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One and Not the Same

A Yu-Gi-Oh!5D’s Fanfiction

Chapter 5-First Words

Is it normal for a father to feel this giddy after hearing their child speak for the first time?

To be honest, none of the excitement I felt over any scientific revelations could ever, ever stand up to this pure, enthusiastic joy.

…Alright, so the words were pronounced one syllable at a time and came out wrong. But still-first words! Yoko is just as delighted as I am. I could probably fill this journal with odes of joy about my two wonderful, perfect twin boys…but I won’t. That’s not what this book is for. (Perhaps I’ll buy a separate journal later, but for now, I’m hoping Yoko doesn’t notice what I scrawled on the walls…)

Ryuusei had said said his word first. They had been playing with stuffed toys (which little Ryuusei had, predictably, an unexplicable hatred for). Yuusei had, being the warm babe that he was, tried to acquaint Ryuusei with the stuffed toy, which he accepted after a while. Eventually, Ryuusei had grabbed Yuusei’s hand and pronounced it slowly, but firmly.

“Oh-toh-to.”

That was it. I was a little disappointed by the fact that the first person he had chosen to acknowledge with words was his little brother rather than one of his parents, but I wasn’t surprised. Yuusei was the only one that Ryuusei even wanted to be around. If anyone came in, he would immediately glare at them, furious that they had intruded on him and his brother.

Immediately after my disappointment came, it was replaced with sheer joy and delight, and any feelings of dismay were quickly washed away. It didn’t matter what he said…he was acknowledging someone…a bond he had. I was so proud…

After Ryuusei had acknowledged him as a brother, Yuusei had gone silent for a few hours. He seemed to be thinking. I worried that he might not want to acknowledge Ryuusei as a brother…he was an unusually perceptive baby-I wouldn’t be surprised if he suspected the same theory I did…

“Nii…tan!”

What…?

He acknowledged his older brother? My boys…had they chosen…to try and feel…normal?

I looked at them. Yuusei was laughing and giggling and tugging on his brother’s arm…

Ryuusei looked as stunned as I felt. It was the first expression of emotion I had seen him make that wasn’t hatred, irritation, or boredom. A few moments later, he even looked almost gratified. It was certainly the most affectionate expression I had seen him make.

I felt it. There was some secret understanding between them…a sort of acceptance. How strange it was of me, thinking that toddlers could make secret pacts…and yet it seems so plausible…

Honestly…I feel a little left out…

…Do all parents feel this eventually?

Fudo Yuuen-hakase
Momentum Head Scientist