Chapter Text
In your experience, the majority of the guard never went through the junior training program. (You know you didn’t.) It’s not that the program is useless – it gets the kids used to wearing the uniform, to the general culture of the guard, to the rigorous physical exercise the job entails – but it’s seen by most as an apprenticeship for kids whose families have a history of guard membership. You’re certainly not alone in deciding the guard was right for you after you were already an adult.
You look at the paperwork in front of you. Joseph Rothart, it says. Well, this certainly isn’t an exception. You’ve been reporting to the kid’s mom since you joined the guard yourself. Naturally, he’s apprenticed to her. You smile. He’s in good hands.
You meet him the next day. It’s not the first time he’s been to the station, but you can see his uniform is brand-new. He’s nervously smoothing the long sleeves of the undershirt as his mom escorts him around the building to introduce him to everyone. He’s a short kid, eager through the shyness. His familiar’s a tiny thing – it actually takes you a few seconds to notice the wide-eyed hamster perched on his shoulder.
“Congratulations, cadet,” you say as you shake his hand.
“Uh, thanks, Officer Soga…”
You laugh, sitting on the edge of your desk.
“Easy, kid. I’m not any scarier than my boss.”
You gesture to his mom, who looks about as threatening as a marshmallow. He glances disbelievingly between the two of you. He’s not the first cadet to react like that – you’re not sure what it is about you, really. Still, you can tell you haven’t completely lightened the mood.
“Hey, we match.”
You point at his earrings. This gets him to laugh, when he gets a look at yours.
“Thanks, they’re new.”
There’s not much more to say, and you exchange some more small talk with your boss before the two of them sweep out of your office.
“Aww, he’s so small!”
“Hey, little guy, what’s your name?”
“He’s so cute…”
The fast track to popularity, apparently, is to bring in a baby. You expected Seiji to start crying at all the commotion, but he’s surprisingly calm, his dark eyes wide as every guard in the room gathers around you, reaching out to squeeze his tiny feet or press their fingers against his palms.
Eventually the guards disperse, the responsibility of their work outshining the charm of your son. Soon, there’s only one other person standing seemingly transfixed: Joe Rothart, in his brand-new real uniform, staring at you like the boy in your arms is the only thing in the world.
“… Can I hold him?”
You laugh quietly. No wonder he waited until everyone else was gone – if it was everyone asking, you’d have to turn them down, but one gentle kid, barely an adult, is perfectly manageable. You nod and he steps closer, holding out his arms.
“Careful with his head,” you remind him, but he clearly knows how to hold a baby. He cradles Seiji in his arms, looking down with the most paternal expression you’ve seen on a teenager. After a couple of seconds, you think he might start crying.
“Are you all right?”
He looks up, a little embarrassed.
“Huh? Oh, I just… really love kids. I have a baby sister, but she’s seven now… her magic came in a couple months ago. I’ve got an older sister, too, and she’s married. I hope I can spend time with the kids.”
You nod, watching your son. He grasps Joe’s finger when he presses it into his palm, looking up at his face, but after a few seconds turns his head to see you. Seemingly realizing you’re not holding him, he begins to cry. Joe looks panicked as he hands him back over.
“Sorry, I –”
“It’s okay, Joe. He’s a baby.”
You hold him against your chest, gently bouncing him until he’s calm. Joe’s still standing there, looking like he wishes he could still hold him.
“Hey, uh… can I babysit him sometime? Ma’am?”
“We’ll see.”
“Officer Soga! Uh, ma’am.”
You turn around, one arm already in your coat. Joe Rothart is at the door to your office, looking more nervous than you’ve seen him in months. You smile a little indulgently, donning your jacket the rest of the way while you wait for him to continue. It’s probably a personal thing – he adjusted to talking normally about work pretty quickly, but in the new context he’s suddenly reminded that he doesn’t know you that well.
When he doesn’t say anything by the time your bag is in your hand, you nod at him expectantly.
“My oldest sister had her baby,” he says, bouncing a little. “And, um, it’s not really a party, but she’s feeling well enough to stand up, and she says if anyone wants to invite friends to meet the baby, she’ll be at my mom’s house tonight, and…”
You’re a little surprised, to tell the truth. Joe’s friendly to you, of course, but he’s just a sweet person in general. (He’s still a kid, really, only twenty-one, but you don’t make a habit of referring to your coworkers as kids.) You hadn’t considered he might want to get to know you better or even already consider you a friend.
“I can go. Why are you inviting me, out of curiosity?”
“Well, you’re good with kids, and really cool, and…”
You laugh.
“Just because I have a kid doesn’t mean I’ll be good with every kid.”
He looks so disappointed, like he’s somehow forgotten you already agreed to go, and it’s hard not to laugh. Instead, you cross the room and pat him on the shoulder.
“It’s okay, Joe. I can visit your niece, but I’ll need to pick up my son, first. My neighbor is expecting me soon, and I don’t want to make a habit of keeping her waiting.”
“Oh! I can come along.”
You laugh. Normally you’d teleport, but it won’t kill anyone to take a few extra minutes. Besides, he seems eager to spend some time with you off the clock. You turn off the light, following Joe out of the guard station.
“How’s Seiji doing?” he asks, about a minute after you’ve left. You and your familiar both laugh.
“He’s… three.”
“Ha, yeah, when Yvette was three she was so loud. Well, she’s still kind of loud…”
His voice is fond, and you smile.
“So, why isn’t, uh…”
You gesture your hand, trying to remember the name of the boy you’ve seen stop by the guard station to visit Joe a few times.
“Erik? He’s… busy tonight.”
You look over sympathetically. He looks as disappointed as he sounds.
“He doesn’t like kids as much as you, does he?”
“I wouldn’t say that… but I don’t think he really gets how important family is to me.”
You nod.
“Well, if he doesn’t pull his head out of his ass, I’m sure you’ll find someone who values the same things you do.”
Joe makes a startled noise, laughing helplessly.
“Officer Soga!” he splutters.
“Please, Joe. If we’re talking about boy troubles, call me Rin.”
He’s still laughing when you reach your neighbor’s house.
As soon as your tired neighbor opens the door, you can hear your son running to see you. He trips over his own feet, rights himself, and keeps running until he can grab onto your leg. His eyes are shiny, like he’s on the verge of a tantrum. Or like he just threw one.
“MOM! You’re late. Who’s that?”
You pick him up, making an apologetic face to your neighbor. She shrugs.
“Aw, don’t you remember Joe from Mommy’s work?”
He unburies his face from your shoulder long enough to squint at Joe, then shakes his head.
“It’s okay, Seiji, I remember you!”
Joe’s got a goofy grin as he gently taps Seiji on the nose. The toddler blinks, then rests his head back on your shoulder again. As soon as your neighbor’s kid hands you Seiji’s bag, you and Joe head off.
Your son, of course, notices right away, tugging on your collar.
“You goed the wrong way.”
“Went, honey, and we’re going to visit Joe’s house for a few minutes.”
“How come?”
“Joe’s sister had a baby. Would you like to see a baby?”
“I wanna go home.”
You sigh, bouncing him gently on your hip.
“We won’t be long. Do you wanna walk with us or take a nap until it’s time to go home?”
“’M not sleepy.”
He’s asleep in less than a minute. Joe continues to coo quietly over him all the way to his house. It’s charming, really. Not hard to picture him as a dad – a few years from now, of course. He seems more parental than you were at that age, but he’s still so young.
When you reach the Rotharts’ house, Joe’s brother-in-law opens the door. Joe happily introduces you to his family: his parents, Yvette, his older sister and her husband, and little January. Being a baby, she doesn’t do much, but Joe’s enthralled nonetheless. When her mother passes her into his arms, he holds her. From the look on his face, you’d assume she was his.
She yawns, squeezing her eyes tight and craning her head as much as her young neck muscles will allow, and you hear a sniffle from Joe. You glance up. Sure enough, he’s beaming down at his niece with tears in his eyes. What a softhearted guy.
There’s not much more for you here – the Rotharts (and Singhs) aren’t really your friends except for Joe and his mother. You wish everyone a good night just as Seiji starts to wake up. Once you’re out the door, you teleport home.