AN: Cheers youz for 552 hits!
Pride.
Mikoto's thoughts turned inwards. During gestation, he simply accepted that he was pregnant, in a way it hadn't seemed real. Now though? He was about to bring a whole new person into the world. And though Anna came into his care at age seven, the experience of parenting her, give him some degree of confidence that he wouldn't botch this.
Even so, part of him wondered what it would be like if he were still in the waking with Munakata. He felt a smile pull at his mouth, they'd probably have driven each other up the wall. Despite that, he felt Munakata would have been good at this. Everything ready months in advance, knowing what to do and done it calmly, with that aggravating smile in place the whole time.
Munakata would have been excited to be a father. Mikoto wondered what it was he himself was feeling, was it excitement? If so, it wasn't the kind of excitement that comes to mind when the word is said. But it seemed Mikoto had come a long way, without his notice, since death. Now that he no longer needed to fear burning those around him, the dream being like an invulnerable snapshot of a persons mortal waking life. He was able to consider what goals he might have and what he truly wanted, for the first time. And what's more, he could examine the range of emotions he was practiced in ignoring. Maybe he felt proud? Yeah, that seemed to fit. He was doing something he'd chosen to do, and he surprised himself with the realization that he wasn't merely ok with this, but that he genuinely wanted it. He wanted to meet his and Munakata's brat, wanted to know what kind of person they would become, wanted to make sure they got the chance to get there. Wanted the life inside him to make it, even if they did come from scorched earth.
When Mizuomi returned, it was with puree apple, Jam toast, and one of the berry ice blocks they kept in the freezer.
_
Mizuomi had called Tatara, about Mikoto going into labor, and told him to come to the bar. In response Tatara was up out of bed in a flash, bag packed, and camera at the ready.
Leaving his scooter parked up next to the van, he bolted for homra's front door. Despite his haste, the little bell above the door provided the only sound, announcing his arrival to Mizuomi, who pensively wringed his hands where he sat in one of the booths.
The night was quiet, save for the odd vehicle passing by outside, headlights sweeping through the windows. That was until both Mizuomi and he startled, hearing Mikoto cursing uninventively and loudly from the adjoining back room.
"He said he only wants Kane to be there during his delivery." Mizuomi reported Mikoto's words.
So seating himself beside Mizuomi, Tatara waited anxiously. "How has he been doing?"
Mizuomi laughed a strained laugh. "He showered, had something to eat, then took a nap for a few hours. I don't know how he does it."
"That's good, he'll have had a bit of rest and gained some energy to get him through." Taking a deep breath, Tatara let it out slowly, this time everything would be alright surly. "I have faith in you King." He whispered more to himself than anything. But to the contrary, he couldn't help worrying, unable to trust in his own assurances like he once did. Bun was a little early, if Mikoto's guesstimate as to the date of conception was correct. Would baby be ok?
Through the night, any sound from the direction of the back room, would have Tatara up out of his seat. Looking to see if it was Mikoto or Kane. Then when the morning, the eighth of July came, Mizuomi set about making them tea and breakfast. They ate without any word from or about Mikoto. And eventually Mizuomi fell asleep in his seat, arms crossed and head bowed.
Mikoto could do this, he would pull through, that's what Tatara kept repeating to himself. But he couldn't help being scared for his long time friend, for the man who was King and brother to him. Mikoto had been subject to medical abuse in the past, as well as endured surgery later in life to undo some of the resulting physical damage. It wasn't obvious, but he was affected by what had been done to him. So insisted when they were first coordinating with Kane, on a vaginal delivery, being understandably reluctant to turn any amount of autonomy over to a hospital. Kane seemed to feel that vaginal delivery could be viable, but also talked with Mikoto about the possible necessity of an emergency cesarean birth, due to IGM scarring or intersex genital mutilation scarring. Tatara hoped for Mikoto's sake, that he would be able to deliver the way he wanted to.
Tatara was deep in thought, hands balled into fists atop his knees. When Mizuomi's PDA chiming made him jump and woke Mizuomi.
"What happened, is he ok, is Bun ok?" Mizuomi blustered.
"No word from Mikoto or Kane yet." Tatara filled in the gap for him. "Your PDA made an alert sound, you expecting a text?"
"Text? Ah yeah, yes I was." Mizuomi, rubbing his eyes, blinking against the morning light and righting himself in his seat to check the device. "Mikoto's grandfather recons he'll be here in ten minutes, says he saw my text about Mikoto's labor starting, when he woke up."
"Grandfather timed it just right then." Emerging from the back room, Kane announced herself, apparently having caught what her man was saying.
Kane was a plump woman, with thick dark hair permed in to glamorous silver screen waves, those waves currently tucked under a cap. Right now she looked tired but steady and maybe even satisfied. Tatara was sure it had to be good news.
"Is he ok!?" Tatara wanted to know. His mouth was dry, the question almost stuck before it was uttered.
Kane grinned. "Just fine, he's pulling himself together, and the birth was successful. He says you can come through now."
Standing Tatara and Mizuomi were led through to see Mikoto and the baby.
Waving them in, Kane excused herself. "I'll give you a few minutes while I clean up." So saying, she removed a basin containing bloodied gloves, towels, and Tatara had never seen a placenta but he was pretty sure that was a placenta in there too. Though Kane's soft smile, gave no indication she was even slightly disturbed, by the gruesome assortment she took with her.
And there at last was Mikoto, with his second child in his arms. Tatara heard it said that there was a glow about a person after they gave birth, but that wasn't the case here. Even with the Red King's strength to call on he looked haggard, his hair lacked its usual body, he was sweaty and drawn with dark rings beneath his eyes, and beneath a lite blanket he slumped against the corner made by the sofa's arm and back. However, instead of a glow, a rare gentle smile found its place amid his features, and he very tenderly held Bun's hand while Bun breastfed contentedly.
"Hey." Tatara spoke softly. Sitting on the edge of the couch, so that Mizuomi could have the nearest chair. He got his first good look at Mikoto's baby.
The newborn's eyes blinked open to find Mikoto, revealing startling tanzanite blue. Their irises divided in half, an upper and lower portion, encompassing lighter blue pupils.
So that was how it was. The people with the unusual eyes who were linked with the stone, and those born into the dream to parents who were themselves Kings. Maybe they were one and the same.
Tatara always felt there was a kind equilibrium, between the order that Munakata embodied, and the entropy that was Mikoto. Now that dynamic had quite literally given life to a potential universe personified.
_
Mikoto merely rumbled, and in response the little ones fingers closed around his. Just then it became hard to swallow around the lump in his throat.
"Come up with a name yet?" Tatara asked over his camera, a little cheek slipping into his tone.
Mikoto leveled a drowsy lidded bloodshot look on him. "Give me a break." Though he supposed they couldn't continue calling the little one 'Bun' forever.
"What, they don't have a name still!?" Mizuomi whispered incredulously. At the same time, using some wipes he had on him, to cleans Mikoto's face of sweat.
"Hibana." Mikoto said simply, while having his hair fussed over next. "Hibana Suoh Munakata."
"Huh?" Then realization came into Tatara's eyes.
Tatara and Mizuomi shared a look, even while a grin found its way to Tataras face. And Mizuomi laughed a full body laugh.
"That's perfect." Tatara admitted. "You always did have a weird way with names. Like the strain horse, and you remember the lost cat 'Fur-ball'."
"'Hibana' so that's the name of my second great grandchild." Mikoto's grandfather thanked Kane, who had shown him and an elderly woman in. Then to Mikoto once more. "Let me get a look at them."
Mikoto was expecting grandfathers arrival. But wasn't expecting the lump in his throat to return upon seeing the man who, though he wasn't suited for it, had raised Mikoto nonetheless. Mikoto tugging the towel down away from Hibana's face, and watched grandfather's own deeply lined face as a smile took hold.
Hibana finished nursing. "Here." Bundling them securely, Mikoto eased the newborn into their great grandfathers outstretched arms.
Next, the elderly woman who arrived with grandfather, took the opportunity to introduce herself, as she found her seat. "I'm your grandfathers friend. We never met in the waking, but it's good to finally do so in the dream. This old man doesn't talk fondly about much after all."
She was tall, wore her gray hair in a high ponytail. And From the frayed patches on her vintage jacket, Mikoto could tell she was queer probably trans, an early Korean immigrant, and even now invested in the anarcho-punk movement. He liked her immediately. "Yeah." He managed.
She laughed, accentuating the deep crows feet at the corners of her eyes. "Congratulations."
Beside the one time green King. Grandfather gently brushed Hibana's soft auburn hair, the color a few tones darker than Mikoto's own. "Takes after you, but these eyes are your Munakata's, aren't they?"
Turning his own hazel eyes back down to his second child, cradled in grandfather's arm. He met Hibana's unusual blue gaze. "They are." The shape of Hibana's irises indicated that they weren't entirely human, that they had some link to the stone, but that made no difference to Mikoto. He was just pleased to see that color again. Mikoto felt as if every atom in his body was alight with pride
_
[12th of October 2013]
It was dark, but it would be light out soon enough. Normally, nightmares willing, Mikoto would be fast asleep. But Hibana had been hungry, fussing in their crib by his bed. So he was up with EBM from the freezer, defrosted in a bucket of hot water, and offered in a bottle. Now they sat together in Mikoto's wing-back by the window, while Hibana drank an early breakfast, one of many,
It was overcast, Mikoto couldn't see the stars, just the city's lights reflected off the clouds. Occasionally he could make out the sound of distant lightning, the clap of thunder rolling in a few seconds following each flash.
Most strikes came and went in a blink, Mikoto paying them no mind. But one did earn his attention, or rather a phenomenon that looked like blue lightning, except it moved in slow motion.
Mikoto recognized the first sign of the Blue King's sanctum, soon Munakata's Damocles would materialize in the sky. The show even caught little Hibana's attention, and they pulled away from the bottle, to swivel their head in the direction of the Blue light.
"That's your old man's Damocles." Mikoto told, arranging Hibana on his toweled knee, to begin the burping process. "I left him a heavy burden to carry on his own." He added quietly.
Hibana had inherited Mikoto's deeper brown skin, and their hair was a dark auburn color, Mikoto even thought he was beginning to see his frizzy texture in the strands. But their eyes were Munakata's color, and it was the light of their father's Damocles that reflected in them, as the colossal sword broke free of its crystalline cocoon.
The thrum of rain started up on the roof, and Mikoto and Hibana sat like that a while, until. "Urp." Hibana spilled milk all down their chin onto the towel.
"Yeah, he makes me sick too." Some affection may have slipped in to his tone, but if it had, Mikoto was to busy dabbing Hibana's round little face to notice.