It had been an accident. The discovery had been made by chance and Emiko had had little time to really comprehend what she was seeing. For a whole five seconds she had stood there, frozen, eyes on the event taking place in front of her, and nothing else had passed through her mind.
Now, an hour later, curled up on the couch of her home, a cup of tea in her hands, she was trying to understand.
It had been an innocent picture. Her son and his best friend. A young man she had come to accept as more than the vessel of Krad, their enemy. Satoshi had taken back his old name, his family name. He was a true Hikari, had shed the false identity of the Hiwatari, but he was a far cry from the dark figure, the evil, she had always believed the Hikari had been. Satoshi had been a pawn in this ancient game of cat and mouse, of light against dark, and he had suffered like all of them.
Now, with nineteen, he was a handsome young man. He had let his hair grow out, mostly bound back in a pony tail. The glasses were gone, the blue eyes filled with life, and he had accepted that the Niwas were his family now. With the death of his step-father he had become an orphan and while he had money to burn, his soul had been a lonely one. Emiko's mother instincts had taken over and she had more or less adopted the boy.
He and her son Daisuke had been best friends ever since.
Well, their friendship had started before that, actually. Against her strong advice, Daisuke had befriended the young Hikari heir, and because of that friendship they had survived so much.
And now...
Her hands clenched around the tea cup.
It couldn't be.
But it was.
The scene replayed over and over again.
Satoshi's hand gently touching Daisuke's hip, a tender expression in his eyes, mirrored by her son's. Their lips brushing against each other, Daisuke's fingers carding through the dark blond strands.
Just a moment.
Just a fleeting moment and the truth had been shown to her.
"Emiko?"
Startled out of her thoughts she nearly spilled her tea. She looked up and into the smiling face of her husband. Kosuke gave her a quizzical look and she dried a few drops of tea off her hands.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing. What gives you the idea there's something wrong?" Emiko asked.
He tilted his head and those infinitely dark eyes took on a thoughtful expression. Kosuke had this aura around him, this calmness, this gentleness, coupled with a spiritual depth that had attracted Emiko to the young man so many years ago. She had simply known that this was her future husband, the father of her son, that he would give her an heir for Dark.
She sighed.
Kosuke settled down beside her and waited.
"I ran into Daisuke and Satoshi this morning," Emiko finally started.
They had picked up a few things that Emiko had still stored here after Daisuke had moved out, rooming in with his best friend. Now it seemed like one big lie to her. Friend... as if!
"I saw them. Kosuke... they kissed."
There was no loud reaction from her husband. Actually, there wasn't more than a little smile and an eyebrow rising.
"I know," he finally said calmly.
"What!"
The tea spilled again, lukewarm against her skin, and she almost slammed the mug onto the table.
"You know!"
"Yes, Emiko, I do."
"Since when? And why didn't you tell me!" Outrage and anger entered her tone of voice.
"Because it wasn't my place to tell you. Daisuke knows about me knowing, and he asked me to let him tell you. Emiko... it's nothing bad."
"He and Riku were together!" she argued.
"They were. Riku split up with him."
"So now he takes Satoshi?" she demanded.
Kosuke shook his head, his expression never changing. "They found together, Emiko. They are happy." He gave her a quizzical look. "Does it bother you that Satoshi is a Hikari?"
"No, but he is a man!"
Another shake of the head. "It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me!"
"Because there won't be any grand-children?" a new voice entered the argument.
Emiko's eyes flashed onto her son and she felt her stomach clench. Daisuke stood in the frame of the door, gazing at her, face expressionless.
"Well, there won't," he went on. "And it's not like I have an obligation to have any. Dark is gone. Krad is gone. Satoshi and I are finally free of the family curse. I'm sorry you think it's wrong, Mom, but it's my decision. I love him. I finally made the right choice."
With that he turned and walked away, leaving a very stunned mother behind. She felt Kosuke's gentle, calming touch and finally drew herself out of her shock.
"Dai?" she whispered.
"Emiko, it's his choice," Kosuke repeated their son's words.
"But..."
"Take your time to think about it."
She swallowed, her thoughts whirling. Her son loved another man, loved Hikari Satoshi. She knew Satoshi, had seen him grow up for the last five years, but the very thought of them as a couple...
Emiko rose from the couch and left the living room, walking out into the garden that was overlooking the sea.
She needed time.
A lot.
Emiko wasn't stupid. She was an intelligent, modern woman who had raised a son mostly on her own, had prepared him for his life as a host to the Phantom Thief Dark Mousy. She had done her best to insure that Dark would continue his work. She had learned magic and had studied ancient texts. Nothing could have prepared her for the revelation that her son liked men, would one day become a partner to a Hikari.
But Satoshi wasn't the problem.
Even if he suddenly kept evading her. It wasn't immediately noticeable for her, until the day she decided to talk to Daisuke. She wanted to let him know that she was okay with his decision, that she wanted him to be happy, and if that meant Satoshi, then she could accept it. She wasn't prejudiced, just shocked.
When the door opened, it was her son. Daisuke gave her a careful smile and she felt slightly pained because of it. She had never wanted to cause him pain.
"Hello, Daisuke," Emiko said softly.
"Mom..."
"Can I come in?"
"Uh, sure."
She had been here before, had seen the townhouse, and she had been delighted to know that Satoshi would share it with Daisuke while they were both studying. Well, Satoshi was already on his way to a doctorate. He was one of the brightest minds in his faculty and had just started a second study course. Emiko was always astounded by how much was hidden behind those even blue eyes.
"You want something to drink?" Daisuke offered.
"Water will be fine."
With a glass in hand she finally sat on one of the couch chairs, looking at her son. Unruly brown hair, so much like his father's, hung into his eyes, and the light brown eyes watched her warily.
Emiko sighed softly.
"Daisuke... I don't want you to think that I disapprove of your choice. I never would. I was just a bit... shocked. You didn't tell me and your father knew already... I was disappointed."
"I didn't know how," was the quiet reply. "Sorry."
"How long?" Emiko wanted to know.
"Three months."
And she had never seen a hint. Both had been at the Niwa home often enough, but she had never seen a sign... just the little slip, the innocent kiss.
"I wanted to tell you, Mom. Really. It just wasn't as easy as Riku..."
"Because it's Satoshi?"
A shrug.
"Or because he's a man?"
"Kinda both."
"But you love him?" Emiko asked softly.
"Yes."
She nodded, smiling. "I think that's all that counts. Love is a precious thing, Dai."
Those brown eyes were filled with emotions, soft emotions, and she knew her son felt a lot for the other. He had fought for Satoshi when they had been just children, and he had kept him alive, had made him want to live. Now he loved him, and she had no doubt that Satoshi loved him in turn.
"Thanks," he whispered.
There was the sound of the door closing and Daisuke automatically smiled. Emiko turned and met the even blue gaze of the young man she had just thought about. Those eyes suddenly hardened, grew more distant, and Satoshi seemed to stiffen.
"Sato..." Daisuke began.
Satoshi was visibly fighting with himself not to just turn away.
Emiko rose. "Satoshi?"
"Emiko," he said almost formally.
"It's okay," Daisuke interjected.
There was a flash of doubt that was gone as quickly as it had come.
"I didn't come here to disapprove," Emiko explained. "I'm fine with your relationship. You love Daisuke and it's enough for me."
The doubt was there again and Emiko wanted to just hug him. This was the old, suspicious Satoshi coming to the forefront, the boy who had been psychologically mistreated by his step-father, who had to learn to trust.
"You're already part of the family," she added, smiling.
"It's not the same," he argued.
"It is. Satoshi, nothing will change. Daisuke is my son and you are both his best friend and now his partner. Emiko came carefully closer. "I'm happy for you."
"Are you?" he whispered.
She nodded. "I am."
Satoshi swallowed, tension draining slowly from the slender frame. Daisuke stepped toward him and touched him gently, rubbing a hand over his arm. Emiko watched the gesture and nodded to herself.
Yes, she might have to get used to a few changes now, but she didn't mind. Not really. Kosuke was right. Love was a precious thing and her son meant the world to her. Satoshi made him happy, had always been on Daisuke's mind, even as a child when no erotic thoughts had entered that friendship, and something told her that those two would be very good for each other.
"Satoshi?" she queried softly.
He gazed at her as if trying to read her thoughts. Finally he nodded. "Thank you."
Emiko shook her head. "No. Thank you, Hikari Satoshi."
He twitched a little smile.
"I should go. Daisuke, Satoshi, I'd love to see you for dinner next weekend, if that's okay?"
Daisuke nodded automatically, then shot his lover a look. Satoshi just mirrored the nod.
"It will be," he replied.
"Good."
Emiko left not much later, feeling a lot better.
Daisuke wrapped an arm around the narrow waist of his lover and felt Satoshi lean into him after a second of hesitation. The blond rested his head in the crook of Daisuke's neck, his breath brushing over the sensitive skin.
"'s okay," Daisuke murmured, rubbing over Satoshi's back in a soothing manner.
"It nearly wasn't."
"Mom isn't like that."
"You couldn't know that. She might have... done something."
Daisuke pushed away and looked into the blue eyes. "Sato, she wouldn't do anything," he repeated insistently. "And she accepted it."
Satoshi nodded, but the tension of before had left its marks. Daisuke knew that there were families who had broken apart over something like this, but he had never believed his own might be one of them.
He leaned forward and brought their lips together, kissing his lover, and he felt Satoshi's hands slide over his sides in a loving caress.
"It's okay," he whispered when they parted. "Everything's okay. Dad knows already and I think Daikii couldn't care less. The curse is gone. There are no more obligations."
"And if there were?" came the quiet question.
Daisuke shrugged. "Screw it. I won't push the best thing in my life away because of some ridiculous notion to have male heirs. I think Dark could have used a break, too."
A flicker of sadness coursed through him at the mention of his friend and demon. Daisuke was happy that Dark had finally found peace, had been reunited within the Black Wings with his other half, but sometimes, in the lonely hours at night, he still missed him. Dark had been a large part of his life, even if only for two years.
Satoshi pulled him back into his embrace, nuzzling him gently. "I guess so."
Daisuke tightened his hold, holding on to his best friend and lover, and squeezed his eyes shut. He pushed the thoughts of Dark away, banishing them back into the part of his mind where he hid all those emotions when they became too much to bear. Dark was the past. Satoshi was his future and there was no reason to dwell on the kaitou. He would never see him again.
"Love you," he whispered roughly.
Satoshi's answer was a long, deep kiss, full of understanding and sympathy.
end of this ficlet
to be continued