Chapter Text
“Mom, dad,” Aiba said. “Sakurai-san and I…are dating.”
Choked by the tea he was drinking, Aiba’s father coughed. “What?” He said with a hoarse voice. Aiba’s mother simply stared at the two young men across the dining table. They had wondered why, right after having lunch, the two men had told the children to go out of the room; it had never crossed their minds that they would go about such a topic.
“We love each other,” Aiba continued. “And we will be living together soon, so please give us your blessing.” He then bowed to them. Sho also followed suit.
“Masaki, my dear; please, don’t bow! It’s alright.” His mother said. “You too, Sakurai-kun.”
The two men then sat up. “I have had been feeling for the past few days that there was something between the two of you, ever since that night…” Aiba’s mother still remembered it clearly: how a wounded Sho came to their house, and right after nursing him, she had seen a face of Masaki that she hadn’t seen for a long while—the same face he wore when Yukie was confined in the hospital. The tinge of sorrow and of resentment towards the self was visible.
“Surely, you boys are a lovely couple.” She then said. “I’m happy for the both of you.”
Smiles blossomed on the faces of her son and his lover.
Meanwhile, Aiba’s father was taking his time in silence. He couldn’t believe that his son would have romantic (and probably sexual) relations with a man. It was something he couldn’t grasp fully. “Dad, I hope you won’t be ill towards me for this.” Aiba said. “If anything, all I want is your respect.”
The old man looked into his son’s eyes. They were shining with determination and courage, traits in which he had thought Masaki to have. If he had chosen the right woman for him before, surely Masaki had chosen Sho for the same reasons. Moreover, Masaki had been a good son to him for most of his life, what more could he ask for?
He let out a sigh. “Well, I don’t really have a choice, do I?” He said, averting his eyes. “As long as the children are happy, I guess…”
At once, tears fell down from his son’s eyes. Masaki went to him and gave him a tight hug. “Why’re you cryin’?” The old man exclaimed. “I accepted you and your friend haven’t I?” His son didn’t answer him and kept bawling.
Sho and Aiba’s mother chuckled with amusement as they watched the father and son. It was at that moment they knew that their family would be lively once more in this new chapter of their life.