Work Text:
When Kim had handed him a phone the day before a race, Taro had just accepted it without any excitement, not really sure of the purpose of it. He’d seen the way his uncles could be glued to their phones, and how North and Sonic used theirs to film and take pictures of everything, which he had no interest in doing. Kim sighed in mock disappointment at his lack of reaction, then said he could at least use it just in case of emergencies to call for help. That made it more useful, and Uncle Sonic took over as soon as he spotted the new phone in Taro’s hand to input everyone’s numbers. With his contacts full and properly labeled, Sonic ushered him away from Kim to cheerfully explain that he could play games and take pictures, and finally go on social media.
“Are there Pokémon games?” Buddy asked, following after them, much more interested in the phone than his older brother. He liked to play games on his tablet, and the phone was essentially a smaller version of his tablet. Taro perked up a bit at the mention of games. He’d been enjoying the games that Kim showed them.
“Yes. But! You can look for those later. I’m going to make you an Instagram account so you can look at all the team posts North and I make!”
The pups were forced to wait for Sonic to download the app and make an email and account for them. Seeing what he was doing, their dad told Sonic that he didn’t want him to put any of their pictures or personal information online. He looked a bit wary of the phone, but had nodded in agreement when Kim explained that it was a good safety measure, in case.
“Fine. I’ll use your info to make it, P’Kenta. Okay? What’s your birthday?” That received approval. Sonic mumbled to himself as he set up the account. “Okay, a private account… and I’ll have you follow everybody. There we go. And your picture can be a Pokémon. Which one do you guys want?”
They selected a Bonsly image for a profile picture, since it was Taro’s phone. Sonic then followed their account with his and the team’s, and showed Taro how to accept follow requests. “I’ll get everyone else to follow your account this weekend, okay? So just accept everything!”
“Fine. Can we get games now?”
-
“Catch it, catch it!” Buddy cheered as Taro swiped up to throw another Pokéball at the Charmander that had popped up on the map of their game. Kim smiled seeing the two having fun with Taro’s new phone. He went over to the pups as the Pokémon was caught, giving them both a squeeze. “Make sure you guys watch when I’m out there qualifying, alright? I’m more fun to watch than Pokémon.”
“Only if you go fast,” Taro told him, smirking and then looking back down at the phone to find another Pokémon to catch. Buddy giggled, and Kim ruffled the older boy’s hair. He ducked back in typical pre-teen annoyance, making a face. “Kim!”
Maybe the phone wasn’t the best idea, if the pups liked it more than watching him do qualifying. Kim chuckled. At least they liked it after all, and it wasn’t just sitting in the bottom of Taro’s bag like he’d sort of expected when he’d purchased it.
A notification banner popped up letting them know that Taro’s Instagram account had a follow request. Kim had no clue what the usernames for everyone’s accounts were, and didn’t recognize the handle from his quick glance at it, but he didn’t see how it could be anything but another pack member’s. It was X-Hunter themed, and looking over at the rest of the garage, North and Dean and Jeff were all on their phones. He knew that Sonic had made rounds around the pit telling everyone on the team to follow the pup’s new account, and Kim had already done so himself the night before.
Probably one of those three, then. Taro hit accept without a second thought like Sonic had instructed and then returned right back to the game.
Kim didn’t think anything of it. Sonic had made the account private, and only shared the username of it verbally with the pack members. There was no reason to be concerned. Taro didn’t seem to have any interest in looking at the app, focused on games he could play with his brother instead.
-
There was a message when Taro opened the app to see what the notification badge was for one morning. North had told him he could look for other accounts to follow, so he’d started using the app to look at bonsai. There were lots of nice pictures and videos whenever he searched for it, sitting by himself during breaks between schooling lessons while Buddy was at kindergarten. Though Kim had bought him his Bonsly plushie and he’d been told it was fine to have harmless interests, Taro didn’t want his dad to see him looking at the videos. It made him feel bad inside, the thought of his dad seeing him enjoying that little hobby he’d liked so much before they escaped from Grandpa.
So he was alone when he clicked on the message. There was a small office-type room in the add-on with a mostly empty desk, which Dad had set up his school stuff at once he’d been signed up for all new online lessons and tutors. Kim was out training, and Dad was working in the living room on his computer. If Taro leaned over the desk, he could part of his dad’s head from where he was sitting on the couch. Though his dad was nearby, he was still not in the same room as him. Not close enough to hear Taro’s sharp intake of breath as he realized who the messages were from.
‘Raze, I’ve missed you so much. It’s been so lonely since you and your brother stopped living with Grandpa.’
‘How have you been, living with X-Hunter? It must be difficult. At least you and your brother have each other and Kenta. He may not be a loyal dog, but he’s always tried so hard to do what he thinks is best for you boys.’
‘A pity he doesn’t make good decisions without you and I to guide him. But Grandpa is sure his Raze is doing everything he can to protect Kenta and Buddy.’
‘I’d love if you talked to me sometimes, grandson. It can be our little secret. Let’s not bother Kenta, shall we? Just turn off your notifications so he doesn’t have to see.’
Taro could barely breathe. It felt like a bad dream. Grandpa was supposed to be dead, gone forever. He hadn’t seen it himself, hadn’t been able to look when everything was happening, but he’d been told what happened when they escaped. Everyone had been wrong. He should have never gotten comfortable. Should have remained afraid, on guard.
He sent back a defiant message of his own, fingers shaking, barely able to type, feeling like everything was crashing down around him. Like he was doing something horrible. ‘I don’t want to.’
Within moments, there was a reply. A picture. One that made Taro drop his phone onto the desk with the fear that threatened to swallow him whole. It was of him, Buddy, and their dad at the track. Taken from a distance, but still close enough that he could easily see it was the three of them.
Then, ‘Raze. Be a good boy for Grandpa.’
-
The pups had been doing so well, Kim thought. Buddy especially, but even Taro had started to open up and smile more. Kenta’s pups were being pups, and everyone had been able to see it. But what had taken months to build up took only days to unravel. It was like the whiplash they trained so hard to be resistant against as drivers, how it felt to see how quickly Taro went downhill, followed soon after by his brother and then, of course, by Kenta, the Omega desperate to comfort his children and bring them back to the peace and happiness they had achieved. But the pup was impossible to soothe, getting worse and worse as days and then weeks went by.
Kenta’s therapist called it a form of regression, a simple set back they would simply have to have patience and get through, saying that it sometimes happened. A child who had gone through trauma would be brought into a safe environment, then suddenly crash out. They could finally experience emotions they may have been forced to repress or mask before, as a part of processing what they’d gone through.
Kim didn’t know enough about traumatized pups to refute her, even though something in his gut told him that that couldn’t be it.
His whole life, Kim had been perfectly fine in his independence. He’d thrown himself full force into racing since he was young, working his way up the Asian and European circuits before deciding to make a life for himself in Korea. He’d been on his own for years, even after he’d first moved to Thailand to start driving for Red Racing. He’d always had plenty of friends, made sure to be on good terms with his teams when they were running legally, had a personal mechanic he trusted, but at the end of the day he would return to an apartment or condo of his own and be content.
Then Kenta had been thrown into their cell in Tony’s safehouse, and from then on, Kim was never alone again. He’d grown close to Kenta, and then in Alan’s add-on had worked himself into Kenta’s little family. He’d ended up in the Omega’s nest -his bed, technically, but it was his safe place for him and his pups, so to Kim it was a nest- and found himself accepting the man’s pups as if they were his own. Gone were the days of planning everything around solely himself and his racing career. When he woke up in the mornings, the first thing he thought of was to check on Kenta and the pups, to make sure that the kids got through their morning routine of getting ready for the day. And at night he was perfectly happy to spend it next to Kenta making sure the Omega slept peacefully, the pups beside them, safe and sound.
The three had worked their way into every aspect of Kim’s life, and he was surprised at how easily it had happened. How natural it felt. It would have been almost scary if it didn’t feel so right.
So when Taro started to do badly, not wanting to be near anyone but his dad and brother, the rejection hurt. He outright refused to interact with anyone other than Buddy and Kenta unless he absolutely had to. The pup was glued to Buddy’s side whenever Buddy wasn’t at kindergarten, and while Buddy was at school, if Taro wasn’t doing his own lessons, he wanted to be right by Kenta instead. And if he couldn’t be with Kenta, he just stuck to himself until his family members were back. The older pup stopped being interested in things Kim tried to show to him and his brother, and didn’t have any fun during race weekends, barely watching when they brought him to the track and just doing his own thing instead of paying attention to any live streams.
Soon, instead of just going along when Kim asked Kenta to bring the pups with him to the track, Taro would answer that he didn’t want to go when asked. And then he’d complain if he wasn’t given the choice, would protest and fuss if Kenta tried to get them ready to head out, whining that he didn’t want to go, that he’d rather stay home. That it wasn’t safe for Buddy.
Kim wasn’t going to force the boy to go, and neither was Kenta, so the three stopped going with him. Buddy couldn’t go without Kenta there to watch him, and Kenta wouldn’t go if one of the pups wanted to stay home. Kim missed having them there, but would rather they be comfortable.
And then Taro didn’t want to do anything with him at all. Not unless Kenta was there. Outside of the house, Taro was anxious and easily overwhelmed, clinging to his brother or dad like he thought they might disappear. Even if Kim got Kenta’s permission for simple things like a trip down to the grocery store or even to just go pick up food or a treat, Taro wouldn’t let him take them out of the house and away from Kenta. He’d hold onto Buddy and say they weren’t going, would bristle if Kim tried to coax them along. Buddy didn’t like to see his older brother upset, so even if he’d been excited to go to the track or just out with Kim, he’d lose that excitement and refuse as well.
Still, Kim clung to hope. There were times when Taro seemed to be happy again as he played with his brother or got caught up in a conversation, when he sassed back at something Kim said, and how he still was fine with Kim being in their bed every night. Signs that maybe he hadn’t been truly rejected by the pup. Though Buddy was spending the majority of his time at home with his brother, Taro hadn’t complained about Buddy spending time with Kim in the guest house. Kenta had once assured him that Taro liked him, because Buddy liked him. The older pup wouldn’t let his brother near someone he didn’t trust. So he held on tight to that.
And his time spent with Kenta went down, the Omega understandably having to spend all his free time with his sons. Their relationship came to a sort of standstill. They were still together, but there was no moving forward, barely any moments with each other. When they found time alone, Kim just did his best to give Kenta strength to get through the difficult time, assured him he was doing well with the pups. They only seemed to be able to touch at night, but even then they were both devoted to watching over the boys, always waiting for one to have trouble sleeping or to be tormented by nightmares that had returned with a vengeance.
They just needed to be patient. Patience and persistence had won him Kenta. He could win back the Omega’s pups as well. Taro had started to heal once. He could heal again. It was all part of the process, apparently.
So he ignored the hurt and the uneasy feeling, and did his best to give it time and continue being by Kenta’s side. There was nothing he could do to forcefully solve his family’s problems, no impulsive plan he could jump into. All he could do was wait and stay strong.
Until he messed up.
Taro was doing his weekend Japanese lessons with a tutor on his laptop. Kenta was staying close by to the pup, since Taro had started to get anxious after his lessons. Talking to his teachers hadn’t revealed anything. Taro continued to dutifully do his schoolwork, though he was very quiet and distant during lessons and would end the call the moment the lesson was over instead of asking any further questions like he often used to. Suggestions for him to bring his laptop and school supplies out into the living room or into Alan’s main house so he could be closer to others had been denied, Taro mumbling that he had to focus by himself on his schoolwork.
Buddy was looking particularly down. His brother had woken up crying from a nightmare he wouldn’t talk about to any of them, and it had rattled the younger pup enough that he’d had a nightmare of his own once he’d finally fallen back asleep. Kenta had been able to comfort him in the morning, but the stress of everything seemed to be weighing down on the pup in a way his parents couldn’t help him with. Kim found it hard enough coping with Taro’s pack rejection and constantly bitter scent. He couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for Buddy to see his older brother that way.
Wanting to do something to cheer the little pup up, Kim asked Kenta if he could take Buddy with him to get some sweets for them all. It would only be a short drive to someplace where they could get treats he knew the pups absolutely loved. And surely that would cheer up both boys. Let Buddy get away from the chemical harshness of his brother’s scent and the sour mint of his father’s for a bit, and then come back with plenty of desserts for all of them to enjoy with no worries for a while. They’d be quick, so they’d get back before Taro’s lesson ended.
They weren’t quick enough. Buddy was quiet on the drive to the shop, but then cheered right up as they picked out what to get for the four of them. As they returned home, things felt normal again as they chatted together and Kim got to hear Buddy laugh again for the first time in a while. He almost forgot all about how depressing things had been.
Walking into the guest house, they found Taro having a full blown panic attack. Kenta was struggling to hold the thrashing pup in place, items around them smashed on the floor. Kenta’s laptop had been thrown down to the floor, the screen blacked out and cracked. A glass of water Kim had left behind had been shattered and spilled, and the pillows on the couch had all been kicked or shoved away.
“What’s going on?”
“Nii-san? Daddy?”
Sobbing so hard that he didn’t notice that Kim and Buddy had returned, Taro continued to try to escape Kenta’s hold, clawing at the couch to find purchase, red-faced and coughing. Kim could see tears starting to fall from Kenta’s eyes. The scent hit him, Kenta’s distressed mint that he’d grown used to picking up on, almost swallowed completely by the harsh chemical smoke of Taro’s fear. The boy’s scent, which was already on the cusp of changing from a pup’s soft one even when he was perfectly fine, seemed to be already mature like a fully presented Alpha when he was terrified. Babe had been steadfastly avoiding them since Taro had taken a turn for the worst, nose wrinkling whenever he caught the pup’s Alpha scent. Even Martin hadn’t liked it, sensitive as an Enigma, complaining to his parents who at least hadn’t said anything to Kim or Kenta about Taro’s strong scent.
“Please, pup, just stay with me. I don’t want you to get hurt. Please-” Kenta pleaded with his son. “It’s okay, I promise. It’s okay.”
“Let me go! I have to find Buddy! I don’t want to be here anymore!” Taro wailed. “I hate it! I hate living here!”
“I know, I’m sorry, I know-”
“No more! I don’t wanna see them anymore! I can’t!” Kim could only assume Taro was talking about the pack, people. “Please, I don’t wanna talk to- to- No more! No more! Please, Daddy, please please, no more, please-” Taro’s wailing turned into wordless sobs, and finally he just buried himself against Kenta. The Omega curled around his son, sniffling against him, shoulders shaking as he held him tight.
“I’m sorry, pup, I’m sorry…”
“Nii-san…!” Buddy wailed and dropped the box he’d carried inside and rushed over to his dad and brother. “Nii-san-!”
“Buddy?” Taro wriggled around to stare at his brother, eyes wide as the younger pup crashed into them. “Buddy…!” he whimpered, almost disbelieving. He wrapped his arms around his brother like he was terrified that someone might snatch Buddy away from him forever. Kenta pulled both crying pups into his lap.
Feeling horrible, Kim followed after Buddy and joined them on the couch, hugging the three. He’d just wanted to cheer up the boys. Instead, he’d just scared Taro worse than he’d ever seen before. Set him back even further.
It took a long time for the three of them to calm down. Kenta kept apologizing, broken down by the guilt of being unable to protect his pups. And even after getting his brother back safe and sound, Taro didn’t stop shaking and crying until he was so exhausted that he couldn’t even cry anymore. He refused to let go of Buddy, eventually holding his brother’s arm so tightly that Kim was worried the little pup might get bruised. Buddy didn’t seem to notice, just clinging to both his brother and their dad. Kim’s instincts screamed at him to fix things. But he didn’t know what to do. Not at all.
He felt so helpless that he honestly hated himself for it. His mate and pups were crying, so upset that it was physically hurting them, and there was nothing Kim could do but hold them and offer meaningless words of comfort. It burned him up inside, and he wished he could hit something to make it feel better. But nothing would except to see his family happy again. And he wouldn’t dare do something that might scare the kids even more.
So he swallowed hard to force down the self-depreciation and made himself sit up. “I’m going to go get some water,” he said softly. It was the only thing he could think of that he could do other than just be there. The pups would need something to drink after crying so much, especially Taro. The older pup’s throat had to be sore by then.
Before he could get up and head to the kitchen, Kenta grabbed his wrist. Kim waited, and the Omega said quietly, “Kim… I think we should find somewhere else to live. It’s… not working, here. Not anymore.”
Clearly not, with how Taro had been screaming. Maybe a change of scenery would do them good. Somewhere with a bit more privacy, so Kenta and the pups would be more comfortable. Alan’s place was ridiculously large. They could find somewhere smaller that would be a better fit. As nice as it was to be so close to the pack, it wasn’t a necessity. Finally, he had something he could do to help. Finding a new home for the four of them. It was exactly what his instincts needed to feel useful again. Finding a new place for his mate and pups to nest.
“I’ll find the four of us a new place, Kenta. I’ll start looking tonight.”
Taro froze. Kim barely noticed, but did pick up on it. He hoped that the pup wouldn’t get upset again. Had he thought of something that would set him off again? Had some kind of flashback? Kim put a hand on the pup’s shoulder and squeezed, trying to ground him.
“Thank you,” Kenta mumbled. He dropped his head back down to nuzzle his pups.
Trembling, Taro hugged Buddy, pulling him somehow closer. “But… you can’t, you-” he started, voice hoarse and almost a whisper. As he spoke, his voice raised to a normal volume, steeling itself. “Kim, you… why would you come with us? You’re not part of our family.”
It would have hurt less, shocked him loss, for the pup to physically strike him.
He’d thought the pups had been fond of him as well, that they’d accepted him. Sure, maybe they wouldn’t see him as a real parent, not like Kenta, but-
“Oh. I…”
It hurt. More than anything, it hurt.
Buddy didn’t say anything. Kim didn’t expect him to. He didn’t say anything either, didn’t know what to say, if he even could. He wasn’t sure if Buddy was even listening. The pup might have been dozing off. But even if he was, Buddy always listened to his brother. If Taro didn’t like him, Buddy wouldn’t like him. If Taro didn’t see him as family…
“Taro…” Kenta pulled the pups back, away from Kim. That hurt too. Rationally, he knew Kenta just wanted to pull Taro away from him so that the pup wouldn’t throw another fit. But that felt like rejection as well.
He didn’t expect Kenta to defend him. They weren’t truly mates, and he wasn’t the children’s father. Their relationship was something relatively new, an unknown to the both of them. Still, to see Kenta wordlessly pick up the pups and take them up to their bedroom, Kim couldn’t help but wonder if maybe the Omega felt that way too. Couldn’t help the ache of disappointment that Kenta hadn’t said anything to the pups, hadn’t even said anything to him at all. Not even a simple apology for him having to hear that, not even a goodbye.
He wanted to chase after them. But it was probably better to give them time, so he forced himself to stay seated on the couch. Once he felt that he wouldn’t give into instinct and head after his family, he got up and retrieved the box of desserts from the floor so he could put them in the fridge for them to enjoy together when the pups felt better. Then he cleaned up the living room, sweeping up glass and putting Kenta’s ruined laptop on the table. He got his own computer and spent the rest of the day looking up potential new homes for them.
When Kim went up to the room later once it was time for the pups to go to bed, not wanting to leave his mate on his own to get two upset pups put to sleep, Kim was stunned to find that the bedroom door was locked. He shook his head. They always locked the door before bed, had gotten a proper lock put onto it to help more with making the room feel less unsafe for Kenta. Whichever of them was last in for the night would make sure to turn the lock. Kenta must have locked it so the pups would feel better. The Omega wouldn’t have locked him out.
So he knocked, expecting that Kenta would let him in and then relock it behind them. They would get the pups down for the night together. Taro and Buddy were both bound to have nightmares, so maybe the two of them would take turns sleeping to keep an eye on the pups to make sure they got their rest.
The door clicked. Kenta opened it just a crack.
“Kenta.” It was a relief to see the Omega without any tears on his face. A good sign, even if Kenta was clearly exhausted. He couldn’t hear anything from the kids either. Maybe they had already fallen asleep.
Instead of letting him in, Kenta told him, refusing to look him in the eye, “Taro is still upset. I think it’s best that you not sleep in here tonight… or maybe not for a few nights.”
Kim could hardly process what he’d been told. “What?”
“Daddy?” Taro asked, voice pitched with anxiety. “Where are you going? Are you leaving?”
“Daddy, don’t go…!” Buddy whimpered.
“I’m not leaving. I promise. I just need to give Kim a few of his things.”
Kenta gathered some of his things. His toothbrush, pajamas, things he would need in the morning and evening, for the next few days. Kim took the small pile without a word, unable to speak past the tightness in his throat and burning in his eyes.
For a moment, Kenta stood there. He opened his mouth as though he were going to say goodnight, but then Buddy called, “Daddy?” and he looked away towards the pups and closed the door. Leaving Kim alone.
The pups need Kenta, Kim thought to himself as he went to the other bedroom. He’s supposed to be focused on them right now. They need him.
He just wished they needed him too.
-
Kim thought he knew rejection after that. But somehow, it only got worse. Buddy wouldn’t leave the add-on anymore. Every time they left the guest house, even if only to go over to Alan’s or to play outside, Taro would get scared, and Buddy would just get scared too. He even started refusing to go to school, and Kenta had him pulled from it after each day resulting in a call that the pup was crying and inconsolable and needed to be picked up. So the little pup stuck close to his brother to keep him from getting upset, which meant he stayed away from Kim as well. And with both pups isolating in the guest house, that meant Kenta did as well. The Omega told Alan that he wouldn’t be able to do much work for the team, which the pack head had no problem with. The pups were going through a rough spot, he said, they needed their dad.
Any offered affection was now avoided by Kenta, the Omega looking uncomfortable whenever Kim got close. They didn’t bring up the idea of moving again. Where he’d succeeded before in insisting on being there for Kenta, now it just drove him away. The Omega just wanted to spend all his time with his pups. Without Kim.
But Kim wanted to be with the pups too.
“Can I read Buddy his bedtime story tonight?” Kim asked when he saw Kenta come down to get water for the boys before bed, after a few days of not getting to see the pups hardly at all. He’d only caught glimpses of them, the pups in other rooms, Taro always holding his Bonsly plush and Buddy right by his side, Kenta hovering over them. Kenta hesitated, and the Alpha quickly added, “I’ll leave right after. I just…” He missed that little routine, missed having Buddy snuggled against his side every night for a book.
Kenta, again, wouldn’t look at him. Instead, he turned away, shoulders hunched. “The pups don’t like anyone else’s scents in the bed. Taro won’t be able to sleep.”
Even his scent wasn’t welcome in the nest anymore.
“I…” Kenta started, then faltered. “Thank you. For everything you’ve done for us. For my pups.”
It felt like a dismissal, even though Kenta was being earnest. Kim couldn’t fight against it. It wasn’t something he could protest. He couldn’t force Kenta to let him be involved with the man’s children. He could only accept it. “They’re good kids.”
“…I have to get back to them. They’re waiting for me.”
-
As Kenta tucked Buddy into bed for his nap one day, all he could think about was that he missed Kim. After denying Kim from the main bedroom, the Alpha had given them all the space they needed. So much that Kenta hadn’t even seen him at all in over a day. Not a single glimpse or even the sound of him in another room. He knew there was a race weekend coming up, but Kim had always had time for the kids.
It was his own fault. Kenta had pushed him out entirely, thinking that was what his sons needed, even as it made it so much harder on himself without the Alpha he’d grown to rely on. Sure, Taro had stopped fretting and fussing as much, had no reason to panic over his brother’s whereabouts, but both pups were quiet now. Quieter than they’d ever been. Taro had barely put down his favorite toy in days, and the two would just sit together watching videos on Buddy’s tablet that didn’t even interest them all that much. They both slept a lot, even though they never got much real rest out of it, and it was impossible to get them to eat full meals.
If Buddy was napping on Kenta’s lap, Taro would find a spot to fit himself into and would just play on his phone until he got needy and tucked in beside them.
But with Buddy tucked in bed, and Kenta feeling like he was on the verge of his own breaking point, he took Taro aside to sit with him. He couldn’t just watch them deteriorate. Being patient wasn’t helping. Something had to change. He didn’t want to bring it up again, because he dreaded the answer his son would give, but he would do whatever it took to make his children happy again. Even if it might cost part of his own happiness. Kenta finally asked Taro, “Kentaro… do you really not want to live with Kim anymore?”
He couldn’t bear to see his pups hurting so much, to see his oldest spiraling down so fast that he feared he might lose him.
Taro stared at him. His hands clenched around his plushie. For a minute, the pup didn’t respond, simply hunching over his toy. Tears began to spill from his eyes.
“Do you want me to find us somewhere else to live?”
Finally, Taro nodded. He tucked himself against Kenta, trying not to cry.
“I’ll call Pete and ask him to help me.”
With a trembling hand, Taro reached into Kenta’s pocket and pulled out his phone, pressing it into his dad's hand. Then, with effort, he made himself get up. The older pup went over to the bed and climbed on. He stared down at his brother, carefully patted his head, and then curled up beside him.
Kenta got the hint. He forced himself to step out of the room to call his brother right away. At least over the phone Pete wouldn’t be able to feel his distress.
In what he supposed was technically fortunate for them even though it just made his heart ache, Pete had someone find them a nice place by the end of the day. With Kenta’s resigned approval, Pete pushed through the purchasing process and said they’d be able to move in by noon the next day if they wanted to.
Kenta figured he could have his car loaded up by then. They didn’t have too much to bring on their move. Just the kids’ things, and Kenta’s clothing and work supplies. All of the kid’s stuff in Alan’s house could stay for Martin. They’d just take what they’d accumulated in the add-on.
He told the pups after dinner that they’d be moving the next day, when saying it didn’t hurt so much. Buddy didn’t say anything, but looked just as depressed as Kenta felt.
“Really?” Taro asked in disbelief. “Tomorrow?”
“It will be ready tomorrow. If you two aren’t ready, we can wait. It’s fine.”
“No!” Taro yelped. He blinked, surprised at his own volume. “Tomorrow is- tomorrow’s good. That’s good.”
“It… it is?” Buddy asked. “We have to?”
“Yes. It’ll be safer. Safe is good! No one will bother us anymore. Moving is a good thing. It’s good. Good like- good like me and you. Okay?”
Kenta wished that Kim wasn’t included in the things that bothered Taro. But he couldn’t bring himself to reassure Buddy the way that Taro was trying to. He just got up and picked up the pup. Buddy rested his head against his shoulder.
“I- I’ve gotta go to the bathroom-” Taro suddenly stammered, grabbing his phone and rushing off.
Seeing that his brother was gone, Buddy quietly asked, “Are we gonna move for forever, Daddy?”
“Maybe it will just be for a while. Until your nii-san feels better.”
“He’s really gonna get better?”
It no doubt felt impossible to such a young pup. Kenta nuzzled his son, promising, “Of course he will. He has you.”
-
Kenta was able to catch Kim in the morning before he went off to the gym, and was able to tell him that he and the pups would be moving out by the end of the day. Kim quickly canceled his plans and offered to help them pack, desperate for what might be one last moment with his mate and pups.
There wasn’t much to pack, not really. It only took as long as it did because they had to go find some empty boxes and bins in Alan’s house. Kim wasn’t sure if the pack alpha knew that they were leaving. So he texted Jeff instead to ask if he knew where anything might be. And as a heads up for Alan. The news would be better delivered by the Omega mechanic at the garage instead, where any upset about leaving pack members wouldn’t be witnessed by little pups.
But eventually the back of Kenta’s Ford Everest was filled, and noon rolled around. To Kim’s surprise, both pups gave him a hug before getting into their carseats, Taro squeezing him tightly with one arm as his other one held his Bonsly plushie. Then Kenta got them buckled in and closed the door, and it was just the two of them.
He wanted to drag them all back inside. Insist that they could work things out. If it were just Kenta leaving, Kim would grab him by the shirt and hash it out with him. But it didn’t work like that with pups. Kenta had to put his children first. He had to let them go.
“Will you still come by sometimes? At least for pack nights?” was all he could ask.
“...I don’t know. The pups… they need me. Maybe, if they want to.”
I’ll miss you. I don’t want you to go. Don’t go.
“Goodbye, Kim.”
“...Goodbye.”
And with that, his family drove off. Kim stayed outside to watch until the car disappeared down the road, and then kept standing there. He’d always been independent, but watching Kenta and the pups go off, Kim thought the loneliness might just kill him. He reached up to wipe away the few tears that had fallen, then went back inside.
-
Alan came to talk to him, rushing back home as soon as Jeff told him the news, but Kim was so short in his responses of what had happened and holding himself so tensely that Alan soon slunk off to leave him be. Left to wallow in his misery, eyes red, Kim just stayed there on the couch, feeling utterly disconnected from his surroundings. He put on the TV to try to distract himself, staring at a random race that he put on, unable to focus on it at all. The place that he’d called home for months now felt like any random hotel room now. No longer a home at all. All traces of his family had vanished. No more books stacked on the side table for easy access when Buddy wanted to be read to, no toys left around or papers and crayons, no shoes but his own at the door, no jackets of Kenta’s left hanging over the back of a chair. He didn’t bother going up to the bedroom. No doubt Kenta had made the bed, and seeing fresh sheets and no plushies, all empty drawers and closets except for his own things, no more brightly colored kid’s toothbrushes on the bathroom counter next to his own… Kim didn’t think he could take it just yet without falling apart.
Eventually, he forced himself up to get a drink from the kitchen. As he did, he spotted a piece of plastic that had chipped off of one of the bins they’d used to pack earlier. Numbly, he grabbed it and went to toss it in the trash, clicking on the lid to open the bin.
He’d only just taken out the bag that morning before Kenta told him they were leaving, so it was supposed to be empty. Except something shiny and black was sitting at the bottom.
Taro’s phone.
He didn’t see why Taro would have thrown out the phone. He’d taken every other gift that Kim or anyone else had gotten for him. They hadn’t gotten rid of anything else. Unless it had broken, and the pup hadn’t told anyone. Kim fished it out. If it was broken, he’d just get it fixed and have Pete bring it to wherever Kenta’s new place was.
It hadn’t even been turned off, opening up the lock screen right away as he pressed the power button. There was nothing wrong with the screen as he pressed the home button to type in the passcode, and he typed that in just fine, heading back into the living room.
Buddy had been taking some pictures with the phone a while ago. Kim wanted to look at them before he gave the phone back. It’d been ages since he’d last seen the pups smile. It’d be nice to see that again one last time.
As he clicked the final number of the passcode, it opened to Instagram. Kim stopped in the middle of the doorway. In the brief moment that the app had been loading, he thought it would open to the home screen. That he’d see posts from the pack, or from whatever other accounts Taro might have followed. He’d seen the pup looking at pictures of plants before.
It was on messages. Taro had one account that had messaged him, a username Kim didn’t recognize. If not for the display showing the last message that had been sent and read from the other account the day before, he would have guessed North was sending posts to Taro.
‘That’s my good boy.’
Something about that rubbed him the wrong way. No one in the pack spoke to Taro like that. Absolutely not North, and not anyone else either.
Had someone strange been messaging Taro? A fan of the team who had somehow been accepted as a follower on Taro’s account?
He clicked it, a sinking feeling in his stomach.
It was far worse than he ever could have expected. Taro had been responding to the account, and before the creepy message had sent, ‘we’re finally moving tomorrow like you wanted us to. i dunno the address daddy didn’t tell me. he got the place from uncle pete. kim isn’t going. i’ll get rid of my phone before we go.’
It wasn’t Taro’s idea to move out. Kim scrolled back through the messages, and to his horror, it became clear very quickly as he spotted the word Grandpa that Tony, or someone pretending to be Tony, had been messaging Taro ever since he’d gotten the phone. Threatening him, telling him to convince Kenta to get he and the pups out of Alan’s house, away from the pack, asking for information about everyone.
There were pictures of them sent from the account, from Tony, mostly of Kenta and Buddy, but of Kim and Taro and some of the other pack members as well. Cold gripped Kim’s core as he realized that for weeks they’d been stalked. Followed and photographed, those photographs used to threaten a pup into compliance. Taro had begged and pleaded for Tony not to hurt any of them, been given orders to follow in response. Terrified, Taro had done everything he’d been told to try to keep them safe.
The day of the pup’s worst meltdown, he’d been sent a picture of Kim and Buddy. The two of them walking right past a car with one of Tony’s men inside, taken just steps away from Buddy. Whoever was holding the camera or phone had their hand on the door handle, as if they were going to open it and snatch the pup right then and there.
No wonder Taro had panicked, had demanded that they leave, refused to let Buddy out of his sight from then on. There was a very real chance that his brother might be taken from him, and he was just trying to protect him. Kim was on the verge of running out to chase after Kenta and make sure the three of them never left his sight again either.
Taro had asked that Tony not touch Kim right from the start, and Kim was torn between relief that the pup did still care about him after all and absolute horror that the pup had been living through hell to protect him. The pup’s sudden distance had been because Taro had bargained for his safety, Tony promising not to touch him if the Alpha wasn’t in his way, if he wasn’t near Kenta and the pups anymore.
And at the very top of the messages, Taro had tried to defy Tony, only to be show a picture of them on track, taken from far too close, buying the pup’s obedience.
Sick to his stomach, furious at how Tony could continue to use his own family like tools, that he’d dared to go after Kim’s family when they were supposed to be free from him, Kim sent a message to Sonic for him to log in to Taro’s account and show everyone in the pack what he’d seen. Then, he called Pete and demanded Kenta’s new address, and rushed after them, hoping that he’d get to them before it was too late.