The Mothers' Touch (Neku/Tifa/Aqua)

[Neku Sakuraba]

I found myself in the back room at Veil a few days after the problem I'd had with Namine in the same place, nervous and facing down an intrigued Tifa. It had been all I could do to choke out that I needed to talk to her on the phone, and now we were sitting across a table from each other, and I was fidgeting.

"SO, Neku, what's up?" she asked. "You seem pretty nervous about something. You doing alright?"

I shrugged, playing with the MP3 playerin my pocket.

"See... Tifa... I have this... this problem," I started. "I kind of.... well, I don't really know if I did.... I mean, I didn't mean it exactly like that... but I kind of did mean it... and I think Namine thought I meant it.... but I..." I was trying to figure out how to say what I wanted to say.

"Well..... I kind of said some things to Namine.... and... I kind of have to get her something... and I thought that since she was mad at me, I might... do it to make up to her..."

"Like, flowers?" Tifa asked.

"Er.... not... exactly... it's kind of complicated... and I really don't know how to ask what I want to ask.... I mean, you'd think this would be easy but... I dunno. Maybe... maybe I'll just go...."

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Ohhhh no, young man. You don't get to get away like that. You calld me, so you have to tell me what you-"

Tifa's private cell rang at just that moment.

"Hello, this is Tifa, what can I do for you?"

[Aqua]

Aqua couldn't contain herself and had dialed the moment she had said she needed to call Tifa. You could practically see her bouncing on her toes, thrilled as can be from just the tone of voice she's using over the phone," Tifa, Tifa, TIFA! You will never, ever guess what Namine just told me!"

And before the other mother could response she rushes it out, "Neku proposed to Namine and they're getting married!" She takes a deep breath. "And Namine wants me to help her with the dresses... Forgot to ask if she wanted your help, but I don't see why not... Anyways!"

She pauses and her voice is muffled as she tells someone, her son Sini, what's going on. There is squeals of joy... boyish squeals too mind you!... And then Aqua is talking again, "The point is Neku and Nami are going to become Mr. and Mrs. Sakuraba~!!"

She giggles excitedly, "Can you believe it?! Our babies all grown up and getting married??"

[Neku Sakuraba]

Tifa's eyes widened and she looked down at me. I flinched. THen she burst into a huge grin. "OHMYGOD AQUA THAT IS SO AWESOME! Man, I wish Cloud would get his head out of his rear and set a date for our wedding~ BUT THAT. THAT IS SO CUTE. He's actually here right now I think he wanted my advice~" Then she blinked, looked back over at me, and then her grin became something much, much more sinister. "I know JUST what to do~" she exclaimed. "Aqua! Veil. Backroom. ASAP. MOM PARTY~"

My jaw dropped.

......mom party?

"Uh... Tifa?" I asked, but she was still in her own little world.

"We need to help him! After all, he's my surrogate son and you're like my sister, so you're totally his aunt, and aunts can become surrogate moms so we're like, both his moms because he doesn't have a real mom and dad so we can be his moms! Mom party! I'll make cake! And we can talk while I'm baking!"

She was nearly squeeing; I was impressed.

[Aqua]

Aqua blinks and then nods, "Alright! I'll be there shortly!" Besides she was gonna suggest her and Tifa get together soon anyways. "Tell Neku I'm so proud of him...! See you soon, Tifa!" And then she hangs up and lets Sini know he's in charge until she gets home. Which her son fist pumps at and Aqua just laughs before grabbing her coat, flipping off the stove, and racing off for Veil...

About twenty minutes later she's heading in and walks straight for the backroom, assuming that's where she's meant to meet Tifa and Neku at. When she sees the ginger she pulls him into a hug and beams at him, "Very, very proud of you~."

[Neku Sakuraba]

"Aqua!" I squeaked as she practically glomped me out of my seat. "Can't! Breathe! Argh!"

I tried to pry her off of me, but even with the application of my telekinesis, I couldn't get her arms to release me and allow me to breathe. So I continued making strangled, suffocated noises while Tifa laughed in the background.

[Aqua]

Aqua giggles before letting go and ruffling Neku's hair. And then she goes and gives Tifa a quick hug, "Alright... Team Mom has assembled."