Chapter Eight – Hard To Keep Up

Lory took a look over at where Kuon was sitting on the staircase. He knew that Kyoko had wanted to do something with him but he hadn't been responding very well. He was only a boy and yet he seemed like he had had to suffer so much. He made his way over to his godson and sat down onto the step with him. "So," he smiled as he sat there like a samurai. "What's going on? How's school?" he asked and Kuon looked away.

"I'm a freak," Kuon said as he looked ahead before pausing, he turned to Lory. "I didn't – I didn't say that," he said and Lory nodded and hummed. He was glad that he had Kuon open up to him a little bit. He wasn't sure what had happened but the fact that he had gotten a response other than shrugged shoulders was a big step.

"I always had a lot of people misunderstand me as well," Lory said and Kuon looked at him before pushing his hand through his hair.

"I didn't say that," he shivered trying hard not to break. "I didn't say that."

"Okay," Lory said as he tried to find a way of letting Kuu know about this without betraying Kuon's trust. He smiled at him. "Are you still interested in pursuing acting?"

Kuon frowned, "No," he whispered and Lory didn't believe that. He knew that it was difficult to act when your parents were famous for it but Kuu had really wanted the Hizuri family to move to Japan. Lory could try to find ways of Kuon having people around him who would give him a chance but he would need the boy to be motivated enough to work for it. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Lory asked as he raised an eyebrow. "Kuon, you've always been such a curious person. I'm sure that there are things in -"

"I have to take my medication," Kuon said as he stood up and then bowed. "I'm sorry for my rudeness," he apologized before walking away. Lory watched him and was surprised when Kyoko dashed over and grabbed his wrist. He sat back and watched the two young ones interact. Kuon wouldn't hurt Kyoko, right? Even if he did have a bleak worldview, he had learned to treasure the younger girl.

"Corn!" Kyoko giggled. Kuon stared at her and slowly withdrew his wrist. "I've been looking for you. I really wanted to talk with you or play with you. We've got a huge yard and you love nature, right? Maybe we'll see some birds."

"I'm sorry," Kuon apologized. "Maybe later, okay? I have to take my medication."

Lory frowned at that. Why was Kuon so determined to take it? Kuu had already said that he prepared the dosages for Kuon so there shouldn't be anything that Kuon was taking independently, right? Lory watched as Kyoko took a step back.

"I'm sorry, can you take your medication and then we can play?" she asked and Kuon reached into his jacket pocket, grabbing something with his hand.

"It makes me sleepy," he told her and Kyoko nodded.

"Okay. We can take a nap at the same time," she smiled. "I don't mind reading a book or something if you want to sleep and then I can show you the stuff I designed for my fashion class. Here, I'll show you where the kitchen is," she said. As she did that, she tried to grab to his hand and when she pulled it out of his pocket, the bottle of pills fell out and rolled over to Lory. "I'm sorry, Corn!" She said quickly as she looked around. "I'll help you find it, okay?"

Lory paused as he took the pill bottle in his hand and studied it. This might explain Kuon's strange behavior. The side effects seemed to match with how he had been acting. He raised an eyebrow. Giving Prozac to a fourteen-year-old? It wasn't unheard of but he was worried about Kuon. Was his condition really that bad? Was this why Shuuhei was moving, because he didn't want the media to find out about this and have Kuon's future ruined before it began.

"I'm going to give this to your dad," Lory said and saw how pale Kuon got.

"Dad doesn't need to have it. It's mine. I just take it when I need it," Kuon said as he spoke faster. "Come on, you can trust me. Dad doesn't need to have that one. I only take it when it's…when I need to…" he repeated and Lory watched him, taking no pleasure from seeing him panic. Please?" he asked and Lory looked at it.

"How much of this do you take?" he asked as he looked at the dosage which said two pills a day, that seemed a little high for a fourteen-year-old.

"No more than eight, maybe four, four a day…" Kuon panicked. "Please, please don't give it to my dad. I'm a teenager. This is my issue, my responsibility. Dad doesn't need to be involved. He doesn't need to know."

"Dad doesn't need to know what?" Kuu asked, surprised that Kuon had broken free from his shell. He walked over to Kuon and put a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Dad doesn't need to know what?" he asked as he tilted his head to the side.

"I bought them. I was given them," Kuon attempted to argue and Kuu looked at him confused. "I bought them."

"I'm sorry, Kuon," Lory said honestly before handing the bottle to Kuu. "Shuuhei," he said and Kuu took the pills. His eyes widened. No one could get these bills without robbery or being prescribed them. Kuon wasn't supposed to make his own decisions about medication until he was eighteen or at least sixteen and then that was after a conversation about them. Kuu didn't want him on these strong pills for his own protection.

"Where did you get these?" he asked as he turned the pill bottle in his hand. Kyoko looked between the adults innocently. Kuon attempted to grab the bottle but Kuu pulled it back, Kuon was fast but he had quicker reflexes.

"Don't act as if you care!" Kuon yelled and Kuu looked at him shocked.

"I do care. I care enough to want to solve our problems without using these," he said. Kuon looked at his father before staring at the bottle of pills and ran for the door. He grabbed his shoes on the way out. He just needed to get away from here. Get away from everyone. He had only started taking the pills so that his parents wouldn't move to Japan and damage their acting careers. He saw Kuu chasing after him and stopped, looking at his father.

"Why?" he asked and Kuu stared at him. "Why are you running after me!? You'd be happier if I was dead! You don't understand me!"

Kuu took a couple of steps forwards. He frowned but softened his expression as he turned to Kuon. "No." He said, as he tried to face Kuon as equals instead of an authoritative parent and unruly child. "I don't understand you but I'm trying to. I would not be happier if you were dead. I want to try to understand you. You're my son. You're my top priority. I just want you to tell me what's going on. I don't like seeing you upset or unhappy."

"Yet you think that moving and leaving your careers for a small island nation like Japan will make me feel better. You and Mom are giving up everything just because I can't adjust to real life. You should just leave me here. I'll survive on my own. I don't need you."

Kuu felt like he was physically stabbed by that last comment but he shook his head. "I would never let my fourteen-year-old son leave home and be alone. You might not want me to be your father but that's what I am. Maybe I'm not the best father you could have but I love you. That has to be enough to start with. I love you. I want to make sure that you're okay. My career isn't as important as you are."

Kuon bowed his head and started to sob. He walked over to his father and Kuu immediately opened his arms to hold him. He held Kuon closely and rubbed his back. His son had to face constant pain for four years and Kuu wasn't learning fast enough to be of much use.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Kuon apologized and Kuu shook his head. He gently brushed Kuon's hair back, ruffling it a little bit.

"I'm sorry too," Kuu apologized. "I want to show you the house that your mother and I found where we could live. I just want to see you grow up as a strong person, Kuon. I love you. You'll always be my son. Just don't take medicine I don't know about. I can't monitor your health if I don't -"

"Monitor it?" Kuon asked and Kuu shook his head.

"Understand it," he said and Kuon nodded before returning to Kuu for another hug and Kuu felt happy that he was able to hold Kuon in his arms. He wrapped his son up tightly wishing that he could always protect him.

TLPTLPTLP

Kyoko looked in the direction where Kuu and Kuon had just left. She took some slow breaths before looking at her own adoptive father. "Do you think they'll be okay?" she asked and Lory came to her, pulling her into their own hug.

"I hope so. I really hope so," he told her. "Maybe it's for the best that they leave America. I think there's too much pain there," he told Kyoko who nodded.

"Can we make them a welcome party if they choose to live here?" she asked, her expression brightening as she tried to think of what she could do to help Kuon.

"That's a great idea," Lory agreed. He looked towards the door. He hoped that Kyoko didn't grow up that way, he cared for Kuon greatly but the boy was extremely troubled and his life had already been so chaotic. Kuu was just trying to keep up with how to take care of him. However, one thing that Lory Takarada knew was that Kuu Hizuri would never give up on his son. Hopefully that was enough to keep Kuon alive.

End of Chapter Eight

Thank you for reading

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Seven

Brennakai, Jabane673, Niiissaann,