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“Dad.”
The man burrowed under the thick blanket of his futon grumbled and shifted slightly at the poke, but otherwise didn’t respond.
Toichiro tried again.
“Dad.”
“Mmmfffgh…” Came another response, and from under the blankets, Toichiro swore his father curled up tighter away from Toichiro. The child huffed and rolled his eyes, before stepping over the man, purposefully not pulling his foot back quick enough so that it clipped the back of his father’s shoulder. The man grunted from under his blanket, but otherwise still didn’t move.
“I’m gonna flush your cigarettes down the toilet and pour out the coffee I made, and also steal 5000 yen from your wallet,” Toichiro threatened with his typical flat tone of voice, heading into their small kitchen to grab the toast that had just popped out of the toaster and set it onto a plate to be coated in jam.
There was a quick rustling behind him.
“I’m up! I’m up, okay, I’m up,” came his father’s groggy voice, followed by a yawn. Toichiro sighed and rolled his eyes again as he used a butter knife to spread the strawberry jelly onto the slightly burnt bread, but he couldn’t help the small fond smile either.
“Jesus, kid, let a guy sleep in a little on the weekends.” Toichiro walked over to their small wooden table and sat down in one of the two seats, watching as his father made the process of getting up while he nibbled on his toast.
“You promised you’d take me to the park today though,” Toichiro reminded him after swallowing his food. His eyes tracked as the man stretched and kicked the rest of the still-clinging blanket from his foot before he walked down the dark, narrow hallway shooting off the main living area and into their bathroom. Light flooded out of the room, and then the sound of a squeaky sink pouring out water.
“I did, didn’t I,” the man called back, but it sounded like he had something in his mouth; likely brushing his teeth. Toichiro took another bite of his toast.
This was a familiar routine.
His father worked late into the night, and always slept in the best he could on weekends, but one way or another, he was always up no later than 10AM. He’d shuffle out of bed, wash his face and brush his teeth, before enjoying his coffee across from Toichiro while the boy enjoyed his jellied toast. Then, the man would go out onto their very small (and possibly hazardous) fire escape to smoke a few cigarettes, before brushing his teeth again and getting their day started.
The ten-year-old had gotten used to it. It was a comfortable routine, and though what came after was always different, today they’d be going to the park, and Toichiro always greatly enjoyed that. It gave him the chance to practice using his abilities in private, without the risk of breaking anything in their apartment.
“Did you already eat?” Toichiro blinked out of his thoughts, mid-bite, and looked up at his father as he walked back into the living area and towards the kitchen. He was scratching the short but carefully styled stubble on his chin when he locked eyes with his son. Toichiro bit off the rest of the toast and held it up, answering the man’s question. Sho huffed in amusement.
“Toast again, huh? Sure you don’t want me to make some miso soup, or omurice? You used to love omurice,” he sighed wistfully as he walked past the boy and over towards one of the overhanging cupboards. He opened it and pulled out his favorite mug - it had ‘World’s Best Dad’ written on it in English.
Toichiro swallowed. “I’m not five anymore.”
“Hey, you don’t gotta be a certain age to enjoy a nice plate of omurice. I could sure go for some myself right about now,” he chimed back as he poured the coffee Toichiro had already brewed from their little electric coffee maker. Toichiro didn’t remark on the fact that his father typically skipped breakfast as well. Just a cup of coffee, and that was enough for the man.
Sho sat down across from Toichiro with a sigh, a mug placed on the table in front of him. His eyes drifted shut for a moment like he was still aching to go back to sleep. He sat like that for a few moments - quiet, eyes closed, hand warmed by the steaming but not super hot cup of coffee he still held.
“So, the park huh? Been a couple of weeks since we last went,” he remarked, eyes still closed. Toichiro took his last bite of toast, humming. Sho took a sip of his coffee in turn. The two enjoyed the amiable silence.
“I’m getting better at controlling my powers,” Toichiro finally spoke, watching his father’s face carefully for his reaction. The man peaked open one eye, before it slipped shut again, mug against his lips as he took another sip.
“That so?” He asked, a small smirk spreading on his lips after swallowing and setting down the cup.
“I still don’t think I can use them in the house, but… I think I’m getting close,” he looked away, brows furrowing with determination. Sho chuckled softly.
“Don’t stress over it, kid. My powers were pretty volatile for a while too, when I was your age. I could hardly levitate anything before it would explode.” In contrast, he lazily pointed his finger at his son, and the empty plate in front of him, still dotted with breadcrumbs, slowly lifted into the air, before drifting over towards the sink, where it was carefully set down. Toichiro watched with a slight pout, and Sho’s smirk softened with sympathy.
“Seriously, Toichiro. You’re getting better each time you practice. You just have to be patient, okay?” The boy tore his eyes away from the sink and give his father a stormy look for a moment before it relaxed and he nodded.
With his meal finished, Toichiro pushed away from the table and rose from his chair. “Gonna go get ready,” he murmured, before walking towards that same hallway where his room was located. Sho watched him as he went, before finishing the rest of his coffee and similarly levitating the empty cup into the sink as well, this time without looking as he got up from the table. He walked over to the small window slash sliding door that led to their fire escape, summoning the pack of cigarettes that sat on the dresser in their hallway entrance into his hand, before stepping out and struggling to close the rickety glass behind him.
Of course, his kid knew he smoked, but he’d always felt weird about doing it when Toichiro could see him. It was just one of those unspoken things; they’d go their separate ways after “breakfast”, Toichiro would take his moment of solitude to get ready for the day, and Sho would take his to smoke a few cigs.
He lit the first one already pinched between his lips with the fire that sparked from his thumb. Pyrokinetics had always been one of his favorites to use, but he’d been extra careful about doing it around Toichiro, ever since the boy almost lit their entire apartment on fire when he was much younger and just trying to emulate dear old Dad. Recalling the memory made the man chuckle a bit as he inhaled the smoke, before blowing it out of his nose and mouth.
Otherwise, he smoked the next few cigarettes in peaceful solitude, mind not wandering much of anywhere. He thought about what he and Toichiro could do for lunch, after the park, and then about what to do for dinner later that night, but not much else.
When he sensed his son’s presence entering back into the main living area, he stomped out the last cigarette and pulled open the sliding door, climbing back through and into the apartment.
Toichiro was sitting at the table watching something on his phone, both wired earbuds plugged into his ears. Sho walked past without saying anything, heading straight for the bathroom to brush his teeth again and get dressed in his typical white t-shirt, ripped jeans, and green bomber jacket. When he walked back out, his son finally looked up at him, and Sho responded with a grin, hands in his pockets.
“Alright, you ready?” There was a small, brief blink-and-you’ll-miss-it smile Toichiro wore in return before he got up and stuffed his phone and earbuds into his own jacket pocket. “Sure you dressed warm enough? It’s still cold out there.” Sho watched as he walked over to their shoe rack by the door, following closely behind.
“I checked the weather forecast. It’s only 18C,” he responded flippantly as he tied the laces of his black sneakers. Sho sat down next to him and proceeded to put on his own shoes.
“Alright, if you say so…” His voice was teasingly doubtful. “Just know that the second you ask to borrow my jacket, I’ll absolutely say ‘ I told you so .’” Toichiro rolled his eyes and finished tying his other shoe, before standing. Sure, he’d always gotten cold pretty easily, but using his powers tended to warm him up. He’d be fine.
“Alright, kid. Lead the way,” his father said, grunting as he pushed on his knees to stand up. Toichiro opened the door and immediately shivered. Sho barked out a laugh.
Sensing his father would make a remark, he simply bit a, “Be quiet,” before stepping out into the crisp winter morning. Sho followed behind with a snicker and locked the door behind them.
---
They arrived at the park a twenty-minute walk later, and Sho was very pointedly jacketless. Toichiro had stopped shivering, comforted by the warmth of his father’s jacket. It smelled like cologne and cigarettes, and it always helped make Toichiro just a little less anxious to practice his powers out in the open. Sho, of course, wasn’t shivering at all, simply wearing a plain white t-shirt under his jacket. Toichiro figured he must run hot, and annoyedly wondered why he didn’t do the same, considering he was the man’s son.
When they came into view of the park, Toichiro quietly tensed up, his shoulders raising just slightly. Sho must have sensed his hesitance because Toichiro immediately felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned and craned his neck back to look up at his father, who looked back down at him with a comforting, knowing smile. Sho nodded towards the park with raised brows, before his hand fell from Toichiro’s shoulder, and he walked towards the small area.
It was a quaint little park. Mostly just grass and trees with a small winding concrete trail cutting through it. There was an actual children’s park off to the corner of the expansive space; a typical climbing area with monkey bars, a slide, and a simplistic rock wall. There was also a panda ride attached to a large corkscrew in the ground and a two-person swing-set. Toichiro could see only one other child over there - a younger girl and her mother playing on the panda. He used to ride it all the time as well when he was much younger. Then he grew embarrassed of it and hadn’t been caught on it since. Though sometimes he still had the small impulse to get back on.
“So, where to first, kid?” Toichiro blinked out of his thoughts and saw his father had stopped a few paces ahead, looking at him patiently. Toichiro walked and caught up with him.
“Maybe… the pond? I did really good with the frogs last time,” Toichiro responded, thoughtful. Sho hummed and resisted his initial uneasy reaction. His son had absolutely exploded a few things before in his deep concentration. He knew his Toichiro could stomach a lot if his blase reaction to accidentally catching Sho watching a slasher film once was any indication (he’d thought his son was asleep, okay, and had nearly shrieked and jumped out of his skin when the much younger boy poked his arm and asked for some apple juice). But still, watching a frog explode certainly wasn’t on his list of things to do today, and he wasn’t looking forward to the fallout of his quietly traumatized son.
But he had to trust the boy. He had been getting better, and he couldn’t stop him from expanding his horizons and testing his powers forever. “Alright, to the pond it is,” he nodded for Toichiro to lead the way, and the two walked in companionable silence.
Sho could tell his son was nervous - he could feel it in his aura, far too powerful for his age and already beginning to seep out in restless waves all around him. But he kept a straight face. If he got stressed, Toichiro was quick to follow.
When they reached the pond, Sho did a cursory glance around, and was relieved to find the park was still basically empty. Even the little girl and her mother had left the play area.
‘Okay, good. Toichiro kind of loses it if there are people around. Let’s hope the chill drives them away and it stays like this for at least another hour…’ Sho thought as Toichiro neared the edge of the water, kneeling down quietly. Sho stayed standing back. He liked to keep his distance and keep on guard in case the boy needed a spotter, so to speak - for himself, and his son’s safety.
“... I see one,” Toichiro spoke up, after a few moments of silence. Sho glanced towards the pond, and- yep, there was a little green frog, swimmingly innocently through the water.
“Alright, now remember: think of it like air. I know it’s a solid, living creature, but you tense up way too much when you handle anything solid, so just imagine it’s like- a cloud! Yeah, a cloud, and then--”
“I know , Dad. I’ve done this dozens of times before. It’ll be okay.” He murmured the last sentence to himself again, clearly trying to assure himself just as much as his dad.
Sho resisted the urge to quip back, ‘Yeah, but not successfully ,’ but held his tongue (and his breath) as Toichiro extended his hand out. His deep red aura began to seep out from his fingers, almost like tendrils, towards where the frog had paused its swimming in the water. Sho briefly wondered if animals were different from humans, and could sense psychic auras when Toichiro’s powers suddenly enveloped the small animal in an instant.
Sho’s breath hitched.
Outwardly, it appeared as if nothing had happened, but the frog was still, and if one squinted, they could just barely make out the slight rippling of the water around the bubble Toichiro’s aura encased the animal in.
“Okay, now… gently …” Sho’s gaze flickered quickly between his son and the animal, and he tried not to wince when one of his son’s fingers twitched. The frog rose slightly out of the water, then halted.
“C’mon, keep going, kid. You got this.” Toichiro’s whole hand twitched this time, and the frog rose again; it was surrounded by a sphere of water, which sloshed around but never escaped or dripped out.
“That’s it, come on…” This time, Toichiro’s whole shoulder tensed.
“Be quiet, Dad,” he muttered through gritted teeth, and Sho couldn’t see his son’s expression, but he could only imagine how intense it was. The frog rose even higher, now hovering at least a meter above them, still fully intact. Sho noticed the bubble of water had started to quiver though, and he swallowed anxiously.
“Alright, now try and set it down in the grass, okay?” Sho spoke again after a few moments of tense silence. Toichiro nodded stiffly, and Sho began to relax when he saw his son’s hands weren’t so mechanical and strained, and the frog slowly but surely began to lower back down to the ground.
“Mommy, mommy, look! That froggy’s floating!” A cheery child’s voice came from behind them.
Shit…!
Sho wrastled the frog from his son’s control right as the red aura flared dangerously outward. The animal barely reacted save for a slight jiggle in the water. Once in Sho’s control, it even began to swim around in the little bubble. The older man quickly but gently set it down in the grass, and turned his attention towards his son.
The boy hadn’t even lowered his arm yet, and Sho hurriedly knelt down next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
“Hey, it’s alright. You were doing good, okay? You absolutely would’ve had it - you just got a little spooked, is all,” he comforted, putting on his bravest smile as he rubbed the boy's arm.
Toichiro’s expression was blank like it always was, but this was different. It was cold and cut off. His eyes were red and beginning to gloss with incoming tears, and Sho sighed.
“It alright, kid, you’re alright,” he murmured into his son’s soft hair, continuously rubbing his arms. He knew Toichiro wouldn’t shed any tears - he rarely ever did - but it was always a sure thing. “You’re alright, I’ve got you…”
The boy had since lowered his arm and just sat there silently, unmoving and unreactive, as his father continued to comfort him.
Sho didn’t know how much time had passed until Toichiro sniffled and moved. He immediately released his son and gave the boy his space, watching as he stood up and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. Of course, no tears had fallen, Sho noticed.
They had a silent standoff - Sho waiting for Toichiro to same something, and Toichiro probably waiting for something else to happen.
The frog hopped by right in front of them, and back into the water.
“I wanna go,” Toichiro spoke, and if Sho didn’t know his son any better, he would’ve thought he sounded completely unaffected.
“Yeah, okay. Okay,” Sho murmured, grunting again as he pushed to stand up. “How about some lunch first? It’s almost…” The man trailed off as he pulled out his phone and checked the time, “eleven-thirty, now.”
Toichiro didn’t respond, but he didn’t need to. Sho gave his shoulder one last comforting squeeze before the two began walking away from the pond and towards the path that went through the park.
Sho quietly thanked whatever higher power there was that they’d stopped when they did because as they walked, he saw two elderly women whom he’d seen many times before in the park walking in the opposite direction towards them. When they noticed Toichiro and his father, they gave eager waves and happy smiles. Sho smiled in return.
“Good morning, ma’ams. Lovely weather we’re having,” Sho initiated the conversation first, hoping that if he lead it he could end it even faster. Toichiro had slowed to a stop beside him and was tense and quiet.
“Yes, very lovely indeed,” the first one responded. They both wore conservative tracksuits - they always went out walking in this park.
“And I see you brought little Toichiro with you this morning. It’s been a few weeks since we last saw you both - he’s getting so big!” Sho wrapped a protective arm around his son’s shoulder.
“Yeah, you know what they say - time flies when you’re raising a kid,” the man chuckled back. The two women responded in kind.
“He’s not looking too good though, Suzuki-san. Is he alright?” Toichiro tensed beside him, and Sho’s hand around his shoulder tightened minutely in turn. His polite smile otherwise didn’t falter.
“We just had a late night, is all. We were actually fixing to go grab some lunch - I think the both of us could use a nice warm meal right about now.”
“Yes, it is quite chilly,” the first woman responded with a nod. The other, nosier one was still scrutinizing Toichiro, and Sho had half the mind to tell the old hag to back off and mind her business.
“Gosh, each time I see the two of you I can’t help but feel like he looks like a spitting image of you, Suzuki-san. It’s too bad he’s always scowling - they say children who always frown will age twice as fast,” she hummed, and Sho had to stop himself from cursing at her.
“Yes, it is too bad. I have to wonder who he gets it from - you’re always so cheerful, Suzuki-san!” The other remarked.
“Well, you know…” Sho laughed awkwardly; he had to force himself to relax his grip.
‘Stupid hags, you know he doesn’t have a mom! And don’t fucking talk about him like he isn’t right there.’
“Anyway… We better get going. I’m starting to get pretty hungry, and I’m sure Toichiro here feels the same.” The two women nodded and hummed and said a few more words of understanding.
Sho bowed, and when Toichiro didn’t follow suit, the man cleared his throat. That seemed to snap whatever had fallen over the boy, and he lowered himself into a stiff bow.
“Good afternoon, ma’ams. It was nice seeing you both,” he said mechanically.
“Good afternoon.”
“Yes, good afternoon, Toichiro,” the two responded quietly in tandem.
“Good afternoon,” Sho returned, and then the two were walking again, rather brusquely, past the two old women.
Once they were enough distance away, Sho clicked his tongue.
“Fucking rude, nosy women. I’m sorry they spoke about you like that, kid. Don’t pay them any mind,” Sho cursed, itching to smoke one of his cigarettes after that entire debacle.
Toichiro hummed absentmindedly and carefully peeled himself from Sho’s grasp. The man quickly removed his hand from his son’s shoulder - he hadn’t even realized he was still holding it.
There was an awkward silence between them as they walked out of the park, until finally, Sho broke it.
“So, how does hot pot sound? Considering you’re still wearing my jacket, I take it you could use some warming up,” the man offered with a hesitant, teasing smile.
“‘Kay,” Toichiro replied back neutrally. Sho’s smile fell, and he resisted the urge to sigh.
It was going to be a long day.