Little Boy

Chapter 23 ~ Hope

Shizuka sighed as she took a brief break from clearing the melting ice from the entrance of the temple. It was now early March and the weather was surprisingly warm, though she didn’t truly notice it. Thoughts of her friend and lord, Yoh, and his beloved Manta, we making her unusually solemn.

She had been trying for some time to bring the two together, but such extreme conditions, even if they were accidental, were risky, and even in her desperation she wouldn’t have gone so far on purpose.

She sighed again while closing her eyes, then blinked and looked up feeling arms wrap around her waist. “Marcus?” she asked when her eyes fell on the spiky black-haired man with indigo eyes. She blushed some, then looked down at the ground.

“What’s wrong, Shizzy?” he asked gently while nuzzling his face into her silver hair.

“Lord Manta is pregnant,” she said quietly.

“Manta? Short-stuff? Get outta here. Shizz, even you know guys can’t have babies. Though the girls can,” he said as he placed a hand just above her abdomen.

Shizuka blushed furiously and pulled away. “Marcy, stop it,” she said quietly, then looked at him. “I know guys can’t have babies. I cast the wrong spell by accident the same night Lord Yoh slept with Lord Manta.”

Marcus cocked an eyebrow. “Raijin finds out, he’s gonna kick your ass.”

“I know,” she replied with a sigh, the thought of her older brother when he would find out making her nervous.

“Shizuka? Marcus?” Faust’s voice said quietly.

The two looked up, then Marcus smiled. “Heya, Faust.”

“Konicha wa, Papa,” Shizuka said with a bow.

Faust smiled. “Konicha wa. I was wondering if Master Chen would be available for a couple of minutes?”

Shizuka blinked, then nodded. “Hai. He’s out back.”

“Arigato,” Faust said with a slight smile, then walked to the back, where he found Chen carefully removing icicles from the delicate branches of the life bushes, a special plant which developed with the one whom it was planted by. Judging by the lilliputian size of the bush, Faust guessed it belonged to the delinquent but good-natured priestess, Shizuka.

“Master Chen,” Faust said after a few minutes.

“Yes, Faust-san?” the master of the temple replied quietly.

Faust was quiet for a moment as he tried to organize his thoughts. “Master Chen, I’m not sure if you knew, yet, but I adopted Manta-chan two weeks ago.”

“Ah. Then my prediction was true,” the older man said with a soft chuckle. “You wish for Manta to become a true shaman?”

“Well, something to that effect,” Faust replied. “Shinra is proving unsuitable for his well-being, and I dare not send him to a public school in his condition. But I do not want for him to go without an education.”

Chen nodded. “st rst remind you that abstinence and relationships are prohibited by the temple’s sacred scriptures.”

Faust bit his lower lip. “I am aware of this, Master Chen. But I...”

“However,” Chen said with a small smile, then he looked up to the blonde doctor, “sometimes exceptions can be made. Shizuka is an example of that, though not as elegant as could be. I am pretty sure that in Manta’s case, we can make an exception.”

Faust’s expression brightened up. “Really?”

Chen nodded gently. “Why don’t you go in and have Raijin make you some tea? I will be going in soon, and we can discuss the matter further.”

Manta sighed softly as Yoh kissed him passionately, the feel of the shaman’s loving arms around him making him lightheaded. After w miw minutes, Yoh trailed kisses down to the nape of Manta’s neck, causing the small boy to giggle.

“Uh oh. I think I found a ticklish spot,” Yoh said with a grin, then leaned down and began to kiss the area frantically, enjoying the sound of Manta’s small giggles. After a few minutes he began to suck gently at the porcelain flesh, once in a while letting his tongue taste Manta, being rewarded with more soft giggles. The brunette looked up at Manta, who seemed to be getting better after being at home a few days. “You’re so perfect, Manta,” he murmured, then moved down some and bared Manta’s stomach, then began to kiss the growing belly gently.

Manta’s expression saddened. “I’m far from perfect,” he whispered.

Yoh shook his head. “Perfection is in the eye of the beholder,” he said between kisses. “And the baby is going to be as perfect as you. I can feel it.”

Manta smiled slightly. “The baby will be as perfect as you. Not me.”

Yoh looked up with a grin, happy that a silly argument was forming like the ones they used to have. “I’m not too perfect, Manta.” After a few minutes, he sighed and crawled up so he and Manta were face to face. “Do you mind if I do naughty things to myself?”

Manta turned beat red, then turned his head quietly. “I-It’s your choice, Yoh-chan.”

Yoh frowned at himself, immediately disliking that Manta was upset, then leaned down and began to kiss the ticklish part of Manta’s neck. Once he had managed to restore Manta’s happier mood, he laid on his back while pulling Manta onto his chest, then smiled as the boy hid his face shyly. “I love you, my little Baby-Soft,” he whispered gently.

“I love you, Yoh-chan,” Manta replied softly, then nuzzled his face into Yoh’s chest.

“If it’s a boy, let’s name him Shinsei. If it’s a girl, we could name her Hikari,” Yoh said after a while.

Manta sighed softly as he turned his head to listen to Yoh’s heartbeat.

“Unless you would prefer another name,” he suggested gently.

Manta was quiet for a while, then looked up. “I like... Kibo...”

Yoh looked at him curiously, then smiled. Perhaps Manta’s choice wasn’t that far off. Things had seemed to be getting darker for the two, but they were brought together once again because of the child. Manta seemed to becoming happier and stronger again after learning of the child, and Yoh’s fading optimism had been restored. Perhaps Kibo would be a good name, for it was the child who seemed to be returning what was fading in their lives. Hope.