Chapter 2: For the Love of Fish
As startling as it may be to hear, Kaito loved fish. His room was covered with them, bottom-to-top. Of all his stuffed animals, the rabbits, lambs, lions, and doves, there were more fish than anything else. Several of the posters on his walls were of colorful fish which appeared to have been caught mid-dance amongst each other. Even his bed-spread featured a dark blue background with the vibrant scaly creatures printed on it, appearing like fish in the ocean.
The reason behind it was, of course, magic. His second favorite magician in the world (second only to his own father) was a man often referred to as the "Fishy Magician". He had a gimmick of fish, a theme for every show that was centered around the animals, and while Kaito loved his father, he had to admit, he did, at the time, enjoy watching video recordings of the Fishy Magician more. His father was by far the greatest magician in the world, and Kaito proudly knew as much, but to a four-year-old boy watching magic through a television screen, he preferred the magician who catered specifically to a younger audience, unlike his own father.
All thoughts of the Fishy Magician went out the door any time his father performed live, naturally. Kaito had never seen his second favorite magician perform up-close before, and nothing could ever beat a real, in-person performance, such as the ones he saw from his father on a regular enough basis. Having seen his father's magic in-person before made watching it on the TV almost upsetting, hence his preference for the more colorful Fishy Magician while viewing through a screen. The decorations in his room, too, stemmed from the fact that his father's own wardrobe tended to be of the more tamed black-and white, or else featuring some red or blue accents, attire. His father was elegant in every performance: Mature, regal, poise... And sometimes hard to comprehend for a rambunctious four-year-old tyke such as Kaito. It lacked the simplistic, varicolored impact that a child's mind had a natural affinity to.
When Kaito heard that one of his friends was having a birthday party, he didn't mind much whether he went or not. His family had many acquaintances, ergo he had many friends, and none of them stuck out as being particularly memorable in his mind yet. But the Fishy Magician... When he heard that magician was going to be present, Kaito nearly leapt with excitement. Scratch that, the ever-burning ball of energy literally did leap at the revelation.
He heard his mother and father discussing the possibility of not attending, and knew that he simply had to do something! This, to the young boy's mind, was quite possibly the only chance he would ever have to see the magician in-person!
Kaito began with the simplest approach: An excited squeal and repeat exclamations of exactly what he wanted, so that the adults wouldn't get confused: "I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go!"
"Sorry, son, not this time." His father ruffled his hair and left it at that, but Kaito wasn't having it.
"But, Otou-san!"
"No, Kaito."
Sensing that things weren't going his way, Kaito decided to go straight for his most deadly weapon.
The tears.
Toichi sighed. He knew that Kaito wouldn't be like this forever: One day he'd grow out of being such a spoiled, energetic brat, (or at least, God, he sure hoped so!) but for now, Kaito was his spoiled little energetic brat. Somehow the boy already knew that crying while screaming wasn't what would yield results, despite what most children seemed to believe. Rather he looked up at his father in total silence, with wide, tear-filled eyes, before looking down in disappointment and rubbing at his eyes, as if trying to hide the fact that he was crying.
And God damn it all if those big indigo eyes glistening with tears didn't make Toichi's heart clench in his chest.
Toichi kept his resolve and didn't say anything further, but his wife could see, despite his Poker Face, the indecision and pain running through her husband's heart and mind. She chuckled slightly.
"Oh Toichi, dear, just take him! You're going yourself all the same, and this one's a private event, so I'm sure it'll be alright! Besides," she leant down and rubbed at her son's cheeks, Kaito staring at her with drying, wide, hopeful eyes, "nothing can happen as long as you're there."
Toichi sighed. "You're right, of course," he agreed, and she shot him a fond look that clearly said "aren't I always?" He chuckled and patted his knee, signaling for Kaito to hop up onto it. His son did so without hesitation.
"Alright, I'll take you with me, but you have to be on your best behavior, got it?" Kaito instantly nodded and hugged his father around the neck, more pleased than Toichi had ever seen him before. He kissed Kaito's soft, unruly locks fondly.
If only he'd let the boy cry...
A/N: Reviews appreciated~!