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Kanto stared at his reflection in the mirror in front of him as he shaved off his week-old scruff. It was true that Toph wasn’t going to be too happy about it since she always insisted she liked the feel of it, but it had to be done—he was scaring the kids.
“Shit,” he murmured after nipping the skin on the right side of his jaw. He grabbed a small towel, dampened it, and pressed it against the bleeding cut. It was minuscule but the fucker hurt and he wasn’t even done with this side of his face.
It was lucky, he thought, that all the girls were at school by now. If they’d seen the blood seeping into the white towel, they would’ve made the biggest deal out of it. One or two of them might have dramatically swooned (Suyin, particularly), and Jian was still asleep, beneath his mother’s covers, on her side of the bed that she and Kanto share.
Or barely share, considering how much space their three-and-a-half-year-old occupies in it whenever he decides to invade the mattress.
“That’s what you get,” Toph sang as she walked by the bathroom, clad in her uniform and sporting her undone hair, which ran long down her back, “when you shave against my wishes.”
He peeked his head out of the bathroom and narrowly smacked her ass in retort. She yelped, then immediately bent the ground beneath him to shift and cause him to fall. As he rubbed the surely forming bruise on his hip, he watched her approach him again.
Crouching, Toph grabbed his chin in her hands. “You’re a reformed criminal, Hotshot. You should know better than messing with the chief.”
Kanto winced at the throbbing pain in his jaw as the side of Toph’s thumb pressed into the cut. He smirked despite the discomfort, meeting Toph's blind gaze with a playful glint in his eyes.
“Last time I checked, the chief wasn’t averse to a little mischief herself,” he replied in mock defiance.
Toph raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. “You calling me a criminal? Because the only thing that would make me one is being married to you.”
He chuckled, still holding the towel to his face. “Well, only in the best way possible.”
She released his chin, stood, and leaned against the bathroom counter, crossing her arms. “Watch yourself, pretty boy. The only reason you’re still in one piece is that I’ve got a soft spot for you.”
“Why do you think I push my luck around here?”
The sound of her scoff echoed around the bathroom as he, too, pulled himself to his feet to finish off the rest of his face. The bleeding had stopped so he tossed the towel aside and ran the blade down his cheek, careful of the small cut.
“You’ve got Bub today,” she told him, referring to their son Jian. “He said no to daycare when I tried to get him up. Then, told Lin to tell me he didn’t want to go in when she tried to get him out of bed. So we just gave up.”
Kanto’s lips twitched at that as he moved onto the other side of his face. “You spoil him.”
“I don’t spoil him. He’s just good at convincing me to do things in a way no one else is.”
As much grief as Kanto gave Toph about how close she was with Jian and how she’d bend for everything he asked of her in a way that she’d never with others, he loved watching the pair together. Their son’s face would just light up whenever he’d lay eyes on his mother.
Kanto could relate.
Still, not wanting to miss an opportunity, he snorted. “Sure. That’s what it is.”
“Uh-uh,” she poked his bicep, right in the center of a jagged scar he’d gotten years ago from who knew what. “You don’t get to mock me about this. Have you noticed yourself with the girls?”
“That’s not fair.” He put his shaver down and turned toward Toph as he wiped down his now-smooth face. Sure, he had a very soft spot for his six girls, one for each, but did that make him a bad guy? Other things on his resumé might have, but certainly not being a softy with his baby girls. “What are fathers supposed to do? Spoil their daughters. It’s, like, the number one item in a hypothetical job description.”
“Well, the number-one item on a mother’s job description is to spoil her bubbas, and that is what I do, so again, you don’t get to talk.”
Just as he was about to respond, Toph raised a brow and lifted her index finger. He didn’t get a chance to ask because his answer appeared right in front of them in Jian form.
The toddler walked into the bathroom, one fist rubbing at his eye. His small mouth opened in a yawn as he said, “Hi, Mama.”
Kanto blinked. “Hi, Bub.”
His salutation went ignored as his son strolled straight into his mother’s legs, arms going around them as he embraced her. Toph ran her fingers through Jian’s tousled black curls, a small smile on her face as he mumbled something unintelligible into his mother’s legs.
Kanto couldn’t help but hold back a grin of his own. Toph Beifong—the no-nonsense, tough, hardass woman who became his wife and made him a father, made him who he is now—was reduced to mush when it came to her son.
“So what’s this I hear about you not wanting to go to daycare?” Kanto asked Jian.
“I stay home today,” his son replied. “Wit Mama.”
Toph winced, then crouched, holding her son’s hands. “About that, Bub… I have to go to work.”
“Wh—no no no no.” Jian pouted, the sight making Kanto’s heart break. But at the same time, the fact that he was probably playing hooky for the sole purpose of spending the day with his mother brought a bit of light to the situation. Watching Toph explain that she couldn’t stick around was going to be… Something.
“Since we didn’t know you were staying home today, I didn’t mention I couldn’t go to work, so you have to stay with Baba today,” Toph told him gently, his face in her hands. “Can you do that for Mama?”
Jian’s smooshed face dropped even more. The action did wonders for Kanto’s ego and self-confidence. “But—but Mama—”
“I don’t want to go—”
“No go, then, Mama.”
Toph’s brows pinched, agony evident. “It’s not that easy, Bubbie.”
The boy’s lip quivered. “Pwease.”
“Mama has some important meetings today,” she said, almost pleadingly, “and I have to go catch bad guys like the kind Baba used to be.”
Kanto, finally tired of being excluded from the conversation huffed audibly. He didn’t miss the nearly imperceptible smirk on Toph’s face. “Your words make me feel so tingly inside, sweetheart.”
“Mama,” Jian said with a sniffle. “Mama, pwease. I go wit you. Pwease, pwease.”
Toph looked just about ready to bend. Her lips were downturned and Kanto could sense the sure, bubbie on the tip of her tongue. And if Kanto knew her well, she was only holding back because he would have something to say about it, something more to goad her about.
Ultimately, her pride won out because she shook her head and pressed little kisses all over Jian’s face. “Not today, Bubba. But I’ll make it up to you.”
A small sniffle. “Pwomise?”
“Promise.” She picked him up, propped him onto her hip, and kissed him. “Now, you promise me you won’t give Baba a hard time… or too much of a hard time.”
Jian kept quiet as if contemplating his mama’s very big ask. “Mama…”
“Bub…”
Reluctantly, he sighed, laying his forehead on Toph’s shoulder dramatically. “Okay, Mama.”
Relief evidently filling her, Toph exhaled, eyes closing in the process before she set Jian down, stood up, and turned to Kanto. “Now you two better get along.”
Kanto looked at his son, who immediately clung to his mother’s legs again, then back at Toph. Through gritted teeth and with a low voice he said, “But he hates me.”
The woman dared to scoff. “He doesn’t hate you.”
“He’s got a funny way of showing it,” Kanto muttered, looking at Jian. whose face was buried in his mom’s thigh.
“You.” Toph reached out and grabbed Kanto’s bare shoulder, pulling him over to her, and hissed in his ear, “Behave. And make nice.”
He had to bite his tongue to keep from asking Or what?
She shot him an accurate glare as if she’d read his mind (and he wouldn’t doubt that she had, she knew him so well) before turning back to Jian. “Be good for Baba, okay? Mama has to get going, but I’ll be back before you know it.”
The boy clung to his mother after flinging himself into her again. She picked him up and pressed kisses all over his face before handing him to Kanto, giving him a kiss, and briskly heading out the door before she changed her mind—and stayed home if he knew her well.
For the first time since early this morning, the house was completely silent. Both he and Jian stared at the door longingly, then at the same time, looked at each other helplessly.
Kanto raised a brow at him. “Hungry?”
“Mm. Yah, Baba.”
So far, so good, Kanto thought as he readjusted Jian on his hip and made his way into the kitchen. The day wouldn’t be too bad. They’d get along and they'd bond without Toph. They could do it. They were very capable of it.
How hard could it be?
Oh, past Kanto. Very hard. It could be very hard.
As soon as the two of them finished with their breakfasts, they sat at the table, staring at each other. Blinking every few seconds, no speaking, no movement other than Jian picking his arm up to scratch his head every once in a while.
“So, uh—Bubbie—”
“Where Mama?”
Kanto took a deep breath. They were clearly off to a wonderful start. “Mama’s working for a few more hours. We can go pick her up when it’s time for her to go if you want?”
Jian’s eyes widened as he nodded. “See Mama now!”
“We can’t—”
“Pwease, Baba.”
He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t deal with Jian when his R-sounds became W-sounds because he would bend and he would do whatever the boy wanted. If Jian asked for him to bweak into a bank and wob it, Kanto would. He would wob the damn bank in a heartbeat because one just couldn’t say no to Jian Beifong.
Still, he pursed his lips and persevered. “Not now, Bub. But you know what we can do?”
His only response from his son was a prolonged silence and a very judging stare.
“We, uh—” He cleared his throat. “We could play! Yeah, we could—we could dig into your toy box and pull out all the toys Mama got you the other day. You liked those, right?”
See, Kanto had gone through Some Shit while he was on the wrong side of the law. He’d been put through the wringer day in and day out. Now, the sigh Jian released felt like that. It felt like a personal attack.
And it hurt.
“Okay, you’re not into that. Cool, cool.” He drummed his fingers against the tabletop. Then, something occurred to him, making him snap his fingers. “Do you want to help me cook lunch for later? Mei loves it when we cook.”
“Baba.” Jian gave him this Look. It was serious and full of annoyance and exasperation. “Pwease.”
Kanto sighed, coming to terms with the fact that convincing Jian to engage in any activity that didn’t involve Mama was going to be a challenge. He scratched his head, searching for another idea that might capture his son’s interest.
He glanced around the kitchen, trying to find something worth Bub’s while, when his eyes finally fixated on the window that faced the backyard. He honed in on his garden, full of green and life, then raised his brows.
“How about we spend the day doing something for Mama, hmm?”
Jian’s eyes lit up. “Mama?”
“Mhm. What if we go out to the backyard and work on the garden together? We can plant some flowers or veggies. And we can pick a few things out from there to surprise Mama with.” He grinned. “We’ll even go to pick her up when the time comes and take them to her!”
Bub pondered for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. Kanto held his breath, hoping that the idea would resonate with his son.
“Okay, Baba!” Jian finally exclaimed, a small smile breaking through. “I gawden wit you foh Mama!”
Kanto grinned, relieved that he found an activity that piqued Jian’s interest. “Great choice, partner! Let’s get our hands dirty and make this garden amazing. Mama will be so proud of us!”
For some reason, Bub had pulled a face after the latter half of Kanto’s spiel, making the older man widen his eyes. Kanto cleared his throat. “I mean—we’ll dirty our gloves. I know how you don’t like ick, Bub, my bad.”
The smile returned to Jian’s face as he hopped off the chair and ran for the door that led to the backyard. With haste to grab a water bottle and Jian’s sippy cup, Kanto sped over to let them both outside.
In the garden, after Kanto made sure to slip the small green and red gardening gloves onto Jian’s hands, Kanto showed him how to use a small shovel and gently plant seeds. They worked side by side as Kanto tried to make his son laugh, sighing when he failed to and feeling on top of the world when he succeeded. The sun warmed their faces as they immersed themselves in the simple joy of gardening.
Kanto had gotten into the habit after he’d been jumped out of his gang. The hobby relaxed him and he found that he was good at it as he stared at his thriving garden. It was a hard road to travel from where he was before to here, but he would say it was worth it, especially when he got to do it for his family.
After a while, Kanto noticed Jian staring intently at a ladybug crawling on a leaf. The look on his son’s face made him have to hold back a laugh. He said, gently holding the leaf up to not scare the creature, “Look at this, Bub! It’s a little garden friend. We’re not alone out here.”
Jian’s eyes widened with fascination. “Fwiend?”
“Yep, our garden buddy.” Kanto chuckled. “Be careful with it, okay?”
As they continued to work on the garden, Kanto showed Jian how to water the plants, carefully explaining the importance of giving each one just the right amount of water. Jian, still captivated by the ladybug, nodded in agreement, occasionally letting out a delighted giggle as the tiny insect crawled on his finger.
After a while, Kanto decided to take a break, sitting down on the edge of a small bench. Jian joined him, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. Kanto pointed to a row of colorful flowers and asked, “Bub, how about we pick some flowers for Mama? It’s almost time to go get her, so we might as well start getting everything ready.”
“Fowews for Mama?”
Kanto nodded, reaching for a pair of small garden shears. “Exactly. We’ll pick the sweetest-smelling ones, and then we’ll arrange them in a bouquet for Mama. What do you think?”
With enthusiasm, Jian agreed, “Yes, yes, fowews for Mama!”
Together, they carefully selected vibrant flowers, creating a colorful assortment made of up Jian’s favorites. Kanto guided Jian’s small hands, making sure they handled the flowers with care. Once they had gathered a lovely bunch, Kanto helped Jian arrange them into a makeshift bouquet.
“There we go, Bub! A bouquet for Mama,” Kanto declared, admiring their creation.
Jian beamed with pride, holding the bouquet in his hands. “Mama happy?”
“Oh, she’s going to be thrilled.” Kanto ruffled Jian’s hair affectionately. “How about we wash up before we go? You stink.”
His son giggled, throwing his little head back. “I no like stinky, Baba.”
“Okay, a bath it is! Then, straight to Mama.”
With tenderness and a laugh, Kanto scooped Jian up and ran into the house with the boy thrown over his back.
Jian was a big pain in the butt.
As they bathed before heading out, all he could do was ask how long until they went to see Mama, and Kanto was about ready to never hear the word “mama” again. Still, he found himself laughing at the boy’s desperation and excitement at the mere thought of finally being able to see Toph.
And frankly, Kanto could relate.
With Jian and himself dressed, Kanto slipped the bouquet into a clay vase with some water in it then arranged it to his taste. Jian admired his father’s handiwork with wide eyes and an open mouth, but it took him no time to remember the task at hand, tugging on Kanto’s pants with anticipation.
“See Mama now?”
“Alright, let’s put you out of your misery, Bub,” Kanto told him with a slight laugh, tousling Jian’s hair the way he hated. The kid had a thing for neatness, that was for damn certain. It took a minute more to run a comb through his wet curls, and they were finally out the door.
The short walk from their home to the precinct was filled with Jian’s impatient queries about Mama and whether or not she’ll like the fowews they picked. Kanto did his best to reassure his son, promising that they were on their way to see Toph.
As they neared the precinct, Jian’s excitement reached its peak. “Mama, Mama, Mama!” he chanted, his little hands gripping Kanto’s tightly.
“You have to be quiet in here, Bubba,” Kanto told him in an exaggerated whisper as they entered the building that Kanto was all too familiar with. He’d been in here countless times for countless reasons, though, some of them a few years ago, not by choice. “Meetings are going on and we don’t want to bother them.”
Jian nodded his head. “No bodder, Baba.”
The precinct, usually a place filled with the hustle and bustle of police work, felt a bit different with Jian’s innocent excitement in the air. Kanto navigated through the halls with Jian in tow, receiving amused smiles and knowing glances from some of the officers who knew them well.
Finally, they reached Toph’s office at the very end of a long corridor. Kanto knocked lightly before entering, Jian practically bouncing with anticipation. Toph looked up from her desk, a grin spreading across her face when she realized it was them.
“I wasn’t expecting you two,” Toph told them, standing to greet them.
Jian sprinted forward, running right into Toph’s outstretched arms as she crouched. “Mama!”
“Hi, Bubbie! What are you doing here, huh? Miss me that much?”
“Mhm! An—and we gotchu fowers! Fom the gawden!” Jian pointed at Kanto, who was still holding the full vase. He practically vibrated in place as he made grabby hands at the bouquet.
Clearly, that action was his cue.
Kanto walked up to his wife and son, lowered himself toward them, and reached over to kiss his wife. Their lips met briefly and at Jian’s moan of annoyance, the two pulled apart with a laugh. Carefully, he presented the flowers to Toph, Jian’s little hands covering his.
Toph’s lips twitched upward as she took a deep breath in, enjoying the scents of her favorite flowers, ones that Kanto always made sure were plentiful in his garden for moments like these. He watched her eyes close in bliss as she took another breath and reached over to place the vace on her desk.
“I love them, Bubbie,” she said finally, pulling Jian into her chest and squeezing enough to make him giggle. “Did you do this on your own?”
“Uh-uh, I hep Baba.”
“You helped Baba?”
Kanto chose this moment to clear his throat and say, “I do believe the boy said ‘hep.’”
She snorted, leaning to press a kiss on Jian’s forehead. “Right, my bad. But you guys got along. I told you.”
“I wike Baba.”
He couldn’t help the self-indulgent grin that overtook his face. That was high praise from his son. And it was true that Kanto knew that Jian loved him. He knew it and he saw it every day in the way he’d hug him and kiss his cheek before bed; Bub was just a Mama’s boy in the best way possible. Of course, Kanto was more than happy about it, but it was nice to have some time with him; time when Jian wasn’t trying to duel him for Toph’s attention.
“Lucky that I wike you, too, then Mister Bubba.”
Kanto chuckled at Jian’s giggle.
Finally, Toph stood and went around her desk. “Well, I should tell you how funny it is that I have a little surprise for you, Bub.”
Jian gasped. “A ‘pwise?”
She gave him no reply, instead, pulling one of her desk drawers open and getting out a semi-large plush badgermole. Setting it on the ground, she said, “Guess what that is.”
The little boy ran to the other side of the office to meet his mother as fast as his little legs could carry him and he released an excited squeal before picking the stuffed animal up off the ground. “A badgie!”
“Mhm, I ran into one while I was out earlier, and I thought of you.” She laughed. “And it seems like your badgie fits right in. I thought he might keep you company, especially when Mama is busy catching bad guys.”
“Tanku, Mama!” Jian exclaimed, hugging Toph with the badgermole in his hands. It was quite big for Jian’s size, but it worked out just fine, Kanto thought. Their son pulled away and held the badgermole to his chest, looking up at them. “We go home now?”
Toph laughed, realizing that her son’s patience had reached its limit. “Alright, alright. Let me finish up here, and we’ll head home together, okay? Lin should be picking the girls up from school.”
Jian nodded vigorously. “Home wit Mama!”
It didn’t take longer than two minutes for Toph to gather her things for them to leave. To Jian, though, two minutes was the longest eternity to ever exist. Still, he seemed to be placated by “Badgie” enough to not ask when they were leaving every other second.
When they did manage to exit her office, Kanto picked Jian up and sat him on his shoulders. The boy giggled and entrusted Toph with Badgie on the walk home.
“He’s a good kid," Kanto said, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. “And you... you’re an amazing wife and mother. I’m lucky to have you both. All of you, the girls. Just—I love you.”
Toph leaned against him. “You know we love you too, Hotshot.”
His heart squeezed with a feeling he’d only come to know around her and their family. Still, though, he had to think of something to ruin it. With a smirk, he quietly asked, “If that’s at all so, where’s my surprise, hm?”
“In our bedroom,” she replied immediately in the same tone. “On the bed. After the kids go to sleep.”
Suddenly, Kanto felt like he needed to rush home.