Okee-dokee… Let's get this thing started, shall we? I know, I know… It's on the late end of Monday. To be honest, I have no idea where the heck today went, either. I know I had class this morning, then I remember nothing. I did make tofu, though.

Anyway, many thanks to FiringShootingStar, ptd163, Q-A the Authoress, Rapis-Razuri, quardian of the aura Aruasoul, theforgottenpeople96, and Flame-Metal-Heart for taking the time to review!

Anons this week are LDC and ChibiX! LDC: I'm glad you liked it! These last couple of chapters are probably going to be pretty touching :) ChibiX: I can't say I know. Whenever I make up characters, I like to give them unnecessary middle names, even :P But I got to pick out names for Yusei's parents, so I'm okay with it.

And here's chapter forty-five! Enjoy the touchy feelings!

And thanks to my awesome beta, RobotFish, for proofing this for me!

Sunset Horizon
Chapter 45 – Parental Confliction

Akiza walked after the employee of her husband's family, grateful that one of them had found her. She wasn't sure where she was or how to get back to familiar pathways, but then a woman around her age had appeared with a bow and told her dinner would be served in a half-hour. So she followed after her, moving after her in the direction of the dining room.

The girl opened the door and bowed, saying, "Enjoy your meal, Mistress."

She blinked and quickly held up her hands. "Oh, no! I'm not-! I mean, please, just call me 'Akiza."

She frowned. "But that would disrespectful. You are the wife of the Young Master, therefore, you are my mistress."

Biting her lip, she realized what Yusei said was true. There were a lot of stipulations that came with living as nobility and, as long as she was married to Yusei, she was the wife of a senatorial son. Nodding slowly, she smiled and replied to the attendant, "I understand. There are certain things that you have to do, don't you? I can follow along."

Giving a nod and a slight bow, she said, "Thank you, Mistress. Please enjoy supper."

She smiled a little wider. "Thank you. I'm sure I will. I've never had such a fancy meal before."

The girl stayed silent as she held the door open and her head bowed, giving Akiza the feeling that the conversation was over. Flashing one more smile, she turned to walk into the room to find Katsuro already seated at the head of the table. Luna, Kalin, Misty, and Bruno sat there as well, waiting for dinner to be served.

The two seats on either side of Katsuro stayed empty, causing Akiza to frown when a butler moved forward and pulled the one to his left out and gestured for her to take it. Nodding once, she moved over and sat beside Luna, managing a quick smile at everyone else before saying, "Why were the two chairs near the head left open?"

Katsuro raised his wine glass in a slight toast, acknowledging her joining them, and said, "The seat to the senator's right is reserved for his firstborn. The seat to his left-" He paused, gesturing briefly towards the seat she sat in. "-is for the lady of the house. Seeing as to how you are the oldest—only—living woman of the family, it's your seat to occupy."

She nodded once, biting her lip at the weight being thrust onto her. Lady of the house? What did Yusei's father expect of her? Did he want her to be this noble woman of endless patience and poise? She shifted in her seat slightly, wondering where her husband was. If they had to send a maid to find her and bring her there, why wasn't he there yet? Finally, she looked to her father-in-law and asked, "Speaking of the senator's firstborn, where is Yusei?"

She caught sight of Kalin averting his gaze as Yusei's father took a casual sip of his wine, glancing to the empty seat with a sad smile on his lips. "Yusei won't be joining us."

She frowned. "Why not?"

"Yusei… hasn't stepped foot in this room since his mother died."

She looked around in mild shock, remembering the story her husband had told her. He said she'd died when they were eating lunch. She glanced up, noticing the glass doors that lined the opposite wall, leading to the balcony. That building beyond must have been Roman's home, where he'd heard Yusei crying for his mother's death.

But why didn't he say anything?

A tingle burst through her arm as she reached the opposite hand to touch it, gaping as her marker began to glow. She stared, wide-eyed as she looked up at the other occupants of the room in alarm and glanced at Luna. Her marker was glowing, too, causing the young barmaid to glance to Katsuro.

He paused while raising his wine glass to his lips and murmured, "How do you feel?"

She shook her head slightly, truthfully replying, "Like myself." Unlike when he'd summoned the dragons in New Domino, when she had felt a burning dread and anger boil through her veins. Now, she felt nothing out of the ordinary beyond the fact that her arm glowed.

He nodded once and resumed his drink, taking a sip before setting his crystal glass down and saying, "Then don't be concerned. He's not going to hurt anyone. It's a peaceful liaison." Pausing for a moment, he smiled and asked, "Would you like water? I'd offer wine, but recent studies say alcoholic beverages aren't healthy for those with child."

She kept her eyes on her mark, trying to feel something to clue her into Yusei's thoughts. Finally, she shook her head and sighed before answering, "I never was a wine drinker, anyway. Could I have tea? Blackberry, if you have any?"

"Of course," he said, nodding towards the butler by the door.

The man bowed briefly and turned to leave. A silence filled the room before Kalin inhaled deeply and paused, deciding how to proceed. Finally, he asked, "Would you two care to explain why your arms are glowing, by any chance?"

The foster sisters exchanged a quick glance before turning back to him and speaking in unison. "Ask Yusei."

…

Akiza trudged up the final staircase to the top floor of the house, exhausted between the number of stairs, the amount of floor to cover, the fact she was carrying a child, and the filling dinner. She reached Yusei's—their—room and pulled the door open, walking inside to the sound of shuffling pages from the bedroom proper. Cocking her head, she moved through the open bookcase-door to find her husband standing by the desk with an open book in front of him, a tray with a plate of food next to it, and a glass of wine in his hand.

She leaned against the doorframe with a sigh, opening her mouth to say something and pausing when he asked, "How was dinner?"

He still hadn't faced her, causing her to sigh again before answering with a question of her own, "Why didn't you tell me?"

His fingers ran down the page of the book and paused when she spoke, causing him to straighten up a little and finally turn to her with a thoughtful expression. "That I wouldn't be going to dinner?"

She nodded and moved over to sit on the trunk near the desk. "I would've stayed here with you, you know-"

He bit his lip as he held up his wine glass in a silent interruption. He leaned back against his desk and looked down into the white contents before saying, "That's exactly why I didn't say anything, Akiza."

She frowned in confusion. "I don't follow."

Pushing himself off the desk, he picked up his fork and swept up a piece of neatly-cut meat from the plate before slipping it between his lips. He chewed as he considered his words and walked over to sit down next to her, reaching to hold her hand in his free one. Slowly, he murmured, "This is your first time in such a high-class culture. I know you want to feel that 'royal' treatment for a few days and, really, why wouldn't you? It wouldn't be fair of me to take that experience away from you because of my brooding. I had a lot to think about, anyway."

She nodded slowly, then shifted to raise her hand still linked with his before saying, "I know, you know."

He cocked his head, then realized which arm she lifted and nodded. "Right. I didn't hurt anyone. Just freaked a couple of employees with the presence of a dragon in the courtyard."

She leaned closer to press a chaste kiss to his lips to let him know she wasn't angry before asking, "Why?"

"I needed someone to lean on and I didn't know where you were." Setting his wine glass on the floor by the bench, he ran his hand through his hair and murmured, "I still have to tell Kalin and the others about the dragons. I haven't even told them that they have spirits inside their guns yet."

"No kidding," she murmured, taking his wine from the floor and stealing a sip. Whatever Katsuro said about science, women had been drinking wine while pregnant for years and past generations weren't that badly affected. "Kalin had some questions about the glowing tattoos during dinner."

He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. "Crap. I forgot you said that yours and Luna's light up when I call on them. Guess that means he's getting an explanation sooner rather than later."

She giggled softly and leaned to lie on his shoulder, frowning at the sight of a leather belt poking over the edge of the bed. Nodding towards it, she asked, "Yusei? What is that?"

He slowly shifted to slide out from his place next to her and walked over to it, picking it up to reveal a pistol belt. He still wore Stardust, so what could this be? He touched the weapon kept out of her sight for a moment, then murmured, "This is part of what I needed to think about."

She slowly stood as he pulled the gun out of its resting place, showing her a weapon forged in the same colors as Stardust, but larger and familiar from somewhere. She couldn't place it, but she'd seen that weapon before. "Yusei, what is-?"

"It's Z-one's," he answered quickly, knowing what she was asking before she asked it. "It's his Shooting Star Dragon and he left it for me."

Nodding slowly, she walked up next to him and wrapped her hands around his arm. "It's beautiful."

He gave a slow nod, agreeing with her assessment before slipping it back into its holster and dropping it back to the bed. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered, "But now we have a world of peace. As long as I have anything to say about it, Shooting Star won't need to be fired throughout the lifetime of our child."

…

Yusei sat up in bed, one arm draped across his knee, the other holding his letter from Z-one. The moonlight from the window and the lone candle on his bedside table were the only light in the room, but it was enough for him to read off of. It didn't matter. He had memorized the letter by now, anyway. Lying on the mattress in front of him, the box from Z-one was propped open to leave the items inside open to see.

"What're you reading?"

He turned to see Akiza lying in her pillow, her eyes half-open and her hair falling messily around her. Giving a light smile, he reached out to brush her bangs out of her eyes and murmured, "Sorry… Did I wake you?"

She gave a light smile and shifted to take his hand before holding it. "Maybe a little."

He offered a quick smile, not really sure what to say now. He turned to blow out the candle and shifted to close the box, pausing as his wife asked, "What is that?"

He gestured towards the box in the moonlight and, when she nodded, explained, "It's from Z-one… My family has a tradition where the heir collects their memories throughout life in a box like this one. When they die, it's passed onto their grandchild to receive. I had one started, but it was probably lost when the Claw…"

She nodded slowly, then pursed her lips in thought. "Was it a wooden box with a lock on it? Tucked away under the bed?"

He turned to her in surprise. "Y-yeah…!"

She smiled lightly and reached out to hold his hand. "I found it after you disappeared into the caves. I figured it must have been important if it was locked and you'd never mentioned it, so I moved it down to the caves before the Underground could find it."

He sat still, not believing his ears. Though it only held his memories since he'd arrived in New Domino, it kept his fondest recollections intact. It was truly priceless and he had to fight the urges to tackle his wife with affections for saving it. The only reason he held back was because Z-one's box was still on the bed and unlocked. If he flipped over to kiss her, he could easily knock it off and spill its contents everywhere.

She smiled and looked at him through her lashes. "Smart move, then?"

He nodded. "You have no idea."

She pouted slightly and murmured, "Give me some credit, Yusei. Now," she started, reaching out to touch her finger to his chin. "It is still the middle of the night and I'm cold all by myself over here."

He smiled softly and folded the letter before setting it on the bedside table. Locking the box, he moved to set it on the floor by the bed and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips before drawing back slightly and murmuring, "Can I ask you something?"

She nuzzled her nose against his and settled into her pillow a little more comfortably. "Anything."

He brushed his fingers through her hair with a gentle smile on his lips. "It's… about the baby."

She cocked her head in curiosity, blinking as she studied his features. "What's on your mind?"

He swallowed and said, "Well… I was thinking… Only five months left and we haven't even talked about names."

She smiled lightly. "Or anything else, for that matter."

He gave a light chuckle and combed his fingers through her fine hair repeatedly. "I just… I had a request."

"What is it, Yusei?" she moaned, shifting in her pillow as if she wanted to go back to sleep.

"Just…" Shifting in bed, he snuggled down under the covers and drew himself to her side. He kissed her gently one more time and paused, licking his lips before warily setting his hand on her rounding belly. "If… If we… If this baby is a boy… Could we name him Seero?"

She frowned slightly, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Seero? Why Seero?"

"It's…" he started, then offered a quick smile. "It's Z-one's real name."

Her features softened in surprise. "I never knew 'Z-one' wasn't his real name."

He kissed her quickly and murmured, "I figured 'Z-one' would be a pretty stupid name to have, but I never knew another one for him until I got his letter."

She smiled and reached to cup his cheek before saying, "I think our child would be lucky to bear the name of such a strong-willed man."

He swallowed. "Are you sure?"

Nodding, she said, "I'd be hesitant to name any son of ours 'Z-one,' but Seero Fudo has a rather nice ring to it, I think."

He gave a small smile as he nuzzled his nose in her hair. "Thank you… You have no idea what this means to me…"

Her fingers brushed against his bare chest lightly as she murmured, "I think I have a pretty good idea."

"If you want..." he whispered in the dark room, "You can pick out a name if the baby's a girl."

She smiled softly and hummed, "All right. I'll give it some thought and let you know what I think of."

He hesitated for a moment, hiding his eyes from her line of sight. There was something else he wanted to say, but how did one go about breaching that subject? "I…"

Whenever it does happen to you, don't run from it. Embrace it. You'll be glad you did.

The words from Z-one's letter burned through his mind as he took a deep breath and forced a smile towards his wife. He knew his grandfather was right. Slowly, he murmured, "Akiza, I know I haven't really talked about how I feel yet… about being a father."

She nodded and set her hand on top of his. "No, you haven't, but I knew it could wait. There's still at least five months before the baby comes."

Looking her in the eye, he whispered, "I'm terrified, Akiza."

She smiled softly and replied, "Everyone is, Yusei-"

"No," he blurted, cutting her off. Taking a breath, he continued, "I'm not scared of being a parent. Not really, anyway. I mean, I know there'll be a lot of change in our lives and not nearly as much sex, but that's not what I'm so bloody scared of."

"Talk to me," she murmured, shifting to lace her fingers with his over their child.

"I'm scared…" he started, fighting with himself before muttering, "I'm scared that I'll disappoint this baby. My family has a history of terrible fathers."

She frowned. "But what about Z-one? Sure, he smoked and drank, but he's still a good person."

He snorted lightly. "He was forced to be senator, pulled away from his kid while his mother raised my father into the politician he is now." Tears pricked at the backs of his eyes as he shifted to wrap both arms around her and hold her close. "Every Fudo has tried, and every one has failed. We try so fucking hard, but every generation always fails their kids."

"Yusei…" she murmured, touching his cheek softly as she realized a battle he'd been fighting on the inside. "Yusei, nothing is determined yet. You'll be whatever kind of father you want to be. It's not in your blood to be bad."

He shook his head above her, the first tear finally breaking loose. "But what if it is?"

"It's not, Yusei." She chocked back a sob, her own tears streaming down her cheeks. "You have to believe that, Yusei. You'll be a remarkable father. I know that in my heart."

Okay, then. A note for those following on Facebook. No, Seero is not my headcanon name for Z-one. It just worked for story purposes in here, so I rolled with it. I do have a headcanon name for the guy, though. We'll see if I ever get around to writing a fic with him, though.

And to make the above make sense for those not checking in on Facebook, Seero is the name of my headcanon son of Yusei and Akiza. He'll be the main character of my upcoming next-gen.

Speaking of my next-gen, it might not be started right after SH ends. I have a few small projects I want to work on, like my YuAki headcanon and this new idea I'm getting for Stardust/Black Rose. The latter should be a gigantic fluff-fest. RobotFish even compared my basic plotline to his writing, if that tells you how fluffy and cute it should be :P

Also, my current icon here on FFnet is an amazing fanart from the vaults of Pixiv that shows my now-headcanon human appearances of the two dragons. I can post the full version on my Facebook, if you guys want to see it.

Anyway, visit my Facebook! I may only have thirty likes, but I still post pretty frequently. I love to hear what you guys have to say! facebook.c!om/OCValkyrie

Please review!

-Valk