Feather Bound

Chapter 44

She was hiding something.

It wasn't hard to tell; he had noticed it more and more in the last few weeks. He would watch as her phone rang, she'd grab it and frown, before clicking the reject button and putting it down. He hadn't thought anything of it the first time, assuming it was a spam caller, but then it kept happening.

It had occurred while they were shopping for Christmas decorations for the apartment at the end of November. Then she declined three more calls during their dinner date a week later, and again, while they were out looking at furniture for Himari's future room just two days ago. Yet, she never told him who was calling, quickly shoving the phone back into her pocket like it never happened.

He was growing concerned that it was Kuro bothering her. It would make sense as to why she wouldn't want to say anything, but if that fucker was causing trouble again, he needed to know. Anything he did now could be evidence for the lawyer, and he was dead set on getting his daughter back home where she belonged. Away from that dickhead, his toxic ego, and whatever illicit activities he might be involved in.

He sighed, glancing over at the Christmas tree Y/N had put up in the corner of the room, the snow falling behind it through the large glass sliding door making the perfect background as the lights twinkled and danced. He stared at it, his eyes captivated by the brightness as he got lost in his thoughts, completely ignoring the Christmas movie they were supposed to be watching together.

Sometimes it was still strange to him how quickly her daughter had merged into their daughter. He'd never really wanted kids before, but the thought of Himari living with them made him warm in a way he'd never felt before. He would have a real family, a daughter, it was perfect. Despite his nerves, he couldn't wait to try his hand at parenting, to see what it was like. He'd never have kids of his own, so this was his only chance, and he'd certainly never waste it like his own parents had.

She suddenly giggled at something that was happening on the screen, drawing his attention back to her with a warm smile. He drew her closer, adjusting the red and green blanket she'd draped over them as she rested against him. He sighed in contentment, his chin coming to rest on top of her head as his eyes wandered to the various other decorations she'd put up in the last week.

She had done a fantastic job decorating the apartment, despite his original attempts to stop her. He had never been big on Christmas before, only because in all honesty, why should he? Santa isn't real when you're six years old, living in a falling apart shack as your father beats you just for breathing the wrong way. There was never a tree, never any presents, and certainly never any food. Santa wasn't real and he'd learned that early on.

His mom had tried once when he was just four, when she was lucid enough to remember his name, stealing broken garland and tinsel from someone's trash can. She had been so excited that day, excitedly telling him that they would get to experience a little bit of Christmas this year. He'd been excited too, his mother finally acknowledging him, spending time with him, it was more than anything he could've asked Santa for. So, together they worked all day to clean up the shack, decorating as she hummed various Christmas songs to herself.

It didn't last; his father came home drunker than he'd ever been before. He destroyed the shack and decorations they'd worked so hard to put up before beating his mother, accusing her of trying to leave, of selling him out. Keigo had tried everything in his power that night to stop him, covering his mother's body with his own, taking as much of the beating as he could screaming and crying for his dad to leave his mommy alone. Eventually, his father gave up, curling up and falling asleep as Keigo and his mother clutched each other desperately. His feathers were bent and broken, his body covered in bruises, tears dripping down his face as his mother gently hummed "Carol of the Bells" to him until he fell asleep in her arms.