Just a little more to my Minato is really Takehito's son idea.
It was all Miya could do not to rush to Minato's side as the group returned from the confrontation at MBI tower after they had recovered the cure for Chiho's condition. It was odd how a new perspective could alter things so quickly. Where before the similarities Minato showed between himself and Takehito seemed to irk her a bit, now it was all she could do not to giggle at them. The more she looked at the boy, the more she pictured what it might be like if he had been born with her lavender tresses rather than the common black of Takami's hair. In fact, it was getting harder and harder for her to keep her silence on her relationship with her tenant. Especially when he arrived back at the Izumo Inn covered in scratches and bruises after a confrontation with Karasuba of all people after all of his Sekirei minus Musubi were left beaten to one degree or another in the battle.
She still remembered the conversation she had with one of her other tenants two weeks prior to the battle.
*****
It had only been a matter of time before someone else besides Matsu noticed how Miya was observing her recently discovered stepson, given the varied Sekirei vying for the young man's attention. Needless to say, one the most worldly of them had picked up on it first. Then again, she had known Miya the longest.
"I thought you couldn't be winged, Miya," Kazehana said to her former commander some two weeks before the issue with Uzume had come to a head.
"What was that?" looking back from her clothesline to the sensual woman dressed in her usual purple mini dress.
"You've been looking at Mina-kun quite a bit lately. Far more than is proper for a married lady like yourself. I thought improper relations were discouraged at Izumo?" Kazehana commented with a shrewd look.
Miya's face remained neutral as she considered how to approach the coming conversation. After all, Kazehana would certainly have an opinion at the very least on the fact that Minato was not in fact Minaka's son. Still she had to compliment her former Disciplinary Squad subordinate on her timing. Minato was at cram school, Musubi and Tsukiumi were shopping, and Kagari had volunteered to take Kuu to an event to meet some cartoon character she liked since Minato was unavailable to do so. Only Matsu remained at the Inn and she was inside well away from the conversation in her room.
"You know better than that, Kazehana," Miya finally replied as she set her laundry down to give the other woman her full attention.
"Using my name instead of calling me "Public Obscenity?" This must be serious," Kakehana shot back with a cool gaze.
"More than you know, but I have no intention of trying to take your Ashikabi from you. Nor do I wish to join his flock," Miya assured her.
Kazehana studied her former commander intently for a moment before sighing as her posture relaxed. "Pity. If you were looking for a little private time yourself you might quit being so uptight and let the rest of us enjoy ourselves properly- OW!" The last exclamation came as she found her head being the target of the rod Miya used to beat the carpets clean.
"That kind of language is even less appropriate than you know, Public Obscenity. And you earned you title with the naked apron. And the sneaking into Minato's room. And yesterday in the bath," Miya reprimanded with an eerie smile.
"Care to tell me what caught your attention, then? Since it's just us girls here and the others are out?" Kazehana prodded as she rubbed her head and gave Miya a sidelong glace of curiosity.
"You may not like what you hear," Miya warned her after a moment of uncharacteristic hesitation.
"If it concerns the man in my life I'd rather know now than not and have it come back to hurt us later," Kazehana assured her.
Miya regarded Kazehana for a few moments before she finally sighed and responded, "We better go inside and get Matsu then, since she can verify what I have to say. We can all have a nice cup of tea as we talk this over."
"Hmm. Should I get hold of Mutsu and KArasuba as well? We could make it a reunion party," Kazehana commented with a wry smirk.
Miya's eyes were flinty as she responded, "As much as I would like to see Mutsu again someday I promised Karasuba that the next time she dared step foot in my home she would not leave in one piece. Do not even joke about her coming here."
"Fine, fine. It was just a suggestion. I'm not all that eager to see the lunatic either, you know," Kazehana assured her.
*/*/*/*/*
Kazehana looked deep in though as she contemplated what she had been told by her comrades a few minutes later. "You're sure?" she asked finally.
Matsu looked sympathetic as she responded, "I triple checked the data myself, Mina-tan is Takehito-sama's son, not Minaka's."
After another long pause, Kazehana looked to Miya and asked, "Want me to help hold down Takami for you?"
Miya smiled sadly as she replied, "I already talked to her about it."
"And she's still alive?" Kazehana asked with a look of wide-eyed shock.
"I can hardly fault her for something that took place a full two years before I married Takehito-kun. Besides, my stepson might be upset if I killed his mother in cold blood," Miya explained with a wry grin.
"That would make thing awkward here, wouldn't it?" Kazehana asked. "And I can't argue with the results. Without her, I wouldn't have my man, now would I?"
"Kazehana-tan, are you going to be alright?" Matsu asked with a worried look.
"I'll be fine, Matsu-chan," Kazehana assured her. "If anything, this is a bit of a relief. Part of me kept waiting for the other to shoe to drop with Minato. That he'd get bored with me and set me aside like... Him. But I've never known a man that was more loving and dedicated than Takehito was to you, Miya." she added with a teary smile.
"I can promise you, Kazehana, that Minato would never act like That Man, no matter who his parents were. There is too much love in him for that," Miya assured the Wind Sekirei.
Kazehana smiled gratefully as she responded, "Thank you, Mother-in-law." Ha, Miya wasn't the only one that could use frustratingly descriptive nicknames in this house.
Miya looked flabbergasted for a moment before her face settled into her usual smile and her Hannya mask appeared as he replied, "Oh my, I think it might be a bit premature to call me that. After all I see no ring and you have not invited me to any ceremony. Besides, I'm much too young to be a mother-in-law, don't you think?"
A tense of companionable silence settled around the trio once Miya felt Kazehana had been properly chastised and allowed her mask to dissipate. It was only broken when Kazehana asked, "When will you tell him?"
"What?" Miya asked, somewhat startled by the inquiry.
"Minato. He has a right to know about his family. And blood or not, you are family to him now. When are you going to tell him?" Kazehana asked.
"I... don't know. It is a difficult subject to approach," Miya admitted.
"Fair enough. Just don't wait too long. You know how dangerous life can be for anyone connected to the Sekirei Plan, Miya. Don't waste a chance to be closer to your family," Kazehana warned seriously. Her tone grew somewhat lighter, as she added, "Besides, you don't want the others getting the wrong idea. The panty-flasher is the jealous type and Kuu-chan knows where you sleep."
"Very funny," Miya spat with a sour grimace.
There was another lull in the conversation before Kazehana asked, "So... Miya. Will you be taking a more active role in Mina-kun's life now? It is your duty as his stepmother isn't it?"
"I... suppose that would be proper. Although he already makes the effort to do his fair share of the chores here and keep up with his studies. It only seems to be where the rest of you are involved where he shows... lapses in behavior," Miya responded with a stern look at her former compatriots (and the two most likely to accost her stepson in various states of undress wherever they could).
"Hmmm, good point. My man's studies are important so that he can provide properly for us in the future. Especially since he's not the heir to MBI like his little sister is," Kazehana mused with a teasing lilt as she tapped her right index finger over her bottom lip as if in contemplation.
"What are you getting at, Public Obscenity?" Miya asked with a feeling of trepidation growing in her gut.
"I'm just wondering how seriously you'll take your duties to Minato is all," Kazehana replied with a false tone of innocence.
"I will approach them with the same seriousness I do all of my duties, you know that," Miya replied primly.
"Good. So I take it you'll see to it he's not too stressed then? And that he will know what to do when the times comes for him to provide me with that ring and ceremony you mentioned? As a close older female relative it is traditional and proper for you to see to his needs so that he's not distracted from his studies, after all. And you won't let any of us help him no matter how hard we try," Kazehana added with a leer.
The wind mistress would later swear it was worth the mild concussion she received just for the memory of the look of shock and the cute blush that spread across Miya's nose as she realized what Kazehana had just implied.
*****
Miya shook her head as she pushed the memory of Kazehana's words to the back of her mind. All of her tenants needed her to help ten their injuries and get them to bed. She could not afford to be distracted right now.
Still a little voice in the back of her mind whispered to her as she took in the sight of Minato's injuries, *The life of an Ashikabi is dangerous. When will you tell him?*