Shadows of Our Changing Pasts
Authoremmachase
Requested by:chiyakenyu (She just doesn't know she requested it... haha)
Title: Shadows of our Changing Pasts
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance
Pairing: YamaChii
Summary: Kento has grown up to the sound of his parents fighting, but what happens when he finally gets the chance to change all that?
Notes: So this story was written based off an idea that randomly came into our conversation, and I figured I'd write it out for her birthday present! This is apparently, my first YamaChii fic so....I hope you like it! And Yes, in this world, there are such things a male wives..... haha
“Shhhh” Kento shushed his friends on the phone as he crept up to the door and pressed his ear against the wooden back of it.
“You’re ALWAYS at work! Why don't you ever want to come home! To me! To your son!”
“Because I cant STAND to have you nag at me all night! That’s it! I’m leaving!”
“No!” Kento gasped as he opened the door and bolted down the small hallway and looked down at the living room, but it was too late, the sounds of a door slamming shut greeted his ears as he looked down to see Chinen crying.
When the other boy looked up to see Kento staring at him on the balcony, he quickly sopped up his tears with his sleeve and put in a forced smile.
“Y-Your father….. won’t be joining us for dinner tonight…”
This was something that was becoming a regular thing in their household, lately his father, Ryosuke would come home exhausted, completely zoned out from his days at work, and through some miracle, he would find the strength to argue with his mother, Chinen who spent the day working at his partime job and cleaning the house…. Making dinner….
“I heard…” Kento bowed his head quietly
“I'm sorry…..” Chinen apologized as he did his best to console his son.
Dinner was a quiet event, no longer the cheery gathering that had once filled their dining room, halfway through the meal, his mother would burst into tears as the little boy couldn’t hold it in anymore and locked himself in the bedroom, leaving Kento to eat alone.
As was his usual routine, Kento finished his meal, put away the extra food and cleaned up the table so Chinen wouldn’t have to worry about it. He went upstairs, did his homework, and sighed as he brushed his teeth for the night. His parents had been fighting like this for over a month already…. And it didn't seem like it was going anywhere but down. In the beginning, he remembered he would cry every time he heard that door slam shut, he would remember the times where his parents would smile at him and their family would be a happy bunch….. why had it changed?
“I wish… I could fix this…. somehow……” He sighed to himself and stared at the ceiling, and the small window that rested above his bed. With a sigh, his hands moved automatically to the familiar switch of the small lamp in his room.
“Oyasumi” He said to no one in particular and shut off the light.
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“Watch out please!” A voice called as suddenly somebody bumped into him.
“Oh! Sorry!” Kento immediately turned and bowed apologetically.
“It’s okay….. are you lost?” Kento raised his head long enough to look at whoever it was had bumped into him, but when he did, his jaw dropped.
“M-Mom…” He muttered quietly
“I’m sorry?” A younger Chinen blinked blankly as he held a tray of coffee cups and biscuits.
“It…it’s me” Kento pointed to himself desperately, wondering why his mother had become so young, and why he wasn’t recognizing him.
“Do.. I…. know you? Maybe you’re mistaking me for someone else….” Chinen said as he bowed and hurried off to deliver the tray back to the counter.
“Ah! Yamada-san! Welcome back! I’ll get you your usual!” Kento’s eyes widened as he turned and looked at the person who just stepped in the door.
“It cant be…..” He gasped as the person took off his hat and beneath lay the face of his father. Kento watched in awe as the younger version of his father walked in and sat down at a table….. he watched as his mother walked over to him, setting down a cup of strongly scented expresso gingerly on the table and smiled at his customer.
It was then that Kento had caught the date upon a nearby newspaper one of the coffee shop’s patrons had left behind. It was……. exactly one month before his parents’ wedding day!
As he watched the scene unfold, he recognized the peaceful smile Chinen had on his face as the same one in the wedding photo Kento had grown up staring at, the very same smile that showed such love, such compassion….. he had missed that. Then he noticed his father, the way Ryosuke held onto the other boy’s hand and gently brushed away the small flecks of biscuit that had lingered upon his future wife’s skin.
“Mom…. And dad…. “ He whispered but as he did he looked around to find everyone around him slowing down…. Slower and slower to a dead stop.
“Is it surprising?” Someone asked
“To see your parents like this?” the same voice asked and Kento turned around to see a boy not much older than himself standing before the window as the sun streamed brightly behind him.
“W-Wha-“
“Kento…… I know what you’re going to ask… and suffice it to say….. your wish has been granted.”
“M-My wish?”
“Your wish has been granted by me…. and now you have the chance to fix your parents relationship.”
“Who….. are you…. And what? I don't know what’s wrong with it though!” Kento grabbed his head as he could barely believe what was going on.
“I…. am the Angel of Love….. you may not know of me…. but I certainly know of you…. The sheer love you share for your parents and the love you want them to rekindle. So I have granted your wish, and you are here, exactly one month before your parents’ wedding. That young man you see sitting at the table, that is really your father from so many years ago, and that young boy you see standing beside him is really your mother. From what I recall from this time, they’ve been going out for just a few days now… and therein lies the problem….”
“W-What do you mean uh… Mr……angel?”
At this the boy smiled as he spread his magnificent wings and in an instant enveloped them in a bright silvery light. When Kento had regained the bravery to open his eyes, he found himself standing at his house again….. only everything was in black and white…. And he felt…. Distanced from….. the world?
“My name…. is Yuma, Nakayama Yuma or at least that's what it was when I was human…. But Yuma is fine…” The boy said as he waved his hands and the world sitting before Kento began to move.
“Behold…. Kento, this is the world you know…. Your parents are close to divorcing…. And your mother will be forced to return to the workforce, struggling to make a comfortable living for you… while your father will be devastated at the loss of his first love and slowly crumble away his life.
As the angel spoke, Kento watched as the world before him sped up and he witnessed everything he was predicting.
“How do I stop it!? You said you know how! You said you know why! Please tell me…” Kento got on his knees and begged.
At this, Yuma smiled as he knelt down on one knee and looked the other boy in the eye. He picked up Kento’s chin with his fingers and said simply:
“You parents rushed into marriage…. They were happy, but they never found the true foundation for their relationship…. They need to discover what makes them so happy…. And build it up before their wedding…. And you are here to help them.”
“M-Me?”
“Who better than their son…?” Yuma smiled again as he helped Kento stand and once again their eyes locked.
“Under no circumstances, are you to share any aspects of the future with them, and under no circumstances may you tell them who you really are…..” Yuma warned sternly as Kento nodded his understanding.
“Then I wish you good luck…..” Yuma smiled as he leaned forward and gently placed a kiss upon Kento’s lips and for a moment, everything went bright again and Kento found himself standing at the small café again, watching his parents give each other a small peck on the cheek.
“Are….. you two in love?” Kento tried to ask nonchalantly as he took a seat beside his father, awkwardly digging in his pocket for money to buy a cup.
“Yes… we’ve just gotten engaged….” Yamada smiled as he pointed to the ring that sat happily around Chinen’s finger.
“Did you forget your wallet at home?” Ryosuke asked as he turned and noticed Kento fumbling with his pockets.
“Yuri….. a cup of coffee for this fine young man here.” Kento looked as his mother turned and nodded, scurrying over and bringing him a cup of steaming hot coffee.
“Thanks….” Kento slowly picked up the cup and sipped, hoping the hotness would wake him from this…… dream. But as he sipped and the first few drops of the brown liquid touched his lips, nothing happened and he opened his eyes again to see Ryosuke staring at him.
“Where….. are you parents son?”
“M-My.. uh… they… I….. don't know….” Kento stumbled around.
“Oh my….. are you okay?” Chinen asked as he stood behind his future husband and looked worriedly at him.
“I…. Uh…”
“Well… if you need a place to stay…. I own a hotel business, and I can find a room for you for a little bit…..” Ryosuke offered as he sipped his coffee and folded his newspaper, putting it aside for now.
“I-If you could…..” Kento bowed shyly.
“Sure young man…. I think its terrible that a young boy like yourself doesn't have a place to go back to… “ Yamada smiled as he put down the money from his wallet and turned to kiss Chinen goodbye.
On the way to the hotel, Kento nervously twitched as he looked at the man who would soon be his father, and he tried his best to strike up a conversation.
“So…. you and Chinen-kun eh?” Kento tried again to start a conversation.
“Yes….”
“How… did you two meet?” If there was ever a time to figure out the parts of his parents’ relationship…. It seemed it was now or never.
“Well…. I came into the shop after a really bad day and he seemed to be able to sense that in me, as he came over and took me to a quiet booth in the back corner of the sitting area. I can still remember the cup of coffee he brought me… a special blend you know….. one that just barely hinted the presence of strawberries… my favorite. We talked a bit… I was new in town…. And Chi-Chan…. Er…. Chinen-kun and I…. we…. You know….. snuck around…. And before I knew it….. I fell in love….”
Kento smiled as he noted the small glint in his father’s eyes.
“B-But what drew you to him…. really…..?”
“I think…. It was the way he was always so happy, his smile… the adorable way he twirls around on his heels when he thinks no one is looking….” Yamada sighed and before he realized it, the car had stopped in front of the hotel and he stepped out, leaving Kento in the care of a particularly tall bell boy.
“This is your room….” The man said, as he pointed to a quiet room in the corner of the hallway.
Although the room was quiet the beautiful spectacle…. Kento could hardly believe his situation still…
As he sat quietly on his bed, Kento dug through his memory, trying to figure out just what he knew about his parents…
“It’s not easy is it?” Kento turned around to see the same boy, the one from the restaurant..
“Y-Yuma?”
“It’s not easy to fix love is it?”
“N-No….”
“Then…. Don’t try and fix it….”
“B-But!”
“Listen, Kento-kun, there is nothing wrong with the love between your father and your mother…. You need to see that… what I sent you back here, is to help you remind your parents, just what it was that brought them together……”
“I….”
“But be warned, if you try too hard to fix what you think is broken… you could end up changing things a bit too much…. If you messed it up and your parents never marry….. you will never be born and…..well…. in any case, you have 24 hours….starting now…” Yuma’s voice faded as Kento turned with a multitude of questions to ask.
“W-Wha-?” Now the room was empty again.
“H-Hey!” He called out, but found no response.
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“Mou… naaze?” Kento sighed to himself as he brushed his teeth early the next morning, his future father had sent a note saying that he had been called out and that the hotel would provide breakfast for him…. but maybe today…. He felt like something more along the lines of coffee….
Smiling, he slipped on his clothes, the only thing he had in this world, and walked out in the direction of the small coffee shop. After getting lost a few times, he eventually found his way again, and smiled as he noticed his mother busy cleaning tables and bringing customers cups of their precious brewed coffee. He sat down at the table and waited patiently before he felt a slight tap on his shoulder.
“Hi there….” Chinen smiled back at him as he put down a cup of coffee.
“H-Hi….” Kento stuttered
“What brings you all the way back here?”
“I… was er…. Erhm…. Looking for advice….” Kento immediately came up with his back story.
“Oh?”
“Yeah…. You see……” Before he could stop himself, a whole fictional world erupted out of his mouth, he pretended he was in love, but was too afraid of rushing into things, he pretended that he wanted so desperately to know his made up boyfriend and that he needed help coming up with ideas…. Which led him to……
“If you…… really wanted to know… Yamada-Kun, what… would you do?” For a brief second, Kento felt rather proud of himself, having slipped that in casually.
“Iya ne…. I guess come to think about it…. I haven’t really known Yama-chan that long…. But I think….. for me….. Just a night alone, where we could talk, sit and stare at the stars, hold each other and smiled as the gentle night around us brought music to our ears…. It would be… the most romantic evening…. And how he reacts during all this…. would be your answer….That’s just what I think anyway……” Chinen blushed shyly as his own imagination had taken hold of him, letting him experience his radical daydreams.
After a few more random conversations with his future mother, Kento smiled politely, paid for his coffee and began to recall the way back to the hotel.
“Bye Mom!
“What?”
“Er… Bye Chinen-Kun!” Kento rushed out quickly before any more questions were asked.
“Such a nice boy….. his parents must have raised his well….” Chinen smiled, as he turned to the empty cup Kento had left behind.
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“You two already have a date for tonight eh?” Kento asked as he watched Yamada slip on the finishing touches to his outfit.
“Y-Yeah…. I’m nervous thought ne? I think… I’ve run out of all my… romantic ideas…” Ryosuke sighed as he straightened his tie in the mirror.
“Oh?” Kento asked playfully as he pulled the blazer he had seen his father wear so many times before, it was new now, but he knew that in time, it would be given to wear, and his mother…. Would sew it up again and again.
“Yeah… I hope…… he likes just a quiet night alone…. With the two of us….”
“I’m sure… he will…. Why don't you two go….. to the top of the hill in Sougyo Park, they say that you can see the stars there, and listen to the musicians that play there during the nights….” Kento suggested slyly as he helped the other into his jacket.
“Y-Yeah! Thanks! Hey this is my favorite one! How did you know?” Yamada asked as he examined the blazer that had been put on him.
“Oh…. I just know….. trust me….” Kento smiled knowingly as he quickly sent his future father out.
“Take your time! Be nice! Get to know each other!” He waved as he saw the car pull up and Ryosuke stepped in.
“…..feel free to conceive me…..” Kento muttered as the car drove off into the distance.
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“They’re beautiful!” Chinen gasped in surprise as he met with a large bundle of flowers and a smiling, very happy Yamada.
“Ne… Chii-Chan…”
“Hm?”
“I was…. thinking maybe we could…. Spend a quiet night together?” Yamada looked sheepishly at his future wife. This would be the moment where Chinen would either think him cheap, or find him romantic and it was a make or break deal…
“I’d love to!” Chinen hugged Yamada happily as he sniffed the sweet roses that rested in his hands. He couldn’t help but feel his heart float on air as the dreams he had been having began to resurface. He imagined a soft moonlit picnic with Ryosuke, the grass just barely bending with the gentle breeze around them. His eyes would travel from the small piece of cheese he would be holding until they met with the boy with whom he was in love with. He remembered noticing the pure white glow that surrounded Ryosuke as their eyes met, and he would sheepishly offer the piece of food in his hands and Yamada would smile as he took a bite…
And that’s exactly….. what happened.
“Delicious…..” Ryosuke giggled as he chewed on the small piece of cheese he had just been fed.
“Yama-chan….”
“Hm?”
“What….. do you think will happen to us…. In the future?” Chinen asked as he put aside all the uneaten food and leaned in, resting his head on the other boy’s chest.
“I don't know….I hope…. We’ll be happy together….”
“Ah!” Chinen made a lunge for a small orange that had been knocked loose by a strong wind, but missed. They watched as it rolled its way into the nearby bushes and the plant gave a shiver, as if it were bothered by the small ball that had collided with it.
“Leave it, it’s okay… maybe a squirrel will eat it….” Ryosuke said as he pulled Chinen closer.
Little did the two boys know, that hidden behind that bush and intently trying to eavesdrop was none other than their future son….. Kento.
“Oh!” He whispered quietly as the orange stumbled into his feet and he picked it up, after not eating dinner, he was starving. He listened carefully and smiled as things were going smoothly.
“Ne ne, Yama-chan…..I’ve been wondering this for a while….. and it wasn't until Kento-kun came and asked me… but what about me did you fall in love with? I mean… I’m not rich…. I'm just a small waiter in a coffee shop… I'm not smart… just average….I…”
“I fell in love with you because you’re so carefree, so different than everyone I’ve ever met. You weren’t attracted to me because I had money, you didn't expect more than I could give, but most of all…..I fell in love with you…. Because….”
Chinen turned his head to look at the boy beside him.
“Because?”
“Because of that small gleam in your eye every time I see you…. You’re so beautiful and so full of hope…”
At this point, the younger boy blushed as the words rushed from his ears to his heart and he felt himself grow warmer by the second.
“What about you Chii-Chan? Why did you fall in love with a poor-sap like me?” Yamada asked
“I fell in love with you….. because I thought you were cute at first…. But as I got to know you…. You became so much more than that…. You were so responsible… and yet you had that playful side that few keep when they grow older…. You had that small adorable habit of turning into a little kid whenever strawberries were involved… and most of all… I loved the way you spoke to me….. as if I was someone more than just a waiter looking for a tip….. I just felt such a bond with you….. and it’s brought me here….” Chinen smiled
“Chii-Chan?”
“Hm?”
“I think….. in the future…. We’ll be very happy together…. We’ll be a family…. And have kids… and they’ll look just like you…. Adorable in every way…. “
“And when they grow up, they’ll have your smile, and your eyes…. And your…” Chinen never got the last thing out as at that moment, Ryosuke leaned in and kissed him. It was without a doubt, the longest kiss Kento had ever seen between his parents…. And he was strangely…… disgusted by it.
“Ew…. Get a room mom and dad……” He smirked as he playfully closed his eyes.
“Chii-Chan….? Let’s never forget this night…..” Ryosuke said as their kiss broke apart.
“Never……” The other replied….
As Kento watched, his parents hugged and turned their attention to the stars,
“Y-Yama-chan….. w-Whats this?” Kento turned as he heart the distress in Chinen’s voice.
“E-Eh!? Ah!”
Kento turned to see Chinen pull something out of the pocket of Ryosuke’s jacket.
“Kento-kun…. Helped me get dressed…… he pulled this jacket out of my closet…. and I had meant to give it to you on our next date, but I guess I had forgotten to take it out….. but this seems like a good time…..”
Kento gasped as he saw his father get on one knee, he pulled whatever it was that was resting in his mother’s hand and opened it.
“Chinen Yuri…. Will you marry me?”
“R-Ryo…suke…” Chinen’s hands flew to his mouth
“Will you marry me? I want to have a life with you, I want to have those kids, I want to have you beside me….. for as long as I live….”
“Yes! Yes! I will! I will!” Chinen bounced happily as the ring was fitted snuggly around his finger, its permanent resting place.
“Are you tired of looking at your parents yet?” Kento turned to see the Yuma standing in the bushes behind him.
“Y-Yuma!” He scrambled to pretend he wasn't looking.
“You see…. In your past…. You parents never went on this date…. They never talked… and your father never proposed based on what he heard this night…they would have rushed into marriage without really knowing what was in each other’s hearts….”
“So……. I did it?” Kento asked puzzled.
“Yes…. You did it..” Yuma smiled as he put his arm around Kento and again the world fogged up as it vanished into darkness.
“This…. is your future now….” Yuma said as he waved his hands and the same distanced world appeared. This time it seemed as if everything were in fast forward, people flew back and forth, occasionally stopping just enough for him to see what was going on.
Kento watched as he saw the wedding he had helped inspire take place. He smiled happily as his parents both said their “I do”s together. But now he watched as he saw Chinen being carried into what he recognized as their house, then everything sped up and he recognized a much more mature Chinen waddling around, clearly pregnant with his first child. He watched and giggled as his mother went into labor, and his father scrambled out of bed, slamming his knee into various tables a few times before remembering to help Chinen down the stairs and grab his bag; he smiled as he saw himself for the first time, sitting in the small crib that rested beside Chinen’s bed. Then time sped forward again and he watched himself grow up, but what changed now…. Was that he saw a lot more moments with his father…. His parents never fought anymore…. As he watched the events take place….. he began to suddenly remember them….. the camp trip with father and son, the games of baseball and soccer…. Everything. What came next surprised him though, as he watched, his mother began to waddle again and Kento gasped as he realized, in this new future… he had a sibling!
“And this…. is where you get off…. This is the exact moment in time where I pulled you from….. good luck!”
Kento was about to turn when he felt Yuma’s hands on his back give him a firm shove and he crashed into the world before him.
“Unh!” Kento gasped as he jerked awake.
“KENTO!!” He heard his name being called and for a few moments he felt dazed. Had it all been a dream?
“KENTO WAKE UP!” He heard his father’s voice calling and got up, assuming he had gotten in trouble again. Kento opened the door to his room and stepped out into the hallway to see Yamada, his father frantically trying to help a very pregnant and very in-labor Chinen down the stairs.
“Grab your mother’s suitcase! We’ve got to go!” Kento scrambled as he picked up the already packet black suitcase resting at the door to his parent’s room.
Quickly he jumped into the car, lugging the large piece of luggage with him and as a family they sped off in the direction of the hospital.
The events of the next few hours were a blur to him as he found himself pacing the halls outside his mother’s room. Eventually the doctor stepped out and nodded that he was okay for him to go in.
“Mom!? Dad!?” Kento looked around in the room, and found his parents in the middle, Chinen laying on the bed, looking a little worse for wear, and Ryosuke standing beside him, carefully cradling a bundle in his arms.
“Kento…. Say hello….. to your little sister….”
“M-my… little….sister….” He could hardly believe what he was saying…. it was only yesterday that he could remember his old reality….. but as he held the small bundle in his arms, it all sort of…. Sunk in.
“W-What’s…. her name?” Kento asked as he looked at his parents.
Chinen smiled as he held his husband’s hand and the two exchanged a look of love.
“Her name is… Rhea….” Ryosuke smiled as he sat down beside his wife and smiled at him.
“Rhea…..” Kento repeated
“She’s beautiful….” He said as he carried the bundle of warmth in his arms and gently laid his baby sister down upon the small bed nearby.
“Jya… Rhea-Chan…. I’ll love you forever….. and I promise I’ll be a good older brother and protect you from everything! You’ll always be safe…… okay?” Kento smiled as he pulled the blanket up to Rhea’s soft hands.
“Okay?” he asked again, to which a soft coo responded.
Kento turned around to see his parents smiling at each other.
“You’ve worked hard ne?” Ryosuke said gently as he leaned in and kissed the younger boy in the bed.
“It’s for our dream… remember? Our family?” Chinen smiled as he kissed his husband again.
“Ew…. Mommy and daddy are kissing again ne….? Rhea-Chan? But don't’ worry Kento Nii-Chan will protect you!” Kento giggled as he made to cover his and his baby sister’s eyes.
Rhea cooed again, and this time, Kento smiled as he nodded.
“Yeah… mommy and daddy need to find a room…”
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Hm….. this one was interesting to write! Haha I hope you like it Rhea! Hehe I know we had talked about this story…. So I got around to writing it! Tell me whatcha think! And…..Happy Birthday!
~Emmie
Requested by:chiyakenyu (She just doesn't know she requested it... haha)
Title: Shadows of our Changing Pasts
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance
Pairing: YamaChii
Summary: Kento has grown up to the sound of his parents fighting, but what happens when he finally gets the chance to change all that?
Notes: So this story was written based off an idea that randomly came into our conversation, and I figured I'd write it out for her birthday present! This is apparently, my first YamaChii fic so....I hope you like it! And Yes, in this world, there are such things a male wives..... haha
“Shhhh” Kento shushed his friends on the phone as he crept up to the door and pressed his ear against the wooden back of it.
“You’re ALWAYS at work! Why don't you ever want to come home! To me! To your son!”
“Because I cant STAND to have you nag at me all night! That’s it! I’m leaving!”
“No!” Kento gasped as he opened the door and bolted down the small hallway and looked down at the living room, but it was too late, the sounds of a door slamming shut greeted his ears as he looked down to see Chinen crying.
When the other boy looked up to see Kento staring at him on the balcony, he quickly sopped up his tears with his sleeve and put in a forced smile.
“Y-Your father….. won’t be joining us for dinner tonight…”
This was something that was becoming a regular thing in their household, lately his father, Ryosuke would come home exhausted, completely zoned out from his days at work, and through some miracle, he would find the strength to argue with his mother, Chinen who spent the day working at his partime job and cleaning the house…. Making dinner….
“I heard…” Kento bowed his head quietly
“I'm sorry…..” Chinen apologized as he did his best to console his son.
Dinner was a quiet event, no longer the cheery gathering that had once filled their dining room, halfway through the meal, his mother would burst into tears as the little boy couldn’t hold it in anymore and locked himself in the bedroom, leaving Kento to eat alone.
As was his usual routine, Kento finished his meal, put away the extra food and cleaned up the table so Chinen wouldn’t have to worry about it. He went upstairs, did his homework, and sighed as he brushed his teeth for the night. His parents had been fighting like this for over a month already…. And it didn't seem like it was going anywhere but down. In the beginning, he remembered he would cry every time he heard that door slam shut, he would remember the times where his parents would smile at him and their family would be a happy bunch….. why had it changed?
“I wish… I could fix this…. somehow……” He sighed to himself and stared at the ceiling, and the small window that rested above his bed. With a sigh, his hands moved automatically to the familiar switch of the small lamp in his room.
“Oyasumi” He said to no one in particular and shut off the light.
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“Watch out please!” A voice called as suddenly somebody bumped into him.
“Oh! Sorry!” Kento immediately turned and bowed apologetically.
“It’s okay….. are you lost?” Kento raised his head long enough to look at whoever it was had bumped into him, but when he did, his jaw dropped.
“M-Mom…” He muttered quietly
“I’m sorry?” A younger Chinen blinked blankly as he held a tray of coffee cups and biscuits.
“It…it’s me” Kento pointed to himself desperately, wondering why his mother had become so young, and why he wasn’t recognizing him.
“Do.. I…. know you? Maybe you’re mistaking me for someone else….” Chinen said as he bowed and hurried off to deliver the tray back to the counter.
“Ah! Yamada-san! Welcome back! I’ll get you your usual!” Kento’s eyes widened as he turned and looked at the person who just stepped in the door.
“It cant be…..” He gasped as the person took off his hat and beneath lay the face of his father. Kento watched in awe as the younger version of his father walked in and sat down at a table….. he watched as his mother walked over to him, setting down a cup of strongly scented expresso gingerly on the table and smiled at his customer.
It was then that Kento had caught the date upon a nearby newspaper one of the coffee shop’s patrons had left behind. It was……. exactly one month before his parents’ wedding day!
As he watched the scene unfold, he recognized the peaceful smile Chinen had on his face as the same one in the wedding photo Kento had grown up staring at, the very same smile that showed such love, such compassion….. he had missed that. Then he noticed his father, the way Ryosuke held onto the other boy’s hand and gently brushed away the small flecks of biscuit that had lingered upon his future wife’s skin.
“Mom…. And dad…. “ He whispered but as he did he looked around to find everyone around him slowing down…. Slower and slower to a dead stop.
“Is it surprising?” Someone asked
“To see your parents like this?” the same voice asked and Kento turned around to see a boy not much older than himself standing before the window as the sun streamed brightly behind him.
“W-Wha-“
“Kento…… I know what you’re going to ask… and suffice it to say….. your wish has been granted.”
“M-My wish?”
“Your wish has been granted by me…. and now you have the chance to fix your parents relationship.”
“Who….. are you…. And what? I don't know what’s wrong with it though!” Kento grabbed his head as he could barely believe what was going on.
“I…. am the Angel of Love….. you may not know of me…. but I certainly know of you…. The sheer love you share for your parents and the love you want them to rekindle. So I have granted your wish, and you are here, exactly one month before your parents’ wedding. That young man you see sitting at the table, that is really your father from so many years ago, and that young boy you see standing beside him is really your mother. From what I recall from this time, they’ve been going out for just a few days now… and therein lies the problem….”
“W-What do you mean uh… Mr……angel?”
At this the boy smiled as he spread his magnificent wings and in an instant enveloped them in a bright silvery light. When Kento had regained the bravery to open his eyes, he found himself standing at his house again….. only everything was in black and white…. And he felt…. Distanced from….. the world?
“My name…. is Yuma, Nakayama Yuma or at least that's what it was when I was human…. But Yuma is fine…” The boy said as he waved his hands and the world sitting before Kento began to move.
“Behold…. Kento, this is the world you know…. Your parents are close to divorcing…. And your mother will be forced to return to the workforce, struggling to make a comfortable living for you… while your father will be devastated at the loss of his first love and slowly crumble away his life.
As the angel spoke, Kento watched as the world before him sped up and he witnessed everything he was predicting.
“How do I stop it!? You said you know how! You said you know why! Please tell me…” Kento got on his knees and begged.
At this, Yuma smiled as he knelt down on one knee and looked the other boy in the eye. He picked up Kento’s chin with his fingers and said simply:
“You parents rushed into marriage…. They were happy, but they never found the true foundation for their relationship…. They need to discover what makes them so happy…. And build it up before their wedding…. And you are here to help them.”
“M-Me?”
“Who better than their son…?” Yuma smiled again as he helped Kento stand and once again their eyes locked.
“Under no circumstances, are you to share any aspects of the future with them, and under no circumstances may you tell them who you really are…..” Yuma warned sternly as Kento nodded his understanding.
“Then I wish you good luck…..” Yuma smiled as he leaned forward and gently placed a kiss upon Kento’s lips and for a moment, everything went bright again and Kento found himself standing at the small café again, watching his parents give each other a small peck on the cheek.
“Are….. you two in love?” Kento tried to ask nonchalantly as he took a seat beside his father, awkwardly digging in his pocket for money to buy a cup.
“Yes… we’ve just gotten engaged….” Yamada smiled as he pointed to the ring that sat happily around Chinen’s finger.
“Did you forget your wallet at home?” Ryosuke asked as he turned and noticed Kento fumbling with his pockets.
“Yuri….. a cup of coffee for this fine young man here.” Kento looked as his mother turned and nodded, scurrying over and bringing him a cup of steaming hot coffee.
“Thanks….” Kento slowly picked up the cup and sipped, hoping the hotness would wake him from this…… dream. But as he sipped and the first few drops of the brown liquid touched his lips, nothing happened and he opened his eyes again to see Ryosuke staring at him.
“Where….. are you parents son?”
“M-My.. uh… they… I….. don't know….” Kento stumbled around.
“Oh my….. are you okay?” Chinen asked as he stood behind his future husband and looked worriedly at him.
“I…. Uh…”
“Well… if you need a place to stay…. I own a hotel business, and I can find a room for you for a little bit…..” Ryosuke offered as he sipped his coffee and folded his newspaper, putting it aside for now.
“I-If you could…..” Kento bowed shyly.
“Sure young man…. I think its terrible that a young boy like yourself doesn't have a place to go back to… “ Yamada smiled as he put down the money from his wallet and turned to kiss Chinen goodbye.
On the way to the hotel, Kento nervously twitched as he looked at the man who would soon be his father, and he tried his best to strike up a conversation.
“So…. you and Chinen-kun eh?” Kento tried again to start a conversation.
“Yes….”
“How… did you two meet?” If there was ever a time to figure out the parts of his parents’ relationship…. It seemed it was now or never.
“Well…. I came into the shop after a really bad day and he seemed to be able to sense that in me, as he came over and took me to a quiet booth in the back corner of the sitting area. I can still remember the cup of coffee he brought me… a special blend you know….. one that just barely hinted the presence of strawberries… my favorite. We talked a bit… I was new in town…. And Chi-Chan…. Er…. Chinen-kun and I…. we…. You know….. snuck around…. And before I knew it….. I fell in love….”
Kento smiled as he noted the small glint in his father’s eyes.
“B-But what drew you to him…. really…..?”
“I think…. It was the way he was always so happy, his smile… the adorable way he twirls around on his heels when he thinks no one is looking….” Yamada sighed and before he realized it, the car had stopped in front of the hotel and he stepped out, leaving Kento in the care of a particularly tall bell boy.
“This is your room….” The man said, as he pointed to a quiet room in the corner of the hallway.
Although the room was quiet the beautiful spectacle…. Kento could hardly believe his situation still…
As he sat quietly on his bed, Kento dug through his memory, trying to figure out just what he knew about his parents…
“It’s not easy is it?” Kento turned around to see the same boy, the one from the restaurant..
“Y-Yuma?”
“It’s not easy to fix love is it?”
“N-No….”
“Then…. Don’t try and fix it….”
“B-But!”
“Listen, Kento-kun, there is nothing wrong with the love between your father and your mother…. You need to see that… what I sent you back here, is to help you remind your parents, just what it was that brought them together……”
“I….”
“But be warned, if you try too hard to fix what you think is broken… you could end up changing things a bit too much…. If you messed it up and your parents never marry….. you will never be born and…..well…. in any case, you have 24 hours….starting now…” Yuma’s voice faded as Kento turned with a multitude of questions to ask.
“W-Wha-?” Now the room was empty again.
“H-Hey!” He called out, but found no response.
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“Mou… naaze?” Kento sighed to himself as he brushed his teeth early the next morning, his future father had sent a note saying that he had been called out and that the hotel would provide breakfast for him…. but maybe today…. He felt like something more along the lines of coffee….
Smiling, he slipped on his clothes, the only thing he had in this world, and walked out in the direction of the small coffee shop. After getting lost a few times, he eventually found his way again, and smiled as he noticed his mother busy cleaning tables and bringing customers cups of their precious brewed coffee. He sat down at the table and waited patiently before he felt a slight tap on his shoulder.
“Hi there….” Chinen smiled back at him as he put down a cup of coffee.
“H-Hi….” Kento stuttered
“What brings you all the way back here?”
“I… was er…. Erhm…. Looking for advice….” Kento immediately came up with his back story.
“Oh?”
“Yeah…. You see……” Before he could stop himself, a whole fictional world erupted out of his mouth, he pretended he was in love, but was too afraid of rushing into things, he pretended that he wanted so desperately to know his made up boyfriend and that he needed help coming up with ideas…. Which led him to……
“If you…… really wanted to know… Yamada-Kun, what… would you do?” For a brief second, Kento felt rather proud of himself, having slipped that in casually.
“Iya ne…. I guess come to think about it…. I haven’t really known Yama-chan that long…. But I think….. for me….. Just a night alone, where we could talk, sit and stare at the stars, hold each other and smiled as the gentle night around us brought music to our ears…. It would be… the most romantic evening…. And how he reacts during all this…. would be your answer….That’s just what I think anyway……” Chinen blushed shyly as his own imagination had taken hold of him, letting him experience his radical daydreams.
After a few more random conversations with his future mother, Kento smiled politely, paid for his coffee and began to recall the way back to the hotel.
“Bye Mom!
“What?”
“Er… Bye Chinen-Kun!” Kento rushed out quickly before any more questions were asked.
“Such a nice boy….. his parents must have raised his well….” Chinen smiled, as he turned to the empty cup Kento had left behind.
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“You two already have a date for tonight eh?” Kento asked as he watched Yamada slip on the finishing touches to his outfit.
“Y-Yeah…. I’m nervous thought ne? I think… I’ve run out of all my… romantic ideas…” Ryosuke sighed as he straightened his tie in the mirror.
“Oh?” Kento asked playfully as he pulled the blazer he had seen his father wear so many times before, it was new now, but he knew that in time, it would be given to wear, and his mother…. Would sew it up again and again.
“Yeah… I hope…… he likes just a quiet night alone…. With the two of us….”
“I’m sure… he will…. Why don't you two go….. to the top of the hill in Sougyo Park, they say that you can see the stars there, and listen to the musicians that play there during the nights….” Kento suggested slyly as he helped the other into his jacket.
“Y-Yeah! Thanks! Hey this is my favorite one! How did you know?” Yamada asked as he examined the blazer that had been put on him.
“Oh…. I just know….. trust me….” Kento smiled knowingly as he quickly sent his future father out.
“Take your time! Be nice! Get to know each other!” He waved as he saw the car pull up and Ryosuke stepped in.
“…..feel free to conceive me…..” Kento muttered as the car drove off into the distance.
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“They’re beautiful!” Chinen gasped in surprise as he met with a large bundle of flowers and a smiling, very happy Yamada.
“Ne… Chii-Chan…”
“Hm?”
“I was…. thinking maybe we could…. Spend a quiet night together?” Yamada looked sheepishly at his future wife. This would be the moment where Chinen would either think him cheap, or find him romantic and it was a make or break deal…
“I’d love to!” Chinen hugged Yamada happily as he sniffed the sweet roses that rested in his hands. He couldn’t help but feel his heart float on air as the dreams he had been having began to resurface. He imagined a soft moonlit picnic with Ryosuke, the grass just barely bending with the gentle breeze around them. His eyes would travel from the small piece of cheese he would be holding until they met with the boy with whom he was in love with. He remembered noticing the pure white glow that surrounded Ryosuke as their eyes met, and he would sheepishly offer the piece of food in his hands and Yamada would smile as he took a bite…
And that’s exactly….. what happened.
“Delicious…..” Ryosuke giggled as he chewed on the small piece of cheese he had just been fed.
“Yama-chan….”
“Hm?”
“What….. do you think will happen to us…. In the future?” Chinen asked as he put aside all the uneaten food and leaned in, resting his head on the other boy’s chest.
“I don't know….I hope…. We’ll be happy together….”
“Ah!” Chinen made a lunge for a small orange that had been knocked loose by a strong wind, but missed. They watched as it rolled its way into the nearby bushes and the plant gave a shiver, as if it were bothered by the small ball that had collided with it.
“Leave it, it’s okay… maybe a squirrel will eat it….” Ryosuke said as he pulled Chinen closer.
Little did the two boys know, that hidden behind that bush and intently trying to eavesdrop was none other than their future son….. Kento.
“Oh!” He whispered quietly as the orange stumbled into his feet and he picked it up, after not eating dinner, he was starving. He listened carefully and smiled as things were going smoothly.
“Ne ne, Yama-chan…..I’ve been wondering this for a while….. and it wasn't until Kento-kun came and asked me… but what about me did you fall in love with? I mean… I’m not rich…. I'm just a small waiter in a coffee shop… I'm not smart… just average….I…”
“I fell in love with you because you’re so carefree, so different than everyone I’ve ever met. You weren’t attracted to me because I had money, you didn't expect more than I could give, but most of all…..I fell in love with you…. Because….”
Chinen turned his head to look at the boy beside him.
“Because?”
“Because of that small gleam in your eye every time I see you…. You’re so beautiful and so full of hope…”
At this point, the younger boy blushed as the words rushed from his ears to his heart and he felt himself grow warmer by the second.
“What about you Chii-Chan? Why did you fall in love with a poor-sap like me?” Yamada asked
“I fell in love with you….. because I thought you were cute at first…. But as I got to know you…. You became so much more than that…. You were so responsible… and yet you had that playful side that few keep when they grow older…. You had that small adorable habit of turning into a little kid whenever strawberries were involved… and most of all… I loved the way you spoke to me….. as if I was someone more than just a waiter looking for a tip….. I just felt such a bond with you….. and it’s brought me here….” Chinen smiled
“Chii-Chan?”
“Hm?”
“I think….. in the future…. We’ll be very happy together…. We’ll be a family…. And have kids… and they’ll look just like you…. Adorable in every way…. “
“And when they grow up, they’ll have your smile, and your eyes…. And your…” Chinen never got the last thing out as at that moment, Ryosuke leaned in and kissed him. It was without a doubt, the longest kiss Kento had ever seen between his parents…. And he was strangely…… disgusted by it.
“Ew…. Get a room mom and dad……” He smirked as he playfully closed his eyes.
“Chii-Chan….? Let’s never forget this night…..” Ryosuke said as their kiss broke apart.
“Never……” The other replied….
As Kento watched, his parents hugged and turned their attention to the stars,
“Y-Yama-chan….. w-Whats this?” Kento turned as he heart the distress in Chinen’s voice.
“E-Eh!? Ah!”
Kento turned to see Chinen pull something out of the pocket of Ryosuke’s jacket.
“Kento-kun…. Helped me get dressed…… he pulled this jacket out of my closet…. and I had meant to give it to you on our next date, but I guess I had forgotten to take it out….. but this seems like a good time…..”
Kento gasped as he saw his father get on one knee, he pulled whatever it was that was resting in his mother’s hand and opened it.
“Chinen Yuri…. Will you marry me?”
“R-Ryo…suke…” Chinen’s hands flew to his mouth
“Will you marry me? I want to have a life with you, I want to have those kids, I want to have you beside me….. for as long as I live….”
“Yes! Yes! I will! I will!” Chinen bounced happily as the ring was fitted snuggly around his finger, its permanent resting place.
“Are you tired of looking at your parents yet?” Kento turned to see the Yuma standing in the bushes behind him.
“Y-Yuma!” He scrambled to pretend he wasn't looking.
“You see…. In your past…. You parents never went on this date…. They never talked… and your father never proposed based on what he heard this night…they would have rushed into marriage without really knowing what was in each other’s hearts….”
“So……. I did it?” Kento asked puzzled.
“Yes…. You did it..” Yuma smiled as he put his arm around Kento and again the world fogged up as it vanished into darkness.
“This…. is your future now….” Yuma said as he waved his hands and the same distanced world appeared. This time it seemed as if everything were in fast forward, people flew back and forth, occasionally stopping just enough for him to see what was going on.
Kento watched as he saw the wedding he had helped inspire take place. He smiled happily as his parents both said their “I do”s together. But now he watched as he saw Chinen being carried into what he recognized as their house, then everything sped up and he recognized a much more mature Chinen waddling around, clearly pregnant with his first child. He watched and giggled as his mother went into labor, and his father scrambled out of bed, slamming his knee into various tables a few times before remembering to help Chinen down the stairs and grab his bag; he smiled as he saw himself for the first time, sitting in the small crib that rested beside Chinen’s bed. Then time sped forward again and he watched himself grow up, but what changed now…. Was that he saw a lot more moments with his father…. His parents never fought anymore…. As he watched the events take place….. he began to suddenly remember them….. the camp trip with father and son, the games of baseball and soccer…. Everything. What came next surprised him though, as he watched, his mother began to waddle again and Kento gasped as he realized, in this new future… he had a sibling!
“And this…. is where you get off…. This is the exact moment in time where I pulled you from….. good luck!”
Kento was about to turn when he felt Yuma’s hands on his back give him a firm shove and he crashed into the world before him.
“Unh!” Kento gasped as he jerked awake.
“KENTO!!” He heard his name being called and for a few moments he felt dazed. Had it all been a dream?
“KENTO WAKE UP!” He heard his father’s voice calling and got up, assuming he had gotten in trouble again. Kento opened the door to his room and stepped out into the hallway to see Yamada, his father frantically trying to help a very pregnant and very in-labor Chinen down the stairs.
“Grab your mother’s suitcase! We’ve got to go!” Kento scrambled as he picked up the already packet black suitcase resting at the door to his parent’s room.
Quickly he jumped into the car, lugging the large piece of luggage with him and as a family they sped off in the direction of the hospital.
The events of the next few hours were a blur to him as he found himself pacing the halls outside his mother’s room. Eventually the doctor stepped out and nodded that he was okay for him to go in.
“Mom!? Dad!?” Kento looked around in the room, and found his parents in the middle, Chinen laying on the bed, looking a little worse for wear, and Ryosuke standing beside him, carefully cradling a bundle in his arms.
“Kento…. Say hello….. to your little sister….”
“M-my… little….sister….” He could hardly believe what he was saying…. it was only yesterday that he could remember his old reality….. but as he held the small bundle in his arms, it all sort of…. Sunk in.
“W-What’s…. her name?” Kento asked as he looked at his parents.
Chinen smiled as he held his husband’s hand and the two exchanged a look of love.
“Her name is… Rhea….” Ryosuke smiled as he sat down beside his wife and smiled at him.
“Rhea…..” Kento repeated
“She’s beautiful….” He said as he carried the bundle of warmth in his arms and gently laid his baby sister down upon the small bed nearby.
“Jya… Rhea-Chan…. I’ll love you forever….. and I promise I’ll be a good older brother and protect you from everything! You’ll always be safe…… okay?” Kento smiled as he pulled the blanket up to Rhea’s soft hands.
“Okay?” he asked again, to which a soft coo responded.
Kento turned around to see his parents smiling at each other.
“You’ve worked hard ne?” Ryosuke said gently as he leaned in and kissed the younger boy in the bed.
“It’s for our dream… remember? Our family?” Chinen smiled as he kissed his husband again.
“Ew…. Mommy and daddy are kissing again ne….? Rhea-Chan? But don't’ worry Kento Nii-Chan will protect you!” Kento giggled as he made to cover his and his baby sister’s eyes.
Rhea cooed again, and this time, Kento smiled as he nodded.
“Yeah… mommy and daddy need to find a room…”
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Hm….. this one was interesting to write! Haha I hope you like it Rhea! Hehe I know we had talked about this story…. So I got around to writing it! Tell me whatcha think! And…..Happy Birthday!
~Emmie