Page 35 of The Arrival
“May I?” Haruka asks, raising his arms in a gesture.
“Of course.” Doctor Jae lifts the baby, carefully shifting until the weight of her is settled in Haruka’s arms.
Haruka looks down, his face filled with focus and wonder. His gaze is soft. “She… she is perfect.” His head whips up to Nino unexpectedly, his eyes glassy in the bright light of the room. Nino can feel the incredible pulse of love and gratitude swelling within his mate. The force of it radiates outward, touching him and making his chest tight.
Nino swallows hard and waves a hand. “Haru, stop. If you cry right now it’ll be a big mess.” But it’s too late, because Nino’s eyes are already watering. He lifts a hand, quickly wiping the corners with his fingertips.
Thank you.Haruka’s voice registers deep and clear in his mind. Heartfelt.
Nino shakes his head.You don’t need to thank me. We’re in this together.
I love you.
“I know.” Nino leans in and kisses him on the cheek. “Cuore mio, I love you, too.”
“Take your time with her,” Jae says, sniffing and clearing his throat. When Nino looks back at him, he notices the doctor’s eyes are watery as well. “When you’re ready, we have a little more paperwork for you to sign. She also needs to feed very soon. Ideally, from Nino, since she’s been conditioned to Haruka’s blood throughout the gestation period. The sooner she grows accustomed to Nino’s blood as well, the easier it will be for the two of you to share feeding responsibilities.”
“How long will it take for her to adjust to me?” Nino asks, staring down at her. The soft rise and fall of the blanket and the blush of her cheeks.
“It depends on her, honestly,” Doctor Jae says. “She could accept you right away, or she could reject you and it takes a few weeks. We won’t know until you try.”
Nino frowns. “Reject me? I don’t like the way that sounds.”
“Not personally,” Jae says. “It isn’t like she’s blocking you on social media. It’s just that she’s used to one kind of thing, and a new thing may be a bit abrupt for her. But she’ll adjust. And maybe she’ll accept you right away?”
Exhaling, Nino nods. “Alright, I got it.”
“Thank you, Doctor Jae,” Haruka says, his aura still brimming with emotion. Glowing and blissful. “For everything. Truly.”
“It’s my pleasure. This is a dream come true for me as well. Thank you for trusting me.” Jae turns, walking toward the door with the nurse slightly ahead of him. “Let us know when you’re ready to go or if you have any questions. I’ll be in my office. And congratulations!”
“Thank you, Jae.” Nino grins, waving as the doctor and nurse leave the three of them alone.
The three of them. A new family unit. Nino takes a breath and turns to Haruka. “Can I hold her?” Haruka nods, then gestures for Nino to take her in his arms. He does, carefully accepting her like a precious and fragile gift. Just as he settles the blanketed weight of her against his chest, she stirs. He gasps as her eyes slowly flutter open. Soon, she’s glancing up at him with light blush-colored eyes that are shaped like large almonds.
“Oh… hello,” Nino whispers. To his amazement, a tiny smile flashes on her mouth, and then it’s gone. Her eyes blink and close once more. Nino looks up at Haruka. “Did you see that?”
“I did.” Haruka smiles, his hand resting at Nino’s waist as he stands in front of him. “Since she is rousing, you could try to feed her now?”
Nino nods. “Let me wash my hands.” He gently hands Nami back to Haruka, goes over to the sink and turns on the faucet. He’s read many of Haruka’s books and even talked to Sora about feeding a newborn vampire. They won’t develop their own fangs for a while, so both he and Haruka will have to bite themselves in order to feed her—usually in the crook of the finger or on their fingertip while the baby is small. Their palm as the child gets older.
Stalking back toward his mate and daughter, Nino rolls his shoulders. “Alright, I got this.”
Haruka chuckles. “It isn’t a difficult task.”
“But it’s weird, Haru. Alright? I’m feeding someone new… this kid.”
“Ourkid. And you feed me all the time?”
“That’s totally different. Don’t talk about that right now.” He has the sudden, strange urge to cover her ears, like, “Your father and I never do that sort of thing, don’t be silly.”
He brings the crook of his finger to his mouth, wills his fangs out and bites down. When he pulls his finger from his lips, there are two small pools of blood there. He raises an eyebrow. “I don’t think I’ve ever bitten myself until this moment.”
“Lots of firsts today,” Haruka says, smiling.
“Have you bitten yourself before?” Nino asks, settling his finger against the baby’s mouth.
Haruka shrugs, watching him. “Most likely. When I was younger and out of curiosity. I think most vampires do this at some point.”
