POV Takao
"What would be a good gift for your father?" I asked as we ate lunch on the rooftop of the school on Saturday morning. Shin-chan's bento, as usual, looked like it had been professionally made. My convenience store rice ball had been discounted because it was a day old. It was super sticky, but it didn't smell bad and I ate it so quickly I hardly tasted it. Shin-chan finished the last bite of his lunch and wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin before he deigned to answer me.
"I've already taken care of the present we will give him. My father is a retired physician and he collects anatomical displays. I found a suitable spleen, in cross-section, at an antique store while searching for my lucky item a week ago. I bought it immediately."
"How much do I owe you? We should go halves."
"No need, it was inexpensive, but he will be delighted."
Once Shin-chan had decided, I knew I couldn't convince him otherwise, so I changed the topic.
"Wait, retired? How old is your father?"
"Sixty-one. My mother calls me their 'happy accident'," he frowned. "I blame their old sperm and egg for my more peculiar habits." I almost choked on my soda as I laughed.
"Then what about your little sister? She must have been like – wow, surprise!"
"Kaori is actually my second brother's illegitimate daughter. My parents adopted her to save Shuhei's marriage and keep her in the family."
"Oh," I said, feeling rather stupid that I didn't know.
"My eldest brother, Sasuke, graduated college the year I was born. Shuhei dropped out of school at sixteen and moved in with a much older woman, whom he eventually married. My sister, Kagome, went away to college when I was three. I was essentially an only child until Kaori arrived in my second year of middle school. You will meet them all and their hordes of children tonight."
"Speaking of which, I've been practicing sitting on my knees so I don't embarrass you at dinner," I told him proudly.
"Don't be ridiculous," he snapped. "You can sit crossed-legged, we are an old family, not yakuza."
Yukina tried to convince me to wear barrettes in my hair, but I resisted until she gave up with a pout. Still, she helped me into the yukata and made sure it hung right.
"Oh, Kazu, you look so handsome," my mother said as I walked out into the living room. "Do you have a gift?" she asked when I failed to answer.
"Shin-chan took care of it."
Mom smiled as she finished putting on her Maji Burger uniform and gathered up her keys and cellphone.
"I'm glad he makes you happy, Kazu. You deserve a little happiness, we all do, right Yukina?"
"At least now when he drones on and on about Shin-chan, I won't have to feel sorry for him anymore," my kid sister wiped a pretend tear from her face.
"Yeah, yeah, brat, don't get all emotional on me. I might just cry."
Shin-chan was at the front gate when I arrived, forty-five minutes early. In contrast to my awkward wearing of my new yukata, he looked like a model out of a magazine. His stunning emerald and cream robe fell open to show off the sexy lines of his collarbones. I wondered what it would taste like if I bit him there. He nodded when he saw me.
"I appreciate your punctuality."
"Of course. It is important to make a good first impression."
"Follow me," he said and didn't wait for a response. I wasn't surprise by the traditional décor. We went through the living room, which had a long table decorated for the party, and through to the garden at the center of the house.
"Dad," Shin-chan called out with a small hesitation in his normally unflappable bass voice to the man bent low over the koi pond .
"Shintarō, do you know where the –" the man turned and stopped as he saw us standing side by side. A huge smile spread across his face and up into his emerald eyes. He took his glasses off his head and perched them on his nose, pushing them up with his index finger.
Shin-chan took my hand and said, "This is my Takao Kazunari."
I bowed deeply, but kept my fingers intertwined with Shin-chan's.
"Midorima-sensei, it is a pleasure –"
"No, no, no, that won't do at all," his father said and in three long strides he was in front of me, pulling me up by the shoulders until I was standing. He threw both arms around me. "You will call me Nobuo, Dad or Father, or something like that. None of this sensei stuff. I am retired and proud to be very lazy. What shall I call you? Takao-kun maybe?"
"Yes, sir, whatever you like."
He clapped my shoulders and smiled again.
"You've made our grumpy Shintarō happy. This family owes you a deep debt. And I have to apologize, Shintarō talks about you all the time, so I feel like we already know you."
"Dad, don't say such embarrassing things."
"If you're embarrassed by this, what will you do when Mom brings out the baby pictures?" Midorima senior wink at me. "Mother dear," he called in a voice that reverberated across the house, "get the photos ready. We are on the way."
Shin-chan obviously got his height from his mother. She was a tall, spindly woman with a large bosom and wide hips that were accentuated, rather than minimized, by her baby pink kimono. Her sleek black hair was held tight against her scalp in a ponytail and a pretty gemstone barrette held her bangs back from her face.
When she saw us, hand in hand, the crinkle lines around her eyes and mouth became pronounced, as if laughter and smiles were the most natural emotions to her.
"What an adorable couple," she cooed. "Takao-kun, thank you for coming. Will you sit with us so I can embarrass my youngest son with many stories?"
"Mom," Shin-chan sulked in a controlled monotone before sitting down on one of the blue cushions around the small square table. "I am betrayed. I can't believe you will do this with me as well."
"It's not every day a mother is introduced to her future son-in-law. Let me have my fun, this will be my last chance."
I blushed, feeling the heat creep up my neck and flood up into my hair.
"Takao is clearly uncomfortable with such insinuations."
"No," I whispered, "it's ok. It makes me happy."
Shin-chan huffed, but didn't protest when his mother pulled on my arm to bring me next to her. She opened the album and turned to the first page.
At dinner, I was seated between Shin-chan and Kaori, with their mother at the end of the table. Across from us sat Shuhei and his family of four. Between them and the guest of honor, sat Kagome and her husband. On the other side of Shin-chan, Sasuke sat with his three children.
"Wow, you've got a huge family," I leaned in and whispered.
"Claustrophobically large," he muttered.
His mother came around with cups and bottles of sake, leaving one bottle per couple. The wives poured for their husbands and while I tried to think of some excuse not to drink, Shin-chan poured for us. His cup held only a sip and he filled mine.
"I don't drink," I protested.
"It is a traditional toast. Just wet your lips and leave the rest," he instructed as he splashed half of my cup into his own.
"I've never seen Shintarō so relaxed. They are super cute," I heard Kagome gush.
"When will I meet your family?" Shin-chan asked. We were reclined on the porch outside of his bedroom window, our heads positioned so we could observe the stars. His bedroom door was open and we could hear the sounds of his nieces and nephews as they ran through the house, shouting as they played.
"You've met my sister," I reminded.
"Yes, before the Winter Cup our first year. She and my sister are of like age. Perhaps we should introduce them, maybe do an amusement park trip during our next vacation."
"That could be fun."
"Hand me a soup," he said and I rolled over to the stack of cans built into a pyramid of soup. I popped the can and handed it over. He sat up on his elbow to sip from the room temperature beverage without looking at me.
"You don't want me to meet your parents," he said. It wasn't a question.
"It's just difficult. My mother works two jobs. We could go to one of the restaurants during her shifts. I could find out her schedule for next week."
"And your father?"
"Yeah, well, that will be harder."
"Would he disapprove of our relationship? You are his heir after all."
"I don't know," I said and rolled to my feet. I walked barefoot into the grass and went far enough out into the dark that I felt my face might be obscured by the lack of light.
"My father is an alcoholic," I admitted. Not liking the hitch in my voice, I tried to make it more of a joke. "He was home just last week, but I think he's in jail again. I'm not sure what the visitation policy is for non-family members." My jest sounded so fake in my own ears that I knew it hadn't fooled Shin-chan.
Suddenly, I felt a monolith of strong muscles and warm skin wrapped around me from behind. His chin rested heavily on the top of my head.
"I'd like to meet your mother soon, so check the schedule and let me know when. I'll treat you."
Grazie to my Beta Reader Sara!