How I Met Your Father (Sanji x Zolo)

Loose Screws

"When did you first figure out that Ichiro was... Er... The special needs child?"

"Well, he was never exactly right. Even before he could talk, he would babble to himself like there was someone there."

Sanji held Ichiro, his second son, gently rocking the sleeping child. "I don't know Zolo..." He said quietly. "He just doesn't seem... Okay."

"Shut up! He's perfect!" Ichiro shifted and Zolo went on quieter. "There's nothing wrong with him, Sanji, nothing."

Sanji sighed and gently placed the infant in his other father's arms. "Okay, Zolo. Okay."

"I really didn't want to believe it. That our son could be anything less than perfect. But, deep down, I'd always known."

Zolo crossed his arms and huffed with frustration. "No, Ichiro. Don't look that way." He turned his son back toward him, and the little blond gasped like he'd just noticed his father sitting there.

"Hey, Da!"

Zolo sighed. "Hey, baby." Ichiro's eyes glazed over and he stared at something over Zolo's shoulder. Then he blinked and his eyes locked on Zolo.

"Hey, Da!"

"... Hey, baby."

Ichiro's mind started to wander again and Zolo took his son in his arms. "Daddy's here baby. Daddy's right here. Stay here, sweetie. Stay with Daddy."

Ichiro started babbling nonsense, a meaningless string of words, directed at someone only he could see. Zolo held his son tighter. "Sshhh... Shh, Ichiro. No one's there. You're not talking to anyone. There's no one there. Talk to me. Please..."

"It killed me. Knowing my baby's mind was broken. That he saw things, heard things, that weren't even real... And he was so small..."

"Geez, Dad, don't cry. He's fine now. I mean, yeah, he still talks to himself, but other than that he's fine."

"Yeah, I know, but... Sometimes I still wish I'd lost my mind instead of my son being born without one."

"And you didn't even teach me how to walk, geez Dad."

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Nope."

Ichiro walked in a circle, looking down at his feet. "Ichiro, what are you doing?"

He glanced up at Zolo and said, "Hoi, cousin. I'm looking for the end of the line. There's a cookie at the end. Of the line, that is. The end of the line. This line."

Ichiro kept babbling and Zolo sighed, talking another drink from his bottle of sake. Chopper had done everything he could think of, but nothing helped Ichiro's mind. He'd been born half-mad, and nothing could bring his head to reality. Zolo knew this. But it still hurt.

"I love your brother, crazy and all. I'd die for him, and you too, for that matter. But... It still kills me that he can't have a normal life."

"... I know what you mean, Dad... I know what you mean."