An Innocent Misunderstanding (Patreon)

This is a cute side story featuring little MC, little Ash, and a guest appearance by little Rin. In this side story, I will use a gender-neutral name for MC ("Sasha") because I think it sounds better than just making everyone call them "MC" every time. Meanwhile, Ash's gender will be set to male and Rin to female for this side story.

It is a cold winter afternoon and also the first day of snow. You, Ash, and Rin are all chilling and hanging out with each other in the playground area of the Central Park in downtown Elysium City. Your dad and Rin’s dad, Takashi Aikawa, are sitting on a bench a few feet away, conversing with each other while occasionally watching over the three of you—well, more like only you and Ash—playing.

You bend down to scoop up a fistful of fresh snow and start rolling it in between your little palms, trying to form a snowball quickly before Ash finishes his. The cold from the snow starts to seep through your already damp wool gloves, but you pay it no mind, too lost in giddiness. You glance at Ash and see that he’s still concentrating on forming a decent and solid snowball, his tongue stuck out in concentration. He is having a bit of a hard time because the snow keeps melting quickly in his hands. Well, a downside to being a pyrokinetic, you guess.

“Hey, Ash!” you call out to him, and predictably, he turns around with a confused expression, which is soon covered with sprinkles of white powder as you throw the snowball you just made. He yells out in surprise and you can’t help but double over giggling. It soon turns into a loud yelp as a wet snow—no, this is not a snowball; this is a snow slushie. The abomination of a snowball that Ash made splats wetly on the upper part of your face and head and you shake your head vigorously to get it off. You use your gloved hand to wipe out the remnants.

“Okay, I totally deserve that,” you giggle before turning to Rin, who is sitting elegantly on a swing and reading a picture book stabilized on her lap; her whole outfit is still as neat and prim as when she first arrived here with her dad. “Hey, Rin! C’mon and join us! A snowball fight will even be more fun with three people! You can join my team if you want!” you call out to her, ignoring a protest from Ash about being unfair.

She glances up from her book and raises an eyebrow at you. “You know what’s not fun? Catching a cold from wet clothes,” she says flatly before gesturing at you with a dainty hand. “Look at you, you’re shivering from the cold.”

Wait, I am? You look down to see that your hands are indeed trembling a bit and you can’t feel the tips of your fingers even inside the gloves. Suddenly, a gust of wind passes through and it just heightens the chill you feel. You begin to quake in your damp clothing and your teeth clatter as you rub your upper arms futilely to stave off the chill. You try to bring your scarf higher, but it has also become damp and only worsens the cold, so you drag it back down.

Ash seems to notice your predicament and saunters over to you. “Hey, are you okay, Sasha?” he asks worriedly. “Let’s get you seated there.” He guides you carefully to an empty swing beside Rin. You sit down carefully, still shaking in your boots. Rin looks over at you and Ash. You can practically see her about to say something annoying, like, “I told you so.”

“Don’t say it, please,” you groan. Ash takes off his gloves before moving to yours, gently taking them off and you let him; they are wet and won’t do you any good right now. He gingerly takes both of your hands and envelops them in his larger ones. Almost instantly, you can feel the tips of your fingers again and the shivering subsiding. You can’t help but sigh in contentment.

Ash seems satisfied with your reaction and increases the heat in his hands a bit more. “Is this okay?” he asks softly, his cheeks a bit red. Huh, must’ve been from the cold. You can only nod as you feel the warmth in your hands start to radiate to other parts of your body as well.

The moment is broken when Rin speaks up again from beside you, “How sweet. Why don’t you just hug them, Ash? I bet it’ll get the warmth more equally than only concentrating the heat on their hands.” A hint of amusement in her tinkling voice.

Ash sends her a stink-eye. “What do you know about the optimal way to spread heat anyway, smarty-pants?” You ignore their little bickering, too absorbed in feeling the warmth. Somehow, they always manage to find something trivial to disagree on.

Rin just stares at him, unimpressed, before snapping the open book on her lap shut. “More than you, apparently, despite you being a pyrokinetic and a few years older than me. Also, I’m wearing a skirt, not a pair of pants, so your little insult doesn’t even make sense,” she helpfully points out Ash’s logical fallacy.

“Why you…” Ash growls out, starting to move his hands, but you whine in protest and he immediately snaps back to you. He ignores Rin and focuses on warming you up.

“You know,” Rin starts. “My father told me that holding someone’s hands for such a long time can get the person whose hands you’re holding pregnant.”

“W—What?” Ash sputters out but hasn’t released your hands yet.

You turn to glance at Rin to see whether this is another occasional joke coming from her. Her face is deadly serious as she stares at both you and Ash flatly. “You’re kidding, right?” you scoff out in disbelief. “My dad always holds my hand when we’re walking down the street. I’ve seen your dad doing the same for you too! And we’re both not pregnant!” you explain, feeling a bit triumphant to be showing the cracks in her statement. Ash nods his head, making a noise of agreement.

Rin rolls her eyes. “Of course, it won’t work between family members, silly.” She glances around the park before perking up a bit. “You see that couple over there?” She points and both you and Ash turn your heads to follow. On another bench, beside the one where your dad and Rin’s dad are still talking, you see a couple. A man is holding a woman’s hands in between his own, almost similar to how Ash is holding yours right now. And there’s a visible bump on the woman’s belly.

You frown. “Okay… I can see that the woman is pregnant, but how can you be so sure that it’s because they’re holding hands?” you challenge her.

“How can you know that it’s not?” she counters back.

“Hey! Sasha asked first!” Ash comes to your defense, pursing his lips.

But before the argument can continue even further, you catch sight of your dad and Takashi walking over. Your dad’s brows are furrowed as he sees you being warmed up by Ash and he quickens his pace, covering the distance in just a few long strides. Ash steps away from you politely, and already, your hands feel colder again.

“Sasha! Are you okay, baby?” he asks you as he crouches down in front of you. He takes off his gloves and touches your cheek with his bare hands. “Oh my God, you’re so cold! Here take this.”

He unfurls his scarf from around his neck, removes your damp and cold one, and starts to put his scarf on you; it’s so big on you that he has to circle it around your neck multiple times so it won’t get dragged on the ground. You feel warmer already as you bury your face into the warm and comfy material.

“Remind me to bring extra gloves and scarf if we go to the park next time,” he mutters softly more to himself as he brings you in his strong arms, and lifts you up; you instinctively hug him and you can feel his low chuckle rumbling through his chest.

You see Takashi looking at your dad with a fond but also sad smile, before snapping out of his melancholy and turning to Rin, who is just getting off the swing, brushing some powdery snow off her overcoat. He grins mischievously as he steps over to Rin.

“C’mon Rin, let me carry you like that as well!” He opens his arms wide in an inviting manner.

“No need, Dad. I can walk on my—” She yelps in surprise as Takashi takes her in his arms and hoists her up, her soft, embarrassed protests drowned out by Takashi’s boisterous laughter.

“You’ll have plenty of time to walk on your own once you’re all grown up and I can’t carry you like this anymore,” he says more softly this time. Rin deflates and hugs her dad instead.

Your dad shifts you so he can carry you comfortably in one arm before turning towards Ash and beckoning him closer. Ash does so and your dad takes his hand in his. “Okay, it’s time to go home, kids. I think that’s enough excitement for one day.”

All of you start walking towards where your cars are parked. Once you reach there, your dad turns to Takashi and sends him a genuine smile. “It’s been nice catching up with you, Takashi.”

Takashi chuckles sheepishly. “Well, I enjoyed it too, Viktor. And anytime you want to meet up again, just give me a call and I’ll be there.” He fidgets a bit nervously.

“Sure thing! I’ll see you later,” your dad answers casually.

“Bye-bye, Rin!” you call out, sending an enthusiastic wave her way, your little arm flailing wildly.

“Rin, c’mon, say goodbye to Sasha and Ash!” Takashi nudges the little girl.

Rin turns to face you and gives a little wave. “Bye, Sasha, Ash,” she says calmly.

“Bye, Viktor! If you see Luka, tell him that I’ve been looking for him.”

“Will do,” your dad replies while circling around the car to get to the passenger side.

Takashi walks away with Rin in his arms towards his own car. Your attention is brought away from their retreating backs as your dad opens the door and puts you in the front passenger seat, clicking on the seatbelt securely, before closing the door.

He circles back to the driver’s side. You hear the passenger door open and Ash gets in the back seat. Your dad gets in the driver’s seat and sighs before starting the car. He adjusts the car heater and soon the whole car is pleasantly warm before he finally drives off.

“Hey Ash, your mom is still busy with her… uh… job. I hope you don’t mind staying another night with me and Sasha,” your dad says to Ash, glancing at him through the rearview mirror for a second before focusing back on the road.

You perk up a bit, turning back to Ash and flashing him a mischievous grin. Maybe both of you can start playing the game that Uncle Luka bought for you a few weeks ago.

Ash returns your grin with his own and gives you a thumbs up. “Of course, Uncle Viktor!” he answers cheerfully and eagerly.

Your dad chuckles at both of your antics, casually tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. You turn back to look out the side window, looking at the various building fronts and cars passing by and the grey cloudy winter sky. It’s almost hypnotizing and mixed with the cozy warmth of the car, you soon fall asleep.

The next thing you’re aware of is that you’re once again being carried by your dad. He seems to feel you stir and he nudges you lightly. You whine in protest. “C’mon, baby. We’re here.”

You open your eyes hesitantly and see that you’re in the familiar elevator of your apartment building. You turn and see Ash standing beside your dad, still rubbing his eyes blearily. Seems like you’re not the only one tuckered out.

The elevator stops as a ding rings out and all of you step out and walk toward your apartment unit. Your dad reaches into his overcoat pocket to rummage around for the keys and you cling to him more tightly, even though you are confident that he won’t drop you ever. He unlocks the front door and steps inside, Ash following suit, getting out of his winter boots at the entrance hallway.

“Oh, finally, you’re home. What took you so long?” You hear Uncle Luka calling out from the kitchen area. He steps into view, holding a can of soda in one hand. “Wow. What happened to them? They look like they just woke up from hibernating,” he says flatly, gesturing at both you and Ash. You fidget in your dad’s arm and he puts you down on your feet gently. You quickly get out of your winter boots, discarding them aside carelessly before you run on your little feet.

“Uncle Luka!” you squeal out as you crash into his feet at high speed, but he doesn’t even budge.

“Hey, kiddo! So, what fun things did you do with Ash today, huh?” He gives you a hug with his free hand before ruffling your hair.

But, before you can answer, your dad calls out to you. “Sasha! Come back here. You’re still wearing your damp overcoat.”

Your uncle lets you out of his hug, and you run back to your dad just as Ash walks over to Uncle Luka. You hear Ash starts telling him about the adventures you had with him earlier today. Your dad begins to help you get out of the scarf and outerwear layers. “You’re staying for dinner, Luka?” your dad asks his little brother.

“Yeah, I hope you don’t mind. I have nothing else better to do right now, anyway.”

“Sure. In fact, it’s good that you’re here. Can you watch over Sasha and Ash for a while? I need to buy some groceries and get some dinner.” Your dad finishes up taking off all your dirty clothes. You’re left in your sweater and jeans. Your dad turns to you. “Sasha, you and Ash go take a shower and get ready for dinner, alright?” You nod before walking to your room and Ash tagging behind you.

“Oh, also, Takashi told me to let you know that he’s been looking for you, by the way.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m just giving him some time to meet you first. I know how badly he… misses you, I guess,” Uncle Luka shrugs, before taking a chug of his soda.

You and Ash enter your little bedroom, leaving your dad and your uncle to their conversation. It’s pretty cozy and your dad often helps you put up various video games and comic book posters on the walls. The both of you talk for a few minutes before finally, he asks, “So… You wanna take a shower first or…?”

You tap your chin, contemplating it for a second before making a decision. “Nah. You can go first. I’m starving, I wanna go eat some snacks first before Dad gets home.” You grin mischievously.

Ash chuckles. “Alright. Save some for me, okay?” He gets up from sitting on your floor and pats your back before moving towards your bathroom. You decide to step out of your room and start going to the kitchen area. Uncle Luka is sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter, absorbed with whatever he’s reading on his phone. You scan the counter, looking for the jars of cookies that you baked with your dad a few days ago. Ah! There they are. You get on your tiptoe, straining to grab the jar, but can’t reach them. They are put deep on the counter against the wall, meanwhile, your head even barely reaches over the counter.

You make a noise of frustration, which catches Uncle Luka’s attention. “Hey, what are you doing, Sasha?”

You turn to him. “I want the cookies,” you whine, pointing at the cookie jars.

“Well, are you sure your dad is gonna be okay about you eating cookies before dinner?” He raises an eyebrow.

You pout and put on your best puppy eyes. “Please, Uncle Luka. I’m starving. I’ll give you one too!”

Your uncle is silent for a moment. “Are you really bribing me right now?” he tuts out playfully before finally caving in and groaning in defeat. “Ugh, fine. As long as I get one too, I guess. Why are you so cute?” He mutters the last sentence softly under his breath as he gets off the stool and gets beside you. “Now, which one do you want?”

“The sugar cookies one!” you squeal excitedly, jumping up and down. “Can I have a glass of milk too?”

“Well, milk is supposed to help make you grow tall, right? I think it’s alright for you to have it then.” He hands you the heavy cookie jar, and you carry it in both arms, dashing to the dining chair, and putting the jar on the floor before you get on the dining chair. Your uncle gets a glass, opens the fridge, grabs the milk, and pours it in the glass for you. He then walks over to the dining table, takes the cookie jar, and sets it and the milk on the table in front of you.

You waste no time digging into the jar, trying to pick one of the ones that you decorated yourself. There it is! It’s in the shape of a Christmas tree. You dip it in the milk. Your uncle grabs one as well, inspecting it in his hand before showing it to you. “What is this supposed to be?”

You glance over at the cookie in his hand and cock your head in thought. “I think it’s supposed to be Santa. It’s not the one I decorated, it’s Dad’s. This one’s mine!” You show the Christmas tree cookie in your hand to Uncle Luka; there’s only a bite taken out of it, otherwise, it’s still intact.

“Huh. It’s actually better than the one your dad made,” he chuckles amusedly, before taking a bite. “Hmm… Tastes good though. Still can’t believe Viktor actually baked these.”

“Ash and I also helped! But it was mostly Dad, though,” you say with your mouth full, finishing the delicious cookie in your hand before downing your glass of milk. “We also made the classic chocolate chip ones!” You point at the other jar on the counter.

Your uncle nods absently. “Very impressive.” But before the conversation can continue, Ash steps out of your room, letting you know that it’s your turn to take a shower now.

“Go on now, kiddo. I’ll clean these up before your dad gets home.” You say thanks to him as you hop down from the dining chair and pass by Ash. You rummage through your cupboard and you smile widely as you pull out your favorite long-sleeved pajama with its matching pair of pants. The last time you wore them was last Christmas. You enter the bathroom and start to take a shower, the hot water hitting your skin pleasantly.

When you finally step out of the shower, the mirrors have fogged over. You clear the full-body one that your dad set up there for you. You grab the pajama pants and put them on. Huh, it’s a bit tight around the waist. You don’t remember it being like this the last time you wore it. You check yourself thoroughly in the mirror and for the first time, you notice a visible bump in your stomach area.

You freeze. Your mind goes back to the warning that Rin told you earlier in the park, about how people can get pregnant from holding hands but you and Ash had waved off her worry. But maybe she’s right… Rin is a really smart kid and she did say that it was her father who told her that. And her father is an adult who surely knows more stuff than you or Rin or Ash. You quickly put on the rest of your pajama outfit before dashing out of the bathroom, your heart pounding in your chest.

Thankfully, Ash is there, chilling on your bed, reading a comic book. “Ash! We have an emergency!” you whisper-shout at him. That catches his attention immediately and he snaps to his feet. And in a few seconds, he’s standing before you, brows furrowed in worry. “You know what Rin said earlier? About holding hands stuff? I think she might be right.”

“What? There’s no way… right?”

You pull up the hem of your pajama a bit, showing your stomach. You point at it. “I’m pretty sure the bump was not there, alright? I just know it!” You can feel panic leaking into your voice. It seems to infect Ash as well and he pulls on his still damp copper hair. “What should we do, Ash?” You feel yourself tearing up.

Ash immediately hugs you and tries to calm you down, trying to be the anchor that you can cling to and depend on. “Hey, it’s okay, Sasha. Don’t be scared. I promise I’ll be there for you and I won’t leave you ever. We just gotta tell our parents about it.” He actually sounds amazingly calm. He pulls away from you and you can see the serious determination in his green eyes, and a blush spreading on his cheeks. “Let’s start with Uncle Luka first.” You can only nod and follow him to the hallway.

Uncle Luka is sprawled on the couch this time, watching TV and browsing the different channels idly. Ash takes a deep breath beside you as he steels himself before approaching Uncle Luka. “Uncle Luka, I gotta tell you something,” he begins. Uncle Luka looks up at him, giving him all of his attention, hearing the serious tone in Ash’s voice.

“What’s wrong?”

“Please, promise me that you won’t get angry at Sasha. It’s totally my fault and I’ll take responsibility.”

“Okay, what did you guys break this time?” he sighs.

“It’s not that… I think I might’ve accidentally got Sasha pregnant… I held their hands today at the park, even though Rin had warned us…”

Uncle Luka stares at the both of you, speechless and flabbergasted. You don’t think you’ve seen him looking like that before.

“But I promise that I’ll take responsibility. I’ll take care and will never leave Sasha, ever. So, don’t worry,” Ash continues sincerely.

“What the…” you see his mouth twitch before he regains his emotions and the seriousness is back on his face. “Let’s wait for your dad to get back home to talk more about it. Don’t worry too much about it for now, okay?” He pulls out his phone and starts typing on it furiously. You and Ash sit on the couch beside him anxiously. Ash takes your hand in his in silent support, as if to say, “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Not even half an hour later, you hear the front door unlocking and your dad stomps in through, dropping the bags of groceries in the entrance hallway. “What’s the emergency?! Are Sasha and Ash okay?!” His eyes stop at the both of you sitting on the couch stiffly. He strides over and crouches in front of you. “What’s wrong, baby?”

Luka nudges Ash. “Go on, Ash. Tell him what you told me. He would understand.”

“Understand what?” Your dad looks between Uncle Luka and Ash in confusion.

“Uncle Viktor, please don’t get angry at Sasha for this. This is totally my fault and I’ll take full responsibility for this.” He steels himself. “I held Sasha’s hands today in the park to help warm them up and I think that might’ve accidentally got Sasha pregnant. Rin had warned us but I didn’t listen.” He hangs his head in shame. “I’m sorry Uncle Viktor, but I promise I’ll take care of Sasha and will never leave them ever,” he says determinedly.

“W—What?” your dad looks shocked. You hear Uncle Luka starts to snicker beside you before he can’t hold it in anymore and he cackles as he doubles over.

Your dad takes his head in one hand. “Ash, don’t worry, you didn’t get Sasha pregnant just from holding hands. It—It doesn’t work that way, okay?”

“B—but Rin said that her father said—” you start.

Your dad starts to also chuckle and shakes his head lightly. “Either Rin lied to you or Takashi lied to Rin. But it doesn’t work that way. Trust me.” And then under his breath, he mutters, “That idiot, Takashi…” You hear no bite in those words, though. And it’s proven right from your dad’s exasperated smile.

“S—so, why do I have a bump on my stomach that wasn’t there before?” you ask your dad, still confused about the last piece of the puzzle.

“It seems like I might need to cut back a little on baking you too many cookies and making hot chocolate for you almost every night.” Your dad smiles fondly and pinches your cheek lightly before turning to Uncle Luka with a stern expression. “This is the emergency you told me about, Luka? You could’ve cleared up the misunderstanding!”

Your uncle’s laughter has died down into mere chuckles now. “Well, but then, you would miss this priceless moment.”

“You knew about this, Uncle Luka?!” you gasp before sending him some hits with your little fists.

“Ow, ow. I’m sorry, Sasha, Ash. But the two of you are just too adorable and gullible. I can’t help myself.” A mischievous grin is still gracing his lips.

Your dad turns to the still reeling Ash and pats his head fondly. “But thank you, Ash, for being such a gentleman and wanting to take responsibility and take care of Sasha.”

Ash relaxes and the tension leaves his body. “Uh… Of course, Uncle Viktor.” He blushes even more.

“Well, Luka, because of your little stunt, I didn’t even have time to buy dinner. So, you better not complain about ordering takeouts this time,” your dad sighs, getting up.

“Sure… What do you guys usually order anyway? I’m craving some Chinese food right now, to be honest.” He also stands up, following your dad.

“Your right to choose which takeout to order has been revoked. Sasha and Ash can choose which one they want for dinner,” your dad says with mocking seriousness, tutting at Uncle Luka. Both you and Ash perk up at that and soon, you start talking about what to order and all the other things that the both of you will do tonight, the little misunderstanding already left behind you.