Illusions

Chapter 3: Family Ties

***

He was lucky not to get a mouthful of dirt from being knocked over like that. Akuma had been standing talking to someone, and hadn’t been watching who was coming in off the street…next think he knew, someone had ploughed into him from behind. He managed to catch himself on his hands, instead of meeting the ground face-first. After a moment he rolled onto his backside and sat up, scowling at whomever it was what was so rude as to walk right into him.

When he saw who it was, however, the scowl disappeared very quickly.

Mitsukai slowly stood up, brushing off her soiled white garments...at that people, not bothering to see who she crashed into. Keiji ran behind her and hid beside her leg, only barely brave enough to peek out from behind. She petted his hair gently, then looked down to see who it was she knocked down, and readied herself for some abuse as a result.

It never came.

Her eyes widened when she saw the demon sitting on the ground…and scarily enough, recognised him. Keiji, clearly growing more and more frightened by the second, let out a sob and clung to his mother’s leg even more as a few large, scary-looking creatures approached the pair…all of which ranged from a bright red to a deep blue in colour, and everything in between. None of them looked too happy.

“…Mitsukai?!” There was that deep, wonderful voice she’d grown to miss so much. She bit her lower lip and tried to hold back her tears…she couldn’t cry in front of her two beloved little boys. After a moment she held a hand out to him, and he grasped it, allowing her to help pull him up…though he could have done so himself just as easily.

“Yes…long time no see…” She smiled softly at him and petted Keiji’s hair again.

A few overweight, middle-aged, half-drunk demons behind Akuma made a few crude comments, and one asked blatantly if she was his ‘hooker from heaven’. In response, he turned, scowling, and marched right up to the one that had angered him the most…the one that called Mitsukai a hooker. His slender, powerful fingers wrapped around the beast’s fat neck, and effortlessly, he lifted him off the ground, slamming him against the nearby wall…and held him there.

“You’d better take that back, or I’ll break your neck again.” The fat bastard struggled and gagged.

“No, wait!” Mitsukai rushed over to the pair, and placed her tiny, delicate arms on Akuma’s bicep…when she tugged on him, of course, it had no effect. “Don’t hurt him! He didn’t know any better!”

His brilliant golden eyes glanced down at her over his shoulder…the harsh look in them softened when he saw hers on the very verge of tears, silently begging for mercy. How could he resist a look like that?

The blob in his hand was going bluer than he already naturally was. Not only that, but the fat oozing over his hand felt really, really nasty. He dropped the creature back down into its seat. “Watch your tongue in the future, bakayarou, or I’ll kill you so many times your pitiful brain won’t be able to keep count!”

While all the action was taking place across the room, Keiji was left standing alone in a strange world. His bottom lip wobbled a little, but he held his breath momentarily to hold back the tears of fear. Like a good little boy, he stayed where he was put, and waited for his mom. He felt a presence behind him.

“Hey there lil’ fella…” When Keiji looked to the side, he saw someone kneeling next to him. It was another demon, the same colour as the one his mom had rushed up to, but shorter and so thin his bones stuck out. His eyes were the same blue colour as his mom’s too.

“Hello…” His little voice was quiet, nervous, and unsure of himself.

The demon smiled. “It’s okay, there’s nothing to be scared of, little guy. No one’s gonna hurt you or your mommy…”

Keiji didn’t look convinced, but he forced a little smile anyhow. The demon offered a bony hand. “My name’s Winslow. What’s yours?” It seemed the small demon had figured out the boy’s heritage.

“Keiji.” Hesitantly, the boy took the man’s hand in his own small, childish one.

Winslow shook it. “Pleased to meet you little guy.”

Akuma had finally left the drunkards alone, and Mitsukai was clinging desperately to his arm with both of hers. Akuma glanced over to where the two of them had entered, and he saw the little boy who’d come with her, giggling shyly at the antics one of his guard partners was pulling…pulling his face out of shape, poking his tongue out…the usual. He looked back at Mitsukai, not sure what to make of the situation, his bright eyes asking his question silently.

She smiled up at him. “This is someone I wanted to introduce you to…” She held her hand out gracefully toward the boy, beckoning him to join them. Keiji smiled again at Winslow, then ran toward Akuma and Mitsukai, hugging his mother’s leg happily.

“Keiji, this is your Otousan…” The boy looked up at Akuma, his eyes wide with curiosity. Akuma, at this point, was wide-eyed too…but in shock. He looked down at Mitsukai, trying to decipher whether it was a joke, or whether that one night…

She smiled, and nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. “Go on, at least say hi…” she whispered to him, then looked back down at Keiji.

Everyone in the background had stopped to watch the reunion. Most were astounded at the pairing – after all they were opposites – a few were scornful and impolite…then there were a few like Winslow who had no trouble accepting it. Akuma, trying to gather what remained of his nerves, knelt down before the boy, bringing himself to the same height. He looked over the child; whilst he had the same pale, flawless skin as his mother and the same kind shape in his eyes, he shared Akuma’s brilliant golden tone. His ears were slightly pointed – since his father’s ears were rather more pointed, to say the least. Though he had an angel’s feathered wings standing tall behind him, they were raven – a more hellish colour. His nails were filed back, unlike Akuma’s…which he kept long and sharp as a warning to any human that tried his patience. Other than that, with the consideration of his mother’s colouring, Keiji was the spitting image of his father.

After a moment of horror at his father’s terrifying appearance, Keiji realised that this man had to be his father…it was obvious. He rushed forward and hugged Akuma tightly, nuzzling his little face against the man’s chest. That startled Akuma, finally, into reacting; he picked the boy up, holding him close in both arms. Somehow, it just seemed right for the boy to be his son…as shocking as the revelation still was in his mind.

“So that’s why you never returned…” She nodded to his statement, and kissed his upper arm lightly. She could see everyone still staring, and at this point she learned the truth. They’re just like us. They’re all like us. Angels and Demons…the only difference is colour. The looks on their faces made it more than obvious; several lilac-toned women standing around the bar started to clap…one of them sniffled. The many more men joined in too…a few whistles could be heard amongst the applause. After all, in a place like this, what’s a little romance to lift the clouds from the heavy, dying sky of gloom?

Keiji climbed up and rested his chin of Akuma’s shoulder, his small, rounded arms hugging him around the neck. “I always wanted to meet you, Otousan…” He giggled, and glanced over at his mother when she looked at him, grinning.

Akuma raised a brow. “Really? Are you disappointed with what you found?”

The boy stopped to think a moment. He wasn’t expecting to see someone so terrifying, and so…big. He didn’t think demons looked so scary. But then again, compared to everyone else around here, his dad looked cool. “Nope…cuz you’re a cool dad.”

***

The couch had been cleared off, and a couple of sheets had been laid down on top of it, along with a blanket and two pillows. That was good enough as far as a makeshift bed went for a five-year-old.

Mitsukai was sitting on Akuma’s bed playing with Keiji while Akuma tidied up somewhere for the boy to sleep. “How long are you two staying again?” He’d adjusted to the idea of having a son after the last few hours, and he didn’t think that a place like this was a good place for two angels to be living…even if one of them was part demon.

“Just tonight, maybe the next too. After that we’ll head home.” She paused, and pulled Keiji onto her lap…since he was in the middle of a chibi-ish giggle-fit, that wasn’t too hard…though he did a lot of wiggling. “I hope this isn’t too much trouble.”

He smiled, and joined them on the bed. “No, it’s not. Besides, I can’t let you find somewhere else to stay the night. Demons are fine and safe…but it’s the humans down here I’m concerned about.” He carefully ran a hand through Keiji’s thick black hair. His hand felt weird, since Mitsukai had practically ordered him to trim back his nails…which weren’t really claws any more. The boy giggled more and grabbed his hand. Akuma couldn’t help but smile softly. What had been a stressful few months lately seemed to disappear with this bouncy, happy, rejuvenating presence of youth.

Mitsukai smiled and hugged his arm again. “You’re so sweet…”

He smirked and shook her off gently. “Rubbish.” There goes his tough image. Damnit, how did Kazuya make it look so easy to stay cool and collected in this sort of situation?

She giggled, then hugged Keiji. “As for you, young man…bed time!”

Keiji pouted, but hopped off to head for the couch on the other side of the room…but not before stopping to hug the nearest attachment that belonged to his father – which happened to be his tail. “G’night Daddy!”

Akuma smiled. “Goodnight.” That somehow felt…weird.

***

It had been an hour or so before they tucked Keiji into bed, and by now he was fast asleep. They’d ceased their whispering, since he was now out cold…and were talking in hushed tones.

“I still can’t believe you brought him here. It’s dangerous.” Akuma’s mood had changed completely from the calm façade he’d shown the boy.

“I know, but I wanted you to meet him…” Since he was lying on the bed on his side, facing her, the side of her face was resting comfortably against his powerful chest as they talked.

“But still, this isn’t a good place for two angels to be hanging around in. Mitsukai…you put him in danger…”

Since when had he ever cared about danger? He’d only told her things she already knew. “Then what was I supposed to do, hm? Let him grow up without ever knowing his father?”

He sighed and rolled onto his back…only to find himself lying against the wall. Damn single bed. “You could have told me to come and meet you…I don’t know, on The Boundary, or even where you live…”

She cut him off. “Well that would work…except in Heaven they’re not very tolerant of your people. You would have probably been sent right back home!” She frowned, pouted, and snuggled back up against his chest, pulling the thin covers further up toward her chin.

Didn’t she know how much he couldn’t resist that? He sighed again, immediately losing the argument…he couldn’t think of a response with her nuzzling his chest like that. A heavy, muscular arm draped over her waist beneath the covers, and he leaned against her again, exhausted.

She hugged him around the shoulders, and kissed the centre of his scarred chest. “I’m sorry to stress you out like that.”

He hummed softly deep in his throat, already given up the fight for once. He had to admit, he was beginning to like the idea of being a father. Though her act was dangerous, he appreciated it.

After a moment, Mitsukai sat up slightly to glance at Keiji…then fell back again. “He’s asleep…”

Akuma raised a brow, then looked over at the boy too. “So he is…” At that point, he didn’t see the relevance, and returned to trying to doze off. After a moment, he felt her squirming around next to him. When he glanced down, he realised she’d pulled her shirt off…which left her wearing nothing but her underwear.

“So…he won’t hear us…” Somehow, even though she was smirking deviously at him, she still looked innocent and angelic. When he seemed to take his time reacting, she sighed and pulled at his shorts…a moment later, pulling them off.

“No, he won’t, will he?” He returned the smirk, and helped her with her clothes.