A/N: The song is "Lullaby of Takeda [Takeda No Komoriuta], Japanese Folk Song - The Red Birds [Akai Tori]" which is a popular song in Kyoto.

Many weeks had passed by and during that time the Sakata household pulled together as a family in balancing between running Koyo Sakata Onsen, taking Kaishi back and forth to his doctor appointments and Mitch's work...he even allowed Kora to watch over little Jayde while he went to work at the clinic each day. At first he had to tear himself away, feeling like he was trapped in a tug of war with in himself each time he had to leave, but he knew he had to work...to give her a better life. It was Anji and Kora who were able to soothe his unease at leaving Jayde there...both promising to call him on his breaks or if something came up which allowed him to breath a bit easier as he left. Throughout the day he would call to listen to her and hear about the day, which would ease his worries...periodically he would receive pictures or short videos of Jayde and a lot of Akio with her. There was one specific one where she was laying in a bouncy chair and Akio was cuddled up next to her kissing her cheek which made her smile...it reminded him of Ana and he had to choke back the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes. It seemed as if little Akio had bonded with Jayde for everywhere she went he was definitely not far behind...like the little lamb in that old children's song "Mary had a little lamb". Little Akio may seem like a lamb for how sweet and goofy he acted but whenever Jayde became distressed he became a totally different puppy...he was like a tiny lion as he growled at whatever caused his girl to scream out... until her dilemma was solved once again.

 Watching how each day those two were bonding so tightly would fill Mitch's heart with tenderness, knowing his niece had such a loyal companion in Akio. During these weeks Mitch also got to see how Jayde was bonding with the entire Sakata family...Kora and Kaishi both acted like doting grandparents to the little girl with the way they cooed at her and showed Mitch how to take care of her better. He saw how Kaihei, Kiri, Jirou and Tarou all acted as if this was their own little sister or niece...all fighting to steal Jayde away from one another so they could cuddle the tiny girl to them. He knew others would view this as usurping his place as Jayde's caregiver, but Mitch could only see how well loved the girl was and how happy she was being surrounded by such kind people. The one person though that Jayde preferred out of the entire Sakata family was Anji...he was her favorite of them all. Yes Kaishi and Kora were great as grandparent role models...yes Kaihei, Kiri, Jirou and Tarou were awesome at making her feel like family...but the one who drew out the biggest smiles was Anji. She would kick her little legs and wave her hands in delight every time him or Mitch came around her. Mitch believed the reason why she gravitated towards Anji was because he was there at night to hold her in his arms whenever she became distressed...along with Mitch who also yearned for the comfort the older man brought to them both. For some reason the little girl refused to sleep at night unless both men were surrounding her where she could feel their skin and hear their heartbeats...playing a drumbeat lullaby in her ears.

At first Mitch was concerned about her needing to sleep with him AND Anji, but after Kora told him Jayde probably felt stressed because of how she was born early and required him to feel more secure, his worries eased a bit. Another reason Mitch was feeling nervous at bedtime was his other sleeping companion who unknowingly made it hard for him to sleep...literally, Mitch was hard below every night. Hearing Anji's deep breaths and feeling the touch of his hand upon his stirred the desire deep inside of him making him yearn for more than just a simple touch of his hand. As he laid there next to his niece and Anji, his mind would wander to all the possibilities that could be open to them if Jayde was sleeping in her own bed. 

The way Anji would sound when Mitch touched that smooth chest...teasing those dusky nipples with his fingers or with his tongue making the man gasp in pleasure. The way Anji would taste upon his tongue when Mitch would take that length , hidden within those loose pants he wore each day, into his hot wet mouth. He would imagine that Anji's essence would taste slightly salty and a bit bitter upon his tongue when he finally released into Mitch's wet cavern... or he would imagine how tight Anji would feel wrapped around his aching shaft. Maybe Anji would allow Mitch to release deep inside of his tight channel without any barrier between them...soaking up the hot spent inside in hopes of being bred by Mitch's virile seed. This thought alone featured prominently in a lot of his personal fantasies ..the desire to cum deep inside his lover...filling him up until his insides were over flowing with his seed that was so potent it would impregnate his lover and create a child within. Mitch knew it was impossible to impregnate another man...if it actually happened he most likely would mentally freak out a little bit, but on the other hand he loved that image. To see your lover swollen with your child...proof of virility and the love you both shared was a tremendous turn on for him and he wished he could find someone who shared this little kink of his...maybe Anji would be okay with it.

Just the these desires alone would make him tremble slightly and bite back the moan crawling up his throat to be heard in the silent room. Each time his mind began to fantasize about Anji and him, he would feel himself hardening within his own sleep pants and it would become painful to the point he either would have to adjust it or go to the bathroom to take care of the problem. The first time he moved away to go take care of himself in private, little Jayde would begin to whimper and he had to lay back down to comfort her...from that day on he had to try staying still and focus on making his arousal die down. Every time he had to do so, he would be disgusted with himself for even thinking such lewd thoughts around his niece...it had to be wrong somewhere, having such obscene fantasies about Anji with Jayde resting between them. Each morning he would groan loudly at this frustrating predicament he found himself in...it didn't help at all that when he looked over at the older man on the other side of the bed he could see the same look in Anji's eyes..one of bridled desire darkening those brown eyes, before he turned over to get up himself. In some way it was a relief that he was not alone in his hunger for the other...but he knew if this craving for one another was not quenched soon then one of them was going to exploded from all the repressed passion between them. That day finally came almost six weeks after she came home when life seemed to be moving along perfectly.

It was a bright Friday morning when Mitch was working at the clinic dealing with several injuries some athletes had acquired this rainy time of the month. It seems Japan had an extremely rainy season that occurs between the months of June and July , which causes more people to either get sick with summer colds or injure themselves as they tried to dodge the rain without any true success. Today seemed to be beautiful and not rainy, which was a very nice change compared to the last few days...not to hot, but still warm enough that it made you want to venture outside to soak in some warm rays into your body. As Mitch was wrapping up a elderly man's ankle, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket which he ignored for the time being, until shortly after he was able to go on break to see the message that was sent.    

https://youtu.be/B27yQMuTHWc

It was a short video of Kora holding Jayde in her arms while Kaishi and Akio was reclining upon his bed resting after some therapy he had undergone the day before. This video of the four of them was so beautiful and sweet that it made him  want to watch it all day...listening to the sweet melody Kora's voice made as she sang to the little girl in her arms while Kaishi and Akio lounged close by to listen to her. He realized it was Anji who was covertly recording the scene for him and he wanted to thank him for this endearing video he now had. Quickly he called Anji's phone and within a few rings he answered it...there was a smile in his voice.

"Konichiwa Mitch (hello). How's your day going today?" there was the sounds of rustling going on over the line, but judging by Anji's tone he wasn't to busy to talk.

"It's good...this weather makes me want to be outside with you and Jayde...maybe having a picnic together." He chuckled softly, but there was a note of wistfulness within the sound that Anji could easily hear.

"Yeah, me too. So...did you get the message I sent shortly ago?" Anji sounded excited about the video he took.

"Hai (yes). I loved it. Domo arigato (thank you very much). It was beautiful Anji. What is it called?"his voice dropped a little bit as he gazed at a picture on the wall that was of a beautiful Japanese garden  with hints of a soft mist kissing the flowers goodbye as it began to melt away from the rising dawn. Something about it appealed to Mitch on such an intimate level that he felt a longing to see this sight with Anji who's deep voice was still talking to him on the phone.

"It's an old lullaby kachan (mother) used to sing to us when we went to sleep. It's called Takeda No Komoriuta. The translation of it is very sad because it is about a poor girl who comforts herself about her miserable life. One day she is forced to serve a rich family on the other side of the mountain with a baby upon her back. It goes like this...

* I would hate babysitting beyond Bon Festival. The snow  begins to fall and the baby cries. How can I be happy when even Bon Festival is here? I don't have nice clothes or a sash to wear. This child continues to cry and is mean to me. Every day I grow thinner. I would quickly depart here and go back. In the distance I can see my parents home. In the distance , I can see my parents home.*

"Hai, that is sad. I think I prefer the original version better...it sounds beautiful when your mother sang it." he could hear the agreeing smile in Anji's voice and it made heat bloom inside at the thought of one being there.

"I'll tell her that but first...I wanted to know..." suddenly his deep voice became hesitant as if nervous about something. "...Uhmm...kachan is offering to watch Jayde tonight and I thought maybe...you know...might want to...you know, uhmm..possibly go on a date with me." he sounded unsure and very anxious about what Mitch's answer would be.

Mitch stood there in the break room with surprise written upon his face because he understood why Anji was nervous. Several nights ago as they both laid there facing one another with Jayde in between them, they decided to talk a little bit about their past. Somewhere during their hushed conversation the subject of that horrific Valentines Day night back in college came up...by the time Anji was done telling him that tale, Mitch felt the overwhelming urge to pull Anji into his arms to ease the painful memories of what he had to endure while whispering a promise to protect him from this ever happening again. He knew that was impossible since there was a slumbering angel blocking him from doing so, but could hold one of Anji's hands within his own and it seemed it was enough by the smile turned his way...for now. So hearing Anji asking him out on a date was an enormous step for the older man...it took alot of courage to face his fears about allowing another to get close to him again. The sound of Anji clearing his throat in nervousness shook Mitch out of his surprise and he swiftly blurted out his answer.

"Yes!..Hai!...of course I would love to go with you tonight." there was a happy relieved sigh on the line. " So....Where you taking me tonight?" Mitch could not help how giddy he felt that inside in the knowledge that they were going to get a little bit of private time together finally.

"Let it be a surprise. I'll... pick you up at your door around 7 PM tonight...give you time to freshen yourself up." that deep voice turned a bit dark and seductive which made Mitch's lungs stop working as tendrils of heat spiraled downwards and brought about a stirring within his pants. With a groan, Mitch had to quickly adjust himself as discreetly as possible...praying that he would be able to will his erection away before he had to go back from break....the sound of Anji's chuckle did not help in anyway and Mitch bit back his growl. "I will see you at 7...have a...nice day. Hopefully, it's not to...hard for you. Ja ne (bye)." the line went silent suddenly and Mitch stared incredulously at his phone as he let a curse slip from his mouth.

"Damn that man." his little problem seemed to get a bit harder to deal with and he grabbed a bag of ice out of the freezer that was normally for patients and settled it over his ache that was protruding his pants outwards, with a low hiss of pain at the chill from the bag. It was not long before his shaft settled back down and he was about to return the bag back to the freezer when the door to the room opened up quickly to admit one of his colleagues.

"Nee Mitch-san (hey)...are you about to use that? I need one quickly for one of my patients." she rushed over to him and he handed over the bag to her...hoping if she noticed his reddening cheeks, she wouldn't ask any questions about it. His prayers were answered for without any pause she took the cold wrap from him and ran out the door with it...not hearing his relieved sigh.

~Dios(God)...that was close. Few seconds sooner and she would have caught me using it in a very inappropriate manner. Try explaining that one..."Pardon me while I put the tent in my pants on ice."~ with a soft laugh he walked out the door to go back to work...5 O'Clock couldn't come soon enough for him.

                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*SEVERAL HOURS LATER*

The sky was darkening outside over the Sakata home when the tapping on the door alerted Mitch that the time had finally arrived for him to go on his date with Anji. Quickly he adjusted his shirt as he approached the door, trying to tamp down the nervous jitters coursing through his body and slide it open to reveal the man on the other side. There stood Anji looking like he just stepped out of a erotic fantasy movie that featured him as the naughty school teacher who was about to give a lesson on the finer points of classroom etiquette. Those dark locks of his were perfectly styled back in a sleek coif that made Mitch's fingers itch to run through the thick strands and cause them to go in disarray from his touch...making him look less in control of whatever he was teaching and more like he was barely curbing his desire to not take his student's body so lustfully. Sitting upon his elegant face was a pair of reading glasses, that he knew Anji used when not wearing his contacts, perched perfectly upon his aquiline nose that added to this image making Anji appear more like the stern instructor who would carry a ruler in hand...ready to swat his wayward, disobedient student with it in any way he felt needed. Trailing his blue eyes down, Mitch saw Anji was wearing a black suit with a maroon tie to add a faint bit of color to his sinful ensemble...seeing Anji looking like this made Mitch's blood heat up and a growl slipped out as his desire to take this man rose higher. The sound of Mitch's desire made those brown eyes twinkle in humor as he smiled at the stunned man. 

Standing there for only a few moments smirking, Anji's brown eyes took in the slightly more muscular , younger man's appearance and he could feel tendrils of desire coiling inside of him along with the fluttering of nerves, at how gorgeous this man was. A part of him wanted to just forgo the dinner and instead dine on this scrumptious looking feast of man before him. Tonight Mitch was dressed up in a ruby red shirt with a black vest over it that accentuated the breadth of his chest and allowed a teasing amount of hair upon it to peek through the opened collar. His brown eyes practically caressed their way down, taking in how well fitted those black pants looked upon Mitch...hugging those rounded cheeks of his backside so exquisitely that Anji felt his mouth water at the sight. He suddenly felt himself beginning to become aroused and his slacks started to feel tight and pinching upon him...a low groan vibrated in his throat and he tried to cover it up with a cough.

"Ah-hmm...Are you..uhhmm...about ready?" his deep smooth voice echoed out towards Mitch who with a gulp nodded at him...then blushed when Anji held out his arm like a gentleman towards Mitch who took the offering before him. They both walked down the hallway towards where the rest of the family were sitting at, about to have their dinner...Mitch saw Jayde in her cradle like chair between Kora and Kaishi with a bottle in her mouth as she sucked away at the warm milk. The moment they entered the room there was a pair of wolf whistles from the twins before Kora gave both boys a look that stopped them. With a blushing smile, Mitch let go of Anji's arm and went over to Jayde to kiss her on her head.

"You look nice musuko (son). Very handsome." Kora smiled at Mitch who returned it back with a faint tinge of pink to his cheeks.

"now, both you boys don't worry about ojousama (princess) here. She will be fine till the morning...so you both just enjoy yourselves and don't worry about anything." Kaishi's voice seemed strong tonight which reassured Mitch that everything was going to be fine and they could relax for the evening.

"Domo arigato otousan (thank you father). If you need either of us, I will keep my phone on in case of emergency." Anji patted his jacket to make sure he did have it on him before holding out his hand towards Mitch who took it and with a wave both men left out the door on their date. The entire way to the place, Anji was taking them for their date, he was a gentleman...first by opening the car door for Mitch and handing him inside before going over to his own side to drive them to this mysterious place which happened to be a very nice restaurant called The Fortune Garden Kyoto.

They pulled up to what looked like a large hotel building , all gray-white stone on the outside...but what laid within was anything such. The restaurant was large with many table settings that were already filled up with many patrons which gave evidence to how good the food was. As they entered a young man greeted them...asking if they had reservations, which Anji confirmed ~we do~ and with elegant poise, they were both shown to their seats which was outside next to a koi pond that meandered amidst a lush bamboo grove with soft overhead lighting casting a romantic glow on those dining in the open air cafe style garden. It was all very stunning to Mitch as he gazed around at this beautiful yet very romantic setting...aware of those dark brown eyes twinkling in delight at the captivated look upon the young mans face.

"Anji...this place....it's beautiful." with a smile Mitch reached over and ran his fingers upon the older man's hand...a warm tingle raced along his skin and he could tell from the faint pink along those slender cheeks that Anji felt it also. With a smile at him, Anji turned his hand over to take Mitch's warm hand into his own as he spoke where he softly stroked along the back of it.

"Anata to wa hibubekumonai (not as beautiful as you) Mitch. You look...oishii (tasty)." on the last word Anji's voice sounded sinfully seductive which made his blood heat up with desire. There was heat within those brown eyes that held a promise of more to come tonight...if, Mitch was desiring it as much as Anji was and judging by how those blue eyes darkened as the young man gulped, he was pretty sure Mitch was on board with whatever Anji had in mind. Tendrils of desire coiled within both men as the knowledge of where this night may lead to and suddenly their appetite for food waned as their hunger for each other increased. Licking his lips, Anji debated on whether to change their dinner venue from here and back to the Sakata home where he could instead of feasting on high quality food prepared by a chef, he could instead feast on  a succulent plate of Mitch with a nice side of hot cum to fill up some empty places within him. The thought of doing that sent a shiver along his spine and a feeling of pressure below in his pants that made him squirm a bit in his seat. Taking a deep breath he began to calm himself down for he knew no matter how much the idea appealed to him ,  he wanted more than anything to treat Mitch to a romantic night...he deserved that. When one of Mitch's fingers moved to stroke along the pulse point of Anji's wrist, he felt like an electric shock blasted along his nerves and turned Anji's hunger into a blaze of desire where he felt his libido roaring out of control...it almost won until their server abruptly showed up with a pleasant smile upon his face, glancing down at their joined hands briefly before they broke apart.

"What can I get you two gentlemen this evening?" his voice was smooth as he spoke eloquently in Japanese, which Anji translated for Mitch. With a look at Mitch, Anji knew that he wanted him to order for them both...letting the older man take the lead this night.

"We both will have a beer...the watercress salad...and... whatever is the Chef's special this evening." Anji ordered and then handed over the menus back to the waiter who noted it all down in his book before taking his leave to give it to the chef in the back room. When the waiter left, Anji turned his attention back to Mitch who was looking at him to translate what he had ordered since both men had spoken in Japanese. " Hope everything I ordered was fine with you." his deep voice seemed a little apprehensive at what he had done. Quickly Mitch reached back over and took Anji's hand in his own to reassure him that everything was fine, knowing how Anji felt about taking charge.

"It is fine Anji. I am good with whatever you decide...and I mean...whatever." he gave the older man a flirty smile which did not help allay the lust stirring inside of them both but it did help with Anji's worries as he tightened his hold upon Mitch's hand as if it was his safety net that gave him the courage he needed. They both just sat there enjoying the soft breeze that was blowing enough to make the evening pleasant while savoring the feel of the others hand until their server brought their drinks to them...both attempting to quell the fluttering within them.

Watching the way the fireflies danced over the water and through the bamboo grove cast a feeling of enchantment over this night, making it seem as if anything they dared to dream of could happen this very night. Gazing pon his companion, Anji felt a warmth spread through him as he watched Mitch take a drink of the chilled beverage...seeing how that tawny throat worked each swallow he took...the way the golden liquid glistened upon his lip that made Anji tremble with the desire to lean across the table and lick it off those tantalizing lips. His hand, that was still resting comfortably within Mitch's own, shook slightly and alerted the other man to some of his lascivious thoughts because those ocean eyes focused upon his browns as a knowing smile settled onto those smirking lips. 

Mitch was very aware of those dark eyes tracking each movement he made as he drank from his glass and set it back down...the telling quiver of that slender hand and the way those brown eyes seemed to glaze over a bit then darkened whenever he swiped his tongue over his upper lip to gather the golden moisture up from off of it, all told Mitch of the desire pent up inside of the older man. Seeing Anji like this stirred up his wicked side and he could not resist tugging him closer by his hand as he inclined his body closer to the other man so no one could over hear his words...his blue eyes held a look of concern within their depths.

"Is something wrong querido (darling)? Are you cold? I can feel you shaking hermosa (beautiful). If it is to cool for you, I can ask if they can move us inside where it is warmer, or...." suddenly the troublesome look in his eyes disappeared and a impish glint rose up within as his voice dropped seductively lower. "... Maybe I need to find another way to warm you up...amor (love)." The moment Mitch whispered those words so seductively with a smirk upon his tantalizing lips, a electrified jolt shot straight down to his groin and he had to bite back the moan threatening to burst from his throat at the image that provocative voice conjured up. Anji's mind swirled around with visions of Mitch dragging him across that small table as he ripped the suit from his body to leave him exposed to those gathered around them, eyes. His filthy mind envisioned Mitch would then throw him face down across the pristine white clothed table, showing him Mitch's dominate side as Anji is made to face the reflective glass partition where the other diners within could see him. His brain summoned up the lustful images of what Mitch's voice was implying and offering....warming Anji up from the inside out with his thick shaft filling up his tight passage perfectly as the younger man pounded into Anji...claiming him where all could see that Anji belonged to Mitch fully. Those brief images darting across his mind had Anji gasping under his breath as his hand tightened upon Mitch's...feeling himself hardening painfully under the table. In that moment Anji was glad that the table cloth covered his lap from any eyes that peered his way as his hunger for Mitch rose up to the point he felt like he was going to explode from the intensity of it. It was the  knowing smirk upon that shadowed jawed face that helped Anji reign in his overly lusty desires...realizing Mitch knew full well what he was doing to Anji in that second. 

Taking a deep breath, Anji was able to subdue his lecherous libido and decided that two can play this provocative game Mitch had started. With a smile, Anji proceeded to tease and taunt Mitch into fighting to control his ardor over the course of dinner with each action  and every innuendo he made. It started off with their appetizer of watercress salad that was sprinkled with strawberries on top, where he plucked a strawberry off the top with his long chopsticks and slowly bit into it with a soft moan as the sweet juices spread across his tongue.

"Mmm.. the juices are very ...sweet and good...just like you kireina (beautiful)."  those blue eyes went wide at the sound and a blush bloomed on those shadowed cheeks...seeing the Latino man beginning to shift slightly in his seat made Anji smile. The next volley within this skirmish of sexual enticement was when their main meal came to their table which happened to be one of Anji's favorite foods and perfect in this game...sushi. The way the chef had prepared the tuna sushi was amazing as the well seasoned flesh caressed his tongue and glided exquisitely down his throat made Anji close his eyes as he savored the succulent flavor with a appreciative moan. Hearing the barely audible whimpered ~FUCK~ coming from Mitch, he let his eyes slip open again as he smiled so innocently at the man seated across from him. Taking notice of Mitch's chopsticks poised over the plate with nothing between them , Anji eagerly leaned over and plucked up a piece with his own to offer to the entranced man.

"Mitch, you must try this. It is very oishii (tasty)...so sinfully good." he let his already deep voice drop down into a seductive purr that went straight to Mitch's already hard shaft....making him wish he had worn something looser to accommodate the painful pressure below that was making him whimper in his seat. In that moment Mitch saw the game Anji was playing at and with a growl he leaned over to take the tasty morsel being offered to him between his pearly teeth...his blue eyes focusing intensely into Anji's browns. The heat he put into that single look was on the verge of being obscene  but he kept it a hairs breath with the boundaries of the public eye...but just barely. The rest of the meal went on like this back and forth, both men seducing the other with each look...each casual seeming touch until the shivery feeling of anticipation consumed them and neither man could take this game any more. Quickly Anji called the server over to pay his bill and then they both made a hasty exit...scarcely keeping themselves from running through the light drizzle out to the car in their hurry to get someplace more private.