Sinner and a Savior

Ch. 6 - A Mother's Promise

The day had finally rolled around where you knew to expect Toji. The racing in your chest increased in frequency with each passing hour. You hoped that your behavior was normal, that you weren't letting any nerves slip through for those around you to start asking questions. 

You hoped there was a way to work things out with Toji. To be completely honest, you hoped you could just get rid of him altogether. If he was so dangerous but loved his son enough, he'd stay away. But you didn't want to get your hopes up.

When the evening rolled around, you put Megumi to bed as usual. It didn't take him long to fall asleep, again as usual and very different from your Tsumiki. You kept her on your mind as you took a seat in the rocking chair that sat at the corner of the room. A single, dim lamp on a night stand remained lit as you waited for Toji, reading a novel you had picked out from the Zenin's small library. 
This time you also made sure to stay in your yukata, rather than be caught in another silk nightgown.

From there, you waited. And waited, and waited. 
It got to the point where you wondered if he would even show, but then again he arrived at nearly three in the morning the week prior. You had put your book down and relaxed into the cushioned rocker in an attempt to get a nap in before his arrival, but he had perfect timing. 

As soon as you closed your eyes, the shoji door opened quietly and carefully. His tall, dark figure stepped into the room. He loomed briefly toward the crib where Megumi slept but then took a few steps closer to you where he could be better seen, his facial features becoming visible in the warm light. 

"Hello," you greeted first in a low, serious tone. Despite your seriousness, your heart picked up its pace again. He was intimidating to look at, toned muscles nearly bursting out of the usual tight fitting t-shirt he wore. You knew he was a man who could snap your neck like a twig at any given moment.

"Hi," he greeted back informally, crouching so that his elbows rested on his knees. He stared at you intensely, black hair just falling into his vision. "So, what have you got for me?"

You took a deep breath and looked up as if to pray to the gods. You then sat forward on the rocking chair, sitting up straight to maintain your serious demeanor.

"Do you care about Megumi?" You asked. "Like, seriously?" 

He furrowed his brow at your question. "Is that really even a question?" You stared at him as your answer. "I come here every week, to a place I'm not supposed to be. I take what I can get."

"If you really care and love Megumi as your son, you'll stop coming here," you declared. Attempt number one: see if you can actually get him to stop coming. "For his safety."

He gave a single chuckle which burst out into soft laughter. He hung his head with a smile on his face as his laughter concluded. "I come here to see my son. I don't plan on stopping any time soon, even if that means your death." His laughter had completely stopped and his tone had run cold. He was serious.

"As I thought," you muttered under your breath. "Well then, I figured...I'm able to take Megumi anywhere as long as I leave a detailed record of my destination and time spent in each location. Perhaps you can tag along, meet us at the locations." You paused for a moment and watched his face of contemplation. "You are awake during the day, right? This three in the morning stuff isn't every night?"

He gave a crooked, close-lipped smile and stood up, looking down at you with the same smile. "I can make it work," he agreed. 

"So that's a yes to the three A.M. stuff," you sighed. "Coming with us will keep you off these grounds and keep us safe, so long as the Zenins don't send some kind of a spy to see if I'm really going to these places."

"I wouldn't be surprised," he lowly chuckled. "This is, honestly, more dangerous that me showing up here in the early morning." You swallowed hard at his response. He was right, but you still felt more safe keeping him away from the rest of the Zenin clan. 

"Well," you ignored his statement for the time being, "tomorrow I need to go to the store to buy some formula and other groceries," you sighed. "I figure we can do that, and then I can pack a picnic for the sakura viewing...assuming I can find a spot somewhere. How's that?"

He kept his crooked, close-lipped smile but his upper lip quivered as if he wanted to smile further. "Sounds good to me," he agreed. "We'll see how long this lasts."

The two of you stood in silence after your agreement, staring at one another. The silence was incredibly loud, at least until Megumi began to stir as if right on schedule. 

You quickly rushed to his side before he could get any louder with his whimpers. You held him close on your hip as you went toward his dresser where you kept the formula at the ready. You were about to put the bottle to his lips when you looked at Toji. He was standing by with his arms crossed over his chest, he had been studying your motions as you handled his son. The look on his face was stone cold as usual, but something about the look in his eyes...it was warmer than usual.

"Do you...want to feed him?" You asked suddenly. Megumi's hands were grasping outward for his bottle as you held it away. He was beginning to get fussy again. 

Toji's arms dropped to his side as his look softened entirely, a bit of shock in his expression. He gave a single nod as you approached. 

You carefully exchanged Megumi first, trading cradled arms as Megumi continued fussing. Toji instinctively began hushing as if he hadn't not been caring for him for the past few months. You then handed the warm bottle to him.

"How long did you get to raise him before...?" You trailed off as you carefully watched Toji feed his son. 

"About a month," he sighed. There was a sad look behind his current expression as he looked down at the baby in his arms. "But I was...not in a good place."

"Still aren't," you interrupted without thinking. You quickly covered your mouth with your hands as he glared up at you.

"I had just lost my wife," he continued, now sounding a little choked up, clearing his throat to fix it - which was unexpected, "the only woman I actually cared about...for once. She was unafraid of me. She wasn't happy with what I was doing, but she still supported me without question to put it shortly." He cleared his throat as he finished his sentence as if to regain his normal composure. You clenched your jaw while listening to his story. "We didn't know one another for very long before tying the knot, Megumi came along not too long after. But when the time came...you know the rest."

"They told me that you sold him to your family," you muttered. Toji looked up at you in this moment. He appeared irritated with your addition.

"I did," he grumbled and turned his attention back to Megumi. "I didn't have a choice but to bring him here," he explained sourly. "He needed something more stable. I had to...work. It's no place for an infant. But I couldn't let my uncle get away with just taking Megumi from me, so I told them he had inherited a special technique and at least got some compensation for it."
You were still a bit angered by a baby being sold to the family, but you at least could see why Toji had gone through with it. It ultimately was the better option for Megumi, for the time being. Toji was clearly a man that was smart but still somehow so shitty. 

"So nobody knows if he for sure has the Ten Shadows technique?" You wondered. Toji nodded in response.

"At least not yet, but the probability is likely considering the genetic factors involved," he grinned down at his little boy with a sense of pride. 

Megumi had finished his bottle and Toji walked over to the dresser to put the bottle back down. Toji then lifted the baby to his shoulder where he gently began to pat his back. With the view in front of you, you could hardly believe it. A supposed stone-cold killer was somehow so gentle. How could this man possibly be a killer?