Chapter 13 Attachmen (1/2)

Hinata wasn't dressed well enough to greet customers, so Akira attended to them on his behalf. When he checked himself in the small wall mirror above the Little Devil sewing machine, resetting his bun and yellow ribbon, and felt he was respectable, he joined Akira.

Mei and Yuri Sakamoto greeted him with a polite bow. Hinata felt awkward by Yuri's jerky movements and offered him a seat. Yuri abruptly declined with a scowl.

”I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend.” Hinata instantly apologised to the grumbling man who copped a whack to the back of his head from Mei.

”Onii-san! Dont be rude!” She scolded her brother and forced his head in an apologetic bow with her own. ”Sorry Chikafuji-san. He didn't mean to be rude.”

”No, no, please get up. It's okay. It's my fault for not being mindful.” Hinata politely countered their apologise with his own.

”So, what do you need?” Akira coolly got down to business.

Akira and Hinata held in their gasps when Yuri sat in the chair that was earlier offered to him and rolled up his pants that covered his fake foot, so they could see the clear damage that was done to it.

The supporting leather braces, holding the fake bottom part of his leg, was torn out of the pylons that represented Yuri's calf. The pylons were bent out of shape and the small strut block that acted as the ankle was absent, leaving the wooden block-foot dangling unsupported by a strip of leather. The attachment was virtually a write-off.

It looked like he had an accident that made him fall on his leg or use it to stop further damage to the rest of his body.

”Otōsan isn't good with these sort of fixes. So, I thought maybe you could fix up at least the leather braces,” Mei softly said with hope that Hinata would be able to do something.

Hinata knelt down to take a further look at the leg, which made Yuri flinch uncomfortably.

”You don't need to worry Sakamoto-san. I won't be bothered by this nor will I ever judge you.” Hinata looked up to firmly meet the man's sober brown eyes.

Yuri acknowledged Hinata's words with a nod.

”Can I remove it?” Hinata politely asked and received another nod from the man.

Yuri gulped awkwardly as he felt Hinata's gentle fingers remove the prosthetic, taking note of the man's harden expression and frown as he turned the fake limb over in his hands.

”Takaki's wife.” He thought as Hinata turned the broken attachment over in front of him.

Yuri's mind went back to the memory of when he found out Eiji's secret by accident. Their squad had been granted some R&R, having arrived to Pearl Harbor earlier than anticipated. There was a lot of partying and letting loose with soldiers from other countries, most who were American. Japan wasn't at war with them back then. Eiji had been having a pleasant English chat with an American man at a bar upon their arrival. Yuri went his own way.

He had made the most of the time by having a pretty woman to warm his bed and let him release his stresses from war with merry love making.

Eiji never took part of any of that sort of activity. Instead he had his drink and chats, shopped for a souvenir to bring home (he was always adamant he was returning home) and spent the remainder of the R&R night back at their bunk at the warship.

Yuri had returned early and stumbled upon Eiji in a moment of arousal and calling out a name he presumed was his lover's. He had waited awkwardly outside the sleeping cell for Eiji to finish. When he did, he was shocked to hear the bravest and stoic man he had ever known, crying and telling himself how much he missed his Hinata whom he had vowed to protect from other peoples' ill intentions.

Yuri was moved by Eiji's undying love for his partner that he revealed himself, stirring Eiji into a conversation with him. Eiji had blurted Hinata to be a man through his crying. At first Yuri was shocked and wary, but he quickly assessed that Eiji was honestly devoted to his lover and no one else. Especially when they had been bunk mates for so long and it was the first time learning his mate was gay.

”Takaki stayed devoted to you.” Yuri blurted without showing any remorse that he did.

This caused a thick silence to drop on everyone in the shop. Hinata paused, still holding the broken prosthetic in his hands.

Yuri stared at Akira, noticing the man's tight jaw and glare directed his way.

”I can help Onii-san back to our shop. If there's anything you can do.” Mei fumbled, with an apologetic voice.

”Go back to the shop yourself Mei. I'll wait here until the job is done.” Yuri cockily dismissed his sister.

”Onii-san!” Mei yelled at her brother then instantly apologised to Akira and Hinata for his rudeness.

Hinata sighed. ”Sure, wait here. I can't guarantee if I'll be able to do anything.”

”Run along now baby sister.” Yuri smugly dismissed his sister who was fuming with rage directed towards him.

She controlled her anger with a sigh and low bow to Hinata and Akira, then left the shop.

”Yuri-san, come on, spit out what you want to say to us.” Akira coolly challenged the man.

Yuri leaned back in the chair and stared Akira hard in the eye when he said, ”This man is not yours.”

Finishing his declaration with a finger pointed at Hinata and dropping it with a condescending wag.