After they'd worked out the small details of how to get the younger kids to school, what their current schedules were, and let Kiri know the outline of their eldest son's plans, Kiri's sister and brother in law left.

The eldest sibling was in his last year of highschool, like Hikaru, and had decided to stay home alone. He was too busy with his own classes and activities to take care of his younger siblings during the week. Kiri's brother in law had promised, "but if we're gone that long, he said he'll take care of them on the weekend."

Hikaru had quietly, and with a blush like fire, scooped up the condom wrapper as she'd sat to listen to the arrangements, and she quickly carried it to the trash as soon as they were gone.

After her parents were gone, Chisaki turned to her uncle and Hikaru and asked with disgust, "How could you do that?"

Hikaru returned a neutral expression to her accusing glare.

Her uncle gave a calm reply of, "Do what?" 

Chisaki incredulously demanded of Hikaru directly, "How can you have sex with an old man?" And before Hikaru could frame a reply, Chisaki told her uncle, "And you having sex with a high school girl, it is disgusting!"

Hikaru snapped at her, "It's not disgusting!"

"Hikaru," Kiri began, but Hikaru walked over and touched her finger to his lips and then turned back to Chisaki.

"It was so embarrassing that I couldn't breathe, when you and your family walked in on us, but Kiri has never done anything disgusting to me." Hikaru blushed before the stares of all three siblings.

Kiri chuckled and told them, "Hikaru will be your aunt soon, we're getting married this summer, so you may as well get used to it."

The youngest, who was in his first year of school, Yuehe, asked shyly, "Should I call you oba-chan?"

Startled Hikaru looked down at the child and then questioningly to Kiri. Kiri shrugged and said, "It's between you two."

Hikaru rubbed her neck and replied seriously, "Yue-kun you may, but I won't tell you that you have to."

Mizuki, Chisaki's younger brother who had been present when Hikaru had seen the poster of her father, said cheerfully, "You still look more like a nii-san than an onee-san, but I don't mind calling you oba-chan right away."

Chisaki declared, "I am not ever calling you oba-chan!" 

Hikaru laughed and replied, "You don't have to."

Chisaki glared and asked, "Are you even any older than I am?"

Hikaru offered her birthday and Chisaki discovered that Hikaru was just a little over a year older, but then discovered she was two grades ahead.

"That's not fair, Chisaki complained.

Kiri asked, "Have you all had supper? Do you still have homework to finish tonight?"

His nephews admitted that they'd eaten out with their parents on the way over. 

Kiri cursed his sister silently, when Hikaru looked at him curiously he whispered, "She could have called me to let me know they were coming if they stopped to eat."

She made a face at him, but Chisaki asked mockingly before Hikaru spoke, "Shouldn't you worry about your fiance's homework first?"

Kiri gave Chisaki a measuring look and replied honestly, "No, if I'm interfering in Hikaru's homework too much, she tells me to stop."

"Oji-chan!" exclaimed Chisaki, outraged. 

Kiri looked at his niece and a smile quivered at the corners of his mouth as he replied seriously, "I was just asking. Frankly, you're old enough that if you decide you'd rather fail than do your homework on your own, I don't care if you fall another year behind Hikaru."

Chisaki gasped and exclaimed with outrage, "I am old enough! I should have been allowed to stay home with onii-chan!"

Kiri regarded her seriously and asked, "And do you know why you weren't?"

Chisaki grimaced and declared with exasperation, "Because oka-san is over protective!"

Kiri asked mockingly, in much the same tone Chisaki had used earlier, "So you didn't ask me to rescue you a few weeks back, and you didn't need Hikaru to carry you out of a bar?"

"That was one time!" she protested. 

Kiri looked at her calmly and replied, "But it scared your mother. She doesn't need to be worrying about how you're behaving while your grandmother is dying."

"Kiri," Hikaru protested. He looked at her and, embarrassed, she said, "It may be true, but, but you don't need to say it like that to her."

He kissed her lightly and ran his hand through his hair and then turned back to his niece and said, "Hikaru is right. I'm sorry. If you feel like homework and school are too much right now, we'll talk about it and I'll see if you can take a day off school."

Chisaki watched them with embarrassment, then bit her lip and replied, "I don't need to, we really have known it was going to happen soon, and I want to save my days off for after it's over."

"OK," Kiri agreed.

--

After Mizuki, Chisaki and Hikaru were settled at the table finishing their various homework, Kiri folded out the couch and brought out two folded foam futons that he'd unearthed from his office. 

Hikaru stared and asked, "Where did you have those stored?"

He shrugged and replied, "At the end of the filing cabinets under the stacks of old folders. I really should sort those and throw a bunch of stuff out and file the rest."

When they finished with their work, he moved the table into the office, and laid out the beds.

--

When they curled up in bed after the kids were settled, Kiri kissed her and Hikaru laid her hand against his chest and said uncomfortably, "Kiri."

He sighed and let go of her, though he complained, "I was really looking forward to tonight. It's just one thing after another."

She laughed and replied, "Kiri, that's how my life has always been I think. From one emergency or project to the next. Isn't that normal?"

He sighed and thought about it for a minute, then agreed, "Not always emergencies, but jobs and projects, yeah…"

She grinned and whispered, "Life's not fair, where's our obligatory hot spring episode, where it's all just silly fun for awhile?"

Kiri's eyes brightened and he turned to look at her and said, "I could arrange that!"

Hikaru laughed and asked lightly, "Is that how we'll spend our honeymoon then?"

Kiri took her hand and kissed her fingertips and replied, "I was actually hoping to take you somewhere tropical."

Hikaru whispered, "Kiri… I want to wait to get my passport until after we get married. Can we do that for our one year anniversary instead?"

"Why?" he asked with surprise. 

She blushed and replied, "Because it will say that I'm married." After a moment she added, "I know it's silly."

He pulled her close and murmured, "I love you when you're silly." He kissed her. "We can do that." He kissed her again. "Which hotspring should we honeymoon at then?" 

She kissed him and replied, "Your favorite?"

He kissed her again and said a little hesitantly, "My favorite is kind of remote and really quiet, you might not enjoy it."

Hikaru wriggled up against him and kissed along his jaw and bit his ear, he groaned and she whispered, "It'll be our honeymoon Kiri, what do you think I'm planning to do besides you?"

He rolled her onto her back and didn't answer with words. But they tried to be quiet.