Work Text:
Takuro came back in, stomping his feet and clearing the snow from his boots. He pulled off his overcoat, knocking all of the snow gathered on it onto the floor. He grimaced but wasn’t sure what to do; he did not know where the mop was and wasn’t sure if his dad would mind the intrusion.
As he headed back up to the coffee bar, a soft smile envelopes his face as he notices the coffee mug he had made sitting off to the side. His wonder about his father’s whereabouts are allieved a few moments later, when he hears someone descending the stairs and Yukichi appears around the corner, carrying a bottle of white wine and two glasses he must have brought from the living quarters upstairs.
He settles in across the counter as his dad clinks the glasses down, and his heart fills up as he thinks of the changes that have come to pass over the last few months. From complete separation to warm reunion, he never realized how good it would feel for the air to be clear between them. He had imagined it, the last time he came, but that had ended so spectacularly that he had been scared to hope ever again.
“Did Azu-chan get home safe?” Yukichi asks as he fills Takuro’s glass and slides it across the table. This moment, the first drink with his adult son, should have happened three years ago - but he was in New York; afterwards there was no time. Taku nods, recounting how he had dropped Azu-chan off and made sure she got upstairs to the apartment she shares with her sister.
Yukichi’s glass tilts forward, and then men share a quiet “kanpai” as they take that first sip. The questions between the two start off benign enough; most of it is just rehashing the information that they had learned from others but confirmation from each other is really the key point. Eventually, the bottle empties and Yukichi guides Takuro upstairs.
They discuss medicine; they discuss pain. Yukichi’s on a couple of general meds now; one for his heart, one for his arthritis. Taku, of course, needs some ibuprofen and an ice pack before he can settle down onto the futon Yukichi has pulled out of the closet. As the lights go out, their voices quiet - they now discuss those things previously left unspoken. Taku’s time in the gang. Yukichi’s choice to build the Forest Clock rather than adding his coffee bar into a stripmall in downtown Furano.
Drowsiness clouds their voices, but eventually the topic switches to lighter (and darker) things. When Yukichi met Megumi. Taku confesses that sometimes it feels like his mama is still there; Yukichi keeps his secret for just a little longer - there will be time to share how he knows how much Megumi is impressed with Taku’s chosen talents. The last thing Yukichi remembers hearing is Taku’s quiet voice - “I missed you, old man.” He smiles in his dreams.
*~*~*~*~*
Taku is nervous. His heart is racing and his left arm is throbbing in time; his entire concentration taken up by the judge going booth to booth, evaluating the pieces set out for his approval and possible censure. Taku knows that this cannot compare to that first judgement of his father on this piece, but the weight of expectations of Loku-san feels heavy on his shoulders.
A small hand slips into his, and he glances sideways to see the broad smile of Azu-chan cheering him on. He squeezes tight, etching the silhouette of his fingers into her tiny hand, but she just continues grinning and bopping in excitement. Over her head, he sees Yukichi and he raises his right arm, flailing it high. He notices his father catch sight of them, and can feel his heartbeat steady some in his chest.
The judge makes it to his booth, exchanging some words and shaking the hand of Yukichi, bowing slightly to Azu. He narrows his eyes at Taku’s piece, picking it up and holding it at arm’s length, turning it back and forth. He sets it down gently, taking a few notes on his pad of paper before turning and greeting Taku. The judge asks some questions, beginning with the inspiration for the piece and ending with requesting an introduction to the people around him. When he introduces the judge to Amano Rokusuke, the judge’s eyes widen notably and he bows low. Well, Taku thinks, it’s not every day you get to meet a legendary master like Loku-san.
As the judge slips away from Taku’s booth, Azu leans up and pulls his head down, whispering in his ear “Do you think I can break it now?” Taku smiles and puts his arm around her, squeezing her to his side and kissing her on the top of her head.
“You can break anything, except for my heart,” he whispers as she smiles wide.
It is to nobody’s surprise that Taku takes first place in the competition. With the support he has, and with the story behind the piece prominently mentioned, and then finally as Amano-san’s apprentice… well. If there was anybody that could have performed better, they wouldn’t have been at an amateur competition.
What does come as a surprise, though, is when Taku calls Azu up onto the stage and drops down to one knee, pulling the silver ring out of his pocket and asking her if she will marry him, to share the kind of eternal love with him that his parents had. Yukichi’s surprised at how well the pictures come out, with how blurry his eyes were as he took them.
As soon as they return to Yukichi’s father’s coffee shop, Azu is immediately surrounded by a flurry of women who cart her off upstairs to talk to her about something they refuse to mention. The confusion grows as they hear Azu’s yell of “TOES” and the resounding peals of laughter echo down the stairs. Taku just shrugs; Azu’ll tell him eventually. Yukichi’s eyebrows remain up by his eyebrows as he continues to grind his coffee - sometimes, he reminds himself, he needs to spend some more time with the men around town.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Yukichi had thought Taku’s birth was momentous. The first time he had held his infant son in his arms, his heart felt like it would explode out of his chest. His life had expanded infinitely, and even though they had gone through some dark years after Megumi-chan’s passing, he could not imagine a single day in his life without Taku and Azu, sharing their joys and listening as he reminisced about Megumi on occasion.
However, even that first day with Taku could not compare in his heart to holding Wakui Yuuki for the first time. Born six days late, with a full head of hair and ten individual fingers and toes, Yuuki had him so wrapped around his pinky finger that Taku and Azu started calling their infant son Koohii-kun and it stuck. The pair were inseparable.
Azu-chan had brought Koohii-kun with her on her first day back to the Forest Clock, and Yukichi had spent the entire day with the baby on his hip; handling coffee with one arm. The customers were all charmed, with Takamatsu asking if that was the newest employee. Before the end of the week, a small army of contractors were converting the end of the coffee bar into a built-in playpen and introducing every customer that walked in the door to his precious and most handsome grandson, Koohii-kun.
By the time Koohii-kun was potty-trained, Taku and Azu were ready to move on professionally. Taku had graduated from his journeyman status, and was ready for a kiln of his own. Azu’s passion for silverwork had turned into a real, money-making talent, and she occasionally dipped into making gold pieces as well. The pair had, with Yukichi’s help, purchased the building from the Northern Clock from Tomoko-san and converted it into a showplace for their work.
Starting your own business as an artist was not easy, and as their work catered primarily to less-understanding tourists, Taku asked Yukichi if he would be willing to watch Yuuki during the day. Yukichi was in the middle of adding a playset into the side yard of the Forest Clock, and agreed without even a second’s thought. He was dedicated to spending the time that he missed with Taku with his young grandson, and he vowed that he would never, ever let the child feel lonely; that he would recognize if there were ever any problems at school; that he would be there.
Koohii-kun spent plenty of time with his parents, too. Yukichi was always invited along on weekend journeys, picnics in the picturesque mountains nearby, and even occasional longer trips during Golden Week to Okinawa and other, warmer, climes.
The family often ate dinner together, and the warm love between the family was felt by everyone who saw them. One night, in late July, Yukichi didn’t miss the sly smiles and soft glances being passed back and forth between Azu and Taku as the latter attempted to get Yuuki to actually use his spoon with his vegetables.
The secret came out over dessert - cheesecake with strawberry syrup. The young family was going to be welcoming a young princess the coming winter; Koohii-kun was going to be a big brother! Koohii-kun banged his spoon excitedly against his plate as Yukichi yelled and ran around the table, gathering his two children into his arms and squeezing them tight.
Eyes full of happy tears, as always his eyes met with Megumi’s, who was stroking back Yuuki’s hair and helping set his spoon into his hand. The toddler’s babbling was quieted as the spoon made its way between his teeth, and the old couple smiled together.
It had taken a long time, but Yukichi’s heart was finally to the point where it felt as full as it had every second he had spent with Megumi. She gave him one last small smile as she slowly disappeared, fading into the background. Yukichi’s heart would always belong to her, but his time in Furano now highlighted that life does continue after love is lost; new loves grow to fill the void; and, in this gentle time, he could allow himself to do so.