Chapter 14
"I don't know if I am feeling right doc… can you help me out?"
For the week, Suiryu has been a nervous wreck.
He has noticed his appetite increasing; he's been sleeping a lot more, not to mention the sudden weight gain. "I mean, my God, I nearly look like Pig God now!"
"You got a LONG way to go before you reach his level," corrected Yuki. However his joke didn't get a reaction out of Suiryu. He sighed aloud and said. "Perhaps you are looking at this all wrong. I mean what would cause something like this to you? You are always cautious with your training as well as your food intake when you are working out. Could something have changed recently?"
Suiryu shook his head, he was scared and unsure about it all. "I don't know anymore… I feel something is wrong with me. Also I haven't seen Alley in a week! Is she that upset with me? Did I really anger her from our argument? Genus? Was I being an asshole?"
"I don't wish to get involved with that notion. All I will say is this, couples will argue when they are concerned about the other's well being. When one becomes… obsessive to say the least over the other, perhaps they are trying to indicate something is off about their mate and wish to ensure they are safe."
Suiryu blinked a few times, just as his stomach agitated oddly. "Damn, there it goes again! It's like something is fighting me in there!"
Yuki sighed as he took out his phone, he set a text message and waited.
Before long, Garou appeared and saw Yuki and pointed to Suiryu. "Garou… hey have you see Alley? I'm getting worried about her… also something is happening to me… I don't know what but I want to be sure Alley's okay!"
He was panicked, Garou sighed aloud to it all, his hands went on his hips as he pulled out a little black book from his side and checked something quickly. With a nod he turned to Suiryu and said very bluntly. "Alley's pregnant, and you are holding on to her in your body for safe keeping. That aggressive grumbling you got, it's her."
It was so silent, one could hear a pin drop in the lab. Suiryu forced a smile. "You… you're joking, right? Me… a dad?!"
"You raised Boros,"
Suiryu's heart began to race in his chest, he nearly collapsed when Yuki was able to shove a chair under him before he fell back. As he sat there, he stared at his stomach and then at Garou. "It's… the same thing you do with Melee isn't it?"
"Tch, not really, I still don't know how you are containing her. But according to Genus, monsters who are powerful enough to hold their own, will tend to hoard their mate to ensure she carries full term. Not many males would do such a thing since it puts them more at risk than others. You adopted that trait so, that is why Alley is where she is. Your appetite increasing, again I don't know how this works in you, but you are eating for yourself, her and your kid. So don't think of yourself getting fat, you are ensuring there is enough to go around."
Suiryu found himself focused on Garou, taking in every piece of advice he had to offer him. "Okay… I will be careful and make certain she has plenty… but why is she moving about so aggressively, Melee never did that to you!"
"I think you may have caught her off guard doing this… She may not understand where she is right now, and remember, she's a stubborn one!"
He smirked to the reminder. Of course he knew that, Alley's a very determined young woman. Not much in his world can stop her when she wants something done!
"Okay…" Suiryu managed to say as he still tried to wrap his mind around it all, he caressed his stomach but smirked again. "I'm really going to be a dad…" he then paused and realized. "You okay being a grandfather?!"
"Shut the hell up," growled Garou. "You call me that and not my actual name, I'll be sure this is the first and only kid you have! Got it?"
He was dead serious, Suiryu nodded his head as Garou walked out of the room. Yuki on the other hand was smirking and snickering to it all. "Man, it took you a week to realize you had Alley?!"
"YOU KNEW!"
"Of course we did," said Genus as he continued to have his nose in his work. "But we couldn't tell you in case you got too upset and would disrupt Alley."
"Oh…"
"Now with that settled, can we have the lab back?" Yuki asked. "Don't get me wrong, it's great having you here, but you are kinda distracting, and no doubt you are just going to get Alley worked up since we're out here working and she isn't."
"Oh, right, yeah… okay…" Suiryu slowly got himself up and out of the chair, he then wondered what he was going to do with himself, knowing the truth now, he didn't know where to go from here!
#
The pool was over and the winnings were paid out.
How did Snek of all people win the pot?!
Garou tried to figure out how Snek won the whole thing, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. So instead, he wondered about the association trying to think of something to do.
His mind drifted as he thought of Tempest. A full week he has been gone, but hasn't heard a word from him. Garou had half a mind to go and check up on him just to be sure he is happy where he is
A part of him is hoping he isn't.
He admitted to himself, the training he and Tempest did was fun. It has been a while since he was able to train in something different, let alone pass off his knowledge and skills to another. He was about to head out and do patrols when he paused. Tempest appeared, just walking in the doors with his duffle bag in hand! "Kid?" Garou asked.
Garou looked to him, there was this fire in his eyes he had never seen before. "Dad… train me to become a Yokozuna!" he said in great determination. "I want to become Yokozuna!"
Garou grinned wickedly. "I'm going to warn you here and now. You are going to hate me when this is all said and done, understood?" he asked. "I will push you to your brink and demand you go farther… I will make you wish you never had a human form!"
Tempest dropped his bag before staring him down. "Do… your… worst!"
Garou froze, he nearly didn't know what to say but the smile on him grew. "Alright. Let's get started!" He led Tempest one of the main sparring rooms. From there Garou closed the door tightly and close off the windows so no one could peer in. "Your shiko squats, are to promote balance and strengthen your legs. Here's a new one for you." Garou went into the squat position, yet he arched his left leg up as if he were to do a squat, but he then kept extending his limb higher and higher until his toes pointed to the sky, he balanced himself on one leg and turned to Tempest. "Do this, but hold your position. I want this held for five minutes on each leg. No trembling, no wavering!" he demanded.
Tempest nodded as he followed suit. But first he had to get into uniform. He changed into his mawashi belt and loincloth, and then stood at the ready. As Garou instructed he lifted his leg and then brought it up high, Tempest took a few try to gain his proper balance until he held it in place. Unwavering, he kept his position, it was his first time trying and it took a lot more effort than it appeared. His leg quivered and be couldn't hold it for the allotted time asked. If anything, he could do it for one whole minute, nothing more or less.
When his leg came down again, Tempest appeared defeated. He tried again with the other leg, but only got the same result of one minute. Garou could tell he was straining his body, his legs tensed up, his body shuttered under the pressure as the sweat already began to bead down his face. But, Tempest was up for it. He wanted this! Despite being unable to hold for five minutes, Garou was satisfied he could do it for a solid sixty seconds. It goes to show there is room for improvement.
He barely managed to do the other leg, by the looks of it, his limbs quivered from the shock, but he didn't announce he needed a break, not yet. Garou smirked and nodded. "Do we continue?"
"Yes!"
#
They went for hours.
Garou pushing him to the brink. Despite the sweat, the pain and the look of discomfort Tempest displayed on his face, he refused to announce he needed to rest. The last exercise Garou had him do would be enough for the day. It is known as a suicide squat. Bending his legs to hold him up and yet remains in that position for as long as possible against the wall. Tempest's legs trembled within two minutes; he tried to bare it until his legs gave in. He fell to his knees and appeared disappointed in it all. "DAMN IT!" he protested.
"Easy kiddo, I put you through the wringer today, you did remarkably well," Garou insisted.
"It's not that dad!" he protested. "I wasted a week at that stable when you could have pushed me farther than they did. Dad… I had to hold back around them. They looked strong, but those I needed to spar with weren't putting in the effort…"
Garou became intrigued. "Is that so… they have NO IDEA what you are capable of then huh?" he asked.
"No, I never really got the chance to show them…"
"Perfect."
"Huh?"
"They don't know what you can do, perfect. Look, Tempest…" Garou took a seat on the floor. "The way this works is this, there are tournaments for Sumos, held six times a year to determine rank. The more victories you obtain, the higher you go, and the closer you are to becoming Yokozuna. The thing is this, this goes by skill, and abilities. Cheep victories get you nothing, in fact they can demote you. You have to show them your power and grace in inside the ring. Now, what I am thinking is this. Every opportunity, every waking moment, if there is a sumo tournament, you enter it!" he said.
Tempest froze to the challenge. "Dad, that's a lot…"
"It can be, but… if we are to get anywhere, we need to show them what you can do and get your rank up. The more you win, the higher you go."
He thought it over. "How soon could I become Yokozuna if I do this?"
"Hard to say, I know there are some who obtain rank within four years… we ain't aiming for four years!" Garou said with a grin. "No, we're aiming for one!"
Tempest went a little pale. "One year? That's impossible!" he protested. "Some sumos will work all their lives and never even achieve the rank of Yokozuna!"
"Yes, but you are not just any sumo, you are my kid. And my kids aim to be the best a lot sooner than others. Now… as I said, you are going to HATE me for the next little while. But, if you trust me, we can do this. You trust me?"
There was a moment of hesitation, but then, that look returned to his eyes. "Yes father!" he said with great conviction.
"Good, now, first things first. I had been spying on you at the stables, I got to agree on one aspect since even Oni said you should put on some weight. You're a Brawler, it's about damn time you start looking like one!" Garou picked himself off the ground, he offered his hand to Tempest to lift him to his feet. His son graciously took it as he stood before Garou proudly.
"Dad… I'm not that hungry yet, can we keep going?" he asked.
He smirked to the request but nodded. "Let's do this then!"
