Round Two || Tokyo Revengers x MaleOc

Hurtful Hope

Trying to catch Baji when he's home was a nightmare. Like a literal nightmare. However, Illumi did manage to go at a time when his mother was around and was all too happy to let Illumi come in and wait for Baji to show up.

Ms. Baji was a lovely woman, a warm lady who wished for her son to live a life of happiness and freedom but she also wishes he'd make something of himself. That he went to school and at least finished high school. He didn't need to do college but just secondary schooling would be a dream.

She was astounded that Illumi had already finished despite being so young and was ecstatic with his offer to help Baji with schooling. To tutor him and help in any area that he may need assistance with. To be there for Baji.

Ms. Baji couldn't help but cradle the fragile face of the child before her. He looked so tired if she was honest. She decided he was hers now. So she set about making some food. Some lovely simple curry. Illumi insisted on helping her, so he was let chop up the veg by Ms. Baji or now called fondly 'Obasan'. This lady just radiated the love of a mother that Illumi so desperately craved in his childhood. Even now his inner child howled with jealousy at the mother he never got so hurt that he wasn't given that life.

He would never get to fill that hole but he could experience it even if for just an afternoon.

That's how Baji found them, the two gossiping around the rickety table empty plates of curry left behind evidence of an afternoon filled with food and talk. Illumi and his mother greeted Baji with a smile, so warm his heart stuttered in his chest. Was this a glimpse of the future? Of his life filled with Illumi, coming home to see his mother laughing with her head back thrown back frame shaking with mirth. Lovely Illumi waiting for him, greetings like sunshine and warmth settling in his bones.

"Keisuke! You're home." Ms. Baji rose to greet him, arms outstretched to which he obliged and walked into them. His mother's embrace was soft, secure and he could finally let the tension that built up in his body settle and drift away.

"I'm home," Keisuke said with a sigh sagging into his mother.

"Welcome back," Illumi said rising from the table.

"Illumi, what are you doing here?" Keisuke asked not that he minded the other being in his home.

"Just came around for a visit, haven't seen you in a while." The underlying message was there -you've been away to Valhalla, I can't reach you anymore- it caused the other boy to turn his head but nothing else.

"Anyway, let's hang out! I got Yuuri to watch Killua for the night." Illumi exclaimed.

"Killua?" Ms. Baji asked.

"Oh, right" Illumi rubbed the back of his neck. "Killua is my son, a little boy."

"A son? How old?" Ms. Baji asked. If she had any more strong feelings towards Illumi's fathering of a child so young other than curiosity then she didn't show it.

"Just a bit over two weeks now, he's my little pride."

"...and the mother?"

Baji perked up, nobody actually knows about Killua's elusive mother.

"Well, let's just say she wasn't ready for a child. When we found out she didn't want to keep them. Said she didn't have the mentality nor the financials for a child which I understood. So I asked if she would carry to term and I'll take full responsibility." Illumi was sharing more of his made up story than he's ever shared. "She agreed and I made sure to pay for everything. If I was asking her to carry my child when she didn't really have the ability to provide for them in the first place then I would do as I said and take full responsibility that means from conception through birth till my death. When Killua was born I paid for her treatment and aftercare along with money to help her get her life back into place. We don't keep in contact anymore and full parental rights belong to me."

"Oh wow, that so mature of you Illumi," Obasan said to him going forward to hug him. "It's a huge responsibility to have a child and the fact that you understood that the girl didn't want to have the child due to her own reasons shows a lot for your character. I'm glad you didn't run off and leave her to deal with the situation by herself as well as many boys do."

A look on her face showed far more than just her words, Ms. Baji was a young woman. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume a similar situation happened to her once upon a 14 years ago.

"Thank you, Obasan."

Even though the story was fake there were enough similarities to the truth that Illumi didn't feel too bad about taking the comfort for.

The rest of the day Keisuke and Illumi hung out only after Obasan made her son shower then left for work. Illumi took great pleasure in caring for Keisuke's hair after he was done bathing. He was gentle with brushing the tangles out and braiding it. He never really had someone he could do it to other than himself. Baji let it happen with content eyes closed sitting on the floor half asleep by the calming sensations. He genuinely thought Illumi came to try and convince him to leave Valhalla, to plead him to go back to Toman, and while he didn't and was a huge relief to Baji it was also a bit hurtful. Did he not care? Was his absence not affecting Illumi?

All these questions circled his head but when Illumi dragged him up on to the small beaten up couch and laid side by side together curled around each others' figure he couldn't muster the heart to care. Illumi was there now, he wasn't leaving and sought him out first. Baji rested to the sound of a beating heart under his ear and fingers tracing designs on his back. A more peaceful sleep than months combined.