"Lonely Heart," chapter 9

Title: Lonely Heart (Chapter 9)
Fandom: Ronin Warriors
Characters/Pairing: All five Ronins, Cye/Kento, Ryo/Luna
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine
Warnings: Alluded to trauma and mentioning canonical parental death. Cye’s watching horror movies again, so if you want to skip that, stop at ‘You hold onto that. Consider it another birthday present’ and skip until you reach ‘The week hadn’t been a bad one at all.’
Notes: More slice-of-life/remake AU!

If Cye stayed still and silent, then maybe the monk wouldn’t find him.

He was hidden behind what had been a bus, before… whatever had happened occurred. It was a starless night and the power was out. The roads were in ruins. He had yet to see another living being. Except, of course, for the monk pursuing him.

He wants to destroy me. Cye clapped his hands over his ears, hoping to block out the sound of the old man’s staff. Twist me into something I’m not. Make me fight his battles for him. I won’t, I won’t—

“Please go away,” he breathed. His heart skipped a beat when he realized that in his panic, he’d given away his position.

The monk loomed before him, ghostly pale and eyes shadowed. Cye wanted to run away, but his body refused to move. “I cannot leave just yet. You have ordered me to give this to you.” The monk opened his palm, revealing a pale blue orb, “and I cannot rest until I have followed your orders.” He grabbed Cye’s wrist in an action so quick and rough, that all Cye could do was cry out as the orb was forced into his left palm. With his free hand, he managed to shove the monk away, placing roughly two meters between them.

“You want to follow my orders? Fine,” Cye barked, rage overcoming fear. “Take this bloody thing back!”

“Very well,” the monk said evenly. He held his palm open. “Give it to me.”

Cye planned to throw it right at the old man’s head, except his fingers wouldn’t unwrap around the orb. He tried to pry them free with his right hand, but it was no good. Why—why didn’t he have any control—

“You made your choice long ago, as you will eventually understand.” The monk hadn’t pulled back his hand. “However, if you are willing to accompany me, I can make things clear to you now. Not just about your nightmares, but the hole in your memory as well. I can show you how you can truly protect your loved ones.”

He took a cautious step toward the monk, then another. He was terrified, but the monk was promising answers to the nightmares, to help protect his friends and family, maybe even find out why—

I won’t. I can’t.

Cye was pretty sure he yelled just that as he bolted away from the monk. The street was messed up, but not past the point of recognition. His apartment was close. If he could get there, he’d be safe.

His right hand was shaking so hard, that he could barely get the key out to unlock the door. When he succeeded, he slammed the door shut, locking and bolting it immediately. Exhausted, he sagged against the wall. “If I never leave here again, I’ll be safe,” he promised himself. And he would do anything to be safe.

… There were screams for help outside. At first, there were so many voices, that it was overwhelming. But then he could make out the cries of his friends. His sister. Kento.

“Kento?!” Cye bolted upright, unlocking the door. “Hold on, I’ll be there soon—” When he opened the door, the monk was waiting for him.

“I never got an answer to my question,” the monk said simply.

Cye flung the door shut with such force there was a good chance he hit the monk. He hoped so. He managed to lock it again and then ran to his room. New plan. He was going to stay in his room forever. No one else was allowed there without his permission. No one would hurt him there.

He opened his bedroom door and was greeted by a starlit sky so beautiful that he froze. Remembering himself, Cye looked around for some clue as to where he’d escaped, only to realize that he was waist-deep in the ocean. He wasn’t alone, however. There was a blue-armored figure a few meters away, his back turned to Cye.

He should have been afraid. He was in a strange place. He had no idea how to return home, or if his loved ones were okay. The monk was probably still chasing him. But… but he knew the person before him.

“Dad?” Cye whispered.

“Son!” Dad spun around, grinning broadly, arms wide open. He waded over to Cye; blue-green eyes joyful. Wisps of damp black hair clung to his brow. “It’s so good to see you. God, you’ve grown up so much.”

Cye remained still. He had imagined meeting his father so many times, but now that it was actually happening, all he could do was ask, “What are you doing here?”

Dad was still grinning. “That’s a good question, Cye. I wish I could explain it, but I only have so much time.” He rested his large hands on Cye’s shoulders. “My friend asked me to speak to you. I’m going to help explain what you’ve summoned and why.”

Cye pulled away from his father, letting out a short laugh so bitter it startled them both. “Okay, let me make sure I understand, Dad.” Anger overrode any other emotion that came with seeing his father right now. “You died when I was a toddler. No one at home will tell me anything about you. The only recollections I have of you are my nightmares and that one memory my friend accidentally pulled from me. And you expect me to trust you enough to explain all of this.” Somewhere in his rant, he had started crying. He didn’t bother to wipe away the tears. “I’m sorry, Dad. I can’t do it. Whatever you think I can do, I can’t. I hate fighting. It hurts. I just… I just want things to be quiet and safe.”

“Oh, son.” Dad pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m the one who should apologize. I was supposed to protect you, but I couldn’t even do that. I wish I could’ve stopped you from choosing this path, but you’re as stubborn as your mother.”

“Everyone keeps telling me that I’ve chosen this path,” he said, not brave enough to hug his father back. “No one will tell me what I’ve chosen.”

“Think about how you reacted when you thought your friends and family were in danger. Even though you were scared. Even though you hate fighting.”

“I want to protect them. I want to take away their pain,” Cye realized, noting that he still hadn’t dropped the orb in his left hand. Slowly, he hugged his father back. “I don’t think I’m strong enough, though.”

“Don’t worry, Cye. You’re more than strong enough. You… you’re waking up now, and you won’t remember much of this. Maybe not any of this.” Cye was silent but clung to his father for dear life. “But I’ll see you again soon.”

It was late enough that the sun hit his eyes. Cye grumbled and turned over. He dozed for a full minute before guilt got the better of him and he stood up and stretched. It was Sunday, which meant that he didn’t have school and Sayoko was getting caught up with paperwork at the office. That made it the perfect day to devote to cleaning since his slob of a sister wouldn’t be getting in the way. Not to mention he needed to go shopping and get the things he needed for White Day, as well as the birthday party they’d have later.

Hunh. He was having a real birthday party with lots of friends and everything this week. It only took fifteen years, but he was sort of socially adjusted now.

But first, he wanted some breakfast. He padded out into the hallway, debating between cereal and something more complex when he spotted Mortimer in the kitchen in the middle of making Belgian waffles.

“Mortimer!” Cye would’ve hugged him; except he was working. Instead, he started setting the table in anticipation. “What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting you until my birthday.”

“Ms. Sayoko handed me a rather long list of chores for this week while I’m visiting Tokyo.” The batter sizzled in the waffle iron. “Thus, I decided it would be wise if I arrived early. And it has been a while since I’ve prepared your favorite breakfast.”

“Too long!” Cye poured himself a large cup of orange juice. He was about to get the syrup, but Mortimer shooed him away.

“Master Cye, I expect you to wash up and be properly dressed before you begin your meal.”

“But I have a lot of work to do today!” Cye huffed. “I want to at least have a relaxing breakfast! I’ll get ready when it’s time to go out.”

Mortimer held up a finger in warning. “I raised you to be a gentleman every day, not just when you feel like it. Now hurry along. The sooner you’re dressed the sooner you can have your waffles.”

“Fine,” Cye said as he stomped off. “But I want sausages now, too.”

“Yes, Master Cye,” Mortimer said with a nod.

Cye was just going to run some errands, so he didn’t put too much effort into his appearance. Some old jeans and a sweatshirt from the university that his father had graduated from. An electric blue cardigan with white crabs on the pockets that he had knitted for his sister a few years back that she swore that she loved, but never wore, so Cye claimed it as his own. He also grabbed his sister’s old straw hat with the pink ribbon, something he had also claimed as his own. Poor Sage would shake his head and Kento would make fun of him, but it wasn’t Cye’s fault that he liked bright colors. Besides, if you dressed tackily enough, people tended to leave you alone, and when crowds exhausted you, that was a good thing.

He gave his reflection a look over to make sure there was nothing Mortimer would disapprove of, and frowned. He could see his father in his eyes. He could see his sister in his jawline. He could even see Mortimer in how he carried himself (Mortimer had been his first aikido sensei, as well as his teacher in the domestic arts). Yet there seemed to be nothing of his mother in his appearance or mannerisms. Sayoko said his hair was the same shade of brown that Mum had when she was young. She was also quick to point out the British accent. But Mum’s hair had gone grey when he was a baby and he had been away from her for so long that sometimes he couldn’t quite remember what she sounded like.

“But I’m stubborn,” he whispered to himself, “like she is.”

… Why had he thought of that?

Cye shrugged. It was better than nothing, and he was getting hungry. He stopped to make his bed and blinked in surprise when he discovered an orb the same color as the ocean under his pillow. No wonder he had trouble sleeping last night.

“You’re pretty. I shall claim you as my own,” he said to the orb before pocketing it. “Anyways, waffle time.”

Mortimer held up his arms in mock horror when Cye entered the dining area again. “Oh no, my eyes, they’re bleeding,” he monotoned.

“As they should, Mortimer.” He helped himself to waffles, sausages, and plenty of syrup. Cye was just about to dig in, so of course, the phone rang. “Excuse me,” he managed not to snarl, since he was not in the mood to be scolded by Mortimer again. He grabbed the phone off the hook. “Yeah, hi.”

“Uh-oh, did I wake Prince Cye a little too early?”

“Kento!” All the grouchiness melted away. “I’m so glad to hear your voice, I’m not even going to yell at you for wrongfully calling me aristocratic. Hold on, I’ll put you on speaker. My butler made me waffles for breakfast.”

“Dude, you just proved my point,” was the first thing Kento said once he was on speaker. Cye huffed and Mortimer chuckled. “Also, can I come over and have some waffles, too?”

Cye glanced at Mortimer. “You’re the chef today, what do you think?”

“Oh, I always make a little too much,” Mortimer assured them. “Any friend of Master Cye’s is welcome.”

Kento whooped in joy. “I’ll be there before you know it.”

“Okay,” Cye said as he downed his juice and started to wolf down his breakfast. “But it might just be Mortimer here when you show up. Sayoko is working and I have to go grocery shopping.” All this talk about his family reminded him of something. “Hey, Mortimer, when is Mum coming over? I want to make sure she has everything she needs before the party on Tuesday.”

Mortimer froze, then sighed heavily. “My apologies, Master Cye. I should have informed you earlier. Your mother would like to see you, but another obligation came up. She will not be able to attend the party.”

“What?!” Kento shouted over the phone. “But her son is turning fifteen this week! We gotta figure something out.”

“It’s fine, Kento.” Cye took a bite of his waffle. “Honestly, this is what I expected would happen. Mum’s health is bad, but she doesn’t like talking about it unless she has to. She’s also not fond of crowds, and for once I’ve invited enough people for a small crowd. It’s one or the other. Probably both.” Not hungry anymore, he went to clear his plate.

“Well, what if we just canceled the party?” Kento proposed. “We can all hang out on the weekend instead.”

“That’s not fair to you guys.” Cye rinsed out his glass. “Not to mention most of you work on weekends these days. Relax, Kento. I’ll see her back home over break. Anyways, I have to go now. Be nice to Mortimer, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Kento didn’t sound happy, but at least he wasn’t trying to push things anymore. “Love you, Cye. See you later.”

“Yo, Mortimer, I’m hangry!” Kento bellowed as he came inside (Cye had given him a spare key ages ago), kicked off his boots, and stomped over to the table. “And none of this ‘young master’ or trying to serve me nonsense. I like plain speak and plain manners, thank you very much.”

“A headstrong teenager. How novel,” Mortimer said dryly before sipping his tea. “Help yourself to what’s left.”

“I will.” Kento shoveled what was left of breakfast on his plate. A generous helping of syrup and mug of coffee later, he dug in. “Y’know, Mortimer, you’re pretty buff for a butler,” Kento noted around a bite of waffles. He gulped down his coffee. “Are you also, like, a bodyguard or something?”

Mortimer smiled slightly. “I serve the Mouri family. Occasionally that has involved guarding their lives.” He took another sip of tea. “Of course, you are one of the few people privy to Ms. Mouri’s more clandestine ventures, so I doubt this is a surprise to you.”

“Yeah, yeah, she fights demons and stuff, I get it,” Kento said with a wave of his hand. “But I wanna talk about you, Mortimer! Did you dream of being a butler since you were a kid back, like, a billion years ago, or was this a choice you made later?”

“I shall choose to ignore that comment you made concerning my age. As for why I chose this profession, when I was younger, I was a bit of a rogue; always looking for a fight in an attempt to quell the chaos in my heart. And before you try to romanticize my actions, Kento, I also tended to destroy public property. Luckily for myself and the community, Master Cye’s father, Shin Mouri, could not tolerate how I was harming others. Thus, he challenged me to combat. He was not the first person to defeat me, but he was the first person to hold out his hand to me after I was defeated. As you can imagine, that makes quite the impact on one.”

Kento rested his head in his hand. “Okay, I know you said not to romanticize this, but that is really cool. You were causing all this trouble, and he wasn’t going to let that happen, but he still saw good in you and stuff.”

“He did. At that moment, I swore myself to him and his cause. It occurred to me that one of the easiest ways to protect Shin and his loved ones would be if I became the family’s butler, so I did.”

Kento hummed thoughtfully. “So, you’re saying that if I defeat you in combat, you’ll become my butler?”

“Of course not!” Mortimer all but slammed down his teacup.

“Fair enough. How about we spar, and if I win, you grant me one request?”

Mortimer eyed him critically. “Normally I would refuse, but I must say I am interested in learning more about this judo expert that’s stolen Master Cye’s heart. And what better way to learn someone’s true nature than through sparring? Very well, but your request must be within reason.”

Kento held up his hands. “Hey, I’m the most reasonable man in the world. Just ask my friends!”

Cye decided he’d just order pizza for the party. Between the sodas for said party and everything he needed to save Rowen from White Day (and ingredients for meals for the rest of the week), his cart was already full. He wished he’d brought Kento along as he hefted his bags, but Cye would be fifteen in a few days. He could do this on his own. Besides, he just had to get to the bus stop, and then the short walk back to his apartment.

He winced as a sudden pang of someone’s despair hit him. Cye took a deep breath, just like Sage taught him, and focused on the goal. Okay, someone was hurt and needed his help. But it was a rather quiet morning. The only other people he saw were a part-timer leaving after her shift and a bored teenager. No one seemed to be in trouble.

“Help…” A man with messy white hair and filthy clothes was struggling to sit up in a nearby alley. “Someone…. please help me.”

There was his goal. Cye dropped the bags and dashed to the man. “Hold on, sir.” He helped the man into a sitting position. “I’ll be right back.” He fished out the bottled water he’d bought to sip while waiting for the bus as well as a candy bar he’d bought to snack on later. “I’m afraid it’s not the healthiest food in the world, but at least you’ll be hydrated,” he said as he gave the man the candy bar and water. “Should I call the hospital? Or anyone? I don’t have a lot of yen on me right now, but I could definitely cover a pay phone at least—”

“You’ve done more than enough, I promise. I’m Kaosu, by the way.”

“I’m Cye. Are you absolutely sure that you don’t need anything else? Because you look like you’re about to pass out.”

“Positive.” Kaosu smiled wanly. “You were very brave, helping a stranger like that. Not to mention kind. My luck must be turning around if I met such a gentle spirit today.”

Cye meant to smile and then insist that there must be some way he could help or at least contact someone… but then something between a dream and a memory crashed over him and he felt shame burn his cheeks. “Do you really think so, sir?”

“Of course,” Kaosu said easily. “You just gave me food and water, and won’t leave my side.” He frowned at Cye thoughtfully. “But perhaps an event happened in your past that makes you doubt the core aspects of your personality.”

The shame threatened to overwhelm him as Cye took off his hat. “Something like that. Before I lived in Tokyo, I used to be surrounded by people that felt that everything about me was wrong. And when you’re surrounded by those feelings all the time, almost every day, it feels more real than your own beliefs, or even what your loved ones believe about you.”

“I see.” There was no judgment in Kaosu’s tone. “How did you cope with that?”

“I didn’t. I gave up myself in the hopes that if I became whatever they wanted, things would be quiet and safe again. But it didn’t. And I hated what I became.”

“And you’re scared that you’re still the person you hate, deep down.”

“A little,” he confessed. This was something he hadn’t told his sister or even Kento. Yet it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to pour out his heart to Kaosu. “It wasn’t just myself I hated back then. I hated pretty much anyone that wasn’t my immediate family. They were loud, cruel. Untrustworthy. Sometimes I still feel that way about people and a lot of times I still hate myself.”

“But now here you are, helping a stranger.”

“Yes, but that’s only because my sister had the sense to get me away from all of that—”

Kaosu held up a hand. “Could you have refused to not move with your sister?”

“Well… yes. She said it was my choice if I wanted to move to Tokyo with her or not.” He had agreed to go before she was done asking the question.

“Fighting isn’t always about who hits hardest. Sometimes it means working around a problem, or accepting help when you need it. It seems to me that you fought for yourself in your own way. Just like you fought for me, in your own way.” He paused, considering his next words. “Even acknowledging your pain by crying can be the beginning of fighting back.”

Astonished/embarrassed, Cye wiped at his eyes. He hadn’t even noticed the tears until Kaosu pointed them out. “Yeah,” he said with a watery laugh, playing with the ribbon on his hat. This conversation was not going the way he’d planned, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I’m sure all the scoundrels of the world will be terrified of the crying teenager with the sun hat.”

Kaosu smirked. “Are you always this acerbic?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent to hear.” Kaosu sipped his water. “A strong spirit rooted in compassion can overcome any grief. Never forget that, Cye.”

“Hey, kid?” The part-timer gazed down at Cye, expression concerned. “Um, are you okay? Do you need me to call your family or something?”

“I’m fine,” Cye said. “But my friend Kaosu…” Kaosu was gone. Yet so was the bottled water and candy bar, so he couldn’t have been a hallucination.

The part-timer clasped her hands. “Are you sure that you’re okay? I haven’t seen anyone else here with you.”

“Oh, um, I just had a little too much sun.” Cye beamed at her, putting his hat back on his head and hoping she would believe him. “I should probably go home and rest up.”

She nodded slowly. “Yeah. Do you need help with your things or anything?”

“Thanks, but no.” Cye began to gather his bags. “I have two strong guys at home for that.”

Mortimer shrugged off Kento’s offer to help him up. “Don’t worry. I’m not that hurt.” With some effort, Mortimer stood up. “Ten years ago, I would have wiped the floor with you.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, man.” Kento stretched out his muscles, cooling down. “Now, about my request. Are you sure that you’ll be able to fulfill it?”

“Of course. I am a man of my word.” Mortimer stood up and dusted off his dark trousers. He then eyed Kento thoughtfully. “You have a rather unique fighting style.”

Kento waved a hand. “I fight like a demon, I’m hot-headed, tell me something I don’t know.”

“Actually,” Mortimer said slowly as if he suspected that this might be a delicate issue, “I was going to say that you seem to only feel free when you are in a fight. There was an energy, almost a desperation in your style for the entire time we sparred.”

… Okay, he didn’t know that. And he resented it. “That’s not true,” Kento blurted out, taking a step back.

“While I admit I don’t know you well, I believe that it is. You’re spirited and friendly, but there’s this… guardedness to your movements sometimes as if you’re afraid you’ll break something or someone. I noticed it when I picked up you and Master Cye from the airport this January.” The old man paused. “It’s become more pronounced since then.”

Kento’s first impulse was to punch Mortimer and then run away. Subdue what was hurting him and then find safety. But despite what everyone else thought, he did have some self-control. “It’s a long story, Mortimer, and I don’t feel like telling it.” Cye only got to know what was going on because he was Kento’s not-boyfriend and also incredibly stubborn.

“Hmm. Once, I also struggled with a long story that I don’t feel like telling. It seemed like I could only be myself if I was punching some bloke. Luckily for me, I found a way to channel my rage into something more constructive.”

Now that was something Kento wanted to talk about. He fisted his hands. “What was that?”

Mortimer exhaled, enjoying the March sunshine. “As I said previously, I found people and ideals I wanted to protect.”

“I have that,” Kento realized. Sage and Ryo were almost definitely doing something weird at their jobs. Luna and Rowen were fighting demons. And Cye… there was something about what he could do that those Dynasty creeps would probably target him for. He wanted to protect them.

Not just that; he wanted to fight with them. Their cause was just. It was a lot more just than what his father wanted him to do with his life. “I don’t know if I have the heart for it, though.”

Mortimer placed a hand on Kento’s shoulder. “Kento, you just beat me up, a lot, to make Master Cye happy. You have the heart and then some.” Then he peered at Kento intensely. Frowning, he took out a handkerchief and began wiping at Kento’s brow.

“Do I have something on my face?” Kento asked as Mortimer kept working.

“I could have sworn you did, but there’s nothing now. Perhaps I am getting old.”

“Both of you are cavemen! I can’t even leave you alone for a grocery run!” Cye slammed the fridge door to allow the latest batch of homemade white chocolate to cool. At least Rowen would be happy.

“Aw, c’mon man,” Kento pleaded, leaning forward in the kitchen chair he was straddling. “It was just a little friendly sparring between a bro and a butler.”

“Maybe,” Cye admitted, although his tone was still razor-sharp. “But I don’t like walking home and overhearing kids gossiping about the teenager that beat up the old man in the suit.”

“Understood, Master Cye,” Mortimer said with a deep bow. “Next time, I shall arrange any future fights with Kento at the Mouri Foundation rather than your apartment’s parking lot.”

Cye facepalmed. “Why do I even bother?”

Kento grinned. “Because you love us.”

Cye grabbed the apple slices Kento was snacking on and gobbled them all down. Kento shrieked in outrage.

“Tell me about your friend,” Dad said eagerly as he waded up to Cye.

Cye looked around, trying to figure out how he’d wound up here again… but he supposed it didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to talk to his father, even if it was only a dream. “Right, that. Um, his name is Ryo. I met him at school. He’s friendly, but I think he’s lonelier than he lets on. Oh, and he has a pet tiger.”

“Amazing,” Dad said with a wide grin. “Do you have any other friends?”

“Yes, actually.” Despite the weirdness of the situation, Cye smiled back. “There’s Luna. I’ve known her for ages. She wants to be a comic book artist. Oh, I met Rowen this summer. He’s scary smart and is basically my little brother at this point. Sage is… interesting, but he understands my abilities. Then there’s Kento. He’s a blockhead and a pig.”

“Maybe so, but I saw that blush when you mentioned the last one!” Dad wrapped an arm around Cye so tightly that Cye yelped in surprise. “So, what’s going on? Is he your boyfriend?”

“Um, sort of? We’re dating, but it’s not official. And this is getting bizarre.” Reluctantly, Cye pulled away. “The last dream is still murky, but you were going on about a choice I made or something. Now…” Cye shrugged. “Now you’re acting like a Dad. What is the end goal here? Why are you acting as fickle as…” Cye stopped before he could say as a person instead of a figment of my imagination.

“Is it really that hard to imagine that I would want to know how my son is doing? I mean, the last time I was in the mortal realm, you were three years old. I know we don’t really have the time for this, but I needed to know that you’re doing okay.”

“You’re not something my brain made up because I miss my dad,” Cye breathed. “You… you really are…”

“I am.” Dad’s voice was rough. “As I said, I don’t have a lot of time. I already used some of it selfishly to ask about your life.”

“No, that’s not selfish at all.” Cye grabbed his arm. This wasn’t fair. There were too many questions, too many things he wanted to say. Dad was dead; why didn’t he have all the time he wanted now? His eyes burned and it was a struggle to keep his voice steady, but Cye managed to ask the most pressing questions first. “Why are you contacting me just now? If I want to protect my friends, how am I supposed to do that? Why… why can’t you just keep talking to me in my dreams? Why do you only have a little time?”

Dad hugged him. This time, Cye hugged him back without a second thought. “It’s just now that you’re strong enough for me to contact you, son. And you’re getting stronger. Pretty soon, you’ll be the healer that your friends need. But it’s going to take a lot out of you, so you have to start training, okay?”

“Okay,” Cye whispered. “I actually have been for some time now. Sage has been helping me with that.”

“I wish I could thank him. And believe me, I would talk to you every night if I could. But the Ancient One can only lend me so much power to contact you. But don’t worry. When you need me, I’ll be there.”

The alarm woke him up. Sayoko yelling at him to get ready because they needed to pick up Ryo kept him from hiding under the blankets.

Cye rubbed at his face, then frowned when he realized he’d been crying in his sleep. Strange.

He didn’t have a lot of time to reflect on that, however. He had to get dressed and make breakfast and clean up as much as he could when they only had an hour before they had to head out the door. Still, he felt off. On edge. Like he was forgetting something.

He felt much better, however, once he grabbed his orb from his desk (he had declared it to be his good luck charm). That was probably it.
--

“Don’t worry, I’ll be at work when you’re having your party, you guys can complain about adults all you want or whatever,” Sayoko said around a yawn as she packed her briefcase. “All I ask is that you save some cake for me.”

“We will. And thanks.” Cye was in the middle of frosting said cake. “Although you have been working a lot lately. Is everything all right?”

“It will be,” Sayoko assured him cheerfully. “Oh, by the way, I picked up a copy of Mystery of the Emblem like you asked. It’s on the coffee table in the living room—” She was promptly grabbed by Cye screaming that she was the best sister in the whole world.

“So, I take it that you like your gift?” She said mischievously as she pulled away, smoothing out the wrinkles in her suit.

“Yes!” Cye returned to the cake, grinning. “Between that and Rowen getting me Gaiden, my collection is now complete. The only downside is that we won’t be able to play right away because I want to watch horror movies.”

“How tragic,” Sayoko said with a shrug.

Mia, Sage, and Rowen arrived first. Rowen was trying to teach Sage how to play Mario Kart. Cye could overhear Sage’s comments that this wasn’t how real races worked at all, but he also kept insisting that they keep racing until he could beat Rowen, so maybe they’d finally found the one video game in the world Sage Date liked. This also gave him a chance to get to know Mia better. She was friendly, but they hadn’t really had a chance to talk until now.

“I have to admit, I was very impressed with how you kept a straight face when Sage gave you a knife for your birthday,” Mia said as she watched Cye work.

“Well, it’s Sage. You know how much he loves sharp objects. And you actually do use tanto knives sometimes when you practice aikido. Maybe I should start incorporating that more into my training. Of course, I’ll use a wooden one while training.” This knife in his hand was definitely for combat, not training. He placed it back in the gift box it had come in for now.

“Speaking of gifts, I know a card with cash in it isn’t the most inspired thing in the world, but I really wasn’t sure what else to get you,” Mia explained as she handed Cye a plain white envelope.

“Oh no, free money, whatever will I do.” Cye smiled at her appreciatively. “Thanks, Mia.”

Mia played with her hair, then took a breath. “Actually, that may not be the only thing I can offer you.”

Cye had been in the process of getting plates and cups ready for when the pizza arrived, but he stopped for now. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Ryo mentioned once that your father died when you were young, and that you were frustrated because he passed away before you could remember him well.” Mia’s expression darkened. “I also lost my parents when I was young, so I know how that feels. I also know that I would be thrilled if someone could offer me any clue about what they were like.”

“Wait. What are you saying exactly?”

Mia took out her wallet, plucking out a small photo. “It might be easier to show you,” she said as she gave the photo to Cye.

… Dark hair, blue-green eyes, a goofy smile. It was definitely Dad, laughing at something an older man with long hair was saying. It must have been taken ages ago since Dad looked like he was about Cye’s age.

“Ha. He looks like a strong wind would knock him over,” Cye said to himself. Maybe they had more in common than he realized. At least when Dad was a teenager. Dad was very muscular in the photos he’d seen back home. “So, who’s the other person he’s talking to?”

“That is my grandfather,” Mia explained. “I haven’t learned much since it’s hard to get people to talk to me about this, but apparently our families used to be close. There was a schism about when your father passed away.”

Cye stared at the photo. “I doubt you would remember seeing how you would have been six years old, but do you know why?”

Mia shook her head. “Nothing concrete. I don’t mean to sound rude, but I think maybe your sister got mad at my grandfather for some reason. Grandfather told me a lot about Shin Mouri, but he got quiet when I mentioned Sayoko.”

Cye made a rueful sound. “Sayoko gets mad at everyone and everything she can’t control—so, she gets mad at everyone and everything. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if that’s how things went down. But who cares? Mia, what did your grandfather say about my dad? I wanna know everything.”

“I could tell you,” Mia admitted with a smile, “or you could talk to Grandfather. I mentioned you to him; he really wants to meet you.”

He wanted to know everything now, but… Professor Koji had known Dad personally. There was finally someone who had known Dad that would actually want to talk about him. “Okay. But I want to see him as soon as I can, okay?”

Mia nodded. “Does Monday work for you? We’d have to leave right after school, however.”

“You bet.” He’d miss the baking club, but he was sure Emi would forgive him. He began to give Mia back her photo, but she pressed it gently back into his hands.

“You hold onto that. Consider it another birthday present.”

“Now this,” Cye said as Mr. Machete killed the fourth teenager in the film so far, “is what celebrating your birth is all about.”

Mia nibbled on her pizza. “You are really into movies where teenagers die. You do realize that you are a teenager as well, right?”

“He’s also supposed to be the gentle one in our friend group,” Luna reminded Mia, helping herself to some popcorn.

“Hey, I’m very gentle!” Cye insisted. “I mean, look at Kento. He’s sleeping peacefully with his head in my lap.”

“You said I had to pretend to be anesthetized so you could perform ‘the operation’ or else I couldn’t have any more pizza,” Kento said, his eyes still shut. “I’m still waiting on you to operate on me and turn me into a kaiju or whatever, man.”

“Yeah, well,” Cye rubbed the back of his neck. “I really got into the movie, sorry. You can have some more pizza.” Kento immediately got up to get himself a plate.

Ryo gave them both a look. “So, was that Kento’s gift to you? To let you turn him into a kaiju?”

“No, he’s taking me to the beach this weekend. I’m looking forward to it.”

“I bet you are, even if it is too cold to go swimming.” Luna frowned. “So, is Kento gonna be a Godzilla kaiju or something cuter?”

“I think Kento would make a good Gamera,” Rowen said as he entered the room.

“That’s perfect.” Luna smiled at Rowen as he sat down next to her. “Hey, I was under the impression that you didn’t like scary movies and that’s why you were playing Mario Kart with Sage, though.”

“We were, but then Sage started getting a little too into it. I’m at the point where I’ll take my chances with Mr. Machete.” Rowen closed his eyes as the fifth teenager met a grisly fate.

The week hadn’t been a bad one at all. But between dreams, realizations, and finals approaching, Cye was very glad that the world currently consisted only of the sky, the ocean, and Kento.

“So,” Kento said as they strolled on the beach, “is this a good present?”

Cye closed his eyes, taking in the smell of the ocean. It was all he could do to resist the urge to at least take off his shoes, roll up his pants, and feel the waves lap against his legs. But it was a rather cold morning and Kento would panic. Instead, he linked arms with Kento. “It’s amazing. You know, when I was little, I used to pretend that I could swim to the very bottom and take naps on the ocean floor.” He grimaced. “But that’s a little weird.”

But like always, Kento took Cye’s weirder moments in stride. “I could see baby Cye doing that,” Kento replied. “I could see Cye now doing that as well. And to be honest, I’m the same way about mountains. Whenever my folks would take me up, I’d go out to play and pretend that I was running away from home and going to live there forever. Well, at least until it was time for dinner.”

“Hmm.” Cye took Kento’s face in his hands. “If you do run away, let me know. I’ll run away with you.”

“So, this is the boy you’re in love with,” a woman with brown eyes and grey hair, clad in a black dress mused. “Frankly, Cye, you could do better, but who am I to stand in the way of your love life? I’m just your mother, after all.”

“Mum?!” Without thinking, Cye put an arm in front of Kento protectively… but Kento had dashed off to join Mortimer. “Before I say anything else, I need to establish that only I am allowed to make fun of Kento.”

“No promises,” Mum warned him.

Cye rolled his eyes in response. “Why are you even here? I thought you were sick or didn’t…”

“Didn’t want to be with my son on his birthday? Not even I’m that evil, boy.” Mum’s expression softened ever so slightly. “One of my doctors was worried about the results of some tests, so I had to stay overnight. I didn’t want to worry you on what’s supposed to be a happy day.”

“You should have told me,” Cye insisted, for what good it would do.

“And what would you have done? Fret over things you can’t control.” Mum rested her chin in her hand. “You are so much like Shin. Sometimes I wonder if you inherited anything from me aside from the poor health.”

“I inherited your stubbornness.” He smiled. “And your sense of humor, unfortunately.” He wondered if he should tell her this part, but he had just complained about her hiding things, so he supposed there wasn’t much choice. “Mum, my health has gotten a lot better since I moved to Tokyo. I still have my spells, but they’re not nearly as bad as they used to be, even when I use my abilities a lot.” And he had been using his abilities a lot since he came to Tokyo. “Not to mention I have friends and people don’t make too much fun of me for what I like here. I… out of all the places I’ve lived, Tokyo is the one that feels like home. At least to me.”

Mum made a thoughtful sound. “Sayoko’s been saying that as well. How is she, by the way?”

“Busy, but she’s also happier than I’ve ever seen her. You should visit her before you leave.”

“I plan to.”

“One last question before you leave, Mum. How did you know I’d be here? We don’t correspond regularly. Or at all.”

“Oh, that?” Mum smirked wickedly. “The boy you’re in love with beat Mortimer in combat. The prize was that Mortimer would convince me to travel to Tokyo, health permitting, to visit you. My health did permit and the premise was so novel, how could anyone resist? I must admit, this Kento of yours is a fascinating young man. He’s obtuse and observant in equal measure. I wish to learn more. You simply must invite him to our home over break.”

Cye frowned. “Well, at least you’re not making fun of him now.” He clasped his mother’s hand gently. “And I’ll take you up on that offer. I love you, Mum. I’ll see you soon.”

Mum squeezed his hand before pulling away. “I love you as well. Take care of your sister. By the way, I’m very glad that I was wrong about the move to Tokyo. If you’re healthy and happy, then you can live anywhere you want.”

He watched as Mum and Mortimer walked away. Kento approached him, looking anxious.

“Okay, Cye, I’m really hoping this was a good surprise, and if I screwed up, feel free to toss me in the ocean. I know you said you were cool with your mother not visiting, but I can tell when you’re sad, and—” Cye put his hand over Kento’s mouth.

“Kento.”

“Yeah?” Kento’s voice was muffled.

“How about you just kiss me and we enjoy the waves some more?”

Kento nodded quickly.

Final Notes: Okay, so this was close to 8k words of Cye crying a lot, which is definitely my brand, I will not lie. I probably need to mention this again, but if I got anything wrong, please feel free to correct me.

I didn't get to mention what the other kids got Cye for his bday in the fic, but: Luna got him some fancy yarn and Ryo got him some homemade stewed tomatoes (gardening is the one domestic thing Cye is not good at, so he's always happy when Ryo shares from his garden in any way).