Title: Obligation
Rating: PG
Genre: General
Summary: A little mommy-baby piece, taking place when Manta is six.
Oyamada Manta peered meekly into the kitchen of his family's mansion. He had been sitting outside the door for a while now, listening to his mother cry. It confused the six-year-old boy. His mom never cried. She always seemed indifferent, unless she was amused by some nonsense joke other adults made. She never cried, though, and it was unsettling to have listened to her for almost an hour. Slowly he stepped in and looked up at her. "Mommy?"
Quickly Keiko looked to her son, a little stunned, and then she wiped her eyes. "Sweety, what are you doing here? Wasn't Tamura going to take you to the carnival?"
The boy looked down silently. "Daddy said I'm not allowed to go." After a brief moment, he looked up again. "Mommy? Why are you crying?"
She stared at him. "Huh? Sweety, why are you worried? It's normal to cry."
The blonde shook his head. "You never cry, Mommy. Did somebody hurt you?"
She was very silent for several long minutes, and then sighed while looking down. "You're too young to understand." She looked back with a weak smile. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. Why don't you go play?"
Manta stared at his mother for several long minutes, and then looked down. "Daddy was with another mommy, wasn't he?"
Keiko blinked, and then frowned. "What do you mean?"
He looked away with a mix of sadness and embarrassment. "When Daddy made me go to his work… He made the mommy outside come into his office..."
Keiko's stern expression became angry for a moment as she clenched her fists. She was well aware of the fact that her husband paid the secretary extra for special services, but she hadn't been aware that he allowed their young son to witness them.
Slowly Manta looked up, and then looked away quickly, fearing that she was angry with him forming. "I… I'm sorry, Mommy."
"Manta, come here," she said after a moment, her expression becoming gentle. When her son did as he was told, she lifted him onto her lap and embraced him lovingly.
Manta was quiet for a while, and then slowly looked up. "Mommy? How come you don't find a daddy like what the kids at school have? Somebody who loves you?"
She was quiet for several long minutes, and then sighed while nuzzling her face against his. "It's not as easy as that, Sweety."
"You're obligated?" he asked softly.
Keiko looked silently at her son, and then smiled slightly. "You really are a smart little boy. You know that?"
"With Daddy, I have to be," he said sadly.
Keiko sighed while tilting his head up. "Yes. It's obligation… But it's for your own good, Manta. One day you will understand that."
"Mommy? Can we be obligated together?" Manta asked. "I like it when you're nice to me, and you smile a lot nicer when you say what's wrong."
Keiko was quiet for several minutes, and then sighed. She knew she couldn't talk to him about everything. He was still much to young to understand a lot of things, but she had the feeling he was write. She did feel better that Manta understood what was bothering her. After several minutes, she smiled gently. "That sounds like a good idea."