Work Text:
The thing about concerns is that they're difficult to stamp down, and always come from a place of care.
Although Moe had the ability to fall asleep virtually anywhere, she isn't a particularly heavy sleeper. A trait that comes in handy when raising a young hanyō who runs the habit of becoming more and more excitable by nightfall. Her great-grandfather in law believed it had something to do with her yōkai blood, an uncontrollable urge to wander and seek out mischief. While her mother-in-law whispered in her ear that some children had a hard time winding down from the day. Towa's mischief habit of attracting or leaping into danger was just the curious innocence of childhood, not some cursed bloodline.
Either way, Moe didn't particularly care what the reason was. Sōta's work lessened after Towa was adopted into their family. His female co-workers insisted he should be there in the evening to tuck his daughter into bed and kiss his wife goodnight. Instead, Sōta often returned to Towa running head-first into his legs to ask him if they could go for one of their night walks. A nightly routine where they circled the block or went to a pre-determined spot, enjoying the lull of the city at such a late hour. Moe cherished it. Sōta's hand in hers while Towa clung to her back, chattering all the way until something caught her attention to which she simply couldn't help but investigate.
At times, it could be worrisome. Sōta's ability to sense them prevented their daughter from being spirited away by the yōkai and yūrei attracted to her very presence, but it was still cause for concern. No one could call him an absent father. His hands were always outstretched for her when it was time to return home and Towa couldn't walk anymore.
Her small fist curled in the back of his shirt as she tried her hardest to snuggle against him in search of a comfortable place to sleep. With all of Sōta's attention on Towa, Moe noticed how his eyes widened and sparkled as Towa turned her face into his neck. Warm honey brown melted with a look of impossibly deep affection, eyelids sliding shut as he tucked his cheek against the top of her head.
She considered children with him before, wondering if they were both ready to take that step, but this solidified her decision completely. Her husband tripped over his words at times, showed his love through action and concern, but he loved deeply.
And if Moe was certain of anything, it was that Sōta loved Towa.
Which is what led her to waking at five in the morning to rumpled lukewarm sheets and a missing husband. It wasn't unusual for Sōta to get up during the night, but the temperature of the sheets had cooled enough for her to know that he'd been up for awhile. Moe rubbed the sleep from her eyes then tossed her blanket aside, a shiver rushed down her spine at the sudden drop in heat. Another reason why she preferred having Sōta beside her throughout the night. At least with him, she wouldn't be cold. As she passed by the end of their bed, she grabbed the end of their comforter and pulled it over her shoulders. A little awkward but she didn't mind the weight when cold stopped nipping at her thighs. The too-large sweatshirt she'd lovingly repossessed from Sōta did little in way of conversing body heat, but it was too comfortable to give up.
Moe shuffled into the dimly lit hall, peering down one end of the hall to where Towa's room door was left half-ajar. From here, Moe could almost make out the soft silver glow of her nightlight projecting a night sky on the ceiling. After Towa told them how she missed how bright the sky was when she slept in the woods, Sōta took it upon himself to buy her a nightlight to imitate it. Familiarity helped with her sleeplessness and Moe could tell how much her thanks meant to him. If it were in his power, she had no doubt Sōta would have tried to clear the skies of Tokyo so Towa could sleep under the stars she loved so much.
Begging the question, where was her husband?
Moe's eyebrows pulled together when she heard a rustling sound along with someone speaking in a low murmur. Looking toward the opposite end of the hall leading to the living room, she could only make out the pale moonlight seeping through the thin balcony curtains, hardly outlining the couches and TV stand. Her eyes narrowed as she followed the sound. The murmurs were indistinguishable at first but as she came closer, she heard, "Should I have bought her this one..? Maybe Mom was right.."
Stepping around the corner, Moe gave one sweeping glance over the sight before her then asked, "Sōta? What are you doing?"
Even after being faced with the supernatural, her husband still jumped at the slightest scares. His head whipped around to her, big brown eyes stricken impossibly wide while his cheeks dusted pink. A cutesy orange and violet pencil case held limply in his left hand while the right held a flower-printed handkerchief. Both items she recalled tucking away in Towa's backpack for her first day of school tomorrow. Slowly, Moe's gaze drifted to said backpack lying beside all its emptied contents. She sighed. So that's what this was.
"Sōta.." Moe trailed off as she turned back to look at her husband's guilty expression. "It's five in the morning."
Sōta chuckled sheepishly, laying the handkerchief and pencil case down beside a sunny yellow melodica case. "I know, I know.." He muttered, averting his gaze while rubbing his hand up and down his arm.
Moe glanced heavenward then shook her head. This man. Her blankets dragged against the floors as she walked over then sat down beside him, draping one end of the blanket around his quivering shoulders. Sōta let out a quiet sigh, his breath brushing against the top of Moe's head as he turned his chin toward her. An arm, solid and blissfully warm, slipped around her back then pulled her in against his side. Moe felt a tiny smile tug at the corner of her lips as she rested her head against Sōta's shoulder, pretending not to notice how he tugged the blanket to cover her more so than himself. It was so easy for him to take care of other people, delegating responsibility to himself then sitting back to reap the benefits of other's happiness. How she wished he took a measure of that concern for himself.
She sighed.
"Sorry for leaving you in bed alone," Sōta said. "I meant to just.. take another look but then.."
Moe squeezed the fingers belonging to the arm he wrapped around her. "You lost track of time?" She offered when his voice trailed off.
Sōta huffed a laugh, short and sweet. ".. Yeah, I lost track of time."
She traced the scarred tissue on the back of his hands with her fingertips, differentiating between the thin sword cuts and jagged slices from a bad fall. Her fingers slipped in the spaces between his own, curling around to hold his hand tight. The roughness of his palm was something she'd grown accustomed to. In awe of how these rough hands could be so gentle when he held her close. They sat in silence for a moment, Sōta's breathing in time with her own while she leant against him almost certain she could fall asleep like this. But the light buzzing at the back of her mind told her otherwise. Peeking up at Sōta, Moe's heart ached at the distant almost vacant look on his face.
"... What are you thinking about?" She asked.
Sōta sighed. "I don't know.." He paused and stared at the contents of Towa's backpack scattered across the table. They would have to put everything up in the morning and place the pack where Towa eagerly set it so she wouldn't forget it for her first day of school. Moe noticed the nervous energy that ran through Sōta the whole time they shopped and packed, every question Towa volleyed was met by a distracted, almost somber tone. ".. You know, my dad did the same thing for my sister when she was going to start school."
That caught Moe's attention immediately. Hesitantly, she loosened her hold of the hand around her waist, then laid her palm over Sōta's heart. Its beating was slow and steady but she could almost feel the fractures in it, wounds that'd yet to heal. He was too young to remember much about his father from what he'd told her but his sister was everything. Countless stories over the course of their lives together featured Higurashi Kagome and Moe wished she could have met her. The real deal would have been even more impressive than the stories. But she realized that now, all Sōta had of his sister were stories and memories just like their father. Ones he was eager to share if only so their memory didn't disappear completely.
"Did he?" Moe asked as she let her thoughts fall aside, a fistful of Sōta's shirt caught in her curled fingers.
Sōta dragged in a deep, deep breath. His hand clumsily searching for hers, fingers brushing then falling from her wrist before wrapping tightly around the back of her hand. "Yep. Mom said that my sister packed her bag, insisted on doing everything herself.." The corners of his lips twitched but where she thought a smile would rise, it didn't. "So when she went to bed, he got up to check her bag one more time. Stayed for hours.."
"Was she missing anything?"
He sniffed, shaking his head. "Nope." His voice cracked, then he tried again after clearing his throat. "Not a thing."
Moe took a moment to let him breathe and process through his memories, resting her head against his shoulder. When enough time passed, she let her eyes slip shut and said, ".. He was worried about her."
"Yeah," Sōta gasped, the sound a little wet and ragged. "My sister, she was always.. running ahead. If she fell or.. if she.. he just.."
"Wanted to protect her," Moe finished. Sōta's hand squeezed around her own in response. She knew he hated showing his tears, that he didn't want to be seen as a crybaby, but there was no shame in this. Warm liquid dripped onto her knuckles but Moe didn't mind it, holding onto his hand all the while. "When it was time for you to go to school, who checked your bag late at night?"
Sōta swallowed thickly, then laughed. This time, the sound was sweet and lighthearted. Warm as a breeze brushing against the top of her head as he said, "My sister."
Moe smiled faintly, imagining a little girl meticulously going through her brother's backpack to ensure everything was right for him. "Did she walk you to school too?"
"All the way, made sure we left early and everything.." Sōta's eyes misted over as he rested his head against hers, fingers pressed tight to her hip. "She held my hand the entire time, barked order after order.."
Moe giggled. "Poor you."
"I couldn't wait to be on my own." Sōta huffed, then he seemed to hold for a moment. Moe glanced up, noticing how glassy his eyes were and the slight downward turn of his lips.
"What is it?"
Sōta took a deep breath, then shook his head. "Nothing, I just.." He opened his mouth only to stop then press his lips together. "I got what I wanted but.." his voice was just a bit hoarse as he spoke, blinking at the ceiling and the floors as if he were seeing them for the first time.
Moe eased her grip on his shirt, shaking her hand free of his own. Sōta looked down at her questioningly as she cupped his cheek, thumb brushing beneath his eye. "You didn't get what you wanted, and you didn't ask for your sister to be gone.." Her heart ached at the small tears dotting the corners of his eyes. "You know what I think? You wanted to be someone that could be relied on, you wanted her to see she could rely on you. And you're doing just that.." She brushed away the tear rolling down his cheek, pressing her forehead to his own. "I'm proud of you, Sōta."
Sōta sniffed, shutting his eyes tight. ".. Thanks," he said in a scratchy voice, burying his face against her shoulder as she hugged him tight.
Moe looked down at the tabletop then thought of the little girl blissfully asleep in the room down the hall. She smiled softly through the tears sticking to the back of her eyes. "I'm sure Kagome-neesan would be too.."