The Parting Glass

"Whew." Lachlan sprawled back on the floor, his knuckles brushing the wall, and puffed a lock of hair out of his face.

"Are you tired, Onii-san?" A giggling face moved into view above him.

"Bushed." He closed his eyes. "Graduation knocked the stuffing out of me more than that blasted fight did."

"You're being dramatic, gaijin."

On his other side, Tobira giggled, poking him in the side. "Dramatic wolfie-chan."

"Oi." He cracked an eye open, poking the boy's nose in return. "Don't encourage them."

"Ah but Roku-kun, he has a point," a sage voice floated from the kitchen.

"That's right, gang up on me," he grumbled, fending off pokes from both sides now, careful not to retaliate too hard and paying for it. "Ow. You don't want me injured before I head off to defend you from the evil oni, do you?"

"You could always burn it off."

"Not a masochist." He waved a finger in the air. "Thought I told you that before."

There was one silent member of the table besides Eden who didn't join in on the giggles or Drake's quiet laugh. He lifted himself away from the poking, and planted a hand on Ariake's shoulder. "Stop moping."

"I'm not moping," the lad moped.

"Yes you are." He poked him in the neck, and the teen snapped away with a startled hiss, sending him a betrayed look. "No guilty feelings allowed at this dinner table. I've dropped mine, you drop yours."

"I would like to note that it was still a tie." Eden glaring at the lad the entire time probably hadn't helped. "If it weren't for our help, they wouldn't have made it to the target at all, Takanashi's backstabbing notwithstanding."

"That's not how the final points are tallied up, though." He patted Ariake's shoulder. "But Hirano'll do a good job out there, and we'll join him someday. Speaking of, when're you leaving?"

The lad shrugged. "They're giving us a week."

"And then Dawn's Sabre flies off into the Kaijan sunset." He leaned his arms on the low table. "Have to say, I'll be sad to see you go. Watch Hirano's back for us."

The lad swallowed, and nodded. "Hai. I will."

Almost sounded like he was getting emotional on them. Lachlan smiled, watching as he bowed deeply to the rest of the team, even Eden thawing slightly. Wouldn't have been right not having him at the dinner table. Better to leave on good terms like this.

"Is Dawn's Sabre the name of this Hirano's Samurai team?" Oji reappeared from dish duty in the kitchen, carrying a bottle of sake and a jug.

"That it is." He eyed the bottle. "Hope you're not planning to serve that to minors."

"Watered-down for the others, and you and I can drink to your team's health, Roku-kun." Oji sat down, pouring out bowls for each of them. "To Angel's Bolt!"

Eden sighed heavily, and Lachlan smirked, loudly repeating the cheer. Then he promptly bullied them all into a round of drinking songs.

"Not again," Ariake groaned, and Eden sighed heavily with him, "I have to agree, unfortunately."

"Up with you. C'mon." He grinned, singing out, "I drink a cup of sake—"

The children giggled and clapped along, their piping voices joining in from where they sat with their mother till he invited them in with a flourishing bow, skipping around the table to Drunken Sailor and The Wellerman, twirling Aiko on the top. Which promptly got them scolded by Oba, who unlike a bartender in Edo didn't tolerate feet scuffing her beautiful new furniture.

Thoroughly chastened, he bowed deeply, his apology graciously accepted.

"Are you going to sing your gaijin song again?" Ariake huffed, side-eyeing him as if he wasn't secretly a fan.

"Well, there're a few of those." He considered. "But, you know, I think I've got a good one that'd be fitting."

Unlike the others, it wasn't a rousing drinking song. More one meant for partings. Maybe a bit somber, but, looking around this little table and its people, it seemed appropriate.

They could all do with a little sincerity, after all.

 Clearing his throat, doing his best to translate it to Nihonjin, he started, "Of all the money that e'er I had, I spent it in good company...."

The warm light of the new house surrounded him, already filling with little pictures and stickers, the stairs no longer rickety, the guestroom upstairs empty. New friends and new family sang off-key in a land far away from the hills of his homeland, the scent of the sea mixing with the fading smell of dinner and sake. Maybe they were all a bit drunk, but it made it sound better.

"Of all the comrades that e'er I had
They're sorry for my goin' away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I had
They'd wish me one more day to stay..."

Aiko slipped her little hand into his, Tobira's in the other, both looking up at him with sad eyes. He smiled, squeezing back, prompting them into the final chorus.

"A man may drink and not be drunk
A man may fight and not be slain
A man may court a pretty girl
And perhaps be welcomed back again
But since it has so ought to be
By a time to rise and a time to fall
Come fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all."

It left a bittersweet quiet in its wake. Taking a deep breath, he patted Aiko's head, bowing to a quiet clap started up by Oba, her smile soft and warm. Oji wiped away dust or a tear, Ariake not looking much better.

He winked at them all. "Can't say sayonara without a tear or two."

"Shut up gaijin." Ariake stood, stepping forward, and for a second Lachlan thought he was about to be throttled. Till a slightly-drunk hug strangled him instead.

Well, smack him sideways. Ariake had a nostalgic bone in his body. He smiled, slapping him on the back and letting him pull away, the lad pointing a finger in his face. "When you get to Kaijan, come by."

He raised an eyebrow. "Or you'll pluck out my eyes?"

The lad snorted, flopping back down with a flap of his hand and picking up his sake bowl again. With half a laugh, Lachlan settled back, too, the children snuggling into his side.

And then the front door opened.

"Sorry I'm late." With a flash of fox tails, a familiar voice swept into the room, offering them all a sharp-toothed smile. "I just had to come by and let you know of the change of plans."

...What? Lachlan threw a glance at the rest of the shocked room, silent enough to hear a pin drop. "What're you doing here?"

"I couldn't mention it earlier, but I have a proposition for Angel's Bolt." She swept her eyes over them all, favouring Ariake with a smile. "Oh, it's good to see you here, too, Ari-chan. Don't tell, will you?"

"Tell... what?" Maybe he was a bit more tipsy than he'd thought.

Sly eyes met his. "That I'd like to steal you away for a special project. A Samurai team based in Nihon meant for assignments reaching beyond our little fourth corner. All over the world, even."

He glanced at Drake and Eden, both of them staring back at him. He could only assume they'd heard the same thing he had. "We're not being posted here?"

"Not unless you want to. You can refuse."

He spent a little too long trying to find words, Ariake jumping in with a punch to his shoulder and a glare. "You can't say no."

"I would accept," Eden put in, and Drake nodded back at him. "Sure."

Glancing at the children, he received two beaming smiles, Aiko practically bouncing. "You'll be just like the manga! Say yes!"

The vote seemed unanimous, then. Turning back to Kyubi, he smiled, raising his parting glass. "Well, why the hell not?"