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The house was quiet tonight.
Everyone was home, but they were more or less doing their own thing, a rarity in the Clean Manor. Lang was in his office, nursing his morning coffee, Mickey and Ray were downstairs, pointedly ignoring each other’s existence, and Tony had just finished making breakfast.
He’d notice that one person was missing: Yuno.
He figured that he was likely sleeping in, and although he didn’t want to disturb Yuno, he knew that Yuno wouldn’t want to miss the chance to have dinner with the Femly, so he headed upstairs. He went to Ray and Yuno’s room and glanced casually at the bed; it was empty.
Not exactly a surprise.
Tony moved toward the closet. Yuno slept there most nights, despite Ray’s insistence that they could share the bed. Yuno claimed that the closet was ‘more comfortable,’ whatever that meant, and the door creaked when Tony carefully slid it open. Sure enough, there was a suspicious pile of blankets at the far end of the closet. Tony couldn’t help his chuckle.
“Yuno, buddy,” he said. “It’s time to wake up.”
He waited, but Yuno didn’t respond nor did he move. Tony frowned. Yuno was normally such a light sleeper that even a soft call could raise him. Perhaps he’d stayed up too late last night on his computer. Tony considered letting him sleep, but he was already here, so he tried again.
“Yuno?”
This time, he was rewarded. A tiny head peaked out of the blankets, revealing familiar green eyes and messy, tousled black hair, but something about it was wrong. It was the same eyes, the same hair, but the face beneath was all wrong. Tony’s breath caught, and he stared at the child with his friend’s eyes and hair, wondering if he’d accidentally ingested narcotics.
That would certainly explain this.
But however long he stared at the child, the child didn’t disappear; in fact, the child even stared back! Tony was so unnerved he lost his head for a moment and shouted, “Ack—help! Please, someone, anyone, there’s an emergency!” His cries carried in the quiet house, and there were a series of doors banging downstairs before Ray burst into the room, his gun already raised.
“Where’s the emergency?”
His hair was wild and messy from sleep, but his grip on the gun was firm. He scanned the room, searching for the threat, for what Tony needed saving from, but he found nothing. He frowned and opened his mouth, only for Tony to finally step aside.
Ray’s mouth fell open.
He stared at the child in his closet, the one with the familiar green eyes and black hair, and even though he’d pointed a gun at it, the child didn’t move. It only continued to stare back at them, and there was something about its gaze that made Tony shiver.
It was far too familiar.
“Tony,” Ray said. “What—what is this?”
Tony shook his head. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
He had no idea where this child had come from. How had they even gotten into the Manor, much less into Ray’s closet? They couldn’t have gotten in here without walking right past everyone downstairs—that, or they were some superhuman who could climb up brick walls to enter second-story windows, in which case, they had bigger problems.
Tony was inclined to believe the prior.
But even if this child had managed to sneak past all of them and had coincidentally hidden in Ray’s closet, that didn’t explain where Yuno had gone—they’d all seen him go upstairs last night—and why this child shared so many of his features. The hair was one thing, but Yuno’s eyes were very distinct. Tony had never met anyone else with eyes quite like his.
None of this made sense.
Tony and Ray were at a loss of what to do, which, of course, was when Mickey barged in. “I’m here, Tony, never fear, your saviour's arrived!” He brandished his fingers like weapons, hiding behind the open door, imitating how Ray had scanned the room, and much like Ray, all of his bravado, all his grandeur, vanished the moment he saw the child.
Unlike Ray, it was replaced with delight.
“Oh my gosh, who is this cutie?” Mickey approached, shoving Ray behind to get a better look. He smiled the entire way, even going as far as to crouch so he was eye-level with the kid. “What’s your name, young man?” he asked. The kid stared at him with those large eyes.
He didn’t respond.
A figure appeared in the doorway. “Tony,” Lang said, already scowling. “You better have a damn good reason for making all this noise at goddamn 9 in the morning—” he cut off when he saw the kid, just like everyone else had done. His eyes widened. “Yuno?”
The kid perked up at the name.
And that’s when Tony knew. This strange kid who’d appeared in their closet, who shared Yuno’s eyes and hair, wasn’t a random kid at all; he could only be, of course, Yuno himself. It didn’t matter if that made no logical sense; this was Los Santos, things didn’t have to make sense.
Lang approached slowly.
All of them stepped aside for him, knowing that this was beyond them. If anyone could fix this, it’d be Lang. Lang maintained eye-contact with the kid, and only once he was a few feet away did he once again ask, “Yuno?” This time, the kid hesitated, then nodded.
It was all the confirmation they needed.
This really was Yuno.
“How old are you?” Lang asked.
Tony wanted to know that too. If he had to guess, he’d say that Yuno must be around 7 or 8, but he’d never been good at guessing kids' ages. Yuno didn’t respond. His fingers fidgeted with his blankets, and when he stared down at them, it became clear he wasn’t going to answer.
“Nevermind,” Lang said. “You must be hungry, right?”
Yuno perked up again.
Lang chuckled. “Come,” he said. “Let’s get you some food.” He rose and made for the door, only to realize that Yuno wasn’t following. He turned around, his eyebrow raised. “You can walk, right?” Yuno’s small face turned pink, and he hurriedly nodded. He stood on unsteady legs, but when Lang reached out to help him, Yuno flinched away.
Lang’s hands stilled.
He let them fall once Yuno was stable and forced a smile. “There you go,” Lang said. “Breakfast’s waiting downstairs.” He led the way, the first of a long procession. Yuno hurried to keep up with Lang, always lagging a few feet behind him, and behind them were the rest of the Cleanbois. They didn’t know what to do, but they also found themselves unable to look away.
Tony was the same.
He only snapped out of it when they reached the kitchen. This, he did know how to do. He scooped out a few pancakes and set the plate on the table, pushing it toward Yuno. Yuno’s mouth opened at the offering, but even though he was staring directly at them, he didn’t eat.
Tony frowned.
Perhaps child Yuno didn’t like pancakes?
“I can make you something else—”
Yuno shook his head.
“So you do like them, then?” Yuno nodded, and Tony's brows creased. “Then what’s the problem?” If Yuno liked pancakes, then why wasn’t he eating them? Tony was certain that he’d followed the recipe exactly, and he’d never received any complaints about his pancake making, at least, so logically, there should be no problem.
But Yuno didn’t touch his food.
Instead, he glanced around at all of them, still standing, and Tony finally understood. He dragged Ray and Mickey down into their seats, before taking his own at the far end of the table. He raised an eyebrow at Lang, and Lang, after a moment, took his seat as well. All of them took a bite of the plate Tony had set out for them, and only once Yuno was certain that he wasn’t the only one eating did he allow himself to take a bite, chewing it fully before swallowing.
He did the same for his next bite.
And the one after that.
Tony could only frown. He’d never seen a kid eat like this before. It made his skin tingle, and he opened his mouth before closing it again. He may not know why Yuno was eating like this, but he couldn't very well yell at him to eat normally; for one, this was Yuno.
Secondly, everyone was different.
Perhaps Yuno was scared he’d choke. Tony had met someone who’d a bad choking incident as a kid and who’d never been able to eat properly again afterward. Whether Tony found how Yuno was eating strange or not didn’t matter—what mattered was that Yuno was eating.
That alone was a victory.
“So, Yuno,” Mickey began, earning him a glare from Lang. Mickey bravely shouldered through anyway, “Do you remember who we are?”
Yuno shook his head.
Mickey’s face lit up in a grin. “In that case,” he said. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Mickey Sinclair, the coolest person here—”
“It’s wrong to lie to children, Mickey.”
Mickey glared at Ray. “He’s not really a child, and besides, don’t tell me that you don’t want to have a little fun?” He waggled an eyebrow at them. “This might be our one chance to find out more about Yuno. He never talks about what he was like as a kid, and I’m curious!”
They all looked over at Yuno.
He didn’t look up; he continued to eat his pancakes quietly, and Mickey continued, “Don’t tell me that you all aren’t curious too?” Mickey raised his eyebrows at them, and although everyone wanted to deny it, they couldn’t. The truth was that they were curious. Of course they were; they just weren’t quite as shameless as Mickey was.
“You’re ridiculous,” Ray said.
Mickey grinned. “I prefer the word 'opportunist'."
Ray muttered something under his breath, something not suitable for children’s ears, but Mickey ignored him. His attention was fixed on Yuno, and there was a slight frown on his face. “Do you know who you are, at least?” he asked. Yuno had obviously lost his memory, but earlier, he’d responded to Lang calling Yuno, so not all of it could be gone.
Yuno nodded.
So he did remember who he was then.
Mickey still frowned. “You do know how to speak, right?”
Again, the only response was a stiff nod, and at this point, they could all see that Mickey was getting frustrated. His lips were pressed into a thin line, and his fingers were rapping on the table next to his untouched plate. Lang had to cut in before this could escalate.
“Let the kid be quiet, Mickey,” he said. “He doesn’t owe us a response.”
Mickey shook his head. “He’s just being stubborn—”
“Or maybe he just doesn’t want to talk to you,” Tony suggested, a half-smile curving his lips. Mickey rolled his eyes, but ultimately let the subject drop. It wasn’t like he could force Yuno to talk, especially with all the others chiming in to defend him.
It wasn’t worth it.
“Would you like anything more to eat, Yuno?” Lang asked. Once again, Yuno perked up at his name, and he hesitated but in the end shook his head. His plate was completely empty, cleaned down to the last drop of syrup, and Lang frowned slightly at it.
But he didn’t push the issue.
Instead, they discussed quietly what they were going to do with Yuno. None of them really knew how to take care of a child, and after thoroughly debating the problem, they decided that it’d be best to take turns watching him. It wasn’t like they could magically turn Yuno back into an adult, so in the meantime, all they could do was take care of him the best that they could.
Surely the issue would just resolve itself.
***
Tony was the first sacrifice.
He had no idea what to do with a child nor had he ever wanted children, but he had to admit that there was something about this one that made his heart soften every time he looked at him. Tony chalked it up to the fact that this was Yuno in kid-form, not some random kid. Although he was probably a good fifteen years younger, he was still Yuno.
“So,” he said. “What do you wanna do?”
Yuno tilted his head slightly, as if asking in the most polite way possible are you serious? Tony cleared his throat. Right. This was a literal child. He couldn’t rely on Yuno to pick what to do in this state, which meant he had to make the decision for both of them. In the end, he decided that they couldn’t go wrong with food and brought Yuno to all his favorite restaurants.
He heaped plate upon plate on Yuno.
Yuno ate it all quietly, not complaining despite his little stomach probably being close to bursting. Tony was just happy seeing him eat food, and overtime, Yuno gradually relaxed. He started copying how Tony was eating—i.e. Shoveling the food in his mouth—and Tony grinned at him.
Perhaps this wasn’t so bad.
The problems only started after the fourth or fifth restaurant. Tony was sufficiently stuffed himself, and at this point, they were just going to restaurants to pass the time. He still bought Yuno food, of course, and Yuno did his best to eat it, but Tony could see his attention wavering. He’d started fidgeting his seat, casting furtive glances at the people around them.
His gaze stalled on an older man.
Tony had no idea who it was, and he frowned at first, wondering if Yuno knew this man, but then he realized. This familiar broad frame, the white hair tied up and out of their face. They were even wearing a suit that vaguely resembled Lang’s usual attire, and Tony chuckled.
Yuno straightened, tearing his gaze away.
His eyes found Tony, and Tony offered him a slight smile. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You’ll get to hang out with Lang later.” The kid ducked his head, his cheeks turning a faint pink, and Tony knew he had no right to find it as adorable as he did. He had to constantly remind himself that this was Yuno, that he couldn’t just pinch his tiny cheeks however he liked.
If he did, Yuno would kill him once he returned to normal.
Still, Tony had to take some liberties. He figured that he’d earned it after taking care of Yuno all morning, and when they were leaving the restaurant, Tony couldn’t help but sneak a head pat. Unfortunately, Yuno seemed to have been expecting it. He darted away, ducking his head to avoid the blow, his eyes wide. When Tony took a step toward him, he maintained the distance by taking a large step back. Tony grimaced. “Sorry,” he said. “I couldn’t help myself.”
It was no excuse, of course.
And for a long moment, Yuno stared at him. Tony shifted under that prickling gaze. He wondered if he should apologize again—he’d really just wanted to feel Yuno's hair, Yuno never let him touch it normally—but he recognized that he’d been out of line.
He opened his mouth.
But Yuno had already stepped forward. He was close enough now for Tony to touch him, and he stood there, waiting. Tony startled, his heart speeding up in his chest. Was this what he thought it was? He waited just to be sure, but when Yuno didn’t move back, he smiled. He reached out a hand, and Yuno braced himself for the blow to land, only for a gentle hand to find his hair.
Fingers soothed the soft strands.
Yuno’s eyes popped open, and Tony realized, a beat too late, that Yuno hadn’t been expecting Tony to just pat his head. Tony swallowed, and he made sure to keep his hand gentle, to never put too much pressure or weight. After a moment, Yuno relaxed.
He let Tony caress his head.
Tony’s heart melted a little bit more. He was almost sad when he had to pass Yuno off to Ray, especially when Yuno gave him a tiny wave as he left. He thought that he might die from cuteness overload, and immediately, he rushed back to the Manor to tell Lang about it.
***
Ray was better with women than with kids.
That was a low bar, to be fair, but he really was lost when it came to this kind of thing. Kit had once asked him if he’d wanted children, and Ray hadn’t known how to respond. He’d always liked the idea of having a little him or Kit running around, but if he was being honest with himself, he wouldn’t be a good father, even if he did cut back to having only one wife.
He wasn’t parent material.
But this was Yuno, so Ray would make an exception. He figured that he’d just continue treating Yuno like he always had. He’d always considered Yuno a brother, and even if he was significantly younger, things hadn’t changed between them. Ray figured that he could take Yuno, and they could do what they always did: wander the city and pick up girls.
Not for Yuno, of course.
It was never for Yuno.
But he seemed to have fun playing wingman, and Ray wasn’t going to argue about it. He’d tried to set Yuno up a couple times to little success, so he’d just accepted that his brother wasn’t interested in this kind of thing. Today, the city seemed even more alive than usual.
Nearly every person they walked past stopped them.
They all wanted to know about the little kid trailing after Ray. He claimed that Yuno was his cousin and that he was watching him for the day, and if anyone noticed that he looked suspiciously like Yuno, they didn’t mention it. Ray had at first been worried that Yuno would get bored if Ray was getting all the attention, but clearly, he had a different problem on his hands.
People wouldn’t stop talking to Yuno.
The poor kid was getting ambushed on every street, and he’d taken to running around to avoid everyone. Ray made sure to keep an eye on him the entire time, especially when they arrived at Legion Square Park. There were lots of places to get lost here—and also lots of women.
While Ray flirted, Yuno ran around.
He used his tiny little legs to haul himself on benches and ledges, climbing all over the park, even on things that he wasn’t technically supposed to be climbing on. Ray watched him out of the corner of his eyes, and he was hit with a fierce wave of nostalgia. This chaotic running around reminded him so much of adult-Yuno. He’d been surprised at first when faced with Yuno’s quiet disposition and apparent meekness, but this was more like the Yuno he knew.
Never standing still, always moving.
Yuno had found a tree at the edge of the park, and he was now trying to climb it. Ray frowned and quickly said goodbye to the girl he was talking to. He called out to Yuno, telling him it might be better to climb something else, but Yuno acted like he hadn’t heard him.
He was surprisingly strong.
He’d managed to lift himself onto the lower branches and was now steadily climbing higher. Ray had finally reached the bottom of the tree, and at this point, his heart was in his throat. He tried to call Yuno down but once again, he was ignored. Ray didn’t understand why Yuno was so dead set on climbing this tree until he noticed the tiny kitten almost halfway up.
It seemed to be stuck on a branch.
Ray’s anxiety peaked again, and he realized that Yuno was almost there. He’d climbed up to where the branches had started to thin and was now slowly creeping toward the kitten, his face scrunched in concentration. He was careful placing his feet, continuing onward even when the branch creaked ominously beneath him, and Ray’s heart shot into his throat.
He didn’t dare call out.
A moment later, Yuno had reached the kitten. He scooped it into his arms right when a loud crack echoed out and the branch that both of them were on unceremoniously snapped in half. Yuno let out a startled yelp as his feet left solid ground, and he plummeted like a rock.
Ray lunged for him.
He caught Yuno just barely, using his own body to cushion Yuno’s fall. Yuno landed on top of him with a quiet oof, the kitten still tucked safely in his arms. Ray groaned, and the kitten leaped away from them and disappeared into the brushes without a backward glance.
Yeah, that’s right, you’re welcome.
Ungrateful little creature.
Ray propped himself up on his elbows, and Yuno quickly scrambled off of him, his eyes wide. Ray bit back a grimace—it felt like at least several of his ribs were bruised—and sat up all the way, forcing a smile. “Don’t worry, habibi,” he said. “A little fall like that is nothing to me.”
Yuno opened his mouth.
But no words formed on his tongue. Ray chuckled. “Really, it’s fine,” he said. “I’m fine.” Yuno wouldn’t meet his eyes; he stared down at his tiny hands, and Ray realized that there were pieces of bark still embedded in them from climbing the tree. Ray’s throat tightened. He took Yuno’s hands into his own and cradled them gently, ignoring how Yuno stiffened.
Slowly, he picked the bark from his skin.
Yuno let him. Eventually, he even relaxed. He still wouldn’t meet Ray’s gaze, though, and Ray shook his head. “Don’t blame yourself, habibi,” he said. “You did the right thing saving that kitten.” It was reckless, of course, but it was also brave. “You did well,” he praised.
He let Yuno’s hands fall.
He figured that would be it; they could get up and forget about this whole situation, but before he stood, he cast one last glance at Yuno, and he froze. “Woah, hey,” he said. “Everything is fine, you’re fine, I’m fine, really, it’s all fine—” Yuno wasn’t listening. He just continued to cry, tears streaming down his face, while his little face was scrunched up, holding in any noise.
Ray could only stare at him.
He barely had any idea how to handle a normal child, let alone a crying one. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Yuno cry—probably because it’d never happened. Yuno was always so careful with his emotions, with his heart. He rarely let them see how he was truly feeling, and even when he wasn’t wearing his helmet, his expressions remained the same.
This was new to Ray.
Even worse, he had no idea what he’d done.
***
Mickey had it all planned out.
He was going to use his time with Yuno to interrogate him, and if his usual interrogation methods didn’t work (read: bribing Yuno with cool tech or candy), then Mickey would figure something else out. He was determined to seize this opportunity, regardless of what the rest of their family thought about it, but all his plans went out the window when he arrived in the park.
Ray had told him to meet them there.
He hadn’t told Mickey that he’d arrive to a crying Yuno. Yuno's eyes were red, his lips locked so no sound would escape him, and he was clinging to Ray like a baby koala clinging to its mother. Mickey was incredulous. “What the heck did you do?” he asked Ray.
Ray glanced up, his eyes wide.
“I didn’t–I didn’t do anything—”
“You must’ve done something,” Mickey reasoned. “He wouldn’t cry like this over nothing.” He tried to approach Yuno, to see if he could calm him down, but Yuno shied away from him and even buried his face into Ray’s shoulder to avoid him. Ray looked on helplessly.
“All I did was compliment him.”
Mickey scoffed. “You really expect me to believe that a little compliment did all of this? If you want to lie, at least try harder.” He attempted to pry Yuno away from Ray, but that only resulted in Yuno clinging on harder. He was like a dog that had sunk its teeth into a bone and refused to let go, even while crying out that it hurt. Mickey really couldn’t believe this.
“How long has he been like this?” he asked.
“At least twenty minutes.”
Mickey whistled. “Damn, Raymond," he said. “You must’ve really fu—er, messed up.” He caught himself just in time and cast a sneaky glance at Yuno, but he didn’t seem to have noticed. He was too busy wiping his face on Ray’s clothes, and Ray, despite normally being very peculiar about keeping himself clean, had nothing to say about it. He just sat there, helplessly.
It really was rather pathetic.
Mickey decided to take pity on him. “Come on, Yuno,” he said. “It’s time for Ray to leave. You can see him again later, but right now, you get to hang out with Uncle Mickey.”
Ray raised an eyebrow. “Uncle Mickey?”
“We’re all family,” Mickey said. “If I want Yuno to call me Uncle Mickey, then that’s what he’s going to do.” Mickey already had a few nieces and nephews, so he figured that if he just treated Yuno like he did them, everything would be fine. “It’s a good thing I’m taking him,” he added.
Ray frowned. “Why?”
“Because you obviously can't be trusted with him.” Mickey said it matter-of-factly, and he watched it strike Ray right where it hurt. He grimaced and gently tried to pry Yuno away as well.
“Habibi,” he said. “You really should go with Mickey—”
“No.”
The word was quiet but firm. They both stared at Yuno, wondering if they’d misheard, but Yuno glanced up finally from where he’d pressed his face into Ray’s shoulder, and there was a familiar stubborn glint in his eyes. One they all knew well.
Mickey blinked. “No?” he repeated.
Yuno’s response was the same: “No,” he confirmed. It was the first thing they’d heard Yuno say all day, and he spoke with surprising strength for someone so small. Neither he nor Ray knew what to do with this new development. Mickey couldn’t believe that this stubborn creature was the same meek and polite child who wouldn’t even touch his food without express permission.
What had happened to him?
Mickey concluded that it was all Ray’s fault. Ray must’ve really messed with him to get Yuno acting this out of character, and while Mickey really did want to have Yuno to himself, he knew there was no winning when Yuno got stubborn like this. He could only sigh.
“Fine,” he said. “Ray can come along too.” Yuno didn’t let go. He continued to cling to Ray, and Mickey realized that it was because Yuno didn’t believe him. The audacity of this child! He would’ve had half-a-mind to pry Yuno away with a crowbar, but he decided a more delicate approach would yield better results. He crouched down so he was eye-level with Yuno.
“Look, kid,” he said. “You gotta cooperate with me here.”
Yuno glared at him.
Mickey ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. “I’m really not trying to be a villain. I’m only trying to take you to do something fun, which you must be desperately in need of after hanging out with these losers all day.” He gestured at Ray, and while Ray scowled, it was Yuno’s reaction that surprised him the most. Yuno actually stuck his tongue out at Mickey.
This child.
This absolute insolent little monster.
Mickey fumed silently, and his hands twitched. Instead of expressing his anger, his voice became even more honeyed, almost sickeningly sweet. “Yuno,” he coaxed. “You really won’t want to miss out on what I have planned, and Ray won’t want to miss out on it either.”
Yuno snuck a glance at Ray.
Ray was frowning, and he obviously wanted to ask what Mickey was talking about, but for now, he trusted the process. If Mickey could get Yuno to stop clinging to him, that’d be better for everyone. Seeing that Ray wasn’t denying it, Yuno’s little face frowned too.
“He will?”
“Oh, most definitely.” Mickey’s smile was making his cheeks hurt, but he shouldered on anyway. “You wouldn’t want to be the reason Ray misses out on it, right?” Once again, Yuno snuck a glance up at Ray’s face, and he bit the inside of his cheek before giving a single, decisive nod.
Mickey’s face lit up, triumphant. “Perfect,” he said. “Then let’s go.”
He got to his feet, and after a moment, Ray and Yuno did the same. Yuno had mostly untangled himself from Ray, but he still stuck close to him the entire way to the car, and Mickey tried not to let the jealousy flare up when he realized that they were even holding hands.
Jesus, how childish.
Mickey opted to ignore them. He started up the car and only once he was sure that neither of them could leave did he say, “Welcome to Operation Butterfly.”
Raymond blinked. “Operation Butterfly?”
“I realized that we’ve been looking at this all wrong. Instead of treating Yuno like a kid, we should be trying to jog his memory by doing things that he does all the time in Los Santos. Maybe once he remembers, his body will return to normal, too.”
Ray was obviously skeptical.
He cast a glance at the child next to him, but Yuno showed no sign that he was listening. He was staring out the window, completely oblivious to the adults talking around him. Even if he was listening, he probably wouldn’t understand any of it.
“You really think that’ll work?” Ray asked.
“It’s worth a try.”
“But what are we going to do—”
“A heist, of course!” Ray stared at him, trying to gauge if he was joking or not, but when Mickey just continued to drive, a giant grin on his face, Ray’s lips pressed into a thin line.
“Absolutely not,” he said.
“But it’s the perfect idea! If anything is going to jog his memory, it’s hacking.”
Ray glared at Mickey. “In case you’ve forgotten, he’s a literal child right now.”
“Exactly! We’ll finally get to see if those abilities of his are innate or if he picked them up from someone.” Mickey found it hard to believe that this meek child would turn into the same man who’d befriended half the city, who’d become the best bank buster there was.
To be frank, he was curious.
“We’re not taking Yuno on a heist,” Ray said. “Buddha will kill us.”
Mickey rolled his eyes. “That’s only if he finds out.”
“I’m going to tell him.”
Mickey’s eyes flashed, and he glared into the backseat. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Of course I would.” Ray gave Mickey an are you serious look. “Since when have I ever hesitated to get you in trouble?” Well, at least he acknowledged it. Mickey’s eyes narrowed.
“What about Yuno?” he challenged.
“What about him?”
“What if this would actually fix him?”
Ray bristled. “There’s nothing wrong with him.”
It was Mickey’s turn to give him an are you serious look. “He’s currently about fifteen years younger than he should be, and however cute you find him right now, you can’t deny that this isn’t right. What if he’s stuck like this forever?”
Ray hesitated.
“This heist isn’t for me,” Mickey finished. “It’s for Yuno.”
There was nothing Ray could say after all, and Mickey happily drove them toward the bank. He really would’ve gone through with it, too, if their car hadn’t decided to break down. He cursed and kicked the old thing, and after watching him crash out for a full five minutes, Ray finally offered to go get the parts needed to fix it. Mickey glared at him.
“You could’ve offered to do that earlier.”
Ray flipped him off and started the long walk down the street to Mosley’s. Thankfully, the bank was just around the corner from it, otherwise they’d really be in trouble. Mickey and Yuno were left alone in the car, and finally, Mickey saw his chance. “So,” he said into the silence. “You and Ray seem to be getting along rather well, huh?”
Yuno said nothing.
And Mickey really didn’t understand. Why was Yuno practically hanging off Ray’s side but refused to even talk to him? “I know you can speak,” he said. “This whole ‘silent act’ thing isn’t going to work on me.” His brows were drawn together, and he frowned at Yuno.
“Look, kid," he said, exasperation seeping into his voice. “I really ain’t your enemy. I actually rather like you, all things considered, when you’re not like this. We have a lot of fun together, you and I, so why don’t you just answer a few questions for me that’ll help Ray too?”
Yuno hesitated.
In the end, Mickey suspected that it was the mention of Ray that got Yuno to nod his head in a silent, “Alright.” Mickey grinned all the same. Finally, finally, he got his chance, and he didn’t even have to bribe Yuno with anything! Truly, it was too good to be true.
“First thing,” he said. “Why won’t you talk?”
Yuno obviously could speak; he just didn’t want to. A part of Mickey wasn’t expecting Yuno to answer, despite him nodding that he would, and when Yuno did respond, Mickey didn't know who was more surprised, the kid or him. His response was simple: “Don’t like it.”
Mickey blinked. “You don’t like talking?”
Yuno nodded.
“Why not?” Mickey asked, his brows furrowing. The Yuno he knew could ramble for hours about hacking or whatever other crazy antics he’d been able to that day, and if Mickey was being honest, the reason he was tunneling so hard on why Yuno refused to speak was because it unnerved him. This was Yuno; he wasn’t meant to be silent like this.
“Hurts.”
That single word made Mickey stiffen. “It hurts to talk?” He hadn’t spotted any bruises or injuries on Yuno’s body, but he could’ve missed something—
“No.”
Mickey frowned. “Then what—”
“They hurt me.”
Breath fled his body. He stared at Yuno. “They hurt you when you talk?” Yuno hesitated for a long moment, then nodded. Mickey’s face darkened. “Who?”
Who was hurting Yuno?
Yuno fell silent again, and Mickey’s fingers dug into his seat. “Yuno,” he said. “If you’re being hurt, you need to tell someone. Heck, you can even tell Ray, but—”
“No.” Yuno’s eyes had widened almost comically. “Not him.”
“Then Lang—”
Again, Yuno shook his head.
Mickey frowned. “Why not?”
“They’d hurt me,” Yuno repeated.
Mickey’s eyes widened. “Lang would?” He didn’t think that Lang had been around Yuno long enough to do anything to him–barring the fact that Lang would never harm Yuno in the first place. It was possible that Ray had accidentally hurt him. Yuno had been crying when Mickey arrived, and he opened his mouth to ask, but Yuno shook his head wildly.
He repeated, emphatically, “Not them.”
Mickey was at a loss. He stared at Yuno, wondering who could possibly be hurting him, and then it clicked. This Yuno wasn’t their Yuno; he barely knew any of them, which meant it had to have been someone from Yuno’s past. “Your parents?” he guessed.
Yuno stiffened.
His eyes were wider than the moon, and from the flash of fear that crossed his face, Mickey knew he’d guessed right. He swallowed. “Your parents hurt you when you talk?”
For some reason, Mickey hadn’t expected this.
He’d thought that Yuno was just being stubborn by not speaking, not that he was severely traumatized. Yuno had always seemed so in control of himself around them, and he’d never mentioned his childhood, so Mickey had assumed that it must’ve been unremarkable.
Not this.
He’d never assumed this.
Yuno didn’t nod this time, but that was okay. Mickey didn’t need him to nod to know the truth, and although this whole time he’d wanted to peel away Yuno’s secrets, now that he finally had Yuno, now that Yuno was finally talking to him, Mickey found the idea unappealing.
He couldn’t do that to Yuno.
He deserved better.
“I’m sorry,” Mickey offered. He was sorry for forcing Yuno to speak, for trying to pry him away from Ray, and for being so insistent about uncovering his secrets. Mickey should’ve realized that some secrets were better left in the past and that frankly, they were none of his business.
Yuno looked away.
He didn’t say that it was fine—it wasn’t—but he also didn’t yell at Mickey, and Mickey chose to believe that it was because on some subconscious level, Yuno had already forgiven him. They fell into silence, and while it wasn’t comfortable, it wasn’t exactly uncomfortable either.
Still, Mickey was glad when Ray returned.
He was ready to abandon his heist plan and just take Yuno back to the Manor, but, of course, even his plan to abandon his plans couldn’t go right. Ray had come back with parts to fix the car, but he’d accidentally bought the wrong ones, and now, the car was even more broken.
Naturally, Mickey was fuming.
He and Ray got into a heated argument about it in which he accused Ray of doing this on purpose, of trying to sabotage the heist, and Ray accused him of breaking his own car so he could have Yuno all to himself. Needless to say, it was ridiculous and petty.
But that was right up Mickey’s alley.
During the height of their argument—it’d pretty much dissolved into a shouting match—neither of them noticed the small figure slipping from their car and disappearing into the streets of Los Santos. By the time the two of them had calmed down and returned to the car, they found it empty. Abandoned. Instantly, Mickey’s heart plummeted. He had the strong urge to blame Ray for this—if he’d just bought the correct parts, none of this would’ve happened—but he bit it back.
Right now, they had bigger problems.
Like figuring out where Yuno had gone.
***
They searched the entire city.
Lang couldn’t believe that these idiots had actually gone and lost Yuno. How did you lose a person?! He’d considered shooting them for the sheer weight of their stupidity, for failing at their one job, but he recognized that having four people looking was better than one.
So he didn’t shoot them.
But he definitely thought about it. They spent the entire day combing the city, asking anyone and everyone they could think of that Yuno might’ve run to—but they recognized that it was likely a lost cause. Adult Yuno might’ve run to one of his other gangs if he didn’t want to be around the Cleanbois, but this Yuno didn’t remember them, let alone any one else in this city.
Which meant they were just wandering blindly.
It was like looking for a tiny boat in a vast ocean.
But Lang refused to give up. They searched long into the night until they were all stumbling around in the dark, their fingers numb, their eyes refusing to stay open for any longer. Tony had made the executive decision to stop the search and start again tomorrow, despite Lang’s protests. He reasoned that if they kept searching like this, they wouldn’t notice Yuno even if he was right in front of them. It was better to try again when they could all actually see clearly.
So, they returned to the Manor, exhausted.
Defeated.
Only to find a familiar bundle on the doorstep. Lang’s heart stopped. He approached slowly, not daring to believe it, but sure enough, it was Yuno’s dark hair peaking out of the tiny ball. Apparently, while they’d been out searching, Yuno had returned home, like a cat that had run away only to realize that it rather liked its home, thank you very much.
Yuno shifted, his eyes slowly blinking open.
He perked up when he noticed Lang, and Lang offered him a pained smile. “Baby,” he said. “We were worried about you.” Yuno blinked at Lang, almost like he was surprised to hear it. Lang’s heart clenched, and he crouched down next to Yuno to ask quietly, “Are you okay?”
Yuno gave a quiet hum.
His eyes flitted past Lang to where Ray and Mickey hovered. Ray grimaced but stood his ground, and Mickey looked like he’d swallowed a fly. It was Ray who stepped forward. “Habibi,” he said. “I’m sorry for not paying attention, for being gone for so long, but you really scared us with this disappearing act of yours.” Ray’s voice was soft but firm, and Yuno ducked his head.
“Sorry,” he echoed.
Lang blinked. Yuno’s voice was just how he’d imagined it would be, and he realized that this was the first time he’d heard Yuno speak all day, and it was to apologize. Something about that didn’t sit right with him, but Mickey stepped forward too now, not to be out done by Ray.
“I’m sorry for shouting,” he said.
Lang frowned. He waited for Mickey to continue, but he didn’t. Still, there was something about how he held Yuno’s gaze that made Lang realize that they were having a silent conversation that the rest of them just weren’t privy to. It made Lang’s frown deepen.
In the end, though, he allowed it.
He allowed it because Yuno gave a single nod—apology accepted. It was that simple. Mickey exchanged a smile with him, the first genuine one he’d had all day, and Ray hovered anxiously. None of them knew what to do now, and Tony just watched, a slight smile on his face.
Lang tapped Yuno’s arm.
“Would you like to head inside, baby?”
Yuno hesitated, then nodded. He lifted his arms in a clear gesture, and surprise flickered on Lang’s face. Yuno had been refusing to let any of them carry him all day, but his little feet were likely tired from walking around the city all day, and Lang wasn’t going to complain.
Lang pulled Yuno into his arms.
He was light, lighter than Lang had expected. It was easy to carry him inside the house. The other three trailed after them, and immediately, Mickey started complaining. “Why does he get to hold Yuno—” Lang glared at him hard enough to make his message clear: Shut up.
Mickey did.
Lang ignored all of them and headed upstairs. Yuno’s head had fallen to Lang’s shoulder, and tiny snores filtered through the quiet. Lang set Yuno down carefully on the bed—on his bed. He’d considered taking Yuno back to the closet, but he couldn't bring himself to let Yuno out of his sight. Instead, he carefully tucked Yuno in. It must’ve been a long day for someone so small, and although Lang never got the chance to spend time with Yuno, he’d rather Yuno sleep.
He’d earned his rest.
Lang settled against the edge of the bed, intending to just watch for a moment and cherish the strangely domestic scene of Yuno snoring away in his bed while he could, but it’d been a long day for him too, and his eyes closed against his will. Soon, he was snoring too.
***
When Yuno woke up, it was Mr. Lang’s face that greeted him.
Lang’s cheek was squashed against the bed, and there was a tiny bit of drool seeping from his mouth. His hair too was a mess, and Yuno reached out sleepily to tuck a few of the strands back into place. He startled at the sight of his own hands. No longer were they the tiny child-hands that he’d had yesterday; sometime during the night, he’d returned to himself.
And he remembered everything.
He remembered how Tony had taken him to nearly every restaurant in the city, how Ray had caught him when he fell, how Mickey had been so careful once he knew the truth. How all of them had searched all afternoon and long into the evening when he ran away. In hindsight, it seemed foolish, but at the time, all the shouting had been too much for him.
Yuno couldn’t stay there.
Thankfully, no one seemed upset about it. They were just glad that Yuno was okay, and Yuno had just been glad to be home. His memory was blurry after they’d found him at the front door, but Lang must’ve taken him upstairs, tucked him in, and then fallen asleep.
All of it made him feel inexplicably warm.
Some part of him still couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe how lucky he’d gotten to have such wonderful people in his life, to be surrounded by people who cared about him enough to chase him all the way across the city. He’d known that he was in a better place now, that he had a better family now, but some part of him had still been holding onto his old life.
Now, he knew.
He knew that he truly had found a home here. Yuno had come a long way since that scared little kid that his parents had forged him into, the one who’d been too afraid to even speak, much less do something as outrageous as smile or laugh, and although he’d changed, he didn’t have to be ashamed of that kid either. His family had accepted that version of him regardless of his flaws.
So maybe, just maybe, Yuno could accept that version of himself too.