Chapter Text
Headspace is kinder to him this time around.
Loving. Calm. Placid.
Akira wakes up fuzzy and safe, only to be doted on periodically throughout the day, and goes back to sleep feeling equally fuzzy and safe.
It’s hard to let go, even harder to tell himself it’s okay, but by the second day, all those worries take a backseat. He’s in good hands.
The adults have already swarmed. Akira thinks they might have a group chat too with how fast they came running. But he’s lucky to have them, and he’s grateful for the company.
Goro spends the first morning with him, as promised. Akira thinks he might be on his best behavior, though, because Papa keeps glaring at Goro from the corner of his eye.
Goro doesn’t like to do much. Nothing fancy at least. He doesn’t like to just plop Akira in front of the TV, so they spend a lot of their time together doing puzzles.
Big, thousand piece puzzles, spot the difference pictures, riddles. Some of the harder stuff isn’t exactly fun in this headspace, but it’s hard to ignore how proud Goro gets every time they solve something together. So he’ll let it slide.
That evening, it’s Ohya and Chihaya that keep him company, and he even gets to video call Lala-chan. He has to promise that Ohya isn’t being a bad influence, but even then, she acts like she doesn’t believe him!
Today, though, his morning starts a little more gently. He gets to sleep in, with Momo curled up against his cheek. Akira doesn’t intend to move him, so they doze for a little while longer. It’s easy with the clink and chatter from the café below, and Akira won’t get up until he absolutely has to.
And of course, that comes from Momo, gently nipping at his fingers and telling him what a big day they have ahead of them.
“C’mon, don’t you wanna go down and see everyone?” Morgana asks.
Akira pushes up into a sitting position and stretches, trying to push away the floaty, uncoordinated heaviness in his head before he attempts to go down stairs. He is kind of hungry. And it’s a given that he wants to see his family.
Momo grins, giving his ankle a friendly headbutt as he puts on his day clothes and heads downstairs.
Takemi waves him over. “There’s the little guy now.”
Yoshida grins at him. “Well, isn’t this a welcome surprise!”
“Uncle Tora!” Akira speeds over, throwing his arms around his uncle’s neck. “Hi hiiiii!”
“Well, hello there!” Yoshida hugs him right back. “I do hope you don’t mind me dropping by unannounced.”
“Not busy?” Akira asks. Yoshida is always busy—usually with speeches, but especially now that elections are so nearby.
“I always have time for a nice coffee—not to mention time with my favorite little one.” Yoshida chuckles. “I heard I missed the picnic.”
Akira pouts and nods.
“I should get going,” Takemi says, rising from her seat. She pats Akira’s head on her way by. “Tell your friends I said hi, okay?”
Akira nods, once again pleased to see his aunties and uncles getting along so well with his friends. He knew they would, though. They’re good grown-ups.
“He’s doing so much better,” Takemi says in a low voice. Good grown-ups are still silly sometimes, though, because they act like Akira can’t hear them when they talk like that.
“Tell me about it,” Sojiro responds. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this happy.”
“Well, it’s good to see. Same time tomorrow?”
“I’m counting on it.”
Takemi leaves after that. She keeps mentioning that they should all have a big picnic again, and he can only hope they’re planning for this coming Sunday. It would be a lot of work, he knows, and twice as difficult coordinating schedules, but if anyone could pull it off, it would be his aunties and uncles.
He glances over at the clock, and does a little bounce at seeing the time. School’s almost out, which means his friends will be here soon! He can’t wait to introduce them to Yoshida.
For the first time in a long time, things feel okay.
And he’ll hold onto that feeling for as long as he can.