Enjoy.
After the harsh conversation, Shin took a seat in the living room. It was quiet and he had a place to think.
"What are you doing?" he heard a small voice ask in English. Looking down, Shin saw a little girl with dark hair in piggy tails and was wearing a Pikachu shirt. She was Touma's little girl, Kimberly.
"I came in here to enjoy the quiet."
"Me too. I found this book, but I can't read it. The words are funny looking." She said joining him on the sofa.
"Your father's not teaching you Japanese."
"Nope, but I can count to ten in Spanish. Wanna see?"
"Sure."
"Uno, dos," she continued. Shin clapped for her when she finished.
"There she is." Touma said, looking like he had seen a ghost, "She wasn't bugging you, was she?"
"Nope, just counting in Spanish." Shin answered, "So you're not teaching her Japanese?"
"No." Touma said sitting down next to them, "Don't tell Seiji either because he'll try to lecture me too. He doesn't hate you though."
"Who, Seiji?"
"Yeah, he's just afraid."
"Afraid? Of what?"
"Being left behind." Touma sighed, "He's being like that because he's afraid that we'll all leave and forget about him. You and I have already moved out of Japan. Ryo goes everywhere to play football, and Shu could take off if he wanted to. Unlike us, he's bound to the dojo. When I told him about my new citizenship, he stopped talking to me for a while. It's really starting to bother him."
"Daddy, can you read this for me?" a small voice interrupted.
"In a moment, cutie." Touma sighed, "But it still doesn't excuse him for his behavior earlier. Seiji's going to learn that he is the one driving us apart from him. He's done it to you and me a few times, and now he's doing it to Nasuti."
"You're not going to tell him?"
"Hell no. If I gave him all the answers, he won't change. I've already warned him about it but when he does get to that state, we'll all be there to help him."
"What if it's too late?"
"Nasuti will let us know when it's too late."
"Are you sure about it?"
"No, but we'll find out when it happens. Until then, try not to stab him with a knife."
"Daddy, what's this book about?"
Touma sighed, "String theory. Why do you always pick the hardest one to translate?"
"I don't know. It's funny." The girl smiled.
"No wonder my parents abandoned me all the time." Touma looked at smirking Shin, "Wanna listen to string theory? It's a complicated mess of other dimensions bunched together in an attempt to explain the universe."
Shin nodded, "Why not. I'm not doing anything."
Minutes later, Shin was passed out from not being able to understand what Touma was reading about. Touma, himself, was yawning as he continued to read to Kimberly. It wasn't because he thought it was boring, it was that the girl didn't stop asking questions. Shin shifted in his sleep before waking up.
"Are you understanding this?"
"A little bit." Kimberly bounced, "Can we read this one next?"
"Nuclear physics? Good God girl, if I read this to you, you'll be bored in school when it does come and then I'll be bringing you home from the principal's office every day. And you're not even in Kindergarten yet. Where are your Pikachu books?" Touma sighed.
She was giggling at his rant, "In my backpack."
"Let's read about Pikachu so Shin doesn't fall asleep again."
"Okay." She jumped down onto the floor.
"What did I miss?" Shin asked in a half asleep daze.
"We're going to switch to Pikachu books. It's easier on our brains."
"Easier?" Shin yawned, "I thought I could hear my brain fry. She's going to be a trouble maker."
"Yep. I'm already planning for it too." Touma smirked, "Summer camps in Antarctica looking for penguins."
"I didn't really see many penguins when I was there."
Kimberly came running in, screaming with joy about her books. She jumped onto the couch, hitting Touma in the gut and in between the legs. Touma gave Shin a look of 'get this kid off of me.' Shin nodded and took her off of him. The giggling girl opened the book to show Shin about Pikachu as Touma crawled off the couch onto the floor and into the fetal position.
"I'm never having anymore kids." Touma let out, "It would be wise for you to do the same."
Shin laughed.
"Daddy, why are you on the floor?"
Touma couldn't answer that. Seeing Carla and Hector show up at the door, Touma let out a weak laugh that let them know that he was down for the count.
"Kimberly, ven conmigo para unas galletas. Trae tu libro."
"Si madre." The girl said jumping down from the couch.
"Ow that hurts." Touma said, slowly getting up.
Shin laughed, "Mother for the rescue."
"Yes, and I'm grateful." Touma sighed, "I suppose we should head downstairs. I smell the food."
Shin nodded and followed him out of the room. They didn't want to disappoint Nasuti. Touma was right about Seiji though. Shin noticed that while everyone was joking around and enjoying their time, Seiji was quiet. He didn't look up often, and would only answer in grunts. What Touma said was making sense the more Shin watched his friends. Ryo was talking about his football games with Hector. Touma was playing games with Kimberly. Shu was entertaining everyone else with jokes and faces. Seiji was, well, excusing himself from the table and heading back upstairs.
After their meal when it was the four of them, Shin spoke.
"How long has Seiji been depressed?"
Shu and Ryo gave him a look of shock while Touma sighed, "Since you left school to join the Maritime Agency."
"That was seven years ago."
"Yep." Shu said, "It just recently got worse when Ryo headed to France for his football thing. I'm surprised he even came here."
"Do we know why?" Shin asked quietly.
"He feels he's stuck with the dojo." Touma said, "I told you that."
"You did, but there's got to be more."
"He's jealous?" Ryo said.
"Ohh," Shu jumped up, "What if we took him on a trip?"
"I have two kids to watch, unless you feel like dealing with them." Touma said.
"My leg's still healing."
Turning to Shin, Shu gave him pleading eyebrows.
"I almost stabbed him with a knife." Shin said.
"Well then," Shu smirked, "That's our problem."
"Our lives?" Touma asked.
"Yeah." Shu smiled, "We all moved on that we forgot to bring him along. Could we all for a few days just go somewhere? Just the five of us? I mean, would it kill you Touma to leave the kids with Carla and Jae-Hwa?"
Touma laughed, "No. I'd probably enjoy the quiet."
Turning to Ryo, Shu grinned, "We can carry you anywhere, or we can find Byuaken."
"Ok."
Then finally looking at Shin, Shu laughed, "You, well, I don't know what to do to you. Maybe throwing you off of a waterfall a few times will help put out your anger."
Shin hid his face.
"What about you, tough guy?" Touma grinned, "What's your problem?"
"Dude," Shu returned the grin, "I'm a rock. I don't change."
"Until Jae-Hwa comes around with a frying pan." Ryo laughed, "Then he cowers under the bed."
"Wait until you get married, my friend. Just wait." Shu teased back.
"Okay, now we need to convince the womenfolk and Seiji." Touma said.
"Seiji's easy." Shu said, punching his hand, "Quick grab and toss into a car trunk."
"Ok, now the women?" Touma asked.
"Good luck Touma." Ryo said, putting a hand on Touma's shoulder.
"I hate you guys. I'm the worst with women." Touma frowned, "Send Shin. He practically was one at one time."
"What? Are you mad?" Shin's eyes grew wide, "Throwing any man into a meeting of women who share their complaints about us is suicide."
"Yeah, but you can do it all sneaky like." Touma said, bringing his hands up like he's behind a bush, "Crikey, there's a herd of womenfolk. Now if I can just remember how to speak their language, maybe I can gain their trust and then they won't devour me with their sharp tongues and deadly fingernails."
Shin crossed his arms, "That's not me at all."
Touma sighed, "You've never seen the Crocodile Hunter, have you?"
"Some of us don't have American TV." Shin answered watching Touma pout, "Fine, I'll go convince them."
After Shin left, Touma looked at the other two, "I give him two words before they reject him."
Shu shook his head, "You have to give Shin more credit than that. I give him the entire question and a sigh."
Shu and Touma turned to Ryo for his thoughts.
"What?"
"Your thoughts, fearless leader?" Touma asked.
"Eh," Ryo said preferring not to answer.
"Ryo, you're not fun."
"You're asking me to anticipate that our friend will fail. Again."
"That was the point." Shu said.
Ryo rubbed his chin before speaking, "Shin's going to get the question out, and Nasuti will say something nice but Carla's going to kick him out of the room for even thinking that she'll let Touma take off and leave the kids with her."
"Dammit," Touma frowned, "You're thoughts sound too true."
"What can I say?" Ryo grinned, "I'm the fearless leader. I'm supposed to know these things."
It was another few minutes before someone spoke up. Shu announced that he was getting a bit worried that they hadn't heard anything.
"Do you think they ate him?"
"No idea."
When the trio poked their heads into the next room, Shin was sitting behind Kimberly braiding her hair and talking about pottery and redecorating houses. Nasuti had a magazine open and was showing them all when she thought would fit for the mansion.
"I don't understand," Touma spoke, "Carla's not biting his head off. I swear she hates all men."
"We should have sent Ryo in." Shu said.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." Touma said, "I bet he made a deal."
"A deal, huh?" Shu commented, "That would make sense."
They heard one of the women sigh. Touma gulped when Carla turned to look at them.
"Shin, I think you're missed." She said.
Shin turned and laughed. He finished the last braid before the little girl jumped up and gave him a hug. After he got up to join his friends.
"Traitor." Touma growled.
"What? I've lived with women for a long time." Shin grinned, "It's too bad you feel that way though, because Carla didn't have a problem with letting you go out."
Touma didn't believe him, but didn't further question him.
When Touma woke up the next day, he checked the clock. Eleven-forty, not too bad he thought, especially because no one woke him up. He walked out of his shared bedroom and towards the washroom to shave and shower. Passing Seiji, he heard his friend try to hide his laugh.
"What?"
"Nothing." Seiji said. The blonde turned away.
Closing the door, Touma gave the blonde a glare. Then a loud scream was heard throughout the house. Touma stormed out to find his wife quietly drinking her coffee with the others. Shin was hiding his face in his cup. To top it all off, there was a flash from a camera. Jun then held the camera up to look at the photo coming out.
"Perfect." Jun smiled.
"Daddy, Shin taught me how to braid hair." Kimberly was heard, "Now you look pretty like mommy."
"Oh Shin dear," Touma said, sounding as sweet and innocent as he could, "Can we speak privately?"
"Oh Touma, you're my dream man." Shu was heard.
Shin gave Carla a look before following his angry friend. Laughter soon filled the room, leaving the four year old girl confused as to what was going on.
"Is Touma going to kill Shin?" Hector asked.
"He might." Carla laughed.
Seiji walked down the stairs shaking his head again. It wasn't long until high pitch yelps were heard and Touma came down with a shorter, uneven hair style. His little girl was the first to express her disappointment with a pout.
"Daddy, I worked hard on your hair." Her arms were crossed in front of her.
When Shin came down, he was rubbing his head. He and Touma now had the same hair cut and look on their face.
Now sitting at the table, Seiji quietly commented about the two, "So the scissors won?"
"Yeah." Shin answered.
"No." Touma said, "It was a fair fight between Fish-boy and myself."
"Biting my hand is not a fair fight."
"Says the man who used to spray us with the hose after getting a royal beating in sparring matches." Seiji added.
"You all were going to tie me to a tree," Shin rolled his eyes, "Upside-down and only in my underwear."
"When was all of this?" Nasuti leaned to the side to ask Shu.
"After the first time we beat Arago." Shu grinned, "Shin was on a losing streak with sparring all of us. I think you and Jun went out shopping that day."
"Oh, well that explains the rope in the trees."
Watching the others pack the old jeep up, Seiji knew something was up. He heard Nasuti struggling with something and went to see what it was. She was trying to carry a bag down the stairs.
"Let me get it." Seiji told his six month pregnant wife.
Smiling behind his back, Nasuti watched him walk out and into the trap that was waiting for him. When the blonde placed the bag in the jeep, he was quickly jumped on by Shu and Touma. Shin came around with rope and they then tied him to his seat.
"Thanks Nasuti." Touma waved.
"Just don't beat him up too much. I need him to help me with the baby's room."
"Got it." Touma smirked.
Letting out some words there were un-Seiji like, the warrior of light watched Touma unroll the duct tape and place some on his mouth.
"Do we have everything?" Ryo asked, sitting up front.
"Sleeping bags, check; food for a couple days, check;" Shu went through the list, "Very angry warrior of light who might kill us in our sleep, check. Looks like everything."
Sitting next to Seiji, Shin gave him a sad smile.
"Oh, forgot something." He said before placing the seatbelt around him, "There, wouldn't want you to fall out."
Seiji went on another rambling of words.
"It's all good, Seiji. We're getting you out of the house like old times." Shu said, starting the jeep.
"Yep," Touma grinned giving Seiji a light punch in the shoulder, "Just like old times."
Seiji rolled his eyes, and leaned back into the seat. He had a feeling something was going to go wrong.