Work Text:
Hoshina stared at the operation team before adverting his eyes to the clear tank. He rubbed his eyes, then stared at the tank once again, trying to make sure that he was not going insane at all.
“So, uhm, Vice-captain…” Okonogi asked, rubbing her hands together as she tried to tell the expression on the man’s face. The stare he gave the team was horrifying enough that she doubted if they could make it out of the laboratory alive today.
“Okonogi, am I finally relenting into insanity after all of those years…?” Hoshina looked up at the ceiling, his expression was still unreadable.
Hoshina lamented, wondering if it was his fate to be so damningly tragic. His loving menace of a lover (scientific name: Narumi Gen) was out of town for a few days to work in another country so of course, Hoshina couldn’t help but enjoy the temporary peace. He did miss him and the two talked plenty through calling and messaging, but some silence for a while would be appreciated, especially after the most dramatic boarding that could rival any soap drama on the market. It was sad to let Narumi go, but it was also equally hilarious seeing him throwing a tantrum all over Hoshina before actually going.
“I think you are not insane at all.” The captain, Ashiro Mina patted his back.”You are just not ready to be a parent, that’s all. And we are here to help you with that.” As she was nodding along with her words, the staff was checking to make sure their last words would be recorded.
Despite their best attempt at restricting and inventing, the result of their experiment with the remaining parts of Kaiju No.10 was unexpected: A creature made from Kaiju debris and mechanical parts was crafted. And just like the original flesh donor, the one and only No. 10, it would only react to something related to the vice-captain, Hoshina Soshiro.
“I’ll have my resigning papers on your table very, very soon, captain.” Hoshina sighed.
“Lots of money and working hours was put into this, vice-captain. And you’re the only one who could work with it.” Mina looked at him with persuasion and determination, her eyes fixed on the man. “And you’ve got us with you, being a pet parent at this age would be difficult, but we could always help you out.”
“Captain, it’s a mechanical chimaera built to kill, made from a numbered Kaiju.”
“It is the size of a ragdoll and has a tail, Okonogi. It’s family-friendly size.”
Hoshina sighed out loud, nodding unwillingly, but surely, it would not be the longest sigh of the day. It was not only his responsibility but also because he was the only one able to make any contact with the creature lying in the tank.
“Fine, just this once.”
Not because the creature waggling its tail in the tank and trying to waddle its hands to him didn’t remind him of a cat, no, not at all.
—
The little miniature Kaiju was named “Juu” (much to Hoshina and Mina’s objection, the captain’s reasoning was that it would not be adorable enough. Hoshina thought that it was bullshit, the worst would come if they all happened to be too attached to the Kaiju, which had happened already.). Straight out of the tank, and it had already all over the vice-captain. The creature flat-out refused to be handled by any other operation team member as its tail would slap anyone away rudely. And boy, was it heavy? The creature was the size of a ragdoll cat or a medium-sized dog, which could be annoying since it would be heavy to carry around but not big enough to be a living weapon. But the perks were obvious: Cuddle-friendly and effective guarding from harm, which was technically waving off any human being beside Hoshina.
“What in the world have you guys created, guys?” Hoshina grimaced, trying to pull the Kaiju latching onto his leg, it was as heavy as a dumbbell and so clingy that he could not technically detach from it as it would be knocking any metal anti-destruction door down just because it did not know where its human was. The door was expensive as hell, Hoshina silently thanked whoever there was that he would not be paying for the destruction.
However, things started to look up as Hoshina went along with his day, the creature waddled along, waggling its tail whenever he looked over and said something to it. Whether it’s just a “Stop here.”, “Turn left.”, “Turn right.”, “It’s lunchtime.”...The creature would wag its tail aggressively and jump into him, climbing and attaching itself to his leg. If it wasn’t Hoshina or anyone stronger but any other newbie or regular soldier, they would be gone the first time little Juu did that.
Juu was heavy with mechanical organs and pumped with Andrenaline among with the frenzy of the original Kaiju. A perfect match made in Kaiju-hell if that had ever existed. Hoshina wasn’t even sure if that was legitimate, but if that hell was real then he would sacrifice anything to seperate the Kaiju instinct and throw it back down there. But still, it was debatable if they should cut out entirely the instinct as the image of it lying on his lap with limbs formed into a loaf whenever he was texting his lover or working was certainly a deal-maker.
Another interesting feature was its sound. In contrast to the feral screaming in the fight that would occasionally haunt Hoshina’s dream when Kaiju No.10 the Original appeared, the sound that this miniature version was more tamed, but much lower and echoed so much more than its flesh donor. The sound only appeared when Hoshina was out of sight yet horrifying enough for other members to beg the vice-captain to wear the baby strap. They got punished with 50 laps on the practice grounds for the weird request, but the idea was taken into account considering how the creature was quite easy to distract.
Ashiro was generous enough to lend him her the old baby trap that was used for Bakko (it was a tiger, but what tigers were not a baby once?), and she took advantage by taking a whole photo shoot of him struggling with the creature clutching into his chest.
“Just like what I remembered…Bakko was so tiny and precious, now you have understand what I once had…”. The captain dreamily sighed in nostalgia as the tiger growled in protestant. It was soon to be bribed with cat treats. Juu couldn’t have that, but it sure did try to get some from the tiger.
The creature proved to have increased the soldiers’ spirit as well since it would make people coo. Thanked for its aggressive and violent hunger, the creature could be used as a motivation for other soldiers since it would only make contact with the strongest one, increasing the competitiveness among members. (Partly also because Hoshina would agree with it, admitting the chosen one as the strongest soldier, but he shouldn’t know that too soon). Kikoru was picked that day, and she ensured everyone knew that with a little selfie. Hoshina did not understand teens these days, nor did Juu, so they just relented.
A couple of hours in, the rowdy newbies and exciting members with cuteness aggression successfully drained Juu’s energy and it started to drift away into a nap. Hoshina sighed out loud, pulling the zipper of his jacket up to support the sleeping menace. Despite having a terrible mission in his arms, Hoshina still had to keep up with his work as vice-captain as he was standing in the office, classifying papers with Ashiro. With one hand supporting the creature and the other one checking out papers, he felt like a parent, just like what Ashiro said, which technically was not that bad at all. He surely was not adequate enough to be a parent at that point, and anyone doing it was admirable.
But sure, it wouldn’t be a day without the biggest, the most remarkable menace of the Defense, Narumi Gen.
“HOSHINA!” The said menace slammed the door open rudely, leaning onto the door frame like a broke poet in a cliché stage play. He was grinning arrogantly, still in the battlefield uniform and holding the giant weapon. Hoshina was sure that he had broken at least all the door frames on the way to the office with that massive sword. A menace, truly, much unlike the frenzy little boy in his arms, but worse.
“Wanna know something new, bowl-cut head? Well, lucky for you, the great Captain of the First Division had just finished killing a shit ton of big ass Kaiju in a foreign country and was so generous that he even brought you a souvenir to remind you of your failure, now behold-” The voice of Narumi Gen was shut off and stirred like a crashed cassette.
He stood like a madman, holding eye contact with Hoshina’s stomach. His eyes opened so wide that they could technically pop out at any moment. The captain’s mouth agape, Hoshina did not know why but he was grateful for not having to listen to his rant any longer. It was nice of him to bring a souvenir, anyway.
“Oh, that’s very nice of you.” Hoshina let out a little smile. “Seems like you did miss me, hm?”
The captain still stood there at the doorstep, no reaction was made despite the taunting remark of the vice-captain. But soon, his shocked expression changed into a much darker one. The First Division’s captain dropped down on his knees, his head was low, hiding his face. Before Hoshina sat down and figured out if he was injured, the man asked with the coldest, but the most serious tone of voice he had ever heard.
“Hoshina.” Narumi looked up, his pink eyes piercing at the vice-captain. “I would take full responsibility for the baby. Please marry me.”
“What the hell do you mean, Naru-”
“I knew it since Kikoru sent me the selfie!” Narumi said, his grip on Hoshina’s hand was tightened, but still gentle enough not the make the smaller one feel any pain. “The bump was visible but I was thinking that you just gained some weight. But I was hoping that some miracle could happen, and thank god and thank you that it did. Knowing you, it could only be me who could make you pregnant. So please, Soshiro…”
The captain adjusted his position into kneeling on one knee, his hand was reaching for the inner pocket of the uniform and took out a little velvet box. The giant weapon at the same time was falling out of his grip, crashing onto the wall and demolishing it with ease and collapsing noise. Someone’s scream echoed down the hallways, followed by a familiar voice of a certain vice-captain.
“I love you with all my heart. Please marry me.” Narumi asked, ignoring the chaotic landscape that was built in a matter of seconds behind him. The captain was sincere, in the way he was asking, the way he was holding his hand so carefully, the way he was looking into Hoshina’s eyes so fondly and lovingly that it was the complete opposite of the usual Narumi Gen. No arrogant, no taunting laughs, no lying to hide his true emotions any more. There was only Narumi Gen in his barest feeling, offering his heart to the love of his life in the clearest way possible.
“You goddamn- How dare you make another colleague pregnant? And it is vice-captain Soshiro out of anyone-?” A loud slap of a paper fan dropped on Narumi’s head, startling the said vice-captain. It was a feral Hasegawa clutching Narumi’s weapon in hand, ready to hit him with it anytime. Kikoru was standing beside him, trying to stop the furious vice-captain.
“Soshiro, we are extremely sorry for his actions, and we will make sure he takes all the responsibilities required to be a proper husband and father.” Hasegawa bowed, then looked up at Hoshina with apologies. “Despite all the flaws that he had, which is undeniably plenty, he is a somewhat decent human being. So please, we will try our best to support both of you and the child. Please have my words”
“Huh- how in the world-”
“This idiot here jumped around in the cabin yelling that he was going to be a father when he received the picture that you took with little Shinomiya. We had not realised that the bump was already that large. We would ask the HR department to work on your maternal leaving with the utmost care, so please take your time deciding whether or not you would accept him.”
“Yeah, and Mina said something about being a parent too, I thought that you guys adopted another tiger or something, but who knew that it would be you getting pregnant, and never told me before!” Narumi explained, trying to escape the steel grip of Hasegawa’s hand trying to pin his head down.
“Can’t believe you did that, why would you try to be a single mother when you have...me? I tried a lot to build trust between us, Hoshina, I knew that you are independent and strong as hell but I would like you to know that I am someone who you could lean on anytime. I will always welcome anything you give me because I completely trust you.” Narumi looked up, still trying to escape the grip. “So please, let me be the father or your child, I beg of you.”
“Wait- No, it’s a misunderstanding-”
“I understand your feelings, Hasegawa, Narumi.” Ashiro nodded from her seat, stepped up and sat down to face the three men on the ground. “Hoshina is a member of my division, and more of a brother to me, so I would like all of us to take care of him and the child, especially you, Narumi. Raising a child is not easy at all. It could be the most difficult task in the world easily. Can you take responsibility for it?” She pinned her eyes on him and the said man nodded firmly.
“Of course, I will take care of him, with everything I’ve got.” His hand holding Hoshina’s was firm and tight and so careful as if he was afraid of him running away. Not that he could ever, but that he would never, Hoshina thought. He could not help but bit feel his hand shaking, which almost never happened and his lips brimming with the taste of iron as he tried to keep his emotion in. He did not know what to say, but yes, and what the actual fuck are you guys talking about.
“So, Hoshina, what do you say?” Narumi asked again. Hasegawa’s eyes were filled with concern and hope. Ashiro had a firm hand on his shoulder, patting it gently. Kikoru was mouthing “What is going on, vice-captain…?” behind all of them.
“I won’t accept it because-” Narumi's eyes popped, he almost jumped at Hoshina yet still kept a distance and tried his best to tame his behaviour. His voice cracked asking for the reason as the sorrowful sight came through his eyes. The distant serene replacing the usual chaotic and energetic appearance was almost jarring. Everyone looked at him with confusion, some with a hint of disappointment, but before he could mutter a word, a loud slap blasted.
Little Juu was awake, and it was obviously livid.
The creature climbed out of Hoshina’s jacket and wasted no time jumping at Narumi’s face, only to be pulled back immediately by Hoshina as Kikoru yelped in surprise and tried to call her dad to cancel the wedding and maternal leaving documents. Narumi sluggishly reacted, looking at the duo with disbelief. Hasegawa slumbered, leaning on the broken door frame and muttering profanities, not so sure that he was grateful or depressed for the fact that Hoshina wasn’t pregnant (Probably the latter, but who knew?). Mina looked at them all, stating securely that a child was a child.
Hell broke out that day, and it would never, ever, not be a legend in the history of the JKADF. Period.