Golden, 11

"You sure this is what you want to wear?" Shota asked for the third time.

His daughter was decked out in a poofy pink dress with garish colored, glitter bombed stockings. She had chosen glittery barrettes and a plastic bracelet that was basically a tube with water and - what else -- more glitter inside it.

"Yes," Eri stated firmly, tapping her sparkly foot on the rug. "Daddy, you've got to get ready. You're not dressed!"

"I told you this isn't formal." He glanced down at himself. Black turtleneck, jeans. Simple enough and serviceable. "It's fine."

Hitoshi peered around the corner of the room with a grin. "Hey, I think she's here."

"C'mon, Eri - go sit with Hitoshi in the living room. No, I mean it. Let's let her breathe a bit before you, ah, dazzle her with your shiny dress. Okay?"

She pouted a bit, but did as she was told. Shota rushed off in the other direction as the kids split for the living room. He got to the front door just as she rang the bell.

"Hey," he said as he opened the door. "You, ah, made it."

"Yep." Elly smiled. She was wearing jeans and a purple sweater with, he saw, some sort of shiny thread knitted with the fabric. Eri was going to go crazy when she saw it. "It wasn't too hard to find," she drawled comically as she indicated the huge estate.

"Heh." He gestured, and she walked into the foyer. Before she took her shoes off, however, she grinned at him and thrust a container she was holding in his direction.

"I made a cheesecake," she announced grandly, setting it in his startled hands.

Shota was stunned; this was almost certainly home made as cheesecake wasn't popular in this locale. The magnificent dessert was housed in a tupperware container with a see through lid. She had dusted the top with confectioner's sugar in an intricate lace pattern.

"Holy shit." He led the way to the kitchen as she burst out laughing. The merry sound attracted the attention of the kids so much they wandered into the room.

"Hey," Hitoshi nodded.

"Hi!" Her ears perked attentively as she stepped forward.

"I told them to wait, but apparently they're too excited," Shota half apologized. Elly made a dismissive sound and waved her hand airily about, which he took to mean she didn't mind. "This is Hitoshi."

Hitoshi dragged his left leg around. Attached to it was a wide-eyed and suddenly shy little girl. "Yeah, and this is Eri. She wouldn't shut up about meeting you until just now."

This broke her fright enough to huff up at her big brother. "I did not!"

"Are those extra special Puroland Hello Kitty tights?" Elly bent over, squinting.

Eri's eyes went very wide and Shota winced, knowing what came next. Sure enough, she squealed loudly, sticking one leg out to show off the sparkly leggings. Elly looked around with a sly smile and hiked her jeans up to reveal her socks, which matched her sweater and also had the Sanrio character on them.

"I love Hello Kitty!"

"I like shiny stuff," Elly admitted. "You should see my room, tons of rainbow catchers in my windows and a glitter beaded curtain -"

"What are rainbow catchers?!" The girls disappeared into the living room as Eri chattered away at her nonstop.

Shota blinked, staring dumbfounded at the two of them as Eri let Elly pick her up to sit her on the couch.

"Well, dad, you were afraid she wasn't gonna like her, right?" Hitoshi snickered. "Looks like you should've been more scared of them ganging up on you."

He rubbed his bloodshot eyes in disbelief. "Holy shit," he repeated.

"C'mon, dinner's almost ready. She'll calm down after she eats."

"I hope," he murmured, though there was a dazed smile plastered across his grizzled face.

Dinner went well, even though Hitoshi tried to poke Elly with the fact that he was bisexual. To his amusement she responded with the fact that her mother was, as well. She had been adopted. Shota loved his son, but had to hide a grin when his only material for testing her was taken out from under him so swiftly. Eri, meanwhile, asked Elly about a million strange little things she found far more important than "grown up" talk, like what shows she watched and who was her favorite character in each of them. This continued throughout dessert until she had very firmly decided that this lady was more than acceptable - they needed to lock this deal down, and fast.

"Can Ches stay over, dad?"

Shota choked on a mouthful of coffee. "What?!"

Hitoshi's lips quirked in a sly grin when he saw his father's embarrassment. "Yeah, dad. I think she should."

Shota gave him a very steady stare and then turned to his excited daughter. "Eri, Ches doesn't have any PJ's or anything."

She scoffed in an amazing impression of him. "Come on daddy, she can wear one of your shirts!"

"Wow. I think you've just been outvoted. And before you ask, I'm not busy so it would be okay with me, too." Elly's ears wiggled in amusement as she watched him blush deeper and darker.

Shota finally threw his hands up in the air with an exasperated huff. "Fine, then. She can stay."

"Hooray!" Eri grabbed her hand and tugged her towards her room. "I wanna show you my toys!"

"Oooh," the older woman sounded as genuinely excited as she was. "Does daddy spoil you, too?"

"Yes!"

Elly started giggling at this as she was led down the hall.