Chapter Text
Nanami yawned and wiped a sleepy tear away as he shuffled his feet along the hardwood floor of his home, slowly making his way from his upstairs bathroom to the kitchen. His hands worked on autopilot as he brewed some coffee for himself, mindful enough not to spill any grounds on the counter while he filled the brew-basket. Had it been a work day, he would’ve already been dressed and sitting in his home office, but days off meant slowly rolling out of bed and lounging around in his pajamas, his only concern being what he was going to have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
With the earthy and nutty aroma filling the kitchen, he was slowly dragged out of his sleepy haze, his stomach giving a low growl as it, too, woke up. Craving something warm and comforting for breakfast, he decided on shakshuka and opened the fridge to make sure he had enough eggs, but frowned when he saw a pastel blue lunch box placed on the middle shelf, one that was definitely not supposed to be there. Realizing what had happened, he clicked his tongue and pulled out his phone from his pocket to send a message to his son.
Kento: You forgot your lunch.
Yuuji: NOOOO i was really looking forward to eating it :(
Kento: Do you want me to bring it to you?
Yuuji: :) <3
Nanami sighed at his son’s forgetfulness and put his phone down on the counter, sending a glare to the lunch box before grabbing what he needed from the fridge and shutting the door. Since his last task as a freelancing accountant had been rather simple, he had finished the job much earlier than the given deadline and had planned on taking it easy for the day; doing some simple chores, reading a book in the garden, and lounging around at home before Yuuji finished his shift, more likely than not coming over for dinner again.
It had been just over a month since Yuuji had gotten his first job as a fireman and had moved out to his own apartment in the same city, but Nanami still saw his son every other day, either having dinner together or spending the weekends with each other if neither of them had any plans. They were definitely opposites, while Nanami had a small handful of acquaintances that he rarely met up with, Yuuji had an impressive friend group, and Nanami knew that his son turned down plans with them just so he could spend time with his dad instead. But Nanami didn’t say anything, wanting to hold on to his son for as long as he could.
With his stomach full and the dishes washed, Nanami packed Yuuji’s lunch box into a tote bag along with two blueberry muffins and stepped out of his house, starting his walk to the nearby fire station. There were no clouds in the sky and despite the chilly morning breeze, it was a pleasant summer day, the sun standing high and offering a comfortable warmth. Feeling a slight sweat build up, Nanami was glad that he had chosen a more casual outfit - a black shirt tucked into some comfortable dark-brown trousers - as he trotted along the sidewalk.
As Yuuji had forgotten things at Nanami’s house before, Nanami knew the station and most of his son’s coworkers well enough to open the side-entrance to the fire station where the staff room was located and leave Yuuji’s things without a fuss. Stepping into the empty lunch room, Nanami placed the lunch box inside the fridge and turned around to leave, but flinched when an unknown voice called out from the other side to the room.
“Oh, you made it!”
Nanami frowned and took a quick look around the room, seeing no one else in there beside himself. Turning around, he saw a man jog toward him, black strands flying as he made his way across the room. The man was slightly shorter and wider in build than Nanami, with black unruly hair that Nanami guessed was meant to be pushed back, but instead strands stuck out all over his head, resembling a very messy bed head.
“I’m sorry-” Nanami tried, but he was immediately interrupted by the man.
“No worries, you’re not the first person to be late on their first day,” the man laughed. “Have you met any of the other guys yet?”
“Well, yes, but-”
“Ah, Yuuji!” the man interrupted again, and Nanami whipped his head around to see his son standing in the same doorway that the man had entered through, his hair just as messy as the stranger’s.
“Oh, you’re here already!” Yuuji beamed and ran up to Nanami, giving him a sweaty hug.
Next to them, the man’s eyebrows shot up as he looked at them embrace, large brown eyes becoming impossibly wider. Nanami smoothed Yuuji’s hair down and Yuuji let out an indignant noise as he let go of Nanami, stepping aside and pointing between the men.
“Haibara, this is my dad! Dad, this is Haibara, he’s the one who mentored me my first week here.”
“Dad?” the man - Haibara - stuttered, giving Nanami a quick glance up and down.
Nanami cleared his throat and put his hand out, now feeling slightly embarrassed for Yuuji’s coworker.
“Nanami, Kento. I came here to drop off Yuuji’s lunch. Nice to meet you.”
Haibara’s cheeks went red as his hand moved forward and grasped Nanami’s, giving it a solid shake before muttering out his reply.
“Haibara, Yuu. I’m- I’m really sorry about earlier.”
“Just a simple misunderstanding,” Nanami nodded, “don’t worry about it.”
Between them, Yuuji’s eyes flitted back and forth, clearly confused.
“Ah, your coworker mistook me for the new recruit,” Nanami added.
“You ?” Yuuji giggled, but he went quiet when Nanami sent him a glare, one that he had given Yuuji many times as a teenager.
“Sorry,” Yuuji murmured in reflex, eyes going straight to the floor.
“Oh, come on, your dad has a decent physique,” Haibara piped in, “I’m sure he could carry one or two people out of a burning building.”
Nanami didn’t know how to feel when Haibara’s eyes gave his body a quick sweep. Nothing in Haibara’s eyes indicated anything malicious, but while Nanami wasn’t self conscious, having a fit man rate his strength on the spot was rather daunting.
“Well, maybe,” Yuuji hesitated, grabbing his chin and narrowing his eyes, “I only ever see him in front of his laptop or in the kitchen, so I can’t really picture it.”
“Is this the thanks I get for bringing you your lunch?” Nanami huffed.
Once again, Yuuji looked down at the floor and gave a small pout, shuffling closer and bumping his shoulder into Nanami’s.
“Sorry, thank you, I love you, I owe you my life,” he blurted out.
“Yuuji, it’s just stir-fry,” Nanami sighed.
“Yeah, but it’s your stir-fry!”
Yuuji turned to look at Haibara, pointing at Nanami as he went on.
“Remember the cream buns that I brought last week? He made them!”
“You made them?” Haibara gasped, his eyes twinkling as he looked at Nanami. “They were so~ good, I’m pretty sure I ate like five of them in one sitting,” he laughed.
Nanami felt slightly taken back. His job meant that he didn’t have any coworkers, and save a handful of other people, Yuuji was the only constant in his life. Talking to strangers was always a bit tiring for him, but he’d never have one be this enthusiastic, nor give compliments so readily.
“Thank you, I’m glad to hear,” he said in a low voice.
Haibara gave Nanami a smile and a gentle pat on the shoulder, then he looked around the room and then back to Nanami, eyes warm and inviting.
“You know, it’s always pretty calm in the mornings and we just got done with the inventory check. Do you want to stay for a cup of coffee?” he asked.
The suggestion had Yuuji jumping up and down next to Haibara and it became very clear to Nanami why the two got along so well, their personalities overlapping a great deal.
“I appreciate the offer, but I should get back home.”
Both Yuuji and Haibara’s shoulders visibly deflated, and Nanami tried hard not to smile at how in sync they were. Turning to his son, he once again tried to smooth down Yuuji’s hair, but to no avail as the sweaty strands stubbornly stood back up again.
“Always a mess,” he tutted. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
In response to Nanami's words, Yuuji’s eyes immediately lit up and Nanami could practically see him salivating. If there was anything his son loved more than anything, it was grilled meat.
“The barbeque," Yuuji sighed. "Can you please do those flat meat-skewer things again?"
"Adana kebab? Sure."
“Is there anything you can’t do?” Haibara joked, sending a wink in Nanami's way.
Nanami managed a weak chuckle in reply, and while he wasn't sure about what to reply with, he didn't have to worry long since Yuuji jumped in, excitedly patting Haibara on his shoulder.
“Oh, oh! Haibara, you have the weekend off too, right?”
Haibara nodded, and Yuuji beamed as he went on.
“Then you should join us!”
The sudden invitation stunned Nanami, and Haibara as well, it seemed, as Haibara went from looking eager to suddenly hesitating, gaze darting toward Nanami but eyes not fully meeting his.
“Well,” Nanami laid out, “I always end up with extra portions, so you’d do me a favor.”
Haibara cocked his head, and he once again gave Nanami that warm smile, one that definitely made Haibara a favorite among the housewives in the neighborhood.
“Sure, just tell me what to bring and where, and I’ll be there.”