~12 years ago;
Tseng came home late from work, he didn't mind, he had a day off work tomorrow so he was looking forward spending time with his little family. It was almost eleven at night when he pulled up at the house he lived in with Elena and her two children. Getting out of his car and locking the door behind him he walked up to the front door and unlocked it opening the door quietly he was surprised to see the light on in the kitchen. Being who he was and knowing the dangers that came with the job, he removed his gun from his suit jacket and then slowly approached the kitchen, making sure the front door behind him was shut. As he slowly moved to look into the kitchen he sighed with relief and put the gun back in the holster of his jacket.
Sitting on the floor in front of the fridge with the bottle of milk in front of him and a plastic cup in his hand. Yukio seemed happy enough drinking his milk as he wiped the milk moustache away as he saw Tseng, the young six year old with messy red hair smiled and offered him the cup which now only had a little milk left in it. The Wutai man bent down, picking up the small boy, with his spare arm he used his hand to return the milk to the correct place in the fridge, as the boy finished his milk.
"Why aren't you asleep?" Tseng asked as Yukio handed him his now empty plastic cup. The elder of the two placed it in the skin before switching off the kitchen light and carrying the boy into the living room to lock up the front door.
"Daddy didn't pick me up." With his words it dawned on Tseng that Reno and Elena had an agreement for Yukio to spend the night before his birthday at Reno's and then Elena would pick him up around midday so she could spend time with him. Tseng locked the front door and put his keys in his pocket before rubbing the boys back as Yukio leant his head on Tseng's shoulder. Tseng felt anger inside him, the fact he'd given Reno this evening off so he could spend with his son and he had let him down. Sighing deeply the Wutai man shock his head as he carried the boy up the stairs to bed. Carrying him into his room Tseng put him down on the bed.
"Get into bed and I'll tuck you in." The young boy did as he was told, shifting into the bed, Tseng smiled and pulled his blanket over him to tuck him in. He could tell by his face he was disappointed by what had happened. Yukio hadn't seen his dad for almost four month. Reno had taken Relena out for her birthday, but Yukio was ill and didn't get a chance to see him. "Tomorrow we can do whatever you want. Yes?" Tseng ask as he moved Yukio's teddy bear so it was beside him. The young boy reached out and took the bear hugging it close to his chest.
"Yes Uncle." The little boy said as he nodded his head. He got comfortable in bed as he rubbed his head against the soft teddy bear. Tseng smiled, making sure the blanket was fully covered his feet. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight Yukio." Tseng said as he kissed the boys forehead. The little boy closed his eyes and snuggled up with his teddy. Tseng left the boys from, switching off the light as he did so and closing the door on. Moving to Relena's room he checked the girl was asleep, to which she was, he closed the door quietly and moved to his room he shared with Elena. The blonde was fast asleep, which made Tseng feel glad that she hadn't seen Yukio awake. But it wouldn't be the first time he'd sneaked down stairs and drunk a whole two pint of milk. After Tseng had quickly dressed and changed into his nightwear he got into bed to sleep, but the Wutai found himself unable too. Even after Elena had moved to cuddle up with him. Something was on his mind. He was worried about Yukio, after an hour and being unable to sleep he decided to go check on the boy.
Carefully moving Elena, the Turk Leader climbed out of bed and went to check on him, he was right to be concerned, Yukio was awake and was what looked like to Tseng as studying a map, but the boy was to young to actually know what he was looking at. Tseng opened the door a little more, making Yukio looking up.
"I thought I sent you to bed." Tseng said as he walked over to Yukio's bed, the little boy watched his Uncle before scooting over allowing him to sit beside him. "Gaia, why you looking at that for Yuki?" Tseng asked with his brows slightly knotted together.
"My school book." Yukio said as he showed his Uncle the front. Tseng always knew that the little one was smart. He'd always been proud of his school reports. Relena was a bright child, but nothing like Yukio, it was as if the boy had a photographic memory, as soon as he'd seen something once he wouldn't have to remember it again. At first Tseng thought he was just seeing things, but from a young age as soon as he'd learnt to talk, he forced himself not to stop. If he wanted to say something he'd spell it out, using sound. As he developed Tseng had taught him to spell his name. After a few times practising on pencil and paper, he had it. Yukio was extremely smart. "Uncle, what's that?" Tseng watched as the boy turned the page to which could only be described as the climate of the world. It was the same lay out, but with pictures over it showing which areas weather conditions were. What the young red head was pointing at was the top of the map, it was the snow symbol.
"Have a study of the symbol," The Wutai man said pointing at the snow flake, once holding it for a few seconds so the boy would look, he ran his finger across to where the key was on the map. "What does it say the symbol represents?" He asked.
"S-now." Pronouncing the word 'now' was an 's' sounding at the beginning Tseng smiled, yet shock his head.
"Very close, but it pronounced snow, so the s.n.o sound as they're together and the 'w' at the end makes it 'wa' sound. So its pronounced snow." Tseng explained as Yukio watched him.
"Snow?" Yukio repeated as perfectly as Tseng had pronounced it. Yet the word was more questioning rather then the actually word.
"That's right." Tseng said as he kissed the boys head, feeling proud of him regardless of the fact it was almost one in the morning.
"But what is it?"
"Well, when you was a tiny baby still inside your mummy's tummy. Me, Relena and Mummy went to the Icicle Inn, so she could see the snow." Tseng said as he was trying to get over the fact he'd just stated that Yukio was inside his 'mummy's tummy' not that it wasn't true, but it was a term Elena used, he just never saw himself saying it.
"Really?" The little boy asked as his eyes lite up a little, but there seemed in them lacked a little disappointment that he hadn't seen it himself.
"How about we put the book away and I'll tell you about it. And then if you like the sound of it, we'll go one day?" Yukio nodded and put his book back in his school bag that was at the end of the bed, before handing it Tseng who carefully placed it against the blue stripped wall that he remembered rushing around to paint six years to the day, just so the baby had a perfect room. As Tseng moved to sit on the bed Yukio leaned his head on him, this caused Tseng to note that the little boy didn't want him to leave, so he decided to lay down beside him letting the boy use his arm as a pillow as he got comfortable.
It felt almost like a father and son moment.
Almost. But Tseng would never let them call him 'dad' or 'daddy' or 'father' as much as he was the role module for the both of Elena's children, he didn't see it at all fair on Reno, no matter how useless the man was as a father, he was still there dad and not him. He looked at Yukio but couldn't help smile as the boy seemed to be ready for another one of his stories.
"From where we are now in Gaia, the Icicle Inn in roughly seven hours away by car." Tseng started as he watched the boy getting cuddled up to him moving the blanket over him, Tseng nodded a thanks, but he didn't want to fall asleep here, but guessing by how Yukio was and his own eyes being heavy, he guessed they'd both fall asleep as he told his story."Thats as long as you are when you spend a whole day at school. Plus one more hour. The Icicle Inn is near the Northern Cave Crater, which is why the main land around it is covered in thick white snow and is known for having snow falling all year round..."
