Author's Notes:
Blah emphasized words
"Blah" dialogue
BLAH really loud words
//blah// time reference
~*~*~ scene change
 

"Daddy?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Where do babies come from?"

Koushiro completely stopped typing at his computer console
and turned to look at his seven-year old daughter who was looking up
at him with large, sloe eyes. A type of innocent curiosity burned in
those deep depths as his little girl waited patiently for him to
supply an answer for her question.

Her question was simple enough, but there wasn't exactly a
simple answer.

Licking his dry lips, Koushiro mentally raced to find
something to say.

He opened his mouth and then closed it again, not knowing
what to say. He was at a loss for words.

"Well, daddy?"

Suddenly Koushiro wished he hadn't encouraged his daughter's
quest for knowledge as he looked back down at the face of the little
girl before him.

Her fine, red eyebrows were slightly furrowed in childish
concentration as she waited. Her upturned face was a bit red from
playing outside, and her fiery hair was pulled back in two pigtails
held by carefully tied yellow ribbons.

She was clothed in a pair of jean overalls that had little
yellow bumbling bees sewn on all over. The checkered yellow shirt
that she wore underneath the overalls had a large stain on it from
something Koushiro knew would be a hassle to get out.

"Daddy?" the red haired girl prodded, placing a small hand
onto her father's thigh.

How could he not answer her??

Then a wonderful, no PRODIGIOUS, idea came to mind.

Grinning inwardly, Koushiro scooted back and stood up, taking
his daughter's hand into his own, and leading her out of the room.

"Where we going?" the little girl asked as she waddled along
side her father - usually Daddy just told her the answer - this was
something entirely new. Daddy had never brought her somewhere when
she asked what something was.

But maybe Daddy was taking her to the place where babies came
from!

"We're just going to see Papa. He'll know how to explain it
better than Daddy can," Koushiro replied to the question as they made
their way down the hallway to the living room where Jyou was reading
the paper while nursing a cup a coffee.

Upon entering the room, Jyou looked up and smiled at the
image he saw.

Koushiro, dressed in a pair of form-fitting khakis and a
maroon button up shirt, was holding hands with their seven-year old
daughter who had the same fire-red hair as her Daddy.

"Papa!!" the child yelled happily as she let go of her
Daddy's hand and ran to her Papa.

Quickly setting down the newspaper and the orange mug, Jyou
opened his arms and received the blur of red, blue, and yellow.
"Hello Kasumi!" Jyou laughed as he dropped a kiss on the
little girl's nose. She gave him a grin that showed off the two
missing teeth that she had lost last week.

"I thought you were outside playing, what brings you in
here?" Jyou asked as smoothed back the messy tawny bangs that fell
into Kasumi's large eyes.

"She had a question, and I, erm, thought you would like to
explain this one. Go ahead Kasumi," Koushiro supplied as he took a
seat on the love seat opposite of where Jyou and Kasumi were
sitting.

Jyou looked curiously at his love wondering what in the world
Koushiro meant. The redhead usually supplied the answers for their
daughter's never-ending questions.

Looking back at his little princess, Jyou wondered idly what
this question could be.

He would soon find out.

"Where do babies come from, Papa?" Kasumi asked for the
second time of the day.

Jyou spared a glance at Koushiro who had a small smirk on his
face as he raised his eyebrows, silently prompting Jyou to answer the
question.

"Why do you ask, Kasumi?" Jyou queried, as he returned his
attention back to the little girl on his lap.

"Oh, my friend Kotori got a little sister yesterday and she
said that her mommy said that the stork brought him to their house.
But another girl called Akemi said that babies don't come from the
stork. She said that they came from a cabbage patch that was behind
the rainbow. So I got confused. Daddy said that you knew," Kasumi
replied happily, hoping that she would finally get an answer.

"Oh… I see… well, Kasumi… you see…" Jyou started,
looking hesitantly at his daughter, trying to find the right words to say.

He didn't want to lie to her, but how was he going to explain
where a baby really came from to a seven-year old girl?

Shooting Koushiro a pleading look, Jyou was only met with a
slight shrug of the shoulders and a mischievous smile.

The said redhead then got up and mumbled something about
having to finish up a report before quickly exiting room, leaving
Jyou with the responsibility of answering the question all by himself.

Making a mental note of returning Koushiro's favor, Jyou set
Kasumi beside him on the couch and began to explain the rules of
the 'birds and the bees.'

~*~*~*~

//Several minutes later//

"Daddy, Daddy!! Papa told me where babies came from! Boy,
Kotori and Akemi are going to be surprised!" Kasumi cried out as she
ran into the computer room, nearly tripping over the cuffs of her
overalls.

"Oh really? What did Papa tell you?" Koushiro asked,
genuinely interested in how Jyou had managed to explain where babies
came from to their daughter.

"Babies come from something called 'the birds and the bees!'
So does that mean if I go and get some birds and bees, I'll get a
little baby brother or sister??" Kasumi explained breathlessly,
excited about the prospect of having a little sibling.

Koushiro didn't know what to say, he was too busy keeping
himself from laughing.

His little girl thought that babies came from birds and bees
instead of something that was the product of 'the birds and the bees.'
This was just too ironic.

Finally giving up, Koushiro let out a chuckle and nodded his
head at the little girl who was glowing with anticipation.
"We'll see Kasumi, we'll see. Just don't go and collect
birds and bees, Papa and I will do that. Now go and start the water
for your bath. I'll be up there in a minute," Koushiro said as he
grinned at his daughter who let out a squeal of happiness as she
bounded off to get ready for her bath, chanting rather loudly that
she was getting a baby brother or sister.

A few minutes after turning back to the report he was just
finishing up, Koushiro felt two arms wrap around him, pulling him
back against a comforting warmth.

Silky locks cascaded about Koushiro's slender neck, tickling
the sensitive skin there. Then, a skilled mouth found the tender
spot at the junction at the base of his neck, and began to exploit
it, rendering the red-haired boy breathless.

"Wh… What was… that for?" Koushiro made out between gasps.

"That wasn't very nice, Kou-kun. You've been a bad boy, and
I'm going to make sure you're going to pay for that little stunt
tonight," Jyou whispered huskily into Koushiro's ear before releasing
his husband and walking purposely from the room and disappearing into
their room to devise Koushiro's "punishment."

Closing his eyes as he shivered at the prospect of what was
to come, Koushiro took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

Quickly saving his report and closing the computer, Koushiro
made his way to the bathroom where Kasumi was already splashing water
all over the tiled floor, as she played with her rubber ducky.

She grinned at her Daddy as he came in and helped her wash;
and to Kasumi's delight, effectively getting him soaked in the
process.

And as she chattered happily about how helpful Papa was with
her question, little did Kasumi know that her Daddy was going to get
his own "lesson" on 'the birds and the bees.'

~End~