Chapter Text
"Shimazaki-nii, can you sign this paper for me?"
Shou's voice came from nowhere, startling Shimazaki. He'd had his head turned downwards, fingers running along the braille of his newest book. There'd been no sound of Shou opening the penthouse apartment's door, nor of him closing it.
"When did you get here?" he asked, closing the book and lifting his head. Shimazaki opened his eyes lazily, focusing on Shou's wavering, translucent aura. He hadn't quite leant into his psychic powers yet, but he was getting there. "I didn't hear you come in."
There was the thump of his school bag, dropped next to the floating island in the kitchen by the front door. "I was being sneaky. Dad says I should practice," Shou answered. "Where's Micchi and Ha-chan?"
Shimazaki snorted a laugh at the nicknames. Shou had chosen them when he had first learned how to speak, and despite the fact he was almost six, he hadn't updated them yet. "Minegishi's on the roof tending to his plants, and Hatori is in his room." Leaning forward, Shimazaki put a hand beside his mouth and spoke in a faked whisper. "I think he's downloading anime."
Shou's eyes lit up, although Shimazaki couldn't see. "Wow... can we watch them tonight?"
"I don't see why not." There was a smile on his lips as he answered. Ever since Touichirou had bought out the top floor of one of Tokyo's richest and most stylish apartment complexes and turned it into one big penthouse apartment, Shimazaki had been forced to live there alongside Minegishi and Hatori. At first there'd been tension between them all at the forced relocation, but now they all found themselves comfortable and content sharing a space together, like roommates who occasionally committed morally dubious crimes together.
He'd lost his train of thought with the mention of Minegishi and Hatori, but Shou's initial question still sat at the front of his mind. "Wait. What am I signing?"
It seemed like Shou had forgotten his thought too, because it took a moment for him to answer. "Um... oh! It's a permission slip, so I can go on a trip tomorrow. I need a parent or guardian to sign it."
Shimazaki looked at Shou, now standing directly in front of him. He was holding out one hand, fingers curled as if they were holding something, but Shimazaki couldn't tell what. Gingerly, he reached out, taking what felt like a small sheet of paper, running his fingers along it.
No braille. Damn.
"Can't your Dad sign this for you?" Shimazaki asked, flicking the corners of the small paper in boredom. "Or your Mom?"
Shou shook his head, aura gently dampening, drawing closer to him. "Dad's busy until tonight, and Mom doesn't live nearby. The trip is tomorrow, and I forgot to get it signed so..."
The silence that followed whittled away at Shimazaki. True, he'd been named as one of Shou's legal guardians on the school paperwork, alongside Hatori and Minegishi, but it didn't mean he was meant to be sending Shou on field trips and-
"Please, Shima-nii?"
His will broke with a sigh, whole body slumping. "Bring me a pen," he said.
Shou pressed a pen into Shimazaki's hand, pushing the small coffee table closer so the man could lean forward and write without a problem.
"The line is here," Shou said, taking Shimazaki's free hand and dragging it across a small part of the paper. He let go, watching as Shimazaki mapped out the small space for a moment before bringing his pen forward. His handwriting was surprisingly nice, considering he had no idea where exactly to put the strokes. His name had some small strokes, yet he wrote them almost perfectly. "Wow."
"Impressed?" Shimazaki turned to him with a smile, handing back the permission slip. "I worked really hard to learn that."
"It looks amazing! Thank you Shima-nii!" Shou launched himself at Shimazaki, and the man caught him, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. "You're the best."
A laugh escaped him. "Don't let Minegishi hear you say that," he answered playfully, pulling away from the hug to ruffle Shou's hair. "He likes being the best older-brother-uncle figure."
Shou placed a finger on his lips, laughing softly as he ran off to get his bag and retreat to the part of the top floor that had been deemed his.
"You know, you could have just taken him to see his Mom."
Minegishi's voice made Shimazaki jump, turning his head to the right. He could sense Minegishi's gently curling green aura, coming down the stairs leading to the roof. "We have her address."
Shimazaki stood, grabbing his book and letting his fingers settle into place over the bumps as he moved towards Minegishi. "But he said 'please', and you know I can't refuse." A cocky smile rested on his lips, and Minegishi sighed. "You would have signed it too, don't lie."
"True," Minegishi answered, stopping at the base of the stairs to tend to a pot plant. "But I also would have put up more of a fight."
"I can't have Shou-Shou crying. Do you know what that would do to me?"
"Jack and Shit," Minegishi answered, words short and sharp. "You laughed when he fell off his bike."
Shimazaki's shoulders dropped. "It was funny, okay?"
Minegishi sighed, rubbing at his face with both hands. "It wasn't, because you weren't the one who had to clean it up. You're blind as anything, and Hatori faints at the sight of blood."
"I do not!" came Hatori's voice from the other side of the building, echoing across the space. "I just don't like it."
An annoyed sigh left Minegishi's mouth. "Did he even tell you where he was going?"
Shimazaki shook his head, earning an even more annoyed sigh, along with a grumble. "I hope it's nothing bad."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Shimazaki assured, placing a hand on Minegishi's shoulder as he walked past him. "Don't stress so much, Micchi!"
"Don't call me Micchi!" Minegishi's voice cracked as he turned to throw a punch at Shimazaki, only hitting open air. On the furthest side of the building, he could hear Shimazaki laughing, most likely with his head thrown back and hands in his pockets.
"Why did I sign up for this job?"