I'm back and officially on summer break so expect more updates on things (hopefully!) Have this randomish oneshot.
It had been a mere forty-eight hours since Doji's surprising announcement that he and Gingka had spoken and come to some sort of agreement. During that time, Ryo Hagane had been quite the mess of emotions, sitting in his office on Tokyo and staring anxiously at his computer screen and phone, waiting for any sort of information from Tsubasa.
Ryo had last heard from Tsubasa the night before, around nine o'clock in the evening. The silver-haired young adult had told him then that a group of the strongest younger bladers was on their way to confront Doji and get to the bottom of the evil man's claim. It was now nearly four in the afternoon, and Ryo had heard nothing more. He had nothing more to go on as to what was happening with his son.
It had been nearly five years since anything had been heard of Gingka, Ryo thought, as he leaned back in his chair with a sigh after failing to get back to work for the twelfth time that day. The older redhead looked to his phone again, considering trying to call Tsubasa. He had tried earlier that morning, only to be told that the former blader of Eagle had gone home to rest an hour before, after having been in the office all night.
"Please someone… Just someone tell me anything…" Ryo muttered under his breath, clenching one hand tightly into a fist. He was trying not to allow a million possibilities to enter his mind at once. Letting even one of the worst-case-scenarioes in would likely cause him to panic, Ryo knew, and he needed to remain calm.
Ryo sighed heavily and stood, heading to the window and looking out over the city that was spread below him. Tokyo had become his home as of late, ever since he had left Metal Bey City's WBBA to take the promotion that had been offered him, a promotion to the CEO of the organization's Tokyo branch.
"Calm down, Ryo… He's an adult now and can take care of himself." Ryo muttered aloud before tensing and gasping, his eyes widening. "Oh… He's an adult… My little boy is all grown up now…"
Ryo was startled out of his sudden realization by the sound of his phone ringing. The redhead practically leapt back over his desk to answer it.
"Tokyo WBBA, Ryo Hagane speaking." He said in as calm a tone as he could muster.
""Hey Mr. Hagane. It's Tsubasa." The silvernette's voice came through the other end of the line, and it was all Ryo could do to hold back the torrent of questions that threatened to escape him.
"Sorry that I messed your call earlier. We were up all night monitoring the younger bladers via a video chat that Madoka had going with her young protege, and we all went to bed once it seemed like a good time for us to do so."
"Don't worry about it... " Ryo said in a nervous tone. "What happened?"
"Well the hunch about Gingka being in trouble was spot on." Tsubasa said. "But he's alright, don't worry about him. The younger bladers got him out and they're all on their way back now after resting themselves. From what I've heard from Maru, they're all a bit banged up but they're okay. If you were to leave in a helicopter within the next hour, you could get here to the Metal Bey City WBBA at about the same time that our rescue group reaches the B-Pit, and we can head straight over there."
"Alright. I'll have my teams get a helicopter ready right away then." Ryo said, a relieved tone entering his voice.
Tsubasa chuckled slightly. "I'll warn you though. He's grown since we all last saw him."
"I was just struck a moment ago with the realization that he's not a child anymore… You forget it when you haven't seen someone, you expect them to look the same as where you left off." Ryo muttered, typing out the command and sending it off to the helicopter pad crews before leaning back in his chair with a sigh.
"Yeah. I suppose I'll see you in a couple of hours then. I have some work that needs to be attended to today and I get the idea that not much will get done once they get back." Tsubasa chuckled.
Ryo nodded, smiling in relief. "Alright. I'll leave you to it and see you in a couple of hours. Thanks, Tsubasa."
"Not a problem." Tsubasa said before hanging up.
Ryo set down the phone slowly, unabe to keep himself from grinning broadly in excitement. The next couple of hours could not pass fast enough, but Ryo managed to keep himself busy by packing a few things, assuming he would end up staying in Metal Bey City for at least one night. He arranged for his work to be overseen by several others while he was gone.
Soon enough, Ryo found himself walking down the streets of Metal Bey City next to Tsubasa, the two having both changed into more casual clothing rather than their business suits before leaving the Metal Bey City WBBA.
"Some areas of this have changed a lot." Ryo commented, looking around.
"And then there are the ones that haven't changed at all." Tsubasa chuckled, indicating the proud store front of the B-Pit just at the end of the block they were on.
Ryo smiled at the sight, feeling as if something were pulling him there with a great sense of urgency. He knew precisely where the pull came from. It came from his son, who, as Tsubasa had said, should be there already, waiting for them.
Tsubasa chuckled under his breath as the older man quickened his pace, striding swiftly while trying not to look too rushed in getting to the destination that lay just ahead of him, the son he had not seen for five years. Soon enough, they reached the small shop, Tsubasa opening the door and letting Ryo enter first.
Madoka looked up and smiled at the two as they entered. "Afternoon, Directors." she greeted warmly, a slight pink flush on her cheeks and a happier twinkle in her eyes than usual.
"Are they not here yet?" Tsubasa asked, confused, as he and Ryo glanced around for any sign of the group of bladers they had expected to meet.
"No, they got here around a half hour ago. I think some of them are taking a nap after the long walk, but I'm not sure precisely which ones are doing so." Madoka replied, heading to the small spiral staircase that led down to her workshop. "I'll see who's up. You can come on down if you'd li- Oh hi Gingka." Madoka said as she paused, "Your dad's here."
"I know." Another voice chuckled, and Ryo froze at the sound. It was familiar, yet at the same time so changed that Ryo was not sure he would have recognized it had he simply heard it. Deeper tones now graced the voice he had wanted to hear for the last five years, bringing again to Ryo's mind the realization that his son was indeed an adult.
"Well okay then." Madoka said, scooting over on the steps and allowing another person to slip past her and into full view, black shoes stepping cautiously up the steps until they stood planted on the same level that Ryo was standing on.
Ryo simply stood rooted to the spot he was standing in, his hands trembling ever so slightly, eyes wide at the sight of the almost unfamiliar young man in front of him. If Gingka's age and voice had not already betrayed the fact that he had grown, his appearance certainly did.
What stood in front of Ryo now was not the lanky twig of a teenager he had still been picturing in his mind. Despite all of the training he had undergone when younger, Gingka had still posessed the body of a young boy, with not much visible muscle to speak of (although his launch power would have spoken of plenty hidden from sight.)
Instead, Ryo found himself facing a young man who had grown to be nearly as tall as he himself was. For an instant, Ryo was not sure he was looking at the same person who had left five years ago. The Gingka he remembered was far shorter, smaller, and weaker-looking. The Gingka who stood in front of him now seemed to be finally showing muscular evidence of the training he had undergone.
Ryo hesitated for an instant, uncertainty creeping in. He bit the inside of his lip slightly, his eyes meeting with his son's and immediately spotting new maturity overshadowing the same firey twinkle he had always known.
After several long seconds of just staring, Gingka crossed his arms and put on a familiar childish pout. "What, I haven't changed THAT much… Have I?" He said in a slight whining tone that Ryo found immensely more familiar than anything else he had seen of his grown son so far.
After that, it only took an instant longer for the two Haganes to close the distance between them, Gingka practically flying into his father and leaning his head immediately against Ryo's shoulder while Ryo wrapped his arms tightly around the shoulders of his son, both men trembling slightly with emotion.
"H-How did I miss so much?" Ryo whispered faintly, tears gathering in his eyes and threatening to fall.
Gingka simply wrapped his arms around his father's ribcage, hugging him back tightly.
"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have stayed away for so long…" He whispered back, also beginning to cry.
"Neither of us should have." Ryo muttered, putting one hand on the back of his son's head and gently stroking his hair.
Two pairs of golden-brown eyes squeezed shut, tears falling at the same time as both Haganes tightened their grip on one another, simply enjoying the feeling of being together once more after so much time apart.
"I missed you…" They said simultenously, then smiled.
"... You're still my baby boy though." Ryo chuckled.
Gingka sweatdropped. "Daaaaad…." He whined childishly, causing Madoka and Tsubasa to laugh.
Ryo laughed loudly, ruffling Gingka's hair in a playful manner. However, he underestimated Gingka's new height, and yelped in surprise as the younger reflexively put him in a headlock and completely messed up his hair before letting go. Ryo glared at his son, but noted with a smile that Gingka still carried the same stupidly goofy grin as he always had.
"Come here, you big idiot." Ryo laughed, pulling his son back into a tight embrace.
"Hey, I only learned from the best." Gingka smirked playfully and hugged his father back.
"I taught you well, son." Ryo chuckled, holding his son close.
"I taught you well."