Origami's Adjusment

Only three month had passed since Shido and Origami's child had been born, it was a boy they named Hiro, he had white hair and amber-brown eyes. Shido's brotherly nature made it much easier to be a father to his newborn son, but Origami had been alone most of her life and didn't completely understand how to act like a mother. Sure she could change a diaper, bathe him, and of course feed him, but she couldn't fully grasp how she was supposed to truly show motherly nature. In their small apartment which was just big enough for their small family the sound of a happy child is heard near constantly when Shido was home as Origami watched her husband play with their child with a large smile on his face as he did. He'd lift him up over the bed, play with the larger safer toys, and on occasion he'd even bottle feed the baby when Origami was out of the apartment getting something for dinner. Shido of course felt his wife was a wonderful mother and she felt warm when he said it, but also feels like she doesn't do enough for their child. In the middle of the night Origami laid awake knowing that in a little bit Hiro would start crying for a late night feeding. Shido was fast asleep and would have been woken up by the babies crying if Origami hadn't already heard him starting to cry and immediately reacted to prevent her husband from being woken up. After feeding the baby she gently rubs his back and puts him back in his crib. She returned to bed and saw that Shido was in fact awake and he was smiling.

"Shido why are still awake?"

"Because I wanted you to see that you're a better mother than you think"

"All I did was feed him and put him to bed"

"No you did more than that, you knew he was going to wake up and you wanted to be there before he could start crying; You're motherly instincts told you what was going to happen"

Origami smiles at her husband and they kiss each other good night. The next morning Shido had left for work leaving Origami with the baby which was quite normal for most of the week. Normally Origami would just stay home and wait for Shido to return home and occasionally she would go out to get groceries and ask someone to watch Hiro while she was out. These days she mostly wore a long-sleeved white shirt with blue pants and boots. After hearing Shido's words last night she decided to go out with baby today instead of leaving him with someone, so she grabbed the stroller she had bought before the baby was born. The first place she decided to go to was a playground she had looked at after she found out she was pregnant to bring the baby to play once it got big enough. The first thing she does is sit on a bench with the stroller sitting next to her leg with the baby fast asleep from the walk. Origami then starts remembering how she would stalk Shido when they were younger, and how she initially had to lie about being together with him before they actually became a couple. She then remembers the earlier parts of their engagement like when Shido was trying to convince her to quit the AST and just settle down, and the times she would come to the playground to daydream about playing with her child while rubbing her stomach as she did. After a few minutes of reminiscing Origami is approached by a woman dressed in typical housewife attire; she was looking at the sleep baby with a smile, and asks Origami about him.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

Origami answers with her usual expression.

"He's a boy three months"

"Well he's adorable; I have a two year old son myself"

The woman is then called over by her son who is playing on the playground and ready to go home. Origami watched the woman walk away happily with her child, but what really caught her eye was the young boy holding his mother's hand with an expression of pure joy on his face. She can't help but feel envious of the woman; feeling like doing something else Origami grabs the stroller and as she walks around, and as she walks by the arcade she hears her baby making a noise as if he wants something, she looks down to see what he wants, and sees he's holding his arms out as if he was reaching for a stuffed animal in a nearby claw machine. Origami smiles at her baby and says.

"You want one?"

The baby continues his reaching signaling that his answer is yes, so Origami rolls the stroller into the arcade and goes the claw machine with the stuffed animal in it, but all the animals were the same, bears of different colors like a rainbow, so she didn't know which one he wanted. She deposited some money into the machine, and at first she got the claw over a red bear but it didn't feel like the correct one. She then put it over a green one, then a yellow one, and even a purple one, but none of them felt like the one that baby wanted. After a moment of thinking between the blue, orange, white, brown, black, and pink, Origami picks up a blue bear which she successfully wins from the machine. As soon as she gets her hands on it she gives to the baby who grabbed onto it and starting making noises showing his happiness; this made his mother smile at her child's delight. The rest of the day was just as delightful for the young mother and her child. However their happy day did have a slight sour moment when in the evening Origami came walked to the location where she experienced a moment of pure horror. She had walked to the location where she thought she had killed Shido when he had his date with Tohka a while back. Origami became sick at the very thought of her killing her beloved even bringing more, but her moment of horror came to an end when the baby began crying bringing her back to reality; he was hungry and needed to be fed. After feeding him, Origami decides to return home since Shido would be home soon and they were having store bought dinners tonight. On the way back to her surprise some of her old teammates from the AST met her on the way home.

"Huh what are you doing here?"

Among the group was her old leader Ryouko Kusakabe who wanted to give the former master sergeant a proper send off with the others.

"Hey To…I mean Itsuka how's it been?"

As Ryouko talks with Origami the other members who tagged along are all fawning over the baby.

"AWW he's adorable!"

The baby was utterly confused by the surplus of people surrounding him. Meanwhile Ryouko talks with her former subordinate.

"So you had a baby boy huh?"

"Yes and I couldn't be more grateful that he's healthy"

Origami said that with her usual expression.

"You know you don't seem too thrilled that much"

"…"

"Don't sell yourself short you were a fine soldier and frankly I couldn't say how you'd fare as a mom from that perspective, but let me ask you this do you think your husband's a good father?"

Origami answers without hesitation.

"Without a doubt he's a wonderful father, a devoted husband, and a good man"

"Okay then how does your husband act around that kid?"

Origami then realizes something as she answers.

"He acts like every second he spends with our child is like paradise, like he can never feel that happy anywhere else…and that's how I should act"

"Look Tob…sorry Itsuka I'm not a mom or a wife, but it sounds like you're on the right track, so here a little something from us"

Ryouko hands Origami a box and inside is the one of the suits Origami used to wear while a member of the AST.

"Don't tell anyone I gave you this, I had to sneak it out"

"But you discharged me why give me a uniform?"

"Well call it a parting gift, (plus that's not all)"

After exchanging a few more words Origami leaves her old teammates who are all disappointed since she took the baby with her. After arriving home after a long day Origami places her now sleeping baby on her and Shido's bed while she tries on the uniform she had just gotten. After putting it one she begins remembering her time in the AST, the times she fought the spirits, the time she fought against DEM, and of course the times she fought just to help Shido. After having these memories she almost considers trying to rejoin the AST to fight against the spirits again; especially after remembering her parent's death, but then she sees her baby on the bed with an uncomfortable look on his face like he was having a bad dream. She picks him up and rubs his back until he puts his smile back, and then she sees herself in the mirror holding him; that's when an even more horrifying thought comes to her mind.

"(Shido is right even if I did go back to the AST I could get injured…or even killed)"

The very thought of her child growing up motherless was unbearable for her to handle since losing both of her parents was hard, but just losing one parent alone is torture on somebody. With this thought she quickly abandons any ideas of rejoining the AST and about this time Shido returns home to see his wife dressed in her uniform; she quickly explained herself and Shido understood.

"I see so you've truly put it behind you?"

"Yes I think so for our child"

"I'm glad to hear that Origami, but now it's time for the other thing I always look forward to"

Shido walks over to his son and puts on his smile while the baby expresses great joy in seeing his dad. Origami decides to do the same and become just as close with their child. That night in bed Origami tells Shido about her day and the playground and something they should do.

"And so I want us to go to that playground together and have a picnic just the three of us"

"When I get a day off yeah that sounds like fun"

"Shido…am I a good mother and wife?"

"Of course you are, I told you last night that you're motherly instincts were keen and I meant it"

"Okay just checking, so now I truly believe it"

Origami and Shido kiss each other good night and go to sleep. That night Origami had dreams of watching Hiro grow up with her and Shido being there for him every step of the way, and being there for the most important moments of his life with proud smiles on their faces.

A few years later Hiro now attends elementary school and this day he was spending the night at a friend's house. So Origami and Shido got to spend some quality time together before their second child was born since the due date was close, and they talk about it.

"Are you sure you don't want to find out what it is?"

Origami now always had a smile on her face and Hiro would always smile when seeing his mother.

"Of course I want it to be a surprise"

"Okay well I'll wait too"

Shido rubs his wife's stomach and feels the new baby move, they couldn't wait to meet the newest member of their family, but all they were missing was a name for it.