บท 64: Finally Back
[Word Count: 2398]
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"So... remind me why I'm here again?" Leo asked, his gaze fixed on Richard as he led the three brothers into a warehouse, gun at the ready, while Leo observed from the safe vantage point of a nearby rooftop.
"You're plan B," Jeremy responded, jotting down notes on the boys' progress. It had been a whole week since the Blokes took in the three brothers as apprentices. Progress had been relatively slow, with most of their training conducted in the warehouse. But today was different; the Blokes had decided to provide them with some on-site training.
Leo had made it clear from the start that he didn't want to be involved in their training. But as the strongest member, he was brought along in case something went wrong. After all, they couldn't afford to have the three novices get into serious trouble during a practice mission.
However, as the minutes ticked by, Leo found himself growing increasingly bored. Had he been alone, the mission would have been completed by now. Since his arrival, the crime rate in the district had dropped significantly, and the Blokes were even considering investing in real estate with their newfound free time.
On paper, everything seemed fine. The crime rate was down. However, in reality, most of the streets were empty and many homes were vacated.
Compared to organized crime in Japan, criminal activities in the US seemed less structured and chaotic. As soon as a block was cleared, there wasn't much, if any, resistance.
At one point, there were even plans to infiltrate the entertainment industry, but Leo knew that wouldn't work well, given that the market for idols wasn't as prevalent in America as it was in Japan.
Leo let out a sigh. Today was his final day in America before he left for Japan, back to his family. Cracking his back, he shot a glass shard into the building.
"They still need to work on covering their corners," Leo commented, his attention focused on the brothers' movements.
"Tsk tsk," Jeremy clicked his tongue in false disappointment, continuing to write down more notes as they observed the boys' progress. While Leo's time in America had been eventful, he couldn't wait to return to his family.
Once the mission was done, Richard returned with the boys. His back was a little sore from all the carrying he did, picking up the slack when the boys let their guard down but overall Jeremy got a good point of reference of where the boys needed to improve.
As the next few days passed, progress was steady, and the training of the three brothers continued. However, now, Leo's time in America was done, and he was ready to return home.
"Time to go home," Leo muttered to himself, a sense of relief washing over him. He had accomplished what he needed to do in America, and now it was time to be with his family again.
With the eagerness to get back as soon as possible, Leo bid the Blokes farewell.
"You need a ride to the airport?" Jeremy asked, taking a sip of his morning coffee.
"Nah," Leo waved off dismissively, his hand phasing through a nearby glass mirror. "I'll get back myself."
As he walked into a nearby glass mirror, a small smile played on Leo's lips. He focused his thoughts, and his hand slowly sank into the glass, causing Jeremy to drop his coffee mug in shock, shattering it on the ground.
"What the bloody hell just happened?" James asked, rushing to Jeremy when he heard the crash. "Clarkson?"
Jeremy's mouth was agape as he pointed at the mirror Leo had disappeared into, but he seemed to be at a loss for words, unable to explain what he had just witnessed.
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Back in Japan, Hitoha jumped off her seat, nearly falling to the ground in surprise. A hand suddenly emerged from the glass window in front of her, knocking her book out of her hands, causing her to spring back on instinct.
"What the hell!?" Hitoha yelled, stepping back and catching Cosmo's attention as she was putting away a chessboard.
When Cosmo saw the hand emerging from the glass window, her jaw dropped, leaving her speechless.
Another hand followed, gripping the counter, before a head emerged, followed by a pair of shoulders. It was Leo. He collapsed onto the counter and tumbled onto the floor with a groan.
"Brat!? How the hell did you do that?!" Hitoha yelled, putting down the broom she was going to use for self-defense.
"Halloween," Cosmo muttered, still in slight shock.
"Granny, Cosmo. Long time no see," Leo greeted casually, getting off the floor and leaning on the counter.
"I ain't your Granny, brat!" Hitoha yelled, bringing Cosmo out of her stupor.
"Halloween...?" Cosmo asked, tilting her head.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Leo said smugly, dusting off his suit. "Did my package arrive?"
Cosmo raised her finger to ask again but lost motivation before the words even left her lips as she sighed.
"Answer me, brat! How the hell did you do that?!" Hitoha demanded.
Leo gave the old woman an odd look as he tilted his head. "Magic... duh."
Hitoha was left stunned as Cosmo walked around her and retrieved a medium-sized box from next to her. Cosmo handed Leo the box as she pointed at the TV.
"Halloween?" she asked.
"Yeah, that was me," Leo answered as he gave the box a little shake, then turned to leave the laundromat. "Man, I hope it didn't melt."
The closing door brought Hitoha back into reality as she slowly took in her surroundings. The old woman was at her wit's end. Just how much of this bullshit was she expected to put up with? Releasing a sigh, she rubbed her temples and walked back to the counter. Burying her problems by reading her book seemed like a good way to forget the nonsense of today.
As the old woman mellowed out, Cosmo contemplated bringing up their bet about Germany, but maybe now wasn't the best time.
"Too soon," Cosmo muttered in her headspace as she picked up a random book from her book pile. "Aqua Tsukumo," she muttered.
Opening the first page, Cosmo stared at it with wide eyes. "What the..."
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Meanwhile, Leo eagerly walked back home, a small smile playing on his lips. Safely tucked under his arm was the package he had ordered for Ruby. He had promised her something shiny, but small jewels were a safety hazard for the little tot. So, instead, he bought a gold bar, which should satisfy her desire for something shiny, right?
As Leo approached his apartment building, he couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and excitement. He missed his family dearly during his time in America, and now he was finally back to see them. Opening the door, he was greeted with the familiar sound of laughter and chatter coming from the living room.
Swapping his shoes out for Crocs, Leo made his way toward the living room.
"Papa's home!" a little voice shouted, the instant she laid eyes on him, clawing towards him Ruby's eyes widened with delight when she saw the package in his hands.
"Papa, did you bring back something shiny?!" Ruby asked excitingly, her eyes sparkling as she clung to his leg.
YLeo chuckled, ripping the package open. "I said I would, didn't I?" he said, revealing a gold bar.
"Thank you, Papa!" Ruby squealed with joy, reaching up for the precious metal.
"You got her gold?" Miyako asked, raising an eyebrow as she kept her eyes on the gold bar with greedy eyes. "What's a baby going to do with gold?"
"What's a baby going to do with gold?" Leo repeated mockingly, earning an eyebrow twitch from Miyako. "It's not gold."
"What!? It's not!?" Ruby and Miyako exclaimed, with the former sounding more disappointed.
Leo gripped both ends of the gold bar and snapped it in two, revealing the inside. "It's chocolate," he said, grinning.
While it wasn't solid gold, Ruby was more than happy to accept chocolate as compensation. As Ruby greedily eyed the chocolate in Leo's hands, Miyako suddenly snatched it out of his hands before she could accept the delicious treat.
"Too bad babies can't eat chocolate," Miyako quipped, walking toward the kitchen with the chocolate in hand.
Ruby watched Miyako's retreating figure with a shocked expression as her little baby hands reached for what should be hers.
No chocolate?
Adding salt to the wound, Miyako snapped a piece for herself before putting the chocolate away in a bag and storing it in the fridge for later.
Ruby looked up at her father in hopes she might be able to get what's rightfully hers if not a piece of it at the very least, but her hopes were quickly shattered when she saw Leo with his hand on his chin as he thought about it.
"Probably should've researched that before I got it," he muttered to himself.
As Leo contemplated whether or not he deserved the world's best dad mug, Aqua pulled him out of his thoughts, quite literally as the little tot tugged on his pants.
Aqua looked up at Leo with a small smile. "Welcome back, Papa," she said softly.
Leo was taken aback by Aqua's sudden friendliness. "The fuck?" he thought to himself, bewildered. "Doesn't he hate my guts?"
Not one to turn away a gift horse, Leo shrugged as he ruffled Aqua's hair affectionately.
"Glad to be back, tot," he replied with a smile.
Soon, the four of them heard the front door open as a familiar voice announced her arrival.
"I'm back~!" she called out in a sing-song tone.
Shuffling could be heard as Ai exchanged her shoes for slippers when she stopped and went silent.
Running and slipping could suddenly be heard as she began running further into the home with only a pair of socks on. Her hurried steps reached the door, and she slightly passed it when the lack of friction carried her forward. The door was thrown open as Ai stared into the living room with wide eyes.
Her eyes initially looked at the floor where her kids should be, but she spotted a pair of familiar Crocs. Slowly, her eyes trailed up as she took in every detail. Finally, her gaze landed on Leo as he gave her a gentle smile.
Ai's eyes welled up in tears as the signature six-pointed star in them dulled. Her feet practically dragged on the floor as she felt herself losing strength. Leo met her halfway and caught her in his embrace before her legs gave in.
"I'm so glad you're back," Ai whispered into his chest, her voice trembling.
"I promised I'd come back, didn't I?" Leo reassured, rubbing Ai's back.
Ruby snapped out of her existential dread as Aqua took a spot next to her. Ruby patted Aqua's back as she gazed upon her parents reuniting before looking at Aqua with a proud smile. Aqua let out a sigh before returning the smile, no matter how he felt about his father, Ai cared about him, so he might make an effort to not hold a grudge that probably wasn't real.
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As Ai leaned into Leo's comforting embrace, her exhaustion took over, and she found solace in the safety of his arms. Gradually, her eyelids grew heavy, and the worries that had plagued her in Leo's absence seemed to fade away. The rhythm of his heartbeat became a lullaby, and soon enough, her eyes grew heavy, and she fell into a peaceful slumber.
Feeling Ai go slack in his arms, Leo carefully scooped Ai up into his arms, cradling her like a precious treasure, and carried Ai to their bedroom. He gently laid her down on the bed, making sure she was comfortable and covered with a blanket. Kneeling beside the bed, he brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, a tender smile on his lips.
"Sleep well, Ai," he whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead before quietly leaving the room.
Back in the living room, Ruby and Aqua watched as Leo returned, and Aqua spoke up, breaking the silence. "Is Mama okay, Papa?"
Leo nodded, ruffling Aqua's hair affectionately. "Yeah, she just needs some rest. I've been a terrible person making her worry while I was away. I really need to get another phone."
Ruby's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Papa, where is your luggage? Did you bring us any more souvenirs?"
Leo chuckled at Ruby's insatiable desire for presents, making his way to the couch. "Unfortunately, the airport lost my luggage, so I couldn't bring anything else back. But don't worry, I've got something special for both of you."
Ruby's eyes sparkled with anticipation as Leo reached into his jacket, ready to reveal the surprise. However, as soon as he sat down on the couch, his body suddenly went limp, and soft snores escaped from his lips.
"Papa?" Ruby asked, crawling up to Leo and tugging on his pants, but there was no response. He was already fast asleep.
Ruby and Aqua exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what to do. Looking around the room, they found the only adult in sight, Miyako, who was observing the scene with a nostalgic but somewhat bored expression.
"It's not even noon," she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. She walked over to Ruby and Aqua, picking them up in her arms and carrying them to their room for some playtime.
"Should we move Papa to his room?" Ruby innocently asked.
Miyako scoffed playfully. "You'll have better luck moving a boulder."
Left to their own devices, Ruby and Aqua spent the rest of the day in their room, engaging in various activities suited for toddlers, while Miyako kept a watchful eye on them.
As nightfall descended, Ai woke up from her nap and bid Miyako farewell as she tucked the twins into bed. Not being a night owl herself, Ai chose to snuggle up with Leo on the living room couch rather than staying up all night.
As the night settled in, Leo remained in his peaceful slumber, unaware of the world around him. Ai found herself gently running her fingers through his hair, a tender smile gracing her lips as she watched him sleep. Ai nestled close to him, finding comfort in his presence. The soft glow of the lamp cast a warm and gentle ambiance, wrapping the couple in its soft embrace.
Thoughts of their children, Ruby and Aqua, filled Ai's mind. She marveled at how they had become the bright stars in their lives, bringing immense joy and happiness. Her heart swelled with love as she looked upon her beautiful family.
In the soft glow of the lamp, Ai leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Leo's forehead. "I love you," she whispered, her voice filled with sincerity and devotion.
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