Archive of Our Own ^beta

Hanamiya Atsuko was a single mother. It wasn't because she was abandoned and it wasn't because she had no choice. Being a single mother was Atsuko's choice and she would never allow anyone to say otherwise.

Atsuko had sent her then fiancee packing when she caught him cheating on her. She knew so many woman that would have given their lovers another chance and let them stay just because they were pregnant. But she wouldn't. This was because she looked ahead at the long distance future instead of the one only months away.

Atsuko saw it like this; she could keep her cheating fiancee and have someone there while she was pregnant or she could get rid of him and be alone. Usually, the choice would be clear - to anyone else that is. To her though, she also saw it like this. If she kept the bastard, he'd only cheat on her again which would mean that their son would grow up watching his parents argue and scream at each other - which would be detrimental to his development. Or she could get rid of him and maybe find someone else and her son wouldn't have to grow up in that kind of environment.

Atsuko made her decision. She'd rather raise her boy alone then let him be hurt in the future.

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3 months after she caught the arrogant asshole cheating, Atsuko went into labour. She was alone because she hadn't spoken to her family since she told them that she wouldn't marry some rich ponce they were trying to force onto her.

But that was okay. Atsuko didn't NEED anybody else.

She puck herself up and called for a cab. It arrived 15 minutes later and she bundled herself into the car and headed to the hospital; not allowing to pain to get to her.

Atsuko had always had the belief that pain was good for you; you could learn from it. To Atsuko, this pain meant she'd have her baby so she was okay with it.

......

......

Hanamiya (her maiden name) Makoto was born 16 hours after she originally went into labour and she'd never felt so happy. He had a tuft of black hair and the regular newborn blue eye, which she hoped would look like her own deep golden brown one day, and peachy pale skin. He was beautiful.

She'd raise her boy right.

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By the time Atsuko's son, Makoto, was 8 years old, she'd learnt a lot about him.

The primary was that Makoto liked to cause people pain. And that he was probably going to grow up into a mild masochist with the way he laughed after he'd hurt himself playing.

The next was that Makoto had taken her lessons to heart. She had always told him that honesty was the most important thing. She couldn't stop him from hurting people because he just didn't care but so long as he was honest about it... well, that would have to do. If he hurt children at school, he'd freely admit to it and accept his punishments - but that didn't mean he wouldn't do it again.

There was only one problem to Atsuko; her boy didn't have any friends. And she really didn't like that.

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Atsuko knew her son loved her.

He'd never hurt her after all.

Makoto never hurt the ones he loved.

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Atsuko had despaired of her son ever having friends. It wasn't until middle school that she found some hope.

Makoto had been named an Uncrowned king in basketball. If he had been born in a generation without the Kiseki no Sedai then she didn't doubt he'd be called a prodigy. But as he did, the Uncrowned Kings were apparently the next best thing.

Makoto was known as the Akudo, 'Bad Boy' of the Uncrowned Kings and he had done something she hadn't expected.

In a match against another school which held an Uncrowned King; Atsuko had been expecting to see him hurt someone on the court like he usually did. And he did, but he didn't hurt the one called Yasha, the Night Demon.

The only people Makoto didn't hurt were the ones he loved.

During the game she found herself wondering, did her beloved son care for Yasha?

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It was in Makoto's second year at Kirisaki Daiichi high School that Atsuko found out her son was both the captain and coach for the basketball team.

Atsuko had to confess to not being very surprised, her boy had goals in mind and this was one of them.

But still, she continued to wonder. Game after game she watched her son and his equally hurtful team-mates play and they never hurt Yasha; infact she'd seen her Akudo smack one of his OWN players for hurting Yasha.

.......

.......

"Makoto-chan?"

"Hai, what is it Mama?"

"Who is Yasha?"

Atsuko watched as her son paused, body tensing slightly as he replied, "Why do you want to know?"

"Because you've never hurt him. The only people you don't hurt are the ones you care for."

"I do?" He murmured.

Atsuko hummed softly, an affirmative, "Myself and your team. You care for us and you've never hurt us - the only ones."

"Mibuchi Reo is Yasha's name. And I don't hurt him because he's got enough crap to get through."

After that, Makoto refused to answer anymore so Atsuko got the answers she desired elsewhere.

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"Kazu-kun?"

The lilac haired teen turned to face Atsuko, "Eh? What's up Mama?"

Atsuko smiled faintly, she always enjoyed when her Akudo's friends showed how much they loved her. "I asked Makoto why he didn't hurt Yasha. He said he had enough going on and he basically didn't want to add to it. Do you know what he meant?"

Hara Kazuya sighed, replying, "Mako-chan told us you'd probably ask. Yasha is Mibuchi, an Uncrowned King who is renown for multiple shooting forms."

"He told me Yasha's name but he didn't tell me why."

Kazuya pursed his lips, "Mibuchi is apparently gender-fluid. Sometimes he's a boy and sometime's she's a girl. Yasha gets a lot of shit for it. Not even we would add to that, Mama."

Atsuko smiled as she ran her fingers through Kazuya's hair gently, "I know you wouldn't. I was just curious."

He snorted, "So you see it to?"

"Of course, a mother always knows. Everything. And I know my boy well enough."

Atsuko knew her son loved Yasha.

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Atsuko could see what her son liked so much about Yasha.

The boy had gentle features with a graceful physique.

When they had been introduced, Atsuko had made a point to ask how they wanted to be referred to and the poor child had been so overwhelmed. It made Atsuko want to annihilate whoever had given the poor thing such a hard time.

But with a soft smile, Reo had asked to be referred to as him/he that day and had seemed completely unfazed by the other boys rowdiness.

Reo had asked about Makoto's penchant for pain; to himself and others, as well as how she felt about it. So Atsuko told the truth, "So long as he's truthful, I couldn't care less."

"Ah! A woman after my own heart, Atsuko-san. Mako-chan! You have some competition!"

They had all laughed at Reo's proclamation and Makoto had merely rolled his eyes before pulling Reo into a kiss to the sound of wolf-whistles.

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Atsuko understood that her son was unconventional.

But she also knew her son loved her as he had taken her lessons to heart. The most important being,

"I understand Mako-chan. But so long as you don't hurt those you love and you tell the truth then I don't mind."

Atsuko knew her boy loved her, just like she knew her boy loved Reo.