THE PRICE OF WAR [Taka x Reader]

III. Family

"Yumiko!"

Tomoya's voice woke you from your thoughts.

"Come and have dinner with us!" he screamed.

The boys were gathered around a bonfire ready to have dinner. You noticed there was a plate full of meat waiting for you, so you stood up and sat between Ryota and Tomoya.

"Well, I think there's something you need to tell us... Right, Taka?" Ryota suddenly asked after some seconds.

"Why don't you close your mouth instead?" Taka grumbled.

"Because we want to know!"

"No, only you want to know, Ryota. I want to eat dinner" Toru said with his mouth full.

Ryota stopped smiling and gave them both a serious look. He decided to address you instead.

"Yumiko, how many children do you want to have?"

Taka choked on a piece of bread, making Toru and Tomoya cackle and your cheeks burn of shame.

"How many...?" you stuttered "I don't know, I... I guess I'm still too young to think about it"

Taka was about to say something, but you continued speaking.

"I don't really know what even a family is... I lived with Erymid my whole life and she's not even my real mother"

The boys noticed the sadness in your words.

"How is it?" you asked them "Having a family?"

They all stared at each other, confused by your question.

"Well..." Ryota said as he looked for Tomoya's help with his look "I guess it's..."

"It's great" Tomoya said with his usual smile "Specially being a dad... The moment you see your child for the first time, your wife's tears of joy... Nothing in this life can be compared to that feeling"

His eyes were lost and his voice calm. The other three boys were also looking away, trying to distract themselves.

"I'm sure you are great fathers..." you whispered.

"If we were we wouldn't be here now, Yumiko" Ryota abruptly said as he stood up and left.

"Ryota!" Tomoya called him but he received no answer back.

He turned back at you and decided to go after him. You looked around, feeling like the worst person ever.

"Yumiko..." Taka said.

"I'm the worst"

"Please, don't..."

"I'll go check the area" you said as you stood up and wiped a tear off.

"Yumiko!"

Your arms suddenly transformed into two black wings and your whole body became the one of a crow. When you had already disappeared into the treetops, you possed on one big branch and contemplated the valley which extended under the moonlight in front of you with teary eyes. And for the first time in weeks, you started crying. Reality had just punched you in the face and it hurt like hell. You were in the middle of a war, and at every step you took you all ran the risk of dying at the hands of the enemy, always lurking in the shadows. How were things to stay the same as in Hayltel? How could Taka not feel this way about Hatsumi? You remembered your first days meeting the soldiers, laughing with Taka and falling in love with him. The little time you both had spent together seemed unfair to you. Only if you had confessed your feelings earlier... But now there was no point regretting the past. Things had clearly changed and you needed to focus on the present. You were a soldier, you owned a really dangerous power and your goal was to find the enemy and end this war. You were about to go back to the camp when you noticed a big group of lanterns coming down Mount Trydar and entering the valley.