CHAPTER 8
Saturdays at Anteiku were reserved for friends. Every week brothers met there with humans and ghouls they were close to. This week wasn't any different from others.
Arima accompanied by Take and the Amons, Uta and Yomo sitting with Roma at the bar. Kirishima siblings and Nishiki were workings as waiters as their dad was talking to Haise. Somewhere in the background Sen Takatsuki, among ghouls known as Eto, was discussing her newest novel with Ken and Takizawa.
Quinx squad was sitting in the corner and talking among themselves. Even Tsukiyama was able to show himself although he wasn't as lively as always. He was talking with Yamori and Naki about art galleries they visited recently.
Nishiki's girlfriend - Kimi, Yoriko and Hinami were giggling about something, but no one was brave enough to ask what was that. Touka was stopping sometimes to add something in their conversation, but it was Ayato who made sure that girls' cups and plates were always full.
Everything was peaceful and quiet.
"It's wonderful to see you back, Akira-san, Kotarou-san" anteiku's manager appeared next to the couple's table. "How was your honeymoon?"
"It was nice, fighting ghouls in the moonlight on beach. I already told Kotarou that we should do this every year on our anniversary."
Akira's words were followed by short sentence before Shiro decided to break it.
"I always feel uncomfortable when she talks about killing ghouls with such delight. I can't help seeing her going after me."
"You are only half-ghoul, Centipede. Imagine how do I feel!" added Ayato and took few steps back from female inavestigator and sat next to Hinami.
"I'm happy you enjoyed yourselves." Yoshimura carried like nothing happened. "Forgive me if this is rude question, but it's an old people thing, you see."
"Yes, Yoshimura-san?" Akira looked interested.
"Now that you are married, when can we expect children? I'd love to see kids running around Anteiku and playing together. It would again like when Eto was little."
Amon turned red as tomato and Akira was frozen on her chair next to him. Haise thought that it was probably first time he saw her speechless. Shiro wanted to say something but was stopped by Kuro's hand covering his mouth. Rest of café occupants was looking between the couple and Yoshimura like they were watching a tennis match. Even Arima looked amused.
Nishino was opening her mouth to say something, but her boyfriend shaked his head signaling her to stay silent.
"You don't want take part in this," he muttered.
"Uncle, don't worry! In few years I'm going to marry Kuro-niisan and we'll have a baby then" said Hinami happily.
"Oh, in that case I'm happy to hear-"
"WHAT?!"
"Little lady, that's-"
Ayato and Shuu reacted at the same time. Both looked shocked and utterly scared. They stalked to where the girl was sitting and started a lecture.
"Stop joking like that, Hina! Marriage is serious matter, you can't decide on it like that."
"That's right, my little lady, and I feel obligated to remind you that your future husband must also agree on that."
"Besides, Kuro is much older than you. Five years is a big gap."
"Ayato is right. Please, my little lady, clamato and let's forget about you marring anyone in near future, shall we?" Tsukiyama sent her his best charming smile while Ayato was looking at black haired boy and murdering him with his eyes.
"…Okay. But I still think oniisan would be great husband." Hinami pouted.
"Of course he would be" added Shiro. "My cute twin is the best husband material you can find. But it's too early for him to plan wedding, Hina-chan. Wait a bit for a moment when he won't be watched by this French freak and rabbit boy."
"Centipede! I'm going to kill you. Stop messing with Hina!" Ayato started shouting curses at white haired boy.
"Fre-French freak? M-me? Ooooh, what a heartbreak! Kaneki-kun you don't think I'm a freak, do you?!"
As Shiro tired to provoke Ayato more and Kuro did his best to calm Shuu, Akira and Amon started to relax. They were sure it was safe now and the issue of their future children will be dropped. But their hopes were crashed quickly.
"You still haven't answered Yoshimura-san question" said Arima and everyone looked at them again.
He must find their misery very amusing to press like that, thought Hirako, true sadist indeed.
"We have time. We got married over month ago…" Kotarou tried to answer.
"I'm sorry to disappoint, but it won't be soon. I have four problematic sons already. So I don't feel like having another." Akira gathered her composure after first shock.
"Awww, mummy loves us to much to replace us with Amon's kid!" Shiro smiled widely.
"Mum, you finally accepted us. You have no idea how happy I am right now." Haise was wiping tears from his eyes while Ken kept nodding next to him while looking at Akira with adoration.
"Please, take care of us from now on. Not that you haven't till now, but after a declaration I felt like I should say it" Kuro pretended to be serious.
"Stop it, you jackasses. You called me your mother for a long time now. Don't ask like I signed adoption papers." Akira scolded them but smile on her face gave it away how fond she was of them and their behavior.
"Does that mean that Amon-san is the father?" asked Uta stopping his conversation with Yomo. "It would be natural assumption. After all he's mother's husband."
"Well, I must admit-"
"I don't think so." Arima put his mug on table loudly.
"Excuse me, Arima-san? I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about. Of course, they are like sons to me." Kotarou was confused.
"Being Akira's husband doesn't make him father to my boys. Haise himself said that I'm like father to him." White haired investigator replied. "I watched after them for years with Akira, even before she met you. I still remember first time I saw Haise. He was a teenager entering Academy at that time. And his brothers weren't half-ghouls back then yet."
Hirako sighted inwardly, he could see what was coming next. He knew very well how Kishou felt about Kaneki-Sasaki siblings. Takizawa must thought similarly because he looked like he wanted to run. Akira almost face palmed. Brothers in question were watching two investigators with their mouths open and even Shiro wasn't sure how to react. The rest went back to their talks and tried pretending not to see two grown men sending death glares to each other.
"Arima-san, maybe in the past he said something like that. But situation might have changed, you know. After all, you barely seen any of brothers for past few months. It took you almost a year to give Haise his book."
"But you don't know if situation has changed, do you, Amon-kun? It's not like any of my boys called you 'dad' like they did to Akira."
"They are not your boys, Arima-san. You don't deny the fact you haven't seen them for long. Don't you care what happens to them?" Amon smirked at his opponent. He felt victory coming to him soon.
"I was busy. It's not easy being the best investigator in the country, Amon-kun. You know, cases to resolve, ghouls to eliminate. Only bad ghouls of course," he assured all gathered. "Maybe you'll find out how it feels one day. If you work hard enough that is." The look on Kishou's face screamed 'superiority'.
Haise looked lost. He couldn't say when or why things turned like that. Shiro asked for some snacks.
"I've never seen such good comedy" he justified. Ayato, who forgot he wanted to kill white haired boy few minutes ago, grinned at him and disappeared in kitchen. He came back quickly with a big bowl full of popcorn and gave it to him.
Uta took his phone and started recording whole scene.
Akira looked resigned. She asked Yoshimura for a bottle of some strong alcohol to be able to listen.
"Oh, now you are going to insult my skill as investigator. Let me say one thing, Arima-san. Work is not everything. And being a father means you have come home and take care of your children. But keep going, who am I to stop you. But don't be surprised when one day they won't turn to you for an advice."
"You don't have to worry. Maybe that's true I'm not able to see my boys-"
"Don't call them yours, please."
"-as often as I'd like, but that doesn't mean I don't talk to them and check on them. I call them, they call me. And we talk. Oh, have I mentioned that I see Haise at work? We have spars together. And I help Kuro with his studies. I have interesting discussions with Shiro about ecosystem in Japan. Kuro sends me fanfics he writes. So who is better parent?" he ended in challenging tone.
"They realize that they aren't our biological fathers, right?" Shiro stage whispered, but no one replied to him. White haired boy pouted at the lack of attention and went back to watching his 'fathers'.
"Are you gloating, Arima-san?" asked Amon. "I didn't expect that. But calls and e-mail aren't enough. How a man as cold as you could raise a child?"
"I'm not cold. Take will agree and so will my boys. Just because I don't get so ease flustered like you doesn't mean I don't have a feeling."
"They are not yours. It's hard to believe when you have an expression like that."
"You keep saying how bad father I am, but what did you actually do?" Arima looked at Kotarou questioningly. "I must point that I've never seen you visiting my boys-"
"I asked you to stop calling them your boys."
"-and spending time with them. I might have not been able to do it for a while, but I still did more than you." Arima ignored Amon's reminders.
"For one, I cooked dinner for them many times," replied Kotarou.
Kishou visibly twitched. Everyone knew he hated when someone reminded him of his lack of cooking skill. Amon was walking on a thin ice here.
"Okay, I've had enough. We should settle this like true men. Let's have duel! I'll show you power of my Doujima 1/2." Amon proposed unexpectedly.
"I accept. The only one who can be father to my boys is me. Don't cry when I defeat you. Ixa isn't weak."
"Help us, One-Eyed King, we are doomed if this goes longer," cried Nishio.
"I'm not sure even I can do anything. If I were to use my powers I'd destroy Anteiku. Dad would be angry. Sorry, Serpent." Eto looked at him with sad expression.
"Gentlemen, let's stay calm," said Tsukiyama. "Conversation and argumentation are much better way of proving who's right and who's wrong."
"You are right, Tsukiyama-san. I apologize for my behavior. It was not befitting of a CCG investigator." Amon hid his weapon.
"Oh yes, I heard about those dinners. Wasn't there one time when you gave twins food poisoning? Or when you burned whole turkey and caused a fire because you started fighting with Shiro because he was annoying you?" Arima alos his his quinque and went back to the topic they were discussing.
"Accidents happen," said Amon through his teeth.
"But those were dangerous incidents, Amon-kun. I should worry about you coming anywhere my boys. Who knows what may happen next time?"
"For the last time, Arima-san, they are NOT YOURS." Kotarou started losing his cool. "It was two times. At least, I can prepare edible meal and we can't say the same about you. I'm still traumatized form that time when you wanted to feed me with your soup."
"You just lack appreciation for gourmet food. One does not simply understands its beauty."
"Did you really just quoted a meme form 'Lord of the Rings', Arima-san?" Haise managed to ask after a beat of silence.
"Yes, I did. It was the book Ken lent me few years ago when we first met. I treasure it."
"After all this time?" Shiro couldn't stop himself and earned a grin from Kuro.
"Always." Arima kept serious face. "Back to our conversation, Amon-kun, ma cooking may be too much for you. And my boys-"
"I already told-"
"-may like different kinds of food than me, so I don't cook for them. But if you are so eager to do that, please don't set my boys'-"
"How should I make you… Are you stupid or what?"
"- house… What?" Kishou looked at Amon with blank expression.
"Oh my, someone may need an undertaker here soon" said Shiro and this time Kuro gave him a kick instead.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't just insult me, Amon-kun. I will believe you did this in heat of the moment and didn't mean it."
"Of course, Arima-san. I'd never…" Kotarou looked apologetic.
"Tch, what a looser," said Akira and only then everyone realized she emptied two bottles of sake. "All men are like that. Brave, fearless, but only if their own life isn't at stake. You afraid, of saying Arima is stupid in his face, Kou? So weeeeaaaak… Do you even have balls?" She tried to reach to her husband's crotch but he stopped her by grabbing her wrist.
Shiro and Kuro started laughing and even Ken couldn't hide his amusement. Haise hid his face in his hands. Ayato covered Hinami's eyes explaining that she'd have nightmares if she saw it while Touka and Yoriko blushed madly. The rest just watched what was going happen to next. Even Shuu was excited and muttered something in French, but no one understood him.
"A-Akira? What are you…?" Kotarou wasn't able to end his sentence.
"You want to be father so bad? Huh? Do you?" the blonde stood suddenly and caught Amon by his necktie. "If so, we should go back home and work on it! If that's what you wish, I'll grant it to you. Oooh, you aren't getting any sleep tonight, I promise."
Everyone were just watching as she started to drag a man much taller than her towards door. Uta kept recording whole thing. Such beautiful blackmail material, he thought. Amon had no other choice than follow his wife with face red from embarrassment.
"So, who is the father in the end?" asked Eto after couple disappeared.
"Wouldn't it be the best to ask Kanekis themselves?" said Nishiki. This whole mess tired him, so he didn't care about working as waiter anymore. He just sat next to Kimi and drank her coffee.
Everyone looked at brothers waiting for an answer.
"Why can't we have two fathers?" Kuro replied with question. "We are crazy in the beginning, so having two dads wouldn't be so bad."
"It'd be like we were kids of a gay couple! I like it!" Shiro beamed.
"Come on, it's not fair!" groaned Touka. "Pick one, it shouldn't be so difficult."
"All of you are equally important to us, you know?" Ken asked and Touka had to turn away from his puppy eyes.
"But if you insist we have to chose," sighted Sasaki, "then I'd say Arima-san is like our father."
"He is similar to our real dad" said Shiro. "Similar characters, I'd say."
"But it's not only that," continued Kuro. "He realy gives us that 'dad's vibe'. It's hard to explain in words. But we feel it."
"Amon-san is great too. But he's more like big brother. It's more like he's one of us helps us than he takes care of us as parent" explained Ken.
They were so earnest with their words that even Nishio couldn't bring himself to mock them. And who knows what Arima will do to me, if I laugh now, he asked himself. Everyone went back to talking and drinking and eating, while Arima, now feeling safe about his position as father started talking to his sons about what happened in their lives recently.
Few people in the room wanted to ask if Kishou knew about relationship between Ken and Hide, who was absent. And if he didn't his reaction could be priceless in their opinions, for sure. If twins and Haise freaked out, what would daddy say? But they wanted to spend the rest of the day in peace, not while trying to stop the most dangerous dove in Tokyo form committing a murder.
