New World's Worth - Part Four: Family
Title: New World's Worth - Part Four: Family
Rating: NC:17, just to be safe
Characters: Daisuke, Riku, Emiko, Kosuke
Home smelled like gingersnap cookies. Emiko loved to cook and most of the time, chances were it was a dessert, but no matter what she baked the air always had a touch of warm gingersnap scent.
Daisuke stepped inside, breathing deeply and side-stepping where the pitfall had always been out of sheer survival instinct. It’d been deactivated years before, but old habits die hard.
“Welcome home, Daisuke.” Kosuke propped against the wall, holding out a cup of steaming green tea.
Daisuke smiled, setting his bag in the hall and slipping off his shoes before taking the cup. “Thanks.”
“Long day?” Kosuke asked, moving into the living room to sit on the couch. He turned off the TV and refilled his own cup.
Something about the question made Daisuke think Riku had mentioned Satoshi, though it was hard to be sure when it was his father asking. “Not too long,” he replied, sinking into the chair Daiki had always used. He’d passed away a few years before, peacefully in his sleep, though he’d at least been able to see the first year of Sakura’s life.
“Eventful?”
Daisuke looked at his father, exasperated. “I met with Hiwatari-kun.”
“Oh? I thought he was in America. How’s he doing?”
He nearly spit green tea across the room at the nonchalant response. “You knew?”
Kosuke nodded and flicked his fingers at the TV. “There was some news report on him a while back. Apparently his company is one of the fastest-growing around the world.”
Daisuke stared at his father in disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Kosuke tilted his head. “You never asked for help. And I didn’t think you were looking anymore.”
The knowledge that Kosuke knew he’d been looking for Satoshi caused his face to heat, embarrassed and angry at once. He’d known, probably since day one. Daisuke had been desperate at first and hadn’t really tried to hide it, but he’d been a kid who’d just lost the only other person in the world who could even come close to understanding. Granted, their experiences as Tamers were like night and day, but they’d still been connected. He’d thought that connection would always be there. And then it was gone. Just like that. All because he’d been an innocent, confused kid.
“Daddy!” Sakura came barreling down the stairs, smears of paint all over her hands and arms.
“I see someone let you make a mess.” Daisuke laughed as Kosuke caught her before she could dive into the couch. “I bet grandma would love a hug right now.”
Sakura grinned and squirmed away from Kosuke to run into the kitchen. “Gramma!”
Kosuke shook his head and gave Daisuke a look. “You know she’ll blame me for that.”
Daisuke grinned and sipped his tea. “How was Hawaii?”
“It was great.” Kosuke smiled, rubbing at a partly dried smear of paint on his arm. “Until your mother found what she swore was an artifact.”
“How long before that happened?”
Kosuke snorted and shook his head. “She found it in the airport.”
Emiko poked her head in from the kitchen. “Oh, don’t listen to him, Dai-chan, he’s just mad he wasn’t as good at surfing as he used to be.”
“I surf just fine.”
She smiled sweetly and disappeared back into the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready.”
Daisuke shared a look with his father and chuckled. They settled around the table to eat, Kosuke taking Daiki’s old place. His passing had been hard on all of them, and he suspected it was one of the reasons Kosuke and Emiko traveled more lately. He wondered if they’d travel more if they didn’t always come back with more artifacts than souvenirs. He almost felt sorry for his father.
Dinner consisted of spaghetti and breadsticks, stories and laughter. Daisuke found it near impossible to focus on the conversation, his meeting with Satoshi replaying itself in the back of his mind. It hadn’t been satisfying in the least - pointless words, really. Meaningless and far too short. If only they’d had more time. He cursed Satoshi for that, knowing he’d planned it accordingly. Even as little as they knew of each other - or rather how little he knew of Satoshi’s current life - Satoshi still knew him too well. They still knew each other too well. They may have both grown, matured, carved out their lives with what was left to them, but everyone had a simple, basic nature.
Satoshi’s was to command.
It was that alone that made him push for the holiday meeting, and that alone that made him wonder if Satoshi would show. Satoshi had kept track of him over the years yet never made an effort to reestablish contact. That little fact hurt more than anything else. Not showing for the wedding he could almost understand, could almost forgive, but ten years of chosen silence?
A hand on his arm pulled him back and he glanced at Riku with a smile of apology, reaching up to squeeze her fingers. “So you brought the artifact back?” he asked dryly, glancing to his parents.
“Of course, Dai-chan! It needed sealed and to be stored properly,” Emiko replied, giving him a look like he’d grown a second head in the few weeks since they’d seen each other.
Of course it had, he thought bitterly. The slowly yet ever-growing museum in their basement was depressing really. All that art, meant to be shared with the world, locked away in darkness. His fingers moved to Dark’s feather, comfort and guilt clashing inside him.
Emiko cleared the dishes with Riku’s help and replaced them with peach cobbler and ice cream, which Sakura went crazy over.
“So are you going back to Hawaii soon? Maybe actually see the beaches?” Daisuke asked with a grin.
“I think Ireland is next,” Kosuke said, a resigned tone to his voice.
Daisuke nearly choked. “Ireland?”
Emiko beamed. “Yes! It sounds so romantic. Oh, I can’t wait!”
Daisuke looked to his father and would have laughed if he didn’t know his mother so well. “But... isn’t there a lot of local folklore and artifacts there?”
“Oh Dai-chan, don’t be so pessimistic. Irish magic has existed for so long, I wouldn’t dream of trying to seal it.” She sipped her coffee, oblivious to the silence that fell. When she finally noticed, she looked between Daisuke and Kosuke with a raised eyebrow. “What?”
“Really?”
“Of course. Besides, even if I wanted to, I doubt we could. Their rituals are too different. At least with the Hikari art, we know how it was made and how to seal it.”
Kosuke laughed softly and poked at his dessert. “If I’d known that, I’d have suggested it before. Ireland is an enchanting place.”
Dessert quickly degenerated into significant looks that Daisuke was far too eager to escape. He loved his parents dearly, but being around when they were feeling... frisky was not his idea of a good time. Thankfully, Riku was of a like mind. Usually they spent the night, but it was still early enough they headed home after gathering their things.
They said their goodnights and Daisuke stole a kiss from Riku by the cars. “See you at home.”
“Drive safe,” she said and winked.
It made his blood run hot the same way it had in college and he knew he was grinning like an idiot as one word ran through his head. Sex! He climbed into his car and followed Riku back home, the thirty minute drive seeming to take twice as long. Satoshi was the last thing on his mind when presented with the chance of sex, though there was that one tiny part of him that remembered those few moments locked in the art room with Satoshi. Warm fingers and lips, hands stronger than Riku’s and far more intense.
He was having trouble breathing by the time he pulled into the driveway, sitting a few minutes to catch his breath. He almost felt guilty for such thoughts, but there wasn’t much he could do when that memory had given him more frustration than he ever cared to admit. He gripped the steering wheel, taking a few deep breaths before trusting himself to get out. The cool night air at least helped clear his head.
Riku was just tucking Sakura in and together they read her her favorite story of the Princess Sakura trapped in the tower, with hair long enough to pull up her Prince. She was asleep within ten minutes and they left her with a smile on her face.
Daisuke still had his grin as Riku took his hand and led him to their bedroom and it didn’t leave his face, even through all the fumbling and the laughing, and definitely not when they finally collapsed side by side, completely spent. Sex with Riku always felt like the first time and he wrapped his arms around her with a sigh of content. Several minutes passed in companionable silence before she broke it.
“How’d your meeting go?”
“Good.” As good as could be expected anyway.
“Yeah?” She didn’t sound too convinced.
“Yeah.” Daisuke smiled and kissed her hair, glancing at their linked hands. “Actually I um... invited him to dinner for the holiday.”
“Ah. Well I’m sure - wait, invited him here?”
Daisuke nearly winced as she pulled away with an incredulous look. “Are you mad?”
Riku sighed then groaned, rubbing at her face. “You should have asked me first.”
“I know. I’m sorry; it kind of just slipped out.”
She was silent a moment, finally giving him a look that made him cringe. “Are we inviting anyone else?”
“What about Risa?” She and Satoshi had seemed to get along, before he disappeared.
“She’s working. Takeshi?”
“Still in Europe, and I’m not sure how well they’d get along.” Daisuke sighed and shrugged. They had a few casual friends, though most of them were couples, and Satoshi had never been too social. He was sure that hadn’t changed.
“So just us then? Should we get a babysitter?”
Daisuke considered for all of a heartbeat before shaking his head. “I want him to meet us as a family.”
Riku smiled, running her fingers through unruly red hair before sighing again. “I don’t even know what foods he likes.”
Daisuke leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I’m sure whatever you make will be delicious. And there’s always takeout if not.” He saw the pillow coming and didn’t try to stop it, watching as she put her back to him. “Riku?”
“Hate you,” she said, voice muffled by the pillow.
He grinned and spooned against her from behind. “Love you, too.”
Rating: NC:17, just to be safe
Characters: Daisuke, Riku, Emiko, Kosuke
Home smelled like gingersnap cookies. Emiko loved to cook and most of the time, chances were it was a dessert, but no matter what she baked the air always had a touch of warm gingersnap scent.
Daisuke stepped inside, breathing deeply and side-stepping where the pitfall had always been out of sheer survival instinct. It’d been deactivated years before, but old habits die hard.
“Welcome home, Daisuke.” Kosuke propped against the wall, holding out a cup of steaming green tea.
Daisuke smiled, setting his bag in the hall and slipping off his shoes before taking the cup. “Thanks.”
“Long day?” Kosuke asked, moving into the living room to sit on the couch. He turned off the TV and refilled his own cup.
Something about the question made Daisuke think Riku had mentioned Satoshi, though it was hard to be sure when it was his father asking. “Not too long,” he replied, sinking into the chair Daiki had always used. He’d passed away a few years before, peacefully in his sleep, though he’d at least been able to see the first year of Sakura’s life.
“Eventful?”
Daisuke looked at his father, exasperated. “I met with Hiwatari-kun.”
“Oh? I thought he was in America. How’s he doing?”
He nearly spit green tea across the room at the nonchalant response. “You knew?”
Kosuke nodded and flicked his fingers at the TV. “There was some news report on him a while back. Apparently his company is one of the fastest-growing around the world.”
Daisuke stared at his father in disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Kosuke tilted his head. “You never asked for help. And I didn’t think you were looking anymore.”
The knowledge that Kosuke knew he’d been looking for Satoshi caused his face to heat, embarrassed and angry at once. He’d known, probably since day one. Daisuke had been desperate at first and hadn’t really tried to hide it, but he’d been a kid who’d just lost the only other person in the world who could even come close to understanding. Granted, their experiences as Tamers were like night and day, but they’d still been connected. He’d thought that connection would always be there. And then it was gone. Just like that. All because he’d been an innocent, confused kid.
“Daddy!” Sakura came barreling down the stairs, smears of paint all over her hands and arms.
“I see someone let you make a mess.” Daisuke laughed as Kosuke caught her before she could dive into the couch. “I bet grandma would love a hug right now.”
Sakura grinned and squirmed away from Kosuke to run into the kitchen. “Gramma!”
Kosuke shook his head and gave Daisuke a look. “You know she’ll blame me for that.”
Daisuke grinned and sipped his tea. “How was Hawaii?”
“It was great.” Kosuke smiled, rubbing at a partly dried smear of paint on his arm. “Until your mother found what she swore was an artifact.”
“How long before that happened?”
Kosuke snorted and shook his head. “She found it in the airport.”
Emiko poked her head in from the kitchen. “Oh, don’t listen to him, Dai-chan, he’s just mad he wasn’t as good at surfing as he used to be.”
“I surf just fine.”
She smiled sweetly and disappeared back into the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready.”
Daisuke shared a look with his father and chuckled. They settled around the table to eat, Kosuke taking Daiki’s old place. His passing had been hard on all of them, and he suspected it was one of the reasons Kosuke and Emiko traveled more lately. He wondered if they’d travel more if they didn’t always come back with more artifacts than souvenirs. He almost felt sorry for his father.
Dinner consisted of spaghetti and breadsticks, stories and laughter. Daisuke found it near impossible to focus on the conversation, his meeting with Satoshi replaying itself in the back of his mind. It hadn’t been satisfying in the least - pointless words, really. Meaningless and far too short. If only they’d had more time. He cursed Satoshi for that, knowing he’d planned it accordingly. Even as little as they knew of each other - or rather how little he knew of Satoshi’s current life - Satoshi still knew him too well. They still knew each other too well. They may have both grown, matured, carved out their lives with what was left to them, but everyone had a simple, basic nature.
Satoshi’s was to command.
It was that alone that made him push for the holiday meeting, and that alone that made him wonder if Satoshi would show. Satoshi had kept track of him over the years yet never made an effort to reestablish contact. That little fact hurt more than anything else. Not showing for the wedding he could almost understand, could almost forgive, but ten years of chosen silence?
A hand on his arm pulled him back and he glanced at Riku with a smile of apology, reaching up to squeeze her fingers. “So you brought the artifact back?” he asked dryly, glancing to his parents.
“Of course, Dai-chan! It needed sealed and to be stored properly,” Emiko replied, giving him a look like he’d grown a second head in the few weeks since they’d seen each other.
Of course it had, he thought bitterly. The slowly yet ever-growing museum in their basement was depressing really. All that art, meant to be shared with the world, locked away in darkness. His fingers moved to Dark’s feather, comfort and guilt clashing inside him.
Emiko cleared the dishes with Riku’s help and replaced them with peach cobbler and ice cream, which Sakura went crazy over.
“So are you going back to Hawaii soon? Maybe actually see the beaches?” Daisuke asked with a grin.
“I think Ireland is next,” Kosuke said, a resigned tone to his voice.
Daisuke nearly choked. “Ireland?”
Emiko beamed. “Yes! It sounds so romantic. Oh, I can’t wait!”
Daisuke looked to his father and would have laughed if he didn’t know his mother so well. “But... isn’t there a lot of local folklore and artifacts there?”
“Oh Dai-chan, don’t be so pessimistic. Irish magic has existed for so long, I wouldn’t dream of trying to seal it.” She sipped her coffee, oblivious to the silence that fell. When she finally noticed, she looked between Daisuke and Kosuke with a raised eyebrow. “What?”
“Really?”
“Of course. Besides, even if I wanted to, I doubt we could. Their rituals are too different. At least with the Hikari art, we know how it was made and how to seal it.”
Kosuke laughed softly and poked at his dessert. “If I’d known that, I’d have suggested it before. Ireland is an enchanting place.”
Dessert quickly degenerated into significant looks that Daisuke was far too eager to escape. He loved his parents dearly, but being around when they were feeling... frisky was not his idea of a good time. Thankfully, Riku was of a like mind. Usually they spent the night, but it was still early enough they headed home after gathering their things.
They said their goodnights and Daisuke stole a kiss from Riku by the cars. “See you at home.”
“Drive safe,” she said and winked.
It made his blood run hot the same way it had in college and he knew he was grinning like an idiot as one word ran through his head. Sex! He climbed into his car and followed Riku back home, the thirty minute drive seeming to take twice as long. Satoshi was the last thing on his mind when presented with the chance of sex, though there was that one tiny part of him that remembered those few moments locked in the art room with Satoshi. Warm fingers and lips, hands stronger than Riku’s and far more intense.
He was having trouble breathing by the time he pulled into the driveway, sitting a few minutes to catch his breath. He almost felt guilty for such thoughts, but there wasn’t much he could do when that memory had given him more frustration than he ever cared to admit. He gripped the steering wheel, taking a few deep breaths before trusting himself to get out. The cool night air at least helped clear his head.
Riku was just tucking Sakura in and together they read her her favorite story of the Princess Sakura trapped in the tower, with hair long enough to pull up her Prince. She was asleep within ten minutes and they left her with a smile on her face.
Daisuke still had his grin as Riku took his hand and led him to their bedroom and it didn’t leave his face, even through all the fumbling and the laughing, and definitely not when they finally collapsed side by side, completely spent. Sex with Riku always felt like the first time and he wrapped his arms around her with a sigh of content. Several minutes passed in companionable silence before she broke it.
“How’d your meeting go?”
“Good.” As good as could be expected anyway.
“Yeah?” She didn’t sound too convinced.
“Yeah.” Daisuke smiled and kissed her hair, glancing at their linked hands. “Actually I um... invited him to dinner for the holiday.”
“Ah. Well I’m sure - wait, invited him here?”
Daisuke nearly winced as she pulled away with an incredulous look. “Are you mad?”
Riku sighed then groaned, rubbing at her face. “You should have asked me first.”
“I know. I’m sorry; it kind of just slipped out.”
She was silent a moment, finally giving him a look that made him cringe. “Are we inviting anyone else?”
“What about Risa?” She and Satoshi had seemed to get along, before he disappeared.
“She’s working. Takeshi?”
“Still in Europe, and I’m not sure how well they’d get along.” Daisuke sighed and shrugged. They had a few casual friends, though most of them were couples, and Satoshi had never been too social. He was sure that hadn’t changed.
“So just us then? Should we get a babysitter?”
Daisuke considered for all of a heartbeat before shaking his head. “I want him to meet us as a family.”
Riku smiled, running her fingers through unruly red hair before sighing again. “I don’t even know what foods he likes.”
Daisuke leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I’m sure whatever you make will be delicious. And there’s always takeout if not.” He saw the pillow coming and didn’t try to stop it, watching as she put her back to him. “Riku?”
“Hate you,” she said, voice muffled by the pillow.
He grinned and spooned against her from behind. “Love you, too.”