As they walk down to the reserved room, Yukitsu is quiet. He is a child that is mature for his age, he never whines and acts childish, even when his mother spoils and dotes on him.
"To-san.." It was the first time he ever called him first.
"Hmm?"
"You know who my father is, right?" He asked, this is not surprising, this just is always quick to catch up with the adults.
"Yes." Tokugawa replied.
"You're not going to ask me why I ask? Or why do I mention it all of a sudden." He looked up at the man who stood in the way of his father. He was there to fill the void, however he never crossed the line to own him as his own child.
"I know you have an idea already." He remembers the child watching one of the tournaments Tezuka has participated in. The child has been intently watching every move and action on the screen. Both him and Yuuki knew that Yukitsu is longing for his real father and that he has a vague idea of who it is.
"Then mom..." he paused as he weighed his words if they were right or not.
"We both knew and just waiting for you to be ready, you know it's been hard for your mom as well." He is speechless, this is something new to him, all along he thought that his mother has been refraining to talk about his father and she doesn't want him to know about the father.
But all along his mother knew it, what is the truth then?
As they reached the room, Tokugawa opened the door. The well lit room with the view facing the wide ocean, he saw a couple happily conversing as they were seated at the table. The woman noticed and saw them.
"Ah, you're here!"
"Mom?" he called, that is when the back of the man turned and revealed the same stoic face he had seen a hundred times on the screen.
"Yukitsu, come here." As his mother smiled at him, he knew that she was happy right now. Does this man make my mom really happy? He took a small step at a time, the gaze of that man was piercing through him, he couldn't even read his thoughts.
"I'm sorry for the trouble of bringing him here, did you have a hard time looking for Yukitsu?"
"Not at all, he's a behaving child. I found him fast."
"Then would you like to eat with us?" The three men look at her.
"No, thanks./Of course not." Both Tezuka and Tokugawa replied in chorus. This makes Yuuki laugh at them.
"I won't bother you then, even if you decline I have no desire to join you guys." Then he once left a gaze at Tezuka and closed the door.
"Mom, you're not gonna stop To-san?" He asked his mother.
"Haha, no let him be, maybe he is shy."
"To-san?" Tezuka looked at her and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.
"What? This child learned English before Japanese, so his name is so long he has difficulty pronouncing it and ended up calling him To-san, short for Tokugawa." She explains as she pat the head of Yukitsu.
"Right Kitsu?" she embraced the child and spoiling him this makes him flustered as he can feel the intent gaze of the man.
"So, who is this child?"
"Mitsu, why are you frowning? Don't tell me you are jealous because I'm embracing another man?" Yuuki teases.
It was the first time he saw this man acting out of character, his ever stoic face not even when interviewed about a scandal, now is frowning and looks displeased.
"Even though he is a child, he is still a boy and I assume you are calling him by his nickname."
His eyes widened by the shock, he is his mother's child and how could he get jealous between a mother and child kinship.
"Silly, Mitsu." His mother called him by his nickname, the first time he saw her mother make that endearing face to someone other than him.
"He is our son, sometimes you're slow to pick up Mitsu."
The two of them look back and forth, Tezuka and Yukitsu have the same surprised expression.
"What?" Yuuki asked, feigning ignorance and laughing at them, "You can't deny the resemblance between the two of you."
She looks so satisfied and happy as she watches the father and son eat in the dining room. She has always wished this to happen, the same scene she wished to see once she has her own family. They are quiet and weighing the mood and only Yuuki is in the lighter one.
"This is the last day of the cruise, once we get back we'll be heading back to our hotel room." Yuuki told Tezuka, she is holding his hand while on the other is Yukitsu who is still wary of the man beside his mother.
"Why stay there?" He asked.
"The old residence has been long abandoned, even if I have a person to look after it, Yukitsu might get a bit uncomfortable." She looks at her child who is watching them intently.
"So, why not stay at my place then?" He offers.
"Your place?" She was surprised that he has kept a place in Japan, she thought he never has an intention to return back based on the news of him settling down in Germany.
"It was my parents house, they must be glad to see you again and..." he looked at Yukitsu and kneeled down, he looked at the young boy which he cannot deny the resemblance to him.
"Yukitsu is your name right?" He asked him, he never dealt with kids before and not fond of them, but as he sees the eyes of this boy, he just can't help it and the blood connection must have made it so.
"Y-Yes. Mom said it's her and father's name." it was the only fact her mother spilled to him, whenever he asked why name him such a strange name when he is actually born in an English country where a normal western name would do.
"It's nice and beautiful." Tezuka patted Yukitsu's head.
"My name is Kunimitsu, and my father and grandfather both have the suffix -mitsu in their name. Your mom did a great job naming you." He smiled. It was an acceptance.
"C-can I call you Dad?" His wide eyes that have the same color as Yuuki are expectant, he smiled at the child with his own blood. He scooped him up and carries to his arm. Yukitsu felt so excited, he had been held and carried by Tokugawa before but this man who happens to be his father made him feel lighter and exhilarated.
"Of course my child you can." He embraces the small limb he's carrying, and Yuuki watches the heartwarming scene before her eyes.
"Yuuki, come here." He called his beloved woman, the woman who gave birth to his child. At this moment, he promised to make up the time lost from their separation and pour all of his love.
"I will never let go of the hands that I love the most."
I hope that you've love my fan fiction. This is all due to my inspiration of watching anime and reading manga. Being a writer and artist is a tough one, so please do support the original authors if you have a way.
Thank you for Webnovel as a platform who gave us aspiring writers and artist to share and express our talents.
Hoping that you would stay tune for more of my official works, do follow me on my official account.
-Live, Love, Laugh! Airiane