#nanashoko

"I can promise you the world, but I feel I'm missing something here, Shoko."

"It's..." she gestured in the air, collecting her thoughts. "I know very well how to nurture a baby, but I'm not sure I can be there for another human being for a lifetime."

Kento stared at her in silence for another minute, then he moved closer and bumped her on the shoulder "Hey, no need to worry about this feelings now.." he began to hush, but Shoko cut him short.

"This is the exact moment in which I have to. I don't know yet, we don't know yet for sure, but there's a good chance we are gonna deal with this reality in a few months and I have to ask myself, right now, what my shortcomings might be."

"You make it sound like a business plan analysis..."

"And you know I am right. The stakeholders need to figure out their expectations and liabilities"

Kento chuckled, stronking the back of her cold, gloveless hand. "You seem scared. And annoyed."

"I am."

"I thought you went already over this phase when we decided to try have a baby."

"I thought the same. But here we are."

She turned to face her husband and stuck her freezing hands beneath his coat, resting on the soft wool of the sweater over his hips.

"I know you can be a cold, emotionally shunned bastard as much as I am. But also know you are much more dependable than I am. So please promise me you'll always be there for our child if mom is too much overworked, is having a bad day, or both."

Kento kissed her lightly on the lips, then on the forehead.

"I'll take care of not letting any of you die, ever. But please be ready to put them to bed when I have to rest, dissect a friend, a monster, both..."