A Father's Duty

When Noctis woke up, he is mentally tired. It is said that when one trains using mental images, due to intense concentration, even their injuries would become real. And that's what happened to Noctis, he felt exhausted and his legs are still shaking.

(Just like when Baki trained in his fight with Retsu Kai-oh in the very first season of Baki, he entered the ring full of injuries.)

When Noctis opened his eyes, he saw Irene staring at him with an upset face.

"Good morning, my love. What happened?" Noctis asked.

"Noct. I don't mind it if you continued pursuing your swordsmanship. But please, please, stop training when its our special time." Irene said to Noctis and it surprised him.

"Sorry." Noctis said and Irene smiled at him.

"As long as you understand." She said as she kissed Noctis lightly.

"You should sleep some more." Noctis said with worry in his eyes considering that Irene is pregnant.

"I'm fine. I'm not an ordinary woman, dear." She said and Noctis understood.

"Let's make some breakfast, together. Its been a while since we made breakfast together." Irene said and Noctis felt warm in his heart.

The duo stood up from their bed and fixed their bed before going down and started preparing for breakfast.

When Irene was chopping the ingredients, Noctis hugged Irene from behind.

"Noctis, what are you-" Irene is surprised when her husband hugged her from behind.

"I'm done with my preparations." Noctis said as he tilted his head and the ingredients could be said to be cut in their designated pieces. Onions were diced, carrots were turned into cubes, even the chunk of meat is sliced into bite size.

"Your cutting technique is impressive as always. Looks like I'm still far from your level." Irene said and Noctis encouraged her.

"You can reach that level too if you kept on practicing." He said as he held Irene's hand that was grasping the knife as he helped her and his off hand was hugging Irene and Irene blushed after feeling the morning wood from Noctis. Noctis, noticing Irene's red face, understood where he went wrong.

"Sorry." Noctis said.

"Its fine. Besides I can feel the strong arms of my husband who's always there for me." Irene said as her off hand held on to the hands of Noctis. After holding it for a few seconds, she returned back to work with Noctis hugging her from behind with his two arms as he rests his head on Irene's shoulders.

"What do you think the gender of the child will be? What should we name it if it was a girl or what name should we give if it is a boy?" Noctis asked and Irene stopped chopping as she started thinking.

"If a girl... how about Fae? or Kanna?" Irene said after thinking.

"Fae... Kanna, huh. Good name." Noctis said after thinking.

"If a boy... I can't think of a name... hmmmm..." Irene continued thinking.

"How about Geralt, Eli, or maybe Adam?" Noctis said after thinking.

(What would you name your boy if you're in a fantasy world?)

"Good names. Then let us go with it if its a boy." Irene said as she twisted her head and gave Noctis' cheeks a kiss and went on to chop the ingredients.

While they were cooking, the chipmunks woke up really early since they are hyped up to play with the game their father suggested and saw the couple acting all lovey-dovey while cooking.

Erza was about to speak when she was overtaken by Kagura.

"Father, that's cheating. Hug us too!" Kagura said as energetic as she is.

"Oh? Then come here. Want to watch mother and father cooking?" Noctis asked as she nodded as she brought a chair over and stood on it with the help of Noctis. The duo sat on the chair on the counter though.

"I want to be like father and learn to cook!" Kagura said as she imagined herself making delicious food for herself and her family and she can't help but drool when she thought of it.

Noctis wiped the drool flowing from Kagura's mouth as he chuckled, knowing what his daughter is thinking.

"You two don't want to learn as well?" Asked Noctis to the other two but they shook their head. They could just ask for Kagura to make food for them in the future.

"Okay." Noctis was upset after hearing that they don't want to learn. But he understood, after all, they are still a kid.

Noctis then let Kagura do the light work like putting the ingredients in the wok while Noctis is stirring the ingredients and he put the rice as the final ingredient. He then gave Kagura a long laddle and let her mix the ingredients while he also mixed the ingredients in the wok.

After a few minutes, the fried rice was finally done and the aroma is enchanting as always and the two chipmunks sitting in front of the counter were drooling.

Noctis then scooped some rice and put them in a bowl and put it in front of the chipmunks.

"Here, have some Fried rice Ala Familia. Be careful, its still hot." Noctis said as he put the spoons in the bowl. Not waiting anymore, the two started eating. Although the food is hot, they don't mind it because they can't take it anymore and it resulted in Erza open her mouth letting air cool the food down in her mouth.

"*huff*huff* ish hot." Erza said as she let the air cool it down some more before chewing.

"I told you, its hot." Noctis said.

"Delicious!" Erza said with a smile while Kagura raised her c.h.e.s.t in pride as if saying 'I'm the one who made it.'

"Okay, okay. Our Kagura is a great cook!" Noctis said as she pinched Kagura's cheeks.

"Fathew, nooo. Shtooop!" Kagura said as she tried to remove Noctis' hand in her cheeks.

"No way, our little baby is so cute. Look Irene, isn't our daughter cute?" Noctis said while Kagura's face is saying. 'Help me motheeer!'.

Contrary to Kagura's intention, Irene just chuckled seeing the father-daughter bonding of the two and Kagura felt aggrieved.

"Ohkay, ohkay, I'm cute. Okay? Pleaaash shtooooop!" Kagura pleaded and Noctis finally let go of Kagura's cheeks and she rubbed her swollen cheek and looked at her father.

"Hmpf!" Kagura said as she ignored her father.

"Looks like our little Kagura hasn't learned her lesson?" Noctis said as he formed his fingers into pincer and slowly reached out to Kagura. Seeing his father's hand coming for her, Kagura shrieked before giving his father a big smile.

"Father's the best, so please, father. Put those away." Kagura pleaded once more as she felt wronged.

The family's laughter resounded in the hall of the inn after Kagura jumped down from her seat and transferred at the end seat in front of the counter so that she won't be reached by her father as she stuck her little pink tongue out to her father as another round of laughter resounded in the hall of the inn.