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3 months after Satoru asked Kento to help babysit...
Kento stared deadpanned at the teen parent, fussing over 10 months old Yuuji. Honestly, no one would expect the Gojo Satoru to be so... caring? The first time Kento babysat for Yuuji, he thought the white haired teen would toss the baby to him and ran out on his mission. Instead, the young adult had explained in great detail all of Yuuji's need to Kento.
Just like a sensible first parents would, which shocked Kento.
If Kento thought that was bad, of boy was he wrong. Maybe it was because Kento who in charge this time and not Ieri-san that made Satoru fussed worst than that first time. Or maybe, Kento had given too much credit in Satoru's maturity. As the single parent peppered the giggling baby in smooches and sweet talking promises, Kento convinced that he gave Satoru too much credit.
"Gojo-san, your flight will be in 4 hours and you need to go to the airport." Kento complained in a bored manner.
"Nanamin! Just let me love my son, quietly!" Satoru rebutted and bounced Yuuji in his arms, making the baby laughed. The sound was pleasant and heart warming, gaining soft stares from the two teens. Satoru caressed Yuuji's chubby cheek before kising his forehead, sighing sadly and reluctantly handed over him to Kento.
The blonde craddled the baby carefully and nodded at Satoru.
"Rest assured. I will take care of him properly."
Satoru sighed again and shook his head.
"I know you will. I never doubted that. I just... the separation... for 2 weeks... this is the longest i'll parted from him." The teen looked away and pushed his spects back to hid his reddening eyes.
"Anyway!" Satoru said cheerily, "i'll try to be back sooner, andddd... you know the drill already. Any extra money you need, text me, and i'll transfer. Fridge stocked already so feel free to do your culinary stuffs. No friends! You are still a minor, young man--!"
"Gojo-san, Yuuji's a baby--"
"Not Yuuji, Nanamin! You--!"
"You are not my mother--"
Satoru gasped dramatically and pouted in mock offense.
"H-h-how dare you..." he said and clutched his heart while sniffing. The act brought little Yuuji's concern that the baby started to whimper and reached out for Satoru again. Kento twitched in annoyance and hissed at Satoru.
"You want Yuuji to cry when you can't comfort him?!" It was a low blow but who said Kento's a fair player?
Satoru stopped his thetrics at Yuuji's frown and smiled softly to kissed the baby's nose. He totally behaved for his son and not for Kento.
"Sorry... chichiue was only playing, 'kay? Don't cry, Yuu-chan." His words calmed Yuuji down and the boy cupped Satoru's face and kissed his nose back. Satoru's heart melted and he fussed Yuuji's hair before turning around with his bag.
"Take care of him..." Satoru whispered.
"I will." Kento replied seriously. Then, Satoru walked out of his penthouse and used a taxi to meet Ijichi.
Kento sighed and looked down at the confused boy, who stared at the closed door. The blonde bounced the baby to gain his attention. However, the boy's ears are still turned down sadly as he stared at Kento.
"...want some fruit?" Kento asked the sad toddler.
"Fuu?" Yuuji tried to mimic. The attempt was too cute, it made Kento smiled and nodded as he walked to the kitchen.
"Yes, fruit."
Everything went well for the first 4 days of Satoru's departure. Mostly, it is thanks to Yuuji's well behave self and also because the boy was used to being left by Satoru. The problem started on the morning of day 5. Kento had taken reside in one of Satoru's guest room while Yuuji slept in his nursery. Usually, the routine whenever Kento babysat would be: one, he woke up around 6 am if Yuuji hadn't yet. Second, he'll make himself some coffee and clean the penthouse if Yuuji hadn't awake or change and bath Yuuji. Third, some breakfast and class or assignment while Yuuji played around him. Then Lunch, followed by power nap. More student and household responsibility, dinner and sleep.
This morning, at 6 am, Kento woke up first before Yuuji. And so, the teen took his time in making coffee, cleaning the penthouse and even managed some relax time. When the clock hit 8 am, Kento woke up with a start. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep. He frowned once he checked the time and stood up to go to Yuuji's nursery. It's odd that the baby hasn't woke up yet. Kento stopped by the door frame when he could not see Yuuji. Anywhere in the room.
The teen was so incredulous by the idea that Yuuji's not in the room, he actually opened and closed the door several time. When Yuuji didn't magically re-appear, Kento gasped softly before frantically looked around the penthouse for Yuuji. He even went to Satoru's room and other closed doors he knew Yuuji can't open. Nothing.
Nothing.
Just like that, Yuuji's disappeared overnight without a trace. Kento covered his eyes to calmed down and think things through. Yet, nothing came to mind. It is impossible for Yuuji to climbed over the crib because Satoru's paronoia had him ordered a custom crib with taller bars. The panels are locked and only tall people like Satoru and Kento were able to pick up Yuuji easily. So it couldn't be that.
Was Yuuji kidnapped? But by who? And what for? No one aside from Ieiri-san and Ijichi-san knew about Yuuji. And if there was a robbery last night, how come they took Yuuji but didn't take anything from the penthouse? The place is filled with luxury! And what about him? What about Kento? How come he didn't heard or sense anything?!
The blond had paced around the room during his internal rant. He took a deep breath before decided to checked the whole apartment building. As silly as it sounds, he needed to check every possibility of why, what, and how Yuuji disappeared. The first place Kento checked was the security, to see the cctv if there was someone who took Yuuji. After an hour of no result, Kento continued his search from bottom floor up to Satoru's penthouse, sweeping the entire place.
By noon, he was tired and even more disturbed than before. For the first time in his life, his stomach churned, head and hear pounding while chest tightening. Kento was having a panic attack over a missing child. A baby. The one entrusted to his care.
His.
Somehow, in the midst of breaking down, Kento managed to call Ieiri-san. The latter, earned nasty side glare by everyone in the exam room and smiled awkwardly before handed her phone to the frowning professor. Meanwhile, Kento hand shook and his sweat rolled down like waterfall. He had failed. He had messed up babysitting a child. And the most infruiating thing is that he was so helpless too. Obviously, he couldn't tell Satoru. Despite his dislike toward his senior, Kento had built a soft spot for Yuuji and would like to continue caring for the babe. That privillage would definitely be revoked if Satoru learned of his negligence.
He couldn't ask the police or anyone else because of the sensitivity of Yuuji's existence. It would jeopardize the 10 grueling months of hiding his existance. Hence, Kento silently cried in frustration as he could do nothing. He was exhausted too from searching Yuuji all over the 30 stories high apartment building. The blond slumoed down on the hallway of Satoru's penthouse floor and covered his eyes with his hands, hoping the meditation would help him gave idea of where Yuuji might be.
He probably sat there for 20 minutes when he heard a crash somewhere in Satoru's unit. Kento frowned, not remembering placing something that might crash. He stood up with blood pumped full of adrenaline and entered the penthouse again. He scanned the now dark place, trying to look for something. Kento turned on the lamps as he cautiously made his way around. His phone rang when he reached the living room. He took it.
"What? Why did you call?" Ieiri-san asked in annoyance but barely able to hide her worry.
"Yuuji's gone." He replied softly as he kept on walking silently across the threshold.
"GONE?! What do you mean gone?!"
"I'm not sure either..." Kento whispered as he heard another crash from one of the rooms.
"What the-- How can you not sure?! He's with you!"
The crashing from the room becomes more louder and Kento didn't bother trying to sneak anymore. He walked angrily towards Yuuji's bedroom, expecting the kidnapper.
"Nanami? Oy, Nanami? Oy! Answer me!"
He ignored Ieiri-san's calling and angrily opened the bedroom's door, fist ready to socked whoever dare messed with Yuuji.
"Nanami?! Oh, for fuck sake! Answer me, damnit!"
Kento stopped on his track as he stared at what he saw. He did not know how to process this.
"Nanami--!"
"Ieri-san..."
"--huh? Yeah?"
"...please come here." Kento ended the call abruptly as he kept on staring, leaving a frustrated Shoko.
An hour later, Shoko managed to arrive at Satoru's place and entered with the spare key. She didn't waste her time voicing her displeasure.
"Nanami, I swear to god, you're no better than Satoru-- WHOA!"
The bob haired girl stopped in her track to the leaving room as she saw Kento, craddling a tiger cub on his lap.
A pink tiger cub.
"Holy, smokes..." she whispered in disbelief.
kento looked up at Shoko, looking lost.
"...are you aware of this?" He asked as he kept the tiger fed with a bottle of formula. Yuuji's bottle.
"N-no..." Shoko shook her head.
Kento sighed tiredly as he leaned back against the sofa. Meanwhile, said object of their concern is happily nursing in silence, now that he got to eat after a whole day without anything. Shoko walked carefully to Kento, as if afraid to spook the beast on his lap.
"Y-you sure it's him?" Shoko whispered.
"Any other pink tiger you aware of?" He asked.
"No..."
"Then it's him. It's Yuuji."
"Did you called me to--"
"No." Kento sighed, "I thought he was gone. The whole day, I searched him all over. I didn't see him sleeping next to his tiger plushie. I never paid attention since Gojo-san bought him tons of plushie but... apparently, Yuuji wasn't kidnapped by anyone."
Shoko could only stare in wonder and reached out to patted the tiger cub's tummy softly. Yuuji eyed her and mewled at her in recognition. The young lady shook her head and exhaled as she chuckled.
"Damn... it is him..." Shoko whispered. "Hi Yuuji~ how did you become a tiger, hm?"
The cub only grinned and mewled as he kicked the air, acting just like a human baby but in furry form. Kento sighed exhaustingly and asked his senior.
"Should we inform Gojo-san?"
"...and risked being scolded by mama bear? Hell nah. I'd skip." Shoko smiled to baby Yuuji and rubbed the cub's fluffy ear. Now that she thought about it, it'd be fun to see Satoru freaked out. She mischievously looked at Kento, making the other frowned and twitched uncomfortably.
"You're awfull..."
"Oh, come on, Kento! When else can we uno-reverse that prankster? Besides, you got the scares. That means Satoru's will be worst." She grinned at Kento. The blond had a poker face but his lips tilted a bit at the edge.
"I suppose we can..."
"That's my boy!" Shoko slapped Kento's bicep, cheering. Yuuji made small rawr at that and wiggled until he wobbled on all four to Shoko and playfully bit her hand. The one that slapped Kento. The male smiled and chuckled at Yuuji, amused by he baby's protectiveness.
And so, the rest of the week and another, passed smoothly now that Kento knew Yuuji could transformed to four legged furball. Thankfully, when his babysitting time was up, Yuuji was in his baby form and Satoru stayed oblivious of his son new abillity. The white haired teen had dramatically smooches Yuuji everywhere and even blew raspberry, hugging the small bundle close.
"I miccuuuu~! Miccu, miccu, miccuuuu~!" Satoru said to his son, whom just giggled with bright smile at his sire.
Kento excused himself and walked out the penthouse. Not even halfway to the elevator, he heard Satoru shouted.
"AH! WHOAH! WHAT THE HELL?! YUUJI?!"
Kento snickered to himself as he kept on walking. Yuuji must have transformed right after he left. He ignored the crisis Satoru faced and entered the elevator.
"YUUJIII?! NANAMIN?! NANAMIN?! HELP! YUUJII, COME BACK HERE!"
The elevator doors closed and no one but the cctv witnessed the mischievous smirk Kento had.