Chapter 32:
Dinner with the Yuys:
My Apartment
Wednesday,
I steal another glance in
Duo’s direction, knowing that there’s something he’s definitely not telling me.
Well sure he’s shown me his bike and has filled me in with what had happened
the night before with Eleanor, but there’s still something missing – like a
secret he’s not willing to share with me.
Yeah, and what about you, Heero? How come you haven’t
formally invited him for dinner with your parents yet? Or do you just assume
that he’s going to say ‘yes’ when you do ask? What if he has other plans, huh?
Did you bother to find that out?
Clearing my throat, I take a
deep breath and decide to go for it. “Duo…”
“Here you go,” he says,
tossing a helmet in my direction. I barely catch it, the black object almost
slipping from my numb fingers and to the ground. That was a particularly hard
throw which means that there’s definitely something else bothering him.
“Is there something you want
to talk about, Duo?” I ask slowly, watching him carefully as he turns to look
at me with something akin to surprise on his features. A very weak attempt at
surprise if you ask me.
“What’s to talk about?” he
replies with a light shrug. “Hop on. We don’t want to be late.”
He straddles the bike and I
indulge myself with a quick glance at those slender but strong thighs. “I’m not
getting on until we talk.”
“Dude, we’re going to be
late. I can only drive so fast, you know,” he says with an exasperated look at
me. He slips the helmet over his head. “Now get your ass up here…”
“I’m going to ask you to join
me for dinner with my parents,” I finally say, keeping my eyes trained on his.
“Is that what you’re upset about? That I haven’t asked you yet?”
He narrows his gaze and
captures his lower lip between his teeth. We seem to stare at each other for an
eternity and I’m painfully reminded of the chill in the morning air. The
forecast had called for a gloomy and cloudy day with a possible chance for
afternoon showers. Winter is definitely around the corner.
“Heero,” he begins slowly.
“Your parents are going to be here on Friday. They invited you to dinner last
week….it took you this long to ask me to join you? I fucking live with you!”
“Duo…”
“I kept quiet because I
figured you’re still on the fence about the whole thing. You don’t want me to
have to deal with the rejection and shit, right?”
“That’s not quite it…”
“Or maybe you didn’t want to
invite me yet because of that girl, hmm?”
I frown. “That’s not true. I
don’t care about Misa, you know that!”
“So you say,” he mutters and
looks away. “Checking through websites talking about Japanese weddings is one
way of not caring, right?”
I suck in a harsh breath, my
heart slamming hard within my chest at his words. How had he known…?
He must have seen the
unspoken question in my eyes because he smiles a little. “Your laptop was still
on when I came in last night. I know I shouldn’t have looked but damn it,
Heero! You’re not making any attempt to stop this, are you?!”
“You don’t understand…”
“What don’t I understand?!”
he cries out, his voice loud and clear in the still morning. A few of my
neighbors have already woken up but I have a feeling that Duo’s voice is going
to wake a few more at this rate. “You weren’t planning on inviting me and you
were going to go through with it…”
“You idiot!” I hiss coldly,
taking a step towards him. “Those were sites my mother sent to me to read
through! Why would I want to look through such things on my own? I don’t want
to marry Misa! I thought I already made that clear!”
“Tradition…”
“Screw tradition!” I retort
angrily – yes angry because I know that whatever Duo says will be the truth.
I’ve been so warped up in my need to please my parents that I’ve failed to see
how much it’s really hurting him. He has sacrificed a lot to be with me –
enduring Eleanor’s wrath and hate towards me – and yet he still chose what his
heart desired. What stops me from doing the same thing? Why I can’t be strong
enough to stand up to my parents? Why do I have to give in to this cowering shy
boy inside of me who is in constant awe and fear of them?
“Heero…?” He’s looking at me
with an incredulous expression on his visage. There’s a look of faint hope and
yet wariness in those violet eyes, perhaps thinking I’m going a bit mad with my
sudden outburst.
I place my hands on his
shoulders. “Come with me, Duo,” I say firmly, my gaze never wavering from his.
My heart is beating so fast, I’m sure it’s bound to drop out of my chest
anytime now. “On Friday, we’re going to meet my parents and I’ll introduce you
to them as my partner.”
His eyes widen. “Heero! You
can’t! They’ll…they’ll…!”
“They’ll probably disown me,”
I reply with a small smile, realizing that I’m about to take a rather serious
plunge into the unknown here. I really have no idea what my parents will
do…after the initial shock and anger that is but I can’t back down now. They
can’t control my life forever, can they? I’ve got to take a stand and this
time, I do not plan to wimp out on Duo. I love him too much to do that.
“You’re crazy, you know
that?” he finally whispers and turns his head away quickly. But his voice is
rough and I could have sworn I saw shimmering tears standing in his eyes. “Now,
you’re totally going to fuck up my plans to woo your parents.”
“Huh? What plans?”
He revs up the engine, and
turns to smile at me again – this time a much more genuine sight that makes me
feel a bit better. “Just get on and hold on tight, boy,” he says with a smirk.
“I really don’t feel like sitting in Hiromi’s detention class after school.”
I match his smirk and place
the helmet over my head. “Hey, maybe if I’m lucky I’ll get to spend detention
time with you. I’m sure we can think up ways to pass the time.”
He laughs and waits for me to
settle in as I wrap my arms tightly around his waist to steady myself. I press
my face against his strong back, feeling the smooth fabric of his jacket
against my cheek. I close my eyes, feeling the powerful engine throb between my
legs and soon the sharp rush of wind against my skin as we peel out of the
parking lot. Duo’s braid whips against my face gently, the fine hairs tickling
my flesh as a small smile comes to my lips.
Yes, I don’t think I’d ever
want to give this up for a life of tradition and suffering in a relationship I
don’t want. Going against my parents is going to be one of the toughest
experiences of my life, but I cannot back down now.
I simply cannot.
__
Chemistry Lab, 10.23am:
“You’re a dead man.”
“Gee…thanks, Wufei.” I shake
my head softly, snorting in exasperation as I begin to stir the contents in the
glass beaker slowly. “I knew I could always count on you for support.”
“Just telling you the truth,”
he replies, and moves the Bunsen burner closer to me…or rather beneath the
beaker. We’re apparently supposed to warm up the contents until they change
from pink to clear. Hopefully we haven’t screwed this thing up. Some of the
other students are getting the strangest colors yet and our teacher is getting
more worked up with each failure.
“It’s going to be fine,” I
say firmly, knowing I’m trying to convince myself of that. “What’s the worse
that could happen? They’d stomp out of the restaurant and never speak to me
again.”
“And is that what you want?”
The beaker trembles in my
hand, although it’s now attached to a clamp so I don’t burn myself, as I look
at Wufei through the slightly foggy lenses of my protective goggles. He meets
my gaze, a small smile on his lips as he taps his pen on his notepad.
“Can you live with that?
Knowing that you’ll never have your parents’ approval for as long as you live?”
he asks again and then nudges the beaker, reminding me to keep moving the
contents about, which I do with a small start of guilt. This isn’t the time to
be spacing out.
“They can’t…” I lick my
suddenly dry lips. “They can’t control me forever, Wufei. I’m not a kid
anymore.”
He purses his lips and
shrugs. “That’s true and I can understand your need to separate yourself from
their stronghold on you but…” He nudges the beaker again. The liquid is
becoming colorless. Yes! “…you’ve got to remember that they are your parents -
your flesh and blood and that’s supposed to be stronger than any other
relationship you might forge in your life. What if and it’s not that I’m
wishing this, but what if something happened to Duo? What would happen if he
decides to break up with you? What then? You’d have gone against your family
just for that? You can’t turn to them because they wouldn’t want to associate
themselves with a son who…”
“It won’t get that bad,” I
reply in a harsh whisper, noticing the teacher looking in our direction. But
who am I kidding? I can feel the seeds of doubt beginning to grow again in my
heart. Wufei’s right but…
“I doubt they’ll completely
ignore me. I’m their only child after all.”
“Yeah, an only child who’ll
never produce an heir.”
My grip on the beaker
slackens and if it isn’t for Wufei’s quick reflexes, I’m sure I would have
roasted myself in a heartbeat. He gives me a small apologetic smile but I still
feel like I’ve been punched really hard in the stomach. Breathing is becoming
increasingly difficult.
An heir. An heir. An heir.
Of course! It would only make
sense. Duo can’t get pregnant and adopting a child – if we ever make it that
far in our relationship – is an option that I doubt would sit well with my parents.
“Sorry for springing that up
on you,” Wufei’s saying as he takes over the role of warming the beaker. “I
just figured you would have thought about that by now.”
No. No, I honestly hadn’t
thought of it. I groan and sit with my head in my hands but have to stand again
as the teacher bellows at me to focus on the task at hand.
Shit. How the hell do I deal
with this nice bit of information? Would this nightmare never end?
__
My Apartment,
Duo’s cry of completion
overshadows mine as I bite into his shoulder gently to stop myself from joining
him. Trembling, I thrust hard one last time, flushing as I feel the warmth of
my seed filling his insides and around my throbbing penis.
An heir.
If Duo were a girl, there’s
no doubt he’d be a mother-to-be by now. We’ve had sex without the rubber
several times in the past. The pleasure is more intense that way and tonight is
no different.
He collapses on me with a
soft grunt, his breathing already getting heavier as he prepares to go to
sleep.
“Duo?” I call out softly.
“Hmm?” His tongue licks my
neck gently and I groan in pleasure as his small but erotic movements makes me
feel aroused again.
“What…what do you think about
kids?”
That stops the neck-licking
and he pulls away a little to gape at me in confusion. “What?”
“You know…kids…” I flush
darkly and turn my gaze away, my fingers twirling the tip of his braid. “I
mean, you do want them someday, right?”
“Well…yeah but…why this all
of a sudden?” He sits up and withdraws, causing me to wince a little at the
lack of intimacy and the warm cocoon of those tight muscles around my erection.
I watch the slow trickle of my come slide down his thighs. God help me, but
that’s got to be one of the most exciting things about being with Duo. He’s
beginning to loosen his braid – a clear sign that he’s going to take a shower.
The sleep is now gone from his eyes and he’s watching me warily.
“I was just curious,” I
reply, sitting up on my elbows to stare at him.
“Well, this is an odd time to
be curious, isn’t it?” He cocks his head to the side, braid half-undone and
gaze still wary. “Are you wishing I was a girl?”
“No!”
“Or that I could have babies
to make your parents happy?”
“Duo, that’s…!” I stare into
the unrepentant gaze and lower mine in mild shame. I can’t lie to him. Since
Wufei’s eye-opener, I’ve been unable to stop myself from thinking of those
things.
“Bullshit,” he says tightly
as he gets off the bed in one swift motion. Oh fuck. I’ve screwed things up
again.
“Duo wait!”
I scramble out of bed to
follow him as he stomps towards the bathroom. The door slams in my face and a
furtive twist of the doorknob tells me that he’s locked it behind him. I bang
the door in near desperation, feeling like the world’s greatest asshole.
“Duo, come on! Please! I’m
sorry, okay? I didn’t mean it that way. Please…” I slide to the floor, resting
my head against the door in defeat. “Duo…”
The door suddenly opens and I
look up quickly, marveling at how beautiful he looks with his hair loose around
him, as he towers over me with eyes dark with either anger or pain. Of course,
I end up staring at his cock, which from my vantage point looks so damn…
“Maybe you should be with
Misa then to fulfill that particular role,” he says coldly.
“Duo, that’s not…” I make a
move to get to my feet, but he places a hand on my head and forces me to remain
in my kneeling position. I swallow tightly, my heart thumping wildly in my
chest. There’s something so damn hot about being this subservient to Duo. Maybe
it’s my need to make it up to him. I’d be willing to walk on hot coals at this
point.
“I’m not a female, Heero,”
he’s saying, his fingers threading through my hair, kneading my scalp gently.
My lashes flutter, a low groan escaping my lips at just how good that feels and
I so want to lick and suck him off so bad now. “I can play one sure but when it
comes to making little Duos and Heeros…it ain’t gonna happen.”
He falls to his knees before
me and wraps his arms around my neck, hugging me tightly to him. “I want to
have kids someday,” he whispers hotly against my skin. “And I want them with
you. I don’t mind adopting if you want to do the same.” He pulls back to stare
at me, his cheeks flushed, and eyes too bright as if holding back tears. “I
want my…our kids to have a much better life than we ever had, Heero. I want
them to grow up in a home where they won’t be judged or abandoned because of
their beliefs.”
“Duo…”
“I want them with you!” he
interrupts vehemently, burying his face against my neck to hold me tightly to
him again. “With you…Heero. So please…whatever happens on Friday. No matter
what decision you come to…please…remember that.”
Oh, Duo.
I hold him as close to me as
I can, feeling his body tremble within mine as I fight back the hot sting of
tears in my eyes. Everything depends on me now. My decision. My choice. This is
my battle…our battle and I’ll have to
win it for Duo – for us – no matter how painful the outcome might be.
__
Outside GYUKAKU Restaurant
Friday,
“This is the right
restaurant, isn’t it?” Duo asks for the one-millionth time as he reaches for
his necktie to tug it gently. I’ve never seen him this nervous before and I
can’t help smiling a little. To be honest, it’s really like me bringing my
future ‘bride’ to meet the family and it’s only natural for Duo to want to look
and act his best.
“It is the right one,” I
finally reply as I help to straighten the black cloth. “And yes, you do look
good, Duo,” I add quickly as I notice he’s about to ask me that question again.
His braid is exceptionally neat and tidy, his bangs (which were growing out)
nicely trimmed and not so wild-looking.
We’re both in suits – his a
dark blue that’s been tailored made just for him while mine is black and not as
expensive. One of the perks of being the son of a wealthy man like Daniel
Maxwell is being able to walk into any Men’s Clothing store and ordering
whatever suit you want. Thanks to the Professor and Harold, Duo has excellent
credits at many shopping outlets in the city. He had called Harold the other
day and after school, there was a limousine, of all cars, waiting to take us to
any store we wanted. I don’t shop for clothes often and neither does Duo, but
we both knew that we were going to have to pull all the stops to impress my
father and mother…and Misa. After getting the right suits, Harold had insisted
we go to one of the newest and most lavish spas in the city. Needless to say,
after several hours in a steam room, getting an out-of-this-world massage,
facial treatments, hair cuts, manicures, pedicures and eating foods fit for a
king, I was feeling more relaxed than I’d ever felt in….months!
But later on that night,
Duo’s anxiety had reached fever-pitch and no matter how much I tried to
convince him to relax, he wouldn’t listen to me. We had earth-shattering - and
I do not use that term loosely – sex afterwards and the desperation I felt with
every kiss and touch, struck a cord deep in me. I think he assumes that this
might be our last time together, that whatever I decide today might be the end
of our relationship.
“Snow…” he whispers softly,
jerking me out of my reverie.
I lift my gaze to the cloudy
heavens, my smile widening as I feel the first few drops of ice on my nose and
forehead. “Not that much,” I say as I look at him again. He’s sticking out his
tongue in the hopes of catching one and before I can stop myself…
(You’re outside! You’re outside! They could come right
now and see you!)
…I wrap my arms around his
waist and pull him closer to me, our heavy coats (a product of our shopping
‘spree’) becoming a warmer shield around our bodies. I capture his tongue
between my lips and soon swallow his gasp of surprise within my mouth as I kiss
him tenderly. He stiffens for a moment, no doubt unable to believe I’m actually
being this bold, but soon molds himself to me and responds with a low groan.
“I love you,” I whisper
thickly against his lips, as I release him a little to get some air. “No matter
what happens, Duo. I always will…”
“Heero-kun? Is that you?”
Like a douse of ice water,
that voice shatters the moment effectively causing Duo and I to break apart with
twin looks of guilt on our faces.
Sure enough, it’s Misa Ogata,
looking just the same as she had been during the summer. Okay, not quite. Her
hair had been long and straight but now it was shoulder length and in loose
curls. She’s bundled up in a white fur-lined coat, so I can’t really make out
what she’s wearing underneath. However, it’s her expression that tells me all I
need to know. Her eyes are as wide as saucers and twin spots of colors are on
her pale cheeks.
Standing behind her, like a
small army and all equally shocked, are her parents and mine. Ignoring the
Ogatas, I focus on my mother’s pallid visage and my father’s gradually incensed
features.
“Father. Mother,” I greet,
falling into my native tongue as I am accustomed to doing whenever around them.
“Welcome…”
“What is the meaning of this,
Heero?!” My father barks and I can feel Duo flinch beside me. “Who is this?!”
“The friend I told you about
on the phone,” I reply, doing my best to keep my temper under check as well.
There’s no use getting upset now before dinner’s even started. “Duo Maxwell.
Duo…” I push my reluctant boyfriend forward a little, switching back to
English. “My mother, father, Mr. and Mrs. Ogata and of course, Misa.”
“Hi…” Duo begins before
remembering what I had taught him. He bows and says in halting Japanese.
“Hello, it’s really nice to meet you all.”
“Well this is certainly a
surprise,” Akiko Ogata says in that annoying shrill voice of hers. “No one said
anything about bringing an extra guest for dinner.”
“There must be some kind of
misunderstanding,” Seichi Ogata says looking at my father for some kind of
explanation. “I was under the impression that this was supposed to be a meeting
of our families to finalize the planned marriage of our children.”
“And it will be,” my father
says tightly. He would have said more but the maitre d’ had stepped out of the
restaurant to usher us in. My father’s demeanor becomes one of absolute charm
as I meet my mother’s worried and somewhat accusatory gaze. I look away and
meet Misa’s amused one instead. I growl softly beneath my breath, my hand
reaching for Duo’s to hold it tightly. It feels incredibly cold and stealing a
glance at him, I notice how pale he looks. I squeeze his hand gently in
reassurance and his slow smile of gratitude is going to have to be enough for
now.
The Gyukaku is one of the
finest Japanese restaurants in the city. My parents and I have been here once
before and it was an experience I’d never forget. The foods are delicious and
the service exceptional. After our coats are taken by the ushers, we are led
into a private room specially reserved for the evening and even Duo’s in awe of
the simple but aesthetically pleasing décor. Cream-colored paper screens
surround us as we sit on the black silk pillows placed on tatami mats on the
floor. The low table is already set with two grills, a hot pot, trays of meats
(different kinds), shrimps, vegetables, Garlic and premium kalbi as well as
salads and sauces.
The two fathers take up the
head positions, with my mother sitting on my father’s right and Akiko on her
husband’s left. Misa sits beside her mother while I sit beside mine with Duo
next to me. In this case, we are both forced to face Misa and Akiko with Seichi
breathing down Duo’s neck beside him.
An awkward silence falls as
soon as we settle down but it’s my father that breaks the tension by firing up
the grill and placing several slices of meat on it.
“We might as well eat,” he
mumbles, throwing a cool glance in my direction. “I can’t think straight on an
empty stomach.”
“Hear, hear,” Seichi agrees
as he turns on the grill closest to him and begins to cook up his own food.
More than grateful for the
distraction – at least it will give me a few more minutes to think of how to
really break the news to my parents – I turn to offer Duo his choice of meats,
only to gape in disbelief as Misa leans over the table to ask him instead.
“Say, Duo…I can call you Duo,
right?” At my boyfriend’s nod, she smiles and points to several thin sliced
meats on the table. “Which one would you like?”
“Uumm…I’ll try that one,” Duo
replies amiably and I have to fight the urge to growl at the smug look she
throws in my direction.
The bitch! Just what is she
up to now?
“Eat something, Heero,” my
mother says beside me as she turns over several large shrimps on the grill. The
smell of the food is making my mouth water and I hold up my plate, allowing her
to fill it with as much of the different offerings as possible. Seichi and my
father have begun to talk about something that happened in the news, while I
can still hear Misa and Duo (Akiko’s joined them now) talking about something
else.
“I really don’t understand
this,” my mother says after two small bites of her food. “Why didn’t you tell
us about…about…him?”
“I was going to…”
“When? When you felt it was
good enough to let your own parents know?! Do you have any idea how humiliating
this is, Heero?”
“Mom…”
“And outside! Outside for
God’s sake!” she hisses and all but slams her plate on the table. “Ah, Heero,
how could you? You’ve made a fool of your father and I for long enough!”
“Mom, please...!” Oh dear
God, the situation is getting out of control. I think everyone else at the
table has stopped eating and are now watching us with great interest.
“Your mother’s right,” my
father interrupts curtly. “Your marriage with Misa will go as planned. I have
no doubt that this boy…” He looks at Duo and dismisses him just as quickly.
“…is a good friend of yours but no son of mine is going to be involved in a
homosexual relationship just because he thinks its fun.”
“But that’s not…”
“I did not send you out of my
home to become wayward, Heero,” my father snaps coldly. “When you decided to
live on your own, I allowed it only because I saw it as a way for you to grow
up and become a responsible adult without my guidance! If I had known you’d go
out of your way to ignore your studies and live with another boy, I would have
kept you back at the house like your mother suggested!”
“That’s not fair!” I yell
back in frustration, feeling as if my heart would shatter if they don’t stop
trying to make me look like the bad person in this. This is too hard. Just too
hard. Why can’t they understand how I feel about Duo?
“What’s not fair about it?”
my mother asks. There are tears in her eyes and it’s going to be my undoing if
she starts bawling. “Is it fair that you kept this away from us? Is it fair
that the Ogatas have been nice enough to grant us their daughter’s hand in
marriage and yet you plan to turn it down? How fair is that, Heero? Answer me!”
“I…I…” I squeeze my eyes
shut, my hands tightly clenched into fists on my lap. I have to fight this. I
have to! I have to…!
“ONEGAI!”
What?!
I open my eyes quickly, my
heartbeat racing at the sight before me…before us. Someone’s chopsticks clatter
to the table but no one pays much attention.
Duo…you…
“Please!” he says in English
this time, his voice now a bit muffled as his head is still lowered to the
floor. That’s right. Duo had gotten to his feet and was now bowing before my
parents as if asking for forgiveness.
“Please,” he continues,
hardly lifting his head but yet managing to look straight at my parents (who,
I’ve got to confess look comical with their mouths open) at the same time. “I know
I’m the last person in the world you’d want to hear this from but believe me
when I say that I love your son very much.”
My mother flinches beside me
but I hardly pay attention, my eyes are fixed on this boy who’s going this far
just for us. Shit. My heart is aching so much, it’s indescribable how much I
feel for him right now.
“We’ve been through so much,”
Duo says quietly, his voice wavering as if doing his best to hold back his own
tears. “We’ve been through so much crap you wouldn’t believe it. I was an
orphan and grew up on the streets. I didn’t know who my parents were and I
survived on my own, working my ass off to make ends meet. I really didn’t put
much stock in education and would have cared less if I finished high school or
not but, one day, I saw Heero’s picture in the paper – the wonder kid who kept
winning awards every other day it seemed. I looked at those pictures and I felt
jealous and envious. Here was this kid, just like me, who was making something
of himself and here I was…sitting out here in a stinking diner hoping to make a
quick buck for dinner that night. He…indirectly inspired me. Even without
meeting him, I knew I wanted to be with him. I wanted to become just as good as
he was or even better. I moved from school to school until I was finally
admitted to Fujisaki. I couldn’t believe my luck.”
“But trust me when I say your
son wasn’t into guys back then…or if he was he did a fine job of hiding it from
everyone else. He hated me on sight and wanted nothing to do with me but I was
persistent. My need to best him finally became something else – something I
realized after seeing what a great human being he was. Heero’s kind and strong
and just…just awesome! I had never met any guy like that before and I wanted to
be with him for as long as he’d let me. I was a pain in the ass but I wasn’t
going to let him go that easily.”
He scrubs his face quickly.
“When my mother came back to take me, Heero was there for me whether he wanted
to or not. My mom didn’t like him either and went out of her way to ignore his
existence. When my father passed away, Heero was there for me too. Without him,
I don’t think I’d have been able to make it through those tough times. We’ve
had our share of fights and arguments, Mr. and Mrs. Yuy but we’ve learned and
grown from it. When I’m with your son…I feel a peace I’ve never felt in a long
time. I can say that I’m truly happy being with him and I want to remain that
way for as long as I live. So please, please give me a chance to prove myself
to you. I might not be able to produce a heir as you’d like, but I promise to
take care of your son and to make him just as happy as he’s made me. I love
Heero…please, I’m begging you, don’t take him away from me.”
The silence that follows this
speech is deafening. I think someone’s meat is getting charred on the grill but
no one cares. Someone sniffles as if crying but I’m already on my feet and
before long, I’m kneeling beside Duo and bowing to my parents as well. My
father’s shocked gasp is more than enough to let him know that we really mean
it.
“Please, father…mother…” I
finally say in Japanese, my voice thick with my effort to hold back the tears.
“I can’t be without him either. I do…with all my heart and soul…love him and
want to spend the rest of my life with him. Please, I beg of you, please let me
have my happiness with Duo!”
“Heero…” my mother begins
after what seems like an eternity but my father will have none of it.
“NONSENSE!” he bellows,
scrambling to his feet, his features flushed with anger or hurt, I’m not sure
which. “Miyabi, let’s go. If I have to listen to this…this…nonsense much
longer, I’ll be tempted to do something I’ll regret!”
“Odin!” my mother says with a
small gasp. She seems torn between her husband and son and I almost feel sorry
for her. “We just can’t…!”
“Seichi-kun,” my father’s
saying as he gives the other family a small but polite bow. “I apologize for
the events of the evening. It’s unfortunate that things turned out this way but
I can reassure you that we’ll talk Heero out of this and get him to see some
sense…”
“It seems like your son’s
mind is already made up,” Seichi says with a small smile thrown at Duo and
“Yes,” Akiko replies, wiping
her tears quickly with a handkerchief. “I thought I knew what love was
until…how can boys this age be so in tune with each other?”
Duo and I look at each other
and flush in embarrassment. If only she knew just how in tune we really are.
“But the question is what
does Misa think?” Seichi says, turning to his daughter who had been quiet
through the whole affair. We all look at her, and I’m holding my breath,
waiting for some explosion or two to erupt. But to my surprise, she simply
shrugs and begins to remove the burnt pieces of meat from the grill, a small
smile on her visage.
“What do I think? I think we
should finish up this food we spent so much money on. Besides, there’s nothing
I can do, is there? It’s clear that Heero wants to be with Duo, so be it.”
Misa…I don’t believe it. It’s almost too good to be
true!
My father sits down heavily,
shaking his head slowly as if unable to believe what was happening before him. “What
is this world coming to? Has everyone gone mad?!”
My mother reaches for Duo’s
hand and I can feel a lightness in my heart at the wariness in her eyes. She’s
not fully accepting but there’s no doubt that Duo did something pretty amazing
tonight. He had reached them somehow.
“Duo Maxwell,” she says
quietly, staring intently at Duo as if perhaps wishing he’d vanish from sight.
“Your words have indeed moved me tonight and I can see your sincerity. However,
you are both young men who have so much to look forward to in the future. You
will one day crave a family and when that time comes…?”
“We’ve already talked about
that, mother,” I say quietly, my cheeks growing pink at the memory.
She looks at me, then at my
father who’s still muttering to himself, to the Ogatas who are still eating and
talking amongst themselves before focusing on Duo and I again.
“I see,” she finally says
with a soft sigh. “Then there’s really nothing I can do for now, is there?
You’ve completely stolen my son’s heart…and sanity.”
Duo smiles at that before
gasping softly as her fingers brush away the tears from his cheeks. “Mrs. Yuy…”
“Please,” she says, releasing
his hand to focus on her food again. “You might as well go ahead and call me
mother. Mrs. Yuy is quite a mouthful.”
~End Period Thirty-Two~