The 9 Millimeter Kiss - Chapter 53: Chapter 53

"Yuki-chan,"
"Yeah?"
"Do you have a quirk?" Tenji asked.
Yuki looked away from his puzzle in thought before shrugging.
"You don't know?"
Yuki shook his head. "Nope."
"Don't you want one?" Tenji frowned.
"I don't need one." Yuki simply replied.
Tenji nodded at his reasoning. "You don't want to be a hero?"
Yuki picked up a puzzle piece looking around for where he could fit it. "No."
"Eh~" Tenji smirked. "That's unusual."
"Why?" Yuki asked.
Tenji went to sit across from Yuki and the puzzle. "All little kids want to be heroes."
He told Yuki.
"Why not you?" Tenji picked up a piece, fiddling with it.
Yuki shrugged again, "I don't know. But if so many want to be heroes,"
Yuki reached up to grab the puzzle from Tenji and placed it exactly where it belonged.
"Then there will be more than enough."
"He needs friends." Tenji bluntly told Takumi.
"What?"
"Yuki-chan," Tenji elaborated. "He needs friends."
"He goes to the park every now and then." Takumi told him as he prepared dinner.
"Have you seen him play with other kids?"
Takumi began to dice the vegetables.
"I ask him how it goes every time he comes back. He says he plays with the kids there."
Tenji frowned. "That's it?"
"He's a kid. He plays with other kids at the park. What else is there?" Takumi asked Tenji as though it were obvious enough.
"I'm gonna follow him tomorrow." Tenji resolved.
"He's fine."
"He's 4 and reading encyclopedias!"
Takumi shrugged. "I'm not forcing him."
"But--" a growl of frustration, "He's should be--"
"Tenji, I think you're forgetting who he gets that from." Takumi stated, wiping the vegetables into the broth.
Tenji scoffed before throwing his arms up in defeat, leaving the kitchen. "He's as oblivious as you in some instances too."
Takumi was about to reply but noticed Tenji was no longer there.
"Yuki-chan, do you want to go school?" Tenji asked the boy.
"School?"
"Yeah, the kids in the neighborhood all go to school."
Yuki didn't bother hiding his frown.
Tenji chuckled, "What's with that face?"
Yuki continued to frown, not giving the man a reply.
"Stop trying to persuade him." Takumi sighed standing at the doorway. "If he doesn't want to go. He won't go."
"But Taku-kun!"
"Yuki don't worry about school. Wanna ditch the weirdo and go buy watermelon?"
"Watermelon!" Yuki cheered, throwing his hands up.
"Is it really only because he's quirkless you don't want him to go to school?" Tenji asked once again as Takumi pushed along the shopping cart.
"There are a couple other reasons." Takumi admitted. "But I don't think it's much to worry about."
Tenji scoffed, watching as Yuki ran ahead to the refrigerated section.
"If it's keeping you from enrolling him then it is something to worry abou--"
"Yuki! I've warned you before. Don't climb the shelves." Takumi interrupted.
The little boy looked over to his Papa before slowly stepping down. A smile of mischievousness on his face.
"Start misbehaving and no watermelon."
With a pout Yuki nodded, continuing his little exploration around the store.
"So?" Tenji began, "why is it he can't go to school?"
Takumi paused to look at the frozen meats. "He hasn't gotten sick."
"That sounds like you're just bragging of being a good parent."
The man rolled his eyes, picking out what it was he was he needed.
"I mean he really hasn't gotten sick. Not ever. I've brought this up to the doctors and taken him almost everywhere before you came. They can't find anything wrong with him." Takumi explained.
"So no fever? No cold? Not even a sneeze?" Tenji asked.
"Well yes sneezes but mostly when I'm using too many spices and the house fills up with the odor." Takumi paused again to look at the pudding cup prices.
"And you're worried because....?"
"His mother used to get sick all the time, she was allergic to anything she didn't grow herself. And when she did get sick it was unbearable to even look at her suffering."
Tenji frowned, shoving his hands into his sweater pockets.
"And you're worried it'll eventually kick in like it did to her."
"...yeah. On top of that look at him," Takumi nodded at Yuki who was staring up at the bag of chip sections, hands behind his back.
"He's quirkless and smaller than the rest of his age group. He'll more than likely get picked on and pushed around."
"Then teach him to fight." Tenji smirked, bumping his shoulder.
"I would but I'm an English Professor." Takumi sighed. "And the amount of entitled parents calling in to change their grown adult children's' grades are more than enough to give me a headache. I wouldn't be able to stand the parents from little kids."
Tenji chuckled.
"Papa can we get chips!" Yuki asked as he pointed to the ones out of his grasp. If he didn't climb.
"No. You were picking at your vegetables last night."
"Papa~"
"Don't worry, Yuki-chan! Uncle Shin will buy them for you." Tenji smiled reaching for the bag and going to place it in the cart.
Takumi immediately slapped his hand. "I don't think so. You're spoiling him too much!"
"Yuki! Hurry up or we're leaving without you!" Takumi shouted.
"No!" A small cry replied.
"He might need help." Tenji suggested, carrying out a large bag that held tents.
They were going camping and hiking for the next week before summer ended. And Tenji wouldn't point it out but he could obviously see and tell Takumi was excited to get back to hiking.
"Father! I require assistance!"
The younger of the men snickered. Looking away from the elder who sent glares at him.
"What are you teaching him?"
"N-nothing really..." Tenji replied holding back his laughter.
With a sigh he let the man be.
Tenji continued to wait by the door, listening to their conversation.
"Look at you, using fancy words. You're really growing up now, aren't you?"
"Correct!"
"Alright, then..."
"--and when I tell you it was crazy. It was crazy. The place was nice but the people don't know when to stop." Tenji ranted.
Yuki had gotten bored 30 minutes into the car ride and in order to entertain him Tenji decided to share his stories of the time he was overseas.
"And let me tell you, Yuki-chan. Jail is no fun." Tenji nodded, looking back at the enthralled boy.
"You went to jail?!" Yuki awed from his booster seat.
"Oh yes." Tenji smiled biting off a piece of beef jerky before feeding it to Takumi.
"Once in Monopoly."
Takumi began to choke, the car lightly swerving.
"Are you alright?!" Tenji laughed, hitting Takumi's back who only continued to choke.
"What the hell?!" the man glared at Tenji.
"Eyes on the road sweetheart!" Tenji innocently smiled, turning the man's face forward.
"Again!" Yuki cried out, having found the swerving similar to a bumper car from the theme parks.
"Yuki are you sure you want to sleep on your own?" Takumi asked for the nth time.
"Yes." Yuki nodded firmly in reply.
Tenji watched in amusement.
"It's gonna get cold."
"Blankets."
"Taku-kun, just let him." Tenji interrupted before leaning towards the man to whisper, "We both know he's gonna sneak in later."
Takumi looked down at the boy who once again, held up his own designated tent.
With a sigh the man nodded and the boy cheered in success.
"I wanna help with the tent!"
"Hai, hai..."
By the time they had set up camp it was beginning to get dark.
"Fire..." Yuki whispered as he watched his papa light a pile of wood.
"Back to the stone age are we?" Tenji chuckled, pulling the boy away as the flames grew.
"So what's the boy scout gonna cook?" Tenji asked Yuki to show him a bag of ingredients.
"S'mores~"
"We have hot dogs." Tenji suggested.
"No. S'mores."
"Those can wait for tomorrow." Takumi told the boy.
"Aw~"
"They'll taste better when we come back from hiking." Takumi assured.
With a pout Yuki fell back into Tenji's arms. "Okay...."
"Let your papa prepare the food while we go look for some lightning bugs." Tenji whispered.
"Lightning bugs?"
"Make sure you also put more insect repellent on." Takumi reminded.
"Sir, yes sir!" Tenji lazily saluted.
Much to Yuki's disappointment, they couldn't find any lightning bugs.
"Here Yuki-chan, have some natures cereal." Tenji offered.
Yuki looked at what he was holding. Then backed up to the man.
"That's a fruit cup."
Takumi let out a howl of laughter.
"Hey! We're in the forest. This is berries. Therefore nature's cereal!" Tenji blushed.
"Fruit cup." Yuki told him again.
"Fine! Fruit cup. Take the damn fruit cup!" Tenji told the boy as he covered his face.
Yuki giggled while taking the offering and Takumi continued to laugh at Tenji's failed but successful attempt at making Yuki feel better.
"Is that all you can do for today?" Mr. Watanabe asked.
Yuki nodded. It was the second day of him being bedridden and he was starting to get used to the feeling of his headaches. Granted that didn't really lessen them.
There was a knock before the door opened. It was Bakugo.
"I was told to bring up his lunch." he mumbled.
"Oh, yes." Mr. Watanabe nodded. Quickly putting away the files. "We'll continue this tomorrow. Nearly half way." he told Yuki who only nodded as he brought his knees to his chest.
"Make sure you eat, rest and perhaps take a cold bath. I heard those might help with fevers."
"Yes, sir." Yuki mumbled, his eyes slowly closing.
Mr. Watanabe turned to the blond and nodded. "I'll leave him to you." and took his leave. Closing the door behind him.
"He's been here since 5 am." Bakugo pointed out, setting the tray of food on the coffee table.
Yuki hummed. "I told him to come in early. Wanted to get a lot of information out of my noggin."
"You didn't eat last night." Bakugo pointed out, taking a seat where the lawyer had previously been.
"Even if I did, it would only have come back up." Yuki yawned.
"And you skipped breakfast."
Yuki opened one eye to look at the blond. He seemed more on the calmer side today.
"Eat something." Bakugo told the healer, handing him a bowl of soup Yuki could only imagine also had chicken.
"You can leave it--"
"Eat."
Yuki stared at the Bakugo. And with a soft sigh he pulled the covers off of him, turned to face the blond and took the bowl.
"How's cleaning going?" Yuki asked, trying to rile up the boy. Hopefully he'll leave and wouldn't have to finish the food.
"It's fine. There's also tea with honey."
Yuki nodded. Siping on the broth.
Bakugo sat silently watching and making sure Yuki ate a little more than enough.
"You can leave you know. You don't have to watch me eat." The healer chuckled, stirring the soup in hunt for chicken pieces.
"What's your favorite color?" Bakugo asked, crossing his arms.
Yuki looked up at the boy, eyebrow cocking in amusement.
"Small talk... okay." Yuki smiled a bit, thinking about the question.
Shrugging Yuki replied. "I don't think I have one."
"Really?" Bakugo asked suspiciously.
"But if I were to say what colors I enjoy seeing...." Yuki continued. Of course he wasn't going to be satisfied with the answer.
"I like the color of the sky." Yuki told him, finally finding a piece of chicken and began nibbling on it.
"The sky." Bakugo replied.
"Yeah. Sunsets and Sunrises and clear blue skies and even the dark grey clouds when it rains."
Bakugo listened to the boy's voice slowly seem as though it were whimsical.
"What about food?"
"Onigiri."
"There's lots of kinds."
Yuki shrugged. "Whichever I find then. Pudding too."
Bakugo questioned "Pudding?"
"Yes?" Yuki smirked and looked up at the blond.
It took a while for him to register what just happened.
Bakugo's face instantly warmed up. Snapping his head to look out onto the balcony.
Yuki giggled, reaching for the tea. "I'm kidding..."
It went quiet again.
"You need to take your medicine." Bakugo cleared his throat, going to stand up.
"I don't need it." Yuki told him, finishing up the broth and moving onto the vegetables and pieces of chicken that escaped him earlier.
"You do--"
"They don't really help." Yuki told him. "A cool bath or shower should do it for a while."
Bakugo still stood up and headed towards the bathroom in search of medicine.
"While you're up, can you check if I have crackers in the snack cart?"
Bakugo noticed how Yuki had the tendency to take small bites of his food.
"Do you have a favorite hero?"
Yuki slowly shook his head.
"Not really. I didn't really have an interest in heroes as the others did when I was a kid." he smiled fondly down at the packet of crackers.
"I was mostly dragged into it. Even Uncle Shin couldn't get me into heroes." Yuki grinned.
Bakugo's ear perked up at 'Uncle.' Yuki had mentioned before not having parents.
"Uncle Shin?" he asked.
"Yeah." Yuki yawned. "Papa would get mad at him when he wasted money buying hero toys or clothes for me."
"How... How old were you?" Bakugo asked. Slowly pulling the cup of tea from the healer.
Yuki shrugged. "3....5.... Somewhere around there."
"Mai would have definitely loved them." Yuki was struggling to keep his eye open.
"Uncle Shin and your Pop's?" Bakugo asked softly, taking the snacks from his hands.
"Them too....but also having hero things...." The blond carefully led the boy back into bed.
"...she would have been a great hero."