Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

All For Love 3rd in Rivalry Series	By : kurahieiritrJIO Category: +G to L > Initial D Views: 2173 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Initial D, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-All For Love
- 2-AFL 2
- 3-AFL 3
- 4-AFL 4
- 5-AFL 5
- 6-AFL 6
- 7-AFL 7
- 8-AFL 8
- 9-AFL 9
- 10-AFL 10
- 11-AFl 11
- 12-AFL 12
- 13-AFL 13
- 14-AFL 14
- 15-AFL 15
- 16-AFL 16
- 17-AFL 17
- 18-AFL 18
- 19-AFL 19
- 20-AFL 20
- 21-AFL 21
- 22-AFL 22
- 23-AFL 23
- 24-AFL 24
- 25-AFL 25
- 26-AFL 26
- 27-AFL 27
- 28-AFL 28
- 29-AFL 29
- 30-AFL 30
- 31-AFL 31
- 32-AFL 32
- 33-AFL 33
- 34-AFL 34
- 35-AFL 35
- 36-AFL 36
- 37-AFL 37
- 38-AFL 38
- 39-AFL 39
- 40-AFL 40
- 41-AFL 41
- 42-AFL 42
- 43-AFL 43
- 44-AFL 44
- 45-AFL 45
- 46-AFL 46
- 47-AFL 47
- 48-AFL 48
- 49-AFL 49
- 50-AFL 50
- 47
- 48
- 49
A/N: This is temporarily an older draft of this fan fiction that I am posting here. I will revise to correct inconsistencies ASAP. Please have patience. This note will change once revised. **mago - grandchild or grandchildren. Chichi means dad.

CHAPTER 48

Nine days of parenthood had already worn Keisuke out emotionally. Takumi was in a private room because of his unstable condition. The isha san in charge of Takumi had grim news. Takumi was in a coma. Akiho had died on her way to the hospital because of a fatal chest wound. Saddled with the job of breaking the news, Keisuke had told Hikaru he could not see Haha again. Understanding far beyond a normal three-year-old's had clouded the shonen's eyes. His last remark was. "So, Kahori-sama had them kill Haha too." The three-year-old stopped speaking once that sentence left his lips.

The most baffling part about Hikaru's extreme shift in behavior was how he began clinging to Takeuchi the same day. Child psychologists asked Takeuchi enough questions to figure out that Hikaru associated him with his okasān's final days of life. Because of that short association, and the trauma of losing his familiar ryōshin, Takeuchi was the last remaining stability in Hikaru's life.

For now, having Takeuchi reinforcing stability for Hikaru was better. Luckily Takeuchi was willing to go along with the psychologist's plan. Learning about Hikaru's life was too important to balk at the necessary use of Takeuchi's willing presence. It helped that Takeuchi was already reinforcing that he was Hikaru's otosān also. Takeuchi included him in everything that he got Hikaru to do. Frustrated and a little overwhelmed, both were doing everything they could for the small child.

Both of them knew that they could do nothing for Takumi except spend a little time each afternoon speaking to him and holding his hand. Although the child's psychologist was dubious of their taking Hikaru to the other ward, Takeuchi surprised him by pointing out Takumi's familiarity to the small boy.

Even without speaking, Hikaru was showing his intelligence in many ways. Takeuchi was a huge help in coaxing Hikaru to cooperate with displaying some of his unusual skills. Shocking enough, they had discovered that Hikaru already had an unusually tidy penmanship for being so young. He knew several Kanji and romanji letters. Watching as Hikaru sat on Takeuchi's bed and drew a picture because Takeuchi had coaxed him into doing so, Keisuke wondered where the youngster's future was going.

For now, Hikaru spent his days in the adult level medical ward, and nights in the children's wing. It would be another week before the isha san would release either of them. Without any physical marks to prove the damage, it would probably take a while before the senumon-i could determine how to help Hikaru most.

Overpowering anger surged as Keisuke heard his okasān's voice. Ryosuke's voice also reached him as the door opened. ". . . may also be here. Keisuke has been working with him every day since he rescued minasan." His brother's head popped into the doorway.

"I take it you aren't alone this time, Aniki." Keisuke's tone was flat as his brother stepped into his hospital room.

Ryosuke nodded once and stepped inside. Moments later Okasān and Otosān were standing close to the chair Keisuke was sitting in next to Takeuchi's bed.

"Keisuke, arigato Kami-sama that you're alive." Okasān went to throw her arms around his neck. Before she could, Keisuke's good arm came up and deflected her forcefully.

"Don't even try it, Okasān! After the shit you've pulled I'm not in a forgiving mood." Deep and guttural his fury poured out in a wave of quiet spoken syllables.

"Keisuke?" His brother sought to intervene.

"Shut up, Aniki. This is between me and her. Because of our Okasān's fucking high-handed tactics, Hikaru's been through hell nobody should ever have to see at any age."

"This is not the place to discuss such things, musuko. There's a kodomo in the room." Otosān had raised a hand as if to gesture for peace.

"For your information, Hikaru isn't like any normal three-year-old. Because you both lied to me, Hikaru grew up watching people get slaughtered on a regular schedule. You already had court ordered custody of my musuko and you didn't bother trying to find Akiho, or him when they vanished from the hospital three and a half years ago! You kept his existence hidden from me because you knew I would go looking for Akiho!"

"The senumon-i said that she'd lose the baby before he was born, Keisuke. We were doing the only thing we could. You were in the hospital. The kēsatsu were responsible for finding Akiho."

Keisuke stood and faced his okasān as his anger with her grew. "Trying to save Takumi by working with the Kēsatsu did me no good. Every time I gave Sugano real information regulations bogged him down with checking into it. That was all he ever did. Their rules say they have to double check everything which is fine in most of situations. This was a life and death matter that the Kēsatsu could do nothing about in time! Had I waited any longer for their damned verification rules to be observed, Takumi would be dead! Takeuchi would have lost more of his hand. Matsimoto would still be watching Fumihiro suffering because he got gangrene in his wounds. Fumihiro needed extensive surgery, and Takumi's in a coma. Isn't that enough proof that kidnaping and slavery need priority strikes?! Some laws need to be changed. Potential life and death cases should get faster results when detectives, or kēsatsukan gets information. The current double verification system guarantees people will die! Suspicion should be enough for life and death. If the information is wrong, then the innocent goes free! If the accused happen to be dirty, lives get saved faster!"

"Akiho tried to kill you, but you would have tried to find her if you had known! You were recovering from injuries that she gave you. We left everything to the Kēsatsu because it's their duty to find criminals, not yours! They should have found that lunatic onna and returned her to the hospital to serve her time. You are a criminal now, the same as her! Even now you're defending that dreadful onna!"

"That lunatic as you're calling Akiho, was trying to save her family's lives the only way she could. Akiho watched her little onīchan burned alive over arguing that she shouldn't have to kill me when they gave the order to her, Okasān. Then they told her in no uncertain terms that the same thing would be done to her younger onēchan if she failed to kill me. I don't blame Akiho for being desperate now that I know the truth. She had no choice. You two had a choice to do something about finding Akiho and Hikaru this the whole time! You both turned your back on my musuko and denied his existence all because you hated Akiho. Look Hikaru in the eye and tell him about how innocent you are and how clear your conscience is, Okasān. He deserves to know the truth about naze his Obāsan wrote his life off before he was even born." Keisuke snarled contemptuously, glaring.

Yukiko Takahashi pushed hair behind her ear shaking with her own fury. "I can't believe you're speaking to me this way. I was trying to protect you, and this is how you treat me, Keisuke?!"

Otosān spoke in a quiet voice. "You're right, Keisuke. The blame for our mago's suffering all of his life falls on our shoulders. He was our responsibility from the beginning, and we failed him sorely. We both have much to answer for. We both blindly believed a fellow physician's diagnosis. Hikaru paid dearly for our mistaken faith in people we thought would uphold justice, and know of that which they spoke."

"We will make things up to Hikaru since you decided to break the law, Keisuke. While you're in prison, we will be the ones raising Hikaru. Had you left well enough alone, Hikaru would have gotten the chance to spend time with you. Now, you'll be placed behind bars the day you get released from this hospital."

"If I go to jail, at least I'll go with a clear conscience. I'll go knowing that I saved Takumi, my musuko, my friends, and even strangers from low life scum that has no regard for the lives of others. I'll go knowing I did the right thing! Vigilante actions got results when nothing else could! The strong should protect the weak! You're too busy trying to run minasan's lives to understand! I'm strong enough to do the job, so I did it! I will protect the people that matter to me! I will protect my musuko with everything I have in me, now that I know he exists! You crossed the one line you never should have by hiding Hikaru from me, Okasān!"

Keisuke stalked his ryōshin, blind with anger. If not for them, Hikaru would have had a better life. One thing Keisuke knew. He would object violently to them raising Hikaru in his place. He saw his mother pale, stepping back.

A moment later Keisuke felt something latch onto his fingers. Looking down on his good hand, Hikaru's face swam into view. The shonen had climbed off Takeuchi's bed and grabbed three of his fingers in a tight grip. Hikaru's voice was little more than a whisper. "Chichi?"

Shaking from rage he could barely control, Keisuke gulped air to calm down enough to answer his three-year-old. He dropped onto his haunches so he was eye to eye with the small shonen that had unexpectedly grabbed his hand. Tears were pooling in the youngster's eyes. Unsure of how to deal with the pain he saw there, Keisuke settled on reinforcing that he was not in trouble for anything. "Hey, you said something. That's enough to make me very happy. Gomen na if I'm scaring you. I'm not mad at you, Hikaru. You haven't done anything wrong. I'm angry with minasan who let you down, and hid you from me. Okay?"

Hikaru gave a small nod. Unprepared for Hikaru's sudden lunge into his torso, Keisuke barely kept them both from tumbling onto the floor. With one arm in a sling, regaining his balance was even harder. His unfettered hand grabbed the edge of Takeuchi's bed to stay upright by reflex. Had Hikaru not released his fingers as he lunged to get his tiny arms around Keisuke's neck, his head would have connected with the chair leg.

Though the sword blade given wound was bone deep, his sling bound arm shifted and wrapped around Hikaru. Releasing the bed, Keisuke wrapped his good arm around Hikaru's little body also. Not knowing how to respond had Keisuke casting about his mind for things he could say to make things right. "Don't go away. Haha's dead now. She said you didn't want us, but you do. I know you do. You said so. You, and Itsi can't leave 'cause I don't want to be alone. Promise!"

Muffled by his chest, the explosions of words pouring from Hikaru's mouth were shattering. For a three-year-old to say things that mature was beyond heart breaking. Life had been very unfair for Hikaru. Death was something he understood much too intimately. When he was three, Keisuke had no idea of death's meaning. It was simply a case of someone not visiting any longer. He had not understood. Part of him had expected them to return when they got bored of where they went. Hikaru had no such innocent delusions.

"I'm not going anywhere without putting up one hell of a fight, Hikaru. I may not know the first thing about being a proper otosān yet, but I'm going to learn. I'm doing everything I can to make sure Takumi gets well too. That's naze we visit him every day even though he sleeps through our visits. The same goes for Takeuchi. If we keep talking to Takumi every day, he might wake up soon. Our voices will help him wake up. Then, you'll have Takumi to help you too."

Takeuchi chuckled. "Your otosān's right, Hikaru. You should tell Tak that he's not allowed to die on you. I bet that would help even more than me and your otosān talking to him."

Hikaru began to cry in earnest. "Haha hated Tak. She said he took you away from us. She said you would make him be the person you wanted her to be. That she couldn't ever be like. Haha said you couldn't love us because Tak kept you from us."

"That isn't true, Hikaru. Haha did things that were very bad to me. Things that hurt a lot. I didn't know naze she did those things, so I started to hate her. I was wrong since your haha did those things because Kahori and other mean people made her. Still, I didn't know that, and I was hurt over everything bad that happened."

"Haha said you'd always pick . . . Tak over anyone else. She said he . . . had a necklace that meant he . . . was more important than anyone. Haha also told me that was . . . naze you wanted to ignore . . . me too." Little hiccups and gasps punctuated Hikaru's soft words.

"I swear I didn't know about you. That isn't Takumi's fault, Hikaru. My not knowing about you is your Obāsan's fault, not Takumi's. Now that we know about you, I promise Takumi won't try to take me away from you. Knowing Takumi, he'll do everything possible to make sure we stay together. That's the person he is, musuko. He'll always put you first, . . . no matter how much it hurts him."

Another voice, icy, angry, and strong swivelled Keisuke's head toward the door. "Indeed, Takumi-kun's exactly that kind of person. This is going to break Erika's heart. There's no way for you to keep my great-mago, and accept the legacy with Takumi. The law won't stand for it, I'm afraid. Letting Yukiko keep custody of this little shonen is something I won't tolerate either! We have quite a fight ahead of us, Keisuke."

"Obāsan. When did you get here?" Keisuke asked as he stood with Hikaru clinging to his neck. He continued to hold the small shonen as he faced his grandparents. Masako Takahashi was glaring at Yukiko with enough scorching anger to incinerate flesh.

Ojīsan Tatsuhiko stepped inside the room, answering. "We arrived this morning. It's a zoo all around this hospital. Between the press, and your street racing fans that have taken up a candle light vigil, getting inside is difficult. We heard you shouting from the elevator, Keisuke. Everything we heard coming down the hallway has disturbed us both greatly."

"Ojīsan, I'm far more disturbed than you right now. Aniki even returned from America early because of how I found out about Hikaru. We're both angry that we were lied to all this time. Being told by my worst enemy that I have a musuko was the worst possible way to learn the truth. But at least the drug enforcer had enough honor to tell me, unlike someone else I know!" The last was spat with a resurgence of wrath.

"We were told she would lose Hikaru without fail when she left the hospital! How long are you going to hold that against us, musuko?! Masako, you need to stay out of this! We did everything we thought we had to do to keep Keisuke safe. You would have done the same thing in our place! Keisuke would have taken Akiho back had he known about Hikaru!" Okasān stamped a well-shod foot and yanked her hair behind an ear again.

Although his voice was still little more than a whisper, and choked by tears, Hikaru spoke. "Can we see Tak? Can Itsi come talk to him with us?"

Before Keisuke could answer the child, Ryosuke's chilling tone was overwhelming the room's occupants. "Considering the things we've learned, Keisuke has every right to hold this against you both for the rest of his life. Akiho died needlessly because of you hiding Hikaru's existence from Keisuke. Insane or not, the truth will not change. You alone could have made a difference in Akiho's life, Okasān, and you chose not to. I agree with Obāsan that you shouldn't raise Hikaru. He's been through enough trauma already. This is the first time he's spoken since his okasān died. Keisuke tried his hardest to save Akiho, Fujiwara and minasan once he learned the truth. He alone deserves the right raise his musuko!"

Keisuke swallowed hard. Surrounded by total strangers, Hikaru had every right to be terrified of all the anger swirling around the room. Too much had happened too fast for the three-year-old, and none of the strange adults taking over his life were helping matters. Only Takeuchi had remained calm since his family arrived. "I think Takeuchi and Takumi would both like that, Hikaru. Let's go see Takumi, and help him wake up so you can get to know him. I think you'll love Takumi once you get to know him. I know he'll love you too, Hikaru."

Takeuchi slid off his bed and put his damaged hand on Hikaru's back. "Your otosān's right. Tak's gonna fall in love with you once he gets a chance to know you, little guy."

Keisuke felt the tension draining out of Hikaru's small body once Takeuchi reinforced his words. He was grateful for that. Strong as Hikaru already was, he was only three-years-old and far too mature for his age. "True, Takumi will be on my case to make sure I take good care of Hikaru. He's even more stubborn than I get when it comes to doing the right thing, Takeuchi."

"No doubt. Tak's hardcore when it comes to protecting minasan. I found out how hardcore he is this past month and a half." Keisuke saw Takeuchi's eyes focused on his own mangled hand. "He was willing to die to make sure minasan was safe, Keisuke-san. Hikaru's going to have the best champion, and otosān he could ever ask for if we can find a way to keep you and Tak together."

Obāsan's voice rang with conviction. "We will find a way, young man. Hikaru is the firstborn of our fourth generation. I won't fail him, my mago, or Takumi-kun."

"Okasān Masako? How could you . . . ?" Yukiko was staring at her mother-in-law as if she had never seen her before.

Keisuke pushed through his relatives as he cut his okasān's protest off. "Once things calm down, I'll give you a real introduction to Hikaru, Obāsan, Ojīsan. Right now he's too overwhelmed by all the strangers fighting around him."

"I understand, Keisuke. You take him to visit Takumi-kun. We'll settle things so he won't feel threatened when you three get back." Ojīsan Tatsuhiko answered.

"Domo, Ojīsan." Keisuke kept his arms around the trembling child as they left the room.

The trip to the coma ward was a short one. In minutes they were shown into Takumi's room. Keisuke set Hikaru on the edge of Takumi's bed, and took a seat in the chair closest to his beloved's head. Takeuchi took the other chair.

Suffering from acute dehydration, and weight loss, Takumi's body was weakened drastically by his ordeal. Drugs force fed to Takumi to make him compliant with Kahori's orders had done damage. An oxygen mask got enough air into partial functioning lungs. Once the drug was out of his system, full function would return on its own. His heart and cardiovascular system had taken minor damage also. His brain was undamaged which had surprised the medical staff considering how dangerous the drugs were. Trying to purge the drugs' effects from Takumi's system, the isha-san in charge ordered a continuous drip IV to speed the process.

Considering everything, it was a miracle that Takumi had survived captivity. Keisuke took a cool limp hand in his own. "I came to see you, my own. Hikaru wants to talk to you too, so you have to wake up so you can answer his questions, my love. Takeuchi came to see you. We really miss you more than we can hope to tell you, Takumi."

"Keisuke-san's right, Tak. We're all here for you."

Smiling slightly at Takeuchi's words, Keisuke gave a nod of agreement. Hikaru crawled closer to Takumi before Keisuke thought to grab him. A small hand touched Takumi's pale cheek. "Chichi and Itsi say I'll really like you, and you'll like me 'cause you're nice. Wake up so we can be friends, 'Kay?"

A small tightening of Takumi's hand in his gave Keisuke hope that his beloved would awaken. Seeing Hikaru leaning back to look at him for reassurance, Keisuke found himself smiling at the tiny child that had crash landed into his life. Like Takumi, Hikaru was already turning his world on end and shaking things beyond recognition. "That's right, Hikaru. You and Takumi will become very good friends I think. Someday you'll consider Takumi one of the most important people in your family. Hope you don't mind it has gotten so much bigger than you ever knew it could."

"All the people in the other room?" Hikaru looked down. "They seem scary."

"That isn't your fault, Hikaru. People do stupid things when they think it will help the ones they love. They all love your otosān a lot so they did some bad things trying to keep otosān from getting hurt. They were wrong to do it since you got hurt, but it wasn't because they wanted you hurt. I believe them when they say they were told you wouldn't be alive to get hurt." Takeuchi's words sliced to the core of his being.

Okasān swore she was trying to protect him when she lied about Hikaru. Trying to run Takumi's life was her attempt at protecting Takumi. Fighting against a criminal ring had been his way of protecting others. Yet, the difference in their reasons was profound. Or, were they so different?

For now, Keisuke had no definite answer to the question. All he knew was that he could touch Takumi again, if not the way he most wanted. A little shonen he barely knew was looking to him for protection and the love missed since his birth. Healing both of them would take a lot of effort. The court battle he would have to get through was going to be exhausting, yet worth it. Soon, he would find the key to keeping his fledgling family together.

Another flex of Takumi's hand brought Keisuke's mind back to the hospital room. A heavier breath than normal from Takumi caused alarm to skate along Keisuke's spine. Was he about to have another seizure? Hikaru must have noticed his tension because he looked at Takumi's face. "Wake up, Takumi. Don't go. You can't die like Haha. You can't! Come back so Chichi and Itsi will be happy again!"

Another ragged breath much harsher than the previous created condensation inside the oxygen mask. Yet another followed. Keisuke grabbed Hikaru around the waist and pulled him into his lap. "Takeuchi, get the nurse on duty."

"Hai." Takeuchi was up and moving for the door as fast as he dared with all the equipment in the room. The door was left ajar as Takeuchi fled the room.

More hard breaths were coming until Takumi was gasping and twitching. "Hold on, my own. Onegai, hang on. I won't let you leave us this way. Not now that I have you back, Takumi. Come on! You're tougher than this. Don't you dare die on me after I went through hell to save you! Damn it!"

Hanging onto Takumi's hand as Hikaru remained in his lap, Keisuke felt warmth sliding down his cheeks. It was too much for him to handle. Losing Takumi was not something he could handle. Losing his dream career was nothing. While he had Takumi, Keisuke knew he would recover from the disappointment. Learning how to be a ryōshin that deserved respect from Hikaru would come if Takumi was there reminding him to focus on the things that mattered most.

Bringing Takumi's hand up to his face, Keisuke closed his eyes. "I can't lose you, Takumi. I need you with me. Hikaru's going to need you just as much as I already do too. I'm begging you, Takumi. Fight to live. Onegai."

The sound of running feet caught Keisuke's attention. Takeuchi must have gotten help. More twitches and gasps from Takumi filled the room. A whimper from Hikaru's throat gave him more reason to shed tears. After having promised Hikaru that he would like Takumi, it seemed fate was going to turn that promise to ashes.

"Chichi! Look!" Hikaru was hitting his chest so hard and fast he was almost pounding on it. The youngster's tone was excited. "He's waking up, Chichi."

Keisuke's eyes snapped open as his head jerked up. His hold on Takumi's hand remained firm. "Takumi? Can you hear me?"

A much steadier breath as Takumi's eyes fluttered open greeted Keisuke's tear blurring vision. Another steady breath followed. It was much deeper than the one before. Takumi was blinking and drawing more air into his lungs as if he had not taken a breath in ages. Each slow deep breath as Takumi's hand tried to tighten around his made Keisuke's throat lock down. Hikaru squirmed out of his lap and crawled back onto the bed. Takumi's eyes seemed to lock onto the three-year-old that was facing him. "Tak, you woke up. Now we can be friends like Chichi and Itsi promised we would."
- 47
- 48
- 49
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

All For Love 3rd in Rivalry Series