Chapter Text
The first time Kei met Shouyou was two months before he turned six. His mother had just overdosed and his father shot himself in the head after seeing her limp body on the bathroom floor. Police soon came by and Kei was forced into a group home for foster children after confirming he had no known relatives.
Despite the home's dreary exterior, people still came by to try and foster children. The inside was much more well made. While the entire home gave off a more retro or vintage style, It was still well put together.
It wasn't until two weeks after Kei joined, however, that he finally met Shouyou. The boy had just come back after leaving four different homes over the course of seven months. That was how Kei discovered Shouyou was not under any circumstance, ever going to be his friend. Shouyou was most definitely the kid that caused trouble for no reason and Kei always made sure to avoid people like that by any means necessary.
Kei's wishes were quickly brought to a halt when the head of the group home told Kei he would be sharing a bed with Shouyou in one of the bedrooms on the far side of the house. They would both be sharing a room with two other boys who also had a bed of their own.
Shouyou was an extremely bubbly kid, and though Kei would never admit it, Shouyou was the optimist he needed after everything he had endured. Shouyou would never leave Kei's side no matter what, but Kei was Shouyou's sole friend and Shouyou was Kei's, so it balanced out.
When Kei finally asked Shouyou about his life before the foster home, it was the first time he had seen the other boy with such a solemn look on his face, and Kei hated it.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't wanna, it's okay."
"No, I wanna. I just don't really reme'ber. It's like the memories in my head are all fuzzy."
"That's okay, you can take your time."
"Hmm," Shouyou scratched his chin with his index finger as he thought. "I reme'ber my mom would have me kneel beside my bed and pray to god each night. She told me to pray for good dreams. She also told me to thank god for giving me food and a home."
Kei nodded his head with affirmation at the recollection. While Kei had never followed any specific religion, he was taught as a kid to always be grateful for the things he had.
"My mom told me that if god blessed me with good dreams, then it meant he was protecting me," Shouyou smiled at the recollection.
"What about your dad?"
Shouyou's face contorted into a look of almost disgust but also in concentration. "He never prayed with me or my mom. He never really did anything with us, he was gone a lot." Shouyou continues to look deep in thought. "I don't reme'ber anything else. But I reme'ber the police at the door. They told me my mom wasn't okay and needed to go away from me."
"Do you remember anything else? What did they say about your dad?"
"It's hard to think about but I reme'ber they said he wasn't safe an' that he was a psychy-path," Shouyou nodded his head as if to confirm he had remembered the event correctly.
Kei understood that Shouyou most likely had no idea what a 'psychy-path' was or whatever may have happened to his mother. And though it may seem selfish, Kei didn't want to tell Shouyou the truth, because he knew Shouyou wouldn't be able to handle the heartbreak, like how Kei couldn't handle his own. He still needed Shouyou's bubbly optimistic personality in his life and he didn't want to crack any part of his personality.
~
Shouyou and Kei ended up spending a month in the group home. Kei soon learned that he didn't want to leave Shouyou's side as much as Shouyou didn't want to leave Kei's, and that he would do whatever it took to stay by the gingers' side.
"What if we tell parents that we're brothers? That way, they'd have to take us both when they want to foster us," Kei suggested, as he watched a fresh set of parents enter the home.
"That's perfect!" Shouyou whisper shouted.
and so the con show began. As parents entered the home and asked about kids, Kei would say that they were brothers, and separated a year before both ended up in the foster home. He knew the story had holes and it was still a work in progress, but people seemed to buy the act, and if they didn't, they wouldn't say it aloud.
At night, Shouyou would kneel beside their bed and pray to god. He would thank god for food and shelter and then pray for a night full of safe dreams. At the end of each prayer, he would end by saying "May peace be with you." And Kei would follow "And with your spirit."
Apparently, that was the only thing Shouyou could remember from the one time he had gone to church with his mother, and he made it a routine to end each prayer with the infamous saying.
~
"Are foster parents usually nice or mean?" Kei had asked, after finally being accepted into a new family.
"I dunno, it's usually a 50/50," Shouyou said, a frown imminent on his face, proving that that was as optimistic as his statistics could get.
Over time, however, Kei and Shouyou learned it was more of a 65/35, in favor of parents that were cruel. After two years, it was 73/27, and after five, 84/16. Finally, after eight years, when Shouyou and Kei were each fourteen, the statistics reached 91/9, always in favor of the parents who were cruel and uncaring.
Shouyou and Kei had been through hell and back when they left for a new home, and Shouyou's optimistic attitude slowly withered away. The boy had gone almost completely mute, only speaking in short phrases and only when speaking to Kei. Kei knew this was a problem, but he also knew that there was no solution other than time.
The only times Kei would truly find Shouyou talking was when he was beside their bed praying. Though Kei could only hear incoherent whispers, he knew Shouyou was asking god for safe dreams. Dreams without the constant night terrors. Kei would often join Shouyou beside their bed, praying that Shouyou would be protected against all evil, even if he truly didn't believe in god. It was for Shouyou, and they were desperate. As Shouyou would begin to lay his hands back down on the bed, it would signal that the prayer was over. Whether or not Shouyou still followed the old routine meant nothing to Kei. As Shouyou placed his hands back down on the bed, Kei would repeat, "And with your spirit." That was all the duo needed to hear to know that together, they would forever be safe.
~
Six months after his fourteenth birthday, a new set of parents entered the home. "The Sawamura's" people called them. Extremely rich and extremely strict, rumors said. Kei only knew things about the Sawamuras through the grapevine which meant that he never really took anyone for their word. But seeing how they entered the home, in business attire and with the confidence that they could buy the home in an instant, Kei knew that the rumors must be true.
Kei had spotted Shouyou watching the Sawamura couple discussing matters with the owner of the home from behind their door, peering at the backs of their head as they rhythmically wrote on sheets of paper that could only have regarded the terms and conditions of fostering a child.
Kei pulled Shouyou by his arm back into their room and onto their bed. "They'll come to see us when they get to our room. For now, relax," Kei pulled out a deck of cards from under the bed that the two of them kept. They played a few poker games using paper scraps as tokens or money. By the time the Sawamura's got to their room, they were on their third round of blackjack.
Kei was the first of the two to spot the Sawamura's standing in their doorframe. He quickly gave Shouyou and tap on the shoulder in order to signal that the Sawamura's had entered their room. They both scrambled to stand up and face the two adults which faced them.
"And who might you two be?" The man began once both boys were situated.
"I'm Kei, this is my brother, Shouyou," Kei said, almost robotically. Shouyou gave a half smile and a nod.
"How long Have you two been in the system?" Mr. Sawamura asked.
"I've been in the system since I was around six, and Shouyou since he was five."
"I see," Mr. Sawamura looked to be deep in thought. "Does Shouyou speak often?"
A blush immediately made its way across Shouyou's face and he looked down to the ground almost instinctively.
Kei let out a nervous chuckle before anxiously replying to Mr. Sawamura's question. "No, not usually. But he's always been there for me, voice or not," Kei ruffled Shouyou's hair as Shouyou looked back up to face the Sawamura couple.
"Well, that's all we need to know. Thank you for talking with us," Mrs. Sawamura finally spoke, holding out her hand in order to shake Kei's, then doing the same for Shouyou after Kei complied.
After the two left, Kei sat himself back down on the ground, Shouyou following in tune.
"Well that was nerve-racking, huh? I mean, usually, they just stand by the door and watch us for fifteen seconds, but that felt like a whole interview." Shouyou let out a breathy laugh at the statement, a small smile forming on his face.
It was only five minutes later when the owner of the home came back into Kei and Shouyou's room.
"Kei, the Sawamura's said they'd like to take you home with them."
"What about Shouyou?"
"I'm afraid they're only looking for one child right now.. But I can assure you that these are extremely qualified people who will do you good."
Shouyou looked up at Kei, worry evident in his eyes.
"But, me and Shou are a package deal. They can't just separate us!"
"I'm afraid that they indeed, can, Kei. But do not worry, I've been told that they will most likely come back in a few months. Maybe then they'll take Shouyou back with them. Now pack your things, you're leaving in seven minutes." The woman left the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Shouyou and Kei alone in the room. Kei was still in shock but tears were already beginning to well up in Shouyou's eyes. Over eight years they had spent together, from one family to another. And now, Kei was leaving Shouyou behind.
Kei quickly engulfed Shouyou in a tight hug, tears beginning to fall from his eyes as well.
"I promise, we'll see each other again soon. No matter what, okay?"
Shouyou nodded his head against Kei's shoulder.
"Promise?" The redhead finally spoke.
"A thousand times."