Life Happens, Part 3 for Rhapshie!
Title: Life Happens: Part 3
Author: chouta_angel
Recipient: rhapsie
Rating: PG-13 for language
Warnings: There is cursing. Shishido has a dirty mouth (and mind).
Summary: Sometimes things don't work out. Sometimes life likes to throw curveballs at you. This is the story of how the past refused to stay in the past.
Notes (if required): I kind of really ended up going overboard with the whole silver pair domestic theme. I hope you enjoy.
The apartment was quiet. No music, no kid's shows, just quiet. It was amazing. Shishido couldn't remember the last time he'd had his apartment to himself. Probably never.
There was a rustling at the door but he ignored it. He already knew it was Choutarou. His boyfriend had left a little while ago to grab some clothing and personal items. Even though they'd agreed to wait until next weekend, Choutarou had already started to move in. It meant the apartment was starting to feel a little cluttered but that just made it feel more like a permanent home, one where his life was equal parts Shun and Choutarou.
“Taking a nap?” Choutarou asked, leaning over the back of the sofa. He had that beautifully warm smile on his face, the one that made Shishido feel like melting into the furniture.
“Enjoying the lack of kid,” Shishido answered, speaking truthfully. “Haven't had a weekend like this in six years.”
“If I weren't here,” Choutarou said as he set something down that thumped loudly, “you'd just stay there all weekend, wouldn't you?”
Shishido raised his hand, setting it on top of Choutarou's. “Probably,” he admitted, the idea tempting. “We're taking Shun to the amusement park by the ocean sometime soon.”
“Oh?” Choutarou moved, coming around to sit on the sofa. He pushed Shishido's gets out of the way to give himself a little room. “Why?”
It took effort to rearrange himself into a comfortable position. Shishido shot his boyfriend an annoyed look but there was no force behind it. How in the world was he supposed to explain why anyway? He'd kept quiet about the conversation he'd had with Shun. Might as well get it out there now though. “It's to make him feel better. He was kind of freaked about the whole you moving in thing.”
Shishido could practically hear the wheels turning in his boyfriend's head. “It's not because of you so don't even,” he threatened before Choutarou could say anything. “He was just talking about how you moving in means he won't have a mom.”
“Is...is that an issue with Shun?” Choutarou's voice was hesitant.
“I don't know.” Shishido shrugged. “I think that some kids at his school might have been talking about it but I don't know.” The troubled look on Choutarou's face made Shishido frown. “Stop that. We had a talk about it and he's okay now. But we're going to the amusement park.”
He didn't give Choutarou a chance to protest.
The weekend passed in a blur. All too soon he found himself at his parents house, Choutarou at his side. His parents liked to hold family dinners every so often. Shishido and his brother had decided it'd just be easiest to trade the boy for peace there.
“Did you have fun?” Shishido's mother asked as everyone gathered around the table.
“Uncle Dai almost lost the car,” Shun told them, laughing about some untold joke.
All eyes turned to Shishido's older brother, just waiting to hear that particular story. It was in that moment, when he was looking at his family and listening to his brother's story, that Shishido really felt like his life was good. Things were just right. He slid his hand under the table, reaching over to give Choutarou's a squeeze. His boyfriend shot him a confused look but Shishido just smiled. It was hard to explain and besides, what was the point? He'd just come off looking lame and sappy. He loved his family but that was definitely crossing the line.
“So you see, I didn't almost lose the car,” Shishido's brother finished up the story.
“It's a good thing you didn't,” the man's wife added. “Paying back the rental agency isn't an expense we can really afford, what with us needing to save for the future.”
All eyes turned to look at her. She and his brother shared a glance, the two smiling. Shishido thought he saw faint blushes on both their faces. Apparently he wasn't the only one to notice because his mother asked, “are you...?”
“We just found out Friday morning,” his brother confirmed. His wife nodded, her smile growing wider.
“How far along?” And that's when Shishido understood. He knew the two had been trying for kids. It wasn't a family secret but they had appeared to be having trouble. It'd been almost a year since they'd started and nothing. So this was big family news. Shishido was glad to hear even if he doubted he'd be able to send his son over to his brother's place very much.
“Almost two months.”
Shun looked from adult to adult, confusion written all over his face. “What's going on?”
Shishido could feel the weight of everyone expecting him to explain it. The joy of being the parent. “Your uncle and aunt are having a baby.” He couldn't make it much clearer than that.
The boy turned to look at his aunt, eyes huge. “When?”
“Not for many months,” she answered. “We don't have a specific date yet but we're probably looking at early December.”
“So not near my birthday.” Shun sounded relieved. “Can I name it?”
“How about you help us come up with names?” Shishido heard his brother suggest.
As they walked home, Shishido heard his son telling them all about his camping trip. Choutarou was interesting, responding back with questions and comments. Shishido wasn't entirely following the conversation. He knew he probably should but he kept getting distracted by his own thoughts. Like how wonderful his life was at the moment. A few years ago, he would have thought all this impossible. Especially the whole situation with Choutarou. He really had thought that when they broke up in high school that that was the end of everything between them. They'd never speak, never see each other, never anything again. And yet, here he was dating Choutarou once more. Not just dating either but Choutarou was moving in too. It was serious and that should have been scary but somehow it wasn't.
~*~*~
Things were a mess. Spring, summer, and autumn had all come and gone and they were in the midst of winter now. The happy perfect life Shishido had been enjoying had come to a screeching halt just moments ago.
“Is this Shun?” She asked, her voice sickeningly sweet sounding. Shishido was proud of his son for stepping behind Choutarou, using the tall man as a physical shield so she couldn't get her claws on him. That was the only word for those freakishly long pink nails on her fingers.
“Leave,” he growled. It didn't help that she'd put herself between him and his apartment. The fact that she'd turned herself into a physical barrier and it pissed him off. “You've got no right to be here.” Choutarou said something but Shishido had no clue what it was or who he'd spoken to.
“And leave my family?” She asked, actually having the audacity to sound hurt. It was only the steel grip on Shishido's wrist that kept him anchored. Choutarou was still hellaciously strong but it was also just enough of a distraction for Shishido to regain some of his composure. Flying off the handle would not be good for anyone right now.
“What's going on?” Choutarou's voice murmured in his ear.
Shishido didn't bother being discreet. “Take him somewhere,” Shishido requested, obviously referring to his son. “Anywhere.”
He needed Shun gone. His son needed to be somewhere far away, safe from this woman. Until Choutarou had Shun somewhere else, he couldn't even begin thinking of relaxing. He could tell Choutarou was reluctant to leave by the way his fingers lingered on Shishido's wrist.
Time had treated Megumi well. Shishido hated that she looked barely in her 20s when he knew she was nearly a decade older. She still had the pretty black hair, exactly the same shade of Shun's. Seeing her again, he was able to see just how much certain parts of his son resembled this woman.
Even after Choutarou left with Shun, the two of them didn't move. Shishido refused to do so until she left and she...well, he didn't know. He wasn't inviting her in, that was for sure.
“What are you doing here?” He asked, trying to keep this civil. For the moment, he was barely succeeding.
She gave a little bow that felt like it was mocking Shishido. “To repent for the harm I've done and to rejoin Shun's life.”
Yeah, just hearing her say his son's name was enough to make Shishido see red for a moment. He clenched his fist, forcing himself to take a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down.
“Don't say his name,” he warned. He really, really did not want to do something stupid. It would only hurt Shun in the long run even if it would be momentarily satisfying. “You're not welcome.”
She looked up. The moment she did, he could see that the bowing had been a deliberate act. She had her sad eyes, the ones that were meant to tug on a person's heartstrings. They made her look sorry and he almost felt bad. Almost. He'd forgotten how much of a manipulator she'd been. A flood of memories were coming back, of all the times she tried to make him or someone else feel guilty so they would do stuff for her. Shishido was glad his son hadn't inherited that particular trait.
“He's my son.” Her face could break a heart but her voice wouldn't. He growled in annoyance. She couldn't even pretend to be sincere about this?
“Not for seven years,” he shot back. As far as he was concerned, she might as well be dead. She'd severed any ties with Shun the moment she'd walked out of the apartment that final day.
“I was young and an idiot,” she answered, voice still lacking any traces of sorrow or passion. Honestly from the way she spoke? She could have been speaking to a stranger on the street.
Shishido shook his head. “Don't even try to use those excuses. I know you want something and what it is, you're not getting it.”
Megumi straightened up, taking a moment to fix her hair. She seemed to care more for it than the seven year old boy Choutarou had whisked away to safety. “I mean it. If you can find it in your heart, I want a second chance. He needs me.” She paused, biting her lip as she added, “Ryou, you need me. Together, the three of us can be a family again.”
Now more than ever, Shishido was glad he had Choutarou in his life. The idea of ever having this woman in his life, of having a romantic relationship with, was laughable. He might have cared for her once but that was definitely not the case now. And if Shun needed a mother, well, he didn't need this one. Years, maybe even just a few months ago, Shishido might have wavered. He wasn't wavering now.
“No happening,” he told her. “To any and all of that. You left so now you have to deal with the consequences.”
“He needs his mother.”
“Too bad you aren't one.”
Maybe that was the wrong thing to say. She actually looked genuinely hurt. His phone started buzzing in his pocket. Some classical song started to play. Choutarou was calling. Keeping an eye on Megumi, Shishido answered it.
“My parents' place,” was the first thing out of Choutarou's mouth.
Relief flooded Shishido's system. “Good. Stay there?” Or at least until I can call you back.” Megumi would never find Shun there.
“Who is that?” Both Choutarou and Megumi asked in unison that created this weird momentary double effect on Shishido's ears.
“Bad news,” Shishido answered, speaking to his boyfriend in the off-chance that ignoring Megumi would make her leave. “I'll explain later, okay? Just keep Shun away from here for now.” He noticed how Megumi was watching the phone closely. It was not a comfortable feeling. “You might want to stay there overnight.”
Choutarou went quiet. The only indication he had that his boyfriend hadn't hung up was the sound of Choutarou's breathing. Shishido knew his boyfriend, knew he was trying to figure this out with what little he knew of the situation. “His mother?” The words were quiet, as if he were afraid someone would overhear. Probably Shun.
“If you can even call her that,” Shishido answered. He certainly didn't want to. “I...I'll call back in a bit, okay?”
“Don't do anything stupid,” Choutarou teased, ending the call.
As much as he really did hate the teasing, Shishido couldn't help but smile as he slid the phone back into his pocket. Trust Choutarou to know the perfect thing to say.
“Who was that?” Megumi asked, annoyingly curious. “Was that your friend? The one you sent Shun with?”
Shishido crossed his arms and glared. He wasn't going to budge. Maybe if he didn't respond to whatever she said, she'd leave. Whatever it took to get through this situation and dealing with her.
“He was cute.”
His nostrils flared and it took all his self control to keep his tempter in check. Had she always been this way? He'd always assumed his memories of her had been tainted by the heartbreak and betrayal but not he wasn't quite so sure. He wondered what it was he'd seen in her to begin with. Had it been a purely physical attraction? He was starting to wonder about that.
“He's taken.” By me. “So don't even bother. Besides, you're about the furthest you could be from his type.” Choutarou was very firmly attracted to guys. Shishido couldn't remember a time he'd seen Choutarou look twice at a woman. She almost looked disappointed at the news. Shishido wondered if it'd be rude to gag. Probably. He wished he could get her to leave. Why not? Things were going so well.
“I'm just trying to fix my mistakes,” Megumi said, jolting Shishido out of his thoughts. He realized he'd said that last bit aloud. “I've done a lot of thinking and realized I was a fool.”
Shishido snorted. That was one way to put it. Personally he preferred the term 'fucking idiot' but that was his own opinion. “And I believe I've made it perfectly clear your efforts are not welcome.”
He could not forgive her, just like he could not forget what had happened. Neither of them needed to rehash the details. What had happened was long over and as far as Shishido was concerned, any part of her in his life or that of Shun's was equally over. “The moment you walked out the door that day, you forfeited any involvement in my life or that of Shun's.”
They stood in silence. He wasn't sure how long they were there. It surprised him how calm he felt and he was more than a little amazed that he'd been able to keep himself in check. Patience and dealing with bullshit weren't exactly his strong suits.
Megumi finally gave a soft sigh. “I'll leave for now.” Those lovely magical amazing words. It was hard not to grin. “But we need to sort this out.”
No. No they didn't. Shishido held his tongue somehow. He waited, not calling Choutarou until she'd been gone for nearly an hour. He wanted to make sure she was long gone. Shishido found it impossible to fully relax, even with the door locked. As he waited for his boys, he knew it was crazy but he kept waiting for Megumi to try something.
When they came home, Shishido finally relaxed. Shun was half-asleep and Choutarou put him to bed. He probably should have felt guilty about it but he was grateful for that. This was like telling his son he was dating Choutarou all over again but worse. How in the world was he supposed to explain this mess? Shishido had no clue but he knew there were going to be some hurt feelings pointed in his direction after all this.
“Sorry about that,” Shishido apologized after he'd gone over to double-check that the door was indeed locked. It was. He went to where Choutarou was standing and pulled him towards their sofa. He was still far too stressed to let the door out of his sight. Who knew what would happen if he did that?
Choutarou obliged. “What happened?”
Shishido knew himself. If anyone else had asked that question, he would have gotten pissed. Only Choutarou was special. “In general or just tonight?”
“Which is easier to start with?”
He groaned. “Neither. It's enough to make us look simple.”
That earned him a chuckle. “You sure do attract trouble, Ryou.”
“Do not.” Shishido stuck his tongue out. “If I did, you'd be far away from me.”
Morning came. Shishido groaned, his neck aching. That taught him what a bad idea sleeping on the sofa had been. He looked around, relieved that nothing was out of place. No ex-girlfriend's were lurking in the corner. It was just him. Any traces of sleep vanished. It should not have been only him in the apartment. He would have loved to say he had the self control to not go tearing through the apartment, looking for any signs of either Choutarou or Shun. Sadly, that would have been a lie.
He heard noise at the door. Shishido emerged out of Shun's room to discover the missing duo. “Morning,” Choutarou greeted, holding up a bag. “We got breakfast.”
Shun grinned. “We gots lots of stuff,” he said as he bounced over to Shishido's side.
“And you didn't wake me up?” The man asked, directing the unsaid accusation towards his boyfriend.
“You looked sleepy so I said you needed to sleep,” Shun answered. “Sensei wanted to wake you but I said no.” Okay, he couldn't bring himself to be upset after hearing that. His son could be stubborn at times.
As they ate, Shishido noticed his son constantly shooting impatient glances at his boyfriend. Each time, Choutarou would give a little shake of his head. Shun would look down at his food, disappointment written all over his face. After the fifth time this happened, Shishido had had enough. “Spill,” he ordered, wanting in on their little secret.
“My mother won a couple of passes to the ice skating rink near my sister's house. She gave them to us last night,” Choutarou replied, looking sheepish. “He wants to go.”
Shun nodded eagerly. “Can we?” He pleaded. “Please?”
Like he could say no to that. “You and Choutarou? If he says it's okay, I don't see why not.”
“No.” Shun looked at him, entirely serious. “All three of us. It's the whole family or no one. So please?”
He had to do it. Even if Shun hadn't called them a family, he would have but that word? That was the nail in the coffin. He nodded. Besides, it would be fun to get out of the apartment and do something together. Maybe he'd even be able to forget about yesterday. It was starting to feel like a bad nightmare but he had a suspicious feeling that it was just beginning. Still, Shishido decided he wasn't going to let that affect their day.
It was cold out but a pleasant sort of cold that meant the place was busy when they got there. It didn't deter them. Shun took to skating easily, only needing a little help when he first started. It was obvious he'd inherited at least some of his father's natural athleticism even if Shun wasn't a fan of sports in general. Shishido could not say the same for Choutarou, who actually had been an athlete at one point.
“Are you sure you don't want to take a break?” Shishido asked, offering his hand to Choutarou. The tall man was once again sprawled out on the ice, limbs appearing to go in every direction all at once.
“If I do,” Choutarou answered as he let Shishido help him up, “I'm done for the day.” He put an arm around Shishido's shoulders to steady himself.
“Is your friend okay?” A passing woman slowed down to ask.
“Just fine,” Choutarou answered, chuckling in embarrassment. “I think I just need some help with my balance.” She seemed to accept that and moved on, leaving the two of them.
It wasn't the easiest to skate with his boyfriend leaning on him. Shun kept zipping by them, laughing about their slow progress. Normally it would have bugged Shishido and sparked his competitive drive but he just couldn't bring himself to care. He was having fun even if he wasn't dashing around. Besides, as heavy and unstable as Choutarou was, it was nice to have his arm around Shishido.
“This is probably the wrong time to say it but I'm really glad I met you,” Choutarou murmured in Shishido's ear as they slowly made their way around the rink. “That everything's happened to bring us here.”
“Shut up.” Shishido looked down, fighting to keep from blushing like a some schoolgirl with a crush. “You keep talking like that and I'll start wondering if you're actually Oshitari in disguise.”
“Definitely not.” Choutarou laughed. The action threatened to make them fall over. Shishido had to stop them, leaning against the wall. “Last I heard, he was in Kyoto.”
“You talk to him?” This was news to Shishido. As far as he knew, Gakuto had been the only one who had kept in contact with Oshitari. Most of the old middle school and high school group kept in contact with a few others. Shishido saw Jirou, Gakuto, and Choutarou all the time. He knew Jirou sometimes talked to Kabaji and Taki. He'd figured that Choutarou and Hiyoshi had kept in contact since they'd been friends since they'd been kids. But Choutarou and Oshitari? That was a new one.
“Just occasionally,” Choutarou replied. “Whenever something major happens.”
They went around the rink twice, slow and steady. He could feel Choutarou gaining his balance and becoming more confident. “Think you can try it on your own?” Shishido teased. His boyfriend shot him an annoyed look that was absolutely adorable. If they'd been alone, Shishido didn't doubt what he'd do. He'd lean over and kiss Choutarou. But they weren't home so he kept his lips to himself.
Shun came rushing over, stopping so suddenly he fell down. That didn't seem to bother him though. “Dad! Can we race?”
“Ask Choutarou. He's the one using me to keep from falling over,” Shishido teased the two, or at least, Choutarou.
“Go. I can do this now,” Choutarou encouraged. He removed his arm from Shishido's shoulders.
“You sure?” Shishido didn't want to take off just for Choutarou to have a nasty spill.
“I can do this now,” was Choutarou's answer.
That was all Shun needed. He grabbed his father's hand, pulling Shishido with him. By now the crowds had started to thin out which made it easier for the two of them to race. “First one around the rink?” Shishido suggested. Shun grinned and nodded, agreeing to the terms.
The lights were painfully bright. Noise came rushing back but he couldn't distinguish anything other than his son and Choutarou's voices. He blinked. Why was he staring at the lights? His back was cold. He realized he was laying on the ice. A strange woman was crouched next to him, peering into his eyes carefully. She was talking to someone. Choutarou, he decided.
“-u okay, sir?”
Oh. She was talking to him. “Head's killing me,” he managed to say, slowly sitting up.
“Do you know where you are?”
One of these. He would have rolled his eyes except that would have hurt. “Ice rink,” he answered. “Shun, Choutarou,” he added, knowing that was likely the next question. “My pupils okay?”
The woman was momentarily surprised before catching on. “You've had a concussion before, haven't you?”
“A couple,” he admitted. “It's been a few years since the last one though.”
“Can you stand?” She asked, moving back to give him space.
“Probably. I'm a little afraid without some support.” The last thing he needed was to fall back down. How lame would that be? He'd already slipped and hit his head which was bad enough. Even worse was the fact that he'd given Choutarou a hard time about doing just that not even a few minutes ago.
He leaned on Choutarou. Taking a deep breath, Shishido closed his eyes for a moment to let the world stop spinning. “An dizziness?” The medic asked. He knew she was watching him closely.
Shishido opened his eyes. “Only when I stood up but I'm good now,” he decided it was better to stick with the truth.
She nodded curtly. “I'm going to say you're good then. However, if you experiences any changes whatsoever, I advise you seek medical attention immediately,” she stated. It sounded like she was repeating some script. She probably was.
Shun was worried. The look on his face clearly expressed that as he watched his father carefully. “I'm going home with him,” Choutarou assured. “If he starts to show any signs of a concussion, I'll make sure he's seen to.”
He groaned, knowing that what mean. “You're going to babysit me.”
Choutarou led him over to a nearby bench just outside the actual rink. “You should know that already.” Shun sat next to his father, taking off his skates. Every few moments, whenever he thought he wasn't being watched, he'd look over and carefully inspect Shishido's face.
“I”m fine,” Shishido assured. He knew what his son was thinking. “It'll take more than that to hurt me.”
“Don't worry,” Choutarou added, kneeling on the floor in front of Shishido. He reached for the other's feet, unlacing the skates before Shishido could even begin to protest. “Your dad has a hard head.”
“You sure you want to be saying that?” Shishido questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Choutarou just smiled. “You wouldn't and we both know it.”
Trust his boyfriend to be right about that. Shishido scowled. It was the only thing he could do. “Stay here,” Choutarou ordered, his own skates magically in his hand. Shishido had no clue when or how that had even happened. Shun went off with him as the two returned their skates.
They were taking their sweet time. Shishido's patience was starting to run out. Thankfully they appeared before he went completely crazy. “What's going on?” He asked. There was something suspicious about the twin looks of glee on their faces. They were planning something and he doubted it was anything good.
“Nothing,” Shun sang.
“You don't need to worry, Ryou,” Choutarou added, no doubt an attempt to reassure Shishido.
Shishido wasn't so sure about that. Honestly, he was even more suspicious of them now. Still, it wasn't like they were talking. It'd probably be something that would annoy Shishido anyway like not letting him get up for the rest of the day or do anything on his own but piss. “Are we going home?”
“Yes.” Choutarou was firm about that. It wasn't often he put his foot down but this was one of those times. Shishido knew arguing would get him nowhere. He decided to not even waste his time trying.
Resting on the sofa, Shishido tuned out Shun and Choutarou. The two were at the keyboard, playing some melody that Shishido didn't recognize. It was relaxing even if every other note made his head scream. The fall had given him one killer headache and the painkillers he'd taken when they got home were taking their sweet time to kick in.
The music eventually stopped. By then, his headache had long since vanished. The sofa shifted and when Shishido opened his eyes, he found Choutarou curling up with him. “Shun's working on a project for school,” he explained, reading Shishido's mind.
“Going to tell me what you two were grinning about earlier?” Shishido hadn't forgotten about that.
“How's your head?” Choutarou dodged the question. It was frustrating but Shishido knew he'd find out eventually.
Shishido shifted, putting his arm around Choutarou. “I think I've got a nasty bump forming but that's about it.”
“Shun asked me something.” Choutarou rested his head on Shishido's shoulder. His hair tickled but Shishido tried to ignore the feeling. “He asked me how long I was going to be with you guys.”
The older guy tried to nonchalantly brush some of the ticklish hair away. “What'd you say?”
Choutarou shifted. The action completely ruined Shishido's efforts. “I told him I'd stay as long as you'd have me.”
Well that was truth. Shishido chuckled. “You're stuck here forever,” he answered. “Unless you decide to leave.” That was the only way Shishido could see their relationship ending, if Choutarou got sick of him.
“There's more. He asked, well, it's just...” Choutarou's voice was little more than a whisper at this point. “He said that if it was going to be a long time...he asked if it'd be okay if he called me Papa.”
Holy fucking shit. Shishido stopped breathing. “Seriously?” It was one thing for his son to accept Choutarou into their home. It was another thing entirely for his son to make the leap towards seeing the guy as a parental figure.
“I told him he could if he wanted to, that it was up to him.” Choutarou lifted his head. “It...are kids always so amazing?”
Shishido laughed. “I don't know. You're the one who works with them, not me.” He honestly was surprised about that though. It was crazy to see just how far things had come. And now, with the whole Megumi thing popping up, Shishido felt like this was a sign he'd made the right choices. “Still, my kid's pretty awesome.”
The younger man set his head back down on Shishido's shoulder. Hair went up Shishido's nose again, threatening to make him sneeze. “Can I ask you something?” He asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
Figuring it was something innocent, Shishido nodded. He did not expect what Choutarou asked. “What the whole story with his mother? The way Shun talks, it sounds like she's dead...”
“That's because that's what I told him.” This really was not something he wanted to talk about. Unfortunately, Choutarou was becoming involved with the situation.
“Last night?”
Choutarou was confused and Shishido couldn't fault his boyfriend for that. Shooting a look at Shun's room, Shishido prayed his son would stay in there, that the boy wouldn't overhear what he was about to say. Shishido sighed. He really didn't want to talk about this but he realized he didn't really have a choice about it either. “I was at work that day,” he started. “She wrote a note and taped it to the door.”
He didn't have the note anymore. Years ago, he'd gotten pissed off and ripped it up. He almost wished he hadn't right now. “We...we didn't have the best relationship, especially after she got pregnant. I think I told that I'd never been married. I asked her a bunch of times. Her family kept pressuring her to do it too but she refused.”
It had been a constant point of tension in their relationship and it'd only gotten worse once Shun had actually been born. “But we got this place together and we lived as a little family for a few months after he was born.” He thought maybe having their own place would help but it'd only made the situation worse. “She just left. Walked out of here because we were holding her back from reaching her dreams.”
“How old was Shun?” Choutarou sounded almost afraid to ask.
“Four months old. You can probably guess why I've always told him she was dead.” He didn't want his son knowing the truth. Not yet anyway. Shishido had always decided that if his son wanted to know, he'd give the boy the full story when he was an adult and could emotionally handle it. “She might as well be.”
“Except she's not.”
The words sounded so final. Shishido knew they were true. “Yeah, except that. I never thought I'd see her again.”
Choutarou sat up. His eyes were full of worry. “What are you going to do now?”
“About Megumi?” Shishido knew that's what Choutarou was referring to. “I don't know. I want to keep her as far away from Shun as I can.” That was the best he could do.
~*~*~
Shishido slowed down to a jog as he reached his apartment building. A familiar sight was waiting out front and it wasn't exactly a pleasant one. He already knew what she was going to ask. It was the same question she'd asked countless times before. “Can we talk? Please?”
This wasn't going to end until they did. He wanted it to be over. He didn't want to talk to her. One of those needed to give for it to end. “There's a cafe a few blocks away.” He decided to give in and talk.
She actually looked surprised. He didn't blame her. It'd been nearly a month since she'd first reappeared and he'd turned down her request every time. He wasn't going to invite her into his home though. That was a place for him and his loved ones.
The cafe wasn't hard to find but then, Shishido had been there plenty of times over the years. Looking around, he decided it was probably the sort of place Choutarou would like. He should bring his boyfriend sometime. The guy's birthday was coming up and it needed to be special. They'd been together for awhile now and it'd been almost a year since he'd moved in.
It wasn't busy, something that could work out in his favor. Or against it. They took a table along the back wall and ordered drinks. That was all Shishido was going to order. No need to make this long or more drawn out than it needed to be. The only reason he'd even ordered a drink was so he didn't feel bad about taking one of the cafe's tables.
“I'm surprised you agreed.” Megumi was the first to speak.
“I want this over with,” Shishido answered, laying the truth out there. “It needs to stop.” Shun was starting to ask questions about who the strange lady was and why she kept trying to talk to him. Dealing with the situation was exhausting.
She smiled, taking a sip of her painfully pink drink. “I just want things to go back to the way they're supposed to be.”
Things were the way they were supposed to be. He didn't actually say that though. No need to fuel that fire even if it was true. “And how are things supposed to be? We were never a family. Seven years ago, it was Shun and me. And you. You weren't interested in us.”
“I was 20. I didn't know how to handle it.” At least this time she looked and sounded sad. “I've grown up. I'm not the same idiot I used to be.”
Could have fooled him. Only an idiot would think she could waltz back into a life she'd thrown away. “And life isn't the same as it used to be.”
She sighed. “I can see that. You used to have a heart.”
“Still do. Just, I don't care about you.” Shishido wasn't going to sugarcoat it. “I told Shun you died.”
That shocked her. He almost felt proud of himself. He decided to explain why. “I mean, who walks out on a baby? It's nicer than the truth. That his mother gave up and abandoned him.”
“So he doesn't know who I am.” She sounded distant. “Does he know my parents?”
Shishido shook his head. “I talked to them a little when he was a baby but I decided it would be better for him to not be around them. That way there wouldn't be any accidental slips. “They were upset but understood.”
Megumi became quiet, staring at her drink. This suited Shishido just fine. He was hoping it was finally sinking in. Legally, they didn't even need to have this discussion. Shun was his and even though they'd never been married, he had insisted when the boy was born that Shun be added to his family registry, not hers. He'd argued it would be easier for when they did get married. Except the whole marriage thing hadn't exactly panned out. That wasn't his fault. What it did mean was that he had custody of his son.
“You're not going to let me be a part of his life, are you?”
Hallelujah. She finally got it. “That's right.”
“And there's no chance with you?”
“Definitely not.” Choutarou had ruined him on relationships. If they ever broke up, Shishido had a hard time seeing how he could be with anyone. Choutarou was stupidly perfect and he'd end up comparing anyone to the guy. They'd all look horrible in comparison. It was a scary realization.
They finished their drinks in silence. She was the first to leave. It was disappointing how she did it. She just stood up and left. There was no push, no fight. She'd just given up. As much as he didn't want her around, he'd hoped she would fight. If...he hated himself for even having the thought but honestly, if she'd tried harder and pushed to have Shun. He didn't know. He'd just wanted to see some kind of fight in her and not that.
Despite everything, he was the first one home. Having dealt with Megumi for hopefully the last time, he had to admit that it did feel like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He knew there was a chance she'd come back but he knew he could handle the situation if it happened.
“We're home!” Two voices called out a little while later.
“How was school?” Shishido called back from where he was lounging on the floor, reading a tennis magazine. The floor shook a little as Shun ran over.
“Look!” He said, shoving something in Shishido's face. It was a piece of paper but that was about all he could tell.
“What is it?”
“My test!” Ow. Shishido wanted to hold his ears but resisted. “Look! I got an A.”
Shishido stared at his son, obviously surprised. “Really?” Math was not his son's best subject. In fact, it'd always been the boy's worst. “How?”
“Sensei showed me how he does math,” Shun answered. He still referred to Choutarou by the title. They couldn't figure out if it was out of sheer habit or personal preference. Either way, it didn't make much of a difference. “His way made it really easy.”
“Geez Choutarou,” Shishido said as he sat up. “If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was your kid and not mine.”
“Dad.” Shun drew the word out. It would have been hilarious if it weren't for what the boy said next. “I'm both of yours.” He was completely serious about it. The words took Shishido's breath away. This was the first time he'd heard his son say something like that.
This was a day for celebrating. “Let's go out for dinner,” Shishido decided. “Wherever you guys want to go, my treat.”
Shun cheered. Choutarou shot him a questioning look. Shishido just smiled back and explained, “We're celebrating everything.”
Author: chouta_angel
Recipient: rhapsie
Rating: PG-13 for language
Warnings: There is cursing. Shishido has a dirty mouth (and mind).
Summary: Sometimes things don't work out. Sometimes life likes to throw curveballs at you. This is the story of how the past refused to stay in the past.
Notes (if required): I kind of really ended up going overboard with the whole silver pair domestic theme. I hope you enjoy.
The apartment was quiet. No music, no kid's shows, just quiet. It was amazing. Shishido couldn't remember the last time he'd had his apartment to himself. Probably never.
There was a rustling at the door but he ignored it. He already knew it was Choutarou. His boyfriend had left a little while ago to grab some clothing and personal items. Even though they'd agreed to wait until next weekend, Choutarou had already started to move in. It meant the apartment was starting to feel a little cluttered but that just made it feel more like a permanent home, one where his life was equal parts Shun and Choutarou.
“Taking a nap?” Choutarou asked, leaning over the back of the sofa. He had that beautifully warm smile on his face, the one that made Shishido feel like melting into the furniture.
“Enjoying the lack of kid,” Shishido answered, speaking truthfully. “Haven't had a weekend like this in six years.”
“If I weren't here,” Choutarou said as he set something down that thumped loudly, “you'd just stay there all weekend, wouldn't you?”
Shishido raised his hand, setting it on top of Choutarou's. “Probably,” he admitted, the idea tempting. “We're taking Shun to the amusement park by the ocean sometime soon.”
“Oh?” Choutarou moved, coming around to sit on the sofa. He pushed Shishido's gets out of the way to give himself a little room. “Why?”
It took effort to rearrange himself into a comfortable position. Shishido shot his boyfriend an annoyed look but there was no force behind it. How in the world was he supposed to explain why anyway? He'd kept quiet about the conversation he'd had with Shun. Might as well get it out there now though. “It's to make him feel better. He was kind of freaked about the whole you moving in thing.”
Shishido could practically hear the wheels turning in his boyfriend's head. “It's not because of you so don't even,” he threatened before Choutarou could say anything. “He was just talking about how you moving in means he won't have a mom.”
“Is...is that an issue with Shun?” Choutarou's voice was hesitant.
“I don't know.” Shishido shrugged. “I think that some kids at his school might have been talking about it but I don't know.” The troubled look on Choutarou's face made Shishido frown. “Stop that. We had a talk about it and he's okay now. But we're going to the amusement park.”
He didn't give Choutarou a chance to protest.
The weekend passed in a blur. All too soon he found himself at his parents house, Choutarou at his side. His parents liked to hold family dinners every so often. Shishido and his brother had decided it'd just be easiest to trade the boy for peace there.
“Did you have fun?” Shishido's mother asked as everyone gathered around the table.
“Uncle Dai almost lost the car,” Shun told them, laughing about some untold joke.
All eyes turned to Shishido's older brother, just waiting to hear that particular story. It was in that moment, when he was looking at his family and listening to his brother's story, that Shishido really felt like his life was good. Things were just right. He slid his hand under the table, reaching over to give Choutarou's a squeeze. His boyfriend shot him a confused look but Shishido just smiled. It was hard to explain and besides, what was the point? He'd just come off looking lame and sappy. He loved his family but that was definitely crossing the line.
“So you see, I didn't almost lose the car,” Shishido's brother finished up the story.
“It's a good thing you didn't,” the man's wife added. “Paying back the rental agency isn't an expense we can really afford, what with us needing to save for the future.”
All eyes turned to look at her. She and his brother shared a glance, the two smiling. Shishido thought he saw faint blushes on both their faces. Apparently he wasn't the only one to notice because his mother asked, “are you...?”
“We just found out Friday morning,” his brother confirmed. His wife nodded, her smile growing wider.
“How far along?” And that's when Shishido understood. He knew the two had been trying for kids. It wasn't a family secret but they had appeared to be having trouble. It'd been almost a year since they'd started and nothing. So this was big family news. Shishido was glad to hear even if he doubted he'd be able to send his son over to his brother's place very much.
“Almost two months.”
Shun looked from adult to adult, confusion written all over his face. “What's going on?”
Shishido could feel the weight of everyone expecting him to explain it. The joy of being the parent. “Your uncle and aunt are having a baby.” He couldn't make it much clearer than that.
The boy turned to look at his aunt, eyes huge. “When?”
“Not for many months,” she answered. “We don't have a specific date yet but we're probably looking at early December.”
“So not near my birthday.” Shun sounded relieved. “Can I name it?”
“How about you help us come up with names?” Shishido heard his brother suggest.
As they walked home, Shishido heard his son telling them all about his camping trip. Choutarou was interesting, responding back with questions and comments. Shishido wasn't entirely following the conversation. He knew he probably should but he kept getting distracted by his own thoughts. Like how wonderful his life was at the moment. A few years ago, he would have thought all this impossible. Especially the whole situation with Choutarou. He really had thought that when they broke up in high school that that was the end of everything between them. They'd never speak, never see each other, never anything again. And yet, here he was dating Choutarou once more. Not just dating either but Choutarou was moving in too. It was serious and that should have been scary but somehow it wasn't.
~*~*~
Things were a mess. Spring, summer, and autumn had all come and gone and they were in the midst of winter now. The happy perfect life Shishido had been enjoying had come to a screeching halt just moments ago.
“Is this Shun?” She asked, her voice sickeningly sweet sounding. Shishido was proud of his son for stepping behind Choutarou, using the tall man as a physical shield so she couldn't get her claws on him. That was the only word for those freakishly long pink nails on her fingers.
“Leave,” he growled. It didn't help that she'd put herself between him and his apartment. The fact that she'd turned herself into a physical barrier and it pissed him off. “You've got no right to be here.” Choutarou said something but Shishido had no clue what it was or who he'd spoken to.
“And leave my family?” She asked, actually having the audacity to sound hurt. It was only the steel grip on Shishido's wrist that kept him anchored. Choutarou was still hellaciously strong but it was also just enough of a distraction for Shishido to regain some of his composure. Flying off the handle would not be good for anyone right now.
“What's going on?” Choutarou's voice murmured in his ear.
Shishido didn't bother being discreet. “Take him somewhere,” Shishido requested, obviously referring to his son. “Anywhere.”
He needed Shun gone. His son needed to be somewhere far away, safe from this woman. Until Choutarou had Shun somewhere else, he couldn't even begin thinking of relaxing. He could tell Choutarou was reluctant to leave by the way his fingers lingered on Shishido's wrist.
Time had treated Megumi well. Shishido hated that she looked barely in her 20s when he knew she was nearly a decade older. She still had the pretty black hair, exactly the same shade of Shun's. Seeing her again, he was able to see just how much certain parts of his son resembled this woman.
Even after Choutarou left with Shun, the two of them didn't move. Shishido refused to do so until she left and she...well, he didn't know. He wasn't inviting her in, that was for sure.
“What are you doing here?” He asked, trying to keep this civil. For the moment, he was barely succeeding.
She gave a little bow that felt like it was mocking Shishido. “To repent for the harm I've done and to rejoin Shun's life.”
Yeah, just hearing her say his son's name was enough to make Shishido see red for a moment. He clenched his fist, forcing himself to take a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down.
“Don't say his name,” he warned. He really, really did not want to do something stupid. It would only hurt Shun in the long run even if it would be momentarily satisfying. “You're not welcome.”
She looked up. The moment she did, he could see that the bowing had been a deliberate act. She had her sad eyes, the ones that were meant to tug on a person's heartstrings. They made her look sorry and he almost felt bad. Almost. He'd forgotten how much of a manipulator she'd been. A flood of memories were coming back, of all the times she tried to make him or someone else feel guilty so they would do stuff for her. Shishido was glad his son hadn't inherited that particular trait.
“He's my son.” Her face could break a heart but her voice wouldn't. He growled in annoyance. She couldn't even pretend to be sincere about this?
“Not for seven years,” he shot back. As far as he was concerned, she might as well be dead. She'd severed any ties with Shun the moment she'd walked out of the apartment that final day.
“I was young and an idiot,” she answered, voice still lacking any traces of sorrow or passion. Honestly from the way she spoke? She could have been speaking to a stranger on the street.
Shishido shook his head. “Don't even try to use those excuses. I know you want something and what it is, you're not getting it.”
Megumi straightened up, taking a moment to fix her hair. She seemed to care more for it than the seven year old boy Choutarou had whisked away to safety. “I mean it. If you can find it in your heart, I want a second chance. He needs me.” She paused, biting her lip as she added, “Ryou, you need me. Together, the three of us can be a family again.”
Now more than ever, Shishido was glad he had Choutarou in his life. The idea of ever having this woman in his life, of having a romantic relationship with, was laughable. He might have cared for her once but that was definitely not the case now. And if Shun needed a mother, well, he didn't need this one. Years, maybe even just a few months ago, Shishido might have wavered. He wasn't wavering now.
“No happening,” he told her. “To any and all of that. You left so now you have to deal with the consequences.”
“He needs his mother.”
“Too bad you aren't one.”
Maybe that was the wrong thing to say. She actually looked genuinely hurt. His phone started buzzing in his pocket. Some classical song started to play. Choutarou was calling. Keeping an eye on Megumi, Shishido answered it.
“My parents' place,” was the first thing out of Choutarou's mouth.
Relief flooded Shishido's system. “Good. Stay there?” Or at least until I can call you back.” Megumi would never find Shun there.
“Who is that?” Both Choutarou and Megumi asked in unison that created this weird momentary double effect on Shishido's ears.
“Bad news,” Shishido answered, speaking to his boyfriend in the off-chance that ignoring Megumi would make her leave. “I'll explain later, okay? Just keep Shun away from here for now.” He noticed how Megumi was watching the phone closely. It was not a comfortable feeling. “You might want to stay there overnight.”
Choutarou went quiet. The only indication he had that his boyfriend hadn't hung up was the sound of Choutarou's breathing. Shishido knew his boyfriend, knew he was trying to figure this out with what little he knew of the situation. “His mother?” The words were quiet, as if he were afraid someone would overhear. Probably Shun.
“If you can even call her that,” Shishido answered. He certainly didn't want to. “I...I'll call back in a bit, okay?”
“Don't do anything stupid,” Choutarou teased, ending the call.
As much as he really did hate the teasing, Shishido couldn't help but smile as he slid the phone back into his pocket. Trust Choutarou to know the perfect thing to say.
“Who was that?” Megumi asked, annoyingly curious. “Was that your friend? The one you sent Shun with?”
Shishido crossed his arms and glared. He wasn't going to budge. Maybe if he didn't respond to whatever she said, she'd leave. Whatever it took to get through this situation and dealing with her.
“He was cute.”
His nostrils flared and it took all his self control to keep his tempter in check. Had she always been this way? He'd always assumed his memories of her had been tainted by the heartbreak and betrayal but not he wasn't quite so sure. He wondered what it was he'd seen in her to begin with. Had it been a purely physical attraction? He was starting to wonder about that.
“He's taken.” By me. “So don't even bother. Besides, you're about the furthest you could be from his type.” Choutarou was very firmly attracted to guys. Shishido couldn't remember a time he'd seen Choutarou look twice at a woman. She almost looked disappointed at the news. Shishido wondered if it'd be rude to gag. Probably. He wished he could get her to leave. Why not? Things were going so well.
“I'm just trying to fix my mistakes,” Megumi said, jolting Shishido out of his thoughts. He realized he'd said that last bit aloud. “I've done a lot of thinking and realized I was a fool.”
Shishido snorted. That was one way to put it. Personally he preferred the term 'fucking idiot' but that was his own opinion. “And I believe I've made it perfectly clear your efforts are not welcome.”
He could not forgive her, just like he could not forget what had happened. Neither of them needed to rehash the details. What had happened was long over and as far as Shishido was concerned, any part of her in his life or that of Shun's was equally over. “The moment you walked out the door that day, you forfeited any involvement in my life or that of Shun's.”
They stood in silence. He wasn't sure how long they were there. It surprised him how calm he felt and he was more than a little amazed that he'd been able to keep himself in check. Patience and dealing with bullshit weren't exactly his strong suits.
Megumi finally gave a soft sigh. “I'll leave for now.” Those lovely magical amazing words. It was hard not to grin. “But we need to sort this out.”
No. No they didn't. Shishido held his tongue somehow. He waited, not calling Choutarou until she'd been gone for nearly an hour. He wanted to make sure she was long gone. Shishido found it impossible to fully relax, even with the door locked. As he waited for his boys, he knew it was crazy but he kept waiting for Megumi to try something.
When they came home, Shishido finally relaxed. Shun was half-asleep and Choutarou put him to bed. He probably should have felt guilty about it but he was grateful for that. This was like telling his son he was dating Choutarou all over again but worse. How in the world was he supposed to explain this mess? Shishido had no clue but he knew there were going to be some hurt feelings pointed in his direction after all this.
“Sorry about that,” Shishido apologized after he'd gone over to double-check that the door was indeed locked. It was. He went to where Choutarou was standing and pulled him towards their sofa. He was still far too stressed to let the door out of his sight. Who knew what would happen if he did that?
Choutarou obliged. “What happened?”
Shishido knew himself. If anyone else had asked that question, he would have gotten pissed. Only Choutarou was special. “In general or just tonight?”
“Which is easier to start with?”
He groaned. “Neither. It's enough to make us look simple.”
That earned him a chuckle. “You sure do attract trouble, Ryou.”
“Do not.” Shishido stuck his tongue out. “If I did, you'd be far away from me.”
Morning came. Shishido groaned, his neck aching. That taught him what a bad idea sleeping on the sofa had been. He looked around, relieved that nothing was out of place. No ex-girlfriend's were lurking in the corner. It was just him. Any traces of sleep vanished. It should not have been only him in the apartment. He would have loved to say he had the self control to not go tearing through the apartment, looking for any signs of either Choutarou or Shun. Sadly, that would have been a lie.
He heard noise at the door. Shishido emerged out of Shun's room to discover the missing duo. “Morning,” Choutarou greeted, holding up a bag. “We got breakfast.”
Shun grinned. “We gots lots of stuff,” he said as he bounced over to Shishido's side.
“And you didn't wake me up?” The man asked, directing the unsaid accusation towards his boyfriend.
“You looked sleepy so I said you needed to sleep,” Shun answered. “Sensei wanted to wake you but I said no.” Okay, he couldn't bring himself to be upset after hearing that. His son could be stubborn at times.
As they ate, Shishido noticed his son constantly shooting impatient glances at his boyfriend. Each time, Choutarou would give a little shake of his head. Shun would look down at his food, disappointment written all over his face. After the fifth time this happened, Shishido had had enough. “Spill,” he ordered, wanting in on their little secret.
“My mother won a couple of passes to the ice skating rink near my sister's house. She gave them to us last night,” Choutarou replied, looking sheepish. “He wants to go.”
Shun nodded eagerly. “Can we?” He pleaded. “Please?”
Like he could say no to that. “You and Choutarou? If he says it's okay, I don't see why not.”
“No.” Shun looked at him, entirely serious. “All three of us. It's the whole family or no one. So please?”
He had to do it. Even if Shun hadn't called them a family, he would have but that word? That was the nail in the coffin. He nodded. Besides, it would be fun to get out of the apartment and do something together. Maybe he'd even be able to forget about yesterday. It was starting to feel like a bad nightmare but he had a suspicious feeling that it was just beginning. Still, Shishido decided he wasn't going to let that affect their day.
It was cold out but a pleasant sort of cold that meant the place was busy when they got there. It didn't deter them. Shun took to skating easily, only needing a little help when he first started. It was obvious he'd inherited at least some of his father's natural athleticism even if Shun wasn't a fan of sports in general. Shishido could not say the same for Choutarou, who actually had been an athlete at one point.
“Are you sure you don't want to take a break?” Shishido asked, offering his hand to Choutarou. The tall man was once again sprawled out on the ice, limbs appearing to go in every direction all at once.
“If I do,” Choutarou answered as he let Shishido help him up, “I'm done for the day.” He put an arm around Shishido's shoulders to steady himself.
“Is your friend okay?” A passing woman slowed down to ask.
“Just fine,” Choutarou answered, chuckling in embarrassment. “I think I just need some help with my balance.” She seemed to accept that and moved on, leaving the two of them.
It wasn't the easiest to skate with his boyfriend leaning on him. Shun kept zipping by them, laughing about their slow progress. Normally it would have bugged Shishido and sparked his competitive drive but he just couldn't bring himself to care. He was having fun even if he wasn't dashing around. Besides, as heavy and unstable as Choutarou was, it was nice to have his arm around Shishido.
“This is probably the wrong time to say it but I'm really glad I met you,” Choutarou murmured in Shishido's ear as they slowly made their way around the rink. “That everything's happened to bring us here.”
“Shut up.” Shishido looked down, fighting to keep from blushing like a some schoolgirl with a crush. “You keep talking like that and I'll start wondering if you're actually Oshitari in disguise.”
“Definitely not.” Choutarou laughed. The action threatened to make them fall over. Shishido had to stop them, leaning against the wall. “Last I heard, he was in Kyoto.”
“You talk to him?” This was news to Shishido. As far as he knew, Gakuto had been the only one who had kept in contact with Oshitari. Most of the old middle school and high school group kept in contact with a few others. Shishido saw Jirou, Gakuto, and Choutarou all the time. He knew Jirou sometimes talked to Kabaji and Taki. He'd figured that Choutarou and Hiyoshi had kept in contact since they'd been friends since they'd been kids. But Choutarou and Oshitari? That was a new one.
“Just occasionally,” Choutarou replied. “Whenever something major happens.”
They went around the rink twice, slow and steady. He could feel Choutarou gaining his balance and becoming more confident. “Think you can try it on your own?” Shishido teased. His boyfriend shot him an annoyed look that was absolutely adorable. If they'd been alone, Shishido didn't doubt what he'd do. He'd lean over and kiss Choutarou. But they weren't home so he kept his lips to himself.
Shun came rushing over, stopping so suddenly he fell down. That didn't seem to bother him though. “Dad! Can we race?”
“Ask Choutarou. He's the one using me to keep from falling over,” Shishido teased the two, or at least, Choutarou.
“Go. I can do this now,” Choutarou encouraged. He removed his arm from Shishido's shoulders.
“You sure?” Shishido didn't want to take off just for Choutarou to have a nasty spill.
“I can do this now,” was Choutarou's answer.
That was all Shun needed. He grabbed his father's hand, pulling Shishido with him. By now the crowds had started to thin out which made it easier for the two of them to race. “First one around the rink?” Shishido suggested. Shun grinned and nodded, agreeing to the terms.
The lights were painfully bright. Noise came rushing back but he couldn't distinguish anything other than his son and Choutarou's voices. He blinked. Why was he staring at the lights? His back was cold. He realized he was laying on the ice. A strange woman was crouched next to him, peering into his eyes carefully. She was talking to someone. Choutarou, he decided.
“-u okay, sir?”
Oh. She was talking to him. “Head's killing me,” he managed to say, slowly sitting up.
“Do you know where you are?”
One of these. He would have rolled his eyes except that would have hurt. “Ice rink,” he answered. “Shun, Choutarou,” he added, knowing that was likely the next question. “My pupils okay?”
The woman was momentarily surprised before catching on. “You've had a concussion before, haven't you?”
“A couple,” he admitted. “It's been a few years since the last one though.”
“Can you stand?” She asked, moving back to give him space.
“Probably. I'm a little afraid without some support.” The last thing he needed was to fall back down. How lame would that be? He'd already slipped and hit his head which was bad enough. Even worse was the fact that he'd given Choutarou a hard time about doing just that not even a few minutes ago.
He leaned on Choutarou. Taking a deep breath, Shishido closed his eyes for a moment to let the world stop spinning. “An dizziness?” The medic asked. He knew she was watching him closely.
Shishido opened his eyes. “Only when I stood up but I'm good now,” he decided it was better to stick with the truth.
She nodded curtly. “I'm going to say you're good then. However, if you experiences any changes whatsoever, I advise you seek medical attention immediately,” she stated. It sounded like she was repeating some script. She probably was.
Shun was worried. The look on his face clearly expressed that as he watched his father carefully. “I'm going home with him,” Choutarou assured. “If he starts to show any signs of a concussion, I'll make sure he's seen to.”
He groaned, knowing that what mean. “You're going to babysit me.”
Choutarou led him over to a nearby bench just outside the actual rink. “You should know that already.” Shun sat next to his father, taking off his skates. Every few moments, whenever he thought he wasn't being watched, he'd look over and carefully inspect Shishido's face.
“I”m fine,” Shishido assured. He knew what his son was thinking. “It'll take more than that to hurt me.”
“Don't worry,” Choutarou added, kneeling on the floor in front of Shishido. He reached for the other's feet, unlacing the skates before Shishido could even begin to protest. “Your dad has a hard head.”
“You sure you want to be saying that?” Shishido questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Choutarou just smiled. “You wouldn't and we both know it.”
Trust his boyfriend to be right about that. Shishido scowled. It was the only thing he could do. “Stay here,” Choutarou ordered, his own skates magically in his hand. Shishido had no clue when or how that had even happened. Shun went off with him as the two returned their skates.
They were taking their sweet time. Shishido's patience was starting to run out. Thankfully they appeared before he went completely crazy. “What's going on?” He asked. There was something suspicious about the twin looks of glee on their faces. They were planning something and he doubted it was anything good.
“Nothing,” Shun sang.
“You don't need to worry, Ryou,” Choutarou added, no doubt an attempt to reassure Shishido.
Shishido wasn't so sure about that. Honestly, he was even more suspicious of them now. Still, it wasn't like they were talking. It'd probably be something that would annoy Shishido anyway like not letting him get up for the rest of the day or do anything on his own but piss. “Are we going home?”
“Yes.” Choutarou was firm about that. It wasn't often he put his foot down but this was one of those times. Shishido knew arguing would get him nowhere. He decided to not even waste his time trying.
Resting on the sofa, Shishido tuned out Shun and Choutarou. The two were at the keyboard, playing some melody that Shishido didn't recognize. It was relaxing even if every other note made his head scream. The fall had given him one killer headache and the painkillers he'd taken when they got home were taking their sweet time to kick in.
The music eventually stopped. By then, his headache had long since vanished. The sofa shifted and when Shishido opened his eyes, he found Choutarou curling up with him. “Shun's working on a project for school,” he explained, reading Shishido's mind.
“Going to tell me what you two were grinning about earlier?” Shishido hadn't forgotten about that.
“How's your head?” Choutarou dodged the question. It was frustrating but Shishido knew he'd find out eventually.
Shishido shifted, putting his arm around Choutarou. “I think I've got a nasty bump forming but that's about it.”
“Shun asked me something.” Choutarou rested his head on Shishido's shoulder. His hair tickled but Shishido tried to ignore the feeling. “He asked me how long I was going to be with you guys.”
The older guy tried to nonchalantly brush some of the ticklish hair away. “What'd you say?”
Choutarou shifted. The action completely ruined Shishido's efforts. “I told him I'd stay as long as you'd have me.”
Well that was truth. Shishido chuckled. “You're stuck here forever,” he answered. “Unless you decide to leave.” That was the only way Shishido could see their relationship ending, if Choutarou got sick of him.
“There's more. He asked, well, it's just...” Choutarou's voice was little more than a whisper at this point. “He said that if it was going to be a long time...he asked if it'd be okay if he called me Papa.”
Holy fucking shit. Shishido stopped breathing. “Seriously?” It was one thing for his son to accept Choutarou into their home. It was another thing entirely for his son to make the leap towards seeing the guy as a parental figure.
“I told him he could if he wanted to, that it was up to him.” Choutarou lifted his head. “It...are kids always so amazing?”
Shishido laughed. “I don't know. You're the one who works with them, not me.” He honestly was surprised about that though. It was crazy to see just how far things had come. And now, with the whole Megumi thing popping up, Shishido felt like this was a sign he'd made the right choices. “Still, my kid's pretty awesome.”
The younger man set his head back down on Shishido's shoulder. Hair went up Shishido's nose again, threatening to make him sneeze. “Can I ask you something?” He asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
Figuring it was something innocent, Shishido nodded. He did not expect what Choutarou asked. “What the whole story with his mother? The way Shun talks, it sounds like she's dead...”
“That's because that's what I told him.” This really was not something he wanted to talk about. Unfortunately, Choutarou was becoming involved with the situation.
“Last night?”
Choutarou was confused and Shishido couldn't fault his boyfriend for that. Shooting a look at Shun's room, Shishido prayed his son would stay in there, that the boy wouldn't overhear what he was about to say. Shishido sighed. He really didn't want to talk about this but he realized he didn't really have a choice about it either. “I was at work that day,” he started. “She wrote a note and taped it to the door.”
He didn't have the note anymore. Years ago, he'd gotten pissed off and ripped it up. He almost wished he hadn't right now. “We...we didn't have the best relationship, especially after she got pregnant. I think I told that I'd never been married. I asked her a bunch of times. Her family kept pressuring her to do it too but she refused.”
It had been a constant point of tension in their relationship and it'd only gotten worse once Shun had actually been born. “But we got this place together and we lived as a little family for a few months after he was born.” He thought maybe having their own place would help but it'd only made the situation worse. “She just left. Walked out of here because we were holding her back from reaching her dreams.”
“How old was Shun?” Choutarou sounded almost afraid to ask.
“Four months old. You can probably guess why I've always told him she was dead.” He didn't want his son knowing the truth. Not yet anyway. Shishido had always decided that if his son wanted to know, he'd give the boy the full story when he was an adult and could emotionally handle it. “She might as well be.”
“Except she's not.”
The words sounded so final. Shishido knew they were true. “Yeah, except that. I never thought I'd see her again.”
Choutarou sat up. His eyes were full of worry. “What are you going to do now?”
“About Megumi?” Shishido knew that's what Choutarou was referring to. “I don't know. I want to keep her as far away from Shun as I can.” That was the best he could do.
~*~*~
Shishido slowed down to a jog as he reached his apartment building. A familiar sight was waiting out front and it wasn't exactly a pleasant one. He already knew what she was going to ask. It was the same question she'd asked countless times before. “Can we talk? Please?”
This wasn't going to end until they did. He wanted it to be over. He didn't want to talk to her. One of those needed to give for it to end. “There's a cafe a few blocks away.” He decided to give in and talk.
She actually looked surprised. He didn't blame her. It'd been nearly a month since she'd first reappeared and he'd turned down her request every time. He wasn't going to invite her into his home though. That was a place for him and his loved ones.
The cafe wasn't hard to find but then, Shishido had been there plenty of times over the years. Looking around, he decided it was probably the sort of place Choutarou would like. He should bring his boyfriend sometime. The guy's birthday was coming up and it needed to be special. They'd been together for awhile now and it'd been almost a year since he'd moved in.
It wasn't busy, something that could work out in his favor. Or against it. They took a table along the back wall and ordered drinks. That was all Shishido was going to order. No need to make this long or more drawn out than it needed to be. The only reason he'd even ordered a drink was so he didn't feel bad about taking one of the cafe's tables.
“I'm surprised you agreed.” Megumi was the first to speak.
“I want this over with,” Shishido answered, laying the truth out there. “It needs to stop.” Shun was starting to ask questions about who the strange lady was and why she kept trying to talk to him. Dealing with the situation was exhausting.
She smiled, taking a sip of her painfully pink drink. “I just want things to go back to the way they're supposed to be.”
Things were the way they were supposed to be. He didn't actually say that though. No need to fuel that fire even if it was true. “And how are things supposed to be? We were never a family. Seven years ago, it was Shun and me. And you. You weren't interested in us.”
“I was 20. I didn't know how to handle it.” At least this time she looked and sounded sad. “I've grown up. I'm not the same idiot I used to be.”
Could have fooled him. Only an idiot would think she could waltz back into a life she'd thrown away. “And life isn't the same as it used to be.”
She sighed. “I can see that. You used to have a heart.”
“Still do. Just, I don't care about you.” Shishido wasn't going to sugarcoat it. “I told Shun you died.”
That shocked her. He almost felt proud of himself. He decided to explain why. “I mean, who walks out on a baby? It's nicer than the truth. That his mother gave up and abandoned him.”
“So he doesn't know who I am.” She sounded distant. “Does he know my parents?”
Shishido shook his head. “I talked to them a little when he was a baby but I decided it would be better for him to not be around them. That way there wouldn't be any accidental slips. “They were upset but understood.”
Megumi became quiet, staring at her drink. This suited Shishido just fine. He was hoping it was finally sinking in. Legally, they didn't even need to have this discussion. Shun was his and even though they'd never been married, he had insisted when the boy was born that Shun be added to his family registry, not hers. He'd argued it would be easier for when they did get married. Except the whole marriage thing hadn't exactly panned out. That wasn't his fault. What it did mean was that he had custody of his son.
“You're not going to let me be a part of his life, are you?”
Hallelujah. She finally got it. “That's right.”
“And there's no chance with you?”
“Definitely not.” Choutarou had ruined him on relationships. If they ever broke up, Shishido had a hard time seeing how he could be with anyone. Choutarou was stupidly perfect and he'd end up comparing anyone to the guy. They'd all look horrible in comparison. It was a scary realization.
They finished their drinks in silence. She was the first to leave. It was disappointing how she did it. She just stood up and left. There was no push, no fight. She'd just given up. As much as he didn't want her around, he'd hoped she would fight. If...he hated himself for even having the thought but honestly, if she'd tried harder and pushed to have Shun. He didn't know. He'd just wanted to see some kind of fight in her and not that.
Despite everything, he was the first one home. Having dealt with Megumi for hopefully the last time, he had to admit that it did feel like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He knew there was a chance she'd come back but he knew he could handle the situation if it happened.
“We're home!” Two voices called out a little while later.
“How was school?” Shishido called back from where he was lounging on the floor, reading a tennis magazine. The floor shook a little as Shun ran over.
“Look!” He said, shoving something in Shishido's face. It was a piece of paper but that was about all he could tell.
“What is it?”
“My test!” Ow. Shishido wanted to hold his ears but resisted. “Look! I got an A.”
Shishido stared at his son, obviously surprised. “Really?” Math was not his son's best subject. In fact, it'd always been the boy's worst. “How?”
“Sensei showed me how he does math,” Shun answered. He still referred to Choutarou by the title. They couldn't figure out if it was out of sheer habit or personal preference. Either way, it didn't make much of a difference. “His way made it really easy.”
“Geez Choutarou,” Shishido said as he sat up. “If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was your kid and not mine.”
“Dad.” Shun drew the word out. It would have been hilarious if it weren't for what the boy said next. “I'm both of yours.” He was completely serious about it. The words took Shishido's breath away. This was the first time he'd heard his son say something like that.
This was a day for celebrating. “Let's go out for dinner,” Shishido decided. “Wherever you guys want to go, my treat.”
Shun cheered. Choutarou shot him a questioning look. Shishido just smiled back and explained, “We're celebrating everything.”