Showdown - Chap 43

"Minoru...don't you want to play with the others?" Sora asked his little mini-me as he was snuggled in Hotaka's lap. Minoru had a mop of blonde hair and big blue eyes. It was as if he was a perfect clone of Sora.

Minoru shook his head.

"Come on, Minoru..." Sora sighed. It was nearly impossible getting Minoru to socialize with the other children.

"At least we can find him..." Hotaka sighed. "Naoke is missing again..."

Naoke was their daughter. She had long blonde hair like Hotaka's with Sora’s deep blue eyes. She was a very shy girl and often liked to hide from everyone and everything.

Sora sighed. "Let me go find her..."

"Is she lost again?" Daisuke asked as he came into the room with a little girl on his hip. She had to long black ponytails and bright green eyes. Her snow white skin was reminiscent of Shiku's more than Daisuke's, but she was dressed up in a very expensive kimono similar to Daisuke's.

Hotaka sighed and nodded. "Yes. I don't understand that girl.

"Give her some sake~ Bet that would loosen her up~" Shiku laughed as he came in behind Daisuke. On his hip he carried a brunette daughter with his deep green eyes. She wore actual boys clothes as she fussed too much in girls.

“I'll go find Naoke, and no, I'm not giving her sake. She's not gonna turn out like Tomoe." Sora looked to Shiku, remembering the old trick that would help their first daughter fall asleep at night.

Shiku sighed. "My father did that to me and I turned out fine..." He mumbled.

Sora left the room as Daisuke went to take his seat on the couch. Daisuke smiled at Hotaka and Minoru in his lap. "He looks so much like Sora..."

Hotaka smiled and nodded. "Mhm... he's precious."

Shiku sighed as he watched Sora leave. Ever since the kids were born, Shiku was noticing that he and Sora were drifting apart.

Hotaka caught Shiku's gaze and frowned. "I'm sorry... I know Sora and you are drifting..." He breathed.

Daisuke frowned as well. He could tell this drifting was tearing at Shiku. "Do...you know why?" He looked to Hotaka, wondering if Sora had confided something into Hotaka.

Hotaka shook his head. "No, I have no idea. He's never said anything to me... I'm unsure if he even realizes he's doing it..." He frowned.

Shiku sighed and set his daughter down before leaving the room.

Hotaka sighed when Sora returned with Naoke. She looked timid as she clung to Sora.

Sora smiled softly at the little girl as he took a seat with her. "Now, Naoke, there's nothing to be scared of~" He cooed softly, trying to ease her tension.

"Um... Sora..." Hotaka breathed.

Sora looked up at him. "Hm?"

"Are... you mad at Shiku?"

"Me? Mad at Shiku?" Sora blinked. "Why would I be?"

"Well... you guys are drifting apart... and you yell at him a lot..." Hotaka frowned.

"I...don't see it as drifting apart..." Sora sighed and looked down at his daughter. "We've been through this before...It's just a phase." He waved it off. "Everything will be fine soon..."

"But... he's trying... you're not..." Hotaka frowned. "What's really going on?”

Sora frowned. "I don't know..."

"Are you lying?" Hotaka frowned. "There's no reason why?"

Sora looked to Hotaka. "I...seriously don't know..."

"Well... you should talk with him... that comment was uncalled for to him."

Daisuke put Renna down as the little girl went over to her sister to play. "Here, let me take Naoke." He went over to take the little girl, stroking her hair. "Now...go talk to your husband."

Sora frowned a bit as he got up, heading out of the room to find his husband.

Shiku was in the kitchen, rummaging for sake. He wasn't sure what he had done, but he wanted to avoid it...

"Shiku...?" Sora said softly as he found him in the kitchen.

Shiku glanced at him before going back into the cupboard. "What?”

"I'm sorry..." Sora breathed, looking at the floor. "Whatever I've been doing...I'm sorry..."

"Whatever." Shiku grumbled as he pulled down a bottle of sake.

"Shiku..." Sora went over to him and placed his hand over top of the bottle. "Please talk with me..."

"Why should I?" Shiku ripped his hand away. "I'm just a screw up." He hissed before chugging back sake, going to move passed him.

"Stop it." Sora looked at him. "You aren't a screw up."

"Then why are you being a dick?" He growled.

"I don't mean to." Sora breathed. "It just comes out...like that..."

"Right..." Shiku went to walk away.

“Hey," Sora grabbed his wrist, "look at me..."

"What?" Shiku snapped at him.

Sora frowned and released his wrist. "Do you hate me...?"

"I'm angry with you. Unless you give me a reason as to why you've been treating me like shit, then I'll be getting intoxicated." He growled.

"Shiku, don't get drunk..." Sora frowned.

"Why not?"

“Because there are young children in the house..." Sora breathed. "And I know how you get when you're drunk."

"I'll stay away from the kids."

“Shiku...drinking isn't the answer. Let's just...go somewhere and talk together." Sora asked.

Shiku glared at him. "Really?"

Sora nodded. "Yes...please."

"Whatever."

Sora frowned but tightened his hand around his wrist. "Put the sake down."

He placed the bottle on the counter.

Sora nodded slightly before dragging Shiku off, finding an unused room. They entered Ace's study and Sora locked the door behind him, looking at Shiku who sat down on top of Ace's desk. "Let's talk."

Shiku sighed as he looked towards the window.

Sora frowned. "Why Daisuke...?"

Shiku blinked. "I'm sorry...?"

"Well...it's just...I never really thought about it until now...All of this "drifting" started since you and Daisuke decided to have children..." Sora mumbled.

"But... you had kids too... and... I thought you didn't mind the four of us together?"

“Yes, I don't mind the four of us being together...It's quite enjoyable but...I thought it was just the four of us..." Sora looked down at his feet. "I had kids with Hotaka because he asked and you and Daisuke had already started to have kids..." He mumbled. "I felt like...you were moving beyond us..."

Shiku blinked. "Oh..."

"Grant it...I love my kids just as much as you do yours...Sometimes, it's hard sharing..." Sora breathed.

Shiku sighed. "What do you want me to do? Kill the kids?"

“It's not the kids..." Sora shook his head. "Maybe...Maybe we could go on a vacation? Just the two of us?"

“Sure... we can do that." Shiku nodded.

Sora went over to him and touched his chest lightly. "You're not a screw up, Shiku..." He said softly as if someone was listening. "You're an angel...My angel..."

Shiku frowned. "Are you sure about that?"

Sora nodded, searching Shiku's eyes. "You saved me...You're my angel." He breathed.

He sighed. "I don't feel like your angel lately... but I guess it's my own fault for being a peice of shit..."

"Shiku, you're not the piece of shit...Don't you see? It's me...It's always been me..."

"How has it always been you? I'm the one who fucked with our marriage."

Sora frowned and dropped his hands, wrapping his arms around himself. "There's always been something wrong with me..."

"How can you say that?"

"Because it's true!" Sora looked at him. "It's always been true..." He teared up.

"How? I don't see that..."

"How can you not?" He touched his mouth as he turned away.

"Because of that?" Shiku scoffed.

"This...This is a reminder as to why I'm no good..." Sora breathed. "It's not the scars themselves...but what they stand for..."

"You had an abusive, drunk foster Dad! That has no reflection on you!"

"I'm no good!" Sora screamed as she collapsed to the floor.

"Yes you are..." Shiku frowned as he knelt down.

Sora was curled up in a ball. The most peculiar thing about all this was his eyes. Instead of being the bright cyan blue that they were, they were pitch black. His skin was a bit paler than usual and he was sweating profusely.

Shiku's eyes widened. "S-Sora? Hey!" He shook him.

A tear rolled down Sora's cheek as he seemed to be muttering something under his breath. His eyes were entirely black, even the whites, and he seemed to be in a trance.

His eyes widened as he raced out to find help. "Help! Someone!"

"Shiku?" Daisuke heard him calling out. "Shiku, is something wrong?"

"Yes, help! There's something wrong with Sora!"

Daisuke rushed as fast as he could and followed him into the study. He knelt down and ran his hands over Sora's body. "There's something...supernatural about this..." He breathed.

"Wh-What do you mean?!" Shiku breathed, panicked.

"I don't know...but...maybe we should take him to see Suzu for now?" Daisuke looked to him. "Take him. I'll get Ace."

Shiku nodded as he and Sora disappeared.

...

Suzu shook her head. "I don't know what it is...but we have him under sedation." She breathed. "He's comfortable and his vitals look good...but...I'm still finding out what exactly happened..."

Ace nodded and looked to Shiku. "How was he acting before he collapsed?"

"He... was telling me... that it's his fault our marriage is falling apart..."

Ace furrowed his eyebrows together. "Hm...that...doesn't seem like him..." He breathed, looking into the room. It was silent except for the humming and beeping of machinery. "I mean...that seems like a very young version of him..."

"I know..." Shiku frowned.

Suzu sighed. "Like I said...I'll see what I can do...but medically he's fine. His vitals are good, brain activity is normal, but...his eyes..." She frowned. "How they're completely pitch black..."

Shiku frowned. "Just... do what you can..."

Suzu nodded. "I'll try..."

Shiku frowned and looked at his father.

Ace sighed. "We'll get to the bottom of this..."

"I hope so..." He frowned.

“Shiku..." Ace frowned. "Was there anything else that was strange...?"

"Well... he said he's been off since I decided to have a kid with Daisuke..."

"But that was four years ago..."

"I know..." He frowned. "But we've been drifting apart for four years..."

"Four years, huh?" Ace pondered for a moment. "And...he's the one that's been acting strange? You don't feel weird at all, right?"

Shiku blinked. "Well... um..."

Ace cocked an eyebrow. "Shiku?"

"No. I'm fine."

He nodded. "Okay..." He looked to Sora's room. "Maybe...I'll ask one of the gods to stop by..."

"O-Okay..."

Ace frowned and pulled his son in for a hug. "I'm sorry this happened...We'll get to the bottom of this. I swear it."

"I love you..." Shiku breathed.

"I love you too..." Ace kissed his head.

Shiku sighed and glanced at Sora's room again.

Ace placed his hand on Shiku's shoulder. "Come on...Why don't you go see him?"

"Because I'm a failure." He said and shrugged away

He nodded. "Yes... Sora practically said so himself..."

"Shiku...you are NOT a failure. Trust me." He breathed.

Shiku sighed. "I'm going home."

Ace frowned. "You aren't going to see him?"

"Why? He doesn't recognise me anyway..."

"It's still good to see him..." Ace breathed.

"I dont know...

"We can see him together." He smiled softly.

"Fine..."

Ace took Shiku's hand and walked into Sora's room. Sora was still unconscious with the soft hum of the machines in the background. Ace was careful to watch Shiku as he went.

Shiku sighed as he moved to Sora's bedside.

"Do you...want a moment?" Ace asked.

"No. I'm fine."

"Okay..." Ace took in a deep breath. "You know...you two are perfect for each other." He told him.

“No... I ruined what we had...”

"How?" He asked.

"By cheating on him with Daisuke all those years ago."

"Shiku..." Ace sighed as he went over to him. "That was a long time ago...Sora has forgiven you for all of that."

"Didn't seem like it before this happened..."

Ace sighed. "Shiku...We don't know how long he'd been under this influence. Obviously, this didn't sound like Sora at all...Perhaps they weren't even his words."

Shiku just shook his head as his eyes remained locked on Sora.

Ace placed his hand on his son's back and sighed. "I'm sorry...but the sooner we get Sora healed, the sooner we'll find out what he truly meant."

Shiku sighed and shrugged away. "I'm going for a walk. Don't follow me."

"Shiku..." Ace frowned.

...

"Who would've thought we'd be given girls instead of boys?" Koichi joked with Tsuyoshi as they were having a play date in the park. Sasuka and Sachiko were pushing the three girls on the swings as Koichi and Tsuyoshi were sitting on a bench, chatting.

Koichi loved his two girls. His oldest daughter, Nyx who was five years old, reminded him of Sasuka, but Sasuka always said that she looked like Koichi. She had deep brown hair and cyan eyes. Like her mother, she also possessed the same markings that highlighted her eyes. Their youngest daughter, Arine who was two, was the opposite of her sister. She had Sasuka's darker skin tone, but she had Koichi's lighter brown hair almost like sand. Her eyes were a dull blue with little flecks of gold like Koichi's eyes. She didn't have her mother's markings, but she didn't seem to notice yet.

Tsuyoshi chuckled. "Well, I had a fifty-fifty chance. You have two." He said an laughed.

"Just you wait...Once you have one, it won't be long until you have a second." Koichi made a face at his best friend.

"Sachiko already wants another." He sighed, smirking.

Koichi smirked at him. "The fun part is making them..." He looked over at the swings, watching the little girls laugh and giggle as they kicked their feet. "The hard part is watching them grow up..."

“Hard part? Don't you like it?" Tsuyoshi blinked.

"I do...I love it." Koichi smiled softly and tilted his head. "But...time just seems to fly by...I swear, Nyx was born just yesterday and now look at her...she's five years old." He shook his head and chuckled. "It's just so...unbelievable..."

Tsuyoshi smiled. "It's what happens..." He breathed. "It's good to see that being a mother has made Sasuka open up a bit more..." He said as he watched his sister laugh as she pushed Nyx on the swing. "Still love her as much as when you met her?"

"Even more..." Koichi smiled at him. "She's...the most beautiful thing I've ever encountered...She doesn't think or speak like anyone. It's like she's a character straight out of a story..." He looked back over at her. "And our girls...I couldn't ask for anything different..."

"Have they shown any signs of being like her? In speech pattern and love of the moon?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"Well...they both stargaze with her, which is incredibly adorable...but as for speech goes, I'm not quite sure. Nyx seems pretty normal with her sentences...and Arine doesn't say much. She's pretty observant." He shrugged. "I guess we'll find out for sure in the next few years as they continue to grow."

Tsuyoshi chuckled and sighed as he looked at his friend. "I never would have guessed you'd be with her...”

Koichi blinked. "Really...?"

"Nah. She just never seemed like your type..."

Koichi made a face at him. "Well...I'm surprised you even settled down."

"Hey, I'm as surprised as you are at that."

"Why Sachiko?" Koichi asked him. "I mean...after what happened with Ming...Why go back to Sachiko?"

"I told you before... only her and Ming ever made me feel something... with Ming dead, I went back... I never thought she'd forgive me."

Koichi looked over to see Sachiko frantically trying to undo Mizuki's hair that had gotten caught in the swing's chain. "What would you have done if she hadn't forgiven you?" He asked.

"Killed myself." He answered instantly, not looking over at Koichi.

Koichi took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm glad you have her...and she has you." He looked at Tsuyoshi. "It just feels right...seeing you two together."

"Does it?" He smiled.

Koichi smiled back and nodded. "Yeah...It really does. And your daughter is beautiful just like the moon. Having Sasuka help you two pick out the name was the right choice...She was named appropriately."

"She was, wasn't she?"

"Has she shown any signs to being like Sachiko...?" Koichi asked him.

"Not yet, but Sachiko fears she will every day.”

"Is it really such a bad thing to see the future?" He blinked.

"I don't think so... but I guess I wouldn't know since it doesn’t happen to me..."

"I think it'd be cool..." Koichi said, looking back over at the girls. "I mean...you could do so much with that kind of knowledge..."

He nodded. "I agree."

Koichi smirked. "Could you imagine using that ability back in the day? How many more people we could've seduced?" He chuckled. "I'm glad we didn't have that much power..."

He smirked. "We were bad boys~"

"You know...I sometimes get slapped? I was getting groceries the other day and out of nowhere, this woman came up to me and slapped me right across the face...I think I slept with her...and then her sister a few hours after back in the day." He chuckled. "Oh man...my face hurt so bad. It was hard keeping it from Sasuka."

Tsuyoshi smirked. "Slapped? I get sacked!"

Koichi chuckled. "Well...you were much worse than I was~"

"This is true." He nodded.

Koichi laughed. "Oh man...I'm surprised you're still allowed to walk around~"

“I know." He chuckled.

Koichi shook his head, smiling. "Man..."

"Daddy! Daddy!" Mizuki cried as she was in Sachiko's arms. Her face was red from crying as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her hair was a bit messed up and in knots.

Sachiko sighed as she came over with Mizuki on her hip. "She got her hair caught in the swings...Can you cheer her up?" She smiled weakly.

Tsuyoshi held his arms out as he took her and smiled. "Hey~ Don't frown, sweetheart~ You're too pretty to be frowning~" He kissed her cheek.

Mizuki sniffled and hiccupped as she looked at him. Her silver eyes were reminiscent of his as she stared at him, whimpering still.

"See? Everything's okay, Mizuki~" Sachiko gently touched their daughter's back. "I saved your hair, so we didn't have to cut it." She smiled softly.

Tsuyoshi smiled. "Smile, hunny~ Smile for Daddy~"

Mizuki sniffled a bit and blinked back her tears before she finally gave him a small smile.

He smiled and leaned in to attack her face in kisses.

Mizuki was quick to burst out into a fit of giggles as he attacked her face in kisses. She shook her head, trying to stop the kisses. "D-Daddy~ S-Stop~!" She squealed happily, giggling.

He laughed. "You can't get away!"

"No~! Mommy~! Help~!" Mizuki giggled as she reached for Sachiko.

Sachiko laughed softly as she took Tsuyoshi's face. "I'll distract him~" She winked at their daughter before leaning in to kiss him on the lips.

"Mm~" Tsuyoshi's eyes fluttered shut as his grip on Mizuki loosened.

Mizuki giggled as she slipped off his lap and ran back to Sasuka and the two other girls.

Sachiko smiled against his lips but didn't stop kissing him.

Tsuyoshi pushed her back and chuckled. "Hey."

Sachiko laughed softly. "I couldn't help myself~"

"I can see that~" He smirked before looking over to see that Koichi had already gone to his wife and kids.

Sachiko moved to sit on the bench with him, smiling softly. "So what were you two talking about?" She asked.

"How beautiful our wives and kids are."

Sachiko smiled. "You two did get lucky, huh~?" She laughed softly as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

He smiled and nodded.

 

Sasuka looked over and smiled softly at Koichi. "You have finished speaking with my brother/"

"He got distracted~" Koichi made a face as he came over to the swings. "Hey girls~ How's it swinging~?" He chuckled.

"Uncle Kochi~" Mizuki giggled. She always left out the extra "i" in his name.

"Koichi." Sasuka corrected.

"Daddy, I want a new dress." Nyx pouted.

“A new dress? What's wrong with your other dresses?" Koichi asked, crouching down so he was eye level with his eldest daughter.

"The other day at the park, boys made fun of me..."

Koichi blinked. "Huh? Why?" He looked to Sasuka. "Did this really happen?" He asked her, knowing that Nyx wasn't at the park by herself.

Sasuka shrugged. "I am aware that she went with Sora's kids to the park for a few hours."

Koichi looked back to their daughter. "Nyx, whatever those boys said wasn't true..." He told her.

She frowned. "They said... I look weird..." She rubbed her arms where she bore markings.

"They're wrong. You are beautiful. Sometimes people say mean things because they are jealous." Koichi kissed her head. "Your markings are beautiful and cool...the boys probably were jealous of your markings." He smiled at her.

"Really?" She sniffled.

He nodded, smiling and stroking her hair. "Yes...You are beautiful and should show off these markings instead of covering them up." He told her. "Well, the ones on your arms...You're allowed to show the ones on your arms..." He mumbled, correcting himself.

Arine frowned as she looked at her mother. "Mother...? Why am I not pretty...?"

"You are pretty, my dear."

"But..." Arine looked at her arms and noticed she didn't have markings.

Sasuka knelt down. "Markings do not determine how pretty or not pretty someone is."

"Really?" She tilted her head.

"Really." She smiled.

Arine looked down at her feet as she kicked them. She was sitting on the swing and clenched her tiny hands tighter around the chains. She still wished she was as beautiful as her mother and sister.

Koichi kissed Nyx's head. "So, you don't need a new dress." He smiled at her.

Nyx glanced at Arine, seeing her frown. "Can sissy get a dress? She looks sad..."

Koichi looked over at Arine and then back at Nyx. He sighed, trying to hide his smirk. "Fine...Dresses for everyone~"

"Yay!" Nyx ran over to her sister. "We're gonna get a new dress!"

Arine blinked. "Really...?"

She smiled and nodded.

Mizuki pouted. "I want a new dress..."

“Go ask your father." Sasuka winked. "I bet we can all go dress shopping."

Mizuki's eyes lit up as she quickly hopped off her swing and ran over to her parents. "Mommy~! Daddy~!"

Tsuyoshi blinked. "What's up, sweetie?”

"Uncle Kochi is buying dresses and I want one too!" She tugged at his hand. "Please~?"

Sachiko giggled a bit. "Surrounded by girls~" She said under her breath.

Tsuyoshi sighed and picked her up, walking over to Koichi and Sasuka. "If I give her money, will you guys take her with you? I think Sachiko wants some alone time."

Koichi smirked as he nodded. "Sure~ We'll take good care of her." He took Mizuki and balanced her on his hip.

"But Daddy..." Mizuki frowned.

Tsuyoshi smiled. "I want you to pick any dress you want~ Come home an surprise me and your Mom, okay?" He smiled and kissed her cheek.

Her eyes widened with delight. "Any dress~?!"

"Any dress~" He smiled.

Koichi chuckled. "Gee...thanks."

Tsuyoshi smiled. "I'll pay you back."

Koichi shook his head. "It's fine...Have fun~" He winked at him.

“Thanks, man~" He winked.

Koichi turned to the girls and smiled. "Alright...Let's go dress shopping~"