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It had been a long school year.
Kojiro Nanjo kicked off his sneakers the moment he walked through the door, and slumped against the door dramatically. A lot had changed since August; some good and some bad, but overall not too shabby of a year. Graduation had happened not too long ago and he had to say goodbye to Langa and Reki, but they both promised to visit sometime soon. Though touching, it didn’t distract him from the fact that he now had Langa’s and a few other varsity spots to fill. Figuring out new team configurations would be a pain until he got to know some of the new players a bit more.
He sighed again as he dragged himself and his gym bag to his bedroom. He was kind of regretting going so hard on his after school workout, but it was necessary if he wanted to keep up with his players. He’s well aware that he has it quite good compared to teachers who taught academics, but boy was it tiring when he had to be the one to be physically involved in the students’ activities. Coaching a bunch of high school boys was exhausting, especially dealing with their attitudes, but like he always tells himself, it’s worth it in the end.
One of the biggest changes though, had happened off the court.
(Unless you count that one time with the stray basketball, but that’s besides the pointー)
He had met Kaoru Sakurayashiki.
Kojiro can’t say he himself made the best first impression by flirting with the new art teacher (and mistaking him for a woman. Again, that’s not the pointー) but at least they got a happy ending out of it. Once they’d gotten past that, it turned out the two had a lot more in common than they originally thought. One thing led to another, and here they are a few months later with Kaoru practically living in Kojiro’s apartment.
Kaoru hadn’t made it back to the apartment yet but he’d be home soon and most likely hungry after staying longer at the school to work on a new mural. He took a quick shower and changed into a comfy pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt and started on dinner. Too tired to make anything complex, he settled on a simple spaghetti and got to work. The pasta boiled as he seasoned some ground beef and allowed the pot of tomato sauce to simmer. He was throwing the beef in to absorb some of the flavor when he felt his phone vibrate.
“Hey mom,” Kojiro said as he propped the phone on a cookbook.
“Hey Koji, I see you’re making dinner, what’s on the menu tonight?”
“Nothing special, just some spaghetti.”
“Long day?”
“Yeah, you know how it is, there’s always something teachers need to handle at the last minute. Plus, Oka and I still have to wrap up conditioning week before all the players are gone for the summer. Need to make sure it’s drilled into their skulls so they’re ready for real practice come July.”
“You sound like a drill sergeant,” she laughed, “Should I expect to hear about them going to the playoffs again?”
Kojiro stirred the pot thoughtfully, “I think there’s a shot if they can keep up the momentum. Even with the new guys, it’s a pretty good group and so far, the JV kids who moved to varsity are taking it pretty seriously.”
“That’s wonderful to hear! Oh, I’m getting distracted though, I was calling to see what time I should expect you on Saturday.”
“Uh, maybe around 3pm?” He was brought out of his musing at the sound of the front door.
“Hey Kaoru,” Kojiro called over his shoulder.
“Please tell me that dinner’s almost done, I’m starving and that little shit was really getting to me,” the pinkhaired man grumbled as he set his keys on the hook near the door.
Kojiro huffed out a laugh, “That ‘little shit’ is your boss, one of these days you’re gonna slip up and call him that to his face. And to answer your other statement, spaghetti’s almost done, just need to simmer a bit longer.”
The art teacher made his way over to his partner as he said, “thank you for finally being useful for something,” and placed a chaste kiss against his cheek.
“Hello Kaoru!” Ruka Nanjo chimed in playfully as Kaoru’s eyes widened and gave an awkward wave, “Oh Mrs. Nanjo, hi,” He smiled tightly as he gritted out, “Kojiro didn’t tell me you were on the phone.”
“Oh don’t mind me, I’m the one interrupting your evening. I just wanted to confirm that we’d be seeing you as well on Saturday.”
“Saturday? Isn’t that when you leave for your family trip?” Kaoru asked Kojiro.
“Yeah butー”
“You should join us!” Ruka suggested enthusiastically.
“Oh, I’d hate to intrude on your trip.”
“C’mon Kaoru, you’re practically family at this point we’d love to meet you in person!”
“I don’t know…” He trailed off.
“Just give it some thought. No pressure either way, though we’d love to have you. Just let me know so I’ll have enough time to buy groceries to account for you.”
“Of course.”
“Well, I’ll let you guys settle in for the evening, Koji, call me later. Love you.”
“Love you too, mom.” Ruka hung up and by this point dinner was ready.
Kaoru whacked the gym teacher’s arm. “You damn gorilla, what the hell?! Why didn’t you say you were on the phone?”
“To be fair, I was a bit distracted making dinner for my boyfriend who just oh so lovingly hit me,” he deadpanned.
“I didn’t even do it that hard, besides, I know you can take more than that,” Kaoru responded offhandedly. Kojiro’s ears burned at the statement.and filed it away for later to take his revenge.
“Ahem, back on topic, sorry for not giving you a head’s up but seriously, what you said wasn’t that bad.”
“Me calling my boss a little shit in front of your mom isn’t a good look,” he grimaced.
Kojiro grabbed two plates a ladelled a portion onto each of them. “Okay but Adam was being a little shit asking for a mural to be done right before summer break, and has the nerve to keep changing his idea.” He slid a plate and fork towards Kaoru who’d taken a seat at a barstool. He made himself comfortable in his own chair as Kaoru let out a sigh.
“I just don’t want to give her the wrong impression.”
“That you have a potty mouth? She’d be right though.” Another whack to the arm. “I was gonna bring it up to you when you got home, but she beat me to the punch.”
“I don’t know, wouldn’t I be overstepping? Plus what if they don’t like me? I’d be trapped with them giving me the stink eye for a whole week.”
“Calm down, my mom’s talked to you briefly over the phone and she’s already mentioned how she’d love to see you in person.”
“Okay, your mom might be fine, but what about your dad or your sisters?”
“My dad likes 90% of people he meets, and Kiki and Tsuki are frothing at the mouth at the idea of more blackmail material. Kaoru, you will be fine.”
Kaoru gave him one more contemplative look before finally agreeing with a long sigh. “Fine… I’ll go.”
Kojiro smiled softly as he took his partner’s hand and squeezed it tightly, “Thank you, I was already excited to see my family, but now they finally get to see how awesome you are in person.”
Kaoru rolled his eyes dimissively as he dug into his pasta, but still squeezed his hand in response.
______________
“Got everything?” Kaoru asked one more time before closing the apartment door.
“Should be fine,” the green-haired man answered, “My mom might ask us to pick up some last minute stuff on the way there, but I think we have everything we need.”
This was the start of their four hour journey towards the Canadian coastline. The Nanjos had a tradition of going on at least one family trip together each year and this year’s destination ended up being the beach. The beaches might not have been as picturesque as the ones in Okinawa, Kaoru’s hometown, but they were much less crowded since Canada wasn’t particularly known for them. Apparently Zenkichi Nanjo had managed to find a deal for a short term rental with private beach access along with plenty of room for the whole family and any “unexpected” guests.
Kaoru stared out the window watching the scenery change from lush green forests to a deep blue coastline. It’d been years since he set foot on a beach so he couldn’t help but be a bit excited as they got closer to their destination. This still wasn’t enough to distract him from the nervous pit in his stomach at the thought of meeting Kojiro’s family. Twenty minutes later, they were pulling into a rocky driveway with one car present. Kojiro was about to call his mom to double check that it was the right place when the front door of the beach house swung open revealing an older woman with long dark wavy hair. She had a kind face with deep smile lines and an equally kind voice, “Kojiro, Kaoru!” She exclaimed as she sped over to the car.
Kojiro tucked his phone away as his mom greeted him with a hug. “I’m so happy to see you!” She released him and looked towards Kaoru who’d just walked around the other side of the car to greet her with a nervous smile.
“Uh, hi, nice to finally meet you in person,” he said politely.
“It’s wonderful to meet you too! Are you fine with hugs?” She asked excitedly.
“Yes?”
“Perfect!” She wrapped her arms around him with an equally warm hug. As she pulled away she said, “And please just call me Ruka.”
Kaoru laughed lightly and relaxed a bit, “I can see where Kojiro gets his affectionate side from.”
She flashed him a knowing smile, “You don’t know the half of it, when he was little he used to never wanna leave my side. He didn’t even want to sleep on his own until he was nine years old,” she laughed.
“Mom!” Kojiro yelled in embarrassment.
“What? It was cute, boys are always so quick to leave their moms. I just wanted to cherish the time while I could,” she pouted, “now look at you, you’re all grown up and bringing someone home.” She affectionately pinched Kojiro's cheek and ruffled his hair.
“Ah okay, while I’m sure you love embarrassing me,” he said as he ducked out her way, “let’s move this inside.”
They each grabbed a bag from the car and brought it inside the beach house. It was one story high and painted in a calm blue color with white trim accents. It already looked spacious from the outside, and the inside didn’t disappoint either. The first thing Kaoru saw as he walked in was the living room with floor-to-ceiling windows with curtains drawn wide enough that made way for an excellent view of the beach. Upon further inspection, there was a set of doors that led to a back porch and presumably gave them access to the beach. To his right was the kitchen decked out in white marble and matching cabinets, though it was a bit messy since a tall green-haired man with streaks of gray was busy rolling out some dough on the counter.
“Honey, was it the girls?” He called out.
“No, but Koji and Kaoru are here.” The man fully turned around and smiled brightly at the sight of his son and partner.
“Hey dad, need some help?” Kojiro offered.
“Nah, go get settled in. I’m just making dough for pizza tonight, I’m almost done, it just needs to sit out and rest.” He glanced at Kaoru, “Normally I’d shake your hand but I’m a bit occupied right now,” he laughed lightly.
“I completely understand,” Kaoru answered.
“I’m Zenkichi Nanjo, thanks for being here and it’s great to finally meet you.”
“Happy to be here.” he said with a nod.
“Are Kiki and Tsuki here yet?” Kojiro asked.
“Yeah, they got here an hour ago. They wanted to make cookies for dessert so they went out for ingredients. They should be back anytime now.”
Kojiro nodded his head, “Okay, Kaoru and I are gonna drop stuff off and we’ll be back in a second.”
“Take your time.” Zenkichi shooed them out while Ruka guided them down a hall with three bedrooms.
“The room on the right belongs to you guys but,” she looked at Kaoru and gave a stage whisper, “If Kojiro is misbehaving, feel free to banish him to the living room. The couch doubles as a pull out mattress.”
“Mom!”
“I’m just saying,” she threw her hands up in surrender, “anyways, I’ll let you guys get settled in.” She made her way back to the living room as Kojiro and Kaoru finally set their bags down. They didn’t stay away for long, just enough to get them changed out of their travel clothes. By the time they returned to the living room, Zenkichi had finished the dough and was exiting the kitchen with clean hands.
“Perfect timing, if you guys wanna get a head start on making your pizza, feel free. I’m sure you’re both tired after the long drive.”
“Wanna share a margarita pizza?” Kojiro asked.
“Sure, do you need help?”
His partner was about to respond when they both heard the front door rattling and opening.
“Mom, dad, we’re back!” A voice called out. A tall figure quickly came into view, she had long green hair that was tied in a high ponytail revealing a set of sharp hazel eyes. She must’ve felt a set of eyes on her since she suddenly turned her gaze in their direction.
“Woah, you’re taller than I expected,” Kiyoko said in observation. She dropped her grocery bags on the kitchen counter and came closer to say hello.
“I could say the same for you,” Kaoru answered as he slightly craned his neck up. Kiyoko Nanjo was the tallest member of the family at 6’3” and was quite lanky, though Kaoru wasn’t fooled for a second. He was well aware of the power she had due to her long standing career as a professional volleyball player. She had a commanding presence, no doubt, yet it seemed a bit subdued with her relaxed posture.
She firmly gripped Kaoru’s hand in introduction, “Call me Kiyoko, or Kiki, either’s fine.
“I’m Kaoru.”
“So I’ve heard you're the root of my brother’s bisexual awakening.”
It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.
Kaoru and Kojiro had talked extensively about Kojiro’s sexuality when they first got together. Kojiro wanted to be clear that he liked Kaoru for who he was and took their relationship very seriously while Kaoru made it clear he didn’t want to be some experiment. It was a big confidence booster to know he was the reason someone figured out their sexuality, but it was still a bit embarassing approaching the topic with his partner’s sister.
The couple turned beet red as she laughed, “Gotta admit, you did a good job Koji, he’s cute!”
“Be careful Kiki or else I might get jealous,” another voice said. A shorter woman with darker skin and long braids walked in with a playful smile.
“Lynn, I promise he means nothing to me!”
“Uh huh, sure.” She said as she sidestepped her wife to greet Kaoru, “Hey, I’m Lynn, I apologize for anything my wife says in advance, she doesn’t think before she speaks.”
“It’s okay, Kojiro isn’t much better.”
“HEY!” the Nanjo siblings yelled in unison.
The sound of paper bags dropping alerted them to a new presence. Another woman had appeared, though she was a bit shorter than Kiyoko, possibly standing at 5’10”. She had an undercut with a mound of curls on top and stood in shock starting a Kaoru, a hand slowly rasing to point at him.
“You’re…Kaoru Sakurayashiki,” she stated slowly, “Oh my god, you’re Kaoru Sakurayashiki! Kojiro, why the fuck didn’t you say you were dating Kaoru Sakurayashiki?!”
This couldn’t be a good sign. Any nerves that had disappeared came back with at full force and felt like throwing up. Did Kaoru know her? Had he cursed her out? Oh no, was she the one whose car he’d accidentally keyed that one time? As he slowly spiraled attempting to figure out what he’d done to earn her ire, the siblings continued talking.
“I told you I was dating Kaoruー”
“BUT YOU NEVER GAVE A FULL NAME OR SENT A PHOTO!”
“I thought you weren’t interested in my love life,” Kojiro said as he folded his arms.
“Maybe I woudl’ve if you’d told me you were dating Kaoru Sakurayashiki. ” Her eyes shifted over to the pink-hairred man who was standing there anxiously waiting for her to tell Kojiro to break up with him.
“Hi, I’m so sorry about that,” she laughed nervously, “I’m just a huge fan of yours, seriously it’s such an honor to meet you, I’m Tsukiyama, but just called me Tsuki. I’m this numbskull’s other sister.”
Oh thank fucking godー
“Nice to meet you, I’m Kaoru, but you clearly know that already,” he joked as he inconspicously wiped away a bead of nervous sweat.
“Sorry if that freaked you out, I’ve followed your art page for a while, I even have a print of one of your pieces back in my apartment.”
“I’m glad to hear you like my work so much.” While he’d been aware that Tsuki worked as a graphic designer, he never would’ve guessed that she knew about his fine art career. It was simultaneously comforting and terrifying to know someone who knew about the details of his work besides himself was within arms’ reach.
“I can’t get over the fact that you’re dating my brother, seriously, how did he even land you?” She asked in awe.
“Tsuki, don’t be rude,” Ruka Nanjo gave her a look.
“What? I’m curious!”
“Trust me, I ask myself that everyday,” he deadpanned, “He lured me like a scared animal with food and suddenly I wasn’t able to get rid of him.”
“Kaoru, you know you love more than my cooking,” Kojiro crept up behind him and placed a hand on his hip, “there’s also my dashing good looks, athletic skills, my heart of gold, andー”
“Clearly I wasn’t drawn to your humility.”
Tsuki started cackling, “Already bullying you? You’re already a winner in my book.”
Groceries were quickly put away as the rest of the family was ushered in the kitchen to start on their pizzas. There was a cacophony of voices, laughter, and sounds, and Kaoru couldn’t help but watch in silent amusement. Kiyoko was sneaking handles of cheese to her mouth as she sprinkled it over her dough while Lynn stepped in saying she needed to leave some for the rest of the family. Meanwhile, Tsuki was tossing her dough in the air to “channel her Italian heritage” and accidentally got it stuck to the ceiling. Kiyoko stood on the counter to retrieve it only for it to quickly fall on her face, Zenkichi’s laughter could probably be heard a mile away while Ruka attempted to rein things in and get their meal in the oven. Kojiro buried his face in his hands, most likely in embarrassment from his sisters’ shenangnins. Pizza night had been a staple in Kaoru and Kojiro’s apartment, typically being a much quieter affair, but he never considered it to be a tradition he’d carried over from living with his family. It was quite cute that he wanted to keep it going even on his own.
Once dinner had been successfully transferred to the oven, Kojiro’s parents decided to wait out the cooking time in the living room while all the Nanjo siblings, Lynn, and Kaoru began working on dessert.
Kaoru grimaced a bit, “Fair warning, I’m not the best baker,” he admitted.
Kiyoko’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “Uh, Kaoru? Pretty sure you were here when Tsuki got her dough stuck to the ceiling.” Kaoru saw the way Tsuki glared daggers at her sister, “Koji’s the only one who got the cooking and baking skills, that’s why Lynn and Koji are here to help supervise.”
“Isn’t this supposed to be my vacation as well?” The green-haired man questioned, “And besides, you’re a great baker Kaoru, remember when you made me tiramisu?”
Kaoru gave him a doubtful look, “And if you recall, that was after multiple unsuccessful attempts.”
“But it was still the best dessert I ever had.” The affection in his voice was clear as he smiled softly. Kaoru rolled his eyes and lightly elbowed him, “I feel like you’re mocking me.”
Lynn laughed as she measured out a cup of brown sugar, “You guys are too cute. Kojiro, you can sit this one out, my grandma’s chocolate chip cookie recipe is pretty foolproof. Go hang out with your parents.”
Kojiro gave Kaoru a slightly concerned look, “I don’t mind staying.”
“I’ll be fine, go spend some time with you parents.” One more glance later and Kojiro slowly retreated to the living room.
“Okay, let’s get started,” said Lynn. She started out explaining the recipe and had them all take note of how much they needed for each ingredient. She and Kaoru ended up measuring most of the ingredients out before passing them to Kiyoko to mix; whisk in hand and the large bowl cradled in her arm, she began to stir.
“With the amount of cookie dough here, I could count this as my arm workout for the day.”
Kaoru shuddered dramatically, “You sounded just like Kojiro for a second.”
She gasped, “You take that back! I’ll have you know, he only got those muscles because of me!”
“Really?”
“Yup! I helped him make a bunch of his workout plans when he first started playing basketball, we even did a nuch of conditioning workouts together.”
“God,” Tsuki groaned, “I remember you guys being on your strict diets and the only sugar I had access to was from fruit. I hated being the only creative in this household.”
“Well hey, now you’ve got Kaoru and you guys can talk about your fancy schmancy art stuff all night long.” The short-hairred woman rolled her eyes, clearly used to this type of response.
Kaoru was washing some of the measuring cups as he remarked, “It’s almost scary how much you and your brother are alike, that reminds me of something he said when we first met.”
Tsuki leaned in in anticipation. “Oh god, what did he say?”
“He was just confused as to why I had knives as an art teacher because he thought that all we did was have kids draw pictures since it was the easiest thing to do,” he snorted softly at the memory.
She stared at him in disbelief, “And you still wanted to be in a relationship with him?”
He shrugged, “To be fair, I wanted nothing to do with him at that point. I told you, he lured me in.”
“I guess our little brother is quite the charmer, I still never would’ve guessed he’d end up with an artist,” she admitted.
“To his credit, he apologized for the comment and I’d have to agree with you on that as well. I can’t say I pictured dating someone like your brother, but…he’s very sweet and supportive. He’s actually attended a few of my exhibitions,” he said blushing lightly. “There was one time where I was receiving an award but there was a basketball game that night. I told him he didn’t have to attend, but right as I got called up there to give my artist talk, suddenly, he’s there, sweatpants and all,” he chuckled at the memory.
Tsuki smiled proudly, “Yeah, that’s our Koji, we tried to raise him right.”
“We?” Kiyoko questioned, “Last I checked, you were the one who let him roll off the bed as a baby.”
“You shouldn’t have let a seven year old look after a three year old.”
Once everything was fully combined, Tsuki was tasked with forming them into balls before putting them in the oven, though they couldn’t escape the extra commentary.
(“Tsuki, can you start rolling these into balls?”
“You want me to roll them into what? ”
“Tsuki.”
“You walked right into that one.”)
By the time Tsuki finished, the oven timer went off and the scent of freshly baked pizza permeated the air. Pizza trays were swapped out for cookie trays, and began to bake as dinner was served. Similar to the pizza making process, dinner was an equally merry affair with lots of conversation. He tried to participate where he could, but mostly found himself watching everyone interact with each other. A lot of teasing was thrown around at each everyones’ expense, and yet, Kaoru could feel the love each of them had for each other. It honestly made him miss his own family.
As they finished up with dinner, Lynn pulled the cookies out of the oven and left them to cool for a bit. Kiyoko took it upon herself to test the first cookie, and then decided to eat a second just to be sure they tasted ‘just right’. A third cookie had also coincidentally disappeared when she said she was going to the bathroom. Kaoru couldn’t blame her though, they were pretty damn good.
It was officially nearing ten o’clock and after eating a delicious dinner and dessert, people were finally starting to wind down. Everyone bid their goodbyes and split up for the night, and Kaoru was finally able to let his guard down. He’d changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed laying on his back, blankly staring at the ceiling. Kojiro, who’d taken a shower, joined him a few minutes later and gently pulled Kaoru into his arms, pressing a sweet kiss to his shoulder.
“You know I love you, right?”
“You’ve only mentioned it about a hundred times,” Kaoru responded while still looking at the ceiling.
“And I’m gonna keep saying it. I love you so much and I wanted to thank you again for coming with me, seriously. I’m sorry if they’re too much, they’re just really excited to meet you.”
Kaoru turned his head, “Kojiro, it’s fine, you don’t have to apologize, you’re acting like me coming along is a huge favor.”
“I know it’s not, but I’ve wanted you to meet my family for a while, so it’s still kind of weird that it’s finally happening.”
“If I want to be with you, I’d have to meet them eventually. I know how much they mean to you. Plus they’re great, I’m just not used to dealing with a big family.”
Kaoru was an only child so he never knew what it was like for a house to be filled with so many people. He never even grew up with a lot of extended family since his parents were both only children, maybe that’s another reason he went a bit crazy in his teenage years, but that’s something to unpack at another time. Right now, he just had to focus on whooing the Nanjos. At the very least, Tsuki seemd to be on his side already, that’s one down, three more to go. Okay, more like four if he’s including Lynn.
“Well you’re doing an amazing job. If they get too much, let me know and I promise to distract them.”
The pink-hairred man smirked at his partner, “You idiot, you think I need your help?”
“Of course not, but I’m letting you know the offer is there,” Kojiro snorted. He kissed Kaoru’s shoulder one more time before saying good night and closing his eyes. Minutes later, Kojiro was quietly snoring. Kaoru used to be the type to get annoyed by any noises at bedtime, but something about Kojiro’s snores, warmth, and comforting weight of his arm around him was soothing. He honestly had a hard time falling asleep without him now. If his past self saw how sappy he was being, he’d probably throw up.
But considering how happy and comfortable he felt, maybe a bit of sappiness doesn’t hurt every once in a while.
______________
The next day was considered their first beach day. The property already had a few chairs and umbrellas, so all they needed was some extra towels. Kaoru had claimed an umbrella for himself and laid out a large towel, fully intending to stay there and do some light reading. He loved nature, especially the beach, but his fair skin and the bright sunlight typically resulted in terrible sunburn, and he didn’t feel like embarrassing himself in front of the Nanjos just yet.
After Kojiro helped his parents set up their own umbrella and chairs, he made a beeline for the water with Tsuki hot on his tail. Despite Tsuki being the least athletic of the siblings, she was just fast enough to push Kojiro into the water resulting in him looking like a sad wet dog.
(Kaoru definitely didn’t take a picture and save it for later. No way一)
Tsuki doubled over laughing and Kojiro took his opportunity to strike by knocking her over. Her laughter might have stopped but her grin was still present as she splashed an armful of water at him. Kiyoko, who’d just stepped out of the house, scoffed at the scene, “Tsuki, you need to act your age. You’re a grown woman, you can’t just throw water at himー”
The short-haired woman responded with another splash of water directed towards Kiyoko. Water droplets littered her cover-up and a few drops managed to drip comedically off her face.
Kaoru thought he could hear her eye twitch from a distance.
“Oh, it’s fucking on!” Cover-up torn off and quickly discarded into her wife’s hands, who was a few steps behind her, she sprinted towards the water with a vengeance. As Kaoru watched the siblings duke it out, he heard Ruka call out to him. “Hey Kaoru, do you mind helping me grab the cooler?”
“Not at all.” He followed the woman back into the house. The house was oddly silent as he realized this was the first time he was truly alone with one of Kojiro’s family members.
“It’s right here.” she pointed to a medium sized red cooler, before lightly gasping, “Oh darn, the containers of fruit are still in the fridge.”
“If you bag them up, I can carry those too.”
“You’re a guest, I couldn’t possibly ask you to do all that!”
“Don’t worry about it, just tell me if you need me to grab anything else.”
Ruka giggled, “Gosh, Kojiro must’ve rubbed off on you, I’m not that old. It feels like I have another son.” She grabbed the containers along with a tote bag and carefully began placing them so they wouldn’t tip over.
“My mom would always have me carry stuff growing up so I’m used to it.”
Her hazel eyes lit up with interest and she slowed down her packing, “And what’s she like? I’d been curious about your family.”
“She’s a royal pain in myー” he coughed before he remembered who he was talking to, “ーmy…heart.” He cautiously shifted his eyes to gauge the woman’s reaction.
Her eyes crinkled knowingly, “I completely understand. And your father?”
“Shockingly easy going. I don’t see them as often as I’d like, we had a bit of a rough patch when I was growing up so it’s a bit difficult.”
“Because you’re…” she trailed off.
“Oh not because I’m gay, I was just a little shit growing up. Wait, I meant to say crapー”
Kojiro always made fun of him for his so-called potty mouth and now it was coming back to bite him in the ass in front of Ruka. Luckily the woman seemed to take it in stride and found it hilarious, “Kaoru it’s fine, you’re twenty eight years old, plus you’ve heard how Tsuki and Kiyoko talk.”
Kaoru blushed in embarrassment, “Ahem, anyways, we had a rough patch and they practically shipped me off to Canada for college so I could figure myself out. Turns out, that was the best decision that could've been made for me. I do occasionally miss her nagging, but a teacher’s salary isn’t quite enough for yearly trips to Japan.”
“Does it ever get lonely? Kojiro never mentioned you having siblings, I can’t imagine what it’s been like all this time,” She said. Her voice dripped with concern and Kaoru felt his heart clench a bit at the thought of making Ruka feel sad.
“It really wasn’t that bad. I consider myself to be someone who values their space so most days I was fine, but of course... there were some times where I would’ve loved to have someone with me. They didn’t necessarily need to talk, just be there for me when I needed them,” he admitted. Ruka waved her hand, urging him to continue, “I’m also extremely picky about the people I keep close, so it’s not like I could just go out and find someone. I wanted someone who could deal with my, admittedly, shitty attitude sometimes, someone who would listen to me, and in turn I could do the same for them, and I think…I found that with your son.”
“You really love him, huh?”
“I do,” he said firmly, “And I know how much he loves you all, so much so, that all he wants is for us to get along and I’d love that too.”
“And how do you think you’re fitting in with our family so far?”
He was silent for a moment, “I…I’ve had a great time so far. And I’d love to be around a bit longer if you’ll have me,” he finished a bit sheepishly.
“Kaoru, I think we’re gonna have to make sure we have space for you during Christmas,” she smiled playfully.
His eyes widened in disbelief, “Really?”
“Yes, really. You seem like such a sweet young man and I can see how much you love our Koji, of course we wanna keep you around.”
“Thank you, IーI’m soー” He kept fumbling his words, clearly overwhelmed with how readily she accepted him.
“Of course, now let's get back out there before my kids kill each other.”
He huffed out a laugh as he hefted the cooler onto his shoulder and adjusted the bag in his other hand. They made their way back to the beach, with Kaoru having a bit more spring in his step as Ruka smiled even brighter. Kaoru eventually returned to his umbrella and was finally able to start reading his book, though he was only a few pages deep when he noticed Kojiro’s muscular figure approaching him. He could only assume the siblings had made a truce and were each returning to the sand looking equally drenched.
“Where have you been? I looked up and you were gone,” Kojiro questioned as he ran a hand through his wet hair.
“I was helping you mom grab some stuff.”
“Oh good, it just felt like you were taking a while. Are you finally ready to join me in the water? It feels amazing.”
“I’m sure it does, but me and sunlight don’t get along quite well.”
“Come on, you came all this way and you’re really not gonna get in?”
Kaoru flipped his hair over his shoulder, “I plan to take a stroll a bit later when the sun starts going down.”
“Ugh,” the green-haired man groaned, “that’s no fun…” As he trailed off, something in Kojiro’s deamenor shifted. It was subtle, but as someone who’d been dating the man for the past few months, he immediately noticed that Kojiro was attempting to hide his hands.
“Kojiro, no.” he said firmly as the other man slowly encroached on his space.
“What? I didn’t do anything,” he said innocently.
“You’re going to do something, I can feel it. My shit-stirring senses are tingling, particularly in your direction.”
“Hot.”
“Kojiro Nanjo, I’m serious, if youー”
It all happened quickly. One second, Kaoru was sitting comfortably under his umbrella, and the next thing he knew, he was in Kojiro’s arms and heading directly towards the water.
“KOJIRO, PUT ME DOWN YOU APE, I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL END YOU. I’LL SKIN YOU ALIVE, IF I HAVE TOー” He kicked and punched as much as he could, but Kojiro’s stupid muscles got in the way of any damage.
“KOJIRO YOU MOTHERFUー”
Splash!
Kojiro had jumped in with Kaoru in his arms, they both quickly resurfaced with Kojiro grinning like a mad man.
“See? Isn’t this much more refreshing than staying in the shade?”
Kaoru had to admit, the water felt great, but that didn’t make up for the fact his hair was in complete disarray currently blocking most of his vision.
“You’re lucky your family is here or else, I’d kill you.”
“But if you killed me, who else would make carbanara for you?”
Yeah, anything good he said about Kojiro? He takes it all back.
At the very least, he had the last laugh a few hours later when they all returned inside with Kojiro’s skin looking like a boiled lobster.
“And that’s what you get for staying outside too long,” Kaoru snickered as he lightly slapped Kojiro’s sunburnt back.
“Ow! I said I was sorry,” he groaned, “Please just put the aloe vera on for me, I promise I’ll never throw you in the water again.”
“And?”
“And…I promise to do laundry for a week when we get back home?”
“Just one week?”
Kojiro looked pitifual, “Fine, two weeks and I’ll even fold them.”
“Deal,” Kaoru grinned as he began applying the aloe vera.
“You’re a menace.”
“According to your mom,” Kaoru smirked, “I’m a nice young man.”
“Well, she’s a terrible judge of character.”
A few more days of the trip had come and gone, each day filled with their own funny incidents, and Kaoru could honestly say he hadn’t had this much fun in ages. The night before they had to leave, they had fully intended to watch a movie before turning in for the night when they got sidetracked with more conversation. It was getting a bit rowdy, but Kaoru was still having fun as he sat next to Kojiro.
During one of Tsuki’s stories, Kiyoko nudged his foot. “Hey, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Yeah, sure.” As he stood up, Kojiro hit him with a questioning look. Kaoru shifted his eyes over to Kiyoko and the other man completely understood. He softened his gaze and gave Kaoru's hand one more tight squeeze before letting him go.
The eldest sibling threw an arm over his shoulder as she ushered them outside towards the back porch. The curtains had been drawn for the night leaving them in mostly darkness until Kiyoko made her way to the firepit. One flick of a switch later, the fire was gently crackling and radiating a warm heat. They had been at the beach earlier that day and left to cooler out to drain, apparently a few beers had been left at the bottom and Kiyoko helped herself by plucking two of them out.
The sun had completely gone down at this point, making way for a sliver moonlight and a smattering of stars in the sky. The sound of crashing waves and the crackling fire was relaxing on its own, but Kaoru couldn’t help but feel nervous. Kiyoko had been nothing, but nice to him the entire time, and he thought they got along great, yet he couldn’t be 100% sure.
“Here, I grabbed one for you.” Kaoru wasn’t the biggest fan of beer but he’d drink it to get through this. He had already gotten everyone else’s “approval” for his and Kojiro’s relationship, and all he needed was one more.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
They both sipped silently for a moment, one taking in the calming sounds while the other prepared to list the reasons why they should be allowed to stay with their partner.
“You’re a smart guy, I’m sure you can figure out why I called you out here.”
“To flirt with me again?” He joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Kiyoko huffed out a laugh, “Hah, sorry to burst your bubble but you’re not exactly my type.” She took another sip of her drink, “...You know when Kojiro first started talking about you, I had some doubts, especially with you being the first guy he’s ever been interested in. I’m not gonna sit here and say I called it or anything, sexuality is weird like that. He’s pretty open-minded, so it wasn’t too shocking, but man, I seriously never would’ve pegged you as the one to make him realize he wasn’t completely straight.”
Kaoru’s heart sank.
The expression on his face must’ve looked dire since Kiyoko’s eyes widened suddenly, “Wait, that sounds terrible, sorry, let me rephrase that. Objectively, you’re attractive, so I can see how someone would go gay for you, I’m just saying you didn’t make the best first impression on Kojiro, which is crazy since he’s so friendly.”
He was tense. He felt every nerve in his body coiling. He knew she was right, this was another he and Kojiro had discussedt, and apologized for, but he didn’t know how much she knew. He didn’t want to say anything until he knew specifically where she stood, so he continued to listen carefully.
“He’s not really the type to let anyone get under his skin either. He hadn’t mentioned you a lot but sometime in January, he came to me asking how I figured out I liked women. Kinda just thought it was one of those questions where you finally get curious about your sibling, but nope, it was all about you”
Kaoru nervously played with his hair waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Obviously, our family is fine with him liking guys, it’d be pretty hypocritical if they weren’t, but I just wanted to come to you someone who’s identified with being queer longer, and I just want to tell you to be patient with him. You know how when a woman dates another woman for the first time, it starts off amazing and ends so nightmarishly bad the one of them basically swear off dating? I’m not saying your relationship is doomed to fail or anything like that, if anything I want you guys to succeed. I think you’re cool as hell and I’d love to see you at the next family gathering, but I just want you to know what you’re getting into. He might not be the full package right now, but I can see that Kojiro loves being around you.”
“Wait, wait, wait, so you…didn’t pull me out here for a shovel talk?” he asked with a raise of his eyebrow.
“Dude the shovel talk is implied, I’m his older sister’s for Christ’s sake. Well, one of them at least, but Tsuki’s already given her stamp of approval.”
“Oh.”
“Look, I care about my brother, and after getting to know you, I care about you too. I’ve done my fair share of dating someone who’s new to figuring their shit out, and I can say it’s not for the weary. You’re gonna have your moments, and so will Koji. Just be patient and give him a chance to explain himself.”
Kaoru set his drink down as he figured out how to respond. “That’s… surprisingly thoughtful of you to say, and oddly enough…kind of unnecessary. I had my concerns at first, but your brother has done nothing but treat me with respect since we entered our relationship. He’s never leaned away from affection, always acknowledges me when he sees me in public, and he was actually the one who wanted to announce our relationship to our coworkers first. He’s completely comfortable with himself and clearly communicates which makes things so much easier. Yes, we make fun of each other but that’s because we’re so stupidly alike that it’s irritating...and it does help that he’s not too harsh on the eyes.” He cleared his throat dismissively but the blush on his face was already apparent; suddenly he was extremely thankful for the dark enviornment as Kiyoko laughed at his admission.
“Wow, and I thought Koji was mushy. Kaoru, despite the front you put up, you might have him beat.” It was quiet again for a moment.
“Hey Kaoru?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you met each other,” she said softly.
“Thanks for talking him into giving me a chance.”
They clinked their cans and silently finished their drinks listening to the crackling of the fire.
______________
The next day, everyone woke up early to clean up and pack their cars. Kiyoko had to leave extra early to make in time for a training session, so she and Lynn had been the first ones heading out. She gave everyone a hug, promising to call when she made it home. When she got to Kaoru, she hugged him, just like she had for everyone else but then suddenly picked him up and swung him around like a rag doll.
“Welcome to the family, new little brother!” She ruffled his hair before she hopped in her car and flashed a peace sign as she pulled out.
He smoothed his hair out the best he could as Kojiro chuckled, “I think my sister likes you.”
Tsuki was the next one out and bid her brother goodbye with a side hug. She turned to Kaoru and shook her head in disbelief, “Still can’t believe my lame little brother landed you, but at least I got to meet you.” She shook his hand firmly before pulling him a bit closer to whisper in his ear, “we can exchange blackmail material later now that you have my phone number.”
“Got it, expect to hear from me in the next two days,” he whispered.
“Okay Tsuki, time for you to get going!” Kojiro grabbed her shoulders and manuveured her towards her car, “Have a safe trip back!” He slammed the door and leaned against it so she couldn’t get out again; any attempts made to open the door were futile and eventually resulted in her rolling her eyes and flipping her brother off. She slowly backed out and honked her horn as an official goodbye.
(Kaoru knew he shouldn’t play favorites, but Tsuki was quickly creeping up the list as his favorite Nanjo family member.)
Finally it was just them and Kojiro’s parents. They gave one more look over the place to make sure things were put back and locked up the beach house. With the keys properly returned to its lockbox, Ruka Nanjo sighed over the end of their vacation.
“I don’t want to jinx it, but I think this was the best family vacation in a while.”
“I agree,” Zenkichi said with a nod of his head, “Kaoru, it was great of you to join us.”
“I had a lot of fun.”
Ruka grinned, “We loved having you! Please don’t be a stranger. Keep our boy safe and we hope to see you at Christmas, or at the very least, on FaceTime calls.”
“Of course.” They all hugged each other and said last minute goodbyes. Kaoru slid into the driver’s seat and was giving his partner a bit of privacy with his parents before they left. A minute later, Kojiro opened the door and sat down with a smirk on his face.
“So, you’re joining us for Christmas?”
“Definitely,” Kaoru answered as he adjusted the mirror, “I need to make sure they know I can give better gifts than their own son and that they know I’m here for the long haul.”
“Ha! I look forward to seeing that.”