Archive of Our Own ^beta

Hours before the alarm on his bedside table beeped that annoying, dull tone he knew all too well, Takumi was already awake. The right side of his face pressed into a cheap, thin pillow at the head of his mattress, his long silver hair spinning webs and tangles all around his head and back. At the first sound of songbirds ruffling their feathers from sleep and chirping at the rising dawn sun, Takumi pulled the little bundle, mostly hidden by the thin white bedsheets, closer to his chest. His heart ached a dull ache that never ceased to rest.

He idly wondered if Kiragi could hear his frightened heart speed up, could feel his anxiety levels rising from the back of his mind. Children have that connection with their parents if they’re close enough. Sensing the source of warmth, the child sleepily nuzzled his head deeper into his father’s chest, a line of drool seeping out of the side of his small mouth. Tufts of wispy silver angel hair tickled Takumi’s chin.

I’m going to need to get him his own bed someday, Takumi thought, trying his best to control his anxiety. And maybe a bigger apartment with two bedrooms. At least he’s small enough to sleep with me now, but he’s growing up quick...

Instinctively, he pressed Kiragi closer to his body, hoping the child could still breathe under the covers.

It had been a quick five years. Five years since he heard of his college girlfriend’s pregnancy. Five years since they couldn’t afford an abortion and had settled for adoption. Five years since Takumi realized he couldn’t stand the thought of putting such a sweet, defenceless, happy child through adoption. Perhaps he had been selfish, deciding to take on the child by himself when he didn’t have a job, no place of his own, and no prior experience in raising children. But he’d never live it down if the same child who, after just being born, gave Takumi the widest, unabashed smile, had held his finger as if to somehow communicate, please don’t leave me, had laughed with strong lungs up at his father when they made eye contact, swaddled tightly in his father’s arms, Takumi would never--

Just as Takumi stopped thinking and started nodding off again, he was startled by the sound of the alarm going off. He quickly reached over Kiragi’s complacent form and hit the off button. He didn’t give his son enough credit for how deep the kid could sleep. If he hadn’t always been there to shut the alarm off, Kiragi would sleep through it for a solid hour.

“Kiragi,” Takumi mumbled, yawning and stretching his arms up into the air. Kiragi shifted at the sound of his name, but made no sign of acknowledgement or awakeness. “Kiragi, wake up.” When Takumi’s joints were thoroughly popped, valiantly fighting off the urge to fall back into the dark abyss of sleep, he curled up against Kiragi again and carded his fingers through his son’s hair, hoping that would help the kid wake up. Takumi clicked his tongue impatiently at Kiragi’s shallow, sleepy breaths.

“Kiragi,” he tried again, his tone picking up. “Do you know what day it is?”

The bundle in his arms squirmed weakly, and tiny hands poked up from under the covers to feel at Takumi’s face. Kiragi’s hair stuck up at odd ends with electricity, the only defining trait Takumi saw of his son before the sheets shifted and revealed a young face with round, rosy cheeks and a small button nose. The child’s eyes opened halfway as he rubbed them with the palms of his hands, revealing the faintest glints of amber which Takumi proudly shared. His father smiled softly at the sight.

“Hmmnnnyoooo,” Kiragi mumbled, continuing his morning stretches. “Noooo.”

Takumi smiled wider, trying to match his son’s excitement which was bound to come. “It’s your first day of school,” he answered. “Remember? You’re going to kindergarten today.”

Immediately, Kiragi’s eyes widened, revealing the rims of his glimmering irises, his face glowing with excitement as his mouth stretched to a perfect “o” shape and revealing his missing top front teeth. Without hesitation, he clamored out of the sheets, and once he stood safely on the carpeted floor, started jumping up and down. “First day of school! First day of school!” he shouted, chanting his words like a mantra.

Ah, childhood innocence, Takumi thought, pausing to yawn. Just wait till middle school, bud. It all goes downhill from there. The people living under them would have a word with Takumi later.

Takumi rose from the bed as well, gathering his tangled mess of hair and running his fingers through it a few times so he didn’t walk around with a rat’s nest on top of his head. “Come on,” he said softly, full of pure love and adoration for his adorable, perfect son. Kiragi ran over to his side of the bed where Takumi stood, shaking like a puppy whose owner just got home. “Breakfast first, then I’ll help you get dressed.”

Kiragi shoved fistfulls of Cheerios into his mouth while sitting up on the arm of Takumi’s couch, watching reruns on Nick Jr. while his father brushed the tangles out of his hair with a comb. On the more stubborn strands, Takumi licked his fingers and tried to tame them but to no avail. Kiragi was forever stuck with a stupid cowlick.

“It’s gonna be fun!” Kiragi cheered, mouth full of Cheerios and possibilities. “I’m gonna make new friends and I’m gonna learn all of the math and I’m gonna play in the playground with my new friends and it’s gonna be fun!” Takumi came back from the bedroom after changing quickly into more appropriate attire--slacks and a t-shirt--and retrieving a change of clothes for Kiragi. “Do you think they’ll know how to play tag?”

“I’m sure some will,” Takumi answered. Kiragi lifted his arms above his head and his father proceeded to lift the pajama shirt up and off of his small torso, exposing his round belly and smooth puppy fat. “Just play nice, and if you get hurt or someone starts picking on you, tell a teacher immediately. Okay, Kiragi?”

“Okay!” Kiragi sang absentmindedly, rocking back and forth in his seat to the tune of a song playing on the TV. Something about numbers.

Takumi knitted his eyebrows as he fit the clean striped shirt onto Kiragi’s body. He shifted his position so that he was kneeling in front of where his son sat, where they could see eye-to-eye. Kiragi turned to his father curiously. It was a lucky time to have a commercial break.

“I mean it, Kiragi,” Takumi said with a stern expression. “If you get into any trouble, you tell an adult as soon as possible. Understand?”

Kiragi immediately and vehemently nodded, meeting his father’s expression with the same amount of gravity. Satisfied, Takumi smiled up at his son before righting himself. A surge of pride bloomed in his chest. “I have such a smart son,” he thought outloud, and Kiragi giggled.

The elementary school parking lot was filled with the cars of eager parents wanting to see their kids off to school, at least on the first day. There was a school bus unloading returning young students, and Takumi swore he saw the same one pass by the apartment building, but considering this was Kiragi’s first day of his first year in school, it wouldn’t be all that bad to just drop him off most days. At least when he didn’t have work in the mornings like he usually did.

Takumi stood in the middle of a conglomeration of fretting parents and their children, holding tightly onto Kiragi’s hand. The boy seemed eager to meet everyone and to greet his fresh-faced teacher with one of his dazzling smiles, but Takumi had to hold him back from running off. Several members of the staff also stood among the parents, the kindergarten teachers with signature green smocks decorated with flower buttons and stickers, wearing painted smiles that foretold a long day of child-wrangling and five cups of coffee. Takumi sympathized.

“You know who your teacher is?” he asked. Kiragi nodded up at him, shifting from foot to foot impatiently. The miniature backpack on his shoulders was spacious enough to hold his lunch and a notebook, but Takumi wasn’t exactly sure if it was needed. Better to be safe than sorry.

“Ms. Felicia!” Kiragi called, searching for the woman who would soon be charmed by his stunning personality alone. “Ms. Felicia?!”

A young lady who was speaking to another family looked over at them and quickly dismissed herself, walking over to where Takumi stood. She was dressed in the signature smock, her strawberry blonde hair tied up in a modest ponytail like Takumi’s. “Hello!” she sang happily, waving at the two before crouching down and smiling at Kiragi. “What handsome young man am I speaking to today?”

“I’m Kiragi!” the child answered, smile splitting his face in two. The grip on Takumi’s hand tightened with excitement. “Nice to meet you!”

“A-are you Ms. Felicia?” Takumi asked, pulling their attention away from each other.

Ms. Felicia stood and nodded, her smile unwavering. They were about the same height. “Yes. You must be Kiragi’s father,” she said, holding out her hand to shake. Takumi quickly took it. “Nice to meet you both. I’ll be teaching Kiragi for the year. Was he part of our preschool program as well?” Takumi shook his head. He hadn’t been able to afford it. “Well, it’s nice to see fresh faces come along. I’m sure Kiragi will enjoy his time here.”

“I certainly hope he does,” Takumi said quickly. He hadn’t meant for it to sound threatening, but Ms. Felicia didn’t seem to think of it that way. Or several other concerned parents had told her the same thing and she learned to brush it off.

And then she said something that made Takumi think, maybe he didn’t want her to be teaching Kiragi. “So,” Ms. Felicia started innocently. “Where is his mother? Usually it’s both parents or just the mother that drops the kid off, you know?”

Takumi faltered and Kiragi looked up at Ms. Felicia curiously, a pout on his little lips. “Mom is in college,” Kiragi answered with a huff. “That’s what Dad tells me. Dad does everything for me, but I don’t know where Mom is.”

Seething out a sigh, Takumi looked at Ms. Felicia in the eye again. “He was born out of wedlock,” he said in a soft voice that hopefully Kiragi wouldn’t hear. “His mother wanted to give him up for adoption, but I wouldn’t let that happen. She went to NYU, haven’t seen her in years. Raised him myself.”

To say Ms. Felicia looked surprised was an understatement. “O-oh!” she stammered to find the right words. “T-that’s, um... I’m sorry to hear that!”

As if on cue, the other teachers gathered at the head of the crowd, calling for everyone’s attention. All of the kindergarteners were to be put in lines with the rest of their class in front of their teacher, repeat for all of the grades 1 thru 4. Takumi watched with trepidation as little kids left their parents, kissed their cheeks and waved goodbye before approaching their teacher. Ms. Felicia waved goodbye at Takumi and briskly walked to where the other teachers stood. At his side, Kiragi started pulling at his hand.

“I need to goooo!” he whined, stomping one foot impatiently.

Takumi knelt down on one knee, holding Kiragi in place. If there was anything Kiragi inherited from him, it was stubbornness. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” he asked with a hurt expression.

Kiragi practically melted at that. He bounded into his father’s chest, wrapping each other into a tight embrace. Takumi smiled and pressed his lips to Kiragi’s forehead, squeezing his son’s body tightly to his. But it only lasted a few seconds. His embrace loosened and Kiragi slipped far enough to kiss Takumi’s cheek, as he always did when they parted ways. “I love you, Dad!”

Takumi’s expression softened just a bit. It was bittersweet. “I love you too, son.”

Finally, Kiragi was off towards the conglomeration of students that would soon be his classmates. Almost tripping over his own feet, he turned back to Takumi once more and waved goodbye. Takumi waved back, his plastered smile unfading.

When Kiragi disappeared from his sight, Takumi felt the first chill of panic run down his spine. Oh god, what did I do? he thought, standing to full height. What if the teacher is completely incompetent? What if I won’t be able to pick him up when he’s done with class? I don’t even know this district, this is just the closest elementary school I could find, I never actually looked into it! What if--!

Some feet away stood another father with his child. The kid looked older than Kiragi, and was practically hiding behind their father’s leg as first graders assembled. Takumi squinted at the kid dressed in light pink and white with long blonde curls cascading down their shoulders. Then at the father who held the child’s hand tightly. If his kid was older than Kiragi and therefore had more experience with the school, then surely he would know more about the school and put Takumi’s worries to rest?

Finally, when the teachers called for the second graders, the child flinched, then got up on their toes. Their father leaned down with a smile and they kissed each other’s cheeks before the kid detached their hands and ran off, blonde curls flowing in the wind.

Takumi chuckled when the kid almost lost their pink beret. Really, he shouldn’t be staying on school grounds anymore, but he’d be damned if he left without calming down the neurotic nag at the back of his mind. Honestly, he could have approached any parent, but the fact that this father looked young enough, close enough to Takumi in age, made him feel a bit better.

Nonchalantly, he sidestepped over to the man’s side, who was preoccupied with waving his child goodbye from afar. “So...” Takumi started, just now realizing he didn’t know where to go from there. “... Is that your daughter?” Stupid Takumi, stupid! Of course she is!

The man next to him chuckled. He had the same blonde hair as the child, but held the short locks back with a black headband which made him look even more juvenile than necessary. They turned to face each other, catching each other’s eyes for the first time. “Actually, he’s my son,” the man answered, and Takumi was caught completely off guard.

“Oh!” he exclaimed, sweating under the August heat and pressure. His cheeks must have been an embarrassed shade of pink while he scrambled to form a sentence. “T-that’s, um--I’m sorry--N-not that I’m saying it’s a bad thing because it’s not, I just--I meant...” Takumi took a deep breath to calm himself. The man looked back at him with a faintly amused expression, but still inviting as ever. Takumi’s hands stopped trembling when he flashed the man an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

This time, the man really did laugh. “It’s alright, I get that a lot.” Takumi figured that this man was one of those cool New Age parents who had enough money to let his kids express their gender however they please without regard for the complaints from others, seeing as his son was very much presenting as a typical girl. Perhaps Takumi could take some pointers. Well, it wasn’t like he forced Kiragi into anything--

“So, what’s his name?” Takumi asked, hoping he wasn’t treading into personal territory. All he needed to do was find a way to ask about the school. Perhaps the man was willing to play along. Hell, of course he was, otherwise he would have left already.

“His name is Forrest,” he answered, and before Takumi could blurt out something like Who comes up with these white people names? the man continued, “You have a son as well, right? I saw him with you. What’s his name?”

Takumi nodded. “Kiragi. He’s, uh... he’s going into kindergarten today so it means a lot to me to be here.” The man nodded in surprise. “To be honest, I don’t really know much about the teachers here. I’m worried about him since we made a few bad calls for daycare in the past, so unless I really know the person taking care of him... you know.”

The man chuckled under his breath, clicking his tongue twice at Takumi’s vulnerable display. With his hands resting on his hips, he said, “At least the teachers here are nowhere nearly as bad as Mr. Jakob from Nohr Avenue.”

With his mouth agape, Takumi was stunned at the man. “You know him too?!” he nearly screeched. “God, I brought Kiragi there once because I had to work holiday hours at my job, and he came back crying because Jakob gave him a stern lecture about something, and Kiragi doesn’t cry easily.”

The blond man looked at him with russet eyes full of pity, crossing his arms and clicking his tongue again. The muscles under his purple sweater flexed and Takumi had the sudden urge to touch them. “When I brought Forrest there, Jakob told him that the way he dresses is unbecoming of a boy and wouldn’t let him interact with the other kids until he put on ‘proper clothes’ that he didn’t have. The nerve of some people! I will not raise my son to be ashamed.”

“Damn right,” Takumi muttered. The two paused for a second, letting their mutual hatred for the man soak in before bursting into fits of genuine laughter. What were they, children? When Takumi finally caught his breath again, he stuck out his hand to shake. “My name is Takumi.”

The man smiled widely down at him and took his hand in his without hesitation. “Leo.”

“Will I be seeing you here in the mornings, Leo?”

“Sometimes, I’m sure,” Leo admitted sheepishly. “Forrest takes the bus most of the time, so... yeah. I just wanted to see him off today, like you with Kiragi.”

Takumi’s face fell, and he felt the familiar pangs of disappointment plague his chest. “O-oh, well...” he paused, vaguely knowing what time it was. It was time to get ready for work. “... I hope I’ll see you again soon. I really need to go now.”

Leo nodded, also realizing that they had both long overstayed their stay. Together, they started walking side-by-side to the adjacent parking lot. “Same here. But yeah, you don’t have anything to worry about with the teachers here. Unless Kiragi has Ms. Felicia.”

Freezing in place, Takumi stared at Leo with a horrified expression. “W-what about Ms. Felicia?!”

Leo surveyed the other man’s face, his glistening eyes wide with fear, before snorting loudly. “It was a joke! I saw Kiragi go to Ms. Felicia; Forrest also had her. She’s a wonderful teacher.”

Takumi let out a long, exasperated breath. He placed a hand on Leo’s bicep as if for balance. Perhaps he didn’t have as much muscle as Takumi first thought. “Don’t do that to me!” he pleaded. “I’m trying my best.”

They arrived at Leo’s car first, a gray sedan that was probably on lease. The blond man snickered down at Takumi before unlocking the car. “So am I. Take care, Takumi.” Without offering his hand a second time, Leo climbed into the driver’s seat and Takumi figured he should do the same.

With a hastily mumbled, “Take care,” he made his way to his own car, which also seemed to be trying its best. He sat in the driver’s seat long after Leo had driven off, hands on the wheel and reflecting what just happened in the past five minutes. ... Well, that went well. I guess I feel better about sending Kiragi here.

It wasn’t until Takumi was halfway home before he suddenly slammed on the breaks, earning a massive cry of honks from cars behind him. BUT WHAT IF HE--

He was just about to take his lunch break when he heard someone call his name.

“Takumi!” Hinata called from his desk. The sudden loud outburst made Takumi flinch in the otherwise quiet library. The books in his arms jostled a bit, but he was able to bring them under control before they fell to the ground to make more noise on top of Hinata’s voice. He only needed to sort through those before he could eat something. Takumi quickly placed the small stack on the empty shelf nearest to him and promptly ran to the main desk where his friend stood at attention, the library phone tucked into the crook of his arm. Then, in a much softer voice, Hinata continued. “Someone wants to speak to you.”

Takumi leaned over the wooden desk and grabbed the phone from Hinata’s hand and cautiously held it up to his ear as if a bug would crawl through its tiny holes and attack him. Maybe it was Oboro wanting to know if they could go out for a lunch date again? Or perhaps it was just Ryoma wanting to know if Shiro needed to babysit later again? Or maybe his cell phone was dead and he didn’t know it and Sakura had been trying to reach him for the past half hour to tell him the boiler was broken again--

“H-hello...?” Takumi stuttered carefully, looking behind himself to see if there was any bystander waiting to check books out or as Hinata a question. “Who is this?”

There was a slight pause, and Takumi waited with bated breath. “... Is this Kiragi’s father?” came a familiar female voice. Ms. Felicia.

Takumi’s shoulders tensed and his blood ran cold. Oh god what happened what happened what happened-- He cleared his throat, realizing it was suddenly very dry. “Y-yes. Is something wrong?” Please let there be nothing wrong please Kiragi don’t be stupid please please...

He could practically hear Ms. Felicia cringe, awaiting certain beratement that only a concerned parent could deal unto others. “T-there’s nothing wrong! I just wanted to let you know that during recess, Kiragi was out by himself and I and a few others were watching him but then, uh... got distracted... H-he headed over to the creek near the wooded area past the playground...”

With every word that spilled from the clumsy girl’s mouth, Takumi felt his impatience grow. He was tapping his foot on the industrial rug below him, sweating at his palms. It wasn’t until he shifted to lean some weight on the desk did he realize he was shaking. I messed up, I messed up, I knew I shouldn’t have brought him there!

“... But it’s okay! He was only missing for a few minutes. One of the older kids followed him and told us where he was. Kiragi has a few scratches from the bushes but he’s otherwise fine and we sent him to the nurse to get bandaids for his knees. He seems happy as ever. There’s no need for you to come in and pick him up early. I’m just letting you know.”

Takumi exhaled with great relief. His son was okay, would be okay. Though the idea was tempting to get his son out of that place with their incompetent young teachers and get Shiro on the phone, he would have to wait until something else went wrong. It was only the first day, and Takumi did not deserve this. The familiar phrase “I have rights” resonated at the back of his head.

“Thank you for telling me,” he said. Now I can shave another year off my lifespan. Then he got a great idea. “Who was the kid that saved Kiragi?”

Ms. Felicia paused, confused by the question. “Why, I believe it was one of my former students. Yeah, he’s a second grader now, Forrest. He never did stop wearing pink.”

“Forrest...” Takumi repeated, knowing he heard that name somewhere. It was on the tip of his tongue, an itch he couldn’t quite scratch. “... Well if you can, tell him thank you, and to tell his parents that I would like to talk to them after school.”

He could practically hear her smile and nod. “I believe he’s in the art room right now. I’ll be sure to pass the message along to his teacher.”

When the two hung up, Takumi tossed the phone at Hinata who scrambled to catch it only to get twisted up with the landline wire. Takumi clicked his tongue and started walking towards the front exit and made it a few paces before Hinata called after him, “What was that about?!”

“Nothing important,” Takumi waved off. “I’m taking my break now.”

It was relatively peaceful in the corner diner and he was halfway through his lunch burrito before he pounded on the table with his fist, hissing, “It was Leo’s boy! I must be losing my mind!”

“You really didn’t have to invite us over for dinner.”

The moment Forrest stepped through Takumi’s apartment door, Kiragi practically flew to his new friend’s side, wrapping him in a chokehold hug. Leo curiously observed the apartment--Takumi had spent the last three hours cleaning--before smiling warmly at the other man. When they met when picking their kids up after school ended, he had tried turning down Takumi’s offer repeatedly, but Takumi would not have it. Obviously, the man did not know just how much Kiragi meant to him, and even if it was a little scare, ever since, Kiragi wouldn’t shut up about his new friend oh my god.

Takumi waved Leo off. “It’s no trouble at all. Please, come in.”

It was a good thing Forrest was calm and polite compared to Kiragi, who had boundless amounts of energy that must be shared with the world. Even if Forrest did seem cautious and even uncomfortable at times, Kiragi’s warm smile and surprising way with words eventually made the other boy come undone. The two played with Kiragi’s toys, to which Forrest showed little interest in, but still decided to humor the younger boy like the gentleman he was.

Leo sat at the dinner table, resting his chin in his palm. He was banned from cooking because he was a guest, and Takumi was an expert at taking care of guests... kind of. Takumi made idle conversation as he tried his best at a recipe he found online. Darn, I thought I had green onions. I’m sure I can find a substitute...

“So, Forrest told me a lot about Kiragi,” Leo admitted, tapping his fingers on the table. “I hope this doesn’t come out as rude, but does he wander off without you a lot?”

Takumi paused in his stirring the broth, glancing over at his guest. “Uhh... no,” he answered eloquently. He knew the question would come up eventually, but he never would have guessed it would happen so soon. “Usually he doesn’t, but he really loves to play outside, go hiking, the like. I guess I indulge him too much.”

“...Oh,” Leo mumbled beneath his palm. Takumi could sense Leo was quickly becoming impatient. In the living room (if it could be called that) Kiragi and Forrest continued to play with Lego blocks, completely naive to what was happening in the kitchen. “Well he’s charming in his own way, I suppose.”

What’s with this guy? Takumi thought, puffing out his cheeks as he stirred the broth harder. He comes into my house, basically accuses me of being a bad parent, and what does he expect from me? “Forrest is also quite charming,” he commented flippantly. “He must get bullied a lot for the way he dresses though.”

Leo shifted so he was pressing his thumbs to his forehead. “Yes, constantly,” he answered. “I always have to shut down the bully’s parents, and even so, it still persists. I try my best to keep him from hating himself for what he likes, but it’s stressful, having no experience with this.”

Takumi chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “First one?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Leo sighed. “I don’t think I mentioned it before.”

A comfortable silence fell between the two with only the din of Kiragi’s and Forrest’s dull nonsensical chatter to serve as distant white noise. The soup was done, the main meal would take ten more minutes.

“Kiragi!” Takumi called suddenly. “Come here and set the table!”

Immediately, Kiragi dropped what he was doing and pattered over to the kitchen, his signature smile wide on his face. He pulled open the silverware drawer and grabbed a disproportionate amount of forks, spoons, and knives before placing them on appropriate spaces on the dining table. Forrest stood by the kitchen archway, not quite knowing what to do, but determined and ready to help.

Leo thanked Kiragi for the silverware, then thanked Takumi when he placed a bowl in front of him with some unknown soup thing. “... What is this?” he asked, devoid of spite. “I thought we were going to have sesame chicken?”

“It’s miso soup,” Takumi answered. “You eat it before dinner to ready your palate. At least try it.”

Kiragi already took his seat next to Forrest, who sat next to Leo, and was the first to raise the broth to his lips. Leo and Forrest watched as the boy consumed the foreign dish as if he were an alien with five heads and the soup was poisoned. Takumi put the pot back on the stovetop and covered it with a lid, trying to not let their hesitance get to him.

Forrest followed Kiragi slowly after, and once Leo asked, “Is it good?” and got an affirmative answer, Leo finally raised a spoonful to his mouth. Takumi took a seat next to him, the only available space, and watched with trepidation. When Leo pulled away with wide eyes, he knew he had done wrong, he knew--

Leo was practically glowing. “This is great!”

During their Sunday stroll around the local town, Kiragi had insisted on visiting the school playground. Now that he had a taste of the jungle gym and slides, the little adventurer couldn’t have enough. At least there was a picnic table nearby in the shade of a large tree so Takumi could watch Kiragi run around obstacles without wasting his dwindling energy.

He remembered playing on playgrounds like this. He remembered a time when he actually had more than two friends, where he didn’t have to worry about what others thought of him or getting a job or having kids. He too had been so innocent and carefree. Where did that all go?

He was pulled out of his reverie by the sound of someone sitting on the other side of the table. “Fancy meeting you here,” resounded a familiar voice and Takumi whipped his head around to look at the man who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

“Leo!” Takumi exclaimed, righting himself on his bench. “What a coincidence. Come here often?”

Leo chuckled and placed his half-spent water bottle on top of the table. “I have to. Otherwise, Forrest would hole himself up in his bedroom and become a hermit on the weekends. Though, I’ve never seen you here before on Sundays.”

Takumi shrugged. From afar, he heard Kiragi scream Forrest’s name and subsequently pull him into a tight hug. “Kiragi didn’t know this playground existed before school started. Now he doesn’t want to spend a day away from it.”

The two relaxed in the shade, keeping one eye open for their kids but otherwise tranquil in their own bubble. Together, they shared Leo’s water, and Takumi had grapes in his small pack. A gentle wind picked up, blowing Takumi’s ponytail off his back.

Leo popped a third grape into his mouth. “I feel like you’re always feeding me,” he said. “You and Kiragi should come over to my apartment some day and eat dinner there.”

Takumi snickered. “I mean, I invited you over to repay your son what he did to Kiragi, but I’ll let you know I never turn down free food.” Leo laughed, clearing his throat of stray seeds.

“I’m serious,” he said. “I’ll let you know, I make a mean beef stew. Forrest loves it.”

Smiling shyly, Takumi knew he should turn him down for courtesy’s sake. He just wasn’t used to being offered nice things. But to hell with it, he was offering free food. “I’ll have to take you up on that one day.”

Leo smiled. “You still have my number, right? I gave it to you when I came over last Monday.”

“Yeah...” Takumi confirmed. After being out on his own for years, he knew the importance of saving numbers and gathering connections. “You have mine?”

“Yes,” Leo answered. “I believe so. Just call me whenever you want to come over.” Takumi nodded and the two fell back into silence. In the background, Kiragi was trying to get Forrest to do the monkey bars, but Forrest lacked both strength and confidence and simply stood, dumbfounded at his friend from the other side of the obstacle.

Leo was the first to break the silence, leaning his head on his palm again. “When was the last time you cut your hair?” he asked.

What a weird question, Takumi thought, instinctively pulling his ponytail over his shoulder to run his fingers through the soft silver strands. He stuttered, “Um... I-I think it’s been... four years? Five?” He paused, biting his lip in embarrassment. “I would cut it all myself, but I don’t trust myself with scissors where I can’t see, so I just cut my bangs when they get too long.”

Leo’s eyebrows knitted together. “Why don’t you just go to a salon?”

Takumi shrugged. “Haircuts aren’t cheap, and I’d rather save as much money as I can, even if it’s just a paltry sum.” It was horrible working a job just above minimum wage and having to care for a kid. It really was.

“Well, that won’t do,” Leo huffed. “I could cut it for you. I’m the one that styles Forrest’s hair after all, so I’m sure I could at least cut off the dead ends. Or shorter if you want.”

Takumi grinned at the proposal. The arrangement was perfect. “Thank you, again,” he said. “I’ll have to take you up on that.”

On the playground, Kiragi cheered and hollered loudly, clapping as Forrest finally successfully maneuvered the monkey bars all the way to the other side.

Takumi glanced once more at the text Leo sent him. The man lived in a completely different apartment complex at the other side of town, so Takumi was a bit lost. The building looked slightly less dingy than his own and looked bigger, but the street was also covered in potholes and some buildings looked as if they were falling apart. Takumi would never want to live in a place like this.

“We’re here, we’re here!” Kiragi cheered, bouncing up and down at Takumi’s side. “This is where Forrest lives, right?”

Takumi made a vague “ehhh” sound before ringing the doorbell again. If the address on his phone was correct, then this would be the place. It’s just that Takumi hadn’t expected Leo to live in such a... downtrodden place.

When the door opened, Takumi looked up and locked eyes with a stranger. The woman had soft eyes, one which was partially covered by bouncy lilac hair. She was adorned with sparkling jewelry around her neck and massive hoop earrings. But upon looking lower, Takumi saw that she was sporting a shirt with a very low v-neck, showing off her very noticeable and very large ...

Takumi covered Kiragi’s eyes.

“Oh?” the woman exclaimed, seeing the child in his arms. “You must be Kiragi and Takumi. Welcome, Leo and Forrest will be out in a minute. Please make yourselves at home.” Her velvet voice was mesmerizing, drawing Takumi into the apartment after he finally let Kiragi go. Kiragi was already running around, trying to find which room held Forrest. But Takumi’s eyes were drawn elsewhere.

By a large window sat several plants, most of them succulents, of various sizes and assortments. Takumi approached them curiously, inspecting the yellow flower on a small cactus. I can’t believe it, he thought. Unless these are all that lady’s plants, Leo’s such a plant nerd. How cliche.

He could feel the woman approach him from behind. “Those are Leo’s,” she said. Knew it. “Sometimes he brings dying plants home from work and tries to revive them. He has quite a green thumb.”

Takumi turned back to face the suspicious woman, who very obviously wasn’t Leo. He eyed her curvy figure up and down, quickly deeming her a threat. Threat to what? He wasn’t quite sure.

He was about to ask, “Who are you?” but before he could, in came Leo, trailed by happily yapping Forrest and Kiragi. The two men brightened when they locked eyes with each other.

“Takumi, welcome,” Leo smiled, approaching him to greet him warmly. “I see you’ve met Camilla.”

Camilla nodded, smiling at Takumi with a warm expression that sadly did not go reciprocated. “I almost feel guilty for intruding on your date. If you ever want me gone, just say the words.”

Leo went on to say, “That won’t be necessary,” but Takumi could barely hear him over his own thoughts. Who does she think she is? If Leo never mentioned her before, then she obviously doesn’t play a big role in his life. That’s what this is. I just wish I knew about her! How could Leo not mention her...? “And this isn’t a date, there are kids around. Get your head out of the gutter.”

The evening passed with ease. Camilla was a kind soul who teased Leo at every opportunity. She grew to love Kiragi and ended up spending most of her time playing with the kids and Forrest’s Barbie dolls. Takumi almost felt guilty for judging her so harshly, especially the way she doted on Kiragi like he was her own son. Almost.

Just like Takumi had banned Leo from doing work in his kitchen, Leo made sure Takumi stayed seated at the table while he did all the cooking. They talked about random things, about stupid things their kids did in the past, or what their plans for the future was like. In these respects, they were the same. And there was a surprising amount of experiences they both shared.

“... So I heard you like plants,” Takumi mumbled over his glass of seltzer. Leo had offered him beer and wine, but Takumi had to turn him down on account of his genetics. Asians weren’t the best at holding their liquor after all. Takumi didn’t want to get alcohol poisoning before dinner, and suddenly the lack of spirits in his apartment made sense.

Leo nodded, scraping chunks of beef into the pot. “Yeah, I work at the flower shop in town,” he answered. “It doesn’t pay much but I have Camilla for extra expenses. She’s a pet sitter, mainly for people with reptiles.”

Takumi drummed his fingers on the table. He had never been to the part of town where the flower shop was. Perhaps he should pay a visit sometime?

He sighed. “What is your relationship with Camilla anyway?” Takumi asked, hoping he didn’t sound obtrusive. “I got the impression that you didn’t have a girlfriend, though it seems I might have been wrong.”

Leo quirked his brow at Takumi, an incredulous expression on his face. “Camilla is not my girlfriend,” he hastily attested, flustered. “She’s my sister. She helps out with the apartment and taking care of Forrest when I’m not around, is all.”

Ohhh... Takumi thought, taking a sip of his seltzer. Now I feel bad. Strike two for making assumptions again. “I never knew,” he waved off. “Not like you ever mentioned her. I would have remembered.”

His ears picked up on the faint sounds of child play; Forrest had pulled out his Barbie house set with Barbie in hand and Kiragi had desperately wanted to play as Skipper, leaving Camilla to make awkwardly low man voices as Ken. It was humorous in a way.

The way Leo clicked his tongue and gritted his teeth was all Takumi needed to know she was a touchy subject. “She... well, there’s no way for me to explain her without falling into private matters. I mean it’s definitely not anything like incest, but, well, it’s... it’s up there...” He sighed, turning back to his work.

Knowing that Leo wasn’t just going to tell him without becoming a level 4 friend or something, Takumi let the matter rest. He didn’t need to know whatever he was hiding. He found respite knowing for a fact that Leo was a single father like himself who can share with his struggles, and that was enough.

The beef stew was indeed the best stew Takumi had ever tasted.

“So, do you want me to chop it all off or just the dead ends?”

Takumi felt weird sitting in a chair next to Leo’s kitchen sink, a towel wrapped around his shoulders, while Leo hastily combed through his long silver hair which was, for the first time in front of someone other than Kiragi, loose from his usual hair tie. Takumi didn’t really know what to think of it. Showing someone his hair down shouldn’t feel like an intimate experience, but that didn’t stop him from mentally protesting and getting flustered when he pulled out the tie and the tangled ends tickled his lower back through his flannel. Leo had commented that Takumi was “very interesting for being able to grow butt-length hair in five years and not look like a GameStop hippie, you know the kind” to which Takumi replied with “Maybe it’s Maybelline... wait that’s makeup I take that back, I take that back stop laughing.”

Takumi hadn’t felt comfortable getting his hair cut with Camilla in the vicinity. He felt that by doing so, the adults would be ignoring her big time. And by the end of dinner, Kiragi’s bedtime was fast approaching and Takumi had things to do at home, things that could only be done when Kiragi was asleep. Leo hadn’t pushed, but Takumi knew that he would be missed until next time they met.

So, Takumi called Leo on Friday, and lucky for him, Leo wasn’t working that day and Camilla was away. As always, he brought Kiragi (in fact, he had more or less used Kiragi as an excuse to come) and it was the first time he saw Forrest so ecstatic to see his friend. It made Takumi warm inside to know his son had made a great friend.

“I don’t know,” Takumi said, biting the inside of his cheek. “I don’t know how I would style it if it was cut short, you know?”

Leo snickered, reaching over to the countertop to grab one of Forrest’s hairpins. He ran a finger across both sides of Takumi’s head, splitting his hair at the crown and pinning the top hairs at the top of his head. Part of Takumi wished he could see what he looked like. Part of him wished he would never see.

“You could just style it like mine,” Leo offered, but Takumi immediately scoffed.

“But I don’t want to look like a nerd,” Takumi chuckled. He could feel Leo huff from behind him, the puff of breath grazing his right ear. Then there was a gentle pull on the strands nearest the nape of his neck, Leo combing them towards him to find the optimal place to cut.

“You know,” Leo started, followed by a more forceful than necessary snip from his scissors. “You shouldn’t insult someone who is in the position to give you a bowl cut.”

Before Leo could comb through the next small patch of silver hair, Takumi turned to face him. “Oh, what are you now? My mother?” he asked incredulously. “Been there, done that. Had to burn my middle school photos because of it!” Leo practically started barking with laughter, his shoulders shaking from the effort of containing himself. Must be imagining a young Takumi with a bowl cut. Takumi would let him have an earful later.

“Aww, you shouldn’t have done that,” Leo snickered, running his comb anew through his damp hair. “I’d bet you looked cute back then.”

Takumi scoffed loudly, but didn’t say anything. Of course he looked horrible, he still was not over the trauma.

Soon, the only sounds they heard was the constant snipping of the scissors and the muffled chatter coming from the bedroom. Just like Takumi with Kiragi, Leo shared the single bedroom with Forrest and Camilla slept regularly on the couch since she only sometimes stayed at Leo’s apartment, when there was work nearby.

Leo cut a total of six inches off of the ends of Takumi’s hair, taking care of most of the damaged ends. This brought his hair up to mid-back length, and Takumi felt just a little bit lighter. “Okay, I went through the trouble of cutting off what needed to be cut,” Leo muttered. “Now how do you want to keep it long or cut it short? Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Takumi thought about it. He finally had an opportunity, a free opportunity, to chop off his hair, which had always been a burden since it first passed his shoulders. People always stared at him on the streets and at his job, and he had been misgendered more than once. Still, Takumi couldn’t quite imagine his life with short hair. He didn’t know how to maintain it, and he sure wasn’t going to copy Leo’s hairstyle because God help him, that would be weird.

“... I don’t know,” Takumi admitted. “What do you think?”

Leo continued combing through his long silver hair, nervously double-checking so that the cut was as straight as possible. “Hmm... I mean, you obviously pull long hair off. You have the face for it.”

Takumi quirked a brow, but it went unseen to Leo who was still behind him. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Leo paused in both his words and his movements. It was a short-lived halt, but Takumi still felt it. He heard Leo anxiously lick his lips. Another pause. A small sigh. “... You have a cute face.”

Not quite knowing what to think of that comment, Takumi huffed and narrowed his eyes at nowhere in particular. “No I don’t,” he immediately argued. “Definitely not.”

Chuckling lightly, Leo twirled a bundle of Takumi’s locks around one finger, relishing in its smooth feeling. “Absolutely. You look so much younger than you really are, you know. If I didn’t know you and you walked up to me without Kiragi, I would think I’d be talking to a high school student.”

Takumi made a vague “gaaah” sound under his breath, feeling his face heat up with embarrassment. He covered it with his hands. “That doesn’t help, Leo! I’m not...! You’re wrong!” He shook his head from side to side, furiously trying to brush away the compliments.

“Fine, fine,” Leo mumbled, placing the comb and scissors back on the countertop with a widening smirk on his lips. “You’re not cute. You’re handsome. You have a handsome face and it looks good with long hair.”

The sounds Takumi made grew louder, the fumbling growing more frantic. “Ahh, I’m not, I’m not!” he snapped, refusing to meet Leo’s eyes. “You’re wrong, I swear! There’s nothing cute or handsome about me! You stop that!”

Leo chuckled again, handing Takumi his hair tie. “And you’re very fun to tease. Can’t take a compliment?”

Takumi snatched the tie from Leo’s hand. His face was, indeed, flushed red. “Plant nerd!”

On the day of Leo’s and Forrest’s Sunday stroll, Kiragi was overjoyed when Leo had asked if he and Takumi wanted to join. Naturally, Kiragi wouldn’t take no for an answer, even if Takumi had planned on spending his only day off just relaxing on the couch all day. But if it was with Leo, Takumi didn’t really want to turn him down.

The four of them walked together down the concrete sidewalk, passing another strip of family-owned restaurants and furniture stores. Forrest, wearing a frilly pink sundress, and Kiragi carried on their own conversation some paces ahead of their fathers, who in turn stood shoulder-to-shoulder, matching each other’s pace while in a world of their own. Perhaps if they took a detour towards the fire station, they would spot Ryoma on the clock. Or Sakura taking a break from her volunteer work at the hospital. By the time these thoughts went through Takumi’s head, however, they had already turned towards a street he had never been on.

“This is where I work,” Leo said, pointing towards a shop surrounded by brightly colored flowers and plants. Wreaths hung on the wall-to-wall windows, decorating handwritten signs advertising various sales. Inside the shop was a plethora of gardening tools, seeds, and fertilizer. A kind-looking young woman with messy brown hair stood at the register reading the newspaper. The place smelled like fresh produce and it made Takumi’s head swim. “Mozu takes the register when I’m not there. Let’s go say hello, I’ll introduce you.”

Before Takumi could protest, Leo was already rounding up Forrest and Kiragi towards the shop and Takumi still couldn’t say no. The four of them walked into the shop, a bell ringing when they pushed open the door.

“Hello, Leo!” Mozu called from her counter, folding up her newspaper and placing it on the shelf behind her. “Come to foster another succulent?”

Leo cringed, faltering in his movements and almost crashing into Takumi. He was so predictable. “N-no,” he answered. “I was just passing through with a friend.”

From the corner of his eye, Takumi caught Kiragi and Forrest wandering off towards the rows of seeds and pre-made bouquets which could not be kept outside. He wondered if Leo put together some of the bouquets in his spare time. Takumi made a mental note to stop the kids if they strayed too close to the gardening tools.

“Oh, well howdy!” Mozu smiled towards Takumi, and he returned the sentiment with a simple nod. “My name’s Mozu. What’s your name?”

“Takumi.” He walked over and shook her hand. She smelled like dirt.

Leo leaned on the counter on his elbows, facing the rest of the store. “So, how’s business?” he asked. Forrest and Kiragi accidentally knocked down several pouches of tomato seeds from the seed rack and, after checking to see if their fathers didn’t notice (which they did) proceeded to put them all back.

Mozu sighed, her small shoulders slumping. “Not very good. You know the drill, the only times we have business is on mother’s day or when someone dies.” Leo snickered at her stark manner, and Takumi stared at her with wide eyes. “Kaze and Midori came by last Thursday, so they’re probably not going to come in today.”

Leo sighed, wistfully surveying the shop. “Now that it’s the end of summer, I guess we don’t have anything to do with the rest of the plants. It’s always a shame to see them die.”

Takumi bit the inside of his cheek. He did not like this. He did not like hearing about another person’s troubles, and he certainly didn’t like the spark of guilt in his chest for being a bystander while the flower shop where his friend worked slowly crumbled. It wasn’t his fault he had no idea their business was suffering. But now that he knew, there was no going back.

“H-how much?” Takumi mumbled through gritted teeth, somewhat hoping that neither of them heard. No such luck. Leo and Mozu quickly turned to him with hopeful dollar signs in their eyes. Takumi pursed his lips, quickly spying a lone succulent that was on sale.

By the time he slapped down the pot the small, round cactus resided in on the counter and Takumi thought to himself I have no idea how to care for a cactus , he called to Kiragi, “I got you a new sibling!” Soon, Kiragi and Forrest approached their fathers with hands full of seed packets.

They placed their larkspur and freesia seeds next to the cactus, and Mozu remarked idly, “Do you have a place to put all of those?”

No, Takumi thought, inspecting the packets suspiciously. No, I don’t. I live in an apartment, of course I don’t.

“How about a box for your windowsill?” Leo suggested. “And if you’re going to plant seeds, you need some soil...”

When the entire purchase was finally gathered on the table and Mozu was ringing Takumi up, he knew then that there would be someone walking away from that store in tears whether or not he actually bought the seed package: Kiragi, his bank account, or quite possibly, Takumi himself.

“I can’t believe it!” Takumi practically screeched when they left the store. He had forced Leo to carry the cactus while he carried the plastic bag of miscellaneous goods since they were quite a long walk back to Leo’s apartment and even farther away from Takumi’s apartment. It was the least Leo could do to help, even if the jerk just couldn’t stop laughing. “You used me! For land development!”

Leo winked at him. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it!” he chuckled, fixing his grip on the pot. “I was just trying to help a friend out.”

Takumi snorted. “I hope you trip and Takumi Jr. pricks your fingers.”

Ahead of them, Kiragi and Forrest skipped happily side-by-side and without a single care.

Takumi prided himself with having enough energy to put up with most days. Kiragi was never a pain--even though the child had boundless amounts of energy to rival that of the sun itself, the kid knew when to take a hint and play with himself for a half hour while Takumi rested on the couch. And Takumi was thankful that he was blessed with a smart child. He couldn’t imagine what it would feel like being a single father in charge of taking care of a total brat.

Today was one of those days that Takumi did not have enough energy to make it through the day.

Leo had brought Forrest over and was going to leave since he trusted Takumi with his son, but then they got into a heated conversation about their favorite shows which resulted in Leo staying two hours, which prompted Takumi to order Chinese takeout since he hadn’t had time to think about dinner preparations.

After stuffing his face with lo mein and broccoli, Takumi could barely keep his eyes open. Perhaps it was a bad idea to eat when so tired, but now that he had friends over, he couldn’t just excuse himself like he could when he and Kiragi were alone.

To his surprise, Leo yawned. “Thank you for the meal,” he said, rubbing at one russet eye. “I’ll have to repay you one day.”

“Think nothing of it,” Takumi muttered, dropping all of the used dishes into the sink while Kiragi and Forrest ran off to finish their game in the living room. The two paused, and Takumi turned back to face Leo and found the man with his head in his palms, completely still. Leaning against the counter, Takumi cautiously called, “Leo? Are you okay?”

Leo took in a sudden deep breath, trying to wake himself up. “Yeah, yeah,” he answered. “Just tired.” Ah, Takumi thought. So he’s the same. I’m not surprised.

Takumi sauntered to behind Leo’s seat, bracing his hands on top of it. “Long day?” Leo nodded. “Same here. Usually I ask Kiragi for some time to rest in times like this. I, uh, don’t get the best sleep, so... It happens quite often.”

Leo turned to gaze at Takumi over his shoulder, leaning his cheek heavily in his palm. “Is that so? I definitely wouldn’t mind taking a nap right now.”

He wasn’t quite sure what made him jump to, “Oh, you can use my bed if you want, I just changed the sheets” but once those words left Takumi’s mouth, he immediately considered taking them back. He wasn’t in the right state of mind, he was too tired, and he knew he was making bad decisions every time he opened his mouth.

But to his surprise, Leo smiled up at him. “That would be lovely. Surely our kids can watch over each other for half an hour while we’re gone?”

That was how Takumi found himself curled up next to Leo, sharing the same bed which was way too small for two adults. At first they faced opposite walls, keeping to their respective edges as much as possible. But as they started to become more comfortable, Takumi felt Leo’s hot, shallow breaths on the nape of his neck.

“... Takumi?” Leo asked. I thought he was asleep already. “Are you comfortable?”

Takumi grunted once, trying to pass for sleeping, but in the end mumbled, “Maybe.”

He heard Leo shift behind him and he nearly flinched when he felt a warm hand graze his shoulder. “Maybe if you come a bit closer, you’ll be more comfortable.”

Oh no, Takumi thought, heat rising to his cheeks. He was frozen in place, his mind going to a dark place. No no no, I know where this could go. Oh god Leo, do you know what you’re saying...? The moment I fall asleep on you, I’ll...

Leo continued shifting, pulling Takumi’s shoulder closer to his body. “Come on, you’ll be more comfort--”

“No,” Takumi snapped, pulling his shoulder away. Then, which a shaky breath, commanded Leo, “Stop.”

Leo’s hand hovered over his body, he could see it from the corner of his eye, unsure of what to do no doubt. But eventually, Leo did relent, turning onto his other side to face away from Takumi, blissfully unaware of Takumi’s dark thoughts.

I hope I didn’t make a mistake.

It took some time, but Takumi finally earned enough of Leo’s trust to earn a spot in his kitchen after eating. He finally earned his right to wash his dishes.

“I’m surprised that, since Camilla loves children so much, she doesn’t have any of her own,” Takumi remarked, picking up on the childsplay in the other room. She was Ken again, and it sounded like she was coming on strong to whoever was playing Barbie (probably Forrest again). “I mean yeah, she should probably get her own place first, but still...”

Leo’s lips tightened. Takumi handed him another wet bowl, and Leo dried it quickly with a dish towel before placing it in the cabinet. Leo sighed before speaking up. “That’s not going to happen for a while.”

“Why not?” Takumi asked before giggling softly. “The economy?”

“No, it’s...” Leo trailed off. “... Remember a few months ago? When you asked something about Camilla and why she was here, and I told you to drop it?”

Takumi thought for a moment, pausing with a plate under the hot water. “Yeah, kinda,” he answered.

Leo bit his lip, wringing the rag in his hands nervously. “Well, Camilla... s-she isn’t able to have kids of her own...”

Eyeing the man, Takumi knitted his brow. “What do you mean?” he handed Leo the plate, which was quickly dried and placed in the cupboard.

Leo sighed again, replying in a hushed voice so Takumi needed to lean in, “The reason spending time with Forrest and Kiragi is so important to her is because... she’s infertile.”

Normally, the prospect of not having kids would not matter. Many couples grow old and child-free nowadays. And there were many options that didn’t involve using her own uterus, namely adoption or IVF. But with what money? Takumi thought after processing it through his head. I can’t even imagine the pain of not being given a choice. That must hurt the most.

“She treats all children as one of her own,” Leo continued. “Because unless she gets a well-paying job and a place of her own soon, she’ll never have one. And she’s just one of the women that dream of having kids.”

Takumi looked over to the living room. Camilla had a smile on her face, soft eyes always directed towards the kids. He knew that Kiragi loved her, thought of her as the mother he never had. He figured it was the same way the other way around.

“Is that why you let her over so often?” Takumi asked in an equally hushed voice. “Because she loves playing with Forrest so much?”

Leo nodded. All of the dishes were cleaned and put away. The matter dropped.

“You know, soon it’ll be too cold to go on walks anymore,” Leo remarked, taking another bite of his pizza slice. The cheese relented, stretching into long strands between the slice and the piece in Leo’s mouth. The man fumbled a bit, trying to disconnect the pieces without getting oil on his chin, but to no avail. He furiously rubbed his chin with a napkin before swallowing. Takumi watched his adam's apple bob from the other side of the table. The pizza place was deserted except for them and their kids, and he was grateful for that.

Takumi tugged at his checkered scarf, hoping he wasn’t getting oil on it from his own pizza slice. “We’ll have to figure out other ways to see each other,” he said. “We’ve been seeing each other most Sundays and I’m not about to break the streak.”

At his side, Kiragi noisily slurped at the cheese of his slice while Forrest ripped off the crust from the rest of the pizza. Crust haters are weak and natural selection is coming for you, is what Takumi wanted to say, but instead thought better of it, taking a bite of his own crust.

“Perhaps we could go to the movie theatre,” Leo suggested, taking a quick sip of his water. “... But movie tickets are a lot of money nowadays.”

Takumi clicked his tongue. It wasn’t as if he was against spending money, it’s just that investing $40 a week into movie tickets and snacks did not sound like a good idea for his already crying bank account. Before Kiragi could get too excited about something he couldn’t promise, Takumi said, “I’ll have to say no to that idea.”

Leo tapped his fingers on the sticky table, taking another bite. “We could... I dunno... go on road trips?”

Takumi quirked his brow. “To where?” he asked.

“I dunno...” Leo trailed off, wiping his hands on his napkin. “... But that would waste gas.”

Ah, the struggles of parents on a budget, Takumi thought, finishing off his pizza slice. Already, the trees outside the parlor were turning orange. In a few weeks, they might be covered with snow. Right now, it was okay to take walks with a light jacket or sweater, but that would all fade away eventually.

“I know!” Leo said suddenly. “We could all meet up in the library. There’s always something going on there.”

Immediately, Takumi let out a long, drawn out groan. “But I already work there!”

Leo nodded enthusiastically. “So you’ll know exactly what’s going on and when. It’s perfect.”

Takumi had to hand it to Leo, he made a good point. In all of his efforts to keep Forrest from becoming a shut-in, he came up with the best ideas to keep them all together.

“Most of the child-programs center around art,” Takumi said warily. “I know Forrest is a fan of fashion, but I don’t think we cater to that.” And I’m not calling Kiragi a poor artist for his age, but that’s exactly what he is.

Leo hummed to himself, throwing out his paper plate in a trash bin behind him, then grabbing Takumi’s empty plate and throwing that out too. “Anything else?” he asked.

Takumi sat back in his seat and thought for a moment. “There’s always macaroni art somewhere,” he said, scratching at his chin. “Soon we’re going to have a ‘chalking the parking lot’ event where everyone is allowed to come and kids just doodle on the pavement. Uh... There’s an embroidery event, but that’s only for adults.”

This caught Forrest’s attention. Standing straight up, he looked at Takumi with determined eyes. “I wanna go!” he said, placing both palms on the table. “Please, please, please! I wanna learn! Please, Uncle Takumi!”

Long used to the nickname, Takumi pursed his lips, sharing a glance at Leo who seemingly disapproved. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s for adults only. You can’t use a needle yet, you might prick yourself.”

“I’ll be good!” Forrest attested, looking like he might cry. “I, I can be an adult...”

Leo looked like he was stuck between laughing and pulling his son into a hug in order to rectify the situation. “Forrest,” Leo said slowly, catching his son’s attention. “You’re only seven... You’ll have your time to learn all you want about sewing eventually when you can actually handle a needle.”

Forrest slumped in his seat, putting on a sour face and crossing his arms. He sniffed once, but Takumi didn’t hear anything else from him. Kiragi smiled a goofy smile at his friend, his front teeth finally coming in, and offered to play a game of I Spy to lift his spirits.

Leo sighed, turning back to Takumi. “I suppose I’m a bit biased,” he admitted, downing the rest of his water. “My ex used to make her own clothes through various methods. I see that through Forrest, but it’s always a bit painful recalling memories of her.”

Takumi stared at his friend, a wave of sympathy washing over him. “Oh?” he exclaimed. “How so?”

Hissing slightly through gritted teeth, Leo passed a hand over his mouth. “Well, you see, I had Forrest while I was still young. I was only 18 when he was born. First year of college and all.” He took a shuddered breath as if it truly was painful to speak. He rubbed his sweating hands together in front of him. “I thought that she was one of those, I dunno... ‘Different’ girls that Hollywood is always trying to advertise. She was very artistic and always wore pants splattered with various colored paint... I didn’t love her. I felt like I should love her because she was different and that’s how the trope went, that I felt obligated to date her because she was different, and so I did. We broke up two months later and then she told me she was pregnant. We tried getting back together, but when Forrest was two, she... died in an accident.”

Takumi flinched at the image. He wondered if it really was alright to talk about this when Forrest was sitting right next to them, but the child seemed mostly unaffected, focusing mostly on Kiragi and their game. “I’m so sorry,” he said, but a part of him wasn’t.

Leo shrugged. “It’s fine. It was a shock, but I still didn’t love her after all that time. At the time, I started to realize that my tastes in partners lie... elsewhere...” The last word trailed off into the wind, but Takumi caught it, and with that word alone, his heart skipped a beat. Trying to hide the blush that threatened to rise, Takumi grabbed his scarf and used it to cover his cheeks and nose. He stared at Leo with suspicious eyes, realizing that the man was also trying to hide his red face, leaning his head on his palm and turning his gaze towards the window, anywhere but Takumi’s eyes.

Oh.

Oh.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen a movie that wasn’t PG,” Takumi smiled as he followed Leo down the parking lot towards the local cinema. The air was brisk, chilling the two through their jackets, and they walked close to each other as if sharing body heat in the cold winter air. In front of them, they saw their breaths, translucent clouds intermingling before fading away.

Leo matched his smile, sparing a glance up at the night sky sprinkled with tiny pinprick stars. “Same here. I’m glad I have a boyfriend to take now,” he said, and when they finally slowed down at the end of the line of people waiting for tickets, he quickly pressed his soft lips to Takumi’s cold cheek. Takumi chuckled lowly, nudging Leo’s elbow with his own.

Shiro was in charge of taking care of Kiragi and Camilla is watching Forrest. On this rare day of peace and nothing to do after 8pm, the two decided to get together and go on their first official date without their kids.

It was Leo who eventually succumbed to the tension between the two and asked Takumi out. They both had awkward hunches about the other’s feelings, but couldn’t say anything with their kids around in case they were wrong. His confession was oddly short and direct, having practiced in the mirror for multiple hours while Forrest was at school, but it had Takumi flustered on whole new levels. Even if he was horrible at taking compliments or believing anyone truly liked him, Takumi eventually found the heart to accept Leo’s confession, never regretting for a second that he did.

“Wait, wait!” Takumi exclaimed, pulling Leo off the line towards the convenience store right next to the cinema. “Let’s get stuff from here since I’m sure not going to pay $5 for a box of candy.”

Leo gave him a quizzical look. “You don’t want popcorn?” he asked, following his boyfriend obediently.

Takumi hummed to himself. “It’s never enough,” was his only answer, heading towards where he knew the candy rack was. It was a ritual between him and Kiragi. Kiragi would pick one box of candy, Takumi would pick the other, and they would mix the two together in a bowl of popcorn before the movie started. He knew he would have to refrain from doing that with Leo, not knowing how his date would react. That would forever be between him and Kiragi.

After picking out his favorite, Leo got a large bottle of water to share and they were going to check out before Takumi stumbled upon something in the toy section. He didn’t know why it caught his eye, but once he saw it, it couldn’t be unseen.

“Leo, look,” he said, pointing towards the pink set. Leo squinted his eyes. It was a children’s sewing kit, covered in various shades of pink. The set advertised dull needles and thick thread, along with plastic meshes to embroider. “It’s perfect for Forrest, don’t you think?”

Leo bit the inside of his cheek. “It is,” he admitted. “But we aren’t going to bring it into the theatre, are we?”

“No,” Takumi answered. “Maybe we can get it on our way out.”

The cashier, who was obviously eavesdropping for his own amusement, said suddenly, “Shop closes in one hour.”

Takumi and Leo both sighed. “... I can buy it for him another day,” Leo muttered,turning away from the kit.

“I was going to buy it for him,” Takumi said, placing his goods on the counter. The cashier quickly rang them up. “Christmas is coming up soon, after all.”

Leo’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, no,” he attested to Takumi. “Oh, no, no you don’t. I won’t have you spend any more money on Forrest. You already spoil the kid rotten and he’s not even yours.”

Takumi frowned. “What, I can’t spoil my boyfriend’s kid? As long as Kiragi is treated equally, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

Leo sucked in a breath through his teeth, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s just... Let me help,” he muttered, taking his bag of goods. “It’s the least I could do after I forgot your birthday a few days ago.”

The cashier laughed loudly at that, but was wise to not say anything.

Takumi shook his head. “I didn’t tell you, it’s fine.” Hand-in-hand, they walked out of the door back towards the ticket booth. The line significantly dropped since they first came.

However, when they ordered their tickets, the saleswoman looked up at them with a dull expression. “That time is sold out,” she said, one eye covered by teal hair.

Takumi and Leo stared at her in shock, not knowing what to do. They had been so excited. “M-maybe we can see another one? Or see the next showing?” Leo offered. But looking through the choices, they saw nothing that caught their interests. And Shiro needed to be home by 10 despite the next showing being at 9:30. Takumi sighed in resignation, walking away from the ticket booth with drooping shoulders, and Leo followed soon after.

“I’m sorry I let you down,” Leo mumbled as they approached his car. “This was supposed to be special...”

Takumi pursed his lips at his boyfriend. Before Leo could open the driver’s door, Takumi stood in front of it, leaning against the car with an unreadable expression. Leo stood before him, confused by another one of his boyfriend’s antics.

“Takumi...” Leo sighed.

“Look,” Takumi said with a mysterious hint of something else under his voice. “I have a bag full of candy and two hours to spend before I need to be home. What’s lil’ ol’ me gonna do until then?”

Catching onto his hint, Leo smirked down at his boyfriend and quickly closed the gap between them, pinning Takumi to the car. “I believe I can think of a few things...” he purred before pressing his lips onto Takumi’s, one hand resting on the small of his back and the other on Takumi’s cheek. Two breaths became one cloud, vanishing like smoke into the night sky.

“Wait what are we going to do with the candy exactly?”

“Leo, shush.”

Today was one of those days that Takumi did not have enough energy to make it through the day.

The winter sun was bright through Takumi’s window, flitting through and casting shadows on the foot of the bed. A flower box sat idly on the windowsill, unused until spring came closer, and a lone cactus thrived on the other side of frosted glass. It was the middle of February, everyone was cold and drowsy, and Takumi couldn’t help crawling to his bedroom with Leo in tow while Forrest and Kiragi played in the other room.

On the bed, Takumi sleepily tucked his head into Leo’s chest, one arm draped over the other man’s abdomen. In a haze of his own, Leo slowly stroked Takumi’s long locks, dragging his fingers through the hair at his crown and tugging gently until each individual hair eventually fell off of his fingers and he would start anew. Takumi could sleep for hours, days, like this if given the change. But half an hour was all they would give themselves.

“You should sleep,” Takumi mumbled against Leo’s chest. “That’s what we came here for.”

Leo shrugged, and Takumi felt his shoulders shift on the sheets. “But I’m content,” he admitted. “Just like this, seeing you sleep...”

“If you call me cute, I’m walking out of this room and locking myself in the bathroom,” Takumi threatened with more force. Leo chuckled, continuing to stroke Takumi’s hair fearlessly.

“I wasn’t going to,” Leo claimed. Then he said quickly, “Even though it’s true.”

Takumi groaned loudly and hit Leo’s chest with his hand. “Shut uuuuup and go to sleep,” he commanded, settling down once more. Leo snickered, knowing he could only obey when Takumi was like this. He closed his eyes and let the winter air take him to another world.

It seemed as if they overstayed their welcome in Takumi’s bedroom. When they woke up, two little heat-sources curled up around them, joining their siesta without permission. Kiragi hugged Leo’s arm, which wasn’t wrapped around Takumi’s shoulders, like a teddy bear. And upon stirring slightly, Takumi could feel Forrest spooning him from behind one short leg wrapped awkwardly around his narrow hips.

Takumi snuggled deeper into Leo’s lean chest with a content sigh. The snow outside went completely unnoticed.

Forrest’s 10th birthday came quickly. Being otherwise unsociable, Leo had invited his grand total of 4 class friends (not including Kiragi) to a party at his apartment as well as Midori, her father Kaze, and, well, Takumi of course.

Together, Leo and Takumi put together games for the kids around the house while they distracted their parents with small cups of alcohol and the art of socialization. The cake was in the oven--a small one, but rich with chocolate--and two parents stood on the balcony with a beer in hand, probably gossiping behind Leo’s back. Definitely.

But above all, Leo was thankful for Corrin’s presence. Even if Kana was far too young to play with Forrest or his friends, Corrin always calmed Leo’s nerves when he needed her the most. Even throughout her pregnancy, she had always called to make sure Leo was okay, was eating right, and would always listen to his woes. He was thankful to have a stepsibling as great as her sitting across from him, baby Kana bouncing on her lap. It reminded Leo of when Forrest was born. Oh, they grow up so fast.

“So, Leo,” a man named Laslow drawled with a giddy smile. Perhaps Leo was giving people too much to drink. “I heard from my sister who is an avid reptile collector that your sister is getting married?”

Leo nodded. “That’s right,” he confirmed. “Camilla finally managed to stay with a guy for more than a year. Her wedding is in June, we’re all really excited.”

Laslow gave him an approving smile. “That’s good for her then. I wish her the best.” He took another sip of his drink, then turned to Takumi who was seated close to Leo. “Are you sure you don’t want to drink? Lighten up, the kids won’t notice.”

Takumi shook his head. “Ah, no, I can’t hold my liquor well. Or... at all, really.”

The party passed with only some minor mishaps. A little girl kept trying to stuff expensive looking wares down her pants, and whenever she was caught, Forrest would always whine, “Nina, nooooo!” and somebody would take whatever she managed to steal away from her. Another girl named Soleil, Laslow’s daughter, proceeded to raid Forrest’s toy bin, looking through all of the cool clothes he managed to sew for his dolls. This evolved into Forrest teaching his friends en mas how to do basic stitches. Even Kiragi joined, even though he wasn’t any good at it and managed to somehow trap his own hand to the piece of fabric he was working on and Takumi had to cut him free.

When the oven beeped and the cake finished, Leo took it out of the oven and laid it out to cool. There was still a couple hours until the end of the party, and they would serve the cake at the very end. Until then, Takumi had helped prepare a small dinner about to be served.

He had turned his back for just a moment, Takumi would take this to the grave. But when he pulled the aluminum foil off of the lasagna and announced dinner, he turned back to Leo to see a blonde woman in his seat, hand on Leo’s bicep. Word had gotten out that Leo had raised Forrest himself, and no, he was not married yet. But these two facts did not mean, in the slightest, that Leo was single. Or straight, for the matter.

But the way she leaned on him was enough to spark Takumi’s attention. Takumi, you aren’t a jealous person, he thought to himself as a stampede of young ones trampled past to get at the food. The woman leaned in close to Leo’s ear to whisper something and Leo leaned away with a bored expression, but the woman didn’t know when to stop.

... Takumi, you are a VERY jealous person.

From behind Leo, Takumi tapped his boyfriend’s shoulder, an eerie smile on his face. Leo looked up at him quizzically before putting 2 and 2 together and standing up. “Takumi,” he said, smiling sweetly, knowing he was in trouble. “Allow me to introduce you to--”

But before he could finish his sentence, Takumi grabbed his wrist and started dragging him away. Away from the people. Away from the hungry kids. Towards the cramped supply closet near the bathroom. Knowing they would have absolute privacy in there, Takumi pushed Leo inside and shut the door behind them. Their chests pushed into each other due to space restrictions and they were vaguely aware that there was a shelf right above their heads that they could hit at any moment, but they faced each other without any intention of leaving.

“Ah, the closet,” Leo sighed wistfully, jokingly smiling at his angry boyfriend. “I remember the last time I was in one.”

Takumi’s expression lightened up for a passing moment, giving Leo a disapproving tsk before resuming his angry stance. “What was that?” Takumi asked.

“You mean Charlotte?”

“Yeah, I mean Charlotte!”

Leo paused, rolling his eyes. “You know I’m not into girls,” he said matter-of-factly. “If I had known she was like this, I wouldn’t have invited her.”

Takumi huffed, knowing he was right. He shouldn’t be jealous, he just needed some time to cool down after seeing what he did. But that didn’t help the fact that, yes, he was jealous, and no, it probably wouldn’t go away until that woman was ten miles away from Leo’s apartment within the next five minutes.

“Just,” Takumi stammered, “I don’t know, just... just stay away from her for the rest of the party? Please?”

Somewhere in the darkness of the closet, Leo found Takumi’s hand, latched onto it, and brought his fingers to his lips. “I promise,” he answered. “I’ll try my best.”

Takumi scoffed, a light smile on his lips. Leo always made him come undone so easily. “Besides,” he continued. “She already has a kid, and you have a kid, she has no right to prey on you like that.”

Leo’s eyebrows quirked. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said sarcastically. “It’s not like we met at an elementary school dropping off our own children.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t prey on you like a hawk!” Takumi grumbled angrily, seething anew. “Some things just should not happen, and she needs to leave. Like, now.”

Chuckling at his boyfriend’s display of envy, Leo leaned over, and instead of kissing his fingers like a prince, kissed Takumi’s forehead like a lover. The reaction was immediate, Takumi melted against his boyfriend, relenting to his affection.

Outside their own little microcosm, the party continued.

“You know, usually marriage comes before children.”

That’s what Leo said when Takumi has asked for his hand in marriage. It had been a long time since they contemplated marriage, even longer since they started dating. But it was all worth it. When the time came and Takumi knew they were both ready, he scraped up whatever money he could spare and put it towards a ring. He was going to propose on their anniversary, but needed a bit more time to earn enough money to by the ring that was just right for Leo.

But, upon arriving home in their apartment together, he wasn’t so sure. His mind drifted to Kiragi, who was probably slacking off in his studies again. Camilla had tried to tutor him, but to no avail. The boy had no interest in his studies, yet excelled in his peewee soccer team. He assumed it was a fair trade off if Kiragi decided to become an athlete when he grew up.

Forrest sat alone on the living room couch, dutifully studying for his science quiz. Takumi was glad he hadn’t changed much in middle school. Even though he switched almost solely to pants at school, he still wore his own dresses on the weekends, and always wore his signature pink beret wherever he went. And he was great at his studies. At least there would be one intellectual in the family.

“I’ll tell Kiragi, you tell Forrest,” Leo whispered to Takumi as they slipped out of their shoes and pulled off their jackets. Takumi nodded and Leo headed quickly to the kids' bedroom where Kiragi was probably watching TV in privacy. With a gulp, Takumi headed over to where Forrest sat.

Sensing the tension in the air, Forrest looked up to Takumi and put his pencil down. “Have fun?” he asked, closing his science notebook. “Is there... is there something wrong?”

Takumi quickly shook his head, sitting down next to Forrest. The child instinctively scooted closer. “No, everything’s fine. Everything between your father and I are fine. But...” He didn’t know how to start this. Nothing could have prepared him for this conversation, so he started small. “... Forrest, I need your honest opinion. What do you see me as?”

Forrest paused, staring into Takumi’s amber eyes with his own big russet ones. “... Why?” he asked.

“Just...!” Takumi caught himself before he ended up anxiety-snapping at the child. “Just answer the question. Please. It’s important.”

Forrest paused again. He took a deep breath.

“Well...” he faltered. “You mean a lot to me... and you’re always really nice to me... and supportive... and even if you make dumb mistakes, you own up to them and make everything better. You have your faults, but you don’t try to hide them and instead you try to compensate the best you can...” He took another deep breath. “Before you came into my life, Dad was kind of distant. I don’t think he was ever prepared to raise me. I don’t really know how prepared you were with Kiragi, but you made things better. Dad slowly became warmer. And... and that’s more than I could ever ask of you...” Forrest hesitated, wringing his hands together nervously. He looked up to Takumi with sorrowful eyes. “... Are you leaving, Uncle Takumi?”

Takumi’s eyes widened. “N-no! No,” he said quickly. “Never! But...” His chest tightened with emotion. Why did Forrest have to be so sweet? Why did he need to think so highly of Takumi? Why...? Takumi pursed his lips. “... What would you say if... I never left?”

Forrest stared at him, not quite comprehending what he meant. “Well, you live here now,” he said, tilting his head to the side. His long blonde curls fell in front of his shoulders. “So wouldn’t you already never be leaving?”

Letting out a shaky breath, Takumi shook his head. “I mean... Would you be okay if... if every day for the rest of your life, I would be standing by your father’s side, always together? Watching over you and Kiragi equally, taking care of you, both of us forever?”

Forrest’s eyes widened dreamily, a smile gracing his plump pink lips. “I’d be the happiest boy in the world if that happened,” he sang, leaning close to Takumi. “Forever and always. That’s how I want you to be with my dad--if that’s okay with you, of course.”

Takumi couldn’t help but smile. He was so lucky to be getting a stepson like Forrest. “Forrest...” Takumi soothed, pulling the young boy into an embrace. Okay, maybe he was on the brink of tears and used the hug as an excuse to hide his face. “... Your father and I... we’re getting married.”

Immediately, Forrest gasped loudly, pulling away to face him. “Really?!” he asked, completely off guard. Takumi nodded, hiding an embarrassed sniffle behind his hand. “Oh my gosh! Yes!” Forrest pulled him close again, crushing his ribs with a tight hug. “This is perfect! I’ve always wanted you as a father, Takumi! And now--”

The two of them jumped when there was a loud yell from the kids' bedroom, followed by a slightly muffled “Oof!” Takumi and Forrest detached from one another, getting up to go inspect the noise, only for Leo to open the door with Kiragi, who currently wrapped his arms tightly around Leo’s neck and refused to let go, just kinda hanging there.

“He says yes!” Leo cheered happily and out of breath, holding Kiragi close to him (probably to take some of the strain off of his neck, probably just out of sheer happiness).

“Did you hear, Forrest?!” Kiragi squealed excitedly. “I can’t believe it, I’m going to have two dads! Forrest, we’re going to be brothers!!”

Running to them, Takumi joined their embrace, pulling Forrest along with him. With their arms wrapped around one another in an inseparable knot, they knew from then on that they could never come undone. They were a family now, sewn together at the seams, made from something once broken, but was now beautiful.

Outside in a little flower box on the windowsill, for the fifth year in a row, larkspurs and freesias bloomed.