Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Sweet Vanilla ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: motionblur 
Anime/Manga: Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Psychological / Drama / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.07.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.5K | Visits: 397 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Psychological / Drama / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.07.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.5K | Visits: 397 | Status: Completed
[3]
It was a hot day, and the ice cream parlor had a steady stream of customers. I waited happily as Jien ordered an entire bowl of vanilla ice cream for me, and a cone of pistachio mint with chocolate sprinkles for himself.
"Pistachio mint with chocolate sprinkles?" I wrinkled my nose. "That's really gross, Jien."
"Don't knock it if you ain't tried it, bratling."
The worker behind the front smiled at me as she presented me with my bowl, and I grinned back at her as I reached up for my ice cream. "Enjoy!" she chirped as she handed Jien his cone.
"Thanks," said Jien, winking at her. She blushed.
He found us a small table for two near the window. I dug into my ice cream with gusto, rolling it around on my tongue before swallowing so the flavor would last longer. "This is great, Jien!"
He smiled at me. "Glad you like it." Then he bit into his cone.
"Jien, you're gonna get a brain freeze," I pointed out as I scooped another spoon of ice cream.
"That's the point." A funny expression crossed his face for a moment as the brain freeze hit him, and I laughed. Served him right for being greedy.
We ate in companionable silence for some time. I was eating much more slowly than I usually would. I had perfected the habit of eating quickly before my food was taken from me, but I relished being able to slow down. "Is today really my birthday?" I asked Jien after swallowing another spoonful.
He nodded. "Yeah. Sorry about forgetting it, little bro." He sighed. "I should have taken you with me so you wouldn't be in the house with her. That was so fucking stupid of me."
"No, I forgive you. It's all right."
We ate in silence for a little while. My mind was wandering (peacefully, for once) over various roads of thought. It was my birthday. I felt vaguely philosophical today, curious about the two people most directly responsible for my existence. Who had my parents been?
Well, sitting quietly across from me working on his pistachio mint cone was someone who could answer my questions. "Jien, what were my parents like?"
He'd been gazing out the window, looking rather relaxed, and my voice, I guess, interrupted his thoughts. Thankfully he didn't seem to mind, and hmm'ed thoughtfully. "Well, I only met your mother a few times, and I was kinda young, but she was -- whoa. Just whoa." He tilted his chair back. "Her name was Kazusa. Amazing lady."
"You really met her?"
Jien nodded. "Yeah. Dad liked showing me off."
"What was she like? Was she ugly like Mom says?" I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my voice.
Jien snorted. "Hell, no. Mom's just bitter. Dad didn't go for anything that wasn't gorgeous, and Kazusa was a beautiful lady. She had really dark blue eyes and golden curly hair like some princess in a human fairy tale." He shook his head. The memory still packed power for him, I guess. I listened avidly as he continued, "You respected Kazusa or she'd beat your ass in, youkai or not. She was real quick in the mental department and had this wicked sense of humor. You didn't see it coming and didn't even realize you'd set yourself up before she hit you with a little jab." He smiled in memory. "Fucking amazing lady," he repeated softly.
"What about Dad?"
"Ah. Tsuneji. Gods. He was the flakiest goofball I've ever seen in my life," Jien said promptly. "Handsome, I guess, since all the ladies fainted for him when he came in a room, and a real charmer, but he was this big dork at heart. He didn't know how to settle down, take responsibility. I think I was a mistake, personally, overexcitement or something. Mom was probably thrilled when she found out she had a way to keep him with her."
"Who did he love more?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Mother or Kazusa?"
Jien raised his eyebrows in consideration. "You don't bother with the easy questions, do you?"
"You make weirder faces when I ask hard ones." I poked my spoon into my ice cream and ate. I'd nearly forgotten about it in my fascination.
"He loved them both in his own way, but I think he loved Kazusa more," Jien decided. "Mom kept bugging him to choose between her and Kazusa, and I think he'd made his choice. Then Kazusa died…"
"What killed her?"
"Uh." Jien looked uncomfortable. "Labor. Actually."
My mother had died giving birth to me?
Well, there was nothing I could do about it now.
"So what happened after Kazusa died?" I asked.
Jien looked relieved that I hadn't gone into my shell on him. "Dad showed up at the door with a bundle in his arms. It'd been raining, so he was soaking wet, but he'd kept the bundle dry. He handed it to Mom and told her that she was holding Kazusa's son, that she had to take care of the baby, for his sake, 'cause he was leaving. She started howling at him, and he just looked at her with tears running down his face and said he had to leave. Last thing I remember him saying is 'take care of the baby for me.' Then, whoosh, he was out of the door. Out of my life." The last bit sounded bitter, and I realized that while I had never known my father, Jien had seen him turn tail and run.
"Do you know why he left?" I questioned.
Jien shook his head. "No clue. I guess he just couldn't handle Kazusa's death."
I thought about that for a moment and was glad that I had a big bowl of ice cream. "Am I like them, Jien?"
He looked me over. "I see them in you, yeah," he answered. "You've got Dad's smile. For all that he pretended to be a playboy, he had the strangest innocence, and that gave him charm and charisma beyond anything anyone could practice. Your face is a lot more delicate than his ever was, though. Your eyes, your cheekbones, the way your hair falls around your face… Kazusa gave you those."
He laughed a little at the look of rapt attention on my face. "Let's see. Now that I think of it, you're an awful lot like Kazusa: a smart, strong, willful little badass." I beamed, and he rolled his eyes fondly. "Did I mention what a charmer you are? Just like Dad, except you don't even have to try. And, geez, they gave you all the beauty they had." He snorted. "I definitely got shorted in that department."
"Thanks, Jien," I said brightly, aware of my idiotic grin of happiness, but unable to help it. I wasn't used to hearing such nice things, and when Jien catered to my need for praise, he made me feel like the greatest boy who ever lived. "That's so cool!"
He shrugged dismissively, but he was smiling, and I knew he'd caught my mood .
I swallowed my ice cream and took another spoonful. "When did you first see me?" I asked.
"Oh, I took you away from Mom the second she started howling and carrying on. I was a little younger than you are now, but a hell of a lot more responsible than she ever was. You were crying. You know how babies get when adults are upset."
"Ew." I wrinkled my nose. "I must have looked disgusting. And wrinkly. Babies look like aliens."
"Yeah, well, you cleaned up real nice once I calmed you down." He smiled. "Big, beautiful ruby eyes and soft red hair. You were a real pretty baby, Gojyo."
I deeply doubted it, but let him get away with saying so. It did make me feel warm to hear. "Who named me?" I queried.
"Me." Jien shrugged. "Mom was too busy having hysterics, Dad wasn't around and he'd forgotten to mention if you even had a name. Gojyo was the first name I could think up, so there you were, bro. Sorry if you don't like it."
"It's fine." I poked at my ice cream with my spoon. "Um, sorry if all my questions are annoying."
Jien waved his hand dismissively in a "don't mention it" gesture.
"I just always figured I was a foundling or something," I admitted, looking at Jien sheepishly.
He raised an eyebrow. "Trust me on this," he said firmly. "We've definitely got the same father. That makes us half-brothers biologically, but as far as I'm concerned, you're totally and completely my little brother." He grinned. "Tough little punk like you's gotta be related to me somehow."
I smiled but didn't reply. I was almost done with my ice cream, and I ate extra-slowly. It tasted so sweet on my tongue. I wanted to hold time at this moment forever.
It was a hot day, and the ice cream parlor had a steady stream of customers. I waited happily as Jien ordered an entire bowl of vanilla ice cream for me, and a cone of pistachio mint with chocolate sprinkles for himself.
"Pistachio mint with chocolate sprinkles?" I wrinkled my nose. "That's really gross, Jien."
"Don't knock it if you ain't tried it, bratling."
The worker behind the front smiled at me as she presented me with my bowl, and I grinned back at her as I reached up for my ice cream. "Enjoy!" she chirped as she handed Jien his cone.
"Thanks," said Jien, winking at her. She blushed.
He found us a small table for two near the window. I dug into my ice cream with gusto, rolling it around on my tongue before swallowing so the flavor would last longer. "This is great, Jien!"
He smiled at me. "Glad you like it." Then he bit into his cone.
"Jien, you're gonna get a brain freeze," I pointed out as I scooped another spoon of ice cream.
"That's the point." A funny expression crossed his face for a moment as the brain freeze hit him, and I laughed. Served him right for being greedy.
We ate in companionable silence for some time. I was eating much more slowly than I usually would. I had perfected the habit of eating quickly before my food was taken from me, but I relished being able to slow down. "Is today really my birthday?" I asked Jien after swallowing another spoonful.
He nodded. "Yeah. Sorry about forgetting it, little bro." He sighed. "I should have taken you with me so you wouldn't be in the house with her. That was so fucking stupid of me."
"No, I forgive you. It's all right."
We ate in silence for a little while. My mind was wandering (peacefully, for once) over various roads of thought. It was my birthday. I felt vaguely philosophical today, curious about the two people most directly responsible for my existence. Who had my parents been?
Well, sitting quietly across from me working on his pistachio mint cone was someone who could answer my questions. "Jien, what were my parents like?"
He'd been gazing out the window, looking rather relaxed, and my voice, I guess, interrupted his thoughts. Thankfully he didn't seem to mind, and hmm'ed thoughtfully. "Well, I only met your mother a few times, and I was kinda young, but she was -- whoa. Just whoa." He tilted his chair back. "Her name was Kazusa. Amazing lady."
"You really met her?"
Jien nodded. "Yeah. Dad liked showing me off."
"What was she like? Was she ugly like Mom says?" I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my voice.
Jien snorted. "Hell, no. Mom's just bitter. Dad didn't go for anything that wasn't gorgeous, and Kazusa was a beautiful lady. She had really dark blue eyes and golden curly hair like some princess in a human fairy tale." He shook his head. The memory still packed power for him, I guess. I listened avidly as he continued, "You respected Kazusa or she'd beat your ass in, youkai or not. She was real quick in the mental department and had this wicked sense of humor. You didn't see it coming and didn't even realize you'd set yourself up before she hit you with a little jab." He smiled in memory. "Fucking amazing lady," he repeated softly.
"What about Dad?"
"Ah. Tsuneji. Gods. He was the flakiest goofball I've ever seen in my life," Jien said promptly. "Handsome, I guess, since all the ladies fainted for him when he came in a room, and a real charmer, but he was this big dork at heart. He didn't know how to settle down, take responsibility. I think I was a mistake, personally, overexcitement or something. Mom was probably thrilled when she found out she had a way to keep him with her."
"Who did he love more?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Mother or Kazusa?"
Jien raised his eyebrows in consideration. "You don't bother with the easy questions, do you?"
"You make weirder faces when I ask hard ones." I poked my spoon into my ice cream and ate. I'd nearly forgotten about it in my fascination.
"He loved them both in his own way, but I think he loved Kazusa more," Jien decided. "Mom kept bugging him to choose between her and Kazusa, and I think he'd made his choice. Then Kazusa died…"
"What killed her?"
"Uh." Jien looked uncomfortable. "Labor. Actually."
My mother had died giving birth to me?
Well, there was nothing I could do about it now.
"So what happened after Kazusa died?" I asked.
Jien looked relieved that I hadn't gone into my shell on him. "Dad showed up at the door with a bundle in his arms. It'd been raining, so he was soaking wet, but he'd kept the bundle dry. He handed it to Mom and told her that she was holding Kazusa's son, that she had to take care of the baby, for his sake, 'cause he was leaving. She started howling at him, and he just looked at her with tears running down his face and said he had to leave. Last thing I remember him saying is 'take care of the baby for me.' Then, whoosh, he was out of the door. Out of my life." The last bit sounded bitter, and I realized that while I had never known my father, Jien had seen him turn tail and run.
"Do you know why he left?" I questioned.
Jien shook his head. "No clue. I guess he just couldn't handle Kazusa's death."
I thought about that for a moment and was glad that I had a big bowl of ice cream. "Am I like them, Jien?"
He looked me over. "I see them in you, yeah," he answered. "You've got Dad's smile. For all that he pretended to be a playboy, he had the strangest innocence, and that gave him charm and charisma beyond anything anyone could practice. Your face is a lot more delicate than his ever was, though. Your eyes, your cheekbones, the way your hair falls around your face… Kazusa gave you those."
He laughed a little at the look of rapt attention on my face. "Let's see. Now that I think of it, you're an awful lot like Kazusa: a smart, strong, willful little badass." I beamed, and he rolled his eyes fondly. "Did I mention what a charmer you are? Just like Dad, except you don't even have to try. And, geez, they gave you all the beauty they had." He snorted. "I definitely got shorted in that department."
"Thanks, Jien," I said brightly, aware of my idiotic grin of happiness, but unable to help it. I wasn't used to hearing such nice things, and when Jien catered to my need for praise, he made me feel like the greatest boy who ever lived. "That's so cool!"
He shrugged dismissively, but he was smiling, and I knew he'd caught my mood .
I swallowed my ice cream and took another spoonful. "When did you first see me?" I asked.
"Oh, I took you away from Mom the second she started howling and carrying on. I was a little younger than you are now, but a hell of a lot more responsible than she ever was. You were crying. You know how babies get when adults are upset."
"Ew." I wrinkled my nose. "I must have looked disgusting. And wrinkly. Babies look like aliens."
"Yeah, well, you cleaned up real nice once I calmed you down." He smiled. "Big, beautiful ruby eyes and soft red hair. You were a real pretty baby, Gojyo."
I deeply doubted it, but let him get away with saying so. It did make me feel warm to hear. "Who named me?" I queried.
"Me." Jien shrugged. "Mom was too busy having hysterics, Dad wasn't around and he'd forgotten to mention if you even had a name. Gojyo was the first name I could think up, so there you were, bro. Sorry if you don't like it."
"It's fine." I poked at my ice cream with my spoon. "Um, sorry if all my questions are annoying."
Jien waved his hand dismissively in a "don't mention it" gesture.
"I just always figured I was a foundling or something," I admitted, looking at Jien sheepishly.
He raised an eyebrow. "Trust me on this," he said firmly. "We've definitely got the same father. That makes us half-brothers biologically, but as far as I'm concerned, you're totally and completely my little brother." He grinned. "Tough little punk like you's gotta be related to me somehow."
I smiled but didn't reply. I was almost done with my ice cream, and I ate extra-slowly. It tasted so sweet on my tongue. I wanted to hold time at this moment forever.