and let him spend time with his grandson who was fresh out the hospital. A precious four month old, born six weeks early and spending a lot of time in the ICU.

It took them a good two months before they got to hold Tetsuji, and Taiga didn't want to miss a second of it. Especially not with the situation you were currently in. Taiga swung the door of the complex open and hurried past reception.

"Good evening, Mr. Kagami."

"Yeah." He rushed to the elevator, earning an amused expression from the woman and a curious one from the coming attendant.

"Is he excited about the baby, again?"

"Most likely. I heard his son is congested. Nothing he should worry about."

"If what Mrs. Kagami says is true, seems like he'd be worried regardless."

"Case and point." She replied, watching as Taiga cursed to himself and nearly broke the elevator button trying to get it to go up. "Please be careful over there, Mr. Kagami."

Taiga looked up, blushing. "R-right. Sorry." He replied just as the doors slid open. He couldn't have gotten into the thing faster. They watched as he disappeared, attendant shaking his head.

"If he's not careful he's going to run himself ragged. He already looks like he's about to collapse."

They couldn't be more right. Taiga took heavy breaths, pressing his forehead against the doors, cool metal relaxing him for just a second. He'd need a shower. That would wait until after he got home, making sure you were okay. The text you sent him convinced him that he needed to get home as soon as possible.

"Hey, Taiga. Just wanted to let you know Tetsu's sick
he's got some congestion so he's having difficulty breathing
but other than that he'll be just fine."

It was the scariest thing he'd ever read. Hence the double time he drove himself forward with when the doors opened (and nearly sent him careening to the floor). Three doors down the top floor's hall, and there was home. He fished for the keys in his pocket, desperately trying to find a way to unlock the door.

"Come on, come on-" He snatched the keys and fiddled with the house key, trying to shove it in the lock in an attempt to unlock the God forsaken door. "Just-- get in the keyhole, come on...!"

It took him about four more seconds before the door opened on its own. Or rather, an exhausted mother holding a very tiny, fussy baby opened it for him.

"If you don't calm down you're going to break the door, one of these days." You mused, despite the tired smile on your face. Taiga nodded vigorously letting himself in, happy to drop his jacket and take the towel you held out for him to take care of the extensive sweat. "So, how was practice?"

"Fine," He said behind the damp towel, wiping himself off as he followed you into the open space. You settled on the couch, patting the spot next to you for him to take, "How's Tetsu?"

"He's not feeling too good." You told him honestly, sighing to yourself as you bounced him up and down on your chest. Said baby squeaked in protest, grasping your shirt and burying his face in your neck. "He keeps rolling around because he's having trouble breathing, but I've gotten him to sleep a little bit."

"Mm." Taiga grunted, dropping the towel to look at his little boy. You were both surprised when the doctors told you how small he was. Considering how large Taiga was, you expected him to be six pounds at least, even if he was premature. But thanks to fate and bad timing, Tetsuji Kagami was only three pounds, sixteen inches and struggling to breathe.

It was only natural Taiga would be worried about him, even if you thought he was going way over the top. Especially taking into account the fact that the baby was quite literally fine.

"You do know congestion isn't going to kill him, right?" You told him, and Taiga grimaced. You rolled your eyes. "He just needs some rest and a humidifier. Problem solved."

"But what if he gets worse?" Taiga tried to reason with you, gaze fixed on Tetsuji. You laugh, nudging his shoulder while adjusting the wiggly little man. "Will we...have to take him back to the hospital?"

You smiled sadly, seeing how anxious he looked even considering the idea of sending Tetsuji back to the ICU. You remembered the look on his face the first day you visited him, the sweet little baby in the Intensive Care Unit. Taiga couldn't look away, seeing how frail his son was. The tubes sticking out of tiny arms and legs in the small, blue incubator would forever be burned into your memory. You had a feeling it was scarred into Taiga's.

"Of course not." You tap his nose, resting a hand on Tetsuji's neck and head as you stood from the couch. "You worry too much. Like I said, he'll be totally fine; just needs some rest and a humidifier, you know?"

"B-but what if we have to?" Taiga protested. You gave him a look.

"Then they'll tell us to give him rest and a humidifier. I know this because I went to the doctor today, genius." You rolled your eyes, fetching a bottle of formula for the little boy. "Now how about you go wash up? You're kind of gross." You mused, but Taiga quickly disagreed.

"That's not necessary!" He told you, "I wanted to take care of Tetsuji. You should go relax or something, instead. You've been with him all day, haven't you?"

"I don't know..." You trailed off, shifting Tetsu so he rested on your other shoulder, "He's kind of a handful. That, and he's not a happy camper. You think you can handle him?"

"It'll be easy!" He assured you quickly, sitting up straight. "Besides, you need the rest. I'll feed him and then I can give him a bath, with me." Taiga promised, "I-isn't heat supposed to help get rid of congestion?"

"Humidity does, I guess." You agreed with him, listening to Tetsu's labored coughs. "...You really think you can take care of him?"

"I can." He promised, standing up to meet you half-way. The man had a solid foot over you, towering high above you and looking an awful lot more ominous than he intended. You quirked an eyebrow, wondering if Testuji would be able to breathe that high up in the atmosphere.

"If you say so." You finally relent. Taiga smiled happily, gingerly lifting the wiggle worm and resting him on his chest. "I'm gonna go ahead and run a bath. Why don't you two join me?"

"W-what?!" Taiga's face blew up into a blush, his gravelly volume upsetting Tetsuji. "Ah. Sorry, Tetsu." He apologized sheepishly as he tried to pacify the little one. "You're already suffering enough."

"Just come sneak into the bathroom after you're done feeding Tetsuji, okay? I'm sure it'll be better for him if he's spending time with his mommy and daddy, anyways. That, and you'll need someone to wash your back, right?"

"R-right." He stammered, shaking his head to will away any unpleasant thoughts. Tetsuji wouldn't take kindly to his parents getting steamy in the bathroom, after all. Instead he retreated to the couch, dismissing you quickly enough and sinking onto the cushions with a shaky exhale. "...Your mom is freakin' unpredictable, Tetsu. What're we gonna do with her?"

The baby's response was a whining for the bottle, which he was happy to give to his baby boy. Taiga watched him suck down the formula with a quirked smile, a soft chuckle escaping him when Tetsu fought between breathing and eating. It was a frustrating compromise, which Tetsu told him by crying out every time he had to detach from the bottle.

That was one thing Taiga noticed Tetsu shared with you; impatience.

"Hey, chill out." He nudged the baby, smiling nonetheless. "You'll get to eat and you'll be fine, got it?"

Tetsuji babbled something incoherent before dragging the bottle back to his lips. His father shook his head.

"You know, you're named after a pretty relaxed guy, Tetsu. I figured you'd be a little more laid back, you know? ...Then again, (Name) wanted to add the 'ji'. That'd explain why you're so impatient and stuff, huh?"

"Actually, 'Tetsuji' is supposed to mean he's driven and strong. Impatience's got nothing to do with it." You called, peeking from the corridor with a towel wrapped around your body. Taiga nearly did a double take. "He's almost done eating, right?"

"N-no! He's barely even-"

"-Aaah!" Tetsuji cried out, pushing the empty formula bottle away. Taiga cursed to himself.

"Finished?" You quirked an eyebrow. Taiga was obviously embarrassed of the idea, since the last time you shared a bath together it had been quite a little while. And well...the steaminess wasn't just from the hot water. "Hurry up and get a towel on. The sooner we get Tetsu in, the better."

Your promise was met with grumbles of protest, although Taiga gave in regardless. He rose from his seat and set the bottle in the sink, lumbering to the bathroom with baby in tow. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist once he skillfully removed his clothes, all while maneuvering a baby, no less. It was one of his lesser known talents, according to you.

"I was wondering when you'd get in here." You mused from the bathtub, pushing back the curtain to reveal bare legs kicking back and forth. Taiga scoffed, shifting Tetsu in his arms as he very cautiously joined you in the tub. It was large, the perfect size for his lanky self and his wife that managed to fit in perfectly between his legs.

"Just take Tetsu and shut your mouth." He growled, avoiding eye contact and slipping into the water. He barely managed to keep from shaking when you nestled between his legs, happily resting your head on his chest. You turned him around to face his parents, and Tetsu looked up at them curiously.

"Isn't this better, Tetsu?" You cooed, scooping some water up in your hand and rubbing the baby's chest. "This'll help you get better."

"You sure?" Taiga was, of course, unconvinced. But you just nodded, leaning back to look up at him with that quirky little smile that made his heart thump a little faster.

"I'm totally sure. Steam and humidity is what helps when you're congested. It works for babies, too!" You replied, gently lifting Tetsu and cradling him against your toasty towel. You continued rubbing his chest, "Just have to make sure he's able to breathe and the best way to do that is to massage his chest. It helps, especially with preemies."

He nodded slowly at your explanation, wrapping an arm around you and bringing the other hand to Tetsu's chest. "If you say so, then we might as well give it a try." He figured, and runs his hand over the baby's chest, although his hand may as well have taken up his entire body. You giggled to yourself, nuzzling his neck as you watched his cautious ministrations.

Tetsuji gurgled happily, looking up at his parents with big, beautiful brown eyes. Taiga smiled at him, something you mimicked when you glanced at your husband.

"He looks just like you, you know. I'll bet he'll be just as tall when he grows up." You mused. Taiga grunted, his hand gliding up from Tetsu's chest to his cheek.

"I dunno. If you're mixed in with it, he might end up a lot shorter."

"That'll be because your genes aren't strong enough, then!" You fought him with a mischievous grin. "But I'm sure he'll be just fine. He's a survivor; and you know he's going to own the court."

"Only if he starts learning basketball as soon as possible." Taiga replied almost grimly, but was grinning nonetheless. "Which'll start once we get this congestion thing taken care of. He's gonna be a strong kid, so we've gotta make sure we get him ready soon."

"Sounds good to me." You chuckled, lifting Tetsuji up to smile at his mama and daddy. "Are you gonna be the best basketball player ever?"

"Mmmah!"

"I-is that a yes?"

"I think so." You laughed loudly, letting him back down into the water. The two of you stayed like that for a while, taking turns holding the little one while helping Taiga get all cleaned up. And all you could think about as you held your baby was how wonderful it would be when he grew up, bigger and stronger than anybody could've hoped for.

Your little miracle, Kagami Tetsuji.

...

......

.........

............

...............

"...You know, Taiga, I just realized something."

"What's that?"

"I seem to recall Tetsuji was conceived because of a situation rather similar to this."

"W-what are you talking about??"

"Well, we were in the bath together, and I was washing your back like this, not to mention-"

"This is nothing like that!! This is absolutely nothing like that, and don't you dare even think about doing anything weird! Especially not when Tetsuji's in here, too!!"

"Who said anything about weird stuff? I was just pointing out how strangely similar everything is."

"Yeah, right."

"Oh, relax. It's not like I wanted to do anything in the first place. ...Or did I?"

"S-shut up!!!"

~Ende~