A Gift From War

A peaceful neighborhood stood in the calm suburbs. The sky was blue once more and the trees were a lively green. Any tension in the world was gone for six years. He tried his damn hardest to live the "normal" life before scary times. A young man, eventually joined by a young boy, made their way around the small town. The young boy would often ask normal questions a kid would have about life. It never occurred to Senpai that the kid would eventually ask the question that he asked himself everyday of his adult life.

It was the 10th anniversary of the best and worst day of his life and he decided by trying to live it like any other day was a good approach. That wouldn't happen because he told his son a lie all of his life. Every year was the same question with an excuse of something that happened long ago.

"Hey dad...how come you never talk about father? I have yet to meet him and it's been ten years!" Senpai immediately stopped everything and dropped the towel he was currently holding.

"W-what brought this on darling?" Senpai slowly turned around and picked the towel up from the floor. His face was covered in beads of sweat and his heartbeat picked up.

His son nervously ruffled his dark hair. 'He looks so much like him..' Senpai lamented in his mind as he watched his son find the words to say. The boy fiddled with his fingers and stared into space for a few moments. Once he found the words he continued, "You said I would meet him for years. He never showed up. The kids at school are saying ''I have a dad that went for the milk and never returned!" Senpai flung the towel on the counter and walked over to his son. He knelt down and lifted his pointer finger up.

"You tell those kids that it isn't true and jokes like that are rude! Your father did no such thing!" It honestly pained Senpai to see his son being bullied over something no one had control of. 'He would tell him to beat those kids up or something and I would have to tell him no and to calm down...It's been ten years Senpai...I have to tell him now.' Senpai patted his son's head and sighed, "I think it's time for you to know the true story." The young boy's dark eyes sparkled. "Go sit on the couch. I'll tell you about him." The boy ran into the living room while Senpai leaned over the counter and sighed heavily.

'I'm only doing this because I know you want me to.' He walked into his room and over on the nightstand was a picture from his high school years. A single tear drop fell from his face onto the part of the picture where a person he longed to see again. He quickly grabbed the picture frame and held it to his side as he walked out of his room and into the living room. Noticing his son on the recliner, he took a seat beside his son. 'This was his favorite chair....'

"You may want to cuddle close, this story will pull at your heart strings." His son nodded and pulled a blanket over them as he cuddled closer to his father's chest. "Your father used to cuddle me like this in the evenings.." He paused, he had to remind himself he was ready and that his son couldn't live a life of lies no more. His son resembled his father deeply. To the short black hair, dark eyes, his shorter build and the little actions that resembled something his father would have done, this kid was almost a carbon copy of him, the only thing that he had that was closer to Senpai was the perky, bubbly personality.

"Jared John Captain. It is finally time I tell you about your father. We...met long ago in high school. I was known as the popular kid in school and every girl had a crush on me. Let me tell you, they had no idea I was gay! No clue! Eventually some kids found out about that and bullied me for it. It was then, I met your father saving me from a beating about to happen..."

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"You think you're so pretty, huh? Tricking all these girls to fall in love with you when you're secretly a queer!" Two students in black dragged Senpai to a corner of the hallway by the arms.