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Reigen rolled over, consciousness slowly creeping its way into his mind. He laid boneless in the bed, not wanting to open his eyes. The bedroom was still dark. Reigen yawned and stretched, enjoying the feeling of the air conditioning washing over him when the sheets rode down. He was a little bit hot, had that been enough to wake him?
A series of thuds out in the living room reached his ears and Reigen was on his feet in the next breath. All hints of drowsiness fled him, and-
And shrieking laughter rang through the apartment. More thumping. A crash, a shout, and a victorious cackle.
Reigen slumped, rubbing at his eyes.
Oh.
Summer break was here and Reigen had a house full of kids for the weekend.
“I’ll be fine,” he’d said.
“No problem,” he’d said.
“How much trouble could they be?” Reigen had said.
Mob and Ritsu had slept over before and there had never been an issue. How much of a difference could one more kid make? Mayuko’s significant look lingered in the back of his mind and mocked him. Somewhere out there, she was laughing in her sleep because she was enjoying a blissfully quiet house and Reigen was awake at…
At one thirty in the morning.
He didn’t have work tomorrow, but still. This was a bit much. The kids were too little to be up this late, and he was officially too old.
Right?
Plastering a stern look on his face, Reigen marched toward the door.
He got three whole steps before there was a gasp and the commotion beyond the bedroom turned into a frantic scramble. Ready to lecture the group about respecting their neighbors and going to bed at a reasonable hour, Reigen swung the door open. The words died in his throat.
God, he wished he had a camera.
Ritsu got points for being the only one that could possibly pass as sleeping... if he weren’t clearly holding his breath. He was flat on his back in his sleeping bag at least. His fingers were clasped tight around the top of the blanket though, his knuckles white. Ritsu’s eyes were scrunched shut just as tight.
Beside him, Shou was spread eagle on top of a sleeping bag that wasn’t even his. Unlike Ritsu, his chest was heaving like he’d just collapsed from running a marathon. Gasping wheezes were muffled by the pillow over his face.
Had Teru heard Reigen coming and dived into his sleeping bag headfirst? All he could see of his son was his feet. Reigen was pretty sure he was the one that had knocked the bowl of snacks off the coffee table in his rush, the bowl still rolling across the floorboards and leaving a trail of chips as it went.
Cups of soda and candy wrappers were everywhere.
And then there was Mob. He stood in the middle of it all, hair disheveled and a pillow clutched to his chest. There was chocolate smeared on his face like war paint. He stared at Reigen with an expression that screamed guilt.
Reigen clamped down on the laughter that was surging up within him. He pressed his mouth into a thin line.
“Hey Mob.”
“Hi Shishou. Did we wake you up?” he whispered.
Reigen nodded. “Yeah. You uh… You guys planning on sleeping anytime soon?”
Mob looked around to the others nervously, but no one came to his rescue. Teru’s sleeping bag started to shake and Reigen bit his lip so he wouldn’t start shaking along with him.
“Oh. Um, I don’t think so.”
“Not tired yet?” Reigen asked casually, his eyes darting to the kitchen clock and back to the child in front of him.
Mob’s gaze followed his and the boy’s mouth popped open in surprise at the numbers there. “Not really, Shishou.”
He didn’t look it either, his eyes wide and alert in the flickering light of the movie.
Reigen raised his hands in a supremely unconcerned gesture. “Not tired. Alright. I see.” He turned and retreated back into the bedroom, and he could feel the confusion he left in his wake. He returned a second later to Ritsu and Shou peeking at him.
Reigen struck a pose, his own pillow raised and ready.
“In that case, you’re with me, Mob. Guard my back. I’m going in.”
Three sets of eyes went wide. Mob stared at him a moment longer before suddenly breaking into a bright smile. He darted to Reigen’s side and grinned up at him, eyes shining.
With an indignant squawk, Ritsu flailed to get out of the confines of his sleeping bag. Shou nearly ran him over. He launched himself over the back of the couch, popping back up with both his own pillow and another that Reigen recognized as Teru’s.
“Wait, what? What?”
Teru’s attempts to back out of his sleeping bag had Reigen snickering. He stalked over to the blanket prison and readied himself. Mob followed, half-heartedly swinging at his little brother as he passed. Ritsu ducked back to the floor with a yelp.
“Nii-san! You’re supposed to be on my team,” he said. He replied with a swipe at Mob’s legs.
“Sorry Ritsu,” Mob giggled.
Teru appeared in a whirl of slapping hands and mussed hair. Reigen swung and caught him right in the face. Not very hard, of course. He wanted to start something, but he had no intention of scaring his kid.
“Reigen!”
Teru was pink cheeked and bewildered. He only looked up at his dad in astonishment for a heartbeat before he was lunging away for cover.
And then Ritsu and Shou descended upon Reigen with a cry.
Pillows flew and voices rang high.
Having Mob at his back was the perfect choice. Mob stuck to him like glue and he came with a built-in tactical advantage that Reigen abused the heck out of. Shou was reluctant to face Reigen one on one for reasons Reigen refused to think about, so he mostly went after Mob. Ritsu would turn on Shou in an instant for hitting his big brother too hard. The two of them were often distracted by each other and left themselves open.
Teru would have been a good choice too, but there was always a slight chance of him abruptly betraying Reigen for the fun of it. He was a wild card. Teru would go for any of them without hesitation, zipping close and swinging hard. He wasn’t above going for Ritsu and luring Mob away from Reigen. Above going for Shou so that Ritsu would come to his rescue and leave his back open.
He wasn’t above abandoning the couch cushion he’d picked up to just jump on Reigen and drag him to the floor.
If there was one thing Reigen had learned about his son, it was that he was competitive. And not above cheating.
“He’s down, get him!” Teru called gleefully.
Just like another someone who would remain unnamed.
Reigen hooked his arm around his son and rolled to his back, wrapping both arms around Teru’s middle and using him like a shield.
“You heard him, boys! Get him!”
“No! No fair!”
Pillows rained down on both of them and Reigen laughed until his stomach hurt, hiding his face in Teru’s shoulder. Small hands tugged at his arms but Teru was giggling like mad. When Reigen deemed the retribution enough, he released his son.
“Sorry Shigeo!” Teru sprang to his feet and yanked the pillow out of Mob’s hands, spinning and walloping Ritsu with it.
“Teru!”
Ritsu tripped back into the pile of sleeping bags with a cry of shock.
Shou pounced on him.
“Hey!”
Reigen got to his feet unhindered, alight with success.
“Shou, get off of me!” Ritsu squirmed and slapped at his friend with his free hand. When he twisted to try to crawl away, a bunch of little somethings flaked off the back of his shirt and Reigen squinted.
He didn’t even know they had stickers.
And speaking of shirts, what had happened to Teru’s and oh, why was it draped over the kitchen faucet? Reigen hoped that whatever was dripping from it was water. Or soda. Or something equally as innocent.
What on earth had they been up to before Reigen came out?
“Teru, that’s mine,” Mob implored, grabbing for his pillow fruitlessly.
Teru waved it out of his reach and then took off around the back of the couch. “Come and get it then!” he taunted.
Mob huffed and chased after him.
“I’m coming, Nii-san!” Ritsu said, his expression fierce. He wriggled to his back and snagged the ends of the pillow Shou was still assaulting him with.
“No he’s not, he’s busy!” Shou argued, leaning back and starting a tug of war.
Ritsu’s eyes flashed and he suddenly let go. Shou went tumbling back over Ritsu’s legs and onto the floor with an “oof!”
Ritsu was up and on Teru in an instant, leaving Shou behind to stare up at Reigen.
“That was cheap,” Shou said breathlessly.
“All’s fair in love and war.”
Reigen laughed at the scowl he received and reached down to help him up instead. Shou’s sticky fingers held onto his and he climbed to his feet.
“Everybody is bigger than me,” he grumped.
“Sounds like you need an ally. A tall one that perhaps knows kung fu?” Reigen winked.
Something crossed Shou’s face. Something uneasy and brave and determined all at once. He clenched his fists and smiled.
“Yeah, I should ask Teru.” Shou nodded to himself.
Reigen wanted to react appropriately. To look offended at the clear snark he was being dealt. But the line had been delivered a slice too late. A bit too quiet to have the bite it needed.
Shou was testing the waters and Reigen couldn’t help but be touched. It was a step in the right direction. A small one, but a step nonetheless.
“Ha ha. Good one.” Reigen rolled his eyes so he didn’t have to look at the apprehensive way Shou was holding himself. He crouched beside the boy and put his game face on. “You go one way, and I’ll go the other.” He jabbed a thumb behind them towards the sounds of wrestling.
Shou smiled softly, and then it ramped up to a mischievous grin that made his cheeks go round.
“Got it.”
They grabbed a pillow each and split. Rounded the couch. Jumped into the fray.
The shock on Mob’s face when Reigen hit him was almost enough for Reigen to feel bad, but then Ritsu took his slight pause to nail him in the stomach with a comically loud whap. Teru followed it up with one to the side of his head. When Reigen stumbled back his son turned on Ritsu and trapped his arms by his sides so Shou could get in a shot.
At least Teru went for them all equally, even if he was merciless.
It wasn’t long before Reigen was breathing heavily. The air conditioning fought a valiant fight of its own to cool them down, but in the end they were all a sweaty mess. Reigen scooped Mob up and dropped him onto the couch. Shou jumped on Ritsu’s back. Teru whipped a pillow across the room and accidentally knocked a handful of cups off the table.
“They’re empty! They’re empty! I promise!” he cried with a laugh, throwing his hands up in defense when Reigen rounded on him with a look.
The sound of banging on the wall was drowned out by laughter.
It was late when quiet finally descended upon the apartment. Almost three, if Reigen was reading the clock right. He tipped his head back against the arm of the couch and sighed. He’d be more comfortable if he was on the couch, but it was taken. Reigen shifted a little, knowing full well that his butt was going to start hurting in the next few minutes and while that would fade quickly once he got up, his back was going to haunt him tomorrow.
Too bad he couldn’t move.
Mob was curled up on a heap of sleeping bags, his back pressed to Reigen’s leg. He’d fallen asleep first. Had conked out the moment he stopped moving. The arms and legs of his pajamas were rolled up to his elbows and knees, and Reigen was sure that no matter now light the fabric was, Mob must have been roasting. He still was. The chocolate stripes were smeared over his whole cheek now, and there was a bit on his ear as well.
And on his sleeve.
And on Reigen’s shirt.
Mob’s little brother was sprawled on the couch behind Reigen’s head, his feet tangled with Shou’s. Both boys had slipped away to dreamland after a vicious kicking battle. It was a miracle neither of them had caught the other in the face, or the stomach, or somewhere even less pleasant. Reigen withheld a chuckle at Shou. His head was tipping off the edge of the couch cushion. Only a child could sleep so peacefully in such a position. Or maybe someone drunk.
Reigen wiggled his toes in hopes that the air conditioning would somehow blow over them. Yeah. No. Not happening. It was too close to the kitchen and Reigen couldn’t get up without dislodging Teru.
He wasn’t entirely sure Teru was asleep, but he didn’t have the heart to disrupt him even if he wasn’t.
Reigen brushed his fingers through his kid’s hair. He couldn’t remember the last time he was up this late without there being something urgent to attend to. Something stressful. Nightmares, or insomnia, or both. It was nice in a strange way. The night felt endless, the morning far away. Reigen was wide awake. That was okay.
Teru hummed out a slow breath. His head was heavy on Reigen’s stomach, his arm a warm weight over his middle. He stretched, the tips of his fingers just dusting Mob’s back. Teru settled with a tiny huff.
Ah, asleep then.
Reigen had a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that Teru was eleven. That he and Mob were less than a year from studying for middle school exams. That Ritsu and Shou were older than Teru had been when he met him.
That at twenty-five years old, Reigen had just participated in his first pillow fight.
He closed his eyes. With any luck, it wouldn’t be his last.