Second World - Chapter 7 "Only You"
Warnings: "I Fell In Love": angst (Fei/Yoh); "Showdown": crack (lots of Aki/Asami; the entire cast); Epilogue: mentions of explicit actions between the two main characters
Disclaimers: All VF characters belong to Yamane-sensei
Rating: "I Fell In Love" and "Showdown": PG-13; Epilogue: R
Only You
Tokyo University Hospital
World Commander Yoh and Hippy Liu Fei Long ambled along an idyllic sun-dappled greenway in the beautiful University Hospital gardens. Fei Long was wearing his favourite crimson cheongsam and studying his reflection in a water lily covered pond with some satisfaction. He had almost recovered his old figure.
Yoh was stroking Te Ching's unruly black mop of hair (peeping out of the top of a baby carrier Kirishima had given his ok to). When he began rummaging in the pocket sewn onto the carrier's back, Fei Long looked up.
“What’s that paper?”
Never ceasing to carress the baby's wild locks Yoh carefully extracted an official looking form.
“Ah - nothing important. Let’s throw it into the paper recycling bin. Look, there’s one over there.”
Fei snatched it out of his hands.
“ ‘Test of Paternity. Yoh Liu Te Ching, born on March 8 in Tokyo, is confirmed as the biological offspring of one Liu Fei Long, native of Hong Kong, China’ - ah neat, so they haven’t switched Techi in the ward - ‘and one Yoh, native of Kaohsiung, Taiwan’. Ok, really nothing new. You’re right, into the recycling bin. They couldn’t have switched him anyway . There weren't any other babies…”, carelessly laughing, joyful, Fei Long chucked the form away.
Yoh watched him, a strange expression on his handsome, sober face.
He hadn’t been so completely sure at all!
And he hadn’t been all that interested … because on no account would he have given up Fei, or Te Ching (“Techi” as they had begun calling him, because he appeared so alert, so especially interested when seeing beeping, blinking, technical gadgets of any kind).
Yoh's life hadn’t been on the line anymore, anyway. Fei Long having conceived on the night after the OP was an absolute proof of Yoh not having forced him. Everyone understood that by now. But, as Kirishima had gone on to point out, the reverse logic would not hold up. If the Test Person had not gotten pregnant that night, it would not mean the First Impregnator had forced him at all!
The Faith Switch might prevent anyone from getting knocked by a person they didn't want (possibly making contraceptive devices superfluous? Now wouldn't that be neat?). But what even this astounding new biological feature couldn't do yet - it could not guarantee getting a baby.
“One look at Human Liu’s face in the surveillance recording…”, Kirishima gushed, “…now if he didn’t want it, then I … I’m a raging square!” - (which fortunately remained the sole slip in “Human” Kirishima’s otherwise unfailingly professional expertise, grudgingly confirmed by “square” Second World’s military scientists. They’d all been glad to see Yoh exonerated, but not so pleased to be one-upped by a hippy colleague).
No indeed - you could fuck your little hearts out, in the most blissful, mutual harmony - and never get pregnant. (This, by the way, had been the same between men and women. Frequent vain endeavours had proven that, and sometimes getting a baby hadn’t worked at all. A whole branch of medicine had specialized on treating male and female infertility, because so many factors, in both partners, could prevent success. And there was absolutely no reason why this should be any different in male/male+ procreation.)
“Positive Paternity Test no Longer Vital for Commander Yoh’s Survival”
(The media hadn’t had to dredge up any scandals for days).
All the same, the World Commander had to admit as he nuzzled Techi’s black messy hair, it did come as a neat bonus point that the kid was his. And did he imagine it, or were his blue eyes already turning a little deep blue green? Of course, otherwise, he wanted Techi to look exactly like his beautiful Fei.
And there was another thing.
“Did you tell the board?”
Fei didn’t have to ask what Yoh meant.
He nodded.
“But … you like Arbatov, too?”
Fei smiled at him and proved you could put a world of love into just one smile.
“What’s to like?” he made a beautiful, theatrical gesture. “For that matter, I like Aki more! I love Chow, and of course Tao and Techi. You love them too! I like Kirishima. At least when I’m not getting pissed upon. ‘Diaperless’… huh. I like Dr. Suoh. And that brawny nurse from the west, Peter’s his name, mostly on night shift. The anaesthesiologist, who was so nice to me. Back when almost nobody else was. Even some soldiers. You!”
They smiled at each other, desire instantly rising. But Fei wasn’t through yet.
“Takato, who first hated me so, for being open enough to change his mind. Takato’s squad, for helping to guard me, but not only because of that … they’re just good fun. Kou, by now. Such a lot of people I like, all of a sudden…”
He whispered. “And that’s new … there were times I liked no one.”
Yoh pressed him close, making Techi squeak in his strictly ergonomically correct wrapper.
“I think … I’ve even got used to the idea … of not hating Asami anymore. It wasn’t really his fault. None of it was. He tried. I see that now. He honestly tried. He cared. He wasn’t exactly great, no … that maybe not … but that’s more Aki’s problem now…”
“I wish them luck …”
“I don’t know about my father, the one who tried to kill me, I mean. I didn’t even know him. Nor he me. I think he’s despicable, but somehow I don’t care enough about him. To really hate him, I mean. My brother.”
Yoh looked up, guardedly.
“He loved me. He did! He was sick. And a druggie. It’s desperately sad … all of it. I don’t want to talk about it, just now. Life’s so wonderful. I’ll not let that stuff … spoil that for me … for us. I’ll try not to, anyway. Your life wasn’t a picnic either. ”
As a teenager, Yoh had lost his entire family in the war. They had been simple mountain peasants, desperately poor, always having to fight to survive. And still, he could remember some good times, too.
They were quiet for a while.
“But you wanted to know something, didn’t you?”
They had reached their favourite spot, a carved bench set back from the path, overlooking the lovely wild pond, teeming with life. Yoh spread out a blanket, and laid Techi down on the grass where he regarded the world around him with rapt attention. There was no danger yet of his rolling into the water, but he was changing so fast. Every day brought something adorably new, yesterday his first smile!
Fei laid his arms around Yoh’s neck and buried his face in the bright cotton material of the organic baby carrier.
He spoke, the words hardly intelligible, almost muffled by the cloth.
“I’ll tell you just once. It has to be enough … I’m not so … um … self-confident … but you know that by now … do you remember me back in prison?”
How could I ever forget! It was you who made me come out from “undercover”.
“The kid with the scraggly hair, half dead, everyone’s target.”
A “target” they all were afraid of! But it was difficult to resist, you were enchanting…
Fei rubbed his nose in the material, again and again, like a mantra.
“When you saved me, the first time, I didn’t want to live. I felt no good. My own father tries to kill me, twice … my adoptive father dies because of me. I realize now he was no great shakes either. I mean, what he made Yan and me do! But I loved him dearly … and too late I realized he loved me too. He couldn’t do it any better.”
The cloth of the carrier was getting damp.
“I wished you hadn’t interfered with the knife. But later, when I tried to turn hippy, I found myself thinking of you all the time. Though you’d become World Commander, what we were trying to do wasn’t that far apart. And we met so often.”
Fei continued to rub his face into the cloth. He clutched at Yoh's body, over and over, without seeming to realize it.
“The hippies never really warmed up to me, and I often wondered whether you felt accepted in your world of power. I kept seeing your eyes in my mind … and they seemed lonely. Just like me. I fell in love.”
The movements stopped.
“I felt certain the First Impregnator would be you.”
He made a strange noise, like a hiccup.
“That’s why I applied. Now you’ll disdain me!”
Yoh stroked his back, unable to speak.
Fei raised his head, his beautiful hair dishevelled, his perfect face smeared.
(Techi had burped into the carrier).
“Please don’t be offended! It looked … it looked for a moment as if Mikhail might win. I’d never have thought it! And I don’t think so, anymore. But I was desperate.
“Yes, it was me who uncovered those facts. My past, what Misha had done … I knew he hadn’t done it to harm me.”
He was crying, quietly.
“I called one of the major papers, anonymously, and denounced him. Another media source got my past.”
They were both crying now.
Thankfully, Techi didn’t notice, distracted by a brightly coloured butterfly fluttering around his nose. Tao was at school, the youngest in his class, as he had proudly informed them. Laozi was on a romp with one of his many fans.
“I hated to do so! I was so terribly unpopular, everyone hated me, even my own people didn’t really like me, although they needed me, or pretended to do so. Manila - that I did something so stupid … maybe I was trying to force their acceptance? I can’t even tell any more. But with that news …”
Yoh had to almost lower his ear against Fei’s mouth, to hear his sighed whisper.
“…I was pathetic as well, your charity case …”
Yoh stopped stroking his back. He instinctively knew that right now a wrong touch might seem condescending, or worse still, wake ugly memories.
And what to say? No words could make anything undone.
Which part of Fei was ok? His shoulders. His silk clad broad shoulders had to be whole, or they couldn’t have born so much.
He grabbed them both in a firm loving grip. He had no qualms in seeking his love’s purplish eyes, because he knew he had all the sorrow of manhood in his own, and couldn’t be misunderstood.
And he knew what to say.
“Thank you.”
Fei’s eyelids drooped. For a moment, as in the Hall of Justice, it looked as if he might collapse. But he steadied himself and gazed into his saviour’s face … like eight years before, in the rain.
Unlike Asami, though, Yoh spoke.
“Thank you.”
There was a catch in his voice.
“Thank you for everything you did … for us, I mean …”
…I mean I do feel you could use some help … but you’re afraid of letting someone into your “in circle”, aren’t you? You’re afraid you couldn’t defend yourself, couldn’t say “no” ….
Now it was right to touch. It was vital even.
One arm firmly laid round his love, the other supporting his nape, Yoh pressed his mouth onto Fei’s lips and let his tongue speak another language.
You can always say “no” to me.
***
Tokyo, Old Cemetery
“You think it’s ok to take the kids … here?”
“Yes! Why not? It’s beautiful … and they don’t understand.”
“Tao does.”
“At nine? Well, yes …”
“And Techi feels our sadness …”
“Good thing he’s asleep.”
He was for once napping peacefully in one of those monstrous, counter-revolutionary, personality corrupting contraptions … the baby carriage. (Even Yoh was thoroughly brainwashed by “alternative baby-care Dr. Spock” “Human” Kirishima by now. “Made purely of ecologically safe materials” as the Commander tried to justify their baby carriage. “And with the baby sling, we always have to stay in motion, or else Techi wakes up at once!”)
They had both learnt babies adored physical contact, but when you were sad, it was sometimes better to give each other some space.
Yoh watched Fei Long bend his exquisitely groomed head in sorrow.
“That you feel responsible for his death too …”
They regarded the gravestone, silently.
In Love with a Foolish World
Human Yamazaki
Sounds of an early summer day were once again filling the air, punctuated by Laozi’s yelping, and Tao’s scolding. The dog was digging with gusto in a freshly laid out grave. Body guards were spread all over the wild overgrown cemetery, standing in ghostly silence, a host of dark guardians to the other world.
“Of course I feel responsible, Yoh. The hippies were clueless! But me - after all I’d experienced … and all I’d done myself. I should have known better.”
Fathers.
Akihito had never known his. He was a waif, brought up in a happy, boisterous hippy commune, loved by the entire tribe, and yet … Yamazaki was the one he had turned to whenever trouble arose.
“How does Akihito feel?”
“Akihito … terrible. He never made any secret out of it. I think he even went into counselling. But we never spoke about it. I guess he figured I couldn’t take it.”
At least there hadn’t been any sign the serene old hippy had suffered any form of abuse - a clean blow to the neck - but he was gone.
Yoh spoke up.
“Asami …”
“Yes …?”
“Asami was devastated too. I think the only other thing as bad for him … was your shared story.”
Some boughs would remain barren forever. Men might bear children, but still, they couldn’t wake up the dead. A life not lived … did it leave any traces? Anywhere?
“That you felt so bad, Yoh …”
“Echoing you, my love … yes. Yes, of course.”
The World Commander’s face tightened.
“I was in charge! I was Number One, already. Fucking. Number. One. - Aaaaaah…!”
Fei had sprung Yoh.
Some branches would stay dead, but flowers could twine round them, the rest of the tree could blossom and thrive, an imperishable and beautiful weed.
“I’m going to make you a baby! You know! ‘Fucking number one’!”
Yoh swung him around, half hugging, half grappling with him, both of their eyes suspiciously bright.
“You could try …”
Somehow their deepest sorrow always made them hot.
Don’t knock him up!
They knew perfectly well they had to be cautious. The Faith Switch wouldn’t prevent…
“I know I shouldn’t get pregnant any more, I might not survive it. The doctors said better not. It's Akihito’s turn now!”
But they both knew too, that Fei’s heart and body didn’t acknowledge this, and was longing to open up to Yoh completely again.
“Stupid Faith Switch, not so clever, after all…”
“We might find a leftover ‘pill’, you know, what women took!”
“And really get breasts!? Yoh …!”
Directly before suckling Techi, both of them sported slightly swollen mammary glands. But afterwards, it was hardly discernible, and the doctors were sure weaning the baby would make their chests completely “male” again.
In a deep embrace, rubbing their bodies against each other, not even their toughened nipples felt sore anymore (and even the most diehard sceptics had to admit these two fathers got their kid happy and fat).
But we shouldn’t push our luck.
“My turn next time. I’ll apply for ‘passage’ - OP.”
They smiled into each other’s eyes, savouring the delicious feeling of closeness. They had talked about this already and didn’t want to continue on the topic right now. (Fei had secretly decided, though. He still couldn’t picture Yoh with a pregnant belly. And the next time around the nerdy boys would be sure to have come up with something against his bleeding. But how he loved Yoh for offering!)
“ ‘Passage’ has such a terribly solemn ring to it, why not call the OP ‘add-on’?”
“What about … ‘upgrade’?”
“Extension!”
“Self-sufficiency aid.”
“Self-pleasuring implement…?”
Now they were both giggling.
“You think it would work? Knock yourself up, I mean?”
“You have ideas! Perhaps I’d better secure you with a chastity belt?”
“Yeah well, at least I know now why you’re so hot for the ‘passage’…”
“Idiot …”
It was a good thing the guards were trained not to react when their charges succumbed to snogging. On closer view of their faces, though, one or the other drop of sweat could be seen glistening, and was that faint flush from the heat …?
The “other world” could wait, for the moment.
***
Tokyo, apartment building in a mixed neighbourhood
“Are you one Takaba Akihito, hippy citizen of Tokyo?”
Akihito froze in the middle of a yawning stretch. He had just wanted to fetch in the morning paper for breakfast. There was such a neat Manga Series in the weekly extra. He couldn’t wait to see how things would work out .
Two tall men in soldier police uniforms were standing just outside his door, looking very serious.
“Yeah, that’s my name. Can I do anything for you, gentlemen?”
“Your cheek won’t help you, Mr. Takaba.”
“Which cheek? And hello!? I know you’re soldiers, but a little civility, you know, as in civilians, wouldn’t hurt! And if you don’t mind - my breakfast’s getting cold. Want some? Perhaps a look at the funnies?”
“Mr. Takaba. We have here - by official Government Seal of the Second World - a warrant of arrest, for you. As of today, May 5.”
“Eeeek!”
Akihito’s eyes grew big as saucers.
“Aha. There does seem to exist … some consciousness of guilt.”
“Will you follow us out on your own accord, or do we have to indulge in some fun first?”
“B-b-but, A-A-Asa …”
“This is by the War Leader Asami’s orders. Approved of by World Commander Yoh.”
“Uuuuh!”
“If you have to know …” one of the hulking cops hissed, “your inebriated friend squealed under torture.”
“Wha-wha-what d-d-did you d-do to K-kei?!”
“Oh that wasn’t hard. We tied him up, lit a ‘roach’ - from his own stash - right under his nose. He sang at once. We didn’t immediately get what we wanted, but eventually, that came out too.”
“Oh, nooooo …”
“Oh, yes.”
“And now, march!”
***
“Whe -where are you bringing me?”
“Naughty boys shouldn’t ask so many questions.”
“Aging naughty boys even less.”
“Wh-why have you b-b-blindfolded me?”
“Peeping Tom naughty boys need special measures.”
“It’s for your own good.”
“Have some faith.”
“M-m-m-mercy!”
“I think we must put a stop to that noise.”
“Yeah - let’s gag him. I’ve got just the thing - I hear he likes sucking.”
“Uooopffffff!”
Spit.
“Now, would you comply! It’s organic and everything.”
“Ergonomically proofed.”
“Not impairing the teeth.”
“For ages three and up.”
“Pity, though, you can’t see it …”
Thwooop.
“There. Good boy. Perhaps we can give him a peek?”
“No. Orders. By the Boss himself.”
“That’s not my boss, Sakazaki!”
“Oh, your boss made no objections at all, Kuroda. Got a kick out of it…”
***
“Tokyo Midtown” Tower, VIP Suite of the Ritz-Carlton
“Yoh!”
Fei Long was leaning on both elbows, Techi struggling before him on a luxuriously padded swaddling table. The hippy leader was doodling and cooing with his son, and changing his diapers. (He didn’t always manage to delegate.)
Now and then both parents tried to watch and listen for this “signalling”, to do it “the natural way”. They could never agree who it was failing “nature”. Was it the father, the father+, or the baby himself? The body guards had long learnt to look away discreetly, pretending they weren’t witnessing yet another mess. (At least their once again duped charges never admonished each other for “cheating” with this far out “infant potty training”. Even if it was, according to “Human” Kirishima, essential for parent-baby bonding.)
“What’s the matter, my two sun shines? Cheating again? Oh please … do. I kind of like that butterfly stitched, bridal cheongsam you’re wearing … and I won’t squeal to Kirishima, I promise. Also, we have to start in five minutes, or we’ll miss the fun.”
Yoh fell silent. Fei Long was gazing at their son, who was kicking and squealing, joyfully unrestricted. This could, of course, be seen as proof that indeed “diaperless” was the only natural way of life for a baby. Except Techi was always happy, whether swaddled or not. He never showed any signs that “uptight confinement” might be corrupting his mental hygiene.
Fei was staring so strangely that Yoh got worried. He quickly came over.
“Does he still have that rash? You know, if that’s so, then let's brave another round of messes and let him go free. We can take a change of clothes, for us, I mean …”
Fei pointed.
“What is that?”
On their baby’s completely rash free, healthily glowing skin, directly beneath the testicles, a faint line was showing up, as if marking an entrance.
The World Commander and the Counter Culture Star regarded their beautiful son, and then each other, in wonder.
“But that’s almost like … just a little bit, anyway … just like you look, now, Fei…”
Cooing like a dove, Techi took advantage of his freedom and turned fountain. A jet of crystal gold gushed forth and rose in a merry, sparkling arc over the swaddling table.
His parents jumped back, giggling.
“This time we won!”
“Cheongsam ok!” Yoh rewarded his love with a smooch.
“Commander's garb still virgin”, Fei whispered back. “I hope nobody can tell how your hot midnight blue gala uniform turns me on - the hippies would excommunicate me for good.” He pressed himself against the said outfit in a quick passionate hug, securing their impudent offspring with one hand on the table, the cheongsam sleeve pushed up safely. Techi was beginning to get pretty mobile.
“Let’s hurry up …”
***
Somewhere in the vicinity of (make believe, sci-fi) Tokyo
“Rightyright, here we are.”
“Hall of Justice.”
“On judgement day, dadadada dada …”
“Ah please! I’ve got no sterilized pacifiers anymore! The brat spit em all out. Well, for you I wouldn’t need the cock shaped one, but a sound absorber!”
“Last Judgement.”
“Prepare to meet thy maker …”
Akihito still couldn’t see anything, but the two cops where leading him through some major entrance. From the smell and the feel of it an enormous, cathedral like hall.
“Where am I? It’s that injustice place, yes? Why is everything so quiet? Why haven’t I been read the Miranda rights?”
There was suspicious rustling, and other suppressed noises.
“It isn’t really empty here, is it? This room’s full of people!”
His abductors, who were now emitting suspicious noises themselves, coaxed him down some stairs.
“Where are you leading me? Arrrrgh! Who’s touching me? Perverts!!”
A faint, but distinctive giggle rose over the ominous silence.
“Tao!? ”
Something hurled itself against him, yelping.
“Laozi!”
“Tao! You blew things!” a scolding voice could be heard.
“Crossy …”
Someone approached him, a wave of honey and musk and exotic maleness…
“Peepy!” a familiar voice breathed into his ear. Then, louder,
“Lights on for our …”
Fragrant, swishing silk engulfed him, a smell Akihito knew well and liked. Hands nestled at his blindfold.
His once so moody (and still often cross dressing) old friend and comrade let his voice swell to resounding proclamation.
“Lights on for our …”
“Fabulous …” (was that Kirishima!?)
“Freaking …” (Takato!)
“Succulent…” (Yoh…!? Since when did the Commander talk dirty?!)
“Cool!” (that was Tao)
“Woofwoof!” (Laozi)
“Squeak” (Techi!)
Something was laid into his hand. Leather. Another smell. This one not just yummy and familiar … more heady, exciting, a hint of tobacco? A million Yen after shave. In fact he was really glad of the thing in his hand now. He could use it to steady himself, hold on to the strap, because his knees were getting a little wobbly. It must be that he’d never gotten around to breakfast, after all … and the Manga … how did it turn out? A thousand thoughts rushed through his head, inconsequentially … the blindfold was off, why could he still not see anything? Ah, he was squeezing his eyes shut, ok...
“Flighty…” - this wasn’t loud at all! A whisper! Into his ear …
A resounding shout rang out, as if from thousands of people.
“Takaba Akihito!”
He jerked his eyes open, and found himself staring into strange golden ones, looking none the less dangerous for their owner wearing a leash (the end of which he was holding) and being decorated with a red velvet bow in his immaculately gelled hair.
“Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu!”* the vast hall started singing, everyone rising and clapping their hands.
He must be losing it. Losing himself in those dangerous predator’s eyes because he began hearing a faint roar, as if from a plane.
Asami closed the distance between them in one savage pounce and claimed his mouth. He might have some issues, but shyness wasn’t one of them.
The roaring was rapidly swelling … Ryu, not here!!
“The Turks!” somebody whispered. “And just about time! I want my ‘Döner’! And a drink of ‘Ayran’!”
“They couldn’t land with the west wind, they had to fly a half circle, and are bringing down the Antonov from the east …”
Asami deepened their kiss, and Akihito began to see colours.
Had Kei done something to those moronic pacifiers? Very funny …
Well, he’d show Ryu! Now who was the prey?
He jerked the leash, and sucked Tokyo’s war leader’s tongue into his mouth with force.
Heat shot through both of them
He was having visions!
The wide doors of the entrance sprang open, and a burst of Tschaikowski’s “Dying Swan”, and jet engines, drowned out the birthday singing.
In the wake of a spaced out, wavy haired blond a formation of extremely gay looking dancers, wearing white puff sleeves and tights (amply padded in front), came vaulting down the main aisle in campy, exaggerated leaps. So Mikhail’d been into ballet dancing as a kid. Figured. Good thing Ryu here was more straight … aaaaah …. unhunh …
Akihito tightened the leash and jumped onto Tokyo’s war leader’s hips.
Next came “Arabian Nights”, dashing Orientals in gaudy pirate garb, rotating their bare midriffs in belly dance, acrobatically balancing platters and terrines of delicious smelling middle-eastern delicacies.
The Russians were still putting on “Dying Swan”, and the Turks snickered and mimicked them, miraculously managing not to spill any food.
The music got louder as the jet roar died down.
A bubbly dubstep remix of Tschaikowski, psychedelically fading in and out with oriental hip hop, was making Aki twist and undulate on Ryu’s hips, and Fei Long was glad Tao had spotted some Turkish pre-teen acquaintances of his.
Then his face fell.
“Do you remember that guy?” he whispered to Yoh.
The Commander’s expression turned instantly furious.
“Oh, yes. It’s that military scientist doctor …” - the one who wanted to examine you in front of everyone.
“Who let him in?”
They had told Kirishima and Dr. Suoh of their discovery (and the hippy doctor and his tall ob-gyn colleague were still holed up in a corner in an excited professional exchange, guzzling sake, shovelling sushi - and causing more than one eyebrow to go up in wonder - those two?!)
“I didn’t understand much, ‘epigenetic imprinting’ …”
“Yeah, well, I think they were trying to explain that our genetic determination isn’t as carved into stone as we used to believe. That our genes can learn.”
“So they mean Techi’s genes …”
“… might have learnt ‘passage-OP’.”
Wow.
They both looked in the direction of the unwelcome guest. Supposedly justified by medical need, he’d nearly publicly violated the newly discovered pregnant first test subject (the label alone made Akihito livid. Like a thing. Subject.)
Two months back, in this very hall.
“Do you think he somehow got wind of what’s up with Techi?”
“Could very well be.”
Yoh looked grim.
“I’ll have him thrown out.”
Fei Long slowly shook his head.
“No. I mean I love you for how you stood up for me then. So many people let science totally cow them! You never stopped thinking on your own, and you protected me when I couldn’t have done so myself.”
Yoh regarded him in awe. His Fei still dazzled him sometimes (and it didn’t even matter that the lovely pearl rain bow silk did show some signs, after all, of an almost disaster - they’d held Techi over a flowerpot barely in time).
“I want to take him on myself. I’m sorry it’s at Aki’s birthday party, but … this is just as important for him.”
They both looked over to where Yoh’s war leader colleague and Fei Long’s hippy friend and comrade were not taking much notice of their surroundings, waking memories of another pair lost to the world … in this very hall.
It was Akihito and Ryuichi’s turn now.
Asami’s red velvet bow was hanging askance, but his hair still looked pretty good.
“Did he tell Aki they’re accepted? And the condition?”
“I don’t think so.” Yoh grinned. “In some aspects our great Asami Ryuichi can be really chicken. He may not even have acknowledged the implications himself.”
The said “chicken” was snogging openly with Second World’s universal darling, and pointedly ignoring the approach of a highly official delegation.
Every important department of their world’s bureaucracy seemed represented in this throng of wannabe’s and dried-ups.
“A-hem.”
“Ryu…”, whispered Akihito.
“Ryuichi, maybe we should react? A bunch of stiffs …uh…officials have something to say here …”
“My sweet and lovely gentlemen”, he addressed them himself, panting over Asami’s shoulder, “please feel at home! The victuals are fabulous. If you don’t care for Oriental (but our Turkish friends really outdid themselves - and if you don’t leave me some hummus I’ll be pissed!) … if you want something else, over there Chow Yum-Yum, hailing from Shanghai and Hong Kong, has set up a truly out of this world Chinese buffet. Perhaps some Blini and Caviar? And of course our local fare wasn’t neglected … Tao? I thought you were off playing soccer with the Turkish boys? Can you show the gentlemen our Sushi model railway production line? It’s lots of fun, too…”
He beamed, dodging another assault by the most dangerous war leader on earth.
“My friend Kou’s in his third year of apprenticeship as a Sushi cook. Hopefully we will survive his endeavours …but if you’re on a diet I recommend a round of belly break dance with joint St. Petersburg Ballet and Marmara Village Disco dancing animation…”
He was silenced by Tokyo’s chief, who successfully re-captured his mouth.
The head of the delegation cleared his throat.
“We want to congratulate you, Mr. Takaba …”
“Oh neat”, Akihito escaped for a breath, “I mean I’m not so delirious about getting older, twenty-four! Sigh!!! I might get like you …ooops…no offense…”
“For your birthday, yes, we bring the world’s wishes.”
A middle aged office type handed over a USB flash drive. Tao, who was still hanging around, joined by a bunch of fooling about Turkish youths, snatched the device. (“It says ‘fan-fiction’, ‘fan-art’, ‘fan-letters’ , and the complete Manga in all known editions. Plus com-pre-hen-sive se-con-dary li-tera-ture - huh? What’s that?“ the boys fell over each other, craning over Tao’s shoulder to decipher the small typed printed label.)
“Next … your official notification as Pair Number Two.”
Both Asami and Takaba stopped necking instantly, and stared.
They were handed a role of very noble looking documents, with a real seal and everything.
After a moment of frozen shock Asami grabbed the role and ripped open the seal.
In breathless silence the war leader and the hippy scanned the content.
“Why does it say here: ‘Acceptance conditional?’ What does this mean?”
Asami’s tone would have ordinarily made everyone cringe in their skins, but they were all having such fun.
“Sir…! You were not told?”
Asami and Aki exchanged a look. There had been one official looking letter, yes.
Strangely, it had been suddenly gone, before they had opened it, and they had somehow forgotten to inquire after it.
***
Mikhail Arbatov was approaching Fei Long, a Turkish belly dancer teetering on his arm.
“Liu-Laoban, our beautiful saviour!”
Fei Long smiled. “You’re not looking so bad yourself, Ali Bey. Out of sight costume…”
Ali rotated his jewel pierced navel.
“You’re sweet, Fei Long darling! But … weren’t you wearing a white dress? With lovely rain bow coloured butterflies? Why are you wearing green now? With a beautiful peacock? I mean, I’m not complaining, it’s lovely, and green really suits you, too!”
“Um…”
“Ooooh - look what your baby’s just doing …!”
Misha and the cute Turkish dancer began to laugh.
A genteel cuss escaped Fei Long’s mouth … but then he pressed a kiss on Techi’s head. The baby chirped in glee.
“Ah … now I understand! Can I help out with something of mine? Sorry it exposes the belly area. Can you wear something like that again?”
“Of course I can!” Fei Long shot back indignantly, but he was grinning.
“Ali Bey! It’s been almost two months. And I’m not eating many carbs or refined sugar. I can assure you, though, when you’re breastfeeding you can really pig out!”
He gave Techi another peck on his cheek, the upper one. He was not running any further risks. Ali looked impressed. Breastfeeding! He hadn’t known, and up till now, the famous Te Ching hadn’t even dreamed of suckling. There was so much going on - a baby couldn’t possibly be bothered to think of something so ordinary!
“I may take you up on your offer yet …”
Ali was giggling.
“Well, but I couldn’t help the Commander out too! Now he’s in white, I see. Bloody classy, that ceremonial full dress! I mean I’m completely against the regime, of course. But those soldiers really know how to pull off a look!”
He went all starry-eyed. Mikhail scowled.
Fei Long couldn’t help laughing.
“Relax - I’ve still got my dragon stitched crimson. The one the world knows me best in, anyway.”
He grabbed his son beneath the arm pits.
“And now, young man, we’re going to have a very serious conversation.”
He lifted the baby to his face, growling in mock threat. Techi gurgled and squeaked in ecstatic delight. His fathers, and everybody else, were just too much fun!
“Now, young man, we will cheat.”
***
“Asami-Sama, Takaba-San … the third document, and renewed confirmation of ‘conditional acceptance’, was supposed to be handed over by our First Pair, but they seem to be missing. Ah, here they are.”
Commander Yoh was approaching. What a sight! Clad in spiffy, immaculate, dark pin-stripe Armani, deep blue green eyes blazing … a jute-swaddled baby cradled on his right hip like an adorable fashion accessory … on his left arm Counterculture Star Liu Fei Long in breath taking, dragon embroidered crimson … there was applause from the whole hall.
This shining trinity was transporting a beautifully inked and coloured papyrus role that seemed to have seen better days, alas. The baby must have grabbed it, and thrown it down on the soiled floor.
But stains of dubious origins and an overall crumpled look could hardly be the true reason both the War Leader of Tokyo and his notorious hippy darling were staring at the document as if a gift certificate of luxury bondage gear was being forced on them, complete with lifelong, mandatory S&M club membership thrown in as a bonus.
Asami roused himself and snatched the role from Te Ching, just before the baby could toss it down again. Techi rewarded him with an angelic beam. The tall man wanted to play? He was all game!
Breathless silence spread out all over the hall, as everyone quickly realized something important was going on.
“B-but.”
Asami - stuttering?!
“Let me see!”
Takaba - blanching.
“Is this approved of by the Board of Ethics?”
Oh my god!
People looked at each other, everywhere.
Something terrible for Asami, hmmm. They all admired him, but an occasional lesson - might not hurt.
But Akihito-Chan? He had deserved some happiness now, hadn’t he?
Asami apparently decided on trying another approach.
“This is completely experimental! There is no such procedure anymore, in our world.”
“Sir.”
The academic stepping forth had to be easily the most mummified of them all. He spoke in a voice devoid of any emotion.
“May I cite Paragraph 578, clause 3.1, Second World Code Book of Civic
Law, Volume Two.”
He projected an internet site onto the huge, white backdrop.
“Up-to-date as of today, May 5, as you can all confirm on your smart phones, the reception is perfect.”
This was directed at the rest of the hall.
And the entire hall breathlessly read a short, meagre paragraph.
“Interaction leading to offspring is seen as generating a legal status entailing complete responsibility of the two parties involved towards each other. The obligation comes into force at the moment of conception; but furthermore with the commencement of any action that might possibly lead to pregnancy. It remains in force until death does part all involved.”
A child ran up to the platform.
“Asami-Sama!” Tao called out. “Kirishima-San said for me to bring this!”
He handed over a box of cigarettes.
“But just one! Air pollution, you know. But for once, as emergency medication…”
“Asami Bey, want a drink?” a cheeky Turk pre-teen followed in Tao’s wake.
“It is called ‘bourbon’, and is supposed to be toxic. But the ice blocks make such a nice sound.”
The Turkish boy clinked the cubes around in the crystal cut glass goblet, swishing an amber fluid dangerously to the rim.
“Quit fooling”, charming Ali hissed viciously, furtively letting his silk trousers brush Misha’s tight-encased thigh.
“Okay here you are - but Ayran’s really far more yummy …”
“ ‘Ayran’? “ Asami asked in a daze.
Akihito sighed.
He had imagined a somewhat more romantic proposal of marriage than explaining Ayran (which he liked since getting friends with the Turks) to his love.
Oh well. It was nice to be of use.
“It’s a drink made of Yoghurt. Healthy! Good … for just about everything.”
“Aha!”
Asami actually began looking interested, sniffing at a glass of fresh looking, creamy white beverage, but he gulped down his whiskey first.
The War Leader of Tokyo and Second World’s hippy darling smiled at each other, slowly and carefully.
He wouldn’t chicken out, no, not he!
They reached for each other’s hands.
“I object!”
Heads swirled around.
The military scientist doctor had grabbed hold of a micro.
“New facts have come forth, and first Yoh Liu Te Ching has to be examined by a Board of Military Doctors. We will take him along at once.”
“Look out!”
The doctor hectically glanced about him.
“Behind you.”
A tall figure was standing motionless, silhouetted in a beam of sunlight falling in through the half opened doors of the hall.
Whoever had been there two months ago, might have some kind of déjà vu, except the vision’s vibes were so very different today.
Shiny black hair cascading over shimmering Chinese silk.
But last time there had been this softness, and in spite of his wildness a vulnerability. Underneath his determination, a defensive look which had proved to be justified when people had immediately attacked him. Bleeding and swaying, at the same time trying to protect the child in his belly and the accused in the dock. Naked. In danger of violation. And later mute, so overcome.
Today there was nothing left of this lost, struggling angel of pregnancy.
The doctor jerked back in terror.
Fei Long was towering over him, almost a head taller. He was quite slim again around his middle, which emphasized the overall muscular appearance of his fighter’s body in a completely different, intimidating manner. Even Akihito shivered.
Somehow this effect was only enhanced by his half open, blood red dragon robe, and the beautiful child hanging at his breast, peacefully suckling, swaddled in some kind of cuddly organic material.
“Do you want something from me?” he asked in a deadly soft voice.
The doctor glanced nervously over his shoulder.
There Commander Yoh stood in dark menacing presence, his notorious blue green stare boring into his back.
He looked back at the test subject, or child bearer, as he had always called him, never bothering to see him as a human being. And maybe he wasn’t, the way he appeared today, a blazing angel of wrath and vengeance. But the child … the emotion which made the scientist function above all, made him forget to be human, be cruel without really intending to, overcame him for a moment, stronger even than fear.
“Perhaps I can have a look?”
The irony of this was that had he come half an hour earlier, this would have presented no problem at all. Fei Long still in white, then in green silk. Yoh first in dark blue, then ceremonial white. Techi kicking joyfully, without any impediment. Whoever was interested could catch an occasional look between his legs without having to make any effort.
It was all about being at the right place, at the right time.
“Go.”
Fei Long almost sighed that single word, but it was as if a blast of fire was coming from him. The doctor looked suddenly more than willing to go, but he seemed petrified.
“B-b-but Mr. Liu, this is all so we can survive”, he stuttered. “For the greater good. For humanity.”
“A society that doesn’t protect its children isn’t worth surviving”, Fei Long hissed, spitting the words as if they were flames, “ask Techi himself. When he’s of age.”
The scientist cowered back, not without throwing a last, longing glance on the smacking, swallowing infant. He didn’t know anything about kids. After such a hearty feeding, the baby was sure to poop, maybe even produce a “blowout”. And then his fathers’ urge to freshly swaddle him would probably overcome every other consideration. He would just have had to wait.
A warm friendly voice spoke up, almost at his ear. The other hippy, the birthday child, the universal darling, not in the least intimidating, this one. Maybe …
Akihito took his hand.
“Please leave my party”, he said in his friendly voice, “I haven’t invited you. This wouldn’t have mattered, but now you’re causing trouble, so I want you to go.”
He led the quavering man past the father-and-child idyll, where a gurgling sound was just making itself heard.
Akihito bade the scientist fare well, and slammed the great doors.
“Whew. I needed that.”
Fei Long was kneeling on the ground, cleaning Techi’s rosy round bum with fragrant water and oil tissues handed to him by Yoh.
“Let’s let him go free for a while, shall we?” he conferred with the Commander.
“Agreed!” Yoh laughed. “The risk is minimal. He hardly goes a second time all that soon.”
A huge group of people were surrounding them, wonderingly witnessing what the scientist would have killed for.
Word had gone round what this meant …
One by one, people spoke up.
“Mr. Liu, I wish my parents had stood up for me like you did just now.”
“Yeah, I think you’re a wonderful father.”
Fei Long, so intimidating a moment before, looked up, briefly, blushing faintly, the corners of his mouth turning up in a shy smile.
Akihito watched him.
See, “Crossy”, so many people do like you. Ok, you did have some really nasty deals. But a lot of it - was just in your head.
(almost) THE END
* Japanese Birthday Song (according to my internet research, anyway…)
Author’s Note (beginning of July 2013): So curious who this prompt is by. I loved it so much I wish others had written on it, too. Thanks!
Author’s Notes (sometime end of July 2013): since the posting of the last chapter was delayed, I now know who the prompter is - mistressdi! Surprise!!! Somehow I would not have expected a Yoh/Fei prompt from you! Wow, thank you all the more!!! And thank you so much, my fabulous, super patient beta lizzy0308!!! You influenced this quite a lot - and not only the A/A part.
Delwynmarch: your exclamation of outrage (after the second posting http://yamane-ayano.livejournal.com/2716840.html ) is completely justified!!! No, Yoh would never…
Tokyo, June (morning after the operation)
“Here, Commander, this is for you.”
Distinctly starry eyed, night nurse Peter handed over a USB flash drive.
“The complete surveillance recording from 3 to 5 a.m. I’ve erased all electronical traces from the computer system. It came in handy I’m also IT Security Officer. We can never be completely sure of leaks, and your love may not want to find this on the internet.”
The hefty Westerner paused, flustered.
What a hot couple they were, those two most powerful people on earth…
“Um Commander … a tiny note on my own behalf … Mr. Liu’s last action was just as surprising to me as, err, I think it was to you. It might cost me my job…”
***
Kaohsiung, February of the following year, emergency audience at the First War Leader’s Residence
“Commander! I don’t understand …I’m ready to bet my soul there was not a byte of this left - anywhere! Except on the USB for you. It’s impossible to take back information once it’s on the net, but this time it should never have had any chance…”
Peter got a red head. He might have deleted every single byte from every single hardware device (save the one he had made for Yoh). But he couldn’t delete the images from his brain!
That hot Chinese! (Oh, Peter was in love.) How he’d gone for the other…!
(Of the also sooo hot! Commander he wouldn’t have been able to tell which Asian country he came from, despite living so long in Tokyo.)
The First Test Person and Resistance Leader Liu Fei Long devouring the First Impregnator, World Commander Yoh.
And then his fright. The Commander already coming, by Fei Long’s mouth and his hand … and the post-OP patient, his post-OP patient, in a lightning fast motion …tearing off his bandage and shoving the Commander down in.
“Commander, Sir! We both know you did nothing wrong! That incomplete sequence, wherever it came from, gives a totally wrong picture! Your life is in danger! Mr. Liu’s heart will break…I will stand up as a witness!”
“No, Peter.”
Had Fei wanted to make sure? Had he known he might not be able to follow through?
It was a strange sight, the brawny, bulky, blond male nurse weeping.
“But…why…?”
“Peter.”
Peter looked into the Commander’s eyes. Not easy to withstand that blue green gaze. He shivered.
“Trust me, Peter.”
THE END
Some of the non-Viewfinder-related Sources and Inspirations
“Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” 1967 ff. by Gilbert Shelton
“The Left Hand of Darkness” 1969 by Ursula K. le Guin
“The Children of the Counterculture” 1976 by John Rothchild and Susan Berns Wolf
“Spiritual Midwifery" 1975 by Ina May and the Farm Midwives and "Babies, Breastfeeding & Bonding” 1987 by Ina May Gaskin (“The Farm” is a Tennessee commune described in “The Children of the Counterculture”)
edit Sep 13, 2013: eventually, no time right now, I'll add some further influences here. Mostly on Alternative Baby Care, but also from the "Drarry" fandom
( VF fandom inspirations: on the Story Introduction Page)
Disclaimers: All VF characters belong to Yamane-sensei
Rating: "I Fell In Love" and "Showdown": PG-13; Epilogue: R
Only You
Tokyo University Hospital
World Commander Yoh and Hippy Liu Fei Long ambled along an idyllic sun-dappled greenway in the beautiful University Hospital gardens. Fei Long was wearing his favourite crimson cheongsam and studying his reflection in a water lily covered pond with some satisfaction. He had almost recovered his old figure.
Yoh was stroking Te Ching's unruly black mop of hair (peeping out of the top of a baby carrier Kirishima had given his ok to). When he began rummaging in the pocket sewn onto the carrier's back, Fei Long looked up.
“What’s that paper?”
Never ceasing to carress the baby's wild locks Yoh carefully extracted an official looking form.
“Ah - nothing important. Let’s throw it into the paper recycling bin. Look, there’s one over there.”
Fei snatched it out of his hands.
“ ‘Test of Paternity. Yoh Liu Te Ching, born on March 8 in Tokyo, is confirmed as the biological offspring of one Liu Fei Long, native of Hong Kong, China’ - ah neat, so they haven’t switched Techi in the ward - ‘and one Yoh, native of Kaohsiung, Taiwan’. Ok, really nothing new. You’re right, into the recycling bin. They couldn’t have switched him anyway . There weren't any other babies…”, carelessly laughing, joyful, Fei Long chucked the form away.
Yoh watched him, a strange expression on his handsome, sober face.
He hadn’t been so completely sure at all!
And he hadn’t been all that interested … because on no account would he have given up Fei, or Te Ching (“Techi” as they had begun calling him, because he appeared so alert, so especially interested when seeing beeping, blinking, technical gadgets of any kind).
Yoh's life hadn’t been on the line anymore, anyway. Fei Long having conceived on the night after the OP was an absolute proof of Yoh not having forced him. Everyone understood that by now. But, as Kirishima had gone on to point out, the reverse logic would not hold up. If the Test Person had not gotten pregnant that night, it would not mean the First Impregnator had forced him at all!
The Faith Switch might prevent anyone from getting knocked by a person they didn't want (possibly making contraceptive devices superfluous? Now wouldn't that be neat?). But what even this astounding new biological feature couldn't do yet - it could not guarantee getting a baby.
“One look at Human Liu’s face in the surveillance recording…”, Kirishima gushed, “…now if he didn’t want it, then I … I’m a raging square!” - (which fortunately remained the sole slip in “Human” Kirishima’s otherwise unfailingly professional expertise, grudgingly confirmed by “square” Second World’s military scientists. They’d all been glad to see Yoh exonerated, but not so pleased to be one-upped by a hippy colleague).
No indeed - you could fuck your little hearts out, in the most blissful, mutual harmony - and never get pregnant. (This, by the way, had been the same between men and women. Frequent vain endeavours had proven that, and sometimes getting a baby hadn’t worked at all. A whole branch of medicine had specialized on treating male and female infertility, because so many factors, in both partners, could prevent success. And there was absolutely no reason why this should be any different in male/male+ procreation.)
“Positive Paternity Test no Longer Vital for Commander Yoh’s Survival”
(The media hadn’t had to dredge up any scandals for days).
All the same, the World Commander had to admit as he nuzzled Techi’s black messy hair, it did come as a neat bonus point that the kid was his. And did he imagine it, or were his blue eyes already turning a little deep blue green? Of course, otherwise, he wanted Techi to look exactly like his beautiful Fei.
And there was another thing.
“Did you tell the board?”
Fei didn’t have to ask what Yoh meant.
He nodded.
“But … you like Arbatov, too?”
Fei smiled at him and proved you could put a world of love into just one smile.
“What’s to like?” he made a beautiful, theatrical gesture. “For that matter, I like Aki more! I love Chow, and of course Tao and Techi. You love them too! I like Kirishima. At least when I’m not getting pissed upon. ‘Diaperless’… huh. I like Dr. Suoh. And that brawny nurse from the west, Peter’s his name, mostly on night shift. The anaesthesiologist, who was so nice to me. Back when almost nobody else was. Even some soldiers. You!”
They smiled at each other, desire instantly rising. But Fei wasn’t through yet.
“Takato, who first hated me so, for being open enough to change his mind. Takato’s squad, for helping to guard me, but not only because of that … they’re just good fun. Kou, by now. Such a lot of people I like, all of a sudden…”
He whispered. “And that’s new … there were times I liked no one.”
Yoh pressed him close, making Techi squeak in his strictly ergonomically correct wrapper.
“I think … I’ve even got used to the idea … of not hating Asami anymore. It wasn’t really his fault. None of it was. He tried. I see that now. He honestly tried. He cared. He wasn’t exactly great, no … that maybe not … but that’s more Aki’s problem now…”
“I wish them luck …”
“I don’t know about my father, the one who tried to kill me, I mean. I didn’t even know him. Nor he me. I think he’s despicable, but somehow I don’t care enough about him. To really hate him, I mean. My brother.”
Yoh looked up, guardedly.
“He loved me. He did! He was sick. And a druggie. It’s desperately sad … all of it. I don’t want to talk about it, just now. Life’s so wonderful. I’ll not let that stuff … spoil that for me … for us. I’ll try not to, anyway. Your life wasn’t a picnic either. ”
As a teenager, Yoh had lost his entire family in the war. They had been simple mountain peasants, desperately poor, always having to fight to survive. And still, he could remember some good times, too.
They were quiet for a while.
“But you wanted to know something, didn’t you?”
They had reached their favourite spot, a carved bench set back from the path, overlooking the lovely wild pond, teeming with life. Yoh spread out a blanket, and laid Techi down on the grass where he regarded the world around him with rapt attention. There was no danger yet of his rolling into the water, but he was changing so fast. Every day brought something adorably new, yesterday his first smile!
Fei laid his arms around Yoh’s neck and buried his face in the bright cotton material of the organic baby carrier.
He spoke, the words hardly intelligible, almost muffled by the cloth.
“I’ll tell you just once. It has to be enough … I’m not so … um … self-confident … but you know that by now … do you remember me back in prison?”
How could I ever forget! It was you who made me come out from “undercover”.
“The kid with the scraggly hair, half dead, everyone’s target.”
A “target” they all were afraid of! But it was difficult to resist, you were enchanting…
Fei rubbed his nose in the material, again and again, like a mantra.
“When you saved me, the first time, I didn’t want to live. I felt no good. My own father tries to kill me, twice … my adoptive father dies because of me. I realize now he was no great shakes either. I mean, what he made Yan and me do! But I loved him dearly … and too late I realized he loved me too. He couldn’t do it any better.”
The cloth of the carrier was getting damp.
“I wished you hadn’t interfered with the knife. But later, when I tried to turn hippy, I found myself thinking of you all the time. Though you’d become World Commander, what we were trying to do wasn’t that far apart. And we met so often.”
Fei continued to rub his face into the cloth. He clutched at Yoh's body, over and over, without seeming to realize it.
“The hippies never really warmed up to me, and I often wondered whether you felt accepted in your world of power. I kept seeing your eyes in my mind … and they seemed lonely. Just like me. I fell in love.”
The movements stopped.
“I felt certain the First Impregnator would be you.”
He made a strange noise, like a hiccup.
“That’s why I applied. Now you’ll disdain me!”
Yoh stroked his back, unable to speak.
Fei raised his head, his beautiful hair dishevelled, his perfect face smeared.
(Techi had burped into the carrier).
“Please don’t be offended! It looked … it looked for a moment as if Mikhail might win. I’d never have thought it! And I don’t think so, anymore. But I was desperate.
“Yes, it was me who uncovered those facts. My past, what Misha had done … I knew he hadn’t done it to harm me.”
He was crying, quietly.
“I called one of the major papers, anonymously, and denounced him. Another media source got my past.”
They were both crying now.
Thankfully, Techi didn’t notice, distracted by a brightly coloured butterfly fluttering around his nose. Tao was at school, the youngest in his class, as he had proudly informed them. Laozi was on a romp with one of his many fans.
“I hated to do so! I was so terribly unpopular, everyone hated me, even my own people didn’t really like me, although they needed me, or pretended to do so. Manila - that I did something so stupid … maybe I was trying to force their acceptance? I can’t even tell any more. But with that news …”
Yoh had to almost lower his ear against Fei’s mouth, to hear his sighed whisper.
“…I was pathetic as well, your charity case …”
Yoh stopped stroking his back. He instinctively knew that right now a wrong touch might seem condescending, or worse still, wake ugly memories.
And what to say? No words could make anything undone.
Which part of Fei was ok? His shoulders. His silk clad broad shoulders had to be whole, or they couldn’t have born so much.
He grabbed them both in a firm loving grip. He had no qualms in seeking his love’s purplish eyes, because he knew he had all the sorrow of manhood in his own, and couldn’t be misunderstood.
And he knew what to say.
“Thank you.”
Fei’s eyelids drooped. For a moment, as in the Hall of Justice, it looked as if he might collapse. But he steadied himself and gazed into his saviour’s face … like eight years before, in the rain.
Unlike Asami, though, Yoh spoke.
“Thank you.”
There was a catch in his voice.
“Thank you for everything you did … for us, I mean …”
…I mean I do feel you could use some help … but you’re afraid of letting someone into your “in circle”, aren’t you? You’re afraid you couldn’t defend yourself, couldn’t say “no” ….
Now it was right to touch. It was vital even.
One arm firmly laid round his love, the other supporting his nape, Yoh pressed his mouth onto Fei’s lips and let his tongue speak another language.
You can always say “no” to me.
***
Tokyo, Old Cemetery
“You think it’s ok to take the kids … here?”
“Yes! Why not? It’s beautiful … and they don’t understand.”
“Tao does.”
“At nine? Well, yes …”
“And Techi feels our sadness …”
“Good thing he’s asleep.”
He was for once napping peacefully in one of those monstrous, counter-revolutionary, personality corrupting contraptions … the baby carriage. (Even Yoh was thoroughly brainwashed by “alternative baby-care Dr. Spock” “Human” Kirishima by now. “Made purely of ecologically safe materials” as the Commander tried to justify their baby carriage. “And with the baby sling, we always have to stay in motion, or else Techi wakes up at once!”)
They had both learnt babies adored physical contact, but when you were sad, it was sometimes better to give each other some space.
Yoh watched Fei Long bend his exquisitely groomed head in sorrow.
“That you feel responsible for his death too …”
They regarded the gravestone, silently.
In Love with a Foolish World
Human Yamazaki
Sounds of an early summer day were once again filling the air, punctuated by Laozi’s yelping, and Tao’s scolding. The dog was digging with gusto in a freshly laid out grave. Body guards were spread all over the wild overgrown cemetery, standing in ghostly silence, a host of dark guardians to the other world.
“Of course I feel responsible, Yoh. The hippies were clueless! But me - after all I’d experienced … and all I’d done myself. I should have known better.”
Fathers.
Akihito had never known his. He was a waif, brought up in a happy, boisterous hippy commune, loved by the entire tribe, and yet … Yamazaki was the one he had turned to whenever trouble arose.
“How does Akihito feel?”
“Akihito … terrible. He never made any secret out of it. I think he even went into counselling. But we never spoke about it. I guess he figured I couldn’t take it.”
At least there hadn’t been any sign the serene old hippy had suffered any form of abuse - a clean blow to the neck - but he was gone.
Yoh spoke up.
“Asami …”
“Yes …?”
“Asami was devastated too. I think the only other thing as bad for him … was your shared story.”
Some boughs would remain barren forever. Men might bear children, but still, they couldn’t wake up the dead. A life not lived … did it leave any traces? Anywhere?
“That you felt so bad, Yoh …”
“Echoing you, my love … yes. Yes, of course.”
The World Commander’s face tightened.
“I was in charge! I was Number One, already. Fucking. Number. One. - Aaaaaah…!”
Fei had sprung Yoh.
Some branches would stay dead, but flowers could twine round them, the rest of the tree could blossom and thrive, an imperishable and beautiful weed.
“I’m going to make you a baby! You know! ‘Fucking number one’!”
Yoh swung him around, half hugging, half grappling with him, both of their eyes suspiciously bright.
“You could try …”
Somehow their deepest sorrow always made them hot.
Don’t knock him up!
They knew perfectly well they had to be cautious. The Faith Switch wouldn’t prevent…
“I know I shouldn’t get pregnant any more, I might not survive it. The doctors said better not. It's Akihito’s turn now!”
But they both knew too, that Fei’s heart and body didn’t acknowledge this, and was longing to open up to Yoh completely again.
“Stupid Faith Switch, not so clever, after all…”
“We might find a leftover ‘pill’, you know, what women took!”
“And really get breasts!? Yoh …!”
Directly before suckling Techi, both of them sported slightly swollen mammary glands. But afterwards, it was hardly discernible, and the doctors were sure weaning the baby would make their chests completely “male” again.
In a deep embrace, rubbing their bodies against each other, not even their toughened nipples felt sore anymore (and even the most diehard sceptics had to admit these two fathers got their kid happy and fat).
But we shouldn’t push our luck.
“My turn next time. I’ll apply for ‘passage’ - OP.”
They smiled into each other’s eyes, savouring the delicious feeling of closeness. They had talked about this already and didn’t want to continue on the topic right now. (Fei had secretly decided, though. He still couldn’t picture Yoh with a pregnant belly. And the next time around the nerdy boys would be sure to have come up with something against his bleeding. But how he loved Yoh for offering!)
“ ‘Passage’ has such a terribly solemn ring to it, why not call the OP ‘add-on’?”
“What about … ‘upgrade’?”
“Extension!”
“Self-sufficiency aid.”
“Self-pleasuring implement…?”
Now they were both giggling.
“You think it would work? Knock yourself up, I mean?”
“You have ideas! Perhaps I’d better secure you with a chastity belt?”
“Yeah well, at least I know now why you’re so hot for the ‘passage’…”
“Idiot …”
It was a good thing the guards were trained not to react when their charges succumbed to snogging. On closer view of their faces, though, one or the other drop of sweat could be seen glistening, and was that faint flush from the heat …?
The “other world” could wait, for the moment.
***
Tokyo, apartment building in a mixed neighbourhood
“Are you one Takaba Akihito, hippy citizen of Tokyo?”
Akihito froze in the middle of a yawning stretch. He had just wanted to fetch in the morning paper for breakfast. There was such a neat Manga Series in the weekly extra. He couldn’t wait to see how things would work out .
Two tall men in soldier police uniforms were standing just outside his door, looking very serious.
“Yeah, that’s my name. Can I do anything for you, gentlemen?”
“Your cheek won’t help you, Mr. Takaba.”
“Which cheek? And hello!? I know you’re soldiers, but a little civility, you know, as in civilians, wouldn’t hurt! And if you don’t mind - my breakfast’s getting cold. Want some? Perhaps a look at the funnies?”
“Mr. Takaba. We have here - by official Government Seal of the Second World - a warrant of arrest, for you. As of today, May 5.”
“Eeeek!”
Akihito’s eyes grew big as saucers.
“Aha. There does seem to exist … some consciousness of guilt.”
“Will you follow us out on your own accord, or do we have to indulge in some fun first?”
“B-b-but, A-A-Asa …”
“This is by the War Leader Asami’s orders. Approved of by World Commander Yoh.”
“Uuuuh!”
“If you have to know …” one of the hulking cops hissed, “your inebriated friend squealed under torture.”
“Wha-wha-what d-d-did you d-do to K-kei?!”
“Oh that wasn’t hard. We tied him up, lit a ‘roach’ - from his own stash - right under his nose. He sang at once. We didn’t immediately get what we wanted, but eventually, that came out too.”
“Oh, nooooo …”
“Oh, yes.”
“And now, march!”
***
“Whe -where are you bringing me?”
“Naughty boys shouldn’t ask so many questions.”
“Aging naughty boys even less.”
“Wh-why have you b-b-blindfolded me?”
“Peeping Tom naughty boys need special measures.”
“It’s for your own good.”
“Have some faith.”
“M-m-m-mercy!”
“I think we must put a stop to that noise.”
“Yeah - let’s gag him. I’ve got just the thing - I hear he likes sucking.”
“Uooopffffff!”
Spit.
“Now, would you comply! It’s organic and everything.”
“Ergonomically proofed.”
“Not impairing the teeth.”
“For ages three and up.”
“Pity, though, you can’t see it …”
Thwooop.
“There. Good boy. Perhaps we can give him a peek?”
“No. Orders. By the Boss himself.”
“That’s not my boss, Sakazaki!”
“Oh, your boss made no objections at all, Kuroda. Got a kick out of it…”
***
“Tokyo Midtown” Tower, VIP Suite of the Ritz-Carlton
“Yoh!”
Fei Long was leaning on both elbows, Techi struggling before him on a luxuriously padded swaddling table. The hippy leader was doodling and cooing with his son, and changing his diapers. (He didn’t always manage to delegate.)
Now and then both parents tried to watch and listen for this “signalling”, to do it “the natural way”. They could never agree who it was failing “nature”. Was it the father, the father+, or the baby himself? The body guards had long learnt to look away discreetly, pretending they weren’t witnessing yet another mess. (At least their once again duped charges never admonished each other for “cheating” with this far out “infant potty training”. Even if it was, according to “Human” Kirishima, essential for parent-baby bonding.)
“What’s the matter, my two sun shines? Cheating again? Oh please … do. I kind of like that butterfly stitched, bridal cheongsam you’re wearing … and I won’t squeal to Kirishima, I promise. Also, we have to start in five minutes, or we’ll miss the fun.”
Yoh fell silent. Fei Long was gazing at their son, who was kicking and squealing, joyfully unrestricted. This could, of course, be seen as proof that indeed “diaperless” was the only natural way of life for a baby. Except Techi was always happy, whether swaddled or not. He never showed any signs that “uptight confinement” might be corrupting his mental hygiene.
Fei was staring so strangely that Yoh got worried. He quickly came over.
“Does he still have that rash? You know, if that’s so, then let's brave another round of messes and let him go free. We can take a change of clothes, for us, I mean …”
Fei pointed.
“What is that?”
On their baby’s completely rash free, healthily glowing skin, directly beneath the testicles, a faint line was showing up, as if marking an entrance.
The World Commander and the Counter Culture Star regarded their beautiful son, and then each other, in wonder.
“But that’s almost like … just a little bit, anyway … just like you look, now, Fei…”
Cooing like a dove, Techi took advantage of his freedom and turned fountain. A jet of crystal gold gushed forth and rose in a merry, sparkling arc over the swaddling table.
His parents jumped back, giggling.
“This time we won!”
“Cheongsam ok!” Yoh rewarded his love with a smooch.
“Commander's garb still virgin”, Fei whispered back. “I hope nobody can tell how your hot midnight blue gala uniform turns me on - the hippies would excommunicate me for good.” He pressed himself against the said outfit in a quick passionate hug, securing their impudent offspring with one hand on the table, the cheongsam sleeve pushed up safely. Techi was beginning to get pretty mobile.
“Let’s hurry up …”
***
Somewhere in the vicinity of (make believe, sci-fi) Tokyo
“Rightyright, here we are.”
“Hall of Justice.”
“On judgement day, dadadada dada …”
“Ah please! I’ve got no sterilized pacifiers anymore! The brat spit em all out. Well, for you I wouldn’t need the cock shaped one, but a sound absorber!”
“Last Judgement.”
“Prepare to meet thy maker …”
Akihito still couldn’t see anything, but the two cops where leading him through some major entrance. From the smell and the feel of it an enormous, cathedral like hall.
“Where am I? It’s that injustice place, yes? Why is everything so quiet? Why haven’t I been read the Miranda rights?”
There was suspicious rustling, and other suppressed noises.
“It isn’t really empty here, is it? This room’s full of people!”
His abductors, who were now emitting suspicious noises themselves, coaxed him down some stairs.
“Where are you leading me? Arrrrgh! Who’s touching me? Perverts!!”
A faint, but distinctive giggle rose over the ominous silence.
“Tao!? ”
Something hurled itself against him, yelping.
“Laozi!”
“Tao! You blew things!” a scolding voice could be heard.
“Crossy …”
Someone approached him, a wave of honey and musk and exotic maleness…
“Peepy!” a familiar voice breathed into his ear. Then, louder,
“Lights on for our …”
Fragrant, swishing silk engulfed him, a smell Akihito knew well and liked. Hands nestled at his blindfold.
His once so moody (and still often cross dressing) old friend and comrade let his voice swell to resounding proclamation.
“Lights on for our …”
“Fabulous …” (was that Kirishima!?)
“Freaking …” (Takato!)
“Succulent…” (Yoh…!? Since when did the Commander talk dirty?!)
“Cool!” (that was Tao)
“Woofwoof!” (Laozi)
“Squeak” (Techi!)
Something was laid into his hand. Leather. Another smell. This one not just yummy and familiar … more heady, exciting, a hint of tobacco? A million Yen after shave. In fact he was really glad of the thing in his hand now. He could use it to steady himself, hold on to the strap, because his knees were getting a little wobbly. It must be that he’d never gotten around to breakfast, after all … and the Manga … how did it turn out? A thousand thoughts rushed through his head, inconsequentially … the blindfold was off, why could he still not see anything? Ah, he was squeezing his eyes shut, ok...
“Flighty…” - this wasn’t loud at all! A whisper! Into his ear …
A resounding shout rang out, as if from thousands of people.
“Takaba Akihito!”
He jerked his eyes open, and found himself staring into strange golden ones, looking none the less dangerous for their owner wearing a leash (the end of which he was holding) and being decorated with a red velvet bow in his immaculately gelled hair.
“Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu!”* the vast hall started singing, everyone rising and clapping their hands.
He must be losing it. Losing himself in those dangerous predator’s eyes because he began hearing a faint roar, as if from a plane.
Asami closed the distance between them in one savage pounce and claimed his mouth. He might have some issues, but shyness wasn’t one of them.
The roaring was rapidly swelling … Ryu, not here!!
“The Turks!” somebody whispered. “And just about time! I want my ‘Döner’! And a drink of ‘Ayran’!”
“They couldn’t land with the west wind, they had to fly a half circle, and are bringing down the Antonov from the east …”
Asami deepened their kiss, and Akihito began to see colours.
Had Kei done something to those moronic pacifiers? Very funny …
Well, he’d show Ryu! Now who was the prey?
He jerked the leash, and sucked Tokyo’s war leader’s tongue into his mouth with force.
Heat shot through both of them
He was having visions!
The wide doors of the entrance sprang open, and a burst of Tschaikowski’s “Dying Swan”, and jet engines, drowned out the birthday singing.
In the wake of a spaced out, wavy haired blond a formation of extremely gay looking dancers, wearing white puff sleeves and tights (amply padded in front), came vaulting down the main aisle in campy, exaggerated leaps. So Mikhail’d been into ballet dancing as a kid. Figured. Good thing Ryu here was more straight … aaaaah …. unhunh …
Akihito tightened the leash and jumped onto Tokyo’s war leader’s hips.
Next came “Arabian Nights”, dashing Orientals in gaudy pirate garb, rotating their bare midriffs in belly dance, acrobatically balancing platters and terrines of delicious smelling middle-eastern delicacies.
The Russians were still putting on “Dying Swan”, and the Turks snickered and mimicked them, miraculously managing not to spill any food.
The music got louder as the jet roar died down.
A bubbly dubstep remix of Tschaikowski, psychedelically fading in and out with oriental hip hop, was making Aki twist and undulate on Ryu’s hips, and Fei Long was glad Tao had spotted some Turkish pre-teen acquaintances of his.
Then his face fell.
“Do you remember that guy?” he whispered to Yoh.
The Commander’s expression turned instantly furious.
“Oh, yes. It’s that military scientist doctor …” - the one who wanted to examine you in front of everyone.
“Who let him in?”
They had told Kirishima and Dr. Suoh of their discovery (and the hippy doctor and his tall ob-gyn colleague were still holed up in a corner in an excited professional exchange, guzzling sake, shovelling sushi - and causing more than one eyebrow to go up in wonder - those two?!)
“I didn’t understand much, ‘epigenetic imprinting’ …”
“Yeah, well, I think they were trying to explain that our genetic determination isn’t as carved into stone as we used to believe. That our genes can learn.”
“So they mean Techi’s genes …”
“… might have learnt ‘passage-OP’.”
Wow.
They both looked in the direction of the unwelcome guest. Supposedly justified by medical need, he’d nearly publicly violated the newly discovered pregnant first test subject (the label alone made Akihito livid. Like a thing. Subject.)
Two months back, in this very hall.
“Do you think he somehow got wind of what’s up with Techi?”
“Could very well be.”
Yoh looked grim.
“I’ll have him thrown out.”
Fei Long slowly shook his head.
“No. I mean I love you for how you stood up for me then. So many people let science totally cow them! You never stopped thinking on your own, and you protected me when I couldn’t have done so myself.”
Yoh regarded him in awe. His Fei still dazzled him sometimes (and it didn’t even matter that the lovely pearl rain bow silk did show some signs, after all, of an almost disaster - they’d held Techi over a flowerpot barely in time).
“I want to take him on myself. I’m sorry it’s at Aki’s birthday party, but … this is just as important for him.”
They both looked over to where Yoh’s war leader colleague and Fei Long’s hippy friend and comrade were not taking much notice of their surroundings, waking memories of another pair lost to the world … in this very hall.
It was Akihito and Ryuichi’s turn now.
Asami’s red velvet bow was hanging askance, but his hair still looked pretty good.
“Did he tell Aki they’re accepted? And the condition?”
“I don’t think so.” Yoh grinned. “In some aspects our great Asami Ryuichi can be really chicken. He may not even have acknowledged the implications himself.”
The said “chicken” was snogging openly with Second World’s universal darling, and pointedly ignoring the approach of a highly official delegation.
Every important department of their world’s bureaucracy seemed represented in this throng of wannabe’s and dried-ups.
“A-hem.”
“Ryu…”, whispered Akihito.
“Ryuichi, maybe we should react? A bunch of stiffs …uh…officials have something to say here …”
“My sweet and lovely gentlemen”, he addressed them himself, panting over Asami’s shoulder, “please feel at home! The victuals are fabulous. If you don’t care for Oriental (but our Turkish friends really outdid themselves - and if you don’t leave me some hummus I’ll be pissed!) … if you want something else, over there Chow Yum-Yum, hailing from Shanghai and Hong Kong, has set up a truly out of this world Chinese buffet. Perhaps some Blini and Caviar? And of course our local fare wasn’t neglected … Tao? I thought you were off playing soccer with the Turkish boys? Can you show the gentlemen our Sushi model railway production line? It’s lots of fun, too…”
He beamed, dodging another assault by the most dangerous war leader on earth.
“My friend Kou’s in his third year of apprenticeship as a Sushi cook. Hopefully we will survive his endeavours …but if you’re on a diet I recommend a round of belly break dance with joint St. Petersburg Ballet and Marmara Village Disco dancing animation…”
He was silenced by Tokyo’s chief, who successfully re-captured his mouth.
The head of the delegation cleared his throat.
“We want to congratulate you, Mr. Takaba …”
“Oh neat”, Akihito escaped for a breath, “I mean I’m not so delirious about getting older, twenty-four! Sigh!!! I might get like you …ooops…no offense…”
“For your birthday, yes, we bring the world’s wishes.”
A middle aged office type handed over a USB flash drive. Tao, who was still hanging around, joined by a bunch of fooling about Turkish youths, snatched the device. (“It says ‘fan-fiction’, ‘fan-art’, ‘fan-letters’ , and the complete Manga in all known editions. Plus com-pre-hen-sive se-con-dary li-tera-ture - huh? What’s that?“ the boys fell over each other, craning over Tao’s shoulder to decipher the small typed printed label.)
“Next … your official notification as Pair Number Two.”
Both Asami and Takaba stopped necking instantly, and stared.
They were handed a role of very noble looking documents, with a real seal and everything.
After a moment of frozen shock Asami grabbed the role and ripped open the seal.
In breathless silence the war leader and the hippy scanned the content.
“Why does it say here: ‘Acceptance conditional?’ What does this mean?”
Asami’s tone would have ordinarily made everyone cringe in their skins, but they were all having such fun.
“Sir…! You were not told?”
Asami and Aki exchanged a look. There had been one official looking letter, yes.
Strangely, it had been suddenly gone, before they had opened it, and they had somehow forgotten to inquire after it.
***
Mikhail Arbatov was approaching Fei Long, a Turkish belly dancer teetering on his arm.
“Liu-Laoban, our beautiful saviour!”
Fei Long smiled. “You’re not looking so bad yourself, Ali Bey. Out of sight costume…”
Ali rotated his jewel pierced navel.
“You’re sweet, Fei Long darling! But … weren’t you wearing a white dress? With lovely rain bow coloured butterflies? Why are you wearing green now? With a beautiful peacock? I mean, I’m not complaining, it’s lovely, and green really suits you, too!”
“Um…”
“Ooooh - look what your baby’s just doing …!”
Misha and the cute Turkish dancer began to laugh.
A genteel cuss escaped Fei Long’s mouth … but then he pressed a kiss on Techi’s head. The baby chirped in glee.
“Ah … now I understand! Can I help out with something of mine? Sorry it exposes the belly area. Can you wear something like that again?”
“Of course I can!” Fei Long shot back indignantly, but he was grinning.
“Ali Bey! It’s been almost two months. And I’m not eating many carbs or refined sugar. I can assure you, though, when you’re breastfeeding you can really pig out!”
He gave Techi another peck on his cheek, the upper one. He was not running any further risks. Ali looked impressed. Breastfeeding! He hadn’t known, and up till now, the famous Te Ching hadn’t even dreamed of suckling. There was so much going on - a baby couldn’t possibly be bothered to think of something so ordinary!
“I may take you up on your offer yet …”
Ali was giggling.
“Well, but I couldn’t help the Commander out too! Now he’s in white, I see. Bloody classy, that ceremonial full dress! I mean I’m completely against the regime, of course. But those soldiers really know how to pull off a look!”
He went all starry-eyed. Mikhail scowled.
Fei Long couldn’t help laughing.
“Relax - I’ve still got my dragon stitched crimson. The one the world knows me best in, anyway.”
He grabbed his son beneath the arm pits.
“And now, young man, we’re going to have a very serious conversation.”
He lifted the baby to his face, growling in mock threat. Techi gurgled and squeaked in ecstatic delight. His fathers, and everybody else, were just too much fun!
“Now, young man, we will cheat.”
***
“Asami-Sama, Takaba-San … the third document, and renewed confirmation of ‘conditional acceptance’, was supposed to be handed over by our First Pair, but they seem to be missing. Ah, here they are.”
Commander Yoh was approaching. What a sight! Clad in spiffy, immaculate, dark pin-stripe Armani, deep blue green eyes blazing … a jute-swaddled baby cradled on his right hip like an adorable fashion accessory … on his left arm Counterculture Star Liu Fei Long in breath taking, dragon embroidered crimson … there was applause from the whole hall.
This shining trinity was transporting a beautifully inked and coloured papyrus role that seemed to have seen better days, alas. The baby must have grabbed it, and thrown it down on the soiled floor.
But stains of dubious origins and an overall crumpled look could hardly be the true reason both the War Leader of Tokyo and his notorious hippy darling were staring at the document as if a gift certificate of luxury bondage gear was being forced on them, complete with lifelong, mandatory S&M club membership thrown in as a bonus.
Asami roused himself and snatched the role from Te Ching, just before the baby could toss it down again. Techi rewarded him with an angelic beam. The tall man wanted to play? He was all game!
Breathless silence spread out all over the hall, as everyone quickly realized something important was going on.
“B-but.”
Asami - stuttering?!
“Let me see!”
Takaba - blanching.
“Is this approved of by the Board of Ethics?”
Oh my god!
People looked at each other, everywhere.
Something terrible for Asami, hmmm. They all admired him, but an occasional lesson - might not hurt.
But Akihito-Chan? He had deserved some happiness now, hadn’t he?
Asami apparently decided on trying another approach.
“This is completely experimental! There is no such procedure anymore, in our world.”
“Sir.”
The academic stepping forth had to be easily the most mummified of them all. He spoke in a voice devoid of any emotion.
“May I cite Paragraph 578, clause 3.1, Second World Code Book of Civic
Law, Volume Two.”
He projected an internet site onto the huge, white backdrop.
“Up-to-date as of today, May 5, as you can all confirm on your smart phones, the reception is perfect.”
This was directed at the rest of the hall.
And the entire hall breathlessly read a short, meagre paragraph.
“Interaction leading to offspring is seen as generating a legal status entailing complete responsibility of the two parties involved towards each other. The obligation comes into force at the moment of conception; but furthermore with the commencement of any action that might possibly lead to pregnancy. It remains in force until death does part all involved.”
A child ran up to the platform.
“Asami-Sama!” Tao called out. “Kirishima-San said for me to bring this!”
He handed over a box of cigarettes.
“But just one! Air pollution, you know. But for once, as emergency medication…”
“Asami Bey, want a drink?” a cheeky Turk pre-teen followed in Tao’s wake.
“It is called ‘bourbon’, and is supposed to be toxic. But the ice blocks make such a nice sound.”
The Turkish boy clinked the cubes around in the crystal cut glass goblet, swishing an amber fluid dangerously to the rim.
“Quit fooling”, charming Ali hissed viciously, furtively letting his silk trousers brush Misha’s tight-encased thigh.
“Okay here you are - but Ayran’s really far more yummy …”
“ ‘Ayran’? “ Asami asked in a daze.
Akihito sighed.
He had imagined a somewhat more romantic proposal of marriage than explaining Ayran (which he liked since getting friends with the Turks) to his love.
Oh well. It was nice to be of use.
“It’s a drink made of Yoghurt. Healthy! Good … for just about everything.”
“Aha!”
Asami actually began looking interested, sniffing at a glass of fresh looking, creamy white beverage, but he gulped down his whiskey first.
The War Leader of Tokyo and Second World’s hippy darling smiled at each other, slowly and carefully.
He wouldn’t chicken out, no, not he!
They reached for each other’s hands.
“I object!”
Heads swirled around.
The military scientist doctor had grabbed hold of a micro.
“New facts have come forth, and first Yoh Liu Te Ching has to be examined by a Board of Military Doctors. We will take him along at once.”
“Look out!”
The doctor hectically glanced about him.
“Behind you.”
A tall figure was standing motionless, silhouetted in a beam of sunlight falling in through the half opened doors of the hall.
Whoever had been there two months ago, might have some kind of déjà vu, except the vision’s vibes were so very different today.
Shiny black hair cascading over shimmering Chinese silk.
But last time there had been this softness, and in spite of his wildness a vulnerability. Underneath his determination, a defensive look which had proved to be justified when people had immediately attacked him. Bleeding and swaying, at the same time trying to protect the child in his belly and the accused in the dock. Naked. In danger of violation. And later mute, so overcome.
Today there was nothing left of this lost, struggling angel of pregnancy.
The doctor jerked back in terror.
Fei Long was towering over him, almost a head taller. He was quite slim again around his middle, which emphasized the overall muscular appearance of his fighter’s body in a completely different, intimidating manner. Even Akihito shivered.
Somehow this effect was only enhanced by his half open, blood red dragon robe, and the beautiful child hanging at his breast, peacefully suckling, swaddled in some kind of cuddly organic material.
“Do you want something from me?” he asked in a deadly soft voice.
The doctor glanced nervously over his shoulder.
There Commander Yoh stood in dark menacing presence, his notorious blue green stare boring into his back.
He looked back at the test subject, or child bearer, as he had always called him, never bothering to see him as a human being. And maybe he wasn’t, the way he appeared today, a blazing angel of wrath and vengeance. But the child … the emotion which made the scientist function above all, made him forget to be human, be cruel without really intending to, overcame him for a moment, stronger even than fear.
“Perhaps I can have a look?”
The irony of this was that had he come half an hour earlier, this would have presented no problem at all. Fei Long still in white, then in green silk. Yoh first in dark blue, then ceremonial white. Techi kicking joyfully, without any impediment. Whoever was interested could catch an occasional look between his legs without having to make any effort.
It was all about being at the right place, at the right time.
“Go.”
Fei Long almost sighed that single word, but it was as if a blast of fire was coming from him. The doctor looked suddenly more than willing to go, but he seemed petrified.
“B-b-but Mr. Liu, this is all so we can survive”, he stuttered. “For the greater good. For humanity.”
“A society that doesn’t protect its children isn’t worth surviving”, Fei Long hissed, spitting the words as if they were flames, “ask Techi himself. When he’s of age.”
The scientist cowered back, not without throwing a last, longing glance on the smacking, swallowing infant. He didn’t know anything about kids. After such a hearty feeding, the baby was sure to poop, maybe even produce a “blowout”. And then his fathers’ urge to freshly swaddle him would probably overcome every other consideration. He would just have had to wait.
A warm friendly voice spoke up, almost at his ear. The other hippy, the birthday child, the universal darling, not in the least intimidating, this one. Maybe …
Akihito took his hand.
“Please leave my party”, he said in his friendly voice, “I haven’t invited you. This wouldn’t have mattered, but now you’re causing trouble, so I want you to go.”
He led the quavering man past the father-and-child idyll, where a gurgling sound was just making itself heard.
Akihito bade the scientist fare well, and slammed the great doors.
“Whew. I needed that.”
Fei Long was kneeling on the ground, cleaning Techi’s rosy round bum with fragrant water and oil tissues handed to him by Yoh.
“Let’s let him go free for a while, shall we?” he conferred with the Commander.
“Agreed!” Yoh laughed. “The risk is minimal. He hardly goes a second time all that soon.”
A huge group of people were surrounding them, wonderingly witnessing what the scientist would have killed for.
Word had gone round what this meant …
One by one, people spoke up.
“Mr. Liu, I wish my parents had stood up for me like you did just now.”
“Yeah, I think you’re a wonderful father.”
Fei Long, so intimidating a moment before, looked up, briefly, blushing faintly, the corners of his mouth turning up in a shy smile.
Akihito watched him.
See, “Crossy”, so many people do like you. Ok, you did have some really nasty deals. But a lot of it - was just in your head.
(almost) THE END
* Japanese Birthday Song (according to my internet research, anyway…)
Author’s Note (beginning of July 2013): So curious who this prompt is by. I loved it so much I wish others had written on it, too. Thanks!
Author’s Notes (sometime end of July 2013): since the posting of the last chapter was delayed, I now know who the prompter is - mistressdi! Surprise!!! Somehow I would not have expected a Yoh/Fei prompt from you! Wow, thank you all the more!!! And thank you so much, my fabulous, super patient beta lizzy0308!!! You influenced this quite a lot - and not only the A/A part.
Delwynmarch: your exclamation of outrage (after the second posting http://yamane-ayano.livejournal.com/2716840.html ) is completely justified!!! No, Yoh would never…
Tokyo, June (morning after the operation)
“Here, Commander, this is for you.”
Distinctly starry eyed, night nurse Peter handed over a USB flash drive.
“The complete surveillance recording from 3 to 5 a.m. I’ve erased all electronical traces from the computer system. It came in handy I’m also IT Security Officer. We can never be completely sure of leaks, and your love may not want to find this on the internet.”
The hefty Westerner paused, flustered.
What a hot couple they were, those two most powerful people on earth…
“Um Commander … a tiny note on my own behalf … Mr. Liu’s last action was just as surprising to me as, err, I think it was to you. It might cost me my job…”
***
Kaohsiung, February of the following year, emergency audience at the First War Leader’s Residence
“Commander! I don’t understand …I’m ready to bet my soul there was not a byte of this left - anywhere! Except on the USB for you. It’s impossible to take back information once it’s on the net, but this time it should never have had any chance…”
Peter got a red head. He might have deleted every single byte from every single hardware device (save the one he had made for Yoh). But he couldn’t delete the images from his brain!
That hot Chinese! (Oh, Peter was in love.) How he’d gone for the other…!
(Of the also sooo hot! Commander he wouldn’t have been able to tell which Asian country he came from, despite living so long in Tokyo.)
The First Test Person and Resistance Leader Liu Fei Long devouring the First Impregnator, World Commander Yoh.
And then his fright. The Commander already coming, by Fei Long’s mouth and his hand … and the post-OP patient, his post-OP patient, in a lightning fast motion …tearing off his bandage and shoving the Commander down in.
“Commander, Sir! We both know you did nothing wrong! That incomplete sequence, wherever it came from, gives a totally wrong picture! Your life is in danger! Mr. Liu’s heart will break…I will stand up as a witness!”
“No, Peter.”
Had Fei wanted to make sure? Had he known he might not be able to follow through?
It was a strange sight, the brawny, bulky, blond male nurse weeping.
“But…why…?”
“Peter.”
Peter looked into the Commander’s eyes. Not easy to withstand that blue green gaze. He shivered.
“Trust me, Peter.”
THE END
Some of the non-Viewfinder-related Sources and Inspirations
“Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” 1967 ff. by Gilbert Shelton
“The Left Hand of Darkness” 1969 by Ursula K. le Guin
“The Children of the Counterculture” 1976 by John Rothchild and Susan Berns Wolf
“Spiritual Midwifery" 1975 by Ina May and the Farm Midwives and "Babies, Breastfeeding & Bonding” 1987 by Ina May Gaskin (“The Farm” is a Tennessee commune described in “The Children of the Counterculture”)
edit Sep 13, 2013: eventually, no time right now, I'll add some further influences here. Mostly on Alternative Baby Care, but also from the "Drarry" fandom
( VF fandom inspirations: on the Story Introduction Page)