It was six in the evening. Issei stood on the walkway facing his house, on the opposite side of the street. Rias was watching over him, he spied her on top of one of the taller buildings. His many hearts were beating like a thousand drums. He fidgeted, curling his fingers and unleashing a few tentacles. He stopped himself though.
Issei sighed and took one step forward.
He couldn't take the next one though. He stood still in a walking forward motion.
Issei stood like that for some time. Passerbys gave him weird looks and cars passed by without a single glance. The crickets started singing and moths flew to the street lights but Issei still didn't move. Frogs sang, the birds slept, and Issei Hyoudou stood still. Soon enough, everybody was home and Issei was left alone on the street.
Issei sighed once more and stepped back. He wasn't allowed to though as he was shoved forward by Rias Gremory. "Get on with it," the princess said to the beast, she put her hands on her waist and glared. "You told your friend that you will see your parents today, you need to keep your promise."
Issei had no excuses to say. He had no words to rebut. He could always run—
No! Issei squashed the thought. There was no running from this. They were his parents! They deserved to know what happened to their son.
Issei bowed to Rias. "Thank you," he turned back to look, longfully, at the house his parents were in. He looked at it fearfully. His determination wouldn't be cowed by fear now.
Issei took a step towards the house. He crossed the street. He went through the open gate. The garden that his mother tenderly tended to surrounded the stone walkway that led to the door. He remembered helping her weed it after school hours. He remembered playing with his dad in this small garden, those fun games of ball. Issei passed the stone walkway. He took one step up the stairs that led to the door. He was now face to face with the door.
Issei raised his fist to knock.
He softly laid it on the door, barely making a sound on the wood. He laid his head against the wooden door. He sighed.
Issei felt like there were barbed wires constricting around his heart, around his lungs. He swallowed painfully and his knees felt ice had crept up at them. His teeth were audibly chattering despite it being in the middle of summer. It felt like there was an anchor on his back, bringing him down and hunching him over. Issei brought his fingers to his mouth, biting them and drawing blood. His body quivered silently.
Issei felt tears streak down his cheeks. He reached out to wipe them but they were nonexistent.
Claws nearly showed themselves. Teeth that numbered in the millions wanted to crush through wood and cement. Millions of eyes wept inside the void. Issei gritted his teeth though and pushed through the fear. Blood dripped onto the clean mat from Issei's mouth.
His quivering stopped but the cold still clutched around his ankles and knees. An anvil still lay on his back and Issei could feel cold still around his neck, like a sword hanging on top of him by a single thread. Labored breathing was all Issei could hear.
Issei straightened himself, straining himself to contain the many monstrosities that demanded to be let out because of his fear.
He raised his fist to knock on the door once again.
He didn't have to knock. The door was opened by a woman who looked like she was in her forties.
Ah, how old she looked now. She looked much younger in his imagination, but that was a memory from a few years ago. Specks of white hair were now seen on her head and there were more creases on her face. Her eyes were tired and sad, very sad.
Issei opened his mouth to speak. "I… Gh… Yk…" Words wouldn't come out. He felt like he was choking.
The woman's eyes scanned the boy up and down. They were squinted in doubt at first. Her eyes looked thoughtful. A hint of realization and they widened slightly before doubt crept back in. She looked unbelieving, as if a phantom had shown itself in front of her. She reached out a frail hand and patted Issei's shoulder before moving ever so slowly to cup Issei's chin.
The woman covered her mouth with one hand and her eyes were bright with tears. "Issei, is that you?"
Issei felt his eyes wrinkle as tears filled them up, threatening to spill.
"Yes Mother, it is me. It is Issei."
The woman gasped and pulled Issei by the arm into her chest. She wrapped her arms around the boy, wrapped them tightly. She quivered as tears flowed down her face and onto her son. Her one and only son had come back home…
"Dear? What's wrong…" a man's voice echoed out from the living room before he stepped into the hallway.
"Dear! It's our son!" Issei's mother nearly shouted. "It's Issei, he's back!"
The man stood still before taking a hesitant step forward. And another. He patted Issei's hair as if making sure he was real.
"Dad, it's me… Issei."
The man nearly broke down immediately. He took a step back and fell on his behind. He slowly got back up and took his weeping wife and child into his arms.
Issei finally let it all out. All the fear, all the pain he had been through. They fell to the floor as tears. He clutched his parents close, as if to never let them go, never to say goodbye. Yea, Hyoudou Issei, was finally back home.