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As Akihito walked, twigs cracked underneath his feet, his eyes switching between the forest floor and the ethereal form walking before him, leading the way through the trees. Behind him, he could hear several other pairs of footsteps and with just a glance back, he could tell there were at least seventeen people following him. Two homicide investigators, six evidence specialists and the rest were people doused in white suits, the police forensic department. Except one of the inspectors, who was Akihito's contact person, all of them were looking at his back distrustful, wondering if he was playing with their balls and leading them on a false trail.

[This way]

Akihito turned back to the front, seeing the spirit wait for him to catch up. The blonde felt a stab go through his chest as he followed after her, seeing her long black hair sway in the wind as she led him towards her last resting place. The place he would find her body mangled the same way he was currently seeing. Lost spirits couldn't adjust their appearance, so Akihito had a good idea of what he would be confronted with. Still, seeing a girl, barely in her teens, with her throat cut, her eyes and mouth sewed shut and her belly stabbed multiple times to the point there were gaping holes, was enough to make Akihito want to turn around and never look at it again.

[We're here]

"It's here" Akihito said as he stopped at a small clearing in the forest where the trees were growing further from each other. The forest floor was damp from the rainfall of the previous night, the wetness soaking through his shoes, as if to mock him for wearing sneakers instead of the hiking shoes he knew he should have worn.

"Can you point out an exact location?" inspector Oogushi asked and Akihito walked up to where the girl stood, pointing at a certain spot in front of her.

"Here" Akihito relayed and the police officers moved forward to secure the area, giving the blonde a weary look as he moved to stand beside the inspectors. Oogushi offered him a cigarette that Akihito politely refused, watching with a frown as the specialists and the forensic team started digging. He felt a chill run up his arm, followed by a path of goosebumps and a low tone in his ear. Despite that he knew that she wouldn't be able to feel it, he tightened his grip on the hand she had slid into his, her eyes trained on the pit that was steadily going deeper and deeper until a hand flew up.

"Found it! We've found a body!" the forensic officer announced and instantly shot of look at Akihito, whose expression remained blank under the attention as it was shifted to him before they once again focussed on digging up the bodies. A few of the police officers turned green in the face and had to go excuse themselves to the trees a little further as the bodies were laid bare, each one mangled worse than the one before.

Akihito's expression remained blank as he regarded the bodies. A mother, stabbed in the back once before dying from another twenty-three stab-wounds in the abdomen. The oldest daughter, stabbed in the neck, left to bleed dry while her face was carved with countless cuts of what seemed to come from a blade. Then the third and final body followed, of a young girl with the same wounds as the one holding Akihito's hand. A red kimono with sakura print, a dark green obi with thin gold embroidered waves and a kanzashi hairpin flashed into Akihito's mind, seeing the items on display on a mannequin.

The shop-owner would be send to prison for a life-long sentence for the murder of three women, but that wouldn't help the father that was left behind. The man they had been able to narrowly rescue from getting brutally slaughtered by a woman who had been delusional with envy. She had been so obsessed with him, she had not wanted to accept the fact that he had had a family and instead, she had seen them as rivals for the man's heart, leading her to slaughter all of them to get them away from the man she loved to the point it drove her mad. Akihito knew that after losing his family like this, the man would never be okay anymore, so would there even have been a point in rescuing him?

[Will daddy be okay?]

Akihito had no answer for the fearful yet hopeful small voice next to him, hoping the blonde would know what to say to sooth her worries. But Akihito doubted that her father would be okay, having been left behind like this. The blonde had met the father a couple of times and knew it was only a matter of time before he would take his own life, having loved his family more than anything in this world.

"Soon, you'll be together again, sweetie. He'll be okay then, so just wait for him on the other side of the bridge. Your mother will be there and so will your sister. Be ready to welcome him and give him a big hug, because he will need it" Akihito said, his voice barely above a whisper as he saw Inspector Oogushi walk up to him, a grim look on his face and one of many cigarettes in between his lips, smoking like a chimney.

"Damn, what a mess" he grumbled and Akihito couldn't deny that, so he remained silent, feeling the coldness in his hand disappear together with the girl's presence as she crossed the bridge to be with her family that was waiting for her.

"But really, you must be made of steel or something, for you to be able to stomach this with a face like that" the balding inspector said with a sombre laugh that died once he saw the furrow on Akihito's face turn into a scowl.

"Hardly. I'm currently trying to distract myself before I can come up with a plan to kill that woman myself. Maybe deliver her to the father as a gift" he said honestly and Oogushi reached up for his cigarette with a grunt.

"I'm sure I can find a way to get her some alone time with that guy" he agreed and Akihito closed his eyes.

"But what's the use in that. Him taking his anger out on her would be satisfying but it wouldn't diminish the grief he feels" he said and Oogushi turned back to him.

"We're putting him in counselling" he said and the blonde was tempted to scoff. As if counselling would work with a case like this one. Akihito just wanted to go home and take a day off, away from shrine work and away from spirits, to spend with his son. For one day, he wanted to say to the world that it could go fuck itself because he needed to spend quality time with his little monkey to cleanse his soul from the sheer terror the idea of his son being death provoked.

As soon as it was okay for him to go, Akihito couldn't leave the company of the police fast enough. Pushing his hands deep into the pockets of his worn-down jeans, his feet ate up the road to his son's school to go pick him up. He was a little early, so maybe he would stop at a bakery to pick up a little something to eat. At least that was plan until he heard a familiar laugh. His head shot up in the direction where he heard the laugh, across the street, only to have his stomach sink as he saw his son laughing with a man much older than him.

Akihito had crossed the street in no time, walking up behind his son that should be in school at the moment, not in front of an ice-cream parlour, talking with someone he didn't know. The blonde didn't even bother with looking at the man, his attention solely on the six-year old that would be getting punished for skipping school. Clearly, Yukihito was aware of the impending doom as a hand landed on his yellow hat covered head, fingers spread wide around his scalp as a tingle ran down his spine, no doubt caused by the ominous aura the owner of the hand excluded. Or at least in his imagination.

"And what do you think you are doing out of school, mister?" Akihito asked with a smile on his face as he looked down on his son who flinched at his voice, drawing up his shoulders.

"Geh, mom" he exclaimed and Akihito tightened his grip slightly.

"Yes, mom. How surprising, isn't it?" he asked and released his grip as his son turned around with both hands held up, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Hold up, I can explain" he said and Akihito's eyebrow twitched.

"I'm sure you can. And you will. Written down on 40 pages, meaning 20 pages front and back" Akihito said and his son made a sound, but said nothing as the older blonde's gaze sharpened.

"And don't think about writing a single letter down on every page. That trick didn't even work the first time, not the second time, and especially not fifth time" Akihito said and Yukihito clicked with his tongue as he averted his gaze.

"Sir, I've brought a new ice-cream" a voice spoke up as the owner stepped out of the parlour. His announcement made Yukihito draw his shoulders up higher as he grimaced.

"What a bad timing" he muttered, earning another twitch of Akihito's eyebrow.

"What did you do this time?" he asked, already aware that his son no doubt had caused some kind of trouble. It was then that the man whose existence Akihito had been blatantly ignoring up until then, decided to make himself known and remind the blonde that he was there.

"It was an accident. He didn't see me when he came out of the parlour and I wasn't paying attention either, so he ran into me and his ice-cream met my pants, I'm afraid" the man said, his low velvety voice sending a shiver down Akihito's spine. Pushing the feeling away, Akihito grimaced. From just looking at the man's shoes, he could tell he was rich. He wondered what he would need to do repay the pants his son's ice-cream had ruined. Besides, there was something familiar about that voice.

"I'm sorry. Please tell me what I can do to-" Akihito started but found his voice cut off by a choke as his eyes found gold. Orbs made of liquid gold. The same eyes as his son. Oh, fuck.

"Oh fuck" Akihito breathed, unable to stop himself as his eyes widened, recognition lighting up in the golden eyes that reached above his height.

"You cursed, mom. I'm afraid I'll have to tell grandma" Yurihiko said slyly and Akihito blinked, forcing him to avert his attention to his son.

"Forget about the curse and I'll make it fifteen pages" he bargained and Yurihiko narrow his eyes stubbornly, the gold unnerving his mother who was desperate to not let it show despite the fact that he knew his feelings were always broadcasted on his face. He just hoped his son wouldn't put two and two together before Akihito knew what to do.

"Ten" Yurihiko said firmly and Akihito regarded him.

"Fifteen and I won't tell grandma about the test you tried to flush through the toilet" he said and Yurihiko's reaction was instantly.

"Deal" he said and turned his attention to the bespectacled man standing next to the imposing raven who was having trouble to take his eyes off the older blonde.

"Then can I now have my ice-cream?" he asked and the bespectacled man handed over the ice-cone with a glance at Akihito, who nodded his consent. Until something popped up in his head.

"About that, where did you get the money from for the first one?" he asked as he frowned at his son, not remembering giving him enough money for an ice-cream that morning.

"I earned it" Yurihiko said, his guard up and audible in his voice, which instantly made Akihito suspicious.

"How?" he asked and the young blonde was unable to meet his mother's eyes.

"I won it from that fat bully in a bet. And before you say something, I only won it back from him because he stole it from Kaede and I gave it back to her. Though I kept a bit of interest, since it's business anyway" he said and for a second, Akihito was stunned before the words tumbled from his lips before he could stop them.

"And who taught you that, because I sure as hell didn't" he said and Yurihiko finally looked up at him.

"The old man did" he said and Akihito hadn't known it was possible to want to hit a spirit so bad as he did in that moment.

"Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to have a talk with him" he said and then gathered the courage to address the man still remaining in place, watching them.

"But first, I will have to excuse myself for my son's careless behaviour. There was no ill will and if you give me the bill of the dry-cleaner, I will pay you back the damage he has done" Akihito said and the man regarded him.

"I'll forget about it if you give me your contact information" the man said smoothly, earning a shocked sound from the bespectacled man next to him, which he pointedly ignored.

"I'm afraid you forgot to do so last time we met" he said with a smirk that had Akihito's stomach turn in a way the blonde wasn't sure was good or bad. The man in front of him clearly was used to getting his way. He was the embodiment of the tall, dark, handsome. Black hair was slicked back with a single strand defiantly curling in front of his forehead. His eyes held secrets, though they regarded Akihito with a cocky sort of amusement. His jawline was clean-shaven and his nose prominent.

He was taller than Akihito by almost a head, even though Akihito was a little above the average height. His shoulders were wide, broad even in the white dress-shirt that clad his muscled form. His tie was slightly loosened around his neck, the first button undone to high-light the strong neckline. He was a walking sin, and he was Yurihiko's father, recognizable in everything but the child's eye-shape, nose and hair-colour. Though the eye-colour differed subtly in shade, with the raven having pure golden eyes and Yurihiko a liquid honey colour, there was almost no denying it. In a few years, when Yurihiko would be in his teens, he would be looking a lot more like the man in front of them.

Akihito almost choked up on the idea of it. His son was already a hand-full now. An appearance that would have women drop for him would only become a new weapon for his antics.

"I'm sure I didn't give it for a reason" Akihito said sharply, sharper than he had intended. But he didn't care much. He really disliked doing what other people expected him to do, especially when they were cocky and believed he would listen to their every word as if it was an order. Alas, his son was a sly little thing and decided to cut in.

"His name is Takaba Akihito and I have his contact information right here" the six-year old said as he held up the tag around his neck with his personal information and Akihito's contact information, in case he got lost. Akihito gaped at him and for a split second, he regretted ever giving the monkey-head shaped tag to his son. Of course he didn't actually regret it, considering his son's wanderings. But he did regret hearing what the kid said while showing the tag.

"Also, he's single, as long as he doesn't inflate her" he added and Akihito was floored mentally. Though judging by the loud boisterous laugh next to him, the guardian spirit had popped up at the perfect timing and was currently crouching, holding his sides as he laughed while Akihito scrambled to shut his son up before he could do any more damage. Both of his hands curled around the young blonde's mouth while he felt his face burn, leaving no doubt about the red shade it had taken as he stared up at the raven with wide eyes.

"I'm not- I don't- There is- Just… don't mind anything he says" Akihito stuttered as he tried to talk his way out of what his son had implied. Of course, it was a lie. Well, not entirely, but Akihito had only said it for a joke when he had told his son he was in a relationship with the inflatable pool they had blown up last summer, when it had gotten too hot outside to work and inside the house hadn't been much cooler.

"We are going home now. I'm afraid Hiko still has dance classes to attend" Akihito said and this time, it was Yurihiko's turn to gape at his mother.

"No! Please, anything but that! I'd rather have two hours of kendo training with Jiijii, even if he thinks it's the samurai era" the young blonde exclaimed and Akihito turned at his son's shoulder.

"It seems like he needs another lesson in history as well, considering the 'samurai era' doesn't even exist. Have a nice day" the older blonde said, sending the last sentence to the raven before ushering his son forward. He could feel a gaze bore holes in his back but tried to ignore it as good as possible as he continued to walk, pushing his son forward. He was barely around the corner when he sank to his crouches with a groan, burring his head into his arms that rested crossed on top of his knees. He felt a small hand pat his head and stroke his hair fondly.

"There, there" Yurihiko said and Akihito raised his head enough to send his son a look, ignoring the way they were being watched.

"I was serious about dance lessons, you know. And I'll ask Obaa-sama to help you with history tomorrow" Akihito said and his son withered with a groan.

"I'd much rather deal with JiiJii" Yurihiko complained and Akihito would much rather not have dealt with the shit-storm that was Asami Ryuichi, Yurihiko's father, who had knocked the priest up at sixteen. Shaking his head, he rose back to his full height with a deep sigh. There was no changing what had happened. He would just have to find a way to deal with things as they came.

"We'll leave everything for tomorrow. For today, how about we cook some curry together and play some shogi" Akihito suggested as he took his son's hand in his, calmed by the warmth that travelled through the contact, telling him that his son was still warm and alive, chasing away the previous cold sensation that had been there from his contact with the lost soul. Yurihiko glanced at his mother's hand, no doubt noticing that the temperature hadn't warmed itself to normal yet and tightened his grip on the limb in an effort to heat it up faster, comforting the older blonde in the same way Akihito had attempted to comfort the young girl before.

"Make it Kurata and I'm in. You're too good at shogi, it's unfair" he said and Akihito smiled at him.

"Maybe we should ask Jii-sama and Obaa-sama if they want to play mah-jong?" he suggested and Yurihiko looked up at him, a dreadful expression on his face that was not acted.

"Are you trying to summon a demon? Have you forgotten what Baba did last time we played mah-jong?" he said and Akihito couldn't help but laugh at the memory of his kind grandmother turning into an iron-hard, smug bitch as she whooped their asses without any of them able to put up any resistance. A lot of curses had been grumbled that night, while Sachiko had worn a constant smirk. She had been absolutely merciless.

"Better not" Akihito agreed and Yurihiko relaxed. He remained silent for a while as they walked until he tightened his grip on his mother's hand and broke the silence while keeping his eyes down.

"Was it a difficult case?" he asked soft and Akihito looked down on him, deciding to pick him up. He disliked his son looking at the ground as if he had something to be ashamed of.

"It wasn't difficult in terms of finding who did it, but it was a hard case, yes" Akihito said, looking his son in the eye with an open expression, answering his curiosity.

"There was a girl, double your age, but half of mine. She's with her family now, across the bridge" the priest said as he felt short arms wrap around his neck so his son could steady himself on his mother's hip.

"But she was still young. Still had so much to discover and so much to experience" Akihito said melancholic and smiled sadly.

"But then again, death is equal to all, as I've always told you. Die, we all do, but you have to do everything you wanted in life, so you don't have any regrets. That's all anyone can do" he said and looked at his son.

"Do you regret being my mother, mom?" Yurihiko asked and Akihito blinked. He could understand the question, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"Of course I don't, little monkey. I love you more than I love myself. Why would I regret having you?" he asked and Yurihiko looked down.

"Because I overheard Usui-sensei talk about you. She said that it was hard for you to find someone you love and can be together with when you have a child" he said and Akihito made a mental note to talk to this teacher. He was aware of the looks she had been sending him and of the fact that she had tried a few times to give him her number, but Akihito hadn't shown her any interest because she wasn't his type, not because he had a son. He wondered where she got the guts from to say something like that, but didn't want his son to notice his thoughts.

"And? Is there something wrong with that?" Akihito asked and Yurihiko looked up at him.

"But don't you want to be with someone who loves you?" he asked surprised and Akihito smiled at him.

"Do you love me, Yurihiko?" he asked and the smaller blonde's eyes widened.

"Of course, I do!" he exclaimed and Akihito's smile widened.

"Then I am together with someone who loves me. Besides, Jii-sama and Baa-sama love me. And although he's not around much, your Jii-chan loves me too" Akihito said, mentioning his father who was still trying to convince his stubborn mother to seek contact with Akihito. But that was not something Akihito would be bothered with when he had so much other things on his head, so he shrugged.

"If I find someone I love and I want to be with that doesn't belong to the family, they will have to accept you first. If they don't, I don't have to accept them either" he said simply and Yurihiko frowned.

"And what if I don't like them?" he asked and Akihito hummed.

"Then they'll have to try very hard to get you to like them" he said with a smile and Yurihiko mulled over his thoughts before he returned the smile.

"I liked that old man from before" he announced and Akihito almost tripped. Of course. Leave it to his son to be so blunt. Was it a coincidence for him to admit to liking the only man Akihito had laid with, which had conceived the little monkey? Akihito doubted it, considering Yurihiko liked a lot of people and was a very jovial kid. But to say it after the conversation they had had, was he getting at something with it, or was it just an announcement he made, like one of the many?

Akihito shook it off, deciding he was thinking too far about it and instead focussed on having a nice evening with his son. Sachiko easily gave up her place in the kitchen for them as Yurihiko announced that they would be making dinner. The young blonde helped his mother with the non-dangerous stuff like washing the vegetables and rice, and only cutting the carrots under the watchful eye of his mother. Akihito allowed him to stir the pot with the wooden spoon, which was what the young blonde proudly bragged about as soon as they brought the filled plates to the table.

As Akihito had promised, after dinner, they settled in the mutual living area where they started with a game of kurata, which then shifted into other games. Card games, word games, active games, wrestling around until Yurihiko's face was flushed and they were both laughing. Akihito agreed to play a single video-game with his son, not wanting him to get clustered to the TV. It shouldn't really be a worry, considering the young blonde had more interest in active things, for now. In his opinion, even laying on his stomach and colouring inside the lines of a pre-printed image were just as fun as Mario cart.

By the time Akihito exited the bathroom with his son, both freshly washed and drying their hair, Yurihiko was yawning tiredly. It was a later than his usual bed-time and Akihito wasn't exactly more awake himself. The case that day had worn him out and he wanted to burry himself within the comfort of his futon and coming out only when the sun was at its highest. He made a soft, surprised sound as Yurihiko slipped into his futon instead of his own lying next to it.

"Can I sleep here?" the young blonde asked as he looked up at his mother, who he knew wouldn't deny him. Akihito smiled and held open his arm, giving the go-ahead for his son to cuddle up against him, using his chest as a pillow. Akihito had no doubt that he would end up splayed out over his stomach like a cross, spread eagle and snoring, like always happened when they slept together. Yurihiko was an extremely restless sleeper, which amused Akihito as long as he didn't wake up with a foot in his mouth, as had happened before.

He felt his son's steady breath against his ribs as his arm curled around the sleeping form of the blonde, sending him a fond smile. He leaned forward to press his lips against the top of the blonde mop of hair as he heard his phone vibrate next to the futon. Curiously, he reached out for it, hoping it wasn't Oogushi with another case. He frowned as he saw an unknown number on his screen, flipping open his phone and momentarily believing the device to be the devil incarnate, attacking his retinas.

I must say, it is nice to finally have a name with the face that has been on my mind for the past years.

Akihito muffled a curse, hoping in vain that it was Oogushi with another case. That maybe instead of seeing ghosts, he had the power to turn back time so he could go back to the moment he reached out for his cellphone in order to stop himself from making that decision. It didn't take much for Akihito to realize who it was, and irritation bubbled up in his chest. That old man really was overly confident and it grated on his nerves. His fingers were already flying over the keypad as he held his phone above his head, aware that it could attack his face any second his grip faltered.

I wonder why exactly I slept with you when you're this arrogant.

Maybe it was the alcohol the first time. The second round, it was likely because you enjoyed my company that much.

Yeah, so much I barely remember it.

Maybe we should do it over again, to refresh your mind. How about tomorrow?

How about never? Don't expect everyone to spread their legs for you when you give them a smile or two. I'm not that easy and if I remember correct, I wasn't the first time, either.

Ah, yes. I can still remember. But I'm sure I can change your mind, if you'd let me.

And I'm pretty sure that I that I don't want to have my mind changed.

Ah, great. He hadn't even denied that the man would be able to change his mind once he had his hands on him. What could he say? Even now, the man was still his type and it had been a long time since he had last gotten some action. Not six years, but still more than two years. Akihito groaned slightly as he turned off his phone, not wanting to be disturbed. If he continued to text the man, he might get tempted into actually going in on the man's suggestion. No-one could really blame him. He was deprived and the somewhat vague memory of the time the man had bedded him was starting to creep up on him again. He needed sleep, and lots of it. Maybe being reenergized would stop his thoughts from entertaining the possibility of rekindling what he had felt that night, six years ago.


Thank you for reading!