A.N. Hello again :) This is the third sequel for "To live again" (following "A new beginning"). Thank you for reviewing so far and I hope you'll do it again now :) Also, thank you for waiting for this story and enjoy!
Prelude
Luca's POV
I fell in love with him from the moment I saw him.
Yeah, spare me the condescendining look. It wasn't the hot, burning, lusting kind of love. He was five years old, for Kami's sake, and so was I. It was the kind of love that it's said only small children can feel – pure; real…
He was upset on that first day in the kindergarten; saw nothing of our games, heard nothing of the songs, remembered nothing of the lessons. He only had eyes for where he thought the parking lot was; only waited and hoped that his fathers will come get him sooner…
Later, as he cried when they held him, as he snuggled into Izumo's embrace and held onto Kotetsu's hand, he lifted his head for a bit and for just a moment, over Izumo's shoulder, our eyes met. And just like that… like an arrow through my heart, like a lightning through my whole body... doomed forever by those crying multicolored eyes… My five year old self fell in love for the first and only time.
As we grew older the lust was only added to that first, pure feeling. Without replacing it though. Only… amplifying it…
I kind of knew it was gonna be one-sided. I expected it. And accepted it. Now, don't take me as a martyr, for I'm very far from it. At some point I guess I just learned to live with that acceptance, that the hollow, empty feeling in my chest will remain just that – hollow and empty, twitching with the false hope that maybe… cuz he's right there next to me, you know…?
No.
Just no.
"Ouch!"
"Huh?"
Hiro frowned at me, rubbing his chest.
"Slow it down, will ya? I ain't the enemy, whoever that may be!"
I took off the boxing gloves and ran a hand through my damp hair.
"Sorry", I muttered, unwrapping the gauze.
"You need a better way to vent, Luca. This doesn't help you any longer."
"I said sorry, okay?!"
"…Dude. Chill."
"Whatever…", I sighed.
"Why didn't you apply for the cop's academy?", Hiro wasn't going to give it up that easily.
"I was asked not to. By a… friend."
His father. Both of his fathers. And I wasn't exactly asked not to. I was forbidden to.
"I don't wanna worry about you every day, kid. I've had my fair share of worrying for a lifetime, being married to a cop…"
"…And I, being married to a ninja…"
"Keiko's throwing a party at Saturday. You in?", Hiro asked.
I shook my head. "Nah. I gotta finish something."
"That portrait you don't wanna show me?"
"Yes."
I tried to say it in a way for him to realize that the subject is closed. Hiro grinned and lifted his hands in surrender.
"I ain't the enemy, man", he repeated. "You need to finally fight down those demons in your head."
Oh, you mean the blonde one with the multicolored eyes?
"Sure", I gritted out, heading for the showers.
Just another day. Accepting things as they were.