The First Time Yukio Recognizes the Presence of Demons

Yukio is too young to remember the first time he recognizes the existence of demons. However, the memory of that moment haunts Fujimoto until the day he dies…

The Okumura twins at seven months old kept Fujimoto busy, so he enjoyed any rare moment of silence afforded to him. Standing with a peaceful smile on his face, Fujimoto merely watched the babies in their cribs. Rin's head bobbed happily back and forth, as if he hadn't a care in the world. And Yukio, the calmer of the two, was staring off into the distance, a serene look in his eyes.

Soon, Fujimoto realized that Yukio was becoming increasingly agitated. At first, the baby only turned his head from one side to the other, but then he began shaking his little fists at something in the distance. When Yukio's started breathing erratically, each wheezing gasp hitching in his throat, Fujimoto began to worry.

Fujimoto turned to see if Rin displayed any of the same characteristics as the distressed Yukio. However, the older twin's demeanor remained cheery. Confused, Fujimoto whipped his head around studying the room carefully. He spotted an approaching coaltar demon. Apprehension unfurled in Fujimoto's stomach as he quietly observed Yukio's eyes focusing on the coaltar and following its movements, his little fists slashing the air as if warning the demon to stay away.

Unable to deny the truth any longer, Fujimoto whispered, "You can see the coaltar, can't you, Yukio? And you can feel how wrong it is." Verbal recognition forced Fujimoto to accept his deduction, and dread coursed through him causing his heart to plummet. "It'll be okay. Your father will take care of everything," he reassured, picking Yukio up from the crib and holding him close. In Fujimoto's arms, Yukio calms down.

Before this moment, Fujimoto had no positive proof that Yukio could see demons. Although Fujimoto reasoned that Yukio would have likely received a spirit wound from Rin at birth, he hadn't witnessed the twins' birth, and thus wasn't sure if Yukio had been afflicted. Upon adopting the twins, Fujimoto prayed everyday that the human baby had remained unblemished by a demon's touch. However, his prayers proved to be fruitless. 'I'm sorry, kid,' he thought, his lips tugging downwards. 'Fate is just not on your side.'

Fujimoto had already contemplated different options in how to rear Yukio, provided that the boy had received a spirit wound from his older brother. Although Fujimoto would have preferred to raise Yukio as a normal, non-demon seeing human, this alternative was no longer viable. Accepting the truth and acting accordingly would yield the best outcome for all parties involved. Deep down inside, Fujimoto knew that he only had one choice when it came to Yukio's upbringing, even though thinking about it made him sick to his stomach.

Yukio's fate was sealed upon being marked with a spirit wound; he would never escape a lifetime of seeing demons. Instinctively, demons could tell which humans could detect their presence, so Fujimoto knew that they would torture and bully poor Yukio until his breaking point. The only way to spare Yukio a lifetime of torment was for Fujimoto to take this boy, an innocent, and turn him into a warrior. It wasn't a life he wished for his son or for anybody really. However, if Fujimoto didn't train Yukio well, he knew he'd have a high possibility of outliving his son. With a pained expression on his face, Fujimoto says, "I'm sorry. More sorry than you'll ever know."

As Fujimoto stands with Yukio nestled in his arms, he contemplated the harsh future his human son would inevitably have to face. With guilt stabbing at his heart, Fujimoto prayed that someday his son would be able to forgive him.

Author's Notes: I thought this was a really appropriate point to start this line of fics focusing on Yukio's firsts. I honestly can't imagine Fujimoto wanting to subject Yukio to the lifestyle of an Exorcist, unless he feels he has no choice. [/feels need to explain] Anyways, I hope you guys all enjoyed. As always, any feedback is much appreciated. (Next up is Yukio's first demon kill, which honestly is the topic that started me on the theme of Yukio's "firsts." I really want to write it, and I hope I'll be able to do a good job. Wish me luck!)