#doppo

He watched you intensely, waiting for the first signs of discomfort. He couldn't beat his father, but in that moment, it would take the act of Congress to stop him from trying to even attack his father. He loved the man... more than even he realized himself, but when it came to you... Nothing could compare. So far, you seemed real content, a bright smile on your face as you spoke with Yujirou, telling him all about his son and his success in school and all of his little accomplishments. You were very proud of him, that much was known. Yujirou, surprisingly, didn't interrupt her, not once. He kept an unreadable face, but Baki could tell that Yujirou was enjoying her yapping.

Baki couldn't wrap his head around it. He couldn't understand why his father seemed so invested in what it was you were speaking about. It was just Baki's mundane everyday life and his smallest accomplishments... And yet you spoke of them like he won Olympic medals or something. "Baki may not be the brightest kid in his class, but he sure is the most hardest worker!! He went from a D to an A in less than a month, and with all of his classes too!! He's a little champ that he is!!" You spoke proudly.

Yujirou said nothing as he silently ate and listened to you yap. At first, he was going to tell you to shut your trap, but the more he listened, the more he began to understand why it was that made you so special to Baki. Out of all of the important figures in his life... You're the only one who sees his smallest accomplishments and make them seem like Grammy Award winning titles. Everyone in Baki's circle only sees his largest accomplishments. Even Yujirou himself doesn't really consider his small feats as anything grand... But he still notices them.

He noticed when Baki had accomplish his first hand stand, he noticed when Baki accomplished his first real fight. He noticed when Baki accomplished his first real punch, kick, back flip, his first martial arts move, and when he got his first teacher. He had always noticed Baki's smallest feats, only he never thought to congratulate him on them... He never thought to ruffle his son's hair and tell him how proud he was... He never thought to even give the boy a thumbs up... He loved Baki. He truly did with all of his wicked heart. Baki was his baby, his only baby, that he noticed and accepted.

He was proud of Baki, and the boy was strong, resilient, and grounded. He saw all of Baki's biggest and smallest feats, but not once did he ever think to congratulate him. So he listened to you, he soaked in your voice, he marinated in the pride you held for Baki, his baby boy. You spoke highly of his son, not a single complaint. You saw nothing but promise in his boy, and Yujirou couldn't help but be slightly envious of it. He didn't know how to do what you did. How to be vulnerable and express his true emotions, he didn't know how to be soft and give the boy a silent head pat... He didn't know how to do that.

Not once did you mention Baki throwing a punch, a kick, a move, a technique. You never mentioned an opponent, any rivals. That wasn't your world. You accepted that as Baki's, but it wasn't yours. Baki kept you separated from it, and honestly, Yujioru could see why, you were too sweet. Where did Baki keep finding these women? These women with souls so sweet you'd mistake them for honey, but with a bite so sharp you'd mistake it for a shark. Yujioru has never paid women like you any mind. He found your type to be weak at first glance. Quick to decern right from wrong, quick to make a fuss about how things should be 'properly' done, quick to run and fret over meaningless things.

It was something he was never attracted to, and he immediately brushed them off... But Baki was different. The boy craved this. He was more softer than Yujioru. First Kozue and now you. Yujioru could see the appeal now, and he was growing quite addicted to it... But he wanted to actually experience it for himself, but first, he wanted to see you and Baki in action. Emi, the poor soul, as strong as she was, she was no mother. In the very end, only when she believed that Baki's life was on the line, only then did she try to become a mother... Yujirou missed her sometimes... He really did love her... He hasn't even tried to remarry, sign divorce papers... He wasn't ready to whipe her completely from his life.

It's only been about 4 to 5 years since he broke her damn back, ending her miserable life. Staring at this new woman, Baki's self-proclaimed mother, he could see where he went wrong with Emi. She wasn't the nurturing type. She was a warrior in her own right, and warriors don't exactly have affection for their young. Baki seems even stronger now, with this new woman in his life, much stronger than he was with Emi and certainly stronger than when he was with Kozue... Perhaps... Yujirou should've looked for a woman more like yourself to have as Baki's mother. In his years of living, Yujirou has learned that the strongest emotions in the human spectrum were hatred and love. Amongst those two, love was the strongest.

Even Yujioru himself was at the pentacle of his strength when he was with Emi... He slowly began to actually love her, but he never admitted it to himself. He thought it was weak of him, but then he started having feelings, he became stronger, he started loving Baki, and he became practically invincible... But then, his love for Baki grew beyond what he felt for Emi and the day she threw herself in between himself and Baki... Stopping their bond from growing stronger... He killed her... Just like how Baki killed Kozue.

The love that Baki holds for you is the same Yujioru holds for Baki. Baki was and still is his world. Everything he does is for Baki. It's never not been... Sitting here, listening to you be over joy for all of Baki's small accomplishments, made his spirit soar to the stars. Hearing the same pride you held for his son was a fulfilling experience. Both yours and his pride for Baki were one in the same, but for different things, it was beautiful.

Finally, Yujioru spoke. "Damn, Baki... Never took you for a total nerd." He said, teasing his son. Baki's cheeks flared a bright red. "I'm not!!" He defended embarrassed. You chuckled at the interaction. "Being a nerd isn't so bad, Baki! At least this way, you'll be too smart to ever lose an argument." You said, trying to encourage Baki while also easing his embarrassment. Baki's redden cheeks ease some as a light, but cocky smile graced his face. "Oh yeah!! I might not be able to beat you in a fight, dad, but I sure as hell can beat you down in an educated debate!" He said in a confident voice. Yujirou smirked. "An educated debate, huh? Tell me that Newton's first law is the most dumbest thing you've ever heard... Prove me wrong." He challenged.

Baki stared at him with a blank stare while you stayed silent, your eyes bouncing back and forth between the two. "Umm.... Well, I.....Mom?" Baki said, looking to you for support, but you were quick to avert your eyes down to your plate, quickly shoving a large amount of food into your mouth. "Mm....mmmmm, mmm-mmm." You mumbled through your food, pointing at your mouth full, shaking your head as you couldn't talk with food. Flabbergasted was the word for Baki's expression before he lightly glared at you. "Tratior." He mumbled. Yujirou chuckled at Baki's misfortune. "Can't go running to Mommy this time, eh, Baki?... Nope, you gotta stand on your own now." He teased.

Baki gave him an annoyed stare before he stabbed his chopsticks into a piece of broccoli. "Whatever... Stupid Newton." He grumbled as he angerly chewed his piece of vegetation. He was more embarrassed than he was angry in all honesty. He was expecting his dad to ask a normal question, like a freaking math problem, something about space!! Maybe even something about history, but noooooo, he just had to ask about Newton's law.... And he wanted an actual debate!!! He didn't know anything about Newton and his dumb laws!! He didn't even know about the law that his dad just said!!! Obviously, his dad was waaaay more educated than he was.

Ignoring Baki's worthless tantrum, dinner continued, and it was peaceful. After dinner, Yujiro left, and it was just Baki and (Y/n), cleaning up their home. As she was washing dishes, (Y/n) spoke up loud enough for Baki to hear her from the laundry room. "Your dad is a very pleasant man, Baki!! I can see where you get your charms from!! He's funny too!!" You said, you were very pleased with the man who Yujioru turned out to be. Every time Baki spoke of his father to you, it was with both admiration and fear. The admiration part you could understand, but the fear part... You weren't so sure. He was so sweet, funny, smart, and yes, a little intimidating, but overall, he was charming. You liked him a lot.

In the laundry room, Baki was loading up the washing machine, and he gave a soft scoff at your words before he yelled back in response. "Are we sure we're talking about the same man right now, mom!?" He asked. Everything you've just said was the complete opposite of his dad. His father was powerful, imposing, intimidating, dangerous, wrathful, prideful, and sure he'll admit he was funny as hell... and apparently smart, too... Bastard... But charming, pleasant??? That was anything but his father!! You chuckled at Baki's words as you placed another plate in the drying rack. "Yes, Baki!! We are most definitely talking about the same man!! He might be scary to you since he is your father!! To be fair, most dads are usually intimidating to their sons, very rarely to their daughters... Unless she's trying to date!! But other than that, he's a sweetheart!!" You defended as you worked on washing another plate.

Baki sighed as he grabbed some laundry detergent, but he didn't open it. Instead, he paused and thought over your words. He never thought of his father only being intimidating to him, simply because he was his father... He just always thought he was because of how powerful he was... Not because of who he was to himself... It was strange to think about honestly. He could see your point... You view of the world... It was kind of cute to see how the world looked through your eyes... Through a normal person's eyes, at least... But the truth was, neither he nor his father were a part of your world... And they never will be... He wished he could be, but perhaps, it was best this way. He gave a gentle yet understanding smile before opening the detergent and pouring some of the liquid onto the clothes.

The Boy Next Door

The Boy Next Door

The next day at school, Baki sat at his desk, bored out of his mind, leaning back into his chair he stared at the ceiling. He sometimes enjoyed art class, but this was one of those lessons that he had no interest in. They were learning how to knit, sew, and crochet... Boring... This wasn't a major class, so honestly it really didn't matter if he participated or not, and his teacher already knew he wasn't the best at 'delicate' work, so she left him to his own devices, so long as he didn't distract the others, she didn't mind if he just sat there, hell he could even go to sleep and she still wouldn't care, and just for that she was his favorite.

The classroom was quite aside from an audio book that was playing in the back of the class that his teacher likes to play to help with everyone's concentration, some of the stories she played were actually really good, but most of the time they were pretty boring, some silly love story, a stray mystery novel, or something else that he just didn't care about. Only twice now has she played a story about fighters, he liked thoes alot. Staring at the ceiling, his mind strayed to last night, the family dinner was actually pretty fun, and he couldn't help but find himself wanting for them to have another family night... perhaps even an entire day... It's possible... very possible.

You seemed to really like his dad, which, to be fair, was a good thing... In a traditional sense, at least. As for his dad, he wasn't too sure. He couldn't tell if he liked you or not. He knew that his dad didn't straight up NOT like you, but he wasn't sure if he actually 'liked' you... Like as a friend... A companion... Possibly even as a lover. It was too early to tell, and he couldn't exactly speak for his father. He hoped he liked you even more now... He didn't seem to mind the idea of co-parenting with you... He even acknowledged you as his mother. So he must've liked you more now that he's gotten to meet you... However, Baki wasn't sure if he wanted his dad to develop any further feelings for you. He wasn't sure if he wanted to actually be a proper family.

He craved it, yes. He wanted it so badly, but the thought of you getting caught up in their mess... Made Baki almost foam at the mouth from panic. He was possessive of you, your love, your home, your laughter, your world. He didn't want to share, and he sure as hell didn't want to lose it. He wasn't sure... His head was starting to hurt from all this thinking... It's time for a nap. He'll think more on it later. With that, he closed his eyes and drifted off into a light sleep.

The Boy Next Door

The Boy Next Door

Sitting in a large, spacious room with smooth wooden floors and large windows that circled the room, showing a lovely view of the city around it, sat two men on the floor, large sitting pillows cushioned them from the hard floor as they sat cross-legged from one another. Doppo Orochi and across from him, his long-time friend/rival Yujioru Hanma. They were silent, enjoying one another company, and giving each other mutual respect. Doppo spoke first.

"S'not every day I get a call from you, just out of the blue, asking for a little 'chit-chat', you could imagine my shock over the phone when you requested such a thing from me... Usually, it's me doing the calling, asking for a good drink or two... And the only times we meet up like this is to speak about the progress of our sons... Or, because there's a new rival in town to test our might against... So enlighten me, Yujioru... Why'd you call me?" Doppo asked. Yujioru hummed at Doppo's words. He knew the man was right, and he didn't deny it either.

"As you know, Baki gotten himself a new 'mother'." Yujioru started. Doppo hummed in acknowledgment. "So I've heard." He confirmed, nine out of ten, he heard about her from Katsumi. Yujioru continued. "I had dinner with her and Baki last night... She's a real piece of work... Lovely lady." He admitted. Doppo's eyes slightly widen but not by much. "A family dinner, huh? Never thought I'd live to see the day that you'd try and play the role of a 'family man'. ... It's good to hear that she's a pleasant soul... Though I already knew that, Katsumi's got quite the mouth when he's excited." Doppo confessed.

Yujirou's brow gave the slighted twitch of irritation at the mention of the boy's name. Sure, his respect for Katsumi has risen just a bit after his fight with Pickles... But he still didn't like him, and to know that he was trying to pursue a relationship with a woman of your caliber... It's laughable... and extremely irritating. "Katsumi's a damn pest, hovoring around something that isn't promised to him is shameful at best, I can promise you, Doppo, your son doesn't have a dying chance against her... She's just that special." Yujioru said. Doppo's eyes really did widen at that. "Is she really that much different?... Don't tell me you're going to try and get at her, Yujirou." Doppo said, not sure what to believe at the moment... To hear that another being has caught Yujirou's attention was always a shocker, and for it to be a woman was even more of a shock. Not many things impressed Yujirou.

Yujiro huffed at Doppo's words. "I'm not sure yet... If I'm being honest, she's totally out of my league." He admitted. Doppo stared at Yujirou in disbelief. "What? ... What do you mean, 'She's out of your league'?" He asked. This was a shocking revelation for Doppo to hear. The Great Oger, Yujiro Hanma, The Strongest Creature on Earth... Claim a simple woman was out of his league... It was unheard of. "It's just as I said, Doppo... She's out of my league... She's too human, for me... she's too sweet, kind, understanding, open-minded... She's a sharp, cut, clean woman... Not a shred of evil was in her... I'm sure she has her dark thoughts... But it's nothing compared to how we think." Yujioru explained.

Doppo stared at Yujirou with an unreadable expression. The room was silent for a while. Both men were relaxed yet also tense. Doppo eventually spoke up. "So, in other words... She's too good for you... Both literally and figuratively... Yeah, I don't know what the hell Katsumi thought he was doing... Talking to a woman like that... He never had a chance in hell with her." Doppo said, agreeing with Yujirou. "Though, I must ask, Yujirou... From a man to a man... no, from a father to a father... Could you see a possible future with her... For Baki's sake, at least?" He asked.

Yujirou remained quiet, thinking over Doppo's words, before he gave a bitter and hopeless chuckle. "Doppo... Not even God would look my way... If I got on my knees and prayed to the big man above... I fear he would strike me dead the moment I even try to ask for something... Especially something as good as her." He admitted. Doppo didn't agree, nor did he disagree. He just simply asked. "... Want to hit the bar?" Because at the moment, he didn't know how else to connect to Yujirou... Because the words he spoke were too deep for him to respond to... Unfortunately, he couldn't give Yujirou an answer... In fear, he'll jinx the man... and that wasn't fair.

The Boy Next Door

The Boy Next Door

Walking home from school, staring down at the ground before him, Baki was drifting mentally. He was relaxed, yes... In fact, the most relaxed he's ever been, honestly... He wasn't worried about your safety anymore... It felt guaranteed now. He didn't have to worry about Katsumi coming by anymore either, not since his father scared him off last night... He was mainly drifting on thoughts of you and his father... What was going to happen between you two? Would his father try and court you? Would he try and just be your friend? Would he just keep his distance? He wasn't sure. He's never been this confused about his father before... And in a way, he was starting to think that even his own father was confused too, about what, though? He'll never know.

Looking up, he saw the sky was pretty clear. Another beautiful day. Taking a sigh, his eyes mindlessly wonders. Looking over to his left towards the hill that housed another sidewalk, his eyes widen in confusion and slight shock as he saw you. 'What's ma doing here?' He thought. This was his usual route from home to school and back, and it was very rare for him to see you. The only times he saw you on this route was because you were on your way to the convince store, the shcool itself, or you were waiting on him. You weren't facing his way, though. You seemed to be speaking to someone. He turned towards you and began walking up the hill to you.

With a relaxed yet curious tone, he called out to you as he stalked up the hill towards you. "Hey, ma-." He stopped himself short, and his eyes widened in shock. Standing across from you was the undeniably giant Jack, his half brother. He blinked in confusion. 'Jack?... What's he doing here? Why's he talking to her? ... He's never been that interested in my life before, so why now?' Baki thought as he continued to make his way towards you. Jack wasn't a threat, not at all, Baki had no issues with you speaking to Jack... In fact, there were a few men he didn't mind you speaking to or being alone with, and Jack was one of them.

Jack seemed to notice Baki first. He said something to you and pointed over your head behind you. You followed his arm, slowly your eyes looked down, and your confusion turned into happiness when you saw Baki. You waved at him ecstatically. "HI BAKI!!!!" You happily waved towards him. He gave a half-hearted wave back with a smile on his face as he continued walking towards you. You looked back at Jack before you looked back at Baki, and you pointed at Jack. "I MADE A GIANT FRIEND, BAKI!!!" You shouted excitedly. Baki chuckled at your excitement. It was cute. Jack's cheeks slightly flushed at your enthusiasm, but he remained steadily fast.

Once at the top of the hill, Baki waved at Jack, and Jack waved back at Baki before he crossed his arms. Baki walked up to you, and he gave you a hug in greeting. "So... You finally met Jack, huh?" Baki said as he hugged you. You hummed happily in the hug before you pulled back from him, and you looked towards Jack. "Mmhmm!! I just got back from the convince store, and on my way home, he stopped me, asking if I knew who you were. He told me he was your big brother and that he wanted to thank me for taking care of his precious, baby brother." You said, making your voice more cutely as you pinched his cheek.

Baki groaned in embarrassment while Jack cleared his throat. "Just for the record... I didn't say 'precious.'" Jack said, defending his pride. Baki gently grabbed your wrist, detaching your fingers from his cheek. "I figured as much... But what made you wanna seek my mom out, Jack? I'm sure it was to thank her... But something is telling me it's more than that." Baki said. You looked up at Jack as well, wanting to know if there was more. Jack stared down at Baki. "Perceptive as ever, Baki... I came to talk to you... It's about Kozue." He said. Baki's laid-back expression harden. He could tell by Jack's tone that it was serious and that he wanted to talk to Baki alone.

You gave a somber look towards Baki. You were still pretty sadden by the sudden death of Kozue. It was so random, you gave comforting rubs to Baki's back, silently telling him that he could decline to talk about it, and you'll put a stop to Jack's prying, but Baki's harden stare eased some, as he seen that Jack meant no i'll intent towards Baki or his mother, and that he wanted to tell Baki something that revolves around Kozue... But it wasn't just about Kozue, so he gave Jack a welcoming stare. "Alright, but you gotta at least have dinner with me and ma first... She can cook some damn good rice." He said in a welcoming tone.

You gave his shoulder an offended slap, and he faked a flinch. "Only rice, Baki? Really??" You asked in a playful offended voice, your hands on your hips. He shrugged. "What? Hey, cooking rice isn't as easy as it seems, alright." He said in an offensive voice. Jack hummed in agreement. "I've burnt my rice plenty of times before... I'm not patient enough to wait for it to be done." He said, and Baki nodded. "Yeah... Cooking is boring... Besides, nobody makes rice like you do, ma!! Yours is the best." He said. You crossed your arms, trying to give him an unimpressed stare, but you couldn't help but smile at the praise. "Hmph.... What do you boys want for dinner this evening then? I'll cook whatever you want if it's within my range of expertise." You said.