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Kenichi had been minding the shop with little Tima by his side when the phone suddenly rang. It could have been anything, business, a customer, or his boyfriend. Without a second thought he picked it up, holding it close to his ear.
“Hello?”
“Are you free right now?” Came a low voice. Ah, so it was his boyfriend.
“Oh, Rock! How’s it going?” Kenichi beamed, happy to hear from him. He rarely ever called during work, and when it did it was only when he was at a place that had a phone. He couldn’t carry one on him while he was out on patrol, just his radio.
“Papa’s calling?” Tima perked up from her spot on the stool.
“Yes! You wanna say hi?”
“Kenichi hold on-“
“Hi Papa!!” Tima beamed, holding the red phone close in her hands.
“Hello, my love, you feel better today?” Rock asked, voice now warm and soft. Kenichi loved hearing him shift in his tone. Out in the city when he was working, you’d think he was as stiff as a board. But when he was with his family, he was a completely different person, sweet as chocolate.
“You shoot any bad guys?” Tima asked.
“No, not yet.” Came Rock’s brilliant reply, to which Kenichi couldn’t help but snort.
“Did you like my surprise?” Tima excitedly asked.
“Yes, my love very much. But can you hand the phone to your father? I need to ask him something.”
“Okay! Can we watch a movie when you get home tonight?”
“Of course, anything you want.” Rock replied. Tima bounded happily in her seat, handing the phone back off to her guardian.
Kenichi was just about to ask if Rock had any special request for dinner when the young man suddenly interrupted.
“I take it there’s no one in?” Rock’s voice crackled through the phone.
Kenichi blinked before looking around. Fifi was busy sweeping the floors, and the other robots were taking inventory. A slow day overall.
“Nope. Pretty empty today… something wrong?”
“I’m afraid it has to do with our little Tima.”
Kenichi sat up somewhat at this, now concerned. “Oh? Did something happen the night before?” Tima was a very light sleeper, and thus had a difficult resting compared to her parents. She was only ever able to nod off nestled right between Kenichi and Rock which could be a little tiring at points, but Kenichi couldn’t bear to leave her on her own.
“I think she’s gone rogue with the stickers.” Rock answered.
“Stickers? You mean the book we gave her for her birthday?” Kenichi lifted a brow.
“Yes. She put them all over my lunch tin.”
“Oh, come on that’s not so- “
“And my boots.”
“Okay, maybe that’s a little extra but- “
“And my gun.”
“WHAT!?”
Tima and Fifi jumped at their guardian’s tone, to which Kenichi quickly composed himself.
“I mean, what? H-how did she- “
“I don’t know. I took it out of my holster today and it was covered in stickers. My silencer too.” Came Rock’s matter-of-fact tone. Kenichi could hear the muted cackles of his colleagues in the background. It seemed Rock had faced the merciless teasing of the other marduks. They were like a pack of wolves.
“Oh my god…” Kenichi sighed. “How did she…?”
“That’s what I’m asking you.”
“Well, I don’t know, maybe she got up during the night?” Kenichi suggested.
“She must have. But I don’t know how she would have gotten to my guns. I keep them high up and locked up.”
“… Oh crap.” Now it was coming back to Kenichi. He moved them a couple days before when he was cleaning. He must have forgotten to lock the box back up when he put them back on the shelf.
“What?” Rock asked.
“I think this is my fault.” Kenichi confessed.
“Oh? You forgot to-“
“I forgot to lock up the box yesterday…”
Rock let out a chuckle. “Figured.”
“So, what kind of stickers are they?”
“Well let’s see here… we got Hello Kitty, that bunny, the goth bunny, the dog or rabbit-“
“Cinnamoroll?” Kenichi filled in.
“Yeah him.”
“Did you just call Kuromi a goth bunny?” Kenichi grinned. “Tima would be disappointed.”
“There’s like 5000 of them I can’t keep them straight. Oh, and we got Pom Pom Purin showing off his ass.”
Kenichi chuckled, unable to hold his laughter in. “So you remember him with ease huh?”
“He’s, my favorite.” Rock said.
“Oh? Why him?”
“Because he’s fat.”
“Just because he’s fat?”
“And he’s got that little hat on. I don’t know, he’s yellow and fat.” Rock shrugged. “Plus he’s like, the only one who’s not pink.”
“Rock there’s plenty of Sanrio characters who aren’t pink.”
“That’s like less than one percent of them Kenichi.”
“Well at least you have a favorite. I didn’t think you were keeping track when Tima was talking your ears off.”
“Oh, and we got a rainbow rabbit.”
“Usahana?”
“Yeah, that one. Plus, she put a charm on my gun.”
Kenichi face palmed, leaning against the counter. It seemed Tima had really gone overboard with the gifts. “What does it look like?”
“It’s a Sailor Moon charm. Of… the girl in red?”
“Sailor Mars. She put a Sailor Mars charm on your gun. Nice.” Kenichi snorted.
“Yeah, Sailor Rock work it!!”
“Cast a spell on me baby!”
“FUCK OFF.” Rock deadpanned to whoever it was that jeered at him. Kenichi stifled a giggle.
“I’d quite like to see that.”
“What me in a Sailor outfit?” Rock deadpanned. “Is that your new thing? Seeing me as a magical girl?”
“… Maybe.”
“Actually, I was thinking on date night you could wear a few uh, special outfits for me.” Rock teased. Kenichi was so glad his partner couldn’t see his cherry red face in that moment. They were in love yes, they did the usual couple things yes, like holding hands, a peck on the cheek, lips, cuddling and as such. But intimacy? The kind that occurs behind closed doors in the privacy of their shared bedroom? No way. Not yet at least.
“Rock don’t go there.”
“No, no I think we should you see, you’ve been evading me for a long while now and-“
“Rock. Not now.” Kenichi nearly hissed, to which his partner cackled.
“Oh, I’ll have you Kenichi. One of these days.”
“I hope you know that children are present right now. And more over Tima can’t sleep unless we’re with her.” Kenichi sternly noted.
“Oh yes, I forgot, we were talking about my sticker gun. You said you accidentally left it unlocked? The box I keep it in?”
“Yes?” Kenichi admitted.
Rock sighed, trying to not let his irritation creep into his tone. “Kenichi I’ve told you to just leave the box alone I don’t care if they get dusty, plus I clean them on my own anyways.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s my fault, I did forget.” The younger boy noted.
“Okay well, both are you are okay. That’s what matters to me. I mean, it’s not loaded when I put it away or anything but-“
“But you still worry.”
“Yes, I do.”
Kenichi smiled. “You know I’m not that much younger than you are. Only a few years.”
“Four years technically.” True. Rock had just turned 22 a couple months ago where Kenichi wouldn’t be turning 19 till the spring.
“Rock hurry up!”
“You can ogle your husband when you get home!”
“Okay, I get it.” Rock seethed behind grinding teeth. “I’ll see you later tonight. Love you.”
“Love you too.”