Chapter Text
The morning sun streamed brightly through the windows of the Natsuki household in Chiba, painting the room in a warm, golden glow as soft clouds drifted lazily across the sky.
The quiet rhythm of the morning was broken by the gentle click of a bedroom door opening. Kenichi stepped inside, his footsteps soft and deliberate as he crossed the room and knelt down beside his sleeping son. Smiling warmly, he patted the boy’s chest with a gentle, rhythmic touch, his voice dropping to a soft whisper.
“Sub... Subar... Subaru...”
“Hmmm... five more minutes...”
Subaru mumbled, rolling over and burying his face into his pillow.
Kenichi let out a quiet chuckle, well aware that his son isn’t a early bird. A playful glint flashed in his eyes. As a self-proclaimed "fun dad” there was only one logical way to handle this situation.
“Here I come!!”
Subaru gasped, his eyes flying wide with shock as Kenichi’s powerful arms suddenly scooped him right out of the bed. With a surge of playful strength, his father tossed the tiny, five-year-old boy straight up into the air.
“Kaaaaayyyyaaa!” Subaru shrieked. For a heart-stopping second, the boy felt entirely weightless, floating up toward the ceiling before gravity caught him. He plummeted right back down, landing perfectly into his father waiting arms.
“Hahaha! It seems all the sleep is gone now, Subaru!” Kenichi laughed, his large hand playfully ruffling Subaru’s messy black hair.
“Papa, you scared me!” Subaru puffed out his cheeks, leaning away from the rough headpats. The sleepiness was gone, replaced by a look of innocent frustration.
“Oh, come on, it was just a gam—”
The door swung open with a bang. Naoko stood there, breathing heavily as if she’d run a marathon from the kitchen. She still clutched a kitchen knife in one hand, her sharp eyes scanning the room until they landed on her little boy.
“Mama!” Subaru squeaked happily. Kenichi knelt down, letting Subaru slide onto the floor.
Naoko’s gaze shifted to her husband. She took a step into the room with a sweet, tight smile. “Dear... care to explain why my son was shouting first thing in the morning?”
Kenichi took a nervous step back until his shoulder hit the wall. “Wait, Naoko! I can explain!”
“Didn’t I tell you, dear?” She took another step closer, arms crossed over her chest while still holding the knife. “I get very scared whenever I suddenly hear Subaru scream.”
“Okay, okay! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Kenichi bowed his head toward the floor in a dramatic apology. “Just... put the knife away, you’re scaring me now!”
Subaru giggled, watching the playful back-and-forth. This was normal atleast for him.
Naoko sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders as she set the knife down on a nearby studying table.
“This is the last time, dear. I mean it.”
In an instant, Kenichi bounced back as if nothing had happened, giving her a bright smile and a signature thumbs-up. “Of course, my beautiful wife!”
Naoko felt a soft blush creep onto her face. She turned to Subaru, lifting him into a warm, tight hug. She nuzzled her face against his. “Good morning, Subaru.”
“Good morning, Mama!” Subaru wrapped his small arms around her neck, nuzzling back into her shoulder.
Her mother’s instinct took over, she began raining kisses down on his forehead and cheeks. “My baby is just so cute,” she whispered.
“Mama! Wait... stop!” Subaru giggled, squirming in her arms. “I’m a big boy now!”
“Yes, yes,” Naoko laughed, carrying him toward the door. “Let’s go have breakfast, my big boy.”
“Hey! It’s not fair to leave me out!” Kenichi whined playfully from behind them.
Naoko glanced back over her shoulder, her grin turning slightly playful again. “Dear... make sure you bring that knife back to the kitchen and don’t you ever do that again.”
Kenichi quickly flashed another thumbs-up.
“Yes, mam!”
He watched with a soft smile as his wife carried their son downstairs, the sound of Subaru’s laughter echoing through the hallway of the house.
After breakfast with his family, little Subaru set off on his greatest adventure: the playground.
“98... 99... 100! Ready or not, here I come!” Subaru shouted. He spun around and snapped his eyes open, his face full of determination.
He prowled around the park, peeking behind benches and under slides to find his hidden friends. As he stepped into the cool shade of a large tree, he looked up and pointed a finger toward the thickest cluster of leaves at the top.
“There you are! You’re out!”
Subaru shouted with a massive, cheesy smile.
But there was only silence. A warm wind rustled the leaves, mocking his confident guess. Subaru’s hand slowly dropped as a look of embarrassment crept onto his face. Just then, he heard a burst of giggling from the opposite side of the trunk.
He sprinted around the tree and found his friends huddled together, unable to hold it in any longer.
“Ehehehehe!”
“Kakakaka!”
“Ohohohohoho!”
“Hey!” Subaru shouted back, his face flushing. He quickly struck a pose and crossed his arms.
“It was a plan! Yeah, a super-smart plan! And I won, because I found you three!”
Berra stood there, breathing heavily from laughing so hard. He mockingly copied Subaru’s gesture, pointing his finger up at the sky and pretending to be him.
“There you are! You’re out! Ehehehehe!” He clutched his stomach as he dissolved into another fit of laughter.
Subaru looked at his friends with a huff, his cheeks puffed out in a pout. But seeing them so happy was contagious, and soon enough, he started laughing right along with them. “Hahahaha!”
“Subaru, you are so funny,” Guts said, wiping a tear from his eye.
Griffith nodded in agreement. “Yes! Playing with Subaru is always fun!”
Berra nodded with them.
Subaru gave a prideful smile as he crossed his arms, standing tall on his short legs.
“Yes! That’s because I’m the group leader! And the leader always makes sure everyone is having the best time ever!”
He struck a pose, pointing a thumb at his chest.
“Just watch, tomorrow I’ll come up with an game even better than this one!”
“Whoaaa!” his friends cheered, their eyes sparkling with genuine admiration.
They spent the rest of the afternoon running and playing until their clothes were stained with grass and dust.
As the sky turned a deep orange, the chime of the town speakers began to play a melody the signal for all children to head home.
“See you tomorrow, Subaru!”
“Bye-bye!”
“Lets play tomorrow!”
Subaru waved until his friends were out of sight, then turned toward his house.
His shadow stretched long and thin behind him. For a moment, a strange shiver ran down his spine, as if the cooling air was whispering something he couldn’t quite understand. He shook it off and sprinted towards home.
“I’m home!”
Subaru shouted as he burst through the door.
“Welcome home, Subaru. Go and clean yourself up,”
Naoko’s soft voice called from the kitchen, where the savory scent of dinner was already filling the air.
“Okay!”
Subaru chirped. He kicked his shoes off in a hurry, letting them fall wherever they landed, and scrambled into the living room.
Instead of heading for the sink, he dove for the remote and flipped on his favorite show: Power Rangers.
“So cool...”
He whispered to himself, completely mesmerized as the hero began to battle a giant monster. Just as the episode reached its climax, the screen suddenly went black.
“What?!” Subaru clicked the remote buttons frantically. “Why isn’t it working?” He began hitting the remote against the floor, mimicking what he’d seen his parents do when remote acted up.
“Ahem.”
A firm clearing of a throat came from right behind him.
Subaru froze. He turned his head and saw a pair of legs. He looked up further until he met his mother’s gaze.
“Mama, the TV isn’t working! The hero was just about to fight the monster!” Then, the realization hit him. “You turned it off?!”
Subaru scrambled to his feet, meeting his mother’s eyes with a desperate, pleading look.
Naoko let out a defeated sigh and knelt down to his level. Her voice was firm, yet patient.
“Subaru, what did I say? What are you supposed to do when you get home?”
Subaru put on a thoughtful face for a second, tilting his head.
“When you come home, you say ‘I’m home,’ right?”
“Yes, you’re right about that. But I also told you to clean up.”
Subaru’s mouth formed a perfect O as the memory came back to him. “But-but the Power Rangers—”
“No Power Rangers until you’re clean,” she countered.
Subaru puffed out his cheeks in a pout.
Naoko chuckled, gently pinching and rubbing his soft cheeks. “Mmmph,” Subaru grumbled.
“Come on, Subaru. Mama will help you clean up quickly.”
She took his hand and led him into the bathroom. Humming a soft melody, she lifted him up onto the stool by the sink. She helped him scrub the playground dirt from his face and hands with soap, then used her own apron to pat the water dry.
She held his face in her hands for a moment, looking at him with a soft smile. “My son is just so cute!” she squeaked, suddenly scooping him up into her arms and showering him with kisses.
“Mama!” Subaru giggled, squirming happily, feeling completely safe and loved in his mother’s arms.
The doorbell rang, its familiar chime echoing through the house.
“That must be Papa,”
Naoko said softly. Subaru nodded eagerly as she carried him toward the door in her arms.
She pulled the door open and stepped back to make room. “Welcome home, dear.”
“Welcome home, Papa!” Subaru added with a bright grin.
Kenichi stepped inside, closing the door behind him before immediately pulling his family into a massive, hug.
“Ah, I missed you both so much!”
Naoko giggled, patting his back with her free hand.
while Subaru began to protest from the middle of the squeeze. “Papa, you’re heavy!”
Kenichi let out a hearty laugh but didn’t let go just yet. Instead, he leaned in and rubbed his cheek against Subaru’s, his light stubble tickling the boy’s soft skin.
“Heavy? That’s not weight, Subaru that’s the weight of a father’s love!”
Kenichi declared. He finally pulled back just enough to give his son a grin.
“Besides, aren’t you a big boy? So you should be able to carry a heavy weight, right? You’ve gotta get used to it!”
Subaru squirmed and rubbed his tickled cheek, unable to hide his growing grin.
“Then I’m gonna be even strong and bigger than you, Papa! Just wait!”
“I look forward to it,” Kenichi said, reaching out to ruffle Subaru’s hair before turning his attention to Naoko.
He took a deep breath, catching the savory aroma drifting from the kitchen. “Is that hamburger and chicken cutlets I smell? I think I might actually cry tears of joy... What did I ever do to deserve a perfect wife like you?”
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere, dear unless you wash yourself before dinner, too.”
Naoko teased. Her eyes remained soft as she finally set Subaru down on his feet.
Kenichi let out a dramatic gasp, clutching his chest as if he’d been stabbed.
“Denied by my own wife! Subaru, save me!”
Subaru giggled and grabbed his father’s hand, tugging him toward the bathroom.
“Come on, Papa! I already did mine, so I’ll show you how!”
“Oh? The student has become the master!”
Kenichi followed along with exaggerated, heavy footsteps that made the floorboards groan, making Subaru laugh even harder.
Naoko watched them go, a small, content smile on her face. She headed back into the kitchen to finish the meal, the sound of her husband and son splashing water and joking in the bathroom filling the house. It was probably going to be a total mess in there, but she didn’t mind. Though she’d certainly make them “pay” for the cleanup later.
Dinner was a mess.
Kenichi spent most of the meal telling ridiculous jokes that had Subaru doubled over, nearly choking on his rice from laughing so hard.
“Hey, hey! Chew before you laugh!” Kenichi said firmly, though his tone was undercut by the funny face he was making.
Naoko shook her head, putting on her best stern face. “You two are impossible. Don’t play around, eat properly.”
To avoid any more scolding, the father-son duo immediately synchronized. They turned toward her with matching sparkles in their eyes.
“But Mama, the food is just too good! Your cooking makes us too happy!” Subaru chirped.
“He’s right, Naoko. A master chef like you deserves a standing ovation.” Kenichi added with a wink.
The flattery worked Naoko’s cheeks pinked and her gaze softened until Kenichi pushed his luck.
“Though, for a master chef, you still haven’t found your phone, have you? I found it inside the fridge earlier. Your forgetfulness deserves a standing ovation, Naoko.”
The table went silent. Subaru saw the frim glint return to his mother’s eyes and immediately jumped ship. He scurried to his mother’s side.
“Papa is mean! Mama didn’t forget, she’s just... busy making dinner for us!”
“Traitor!” Kenichi gasped, clutching his chest.
Naoko stood up with a sweet smile.
Later, after a long bath with his dad that left the bathroom floor a mess, Subaru climbed into his bed. His muscles felt heavy and tired in that good way that only comes from a day of playing alot.
Kenichi tucked the blanket right up to his chin, smoothing it out.
“Big day tomorrow?” his father whispered, his voice low and warm.
“Mm-hm,” Subaru murmured, his eyes already fluttering shut against the sleepiness. “Gonna play... a lot of new games... with everyone...”
“I bet you will. You’re gonna be the star of the playground,” Kenichi whispered, ruffling his hair one last time.
The door creaked open and Naoko stepped in, wiping her hands on her apron. She sat gently on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping under her weight. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Subaru’s forehead.
“Good night Subaru. Sweet dreams.” she breathed.
Without another word, Subaru drifted into a deep sleep. The light clicked off, leaving only the soft glow of the moon through the curtains.
Kenichi and Naoko walked out together, their footsteps fading as they headed to their own room.
The house settled into a peaceful, perfect silence.
"I am sorry...."