Chapter 14

"Dad! How could you not tell me?"

Hikari was upset.

Kunzite lowered a report he was reading and kept a straight face when looking at his son. He remained silent.

His youngest son had come home with the biggest smile on his face smelling like the outdoors while carting in an ice-cooler of fish he caught. To his son's horror, he ran into the young senshi who were barely waking up after being up the entire night and rousing in the late afternoon. Normally, he wouldn't care, but Mako was amongst the girls who attended his sister's last-minute sleep-over.

Hikari was extremely self-conscious. His joy turned into horror as he quickly took the fish to the kitchen and ran to his room. His face had been red from embarrassment.

"Why wasn't I given a heads up that sister had her friends over?!"

His hidden message: 'Why didn't you tell me my girlfriend was here?!'

Kunzite sat silently listening as his son continued raving like his wife would from time to time when caught off guard or distraught. Instead, he looked at the young man and waited till his long-winded son was ready to listen.

"Did you enjoy the time with your brothers and Jade?" asked Kunzite.

His son paused and nodded his head, "I did."

"Did you catch fish?"

His son nodded his head, "Of course. I caught enough for the next several days."

"Would you like for us to serve what you caught this evening to any of the senshi remaining for dinner?" asked the general.

Hikari shrugged, "I guess."

"Do you think Mako would appreciate that you caught the fish we will eat for dinner tonight?"

His youngest son's face began to redden and blush. "I-I hope so…"

"Then why are you upset for going out and bringing back dinner for your family and girlfriend?" questioned Kunzite.

Hikari paused for a moment and reflected. His dad did have a point. "I…" he started becoming flushed in the cheeks, "I wish I knew so I could have looked and smelled better when walking in the house. Also, if I knew she would be staying over, I would have stayed home-"

"And missed spending time with your grown brothers who are stationed all around the world?" asked Kunzite.

His son lowered his head, "I guess you're right. But I really do want to be with Mako! What if she was able to spend time with me yesterday?!"

Kunzite stared at his son raising an eyebrow. Was his son really that shallow?

"Get your hormones in order, or you may just find yourself in military school. All of your older brothers went to military school when they became teenagers," stated Kunzite.

Hikari's face paled. His father's veiled threat: 'Get your act together or your being shipped off to another part of the world until I feel like bringing you back.'

The youngest son of the general nodded his head and became apologetic, "Y-yes sir."

"Ask your mom to prepare the fish this evening."

"Yes sir."

"You may leave."

"Yes sir…" uttered the teen, his voice becoming softer and softer with each response. He turned around and left the room almost in a fashion the other military men did after Kunzite gave his orders.

Kunzite watched silently as his son left the room, the normally happy disposition of his son cut down to that of a deflated balloon. He leaned back in his chair keeping silent for a moment longer before sighing. Had he always treated his family like seasoned military officers? He wasn't really going to send Hikari off to military school like he did the other boys. He was alone with his first five sons and no help to raise them. Military school was the only way he knew his sons would fully be cared for and trained to become functioning members of society as he remained in the office most days.

Now that he had Minako living with him, decent office hours, and tasks delegated to capable individuals, he felt more at ease to keep his children home and raise them with his semi-retired wife.

He knew something needed to change.

Later that evening, as he was holding his wife before falling asleep, he spoke words Minako had never heard him say before.

"I need to spend more time with my kids."

If she wasn't held securely in her husband's arms, she might have accidentally rolled off the bedside in surprise and hit her head.