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The day had been long. And not the kind of long that makes you hope it’d never end, no. Rather, it was more the type to make you want to bang your head on the wall to knock yourself out so it would end quicker.
Of course, Kazuki couldn’t do any of that. Obviously. He had business to attend, mind you. The price to pay to become a normal person and all of that. Still, he couldn’t wait to come back home to his family.
Thinking about it, he felt like a single dad working to sustain his children. Probably because that’s what this was. He’d need to teach Rei how to get -and keep (that promised to be the hardest part)- a job in the near future. Oh, well. He had all the time in the world to think about that. And he would for sure, but later. Definitely later.
As the sun was setting on the newly green trees, Kazuki sighed. Normal people. Anything for Miri to grow up as happy and healthy as possible. For that, they had to become normal people.
He had talked with (honestly, more like vented to) Kyūtaro about that a few days ago. Because as much as he’d like to pretend he was, Kazuki wasn’t completely certain what a “normal life” was. He almost tasted it a few years ago, but in the end that was also taken away from him.
Just like everything else before.
His eyes landed on one of the few shops still open. It was a tiny flower shop crammed between two tall buildings that looked like it’d been forced there like a book that was a bit too thick on an already full shelf.
The crocus inside seemed to be staring at him with their cheerfulness and youth. He stared back and smiled. Small, happy. That made sense. He himself wasn’t all that old. Maybe he still had time to learn what priceless happiness was.
And maybe, just maybe he had the right to it.
The elevator to the apartment took at least five whole barely exaggerated hours to open, as it usually did. Regarding that, Kazuki was pretty happy they had to move soon, even if he didn’t really want to move from home despite being fairly sure that the three of them could go and make their nest somewhere else. A new home for the family.
He pushed the door and was met with an unusual sugary scent. Chocolate? A few steps in and he was greeted by a little pink ball of energy who jumped at him at full speed and he had to take a step back to avoid dropping her on the floor. Miri was gaily laughing as she grabbed his hoodie in her tiny hands.
-Careful there! Kazuki smiled at her. You don’t wanna get hurt.
-Sorry! But come in! Rei papa told me!
She wasn’t sorry at all, and what in fresh hell did Rei told her? Kazuki was about to go scold his roommate, but when he saw the lopsided cake on the table along with the badly rolled onigiri and… Everything else, really, he wasn’t sure if his mouth could even utter words anymore.
He was ready to cry and it took everything he had in him to stop himself from breaking down and start sobbing.
The cake was ugly and some of the things barely looked edible but Miri was pointing at everything with her excited small voice while Rei was nodding at her, adding an occasional “she did it herself” with that proud look in his eyes and Kazuki felt like this, like they, were meant to be here somehow. At this exact time in this exact place.
Because this was his birthday with his family in their home and it felt… Normal.
-Kazu papa, happy birthday!
-Happy birthday, Kazuki.
They sat down and Kazuki looked at them.
-I love you.
He said. Because really, it’s the only thing he could say.
After eating dinner and some banter (seriously, peanut butter in the steak sauce? Why ?), he looked at the cake on which Rei was putting candles.
-I counted them all by myself!
She was so proud of it, too.
-Good job, Miri!
Kazuki blew the candles and stared at the chocolate cake and bursted out laughing when Miri got some on her nose.
When he looked at her, then at Rei, he realised that they were both so damn weird .
But that’s what made them normal people.