Gravitation -- Who's Your Mommy? (Eiri, Riku)
Eiri wasn’t sure how he felt about taking care of Yuki Kitazawa’s son. Even after telling the boy that he murdered his father-aside from that annoying pinching of his face-Riku didn’t show any signs of dislike or any plans for actual revenge. And for the most part, Riku was a tolerable child. He did have a habit of getting quite restless when Eiri was trying to work, but he’d found ways to properly distract him. Riku was quiet. He didn’t whine. He didn’t ask for much. He’d even learned to hold off his desire for playtime until Shuichi got home.
But there was one thing that was driving Eiri absolutely insane.
“Hey, kid.”
Riku looked up from the coloring book Shuichi had bought him, and turned his big eyes on the novelist, who was casually smoking on the sofa.
“Who’s your mother?”
Riku blinked, silent. Eiri frowned slightly.
“Your mother. Who is she? What’s her name?”
Riku nodded his head, understanding, and pointed to the kitchen where Shuichi was putting away groceries. Eiri’s scowl deepened.
“…”
Riku nodded again, confirming, and returned to his coloring. Eiri sighed irritably, releasing a wisp of smoke, and he closed his eyes. So the kid didn’t want to tell him. That was fine. He could always call Yoshiki and get her to tell him later. He could remember faces-faces of women that Yuki Kitazawa met for dinner (ending their tutoring lessons early) and faces of women in picture frames. But he wanted a name. A name to put to a face, any face. A name that went to a woman that the man he once loved might have once loved.
“My mama…is with my dad.”
Eiri slowly opened his eyes and looked down at the boy. Riku didn’t meet his eyes, but continued coloring, and didn’t offer anything more than that. Eiri watched him for a while and listened to the familiar sounds of Shuichi knocking things over in the kitchen, before putting out his cigarette, leaning back and letting his eyes close again.
Maybe he didn’t need to know, after all.
But there was one thing that was driving Eiri absolutely insane.
“Hey, kid.”
Riku looked up from the coloring book Shuichi had bought him, and turned his big eyes on the novelist, who was casually smoking on the sofa.
“Who’s your mother?”
Riku blinked, silent. Eiri frowned slightly.
“Your mother. Who is she? What’s her name?”
Riku nodded his head, understanding, and pointed to the kitchen where Shuichi was putting away groceries. Eiri’s scowl deepened.
“…”
Riku nodded again, confirming, and returned to his coloring. Eiri sighed irritably, releasing a wisp of smoke, and he closed his eyes. So the kid didn’t want to tell him. That was fine. He could always call Yoshiki and get her to tell him later. He could remember faces-faces of women that Yuki Kitazawa met for dinner (ending their tutoring lessons early) and faces of women in picture frames. But he wanted a name. A name to put to a face, any face. A name that went to a woman that the man he once loved might have once loved.
“My mama…is with my dad.”
Eiri slowly opened his eyes and looked down at the boy. Riku didn’t meet his eyes, but continued coloring, and didn’t offer anything more than that. Eiri watched him for a while and listened to the familiar sounds of Shuichi knocking things over in the kitchen, before putting out his cigarette, leaning back and letting his eyes close again.
Maybe he didn’t need to know, after all.