John Baptiste. [powered_otaku]

[sweetsalome]

        It's one of those perfect summer days, one that isn't too hot, too humid. Right after a hard, cold rain, that cools everything down and leaves just enough moisture in the reserves for when the sun shines high over head. Salome's Grandparent's house sits on three acres of land, enough for a great back and front yard, but not enough to be considered country. Far back away from the road, it rests on top of a slight incline, that is just right for sledding when the snow falls in the winter. Two stories tall, it's painted white with blue shutters, that get repainted every two years, a task that her grandfather complains about, but always does proudly. There is a front porch and a back porch, maybe some years ago they were connected, but it seems someone had gotten rid of it years before.

On the back porch there is a swing, it's chain rusted and when it rocks back and forth it squeaks. Not an annoying squeak, but steady and simple, it's sound changing with the back and forth movements. It's one of the things on grandpa's to do list, but never seems to get done. There are four old apple trees a few feet away from the back porch, in the spring their leaves turn dark and about mid-summer the married couple talk at great length over what is the perfect time to pick the fruit. In the end, their largest issue is what to do with the apples they don't eat, turn into preserves, or bake into pies. The setting is idyllic, and for the most part, so is life in the Snyder house.

But like most things the exterior does not match the interior.  The Snyder's have an almost rabid hatred for anything to do with Liam Collins, and who can blame them?  The man took away their daughter, and through lengthy court custody battles, have left them with very little money to survive.  Despite the fact that they can't get a third year law student to look at their case, they still hold out hope that they will one day have their daughter back.  It's painfully obvious, and a weakness that is easily exploited.

       This morning, Salome and Jonba sit on the back porch with finger paints and large sheets of paper.  An old book with pictures of paintings sits propped up on the railing.  Salome is trying to convince the boy to make a painting like the vase of flowers in the book.  The boy needless to say is having none of it.  He is much happier smacking his multi-colored hands down on the paper, or just rubbing his chubby fingers around in circles in globs of paint.  Painting is just not a talent that the Collins possess, clearly.  It doesn't seem to matter, the boy is laughing and having a great time of it.

Comments

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro grins hearing the Japanese. He hopes to teach it to both of them so they can all understand each other better. "You are a very smart boy!" He brings him down, almost to his chest and lets him hover a few minutes before he's got him flying again.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Salome watches the two of them with such love and happiness, she can't believe that she found him. Jonba clearly adores the older man, and Hiro appears to enjoy playing with the little boy. At that moment, as Jonba tells Hiro for the tenth time to go down again, she realizes that he's going to be an amazing father. It shocks her to realize that they could one day have a child together.

"Tobe yo!" Jonba cries, his new favorite words even though he has no idea what it means.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro has always wanted children. The world is so wonderful through their eyes. Children are a delight to be cherished and nutured until they can fly on their own. "Are you ready for a cookie?" His arms are starting to get tired. That's another thing he has to remember. Children take a lot of energy.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Jonba his a little breathless and now tired he nods and puts his head down on Hiro's chest. He seems rather content to lay there and suck on his fingers, his eyelids heavy. Salome reaches over and lightly brushes Hiro's hair away from his forehead. "Would you like something to drink?"

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"That sounds very good." He sits up with Jonba so that he's still leaning against Hiro. He figures the cookie is probably going to wait as he watches Jonba try to stay up. But he's at that age where children are either running around like maniacs or dead asleep and often going from one to the other extreme in seconds.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"Poor boy, you wore him out!" Handing him a bottle of water, she smiles at Jonba. The boy snuggles contentedly up against his chest, and soon he's dozing easily. Taking her own bottle of water, she takes a long drink of her water and sits cross legged.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro hugs him a little, not wanting to wake him up. He takes a drink from the bottle. "He has much energy. Ah, to have so much again."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"He will wear you out, that's for sure." Moving behind him, she starts to rub his back gently, nails scratching him through his shirt. "You are wonderful with him."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"He is a wonderful little boy. I cannot bear the thought of that monster raising him." Protective instincts are rising up. As soon as the bastard is free, he will put his plan in motion.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"He won't, not with you around, you'll be his father." Her legs go around him as she kisses the back of his neck. After a little bit of silence she rubbed his shoulders. "If you want to be."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Of course I want to be. I cannot imagine him not being with us. I would...like to adopt him after we get married, so he has our name."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"John Baptiste Nakamura, that is one heck of a name." Still, she's grinning broadly against his neck, ecstatic.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"I like it. It has a certain nobility about it."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"It reminds me of some sort of Jesuit priest going over to Japan to spread Christianity. In the end he falls in love with a native and they have a child together."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"And they live happily ever after." He likes that ending. "Do you want to live here or in Japan? I am certain I can convince my sister to make me the head of the New York office if you want to stay here."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"Happily ever after," she agrees as her cheek rests on his shoulder. Silent for a moment she thinks about the question, it's something she has thought about, a lot. "I need to finish school, after school we can move, if you'd like."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Then I will ask oneesan for the New York office. Jonba can stay with your grandparents during the day until you are finished with your classes." He figures that her grandparents will just love to spoil the little boy rotten.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Jonba stirs in Hiro's arms, yawning before turning and going back to sleep. Salome watches the boy for a minute making sure he's okay before speaking. "I think that would be a wonderful idea, but I don't want to put you out or make things hard for you." That's the last thing she wants, he's so good to her, she desperately doesn't want to be a burden.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"It will not put me out. My sister will be more than happy to have me out of her hair and I will be happy to spend more time in New York." He looks into Jonba's sleeping face - such a little angel.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Nodding she relaxes a little bit against his back and closes her eyes. Licking her lips she takes a deep breath before broaching the next subject. Taking a drink of water she finds her courage. "One day, when Jonba is older, would you want to have a child with me?"

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro smiles hugely. "Of course! When Jonba is older and you have finished school, we will have a little one. Give Jonba a brother or sister." He leans his head back onto her shoulder. "And then we will have 2 beautiful children. We will love them so much."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Laughing breathlessly, she wraps an arm around him to hug him tightly, pressing her face to his shoulder. For a long time she can't say anything, her eyes sting with tears but she doesn't cry. Every lie her father told her was slowly starting to crumble. "My dad told me no one would ever want to love me, to marry me, or even have children with me. Especially if they knew what I was, thank you, Hiro, thank you."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Every time he hears the things her father has told her about how worthless she is in his view, it makes him want to kill him slowly. "Your father is wrong. So very wrong. I love you. We will get married and we will have children. You will be a beautiful bride."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"You make me so happy, I - I really don't even have the words." Lifting her head, she looks at him, her eyes sad even as she smiles at him. "I love you, otosan, I will be the perfect wife for you." Leaning close she kisses him tenderly.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Kasan, I will love you always. And we will have lovely children and days on the beach. You will be famous in the art world. And when we retire, we will live on a beautiful beach where our children will bring their children for vacations or when they want a vacation from the kids."