Chapter Text
"Baki! Baki! Wake up! It's time for your medicine!"
Baki knows that voice and his hair stands up. He and his father weren't on the best of terms even after their mutual respect for each other. But he still held a little fear. As he said he didn't win against Yujiro he just was able to hurt him.
He found himself lost in thought as his father came into his room. "Boy! You won't get any better if you don't take your medicine. You can go back to sleep after you take it." Yujiro says in a tone that throws Baki off.Baki didn't know his father could be so kind.
Baki tries to stand up but falls directly to the floor. He starts groaning in pain as he remembers his legs are still badly damaged from the fight. Yujiro gives Baki a stern look and scolds him for trying to get up knowing he still wasn't better.
" Sorry Dad, " "No just shut up Baki. I'm going to carry you to the kitchen so you can get some food. There we can talk." Baki didn't object as he felt his father put him on his back. He had been on his father's back so many times but this time was different. He wasn't fighting against his father. He felt as though he was being protected.
As he walked Yujiro could sense his son's feelings. He felt something too. He was grappling with it as well. What was this feeling? Love? Fatherhood?
"Dad?"
"What Baki?"
" I just wanted to say that this feels different. I thought that you didn't want me. But you're here. I didn't expect you to be here either. I mean it's nice but why did you stay and why are you taking care of me. " Baki said with an innocent voice and tone.
Yujiro bluntly said " You aren't the weakling you once were and you gave me a good fight. You are my son and as my son you only deserve the best especially since you're the strongest. As for taking care of you I have my own reasons."
" Well we're at the table. I'm going to set you down and get you everything. " Yujiro said with a cold voice.
Baki did what he was told as he looked at his legs. He still felt it, his legs felt horrible, his body felt horrible, he just felt horrible, and to top it all off he didn't even beat his father. He just felt down and even then he started to feel worse.
Yujiro came back with the food he prepared. He was honestly worried about Baki, he didn't hold back and neither did Baki. He set down the food and asked "Can you feed yourself? "
Baki tried to feed himself and thankfully he could still do that. He looked at his father as he ate and Yujiro looked back at him.
"After you're done eating you will take your medicine and then you're going to take your medicine." Yujiro says in a stern voice.
After eating a portion of his breakfast and looking down at it for a few moments, he looked at Yujiro and said " You never answered my question to before. Why did mom have to die? All she did was love you and she never loved me up until you killed her. Please just tell me why I don't care if you hit me just tell me why did she have to die when all I wanted was her love?" He says breaking down in tears.
Yujiro didn't like Baki crying not just because he thought it made him weak, but because he got hurt looking at his son in tears. He pulled Baki into a hug and started to whisper "The answer to that question isn't as straightforward as you think. She only loved you if it could get to me. I never truly loved her, in the beginning I had some feelings but after I left and came back I found her to not be fit enough to be your mother anymore. I may act contrary but I knew that you would be weak with her as your source of power and I love you. If you were weak you would be dead. You are finally strong enough to face me and as such you can see the side of me others can't. You may not understand it but I do. Maybe one day you'll understand but now all you need to know is that I'm here and that I'm not going anywhere for a while. Even when you get better I would like to stay with you a little while. I think we need to get to know each other better."
Baki continued to cry still not understanding his father's explanation. He was in his father's embrace and he was tensing up. " So now you wanna be my father! After you killed my mom, left me, best my ass, and then make me feel like shit you finally wanted to be my father? They said I'll be like this for months. I'm in pain! I'm hurting! I feel like I'm on fire and you're not helping. It really isn't helping me that you're here it's making me more confused and hurt. Just please leave me alone. "
"Just, just let it all out. Let all of your weakness out of you. The tears you cry are tears of pain and sorrow. They're tears from scars that haven't healed and when the tears are over you will be stronger. I am here as your father because I love you. You are strong and because of your strength I value you even more." Yujiro says as he hugs Baki and strokes his hair. When Baki finally stops crying he gives him his medicine and pulls him into a hug again. Yujiro looks towards his son and starts singing to him.
Yujiro looked at his son and felt his fatherly instincts kick in. This time he wasn't the ogre but a father and Baki wasn't a challenger but his little boy and both of then strangely liked it that way.