The Abandoned Omega

Chapter Four

Jun woke up to an unexpected warmth curled up against him beneath the duvet.  Lifting the thick cover, he glanced over his beautiful son with a loving eye and his heart was filled with joy.  This was not the first time that he had watched the boy sleeping, he had often risked his mother's wrath to sneak along the corridor at midnight when the older woman would be sound asleep in her own room, just so that he might be able to savour the precious gift he had been given. Yet this was the first time that he needn't skulk about nor hide himself from the boy. And this was the first time Keiichi had sought him out instead.

He kissed his son upon his forehead and called softly his name. "Kei, it's time to get up," he whispered. Keiichi's beautiful brown eyes fluttered open and he yawned broadly, before coming aware of where he was.

He sat up abruptly. "I'm sorry!" He cried out, causing a rise in panic to surface within Jun.

"It's alright, it's alright," Jun tried to gently reassure him.

"But Mama said I wasn't allowed to crawl into bed with her!" Kei said, his eyes beginning to fill with tears. "She'll tell me off again!"

"Kei, sweetheart," Jun said, pulling the nearly frantic child into his arms. "You've done nothing wrong, I swear. Your 'Mama' might not have been happy with it, but she is no longer here and I say it's fine."

"Really?" Kei said, peering up at his biological mother and Jun nodded. His small arms wrapped about his mother's waist.

"Was it a nightmare?" Jun asked him and stroked his soft, golden hair and felt him nod, rubbing his face against Jun's chest. "Bad dreams are scary. I don't mind if you want to escape them here, with me. You are welcome anytime."

"Thank you, mummy," he whispered softly and Jun felt tears beginning to form in his own eyes. It was the third time Jun had referred to him so since Akiyama's death and Jun could not help but feel choked each and every time. It was almost as if everything he had gone through to get to this point had been worth all of the pain and heartache, all so he could hear his son call him 'mummy.'

After he had reunited with Eiko, she had apologised that the position she had advertised had been taken by two part timers. Jun had said not to worry about it, that he was just thankful that he was able to meet with her again. However, it must have been weighing her down as the following day, when he was reconsidering his options, Eiko had phoned him once more and offered him a job. As it happened, the two part timers had little or no experience as florists, but just as he had been pressed to find a job due to his gender, she had struggled to find workers due to hers. She and her husband, Hideaki, had talked about it and while Eiko could not offer him the sort of wages that his skills should command, she could instead offer him a greater gift; a place to live.

There was no doubt that even with Eiko's furnishings and ornaments removed, there was very little space in the flat. It's kitchen was filled with cupboards, with a sink, cooker and washing machine, but there was no room for a dishwasher nor tumble dryer. The living area was for both reception and dining, the master bedroom had room for a double bed, but not a lot else and the small second bedroom was for a lone occupant to sleep in only. There was a small bath, fortunately, it would be hard to live with just a shower. Especially now that Kei had come to realise that such things as bath toys exist.

Hanako had let him take whichever furnishings that he wished to keep, but Jun had just taken their beds, Kei's few toys and any pictures of Kei that Jun could get his hands on. Anything else just reminded him of his incarceration in that house and he wished to start afresh. Eiko, who he felt had already been far too kind, had helped him find a couple of things for the living area from a second hand shop; a square dining table with two odd wooden chairs and a two seater sofa. She had also convinced him to keep her old television. He hadn't watched television since forever and Keiichi had never the opportunity before. For a whole weekend, the pair had watched silly amounts of cartoons, curled up upon the sofa, only rising when their belly's rumbled in protest.