Up in Flames (Fire Force fanfic)

Chapter Twenty Five: Jerry's Knees vs Kotatsu Table

I wake up to the sound of a baby crying and a woman's voice yelling. Benimaru slowly opens his eyes, "They passed out too didn't they?"

"Yep and it would seem uncle Jerry is in trouble."

Benimaru sits up, "Don't tell me the guy fell asleep under the kotatsu table for the whole night."

"Nah that's stupid."

There was a knock at the door, I open it to find aunt Nana. "So Jerry is stuck under the kotatsu table and his knees gave out. Would you mind helping me with getting him out?"

"Beni..."

"Pfft yeah?"

"Not a word."

We silently go downstairs to find uncle Jerry struggling to army crawl out of the warm and seductive depths of the kotatsu. It is a losing battle against the rough rug that covered the hardwood flooring. 

Benimaru walks over to him, "What the hell man?" And drags him out from under the sweet embrace of the kotatsu death table. Then he gets Jerry on his back and begins to carry him towards the door.

Aunt Nana gets flustered, "Oh Shinmon you don't have to do all that."

Benimaru looks over his shoulder, "Nah it's fine and..." I see his cheeks tint red, "call me Benimaru. You're just as much my family as you are Clarisse's."

My aunt smiles gently at me, "Ok I'll go grab Fumihero and everything else." She leans in to whisper to me, "You have yourself a good man." 

I blush and look at her, "I know." I walk over to Benimaru carrying my uncle on his back, "Thank you. And Jerry, I hope you learned your lesson about sleeping under kotatsus at your age."

"It's too early for a scolding." He whines.

"Oh sweetie," My aunt materializes behind him, "that's just beginning. If you think you're not getting an earful on the way back, you're delusional." She says with a sadistic smile.

My uncle hangs his head in defeat, "Yes ma'm."

"Are we ready to go?" I ask while sliding open the door.

My aunt nods, "Yes dear."

We make our trek to the train station; some people were gawking at their king of destruction carrying what would appear to be an old drunk. Nana obviously not wanting any of this attention, is beet red. Once we finally get to the train station Benimaru places Jerry on the bench and goes to pay for my aunt and uncle's tickets.

My aunt gives my uncle a pointed look, "Jerry, you better thank that young man for helping us out this much. He has gone out of his way to make us comfortable."

Jerry looks to me, "I'm sorry I passed out under the table and caused you and your boyfriend so much trouble."

I hug my uncle, "Jerry it's ok. I'm just glad I got to see you."

He sighs, "What'd I do to have such a nice niece. Your boyfriend is coming back with our tickets. Take care of each other, ok?"

"Don't worry, we will."

Benimaru hands Nana the tickets and turns to Jerry, "Don't get stuck under anymore tables you old fart."

"Oi respect your elders you punk." Jerry snaps back.

"See you soon?" Benimaru returns.

Jerry smiles, understanding that this is Benimaru's way of showing affection, "Yeah see you soon kiddos."

As we walk away from the train station Benimaru holds onto my hand, "I...I want you to meet my old man today."

I turn to him in shock, "You mean it?"

"I do. You keep showing me sides of yourself and facets of your life, that I want to do the same for you." 

I kiss his cheek, "Then show me. I want to see more of who you are."

He leads me up a hill towards a smaller temple then what I've become accustomed to seeing in Asakusa. This temple was quiet and peaceful; the sun was already climbing through the sky, shining it's light upon the tombstones. Benimaru led me through the graves till we stop at one engraved with Hibachi Shinmon along with a pair of antlers at the top.

"Old man, it's been a while...this is Clarisse Montag. She's very important to me...in some ways she reminds me of you and your stubbornness and your strange set of morals regarding infernals. Even though she's a nun, I couldn't imagine not meeting her and having her here with me. I'll come here more often...Clarisse will come too if she wants."

I sit down next to Benimaru and talk to Hibachi, "I don't really know you. I've seen photos and ghosts of what you have left behind to Beni. I'm proud to serve under him and I'm happy to be with him. I treasure him above a lot of things in my life. I will be here with Benimaru to clean your grave or just to see you. I hope you have found your rest fire soldier." 

Benimaru looks to the other grave next to his father's, "That was his wife. I never met her, the old geezer refused to talk about her. As if it would apparition all that pain in existence. But I know he's with her, wherever the hell that is."

"Benimaru, who's been cleaning the graves?"

"That would be me." I turn to see Konro walking up the steps towards us. "I've been cleaning their graves for a while now."

Benimaru turns away, "I'll be waiting at the bottom of the steps."

Konro looks to me, "Thank you, you've somehow got him to come here. Our old master was hard on Benimaru since he believed that the only kind of person who could protect Asakusa was a monster or an idiot. I've noticed how he's softened with you, and even though this goes against master Shinmon, I think that change is for the better. People need to care, it's the most integral part of being a human."

"I care about him too. I'll stand by Beni until the end, until one of us dies in this ongoing fight against fire."

"Hibachi would've liked your spirit. And thank you, it means a lot."

I walk down the stairs to Benimaru, as we're walking away from the temple I look back to see a dutiful fire soldier cleaning his old master's grave as the sun shines upon the world in its brilliant glow.