VF Heroes.txt

 VF: Heroes
Title: Heroes
Pairing: Asami x Akihito
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Sweetness, a made-up past that could be considered AU, takes place 18 years in the past, and two years into the future.
Disclaimer: This fic is based upon the Viewfinder series by Yamane Ayano, who owns the characters Asami and Akihito

Note: I wanted to write something waffy for all my online friends to shower them with love in thanks for their kindnesses over this past week. One of my favorite kinds of romance novels is when the hero and heroine have met when they were young, and the heroine leaves a lasting impression that the hero can't forget. I wanted to adapt that for VF.

Though I hadn't expected writing from a child's POV to be so difficult. What a pain! I'm not entirely happy with it, but as usual I've worked it about as much as I can, so here it is.

This is pretty damned waffy. You have been warned.

Thanks everyone, and *hugs*! (and yes, my husband is home from the hospital ^__^)






"Aki-chan? Aki-chan! Where did that boy go? It's time for your bath. Aki-chan?"

His mother's voice soon faded into the distance as his short legs carried him away from home and toward the playground. He was making a break for it. There was probably going to be a spanking in his future, but he just had to go back.

He patted his pockets to make sure everything was there. He wasn't sure what puppies ate, so he'd snuck a bunch of things off the table during dinner. Grandpa had caught him putting a pickle in his pocket, but he hadn't said anything, just winked.

Grandpa was his favorite person in the whole world. His room was full of treasures and he had stories to go with all of them. Akihito had never known his grandpa was so famous around the world until he started hearing his heroic adventures. He'd saved millions of people from ships sinking and earthquakes and wild animals and bad guys.

His favorite story though was the one where Grandpa rescued the Chinese princess from a dragon; but even though she asked him to stay and be her emperor he came home with Grandma and got married. Grandma must have been pretty special with Grandpa giving up all that for her. Akihito told Grandpa that once and he just laughed and said he liked the dragon better, winking at Grandma, who smacked him for telling such stories to a five year old. Akihito thought Grandma was kind of scary sometimes.

He stopped suddenly and looked around, a little unsure that he was headed the right way, never having been so far from home on his own. But he saw a big house that he recognized around a corner and happily set off down that street, deciding he'd get to where he wanted sooner or later as long as he was brave and kept going. His legs were starting to get tired though. It didn't seem as far when he came with his mom.

But nothing would stop him, not with the puppy waiting ahead. It would be awfully hungry by now. The little black and white dog had whimpered when he'd been dragged away earlier that day, and he'd felt so bad while he was eating when he knew the dog was not. He knew Mom would say no if he asked to come back, so he'd made a Plan. He was going to do what Grandpa would do and be a hero.

And, well, if the puppy happened to follow him home after that, he wouldn't be able to stop it. He giggled. The spanking would be worth it.

He finally spotted the park up ahead and his legs started pumping as he ran the last few meters into the quiet, darkening playground. There weren't any families there at that time of the day. A cool breeze blew through, making him shiver because he hadn't thought of bringing a coat.

"Puppy!? Where are you?" His high-pitched voice echoed a little through the empty lot. He stood in the middle, turning in circles. "Puppy? I brought you some dinner...." The yard was still. He ran around the swings and the sandbox, calling out, but no one was there. Dreams of the answering happy barks he'd wanted to hear faded to a sad reality. The puppy was gone.

Dejected, he squatted on the ground and started drawing pictures in the sand of a little boy and his dog, playing with balls and kites and having fun with each other. He sniffed and rubbed his eyes. Maybe someone found it and took it home and it had a happy full belly. That was probably it. It was probably happy and not lonely at all. A drop fell onto his picture. He wiped his eyes again, thinking a tear had fallen, but it wasn't him. Rain started pattering across the sand, erasing all his stories. When he looked up a big black cloud was just moving overhead. Lighting cracked down out of the sky with a burst of thunder and hit a nearby lamppost, sending him scrambling.

That was when he heard a noise off to the right, a loud clatter from the direction of a small shed on the corner of the grounds. Suddenly the cold grey park didn't seem so friendly. He started to back away when his imagination took over. What if it was a monster? He knew they were real because Grandpa had fought so many. But then what if it was the puppy and it was trapped? It could die in there. It was probably scared.

Akihito stood frozen, his fear warring with his need to help. He kept trying to make his feet move forward but they didn't want to go. A new noise reached his ears, a moan. It sounded like it was hurt. Concern broke whatever hold the fear had and he raced forward. If it was something bad, he'd just run the other way as fast as he could. He burst through the door prepared for battle and stopped in shock.

A boy lay curled on the dirt floor, surrounded by scattered yard tools and playground equipment. Akihito looked him over, uncertain. He looked kind of scruffy, and there were bruises on his face. He knew only bad boys fought, but then Grandpa fought too, to save people. Maybe what mattered was why you were fighting.

He took a hesitant step forward. "Hey," he said in almost a whisper, "are you okay?" There was no answer. It made him even more nervous. Maybe he should leave. Maybe get someone who could help. "I'll get a grownup, okay?" He turned, eager to get away, but a hand grabbed his ankle. Just like a monster would. His legs felt like gummy candies, barely holding him up.

"No. Don't get anyone. Grownups don't help. Grownups just..." The voice dropped away as the boy raised his head and looked at him through one eye. The other was black and swollen practically shut. Akihito looked closer. Not a monster. Someone a monster had hurt. His heart was lost.

"Just don't get anyone." The boy struggled a little, trying to sit up. Akihito ran over and took hold of his arm, trying to help, the other shooting him a look of surprise. "You're pretty strong for such a little guy."

"I'm scrappy for my age," he said, parroting what his grandpa had told him.

The answering chuckle was followed by a wince. "Are you? I think you are. What's your name?"

"Takaba Akihito. Block 5, Lot 3, Building?"

"Easy, I don't need name, rank and serial number."

He knew what that was from Grandpa's stories. "I know that," he scoffed. "You only give that when you're a prisoner of war. That happened to my Grandpa a lot. He's Takaba Hoshiro." That last was said a little proudly, because it wasn't every boy who could claim a grandpa like his.

"Is he?" The other boy's golden eyes glowed with amusement. "Well, that explains a lot." He shifted, groaning a little.

Akihito saw that he was still hurting and felt bad for standing there bragging. "Why don't you go home and let your mom take care of you?"

A shutter fell across the other's eyes. "Is that what your mom would do? Lucky kid. I don't have a mom."

Oh. No mom? He thought about what that would be like. No hugs in the morning and before he went to sleep. No one making his favorite pudding. No one making sure he wore his coat. No one to worry about him being lost somewhere. A guilty feeling crept up. His mom would be upset right now.

And this boy didn't even have a mom. He inched his way forward and cautiously stretched his arm out, petting the boy's shoulder, trying not to look at the eyes that were fixed on him. He felt like he was at the zoo and reaching between the bars of the tiger cage.

The soft voice startled him. "You're a brave one, Takaba Akihito."

The boy was wrong. He was very afraid.

A short sniff from the other made him jump. "Why do I smell pickles?"

"Pickles...? Oh! It's puppy food."

"Puppy? What the hell kind of dog eats pickles?"

"Mine would have!" Not that it mattered. His fierceness left him and his shoulders fell. "Only it's not mine. It's gone. I hope it went home with someone who loves it." Though in his heart he actually hated the little boy he imagined had taken his puppy.

"I doubt it did."

What? It wasn't safe?

Tears filled his eyes as the boy casually continued. "It probably..."

"Probably what?" he demanded, his voice rising a little.

But the other had stopped speaking and was looking at him. The older boy reached out with a large hand and ruffled his hair, then brushed at his cheek. "You're right. Now that I think about it, I heard someone come to pick it up."

"You did? Are you sure? 'Cause if he's not safe we've got to help him!"

"You would, wouldn't you? But there's no need. I'm sure."

He couldn't help the big smile that burst across his face. Sure, he'd wanted the puppy, but knowing it was happy was more important.

There was a glimmer of an answering smile in the growing darkness. "Yeah. So if you're not eating that puppy food, would you mind sharing it?"

Thunder boomed outside the shed again. He turned and glanced out into the nearly dark yard. Rain was pouring down and it was completely muddy now. There was no way he was going home through it.

He looked back at the bigger boy. ...