Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It happened so fast.

After scoring the winning goal with seconds left on the clock, Nagi was at the center of celebration with his teammates lifting him up over their shoulders while fans roared and chanted his name. He looked out at the crowd, but he knew the one person he was looking for — the one person he only ever looks for — wasn’t there.

No, Reo was hosting an important business meeting. But thankfully, he planned a nice, quiet dinner for the two of them that evening.

This fact still didn’t stop Nagi from scanning the crowd for any sign of the purple haired man.

“Great job, bro!”

“That was fucking lit,” Isagi cheered, fist-bumping Nagi.

“Let’s go!” Chigiri yelled.

The celebration lasted only a few minutes before the team was scattered toward the media tents and he was ushered into interviews. Truly, he disliked this part of the job the most. After running around for 90+ minutes, he just wanted to wash up and go home.

“Nagi Seishiro! Congrats on that amazing play,” the interviewer smiled brightly.

“Uh, thank you,” he said flatly.

“What was going through your mind during that last half? It was getting really close out there,” he asked, moving the mic back to Nagi’s face.

“Yeah, it was. But I try not to think about that when I’m in the moment. I just saw the goal and shot,” he shrugged, already bored of this interview.

“Spoken like a true soccer genius. You were on fire today, but it almost seemed like you were butting heads with Isagi out there. How's it been playing with him again?”

“Uh huh, we always pushed each other during our university days so naturally when he was traded to our team, I knew we would continue pushing ourselves. But it’s all in good spirit.”

As much as he hates to admit it, sitting through that mandatory media training turned out to be worth it. He wouldn’t know what else to say otherwise. Or, what was proper.

“Ah, and we happened to notice you looking out into the crowd after your big goal— looking for anyone in particular?” The interviewer winked.

Ugh. What was this? He hated when the questions strayed from the game at hand. He learned how to maneuver his way around these types of questions as well, but it was all a hassle.

“Not really—” he tried to say but was cut off.

“We have an idea of who you were looking out for,” the interviewer said, his grin widening.

Nagi’s jaw tightened. It wasn’t a secret. His relationship with Reo had been speculated on for years — endless articles and fan theories about whether Reo Mikage, CEO of Mikage Corporation, and Nagi Seishiro, Japan’s star player, were secret lovers.

But the truth was… complicated.

They were just friends now. Or at least that’s what Reo said.

In the past, that line was blurred as they developed a friends with benefits situation, but it’s been one whole year and eight months since they messed around like that. It was all his fault, of course. Reo thought they were in a relationship, but since it was never explicitly stated, Nagi just saw them as friends who happened to sleep together. But when Reo confessed that he loved him, Nagi froze like a deer in headlights.

He didn’t know what love was back then, and that caused the first crack.

”It’s okay if you don’t respond, yet! I know I just threw it at you, but I wanted you to know my true feelings.”

When Nagi got the offer to play for Japan’s national team, Reo encouraged him. Nagi assumed that Reo would come with him and that they’d chase their dream together, but he didn’t realize until after signing his contract that Reo was officially taking over Mikage Corporation.

Nagi felt… betrayed. Angry. Reo was throwing away his talent and abandoning their dream. They fought, things were said that shouldn’t have been, and they, Reo eventually decided to cool off their physical relationship while they got settled into their new lives.

There was a period of silence from Reo that Nagi would rather not remember. It was truly a dark part in his life, but he eventually swallowed his pride and apologized to the purple haired man. Unfortunately, Reo still kept him at a distance, stating that he only wanted to be friends.

Nagi accepted it. If staying in Reo’s life meant settling for friendship, so be it.

They were in an okay place now— not great, but they still texted every day. Nagi took that as a win.

He’ll have to admit, it’s been a while since he’s been asked directly about Reo, maybe because he always dodges the question, or maybe because everyone already assumes they’ve broken up. Rude.

Regardless, he was a little taken aback at the comment.

The interviewer turned around, giving a nod at some other worker who was down in the VIP area.

“What if I told you we found the person you’re looking for!” He said, sounding extremely excited.

Nagi’s heart skipped a beat. Reo was here?!

This made no sense. He knew Reo was in his investor meeting. Sure, he showed up to games sometimes, but why would he hide until now?

Was he actually here? He couldn’t wait to see him.

“Really?” He asked, his eyes hopeful.

“Bring her out, Kelly!” The interviewer said to his coworker.

Nagi froze.

Her?

“We found your daughter looking for you in the VIP room!”

Nagi felt all the blood drain from his face. “Huh?”

What—

He must’ve misheard.

Then, in what seemed like a weird fucking joke, a little girl with hair as white as his came plowing into him.

“Papa!” She cried, wrapping her arms around his legs.

What the fuck???

Nagi stood there, stiff as a board, while the little girl clung to him, looking up with big amber eyes.

“We’ll let you two go. Thanks for your time, Nagi,” the interview said, waving at him and the small child.

The girl couldn’t have been more than three or four. She wore a plain shirt, shorts, and a cartoon-themed sweater, but what caught his attention was the oversized backpack hanging off her small frame.

He was honestly waiting for his teammates, his coach, his manager, anyone to explain this joke.

But no one did.

Instead, he saw his teammates had already gone back to the locker rooms. Save for a few stragglers who were picking up their things. The journalists were even starting to pack up.

His chest tightened.

He needed someone's help right now because who's fucking kid was this?!

Just as he was about to peel the girl off of him, she lifted her arms.

“Papa, carry me,” she pouted, letting out a yawn.

She needed to stop calling him that. Immediately.

Nagi looked around in terror, but again, no one was coming to save him. He bit his lip, crouching down to her level.

“Uh, hello,” he said, studying her more closely. White hair like his, but amber eyes and a small birthmark under her right eye.

“I think you might be confused. Where are your parents?” He asked.

She tilted her head.

“Carry me,” she pouted.

If she was his kid, she was definitely acting like it.

He gaped at her. “I'm sorry, ummm…” he tried forming some sort of response. “You know I'm not your dad. Do you know where he actually is?” He asked.

Okay, yes. Good start.

Her lip trembled— then came the tears. Full-blown, red-faced screaming.

Shit.

He quickly scooped her up and before he knew what he was doing, he was headed in the direction of his coaches office.

The girl in his arms kept crying, but it started to slow down the longer she was in Nagi's arms, until eventually her breathing slowed.

Was she really asleep already?

“Ego,” Nagi practically yelled as he stormed into his office. The lanky man sat there, mid bite of his cup noodles as he gave Nagi an unamused look.

“Ego, you have to help me. This kid—” he started but was cut off.

“You're lucky I don't bench you for the rest of the season for keeping something like this from us,” Ego glared.

Huh?

“What? No, no — I don’t have any kids! Where did she even come from?!” He asked in a panic. “I'll even take a DNA test right now to prove it.”

Ego's eyes narrowed at him.

“Let’s call security,” Nagi suggested. “Someone probably already reported a lost kid,” he said.

Ego shook his head. “There are no reports for a missing child in the stadium, and furthermore she was in your suite. Only you can allow who has access to that.”

Huh? He was getting more confused by the second.

“She gave a pretty clear descriptor of you when we asked where her mom or dad were. She watched you the whole game, clapping and cheering and telling everyone her papa is the best,” he rolled his eyes. “She came alone specifically seeking you out. Don't include me in your drama, now be gone.”

Nagi opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

The girl nestled into his neck with a soft sigh.

Nagi swallowed hard. His arms tightened instinctively around her.

What the hell was he going to do now?

Heading out of Ego’s office and pacing the halls, Nagi felt like he was in some alternate universe.

He took out his phone, only one person could help him out.

But his call went straight to voicemail because Reo was still in that damn meeting. Was it really fair to drag him into this?

He sighed. He needed answers and unfortunately, he had to rely on the child.

“Uh, hey,” he said quietly as he lightly bounced the girl awake.

She groaned, rubbing her eyes.

“Papa, ‘m tired,” she whined.

Nagi sighed, before he set her down on the nearest bench, crouching down beside her.

“You don’t have to call me that,” he paused. “So, you came to this stadium all alone?” He asked.

She nodded, like it was a proud fact Instead of something to be horrified about.

“That's dangerous, don't go places alone,” he sighed, rubbing his temple. “You can get yourself in these kinds of situations,” he said.

“Was looking for papa,” she whined.

Nagi pursed his lips. There it was, again.

“Do you know where you live? I'll take you home,” he said. Honestly, he could just walk away and let the authorities deal with it. But he knew in his heart that he couldn’t just abandon the girl, even though he was a complete stranger.

Fine. He’d do this one good deed and then tell Reo all about it— maybe that would make the man fall head over heels for him. Yeah, sounds like a solid plan.

“Home!” She clapped excitedly, breaking off his thoughts without an answer to his question.

He groaned.

“Yeah, can you just,” he paused. He felt so fucking frantic right now. He still needed to change, was dripping in his sweat that he didn't know was from the game or the anxiety of all this.

He didn't want to leave her here alone, nor did he want to bring her into the locker room with all his teammates, but his bag and personal belongings were all in there. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“What's this?” A voice from behind.

Nagi whipped his head towards the voice. Thank god.

“Chigiri, please do me a solid,” he said, panic laced in his voice.

The red head stared at him with wide eyes.

“Can you just sit here with…” he paused, glancing at the child.

“What's your name?”

“Kaede,” she said simply, swinging her legs back and forth.

“Alright,” he said, looking back at Chigiri. “Can you just sit with Kaede while I get changed? I'll be super quick,” he said.

“Nagi, what's going on?” He asked, already taking a seat next to the girl.

“I don't really know,” he said, sounding exasperated.

“Papa, I wanna go home now,” Kaede whined, slamming her tiny fists against the wooden bench, her eyes narrowing at him.

He only stared at her in disbelief.

This kid really had the audacity to act like that?

What kind of child wanders around, calls a random dude her father and demands to go home with him? This was like, reverse kidnapping, he's sure.

At her comment, Chigiri's eyebrows shot all the way up.

“Nagi, what the fu—” he stopped himself, because of the child next to him.

“I'm just learning everything, like you. Okay, ten minutes. I'll be right back,” he said to both of them, before looking back at Kaede. “Don’t be a brat, we’re doing you a favor,” he scolded.

Kaede crossed her arms and huffed.

When he returned, he saw Chigiri somehow engaged in conversation with Kaede, while she babbled on and played with his hair.

He cleared his throat, signalling that he was back. When they noticed, Kaede smiled brightly and outstretched her arms to Nagi, wanting to be held.

He sighed. Well, she couldn’t get down from the bench by herself anyway.

He scooped her back into his arms, settling her on his hip and turning his attention back to Chigiri, who stared at him with a grave look.

Kaede wrapped her arms around Nagi’s neck, resting on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

“Does Reo know?” Was all he asked, eyeing the girl in his arms.

He instantly grew frustrated at the question. How would Reo know? Why would Reo know?

“I didn’t even know!” Nagi shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve known this girl for like an hour.” He sighed.

Chigiri glared at him, his eyes narrowing with disbelief.

“I’m hoping Reo can help me find her family, then we can drop her off today and put this whole mess behind us,” he said quietly.

“I dunno, you think he’d want to help you?” Chigiri tilted his neck. “He’ll probably hate you, actually,” he said.

Nagi felt his heart sink into his chest. He was hoping he could get Reo’s help, there’s no way he could do something like this without him. But what if Reo thinks this is his legitimate child? He’ll think he knocked up some random woman.

No. That’s why he had to tell him. To clear any doubts. He just had to get to him before the media did.

“I’m supposed to see him tonight. We have dinner plans,” he admitted.

“Awe, a date!” Chigiri teased.

Nagi felt the heat rise in his cheeks, before shaking his head. “Ah, it’s not like that. He just wanted to catch up.”

“Looks like you guys have a lot to catch up on now,” he laughed. “Hope you ask for a high chair.”

“Please shut the hell up,” Nagi grunted.

“So, what’s your plan?”

“Ah,” he bit his lip. “I asked if she knew where she lived, but she didn’t.” A pain. “I guess I’ll take her to my apartment and call someone who can handle this sort of thing.”

“Like, the cops?”

“No. Reo.”

Chigiri snorted, looking at him in disbelief.

“I’ll just wait for Reo to fix it for me,” he nodded.

“Yeah, you could never be a father,” Chigiri snorted. “Good luck with all of that,” he called as he headed out.

Nagi glared at the red head, before turning his attention back to the girl in his arms. She definitely dozed off already, he could feel her drool on his neck. Ugh.

Kaede fell asleep the whole ride home, and even when they arrived she was still knocked out. He was actually quite impressed at how deep of a sleeper she was.

He was second guessing his decision to bring this girl to his apartment, but he definitely didn’t want to stop by the police department. That would probably take up his whole evening, and that was reserved for Reo.

He set her down gently on the couch, removing her backpack and placing a pillow under her head. Once she was settled in, he let out a sigh of relief.

Well, as relieved as he could be considering the circumstances. He pulled out his phone and checked if Reo had gotten back to him yet.

Reo💜

Investor meeting went super well! Going to finalize some things then head home, should be a few more hours.

Excited for our dinner plans!

Well, he seems to be responding like normal. Which means he definitely hasn’t read any news yet. Hopefully, he can sort that out as soon as possible. He knows Reo has a tendency to overthink.

He clicked on the phone option, calling Reo rather than messaging him.

“Nagi? Did you get my text?” He answered in a hushed whisper. If Nagi could picture the scene before him, it would probably be Reo surrounded by rich snobs, annoyed at him for taking a call.

Well, they can fuck off.

“I did. Uhhh, I can’t wait hours. I kinda need you at my place as soon as possible…” he said. How much did he want to divulge over the phone? He didn’t want Reo to completely freak out. However, after saying that out loud, he realizes that it might make Reo panic even more. He hasn’t been to his apartment in forever; when they hang out it’s always in other spaces.

He heard a nervous laugh on the other end.

“What are you saying?! I can’t just leave right now,” he whispered. “Is it an emergency? Are you okay?” He asked, confusion rising in his voice.

He pondered how he wanted to respond to the questions, but he didn’t have to think for long because he noticed an empty space where he set Kaede down.

“Papa’s house is so big,” she laughed as she ran around the living room like a cat with the zoomies. She wasn’t watching where she was going and Nagi’s eyes darted to his lego collection sitting on the bookshelf — limited edition sets that took him hours to complete— while her uncoordinated footsteps bounced around at worrying speeds.

She was going to destroy it.

Nagi groaned, catching her when she tried running past him with his free hand and holding her up against his hip while he had Reo on the phone in the other. “Please stop running,” he grumbled. “You were just asleep, where’s all this energy from?”

“Down,” she cried, wiggling against his hold.

“Nagi, what is going on?” Reo demanded on the other end, fully alert now.

But with the way Kaede was wriggling against Nagi, he had dropped his phone trying to get a steady grip on the girl. Somehow, it also landed on the speaker button.

“Can you just come over now?” Nagi asked aloud, voice shaky from maneuvering the small child. Jesus, she was strong.

“Papa!” Kaede practically wailed in his ear, and although he had a crying toddler on his hip, he knew the phone was capturing everything.

“On my way.”

And then he heard a click.

Yes!

He set Kaede down, wiping away her tears. “Don’t cry, Reo’s coming soon,” he said.

“R-eo?” She asked through muffled sobs.

“Yeah, he’s very special to me,” he said. “And you can call me Nagi, by the way,” he said, hoping that puts an end to the whole ‘papa’ thing. He wasn’t her father and she shouldn’t be calling him that.

“Na-gi,” she sounded out.

“Yes, you got it,” he said, giving her a high five.

“Yay, thank you papa!”

Nagi immediately frowned, about to comment on it again until he heard the rumble of her stomach.

“Uhh… Are you hungry?”

She nodded. Maybe this was the cause of her sudden tantrum? God, he had no fucking clue. Today felt like the longest year of his life.

At 25, he was barely starting to function like an adult. Taking care of himself was something he never did well. Reo showed up in his life and suddenly cared for him in a way he didn’t know was possible. Then he left and Nagi had to pick up the pieces. Now, this little girl was here, and for the time being, she was depending on him of all people.

If there somehow was a 0.001% chance that she was right about this whole thing, then she would be the most unlucky girl ever to have him as a dad. It’s just as Chigiri said earlier. It’s why he only cared for cacti.

Well, he wasn’t going to let this child starve.

“Can you just sit there on the couch and wait? I’ll see what I have so you can snack on before we take you home,” he said.

Hopefully, she can just sit and relax, not run around and be a threat to the furniture.

Kaede blinked up at him, not moving an inch. In fact, she crossed her arms and stood her ground.

It seems the two of them have found themselves in a staredown. Whatever, he was the adult and he was the one in charge here. He continued staring down at her, but after a couple minutes when her resolve didn’t shatter, Nagi had no choice but to forfeit.

“Ha! I win,” she gloated.

He let out a huff. Was he this difficult as a child? He couldn’t just leave her to her own devices, with the way she was running around earlier she was bound to crash into something. He needed her calm and distracted. He huffed, glancing around the living room, knowing that there was nothing in here to entertain a child. That was until he spotted the TV.

Duh.

Without further thought, he picked her up and plopped her on the couch, then took the remote and turned on the TV. He bit his lip as he accessed his Netflix account. However, instead of going to his usual profile, he found himself clicking on the ‘kids’ section. A new side of Netflix that he never would’ve been on otherwise had now illuminated the dull living room with so many bright colors and cartoons.

Not wanting to dwell too much on it; he aimed for picking a random show that looked appropriate enough. That was until Kaede excitedly pointed out a show he never heard of.

“Cocomelon!” She cheered.

What the hell was that?

“Uhhhh, sure?” He said, having no reason to deny this child.

(He would later come to regret this decision.)

He clicked on a random episode, and looked to see if it kept her attention. He was genuinely shocked at the results. It was like she was under a magical spell, her eyes glued to the screen as she tried to sing along to the god awful songs.

Huh.

He slowly headed off to the kitchen, searching for anything that could fill her up until she made it home.

He opened the fridge: eggs, veggies, various drinks. He groaned. He thought for a moment about how if Reo didn’t make him throw out all his fruit jelly’s, how that would be a perfect snack for the girl. But unfortunately, he needed a “nutrient filled diet" as a professional athlete. Whatever.

He was still learning how to cook for himself, so he definitely didn’t want to subject this poor girl to his less than mediocre skills. Digging deeper, he spotted a takeout box and nearly cried in relief— until he opened it and gagged at the smell. Yeah, that wasn’t happening.

He glanced back over to the living room, where he spotted Kaede. Yup, still fully entranced with the singing animals and babies. He was trying so hard to tune it out, but it was obnoxious and too loud.

Sighing, he shoved the takeout into the trash and thought for a moment. What would a child want?

He could cut up cheese and give it to her with some crackers, but he only had cheese slices for sandwiches. Hmm he could definitely make that. He looked at his fridge once again and saw no sandwich meat.

Fuck, he really needed to go grocery shopping. He debated his options while simultaneously checking Reo’s latest text.

Should be there in 30.

Despite the circumstances, he couldn't wait to see Reo. It had been way too long since he visited his apartment.

Back to basics then. He headed to the pantry, grabbing the jar of peanut butter and some bread and heading back to the counter. He began assembling the sandwich, before stopping for a quick moment.

He leaned over the counter, eyeing the small girl who was now clapping along to the TV.

“Kaede!” He called to get her attention.

She snapped her head to him, practically glaring at him for interrupting her.

“Uh… can you eat peanut butter?” He asked, showing her the jar. He really didn’t want her to get an allergy attack if she couldn’t eat peanuts. That’d be a bigger hassle.

“Yummy,” she nodded, then almost instantly gave him the most serious look he’s seen on her yet. “No crusts!” She demanded.

Who raised this girl?!

“Uh huh,” he rolled his eyes, not bothering to argue. He turned his attention back to the plate in front of him.

He spread the peanut butter all over the bread (after removing the crusts, thank you very much) and headed to the fridge, spotting the strawberry jam.

After he finished spreading the jam and putting the sandwich together, he decided to cut the bread diagonally into two triangles. He took a moment and looked at his handiwork.

Huh. Not bad.

The kitchen might be a mess now, he might’ve been distracted from the loud cocomelon in the background, his thoughts might be going crazy in his head, but this was his first time making a pb&j in years. Was it pathetic to be a little proud? He shrugged, grabbing the plate and setting it on the coffee table.

“Here,” he said. “You can eat this.”

“Thanks papa,” she said, climbing down from the couch and sitting down on the floor in front of the coffee table, taking a bite of her sandwich as she continued watching the TV.

“Just Nagi,” he corrected. He really didn’t know how to feel whenever she called him that. The whole situation was weird.

She said nothing in response, focusing still on the TV.

Nagi watched her carefully. He had no idea what to think. When he woke up this morning he was preparing for an important match, now he’s being succumbed to lullabies.

“You actually like this?” Nagi asked, deciding to sit down next to her on the floor.

“Love Cocomelon,” she mumbled as she took another bite of the sandwich. “It’s weird,” he said bluntly.

Kaede huffed. “Can we watch Barbie,” she asked, looking at him with wide eyes.

He wasn’t used to being asked permission to do things, so the whole interaction felt unfamiliar. Well, that— and he didn’t usually hang out with children.

But he’ll turn literally anything else on to stop Cocomelon.

“Yeah,” he said, reaching for the remote and navigating through the app. He put on a random Barbie movie, smiling when he saw Kaede squealing and pointing out her favorite characters to him.

He listened to her babbling, occasionally checking his phone to see where the hell Reo was.

Eventually, the exhaustion of the day crashed into him like a truck. He never went this long without so much as a ten minute nap and he was fighting to keep his eyes open. It was like all the stress overtook his body, but he needed to fight the feeling. What if the second he fell asleep, Kaede went to play with his legos? Touch his collectibles? Or worse, what if she did something to Choki?

He had to stay awake… just in case.

But his will power only lasted another five minutes as he rested his head on the seat of the couch behind him. He never napped in this position before, seated on the floor of his living room with the comfy couch acting as a pillow. He pried open an eye, seeing that Kaede’s attention was fully into the Barbie movie. Well, would the world end if he closed his eyes just for a quick second?

Reo would be here soon, anyway.

Chapter Text

Nagi blinked awake, groaning as a dull ache settled in his neck. His whole body felt stiff from the unforgiving floor. He hasn’t woken up feeling this uncomfortable in a while. Why the hell did he fall asleep here, again? As his senses slowly returned, a jolt of panic shot through him, and he quickly glanced around.

“Kaede!?” He asked when he couldn’t spot the girl.

“She’s napping. I put her on your bed,” Reo responded sharply, as he stepped into Nagi’s line of vision.

“Reo,” Nagi whispered, standing up quickly and straightening out his clothes. Reo had just come from work, and he was still in his suit and tie. He looked every bit of the business man he was, maybe even a little intimidating to strangers. But not to Nagi.

Never to Nagi.

“This place looks the same, you haven’t changed it up,” Reo noticed as he looked around.

Suddenly embarrassed, Nagi shrugged. “You liked it before,” he said.

Reo's lips parted, before closing again and crossing his arms. “So, her name is Kaede?” He asked, deciding to change the subject.

Nagi sighed, and nodded as he plopped down on the couch. He noticed her plate was gone, and the place looked a little tidier than usual.

“Reo, did you clean up?”

Reo shrugged, the heat rising in his cheeks. “When I came I saw her cuddled up on your lap, both of you were completely knocked out.”

She fell asleep on his lap?!

“As cute as the moment was, I figured you'd appreciate it if I placed her somewhere more comfy. So I just tucked her into your bed,” he shrugged. “You were practically drooling, so I gave you more time to sleep while I cleaned this place a bit. Still know my way around here I guess,” he said softly.

“Oh, Reo,” Nagi whispered. He didn't deserve this man.

“She's cute. Congrats,” he said quietly.

Nagi shot up, cupping Reo's cheeks. He didn't care if this crossed their “no physical” guidelines, he needed Reo to understand.

“No,” he said. “I never,” he bit his lip, finding the words: “She is not my daughter, I promise you.”

Communication was their weak point, he needed to make this very clear.

Reo’s cheeks flamed, before shaking off his hands. “It’s okay, you don’t need to explain anything to me,” he said.

Nagi frowned, his chest suddenly tight. “I do,” he pouted. “When this whole mess started I was only thinking of you,” he sighed, dropping his hands to his lap and fiddling with them nervously.

“Besides I think she's like three or four, and we didn't— ” Nagi paused, not wanting to acknowledge their unofficial break up.

“It's been two years since we ended things,” Reo finished.

Nagi winced. “One year and eight months.”

Reo gawked at him, shaking his head. “Okay, basically two years.”

“Either way; you were definitely with me when she was born, so I know she's not actually your daughter. Why does everyone else think so?” Reo tilted his head.

“I dunno. I was hoping Reo could help me,” he admitted.

Reo looked down, sighing. “Nagi… I asked you not to drag me into your problems anymore. I don't know what you expect from me here?”

He's right, of course. He hurt Reo enough in the past and he vowed to himself to never cause trouble for him again.

“I…” Nagi paused, choosing his words carefully. “Please, Reo. I feel so lost right now, and I know I have no right to ask anything from you— but we’re still friends, right? Even if you don’t love me anymore, you must still like me enough to be my friend. I'll never bug you with my problems again. Just… this once.”

He felt so vulnerable. He didn’t even realize his eyes were glossy until he blinked and felt the wetness.

Shit.

Only Reo could get him to such an emotional state. He blinked back the stupid tears, and kept his gaze down.

Reo's eyes widened, before sighing. “Selfish asshole,” he grumbled.

“You too,” Nagi pouted back. “So… you’ll help?”

Reo sighed, running a hand through his hair. “With what, exactly?”

Okay, now things are turning around.

“I was hoping we could find her actual parents and take her back to them. Then we can have our dinner,” Nagi said, hopefully.

“Sorry to break it to you, but unless we resolve this issue within the next…” he paused, checking his phone for the time. “Four hours, we’re missing our reservation.”

Nagi pouted. That was plenty of time, wasn’t it? At least that’s what he hoped for… Unfortunately, the more rational part of his brain knew that the dinner was not happening anymore, but he couldn’t hide his disappointment when Reo stated it so matter-of-factly.

So unfair.

“Alright,” he said quietly.

Reo let out a sigh as he loosened his tie and discarded his suit jacket on the couch. Nagi tried not to stare, averting his gaze.

“So, what do you know about her so far?”

What he knows about her? Well, she’s a child. That’s pretty much all the information he’s got… unless!

“She doesn’t have a peanut allergy, and she hates crusts.”

Reo’s face fell.

“Oh, and she has god-awful taste in Netflix,” he nodded.

“Not that!” Reo interjected. “How old is she, actually? How did she get to the stadium? Did you go through her backpack, did she mention anything about her parents?” He listed way more relevant questions.

Ah, he can see why Reo was frustrated. He bit his lip, unable to answer.

“Okay, please just start from the beginning. What happened?”

That, at least, he could do.

“We finished the game, and I was doing interviews as normal. Then the interviewer said someone special was there to see me. Thought it was… ” He paused, looking away. “Never mind. But then he said something about my ‘daughter,’ and Kaede came out of nowhere and called me her dad. That’s literally it,” he sighed, rubbing his temples.

Reo kept his eyes locked on him.

“I tried going to Ego, and I suggested calling security, but there was no missing child alert or whatever. She was just… there for me. Apparently, she was in my suite and then made her way to the VIP area. This kid made a lot of ground just to find me— and I don’t know why,” he whined.

Reo paused for a moment. “That’s hers, right?”

Nagi shifted his eyes to where Reo pointed, and nodded at the red backpack that had been discarded across the floor.

“Oh, yeah it is. I haven’t touched it yet, felt weird to do that.”

“Nagi, you need to make these kinds of decisions. Even if they feel weird,” he sighed. “What if I never showed up? You just wouldn’t have checked the only thing that could help you?”

Nagi pouted, not liking his tone.

“But you did show up,” he pointed out.

“Remind me why, again,” he huffed as he began going through the bag.

Reo was being mean.

Nagi watched as Reo sifted through Kaede’s things.

“Clothes,” He commented as Reo pulled out different articles of clothing.

“Did she run away from home?” Reo wondered aloud. He pulled out some juice boxes and fruit snacks, laying them out on the table.

Oh. He could’ve given her that for a snack earlier. Would’ve saved him so much trouble.

“Awww, her teddy bear,” Reo cooed as he pulled out the stuffed animal, his eyes widening when he saw the bear was dressed up as a soccer player— Nagi’s name and number written sloppily in sharpie on the jersey.

“Um,” Reo said, showing it to Nagi.

Nagi felt his cheeks heat up, his eyes widening as he saw the bear. “Maybe she’s a fan? I swear I don’t know her.”

“I believe you— ah!” Reo’s eyes lit up as he pulled a folded piece of paper from the bottom of the bag.

Nagi looked at it in awe, then back at Reo. “This should have information,” Reo nodded.

But when Reo’s face drained of color, Nagi’s stomach twisted.

“What’s it say?” he asked, anxiety curling in his chest. Reo pursed his lips, before handing the letter over to Nagi cautiously.

Nagi swallowed, turning the paper over and immediately grimacing.

Think you can just abandon us and live your life? Absolutely not. She’s your problem now.

Her name is Kaede Suzuki, by the way. Not like you ever cared.

Huh… ?

“What the fuck?” He whispered. His pulse hammered in his ears.

Reo stood back up, pacing back and forth again.

“Nagi, are you positive you have nothing to do with this?” Reo stammered, his eyes wide.

Nagi felt his chest tighten at Reo’s expression. He quickly shook his head. “You’re the only person I’ve ever been with,” he promised. “I think I somehow got mixed up in some stranger’s love quarrel.”

“This is weird,” Reo whispered, chewing on his nail. “At least we know her full name.”

“And that her parents clearly suck,” Nagi commented, mildly annoyed on Kaede’s behalf.

“Hmph,” Reo immediately pulled out his phone. “I think it’s time we called the authorities, or like, child services or something.”

Nagi hesitated, fiddling with his hands. He didn’t know why, but the idea didn’t sit right with him. If it were that easy, he would’ve done it already.

“Can we try other options before doing that?” He suggested.

Reo shot him a look. “Huh?!”

“I mean…” he ran a hand through his hair. “If she was truly abandoned by her parents… wouldn’t the cops end up taking custody of her? They’ll put her in a home or something…” he pursed his lips.

“Would you rather her stay here?” Reo looked at him in shock.

“I’m not saying that,” Nagi sighed. “Just that maybe we shouldn’t jump the gun. We can try handling this ourselves, and if we can’t, then we go to the police.”

Reo just stood there in silence.

“I dunno, it seems like her mom doesn’t want to deal with her anymore, and it looks like her dad was never around.”

“You got all that from a two sentence note?” Reo raised a brow.

“It was more than two sentences,” he pouted. “I just know what it’s like, y’know,” he paused. “To be left.”

Reo’s gaze softened as he looked at him, before taking another breath. “Okay,” he said softly. “But what if she has other family members? Aunts, uncles, grandparents?”

“Wouldn’t they have stopped this from happening in the first place?”

“You’re making a lot of assumptions here,” Reo raised a brow. “But, okay,” he nodded. “We can go another route that doesn’t involve the police. Let me just call Yukki,” he said as he picked up his phone.

Yukki.

Nagi’s mood soured. He didn’t like that guy. Yukki had wasted no time flirting with Reo after their split. He was a total opportunist.

“Why him?” Nagi asked flatly.

Reo didn’t seem to catch the mood change, either that or he was ignoring Nagi’s pouts. He didn’t like this…

“Did you forget? His family business did a merger with a top private security firm. He’s honestly our best option, so stop moping,” Reo scolded as he dialed the other.

Ehh.

Maybe that would be useful, but he still wasn't going to like the guy. Nagi sighed as he overheard Reo on the phone explaining the situation, his eyes wandered to his living room, now scattered with Kaede’s clothes and belongings. She didn't have much, and that fact left a small ache in his chest. He picked up the teddy bear and examined the jersey, his finger tracing the lettering of his name. When she woke up, he'd have a lot more questions.

“At least a week?” Reo’s voice sharpened, snapping Nagi’s attention back. He watched Reo pace the room with such confidence, like he was negotiating a high-stakes trade deal. Nagi’s gaze drifted downward. The pants hugged Reo’s hips and ass perfectly— tailored to perfection. He didn’t even bother hiding the fact that he was checking him out.

Reo looked absolutely gorgeous, and his logical side was fighting with his horny side to stop himself from absolutely devouring him.

If this was how Reo showed up to work, he wouldn’t be surprised if the whole office was in love with him. More people to fight.

His inappropriate thoughts were interrupted when, instead of sounding like he was scolding an underpaid intern, he started using a voice Nagi was very familiar with, but hadn't heard in almost two years.

“Is there really no way this can be done quicker? It would help me a lot, Kenyu…” Reo practically purred. Nagi couldn't believe the scene in front of him, Reo was acting like a teenage girl flirting with her crush. He was two seconds away from twirling his hair and puckering his lips.

Oh, hell no.

“Reo. I can talk to him.” Nagi practically leapt out of his seat reaching out for the phone.

Reo gave him a bewildered look, holding the phone out of reach. He really didn't like this, especially when Reo shushed him and gestured for him to sit back down.

“Really? You'd do that for me?” Reo’s voice was sickeningly sweet. Nagi’s fists clenched.

“Okay, we'll get you a sample tonight. We owe you one,” he beamed, before hanging up and looking at Nagi happily. “See? Easy.”

“Reo was flirting,” Nagi grumbled, looking away.

Reo scoffed, shrugging his shoulders. “I mean, you should be thanking me. This sped up what would’ve been a week-long process. Probably longer, actually.”

“I could’ve asked him.”

“Eh… you’re not really on his good side,” Reo admitted, biting his lip.

Nagi rolled his eyes.

Reo eyed him mischievously, his lips curling into a smirk. “You’re not mad, are you?”

Yes.

“No,” he pouted, looking away. “So… what’s the new plan?”

Reo took a seat on the couch next to Nagi. “Now, we get a sample of Kaede’s DNA. We drop it off at Yukki’s, and he’ll get it transported for testing. He said he’ll expedite it, so it’ll be a high priority— but we might still have to wait a few days for the results.”

Nagi blinked as he processed that.

“A few days?” He asked slowly.

“Yeah, it’s better that we have her name though. Makes the process work faster.”

“Where is she going to go for a few days?” Nagi questioned.

“I can have Ba-Ya come to take care of her for the time being. Or I can hire caretakers, you won’t have to worry about anything,” Reo said, already scrolling through his contacts.

“It’s fine,” Nagi shrugged. “She’s a little girl, can’t be too much trouble to look after for a few days,” he let out a yawn.

Reo raised a brow at him. “Sei, you’re actually volunteering to babysit?”

“I guess so?” He tilted his head. “I have the next few days off, anyway. And I can skip training.”

Reo stared at him, his eyes wide.

“So. Uh, how do we get a sample of her DNA?”

Reo was still looking at him like he’d grown a second head, but then he glanced down at his phone, reading a new text from Yukki.

“He says we can use a Q-tip and swab the inside of her mouth for at least 30 seconds,” he said.

“Alrighty,” he said, getting up. “Should we wake her up now?”

Reo nodded. “You should do it, since she’s more comfortable with you. I’ll grab the supplies, and hopefully she can answer our questions.”

Walking quietly into his bedroom, Nagi felt a weird sensation in chest as he approached the sleeping girl tucked gently in his sheets. She looked like she was in a deep sleep, and he felt a little guilty for what he was about to do. But, the quicker he got this done, the easier it would be for him.

He sat at the edge of the bed, and reached over to her arm, poking it gently.

“Kaede,” he whispered.

Nothing.

“Kaede,” he repeated, a little louder this time, lighty wiggling her shoulder.

That seemed to do the trick, he saw her stirring under the blankets.

But what he didn’t expect, however, was for her to go from a peacefully sleeping child, to an absolute monster.

Her eyes fluttered open, confused and disoriented for a moment— before she let out the most blood-curdling scream Nagi had ever heard in his life.

His eyes widened as she started sobbing, thrashing under the blankets and kicking her legs like she was being murdered.

Oh my god.

“Whoa, hey, it’s okay,” he said quickly, trying to calm her, but she wasn’t listening. She just kept screaming.

Nagi felt completely out of his element, he just sat there completely frozen while the girl’s cries filled the room.

That’s when Reo stormed in, looking at both of them in shock. “What happened!?”

“I have no idea! I just woke her up!” Nagi responded, looking at Reo in a panic.

Kaede immediately looked over to who Nagi was talking to, her screams only intensifying. That can’t be good for her, right? Her entire face was red and now she was getting tears and snot all over his sheets. Seriously, what the hell?!

“What should we do?” Nagi whined, his eyes bouncing from Reo to Kaede. “Is she hurt, or something?”

Reo walked up cautiously, and gave her a once-over. “No, she doesn’t look hurt.”

But Kaede wasn’t calming down. Instead, she threw the blanket over her head and curled into a ball.

“Kaede, what’s wrong?” Nagi asked, rubbing her back through the blankets.

Still no response.

God damn, he should’ve just left this kid at the stadium.

Maybe he was in over his head. His heart was racing in his chest, he genuinely didn’t know if he had to call emergency services or something. He stood up suddenly, his feet moving before he even knew what was doing.

An idea. “Her teddy bear,” Nagi said, as he headed to the door. “I'll grab it.”

Reo nodded, staying behind once the man rushed to the living room. He took over, his hand moving in slow, soothing circles over the blanket.

“It’s okay,” he whispered gently. “Me and Nagi are here to help you. You must be so confused.”

Kaede’s body stiffened. Slowly, she peeked her eye out from under the blanket, looking at Reo cautiously.

“Where's papa?” She whispered, her lip trembling as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

Reo's breath hitched. Was she referring to her actual father? Or…

“Nagi? He's grabbing your stuffy— ”

He was cut off when Nagi walked back in, hands full; the teddy bear in one hand, and a juice box and fruit snacks in the other.

“Uh, I brought what I thought might help,” he said, anxiety laced through his voice. He let out a sigh as he sat down beside Reo. Upon spotting Nagi, Kaede immediately ducked back under the blanket.

If Reo didn’t know any better, he’d think she was messing with him.

“Kaede, look,” Nagi coaxed, his voice softer this time. He could’ve easily pulled the blanket back himself, but he didn’t. He wanted her to come out on her own accord.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait much longer.

Her head poked out, then her little arms stretched toward the bear.

Okay, this was good. He slowly handed her the bear, which she grabbed before retreating back under the covers.

Nagi practically deflated. “Kaede, please,” he whined. “I have snacks. Do you want some? You have to come out, though. We have questions for you.”

“Leave me alone!” she cried.

What the hell was going on?

Nagi being completely lost was one thing, but taking one look at Reo, he could see the man was stressing out trying to come up with a solution. He had a certain look when he was in his head. A look that Nagi felt guilty about because Reo would not be in this situation if not for Nagi. Deciding to ease both their anxiety, he turned to the one thing he could always rely on: his phone.

Quickly, he opened up Google.

how to stop a kid from crying after nap

Reo peeked over his shoulder, watching as Nagi scrolled through endless mommy blogs and parenting forums. The general consensus? Be patient. Validate your child’s feelings. Offer distractions.

Nagi whined, this wasn’t even his child. How was this the way he was spending his Friday evening?!

“At least this seems to be a normal thing, since there’s so much advice for it,” Reo pointed out.

“I guess,” Nagi grumbled, reading through a few comments.

As if Reo could sense his inner turmoil, he gave Nagi a comforting smile. “Let me try,” he whispered.

Nagi nodded, looking at him in desperation.

Reo leaned closer to the lump under the blankets, his touch gentle as he rubbed slow, calming circles over her back.

“We’re really sorry for waking you,” he whispered. “You must be so upset. I’d be too. Waking up in a different environment, you’re very brave!”

Nagi blinked. Mommy blog advice #1: Validate your child’s feelings.

To his shock, it worked. Kaede’s sniffles quieted slightly.

“Because you’re being so brave,” Reo continued, voice warm and coaxing, “I think you earned a fun ride in a big, fancy limo!”

The blanket shifted. A small head peeked out.

Reo was a natural at this.

“Limo?” she asked through her tears.

Reo nodded. “We can take you for a ride in one tomorrow.”

Kaede’s eyes sparkled. She sat up. “Really?”

Nagi stared at them, completely in awe. His heart clenched at how easily Reo handled the situation.

“Reo Limousine is the best,” Nagi muttered under his breath quietly.

Reo caught it, blinking at him before turning back to Kaede with a gentle pat to her head.

“Yes, I promise, but there's a few things you have to do for us,” he said, holding out his pinky.

Kaede looked at him hesitantly, clutching her bear tightly.

“It's just to help us learn more about you, then we can go on a ride,” he said, smiling brightly. She looked down, pausing for a moment before eventually meeting Reo’s violet eyes.

Kaede’s tiny pinky latched onto his without hesitation, a bright smile breaking through her tears. “Okay,” she said softly.

Finally!

Nagi exhaled in relief. He really had to make this up to Reo somehow.

Then—

“Papa’s coming too?” she asked, turning to Nagi.

Nagi froze. For some reason, being called that in front of Reo brought a whole new wave of embarrassment. He shifted on the bed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Just Nagi, remember?” he sighed, cringing when he saw her smile instantly crumble and her lip trembling.

Oh no.

Please, not another tantrum.

“I’ll come,” he said quickly.

Kaede squealed, scooting closer to Nagi’s side, resting her head on his arm. He instantly tensed. For a brief moment, he considered scooting away, but he rejected the idea just as fast— no way was he risking another meltdown.

Reo watched them, an unreadable look on his face. Then, after a moment, a small chuckle escaped the man’s lips.

“By the way, I don’t think I properly introduced myself. I’m Reo.”

Kaede blinked up at him, then turned to Nagi.

“Special Reo?” she whispered.

Both of them froze.

Nagi could feel his face heat up instantly.

Freaking kids.

He couldn’t even deny it because Kaede would probably call him out instantly. Well, whatever then. Reo already knows he’s special, right?

“Yeah. That one,” he answered truthfully, avoiding Reo’s eyes like the plague.

Kaede considered this for a moment, watching the way both of them turned bright red. She beamed, sitting up in excitement.

“So, I have two papas?”

Nagi choked on his own spit. Reo sputtered. “H-Huh?”

But, ignoring the obvious bomb she just dropped, Kaede yawned and stretched her arms.

“And now I’m hungry again,” she whined, looking between the two of them expectantly. “Family dinner!”

Chapter Text

Reo’s cheeks were still bright red, stunned into silence, while Nagi struggled to regain his composure.

“Kaede, you know we're not your dads,” Nagi said, breaking the tension. Reo cleared his throat, scooting further away from Nagi as if more space between them could somehow erase the situation.

No.

Kaede tilted her head in confusion. “But you said Papa Reo was special,” she insisted, her eyes glossy.

Papa Reo.

Nagi’s heart fluttered at that.

Reo, still completely frozen and speechless, managed just enough awareness to shoot daggers at Nagi.

“Well, I meant—” he stuttered.

Kaede's eyes narrowed at Nagi. Now he had two people glaring at him. Jeez, he didn’t even do anything!

Reo abruptly stood up, gripping Nagi’s wrist and pulling him along. “Will you give us a moment, Kaede? I just want to talk to Nagi in private.”

“Mhm,” she hummed, completely unbothered as she tore into the fruit snacks Nagi had brought earlier, making herself comfortable against the headboard.

Reo ushered the two of them back towards the living room, where he let out an exasperated breath, crossing his arms.

Nagi knew he was in trouble.

“Nagi, explain.”

“I'm just as confused as you, okay?” He groaned, he really didn’t want Reo upset. What the hell is in the air today?!

“Was this your plan— to fucking baby trap me or something?”

To what?!

Nagi scoffed, looking at him in complete disbelief.

Reo was being ridiculous.

“What?! No— Jesus do you really think I would do that?”

Reo was pacing again, looking everywhere but at Nagi. Nagi remained still, knowing by now how to navigate an argument with Reo.

“So why did she—”

“I didn't know she was gonna call you that, I can hardly control when she calls me that.”

Reo just stared at him, running a hand through his hair as he continued to pace around the room. “Yeah, but clearly she thinks you’re her father or something. I have no connection to that.”

Nagi frowned. Reo was intertwined in every part of his life; of course he’d have some connection to their child! Well… of course she’s not their real child, but this could possibly be a practice run given to him by some divine intervention.

He always imagined having a family with Reo, anyway.

“I really shouldn't have come,” Reo shook his head, looking for his discarded jacket. Nagi’s chest tightened.

Wait, no. Nagi practically leapt towards the purple-haired man, grabbing his hand in a last ditch effort to get him to stop.

“No, Reo, please. I need you,” Nagi begged. “I'm sorry. I'll tell her not to call you that. I'll do anything, just don't leave me again,” he pleaded.

He just got back into a somewhat good place with Reo, he wasn’t going to let something like this come between them. He couldn’t. “I’ll fix it, I promise.”

Reo paused, looking at him softly.

“Okay,” He whispered, squeezing Nagi’s hand reassuringly.

Nagi looked up at him in relief, his eyes practically sparkling. “Thank you,” Then, after a pause: “Why was Reo so upset?”

He knew Reo. He knew what kind of person he was. And a little girl calling him papa was not something he would get this upset over. In some other life, they would’ve laughed about it even.

But Reo was acting very… un-Reo like. Something was going on…

Reo tensed, his hand slipping away as he sank onto the couch, looking down.

“I mean, besides the fact that we’re not her parents. If she gets comfortable calling me that…” He bit his lip. “She might say it in public. And that…” he paused, “wouldn’t be good.” His voice was quieter now, more hesitant.

Ah, For the business.

Of course. A Mikage had an image to protect, after all.

Nagi swallowed. “…Right.”

Reo ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply. “Nagi, I was going to tell you everything at dinner.” His voice was shaky now, almost nervous.

A strange sense of unease settled in Nagi’s stomach. Whatever Reo was about to say, it wasn’t going to be good, he sat beside Reo on the couch, watching as the other man struggled to say anything.

“It’s okay, you can say it,” he whispered, looking at Reo like everything would be okay. In reality, his heart was beating so fast in chest, he felt like he was on the verge of cardiac arrest. He hasn’t felt this way since the night when Reo ended things.

“Uhm,” Reo paused, avoiding eye contact with Nagi. “My father has been pressuring me for the last few years to marry, to continue the legacy. I kept putting it off, but he’s actually arranged a contract with another family. It’s not a true engagement, it’s more like a business deal…” he trailed off.

Huh?  Was Reo saying…?

“So this contract they drew up has the official announcement of my engagement to Kenyu in a few weeks,” he let out in one breath, immediately looking away from Nagi.

Oh.

Nagi was frozen. He couldn’t truly process what Reo was saying. “Kenyu?” He breathed out.

“Yeah,” he confirmed.

Nagi was right to be on guard of Yukki. This literally confirmed it, he should always trust his gut. Well, he was going to have to do something about this. There’s no way he’s letting his Reo go. This was absolutely out of the question.

“Guess that’s why he’s so eager to help us out,” Nagi muttered, rolling his eyes.

Reo flinched, finally meeting Nagi’s eyes. “He knows I’m not in love with him,” he breathed out.

Good.

“So… if Kaede calls you her papa in public…” Nagi blinked.

“Yeah. It’ll send the wrong message to Yukki’s family and especially to the press.”

“Hmm.” The wrong message? Maybe it actually sends the right message. Reo was already accounted for. Maybe Kaede could stick around for a little while longer…

Was it wrong to drag an unknowing child into their relationship problems? Probably… but he’s already agreed to babysit her free of charge. If she helps keep Reo away from Yukki, well, he’s not going to put a stop to that.

As if summoned by his thoughts, the soft patter of little footsteps echoed down the hallway. Nagi looked over the back of the couch to see Kaede standing in the doorway, clutching her bear to her chest.

“Papa, I’m hungry,” she whined, expecting his full attention.

Nagi sighed, not wanting to give in to her calling him that, but he knew she was talking to him.

“But you were just eating those fruit snacks?” Nagi teased, raising a brow at her.

“It’s not enough,” she pouted dramatically.

Reo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We should feed her, Nagi.”

“Yeah,” Nagi agreed, already rising to scoop her up. “And we still need that DNA sample.”

Kaede blinked, resting her head in the crook of Nagi’s neck. “What’s a DNA sample? Is it food?”

Reo let out a small laugh, shaking his head. “No, sweetheart. It just helps us learn more about you,” he said gently. “But food first.” He glanced at Nagi. “Should I make something?”

Nagi frowned. “There’s nothing in the fridge.”

“Nagi,” Reo groaned, crossing his arms in disappointment.

“Papa’s in trouble,” Kaede giggled, eyes bouncing between the two of them like she was watching her favorite cartoon.

“This is tragic,” Reo muttered, peering into the near-empty fridge. “How are you alive?”

“Convenience stores,” Nagi said, completely unbothered.

“So you’ve reverted back to your old ways,” Reo grumbled to himself.

“Hey,” He pouted. “I was still able to make her lunch earlier, so I’m clearly doing alright,” he defended.

“Right,” Reo snorted. “I saw the absolute mess you left. And all from peanut butter and jelly? Again, you’re lucky I’m here.”

“I know,” Nagi said earnestly.

Kaede was perched on the counter, swinging her legs and watching them like she was at a live performance. “Can we have pancakes?”

Reo hesitated. “Pancakes? For dinner?”

“Please,” she asked sweetly, hands clasped together like she was praying.

“That actually doesn’t sound too bad,” Nagi pointed out, leaning against the counter next to Kaede.

Reo looked at both of them and let out a sigh, throwing his hair up into a ponytail and rolling up his sleeves. “Fine,” he said. “But you’re helping me,” he pointed right at Nagi.

“Me too,” Kaede chirped, eyeing the both of them.

“Sure,” Nagi shrugged just as Reo gave him a skeptical look.

“But she should stay away from the stove,” Reo warned.

“Of course,” Nagi agreed and opened up the cabinet, pulling out a dusty box of pancake mix and handing it to Reo.

“This is expired,” Reo deadpanned.

“Huh,” Nagi frowned, looking at the box. Reo let out a huff and pushed past him, gathering flour and sugar and the other ingredients necessary.

“I’m just going to make them from scratch.”

“I’ll leave you to it,” Nagi said, deciding now was as good a time as any to get the cheek swab done. “I’m going to get the DNA sample then,” he announced to Reo so that he wouldn’t get upset at him for not helping with the pancakes.

“That’s fine. You’d probably ruin these pancakes anyway. I left the Q-tips and a zip-lock on the coffee table,” Reo called from over his shoulder as he put the ingredients together.

Kaede whined as she overheard them, looking at Nagi with wide eyes. “But I want to help Papa Reo with dinner,” she pouted.

Reo froze up at the name again, and Nagi knew he had to address that situation soon. He walked over to Reo, leaning close to his ear. “I’ll tell her to stop later on, okay?” He whispered. Reo just gave a curt nod, and cracked the egg into the mixing bowl.

Making his way back over to Kaede, he ruffled her hair.

“You are helping,” Nagi promised. “You’re watching to make sure he doesn’t add anything funny to it,” he winked, then headed towards the living room to grab the supplies.

When he returned, he let out a soft chuckle at how fiercely Kaede was watching Reo cook. “Alright, kiddo. Open up,” Nagi said as he held up the Q-tip.

Kaede immediately looked at him in panic. “Eh?!” She whimpered.

“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt. I promise,” he said softly. “It’s just so we can get your saliva.”

Kaede looked horrified. “Why!?” She yelped, covering her mouth defensively.

Nagi frowned. He really should have expected this. Any time he wants to get something relatively simple done, Kaede puts up a fuss and fights tooth and nail. He’s only known this tiny person for less than a day, but he could tell she was extremely stubborn.

Thankfully, he wasn’t alone here. “Reoooo,” he called.

But, Reo, already overhearing everything, was at his side by the time he called him over. He was crouched over a little to be at eye level with the little girl. “It’s nothing to be scared of,” he said gently. “It’s actually a magic swab. All we do is wipe the inside of your cheeks, then we get to learn all about you!” He said cheerfully.

Nagi couldn’t stop staring. Reo was a natural at this— too natural. And it was giving him all sorts of feelings, none of which were appropriate with a child in the room.

Damn.

Kaede blinked at Reo, slowly removing her hands from her face and hesitantly opening her mouth. “Jeez, she clearly has a favorite,” Nagi remarked as he leaned forward and carefully began to swab the inside of each cheek.

“Ha,” Reo stuck out his tongue, before returning to his pancake making.

The three of them sat on the floor of the living room around the coffee table, since Nagi’s actual dining table didn’t have enough room for three. It barely served him and Reo when they used to bring over take out, and Nagi had no reason to get a bigger one after their ‘break up.’

Even so, this was nice— both he and Reo sat criss-cross under the table, their knees pressing against each other. He had cut up Kaede’s pancakes into smaller pieces for the girl, but that didn’t prevent her from making a mess.

Reo dipped his napkin in his glass of water and began wiping the dried syrup from Kaede’s cheek. “Thank you,” she mumbled around a mouthful of pancake.

It was hard not to get lost in this moment of pure domestic bliss. His apartment had never felt so homey before, the air smelled of sweetness and the sound of Reo and Kaede conversing was making his heart swell in his chest. In another life, this is their actual reality.

“So, Kaede,” Nagi raised a brow. “How old are you, actually?” He tilted his head.

Pausing mid bite, Kaede thought for a moment, as if he asked her a difficult math question instead of something that should be basic knowledge. “Well,” she started, “I used to be three, but now I’m not anymore.”

Both men exchanged glances with each other. Nagi almost broke out in laughter, until he saw how serious she looked. “Oh, okay. You’re four, got it.”

Deciding to continue, he watched her carefully. “How did you get to the stadium today? And how did you get into my suite?” He’s been wanting to ask her this all day, but something always came up before he could.

Kaede swallowed, then took a sip from her juice box to wash down the food. “I walked,” she answered simply.

Reo let out a snort, leaning back and resting his palms against the floor. “I think he means how did a little girl get there all by herself,” he clarified.

“Ohhh,” she hummed. “Mama showed me how to get there, she said I can stay with Papa,” she said simply.

Finally, some actual information.

Reo’s ears perked up at this as well, both men paying extra attention. “Why me, though?” Nagi questioned.

Kaede looked at him in disbelief. “Because you’re my papa,” she said, like it was the most obvious answer in the world. “When I was littler, I missed you all the time, but I was never mad that you didn’t visit me,” she promised. “You were busy with football.” Reo raised a brow.

“Mama told me I could see Papa on the TV, the one with the white hair,” she beamed. “She didn’t watch the games with me. I think she was mad,” Kaede shrugged. “But I watched you the whole time!”

This was… interesting. So, her mom had a thing with another football player? Why wouldn’t she specify which one to Kaede. Clearly, she got the wrong message.

“Uh huh,” Nagi bit his lip, glancing at Reo.

“So, you just decided to go visit Nagi today, after watching him for how long?” Reo asked.

Kaede let out a yawn, rubbing her eyes. “Mama said that Papa’s team was playing nearby today. She packed my bag and told me to go surprise him,” she murmured, blinking her eyes slowly. “ ‘m sleepy.”

“We should get her to bed then. She’s had a long day,” Nagi said, watching as Reo was already starting to gather the dishes.

“I think I saw a pair of pajamas when I was going through her bag earlier. Wash her up, I’ll clean over here,” Reo responded.

Him?  Wash her up?

Nagi groaned internally. Why couldn’t Reo do it?

“Why me?” He grumbled. “You’re better at it. Remember how you would always change my clothes and wash my—”

“Nagi,” Reo cut him off, his eyes darting over to Kaede to make sure she didn’t pick up on all of that, but thankfully the child was half asleep.

Nagi frowned. “I’m just saying, you’re better versed at it is all.”

“Fine,” Reo huffed. “I already cooked, but let me clean and then wash up your child.”

“She’s not my—” he started, but was immediately cut off.

“You know what I meant!”

Uh oh… he was really fucking things up, wasn’t he? If he wanted Reo to give him a second chance, he had to prove that he’s changed for the better. Kaede was his test.

“Ah. I got it, actually,” Nagi said as he stood up. “C’mon,” he whispered to Kaede, lifting her up gently as she rested against his shoulder.

Reo paused as he gathered the dishes, looking at Nagi in complete surprise. “Oh, wait, are you sure?”

“Yes, thank you for all your help. I’d be lost without you,” he said softly.

“Y-You’re welcome,” Reo stammered.

In the bathroom, he sat Kaede on the counter and began wiping off the syrup somehow smeared all over her. Including, inexplicably, behind her ear.

“How the hell did you even get it back here…” Nagi mumbled, scrubbing gently.

“Dunno.” Kaede blinked sleepily and murmured, “Thanks, Papa.”

“Hey,” he said softly, pausing for a second. “Before you sleep, I wanna tell you something.”

“Mph,” she replied, her eyes half-closed but still listening.

He took a breath. “I’ll let you call me ‘Papa’,” he said, already cringing at himself. “I won’t complain or tell you to stop— just… don’t call Reo that, okay? He doesn’t really like it.”

Kaede yawned again and leaned forward, resting her head against his chest. “’Kay,” she whispered.

“Alright,” That was easier than expected. Nagi hummed to himself, tucking the damp cloth over his shoulder. “Let’s get you into these pajamas now.”

“You actually managed to clean her up and change her all by yourself,” Reo smirked, leaning against the doorframe as he watched Nagi. “I’m impressed.”

He felt a warmth inside him from Reo’s acknowledgment.

“She had so many buttons. Why does a four year old need that many buttons,” Nagi grumbled as he cradled a sleepy Kaede in his arms.

“Well, you did it. C’mon I set up your bed for her.”

A few minutes later, they had her tucked beneath Nagi’s sheets, surrounded by pillows and her beloved bear. Kaede blinked up at them, hair a mess, looking impossibly tiny against the big bed.

“Do you want a story?” Reo asked softly, kneeling beside her.

Kaede shook her head and reached for her bear. “No. Just wanna sleep.”

“Night, kiddo. We’ll have everything sorted tomorrow,” Nagi promised with a thumbs up, not that she was really watching.

Reo smiled and brushed her hair off her forehead. “Goodnight, Kaede.”

“’Night, Mama,” she mumbled without hesitation, eyes already sliding shut.

Reo froze, absolutely stunned.

Did she just…?

Nagi had to bite his tongue to keep from bursting out laughing. “She’s half asleep,” he whispered, trying and failing to not sound smug.

“What did you tell her?!” He whisper-scolded, turning as bright as a tomato.

“Shhhh, let her sleep,” Nagi whispered back, clearly enjoying himself way too much.

“I— ” Reo tried to come up with a response, but it was like his brain got fried. Nagi smirked, heading over to flip off the light switch.

Reo muttered something under his breath as they both quietly backed out of the room.

Reo sighed as they stepped out of the room, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Mama, seriously…” he muttered under his breath, still reeling.

“You should be honored,” Nagi said, stretching his arms over his head. “That’s a promotion.”

Reo shot him a look but didn’t argue. Instead, he glanced around for his jacket and bag. “Anyway. I should get going.”

“You’re not staying?”

“I wasn’t planning to,” Reo replied, a little too quickly. “You’ve got it handled tonight. I’m going to drop off the DNA sample at Yukki’s.”

Nagi audibly groaned, not liking the way his stomach lurched just at the mere mention of the other man.

“Really?” Reo raised a brow. “I have to drop it off tonight so we can get the results quicker,” he remarked.

“I know all that,” Nagi huffed. “Does it have to be with your fiance, though?” He grumbled, stubbornly.

Reo gave him a soft smile, before grabbing his belongings. “It does, unfortunately.”

Nagi let out a breath.

“I’ll come back in the morning. We can talk more then— about… everything.”

“Cool,” Nagi said, rubbing the back of his neck.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment before Reo turned toward the door.

Please, don’t go.

“Night, Nagi.”

“Night,” Nagi whispered.

“And tell your kid not to call me that again,” Reo added as he stepped out.

“Not my kid,” He called back, before adding, “But I’ll try,” Nagi said— with zero sincerity.

The door clicked shut behind Reo, leaving the apartment quiet again. Nagi glanced back toward the bedroom, where the smallest little snore confirmed Kaede was already fast asleep.

He exhaled and rubbed his eyes.

The sunlight creeping in through the living room blinds was way too aggressive for how early it felt. Nagi stirred beneath the throw blanket, one leg half-hanging off the couch, his neck bent at an unfortunate angle.

He blinked blearily at the ceiling, momentarily disoriented. Then it hit him— the new presence down the hall. Kaede.

He sat up slowly, hair sticking out in all directions, and winced as his spine made a series of regretful noises. He picked up his phone and checked the time. 9:34AM. Nagi grunted, tossing his phone aside,

He glanced down the hallway, the door to his room left slightly ajar. Might as well check on her. He stood up and made his way down the hallway quietly, he opened the door wider, peeking in. There, in the middle of his bed was the tiny girl bundled up under the blankets. Her breaths were slow and even, her bear tucked comfortably under her chin. He hummed to himself, wondering how the hell he got himself into this situation.

Then came the knock.

Three soft, measured taps at the door. Nagi scratched at his head, shuffled over, and opened it just a crack.

Reo stood outside, holding two coffees in a carrier and looking like he hadn’t slept a wink. His button-up was slightly wrinkled, his hair barely tamed. But his eyes— they were serious.

“Morning,” Reo said softly, stepping in when Nagi moved aside. “She still sleeping?”

“Yeah,” Nagi yawned. “She has completely taken over the bed.”

Reo cracked a tiny smile and handed him one of the coffees. “Um,” he paused for a moment. “I… got the results.”

Nagi paused mid-sip, blinking over the lid. “Already?”

Reo nodded. He set his bag on the table and pulled out the sealed envelope, placing it on the counter like it might burn through the laminate.

“I didn’t open it right away. Just sat there with it for a while.”

Nagi watched him closely.

“And?”

Reo drew in a breath, then met Nagi’s gaze. “It’s Kira.”

A beat. Then another.

Nagi slowly set his coffee down. “Kira… Kira Ryosuke? That Kira?”

Reo gave a tired, dry laugh. “Yup. The one who went off to Korea, changed clubs, got himself a shiny new public image. That Kira.”

Nagi blinked hard. “No fucking way.”

“Way,” Reo deadpanned, but there was no humor in it.

The apartment was quiet except for the faint hum of the fridge and the distant chirp of birds outside. Nagi rubbed his face.

“Well,” he muttered, glancing back toward the hallway, “that’s gonna be a whole thing.”

Reo leaned against the counter, his fingers tapping anxiously on the envelope. “Yeah,” he said. “It really is.”

Chapter Text

Nagi groaned, swirling the coffee cup in his hand as he tried piecing together how he had anything to do with Kira Ryosuke’s child.

“Did you get any information on the mother?” Nagi questioned, raising a brow.

Reo shook his head. “They’re still working on that. But for now, I can probably find a way to get a hold of Kira’s contacts,” he said.

Nagi nodded, biting his lip. He couldn’t even recall the amount of times he met with Kira, maybe once or twice? He’s heard from the locker rooms over the years that after getting kicked out of his national team, Kira disappeared for a while. Then he moved to Korea and was able to meet the requirements to play for their team.

He probably had a fling with Kaede’s mom in that year he hid from public view. Nagi felt his grip on the coffee cup tighten as he came to the realization that Kira most likely left Kaede behind when she was only a baby. All for football?

“What’s going on in your head?” Reo asked, noticing how quiet Nagi had suddenly gotten.

“Eh? Oh, nothing really,” Nagi said quietly.

Reo frowned.

“Hey, talk to me please. I know this is a wild situation,” he said, eyes staring directly into Nagi’s soul.

“I just—” he paused. “I guess I’m still confused on how I fit into all this,” he shrugged.

Reo’s gaze softened, before nodding his head. “Clearly she mistook you for Kira,” he said. “Makes sense, you both have the same type of hair, both great footballers, both handsome,” he said nonchalantly.

Handsome.

A twinge of pink dusted on Nagi’s cheeks at the compliment. Even if it came at the cost of Reo also acknowledging the former ‘jewel’ of Japan. Emphasis on ‘former’… Reo should just focus on him, only.

“Oh,” was all Nagi said.

“Yeah, but— there’s still very clear differences between you guys. I mean, just in height alone,” Reo pointed out. “So, why did Kaede’s mom allow her to think it was you and not Kira.”

Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, Nagi shot upright. “Kira’s team—” he said, “they were the next match, after we won ours yesterday. That’s why her mom sent her to the stadium yesterday.”

Clearly, she got the times and matches mixed up.

“Holy shit, you’re right,” Reo stated, staring at Nagi with wide eyes. “So, if she hadn't mixed up the information Kaede would’ve found Kira easily. And from the note her mom left, clearly she wanted it to be a big display for him.”

“I knew Reo could figure it out for me,” Nagi hummed to himself, leaning against the kitchen counter and watching as Reo made himself comfortable at his small dining table.

“So, what's the plan for today then? Kira’s team has already gone back home, unfortunately.” Nagi pointed out.

Reo nodded, tapping his fingers on the table. “Well,” he started. “I still owe Kaede that limo ride,” he remembered.

Ah, that’s right.

Reo checked the time, and nodded. “We can wake her, get her some breakfast and then take her out. Maybe treat her to some ice cream afterwards?” Reo titled his head.

Nagi looked at him in shock. He sounded like he was planning out a family date, and his heart was soaring.

“Uh, yeah. Sounds good,” he cleared his throat. “Are we telling her about Kira?”

One thing Nagi started doing, whether it be unintentional or intentional he doesn’t know, but when he has to make decisions in regards to Kaede; he always considers Reo’s opinion. It’s been like that since the minute he met the girl.

Reo bit his lip, glancing over at Nagi. “I’ll leave that up to you.”

And then there was Reo, trying his hardest to distance himself from all this. Nagi doesn't blame him, of course.

“I was actually planning on finding Kira's info right now while you go wake her, and hopefully give him a call. He can easily fly back, it’s like a two hour flight at most.”

“So…”

“If all goes to plan, she can be back with her actual father by the end of the day, and you’ll be released from babysitting duty,” Reo smiled.

Hmm.

Does that mean Reo won’t be over as often?

“Then I’ll have no excuse to miss practice tomorrow,” Nagi groaned.

Reo scoffed. “You always have your priorities in order,” he said, rolling his eyes fondly.

Nagi hummed, planting himself on the chair across from Reo and resting his head on his chin. “I really am grateful to you,” he said softly.

Reo’s cheeks tinted red, quickly snapping his head in the opposite direction. “Ah, just helping a friend,” he said quickly.

A friend.

Is this something he would do for Chigiri? For Yukki? Hell, even for Shidou?

“Now, get her up so we can start the day!” He brushed him off, then immediately went to his phone, assessing his contacts for who could get him in contact with Kira. That was until he noticed the man in front of him was very much not moving.

“Nagi?” Reo raised a brow.

Nagi snorted, but shook his head and continued to stay put. “You remember what happened last night when I woke her up. Oh, no, I’m not dealing with that again. The little gremlin will wake up when she’s ready,” he said, taking a satisfactory sip of his coffee.

Reo stared at him in disbelief. “It’s nearly ten,” he exasperated.

Nagi smirked, leaning forward a little. “If you want her awake so badly, then you should do it. Maybe she’ll be kinder to her mama,” he teased.

Reo’s entire face went beet red, looking at Nagi in shock and betrayal. “Excuse me!” He snapped. “I- I am not,” he fumbled with his words while Nagi had the most smug expression on his face.

“She was half asleep when she said that. I'm sure she doesn’t even realize what she said,” Nagi told him.

“You better be right,” Reo huffed.

“Well, either way, it suits you,” he said with a small smile.

“Don’t,” Reo paused. “Do not mix me up in all of this,” he managed to get out.

“I’m not,” Nagi defended quietly.

Truthfully, he wasn’t trying to. But Reo’s presence was just so mesmerizing, so captivating— Nagi understood exactly how Kaede had fallen under his charm. It was unfair, really, how Reo moved through the world, entirely unaware of the impact he made. How he could walk into any room and brighten it without even trying.

How the hell did he manage to fumble this?

“Love you so much,” Reo murmured between kisses. He was straddling Nagi's lap, cupping his face as he engulfed the man in kiss after kiss.

“Ngh,” Nagi let out. Love? Was someone like him actually capable of receiving such affection?

Better yet,

Did he reciprocate it?

“Baby, don't think so hard about it. You'll say it when you're ready,” Reo breathed between kisses, rutting against his body.

Wasn't Reo just the best? He never pressured him into saying it back, even though Nagi could tell it was hurting the other man. But wouldn't it hurt worse if he said it without fully understanding the weight behind it?

Nagi didn't understand what love was. He could barely differentiate his feelings of anger and frustration during a soccer match, how the hell would he know what love feels like?

Didn't Reo deserve someone who knew?

What he knows about romance comes from media, whether it be music, games, movies, manga, etc. He's played a few dating simulator games, but it doesn't come close to what he felt when he was around Reo.

Reo was his first friend after all, his first person! He can explain away their codependency on this fact.

But then again, Nagi didn't want Reo to experience all the things they did together with anyone else.

He doesn’t know what that means. If it even means anything.

“I— think you're really great,” Nagi managed to get out between kisses.

No— What Reo did for him was much deeper. Fuck, why couldn’t he just admit it?

Reo snorted.

“I would hope so, my treasure.” Reo smiled, brushing Nagi’s hair out of his face and beaming at him. “You're my whole world you know? I'd bring you the moon if you asked for it.”

“The moon?” Nagi questioned, running his hands up and down Reo's back.

“And all the stars,” Reo smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

“I wouldn't even know where to put them all,” Nagi pointed out.

“In our future home, of course!” Reo grinned brightly. “We can fit them right next to a picture of us celebrating a World Cup win.”

Nagi's cheeks flamed up, Reo really had bright plans for them, didn't he? Well, he was really gonna have to pull his weight to see this come into fruition. Minus the whole moon and stars thing.

“You’ll stay with me forever?” Nagi asked, silently begging.

“Yes, of course,” Reo whispered. “You don’t even have to ask.”

“Even if we don’t win the World Cup?” He questioned, blinking his eyes.

“Ah— don’t be silly. We most certainly will!”

“... Okay, but w-what if I can’t ever say it back?” Nagi whispered. “Wouldn’t you be better off with someone who loves you?”

Instant regret twisted in Nagi’s stomach. He urged his brain to think of something, anything, to take the sting out of his words. But nothing came.

The silence stretched.

Then, a dry laugh. Reo gave him a deceptively calm smile.

“You’re saying this while I’m on your lap?” He raised an eyebrow. “Killing the mood here.”

“Ah. My bad.”

“Right then,” Reo said, and he kissed Nagi all over again.

Except this time, he avoided his lips.

Huh…

Nagi sighed. He’s agonized over his memories with Reo over and over again. And every single time, he wishes he could find some way to go back in time and shake his past self for being an oblivious dumbass. How could he have not known his feelings for Reo? He brought light into his colorless life. Of course, he loved him. From the first moment they met, his life was changed. The day his other half came in and gave him purpose. He was captivated by every second of it.

But he lost it. He lost them.

Temporarily…

He'll go to the ends of the Earth to bring them back.

“Hey, Reo,” he started, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“Hmm?” The man called, not looking up as he furiously texted.

“Well, I was just thinking…” he bit his lip. “About um, us.”

Now, that caught Reo’s attention. He stopped typing, raising a brow as his gaze landed right on Nagi’s. “Nagi—”

“I was just going to say,”

“Please don’t start—”

Before Reo could say another word, the soft creak of a door caught both of their attention.

Tiny footsteps padded across the floor, followed by a sleepy, high-pitched voice. A harsh reminder that they weren't alone in the apartment.

“...Mama? Papa? I heard yelling.”

Reo froze.

Nagi nearly spit out his coffee.

So, she did know what she was saying…

Reo's head slowly turned to where Kaede stood in the hallway, still rubbing her eyes, bedhead sticking up in all directions like a freshly hatched chick.

Should he respond? Wouldn’t that just encourage her to call him that? Seeing Reo’s horrified expression, Nagi sighed and stepped in to help.

He looked over at the girl. “Reo wasn't yelling. He just gets a little excited when he talks,” Nagi shrugged.

Kaede let out another yawn, dropping the blanket and wandered over to them.

“And stop saying that, it's not fair to your actual mom,” he pointed out. Kaede frowned, glaring at Nagi.

“But—” she began, before Nagi shushed her.

“Thank you,” Reo whispered from across the table. Nagi gave a small thumbs up, and stood up to collect the child into his arms.

Getting a closer look at the state of the girl, Nagi knew that as her self appointed babysitter he would be responsible for cleaning her up.

Her hair? A complete mess. Her eyes? Crusted over. And there was a very visible trail of drool along her chin. How would he even begin? Did this constitute a bath? What a pain.

He could ask for Reo’s help, but he was already on shaky grounds with him and he really didn’t want to push his luck.

The adrenaline from the day before was beginning to wear off and the reality of the situation was setting in as the little girl tried to free herself from his grip.

“Cocomelon,” she whined, pointing to the TV.

“Absolutely not,” Nagi said with no hesitation.

Reo let out a snort, biting back a huge grin.

“Reoo, stop enjoying this,” he whined.

“Ah, just laughing at a text from one of the supervisors,” Reo said quickly. Then, just as fast as his smile appeared, his focus shifted.

“You good?” Nagi asked, balancing the whiny, just-woken-up child on his hip.

“Got the number. Gonna try calling now while you wash her up.”

Again. Nagi was definitely noticing Reo's pattern of trying not to get too involved with Kaede. He can tell that Reo was holding himself back. Maybe he was just projecting onto him, but he knew Reo like the back of his hand and he could tell the nurturing side of him was screaming to help. But his obligations were forcing him to push it back.

“Okay,” Nagi bit his lip. “Does Reo want to help?”

“I shouldn't,” he said quickly. “I'll just be right outside. I don't want her hearing anything,” he whispered the last part.

And with that, the purple haired man closed the door behind him.

Great. Reo gets to be emotionally complicated outside, and he gets to deal with a stinky child.

“Mama left,” Kaede whined.

“He'll be right back,” Nagi hummed. “Now, uhhh— I think you should take a bath.”

“No!”

Eh?! She didn't want one?

“But you're gross,” he said simply.

Kaede whined, rubbing her face in an attempt to clean herself. “I'm fine now. TV time?”

Nagi sighed.

“Do you normally watch TV as soon as you wake up?” He questioned.

Kaede nodded enthusiastically. “Mama puts the TV on and I get to watch whatever I want!”

“Uh—”

“Or I get to play on my iPad, it's my favorite. Do you want to see it?” She perked up excitedly.

“You're four,” he stated. “Why the hell do you have an iPad?!”

Kaede tilted her head. “I've had it since I was a baby.”

Huh.

“You play games?” He asked, suddenly interested.

She nodded happily. “Yes! Wanna play with me?”

It was very tempting to just cancel the plan and play games, but he had to be responsible.

“Ehh… Maybe later.”

He doesn't remember seeing Reo take out a tablet when they went through her bag, but perhaps they missed it after being distracted with the letter and everything.

He was lost, truly. If that’s what she’s normally used to, should he just stick to her routine? He was only going to have to watch her today (if all goes to plan) then Kira can step in and take full responsibility for her, right?

He was her real dad, after all.

But taking another look at her, he felt a wave of guilt if he left her in this state. Plus, her morning breath was absolutely killing him. He completely neglected to brush her teeth last night. Is that something he should be doing? Do four year olds do that themselves?

Another question for the parenting forums.

Shit. With Reo outside and him stuck here with caregiver responsibilities it was hard to deny the facts.

There really was a small child, a whole human being, whom he was currently responsible for. He, who was an only child and not even so much as owned a pet before. His only experience in caregiving was for Choki, and that hardly qualifies.

But if Choki were dirty, he would absolutely clean him up.

Nagi tightened his grip on Kaede. “You're taking a bath,” he said sternly.

Kaede whined against him. Right, what an unspeakable horror for him to have the audacity to want her to be clean.

He sat her down on the toilet seat to wait while he filled up the tub. He made sure the water wasn’t too hot or cold by constantly dipping in his fingers then adjusting the nozzles. He wanted it to be perfect. Kaede watched him closely, swinging her legs as she babbled on about anything and everything.

“Uh huh,” he would occasionally chime in so she didn’t think he was ignoring her, but internally he was trying to figure out how this whole thing would work.

He sighed, drying off his hands and then pulling out his phone again.

how to bathe a child with no experience or products first time

He clicked his tongue as he waited for the results to pop up, resorting to the first WikiHow article he could find.

Nagi scrolled quickly, muttering under his breath. “Okay, get child ready— done. Test water temperature, done that too, ah but I don’t have any child friendly soaps.” He pouted, looking over at his arrangement of hygiene products. He stuck to the basics, just a bar of soap and some 2-1 shampoo and conditioner.

He sighed, hoping for some miracle as he opened his sink cabinet. He eyed an extra toothbrush, completely sealed in its packaging. He took it out and set it on the sink. For later.

Besides his usual items there was nothing really that could help his situation. He spotted one of Reo’s old face washes that smelled like fancy tea, and it reminded him of the times when Reo would scold him about the importance of skin care. Clearly, he didn’t take the advice. Focusing back to his situation he sighed and closed the cabinet doors, he had absolutely nothing kid-friendly.

He looked at Kaede, then back at the sad looking bath. Whatever, it’ll have to do for now. “Alright, kiddo. You ready?” He asked.

Kaede tilted her head. “You don’t have bubbles.”

“Right,” he admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

Kaede frowned, looking down in complete disappointment.

Ehh…

He didn’t like that face.

Sighing, he went back to the cabinet and grabbed Reo's fancy face wash. He poured some of it into the tub and began mixing it in the water with his hands. To his surprise, bubbles began to form. Small and scattered, but bubbles nonetheless.

“Look,” he said, calling for Kaede's attention.

Her reaction was immediate, as she smiled brightly and clapped her hands. “Yay! Now it's a real bath.”

The weird sting in his chest was suddenly gone, replaced with something else that he couldn't quite place the name of.

“You're spoiled,” he snorted, helping her out of her pajamas.

He carefully lowered her into the water, hands hovering over her like she were made of glass. She splashed immediately, giggling, and Nagi flinched as warm water hit his sleeves.

“Don’t drown,” he said cautiously as she settled in and began splashing around. He made sure the water wasn’t too high, and it’s not like he was going to leave her alone in there, but still.

Kaede giggled, cupping the bubbles in her hands and blowing them around. Nagi just blinked as he watched her, she seemed to be having fun.

Hmm.

Whatever, whether she’s having fun or not doesn’t change the fact that he has to actually clean her up now. He rolled up his sleeves and let out a breath as he kneeled beside the tub and began scrubbing her up with the washcloth. She kept squirming and splashing, and Nagi frowned at how wet he was getting from this. How do people do this every day?!

“Please sit still,” he whined.

“Wanna play pretend?” She asked, wide eyed.

“Sure,” he said calmly. “Let’s pretend you’re a kid who sits still,” he deadpanned.

Kaede narrowed her eyes at him. “Papa doesn’t want to play,” she grumbled.

“I’m not—” he started instinctively, then stopped when he remembered how he told her that he would stop correcting her. What the hell was he thinking?

He reached over for his shampoo and squeezed a pea sized amount into his hand. “Hey, tilt your head back and close your eyes.”

Kaede did as told, but continued rambling on about mermaids and pirate ships. He hummed in response, but focused on her hair. He lathered the shampoo and rinsed it off by scooping up the water in his hands. This method was not very effective and he cursed at himself for forgetting to get a cup from the kitchen.

Halfway through, he got soap in her eye, she screamed like she’d been shot, he panicked so hard he almost called Reo to help until Kaede suddenly stopped crying and went, “It’s fine now,” like she hadn't just summoned the wrath of the gods.

What the hell?!

By the end of the bath, Nagi was completely soaked.

He sat cross-legged on the bathroom floor, a towel-draped Kaede in his lap, both of them still damp and vaguely soapy. The post-bath chaos had left him exhausted.

He was trying to towel-dry her hair with a moderate amount of care, but Kaede kept turning her head like she was a cat resisting a vet visit.

“Stop moving,” he mumbled.

“You’re pulling it!”

“I’m literally not. You’re just dramatic.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re not supposed to say that to kids.”

“Where does it say that?”

“In my brain.”

Nagi snorted. “Got it, I’ll ask your brain for babysitting tips instead of Google.”

“I hold all the answers,” she said confidently.

“Uh huh,” he murmured. He pulled out some clothes from her bag, a simple pair of shorts and pink glittery t-shirt. He helped her into the fresh clothes, then opened up the toothbrush from earlier. “Okay, we’re almost done. Just need to brush your teeth.”

“That’s not my toothbrush,” she whined.

“Well, it is now,” he ran the toothbrush under the water. Kaede definitely wasn’t tall enough to use the sink, so he crouched down and began brushing her teeth. He then lifted her so she could spit out of the remaining toothpaste in the sink.

Setting her back down, he gave her a once over and admired his handiwork. She looked like a human child again.

“Amazing,” he muttered. “You’re clean. You’re dressed. You didn’t drown. I deserve a nap.”

“Mama!” He heard Kaede squeal as he removed a piece of lint from her shirt. His head whipped to the door, where a cheeky looking Reo was standing, leaning against the doorframe and watching the two of them with a small grin.

“How long have you been standing there?” Nagi asked, trying to sound nonchalant and not like he just survived a war zone. Kaede ran over to Reo, nuzzling against his legs.

Reo’s cheeks brightened, and he hesitated for a moment before Kaede raised her arms. He spared a glance at Nagi, who shrugged.

“Ah, I was just there for a few minutes.” He answered, picking Kaede up and resting her on his hip like he’s seen Nagi do. “Hey, you look all fresh now,” he smiled.

“Papa cleaned me, but he didn’t want to play pretend,” she frowned.

“Oh, wow. What a weenie,” Reo teased, sticking his tongue at Nagi. Nagi’s eyes widened. He didn’t expect Reo to go along with what she was saying. The fact that he was even holding her was doing things to his heart.

“I had to focus,” he grumbled. He desperately wanted to ask about the phone call, but he knew he couldn’t in front of Kaede. This would have to wait until later.

“Jesus, what the hell happened?” Reo asked as he saw the state of the bathroom. His eyes nearly bulged when he saw his old face wash sitting at the edge of the tub. “You still have that?”

“She wanted bubbles,” he said quietly. “Now she smells like you.”

Reo’s face went red, and he cleared his throat. “Ahh, she’s nearly perfect. You just forgot to brush her hair,” he tsked.

Nagi pouted. “I don’t have a brush.”

Reo gaped at him. “Professional athlete and doesn’t own a brush.”

“I keep forgetting, it’s in my locker.”

Reo sighed, running his fingers through Kaede’s hair. “We could just put it in a ponytail, she’ll be fine.”

Nagi simply stared in awe as Reo pulled out a spare hair tie from his pocket, holding it in his mouth as he smoothed out her hair and then expertly tied it up. Kaede didn’t even fidget for him like she would’ve if it were Nagi.

“Yay,” Kaede smiled, leaning against Reo.

“You’re too good at this,” Nagi whispered.

Reo’s eyes widened, before shaking his head. “Eh, I just know how to do ponytails, you gave her a full bath.”

Nagi looked at him with wide eyes. Reo was praising him! He could bask in this.

“Soo… who wants breakfast in a limo?” Reo smiled, poking Kaede’s nose.

“Please, please!” Kaede said excitedly.

How she still had this energy after all of that Nagi would never know.

Kids were insane.

By the end of their little outing, all that energy Kaede had completely dwindled. She was fast asleep by the time they made it back to the apartment, and Nagi let her rest on his bed yet again. He was truly envious, because he wanted to nap so badly, but Reo was here and he didn’t want to waste time alone with him. He didn’t mind Kaede’s presence, but most of his time with Reo was occupied by her and he desperately craved the man’s attention.

No, he wasn’t jealous of a child.

“Reooo, I’m tired too.” Nagi whined as he plopped on the couch next to the purple haired man. Reo stiffened, biting his lip.

“What? You wanna lay in my lap like she did?” He questioned with a laugh. He clearly wasn’t being serious, but…

“I can?” Nagi asked, his eyes wide.

A beat.

“Sure,” Reo whispered.

Nagi wasted no time and adjusted himself so his head laid perfectly in Reo’s lap. The perfect pillow.

“Thank you again for everything. You're really, really good at this parenting thing,” Nagi said.

“I just like taking care of people. I'm not her mom, jeez, how embarrassing," Reo whined, recalling how she kept repeating it during the limo ride.

“And I'm not her dad,” he shrugged. “We're just playing pretend…” He bit his lip.

Reo didn’t respond, and after a moment of quiet, Nagi decided to finally ask.

“Is Kira on his way yet?” He asked, figuring now would be the best time to discuss that.

Reo sighed. “I couldn't get him to answer my call…” he admitted, his voice sharp.

Nagi's eyes snapped open. “What.”

“I sent multiple texts, calls, and emails. I left several voicemails. I haven't heard shit from him.”

Nagi let out a groan. “What a dick.”

Reo let out a snort. “Exactly.”

“Should we fly out to him? If he's ignoring us.” Reo mentioned earlier how it was a two hour flight. They could realistically do that. Tomorrow though, because Nagi was completely done for the rest of the day.

Reo raised a brow. “I was hoping to wait for his response, or for Yukki to bring me the mother’s information.”

At the mention of the other man, Nagi suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable in Reo's lap. He knows it's a fully contractual agreement, however that didn't make him hate it any less. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Reo definitely noticed his mood shift.

“I'm thinking you have her for one more day, at most. I'm sure we'll get her back to someone tomorrow.”

“Well, at least I can ditch morning practice,” he yawned.

“Eh?! You can't skip practice.” Reo looked personally offended by the suggestion. Why…

“But Kaede,” Nagi pointed out.

“I'll watch her,” he said like it was the most obvious suggestion

Nagi's heart skipped several beats, he should be dead.

“I thought you said not to get you involved,” he pointed out, not because he wanted to argue, but because he wanted to know what changed Reo’s mind.

“That was before I realized what a dick Kira is. If Kaede has to go back to him, we can at least make her stay here as pleasant as possible, right?”

Nagi's mind was reeling. “Yeah,” he whispered.

Chapter Text

Trying to get Kaede to sleep proved to be a task far more difficult than Nagi had anticipated.

Why did she have to fight it so hard? If someone told him to go to sleep, he’d do it without a second thought.

Well, maybe he could understand why she was having a meltdown right now. And that was because Reo was saying goodbye for the night. He sighed, leaning against the wall while Kaede cried and tugged at Reo’s hand, using all her strength to keep the other man from leaving.

She was at this for a solid half hour now, and Nagi would be impressed if he didn’t feel so bad.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Reo cooed, crouching down to her level. “I need to go do adult stuff and Nagi doesn’t have all the things I need.”

Nagi frowned. Whatever Reo needed, he would make sure to get it, no hesitation.

“But you can’t leave!” Kaede wailed, then threw herself onto the floor, kicking and sobbing like her world was ending.

Nagi pressed his lips together and shot Reo a glance, apologetic and maybe just a little desperate.

“You could stay the night, if you wanted…” he bit his lip. “You’re just going to be back in the morning, wouldn’t it be easier to just stay here?”

He was saying this on Kaede’s behalf, of course. No other ulterior motives…

Reo exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “I can’t tonight.”

Kaede’s cries only got louder as they echoed through the room.

Nagi nodded. “Alright,” he said, not wanting to push it further.

“Make him stay, papa!”

Nagi crouched beside her, gently patting her head. “Reo has to go, but I’m staying, okay? Doesn’t that make you happy?” He tilted his head at her, voice soft.

Kaede whimpered, wiping her eyes as she blinked up at Nagi. “I want both of you,” she sniffled.

His chest tightened at the scene.

He was genuinely worried she was going to start hyperventilating.

He wouldn’t lie, he didn’t like seeing Kaede look so upset. It triggered something in him, an urge to make the tears stop. It was like whenever Reo was upset, he hated it.

He scooped Kaede into his arms, her tiny body trembling against his shoulder as he rubbed soothing circles into her back. “It’ll be okay,” he whispered. “We can play games on your iPad, then I’ll stay with you all night. And when you wake up in the morning, Reo will be right here.”

Reo simply watched, blinking slowly as he watched the way Nagi tried calming the girl.

Kaede’s cries were beginning to slow down, and Nagi let out a sigh of relief. “You’ll be good, now?” He asked.

Kaede nodded slowly, rubbing her fists against her eyes.

“Let me,” he said, softly.

He grabbed a tissue, carefully wiping the last of her tears and snot from her face before setting her back down.

“Go say goodnight,” he gestured to the girl.

Her lip quivered, but she ran to Reo, throwing herself into his arms. Reo knelt down to embrace her, hugging her tight and whispering something into her ear that Nagi couldn’t hear.

There was a heaviness building in his chest.

He wouldn’t let himself think about it too hard. Whatever this was, it was only temporary. He wouldn’t let himself become attached, especially if they were going to take her back tomorrow.

Well. That was also an if.

They still hadn’t heard anything from Kira. No update on her mom either. And if Kaede was still here come Monday…

Then things would start to feel a little too real.

Because he and Reo both had jobs. They couldn’t just drop everything. Would they have to hire a babysitter? But then how could they explain why they had next to nothing for childcare? He had no idea what could happen… All he knew was that one way or another Kaede’s fate had to be decided tomorrow.

And this simply wasn’t sustainable.

He was grateful Reo had the weekend off and could watch Kaede during his short training session tomorrow.

But he was already worrying about Monday— when Reo would have to slip back into corporate mode. And when he actually had a full day worth of drills, training, meetings, and sponsors.

This honestly shouldn’t even be their problem.

And yet…

“Alright, Kaede. Let’s get you washed up,” Nagi yawned, suddenly feeling how heavy his own limbs were. Now he was the one getting tired.

Reo patted Kaede’s head gently, his bangs falling over his eyes as he dipped his head. “Goodnight, Nagi,” he murmured.

Nagi just stared, watching as Reo carefully peeled Kaede off his arm, then grabbed his things and moved toward the door.

He wanted to say something…

Something like please don’t leave, again. Or I want you to stay.

His mouth opened, but nothing came out. He felt paralyzed by the fear of saying the wrong thing. Again. As always. Wasn’t that always their issue? Nagi’s lack of thinking before he would say something so irresponsible.

He couldn’t make that mistake again. That’s why he stood frozen, his throat felt too tight, like it was closing in on him. His limbs, too heavy.

And before he knew it, the door clicked shut behind Reo. He missed his chance.

Kaede sniffled softly from beside him, but Nagi couldn’t look away from the door.

The apartment felt colder. Quieter.

He hated it.

Reo let out the loudest sigh of his life the moment he entered his car, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles went white.

What the absolute fuck was he doing…

Everything was going fine.

Everything was going to plan.

He was doing a great job at keeping Nagi at a distance, even Chigiri was proud of how well he was doing… though his advice was to cut Nagi off completely and never look back. Reo had tried that already, and those had been the longest, most miserable months of his life.

Still, Nagi did come crawling back and apologized, so... a win's a win. Right?

He loved Nagi, more than he loved anything in this world. But, he couldn’t help the gnawing feeling in his gut that Nagi was simply tolerating him.

Back in the days when they were fooling around, (and truly, that’s all it was, he knows this now) Reo was on cloud nine. He let himself believe Nagi might actually feel the same. The way he kissed him so raw and needy— it made Reo feel like the only person who mattered.

Being wanted like that? It was everything.

Nagi didn’t need him, of course not. But Nagi had chosen him.

And that mattered to Reo.

Because when that man couldn’t even put effort into chewing, he gave his all to Reo.

At least... until he didn’t.

What Reo thought was forever turned out to be merely temporary.

He felt like such a fool…

When he first confessed his love to Nagi, of course he didn't expect a huge reaction, no fireworks or an immediate proposal… but he also didn’t expect nothing.

Nagi couldn’t say it back. He didn’t even try.

He grinned and told Nagi it was okay, even if he was dying inside. Then he started noticing little things, like the rose-colored glasses had been yanked off his face and his gut retched at how often he babied the man. Maybe that’s all he wanted— a mommy and not a boyfriend.

So, Reo eventually gave up.

It officially ended when Nagi called him a pain in the ass because he was pursuing his business career, but this was always the end for him. Sure, they didn’t win a World Cup, but Nagi and him played soccer until the end. He had a damn good time, too.

His dream had evolved over the time he spent with Nagi, he wanted to see the other man become the best in the world, and he wanted to be the sole motivator behind that. But the more Nagi relied on him, the less effort he put into his goals. Reo was getting scolded by his teammates, it didn’t help that Nagi wouldn’t say anything back. So, he did what any sane person would do and simply excluded himself. He did it for Nagi, like everything else he does.

Did he tell the other man any of this? No! He shouldn’t have to.

So when Nagi got his contract offer, Reo had already decided what his own fate would be. He was fine with it, it was his next natural step. He didn’t anticipate, however, for Nagi to spew such cruel words at him, calling him a pain and a hassle. Reo was rightfully upset.

Nagi deserved every minute of Reo’s silence, but Reo didn’t. His heart ached, but he had a business to run now, and handling a CEO transition did, unfortunately, take most of his time.

When Nagi came back into his life, apologizing for ever saying such cruel things to him, he figured this was a step in the right direction. They had to take it slow, though. And even though Nagi was simply respecting the boundaries that Reo put in place, he was still going crazy.

Maybe that’s why he agreed to the contract marriage in the first place.

Reo’s father started to up the pressure by reminding him about settling down and preparing for the next heir.

“Father, I’m not marrying a woman. I can’t accept this contract,” Reo said, with no trace of hesitation in his voice. His heart belonged to a man. One aggravating, stubborn man.

His father sighed, nodding as he pulled the contract away and took out a new one. Reo was taken aback, not expecting another to be ready and written up.

“In the chance you said that, I had a backup plan. You can marry a man. We’ll run a background check on who, but otherwise the choice is yours. However, we still need an heir with Mikage blood. In this contract, you will be given permission to marry who you see fit, so long as you undergo artificial insemination with a woman we’ve already preselected to carry the child.”

His father was out of his mind.

“You’re kidding, right?” Reo tilted his head.

“On the contrary, we’ve just been waiting for you.”

“Father, I’m not agreeing to this.”

His father sighed, rubbing his temples. “Well, as you’ve taken over the company the choice is ultimately yours. I’m just highly recommending this. I’d hate to see our bloodline end with you.”

Reo shut it down completely, and it wasn’t until he was scrolling through his old pictures with Nagi that a thought occurred in his head.

He couldn’t just be friends with Nagi. Yes, he had the man back in his life, but this was worse than when they weren’t talking. They were hesitant around each other, shy, aloof…

He truly hadn’t anticipated how lonely this would be. How texting each other about their days, sending random memes, songs, and videos weren’t enough. He desperately craved more, and he began to wonder if the feeling was mutual.

And maybe a proper conversation with the man would clear up a few things, but he didn’t want to get his heart broken again. So, he decided to just go for the contract marriage. To help him officially move on from whatever it was he had with Nagi.

But deep down, he truly agreed to it so that Nagi could stop him.

”Can you make sure your assistant sends over that file by the end of the day? We’ll be keeping in touch,” Yukimiya said over the phone.

“Right, right,” Reo answered, completely disinterested. His fingers kept flipping through the marriage contract. “Hey, Yukki, can I ask a favor?” He said, his heart racing from the adrenaline.

“Oh! Yes, of course.”

“Uhm, can I tell Nagi that we’re getting married?” He bit his lip.

“... I’m sorry?”

After explaining his situation, Yukki definitely thought he was crazy, but agreed anyway.

“And hey, if he doesn’t end up responding in the way you want… I’d still be okay with upholding my end of the contract,” Yukki said, so easy going like he didn’t just agree to a marriage with Reo.

“Hah? I wouldn’t expect that from you,” Reo said quickly.

“I insist.”

So that was that. All that was left now was to break the news.

He imagined it so clearly. Telling Nagi. Watching his expression twist with jealousy or regret. maybe even just a flash of something real. He didn’t need a full confession. Just a sign that he wasn’t the only one still holding on.

But then… Kaede happened.

One moment he was bracing himself to see Nagi again, ready to push the tension between them into some kind of answer, and the next, he was being called Mama by a child who barely knew him.

The worst part is that he didn’t hate it.

Reo was about to abort his mission, but then he saw his emails. Yukki had sent him a PDF version of the contract, with his virtual signature on it. Worst of all, his father had been included in the email, and was sending his congrats and making plans for this to all go public within weeks.

Oh, god. What the fuck?! Now he had to tell Nagi.

He was pissed, but he still needed Yukki’s help for Kaede. That, and he made this mess himself.

So when he eventually told Nagi, he couldn’t control his own nerves. He was unfocused, shaky, but he still caught the way Nagi’s demeanor changed. He looked… visibly disturbed. Like, he wanted to say something, and Reo was waiting for it, but that’s when Kaede snuck up on them saying she was hungry.

He saw how quickly Nagi snapped from whatever this was right into Dad mode.

Reo’s breath hitched.

Because he saw it then, clear as day: Nagi hadn’t stopped caring. He was just being careful.

Careful with Kaede. Careful with him.

And now Reo didn’t know what the hell he was supposed to do with that.

Everything shifted.

The whole Kaede thing just made things even more complicated. He thought he would be simply working out his relationship, but now it seems much deeper than that. It’s killing him to see how gentle Nagi is with her, he’s a damn natural. Like he was born for this role.

When the hell did he get like this?

It didn’t make any sense. Nagi had never shown this side before— this soft, attentive version of himself that paid attention to another person’s needs before his own. He was so patient with her. So calm.

Kaede clung to him like she belonged there. And Reo had watched, stunned, as Nagi didn’t just allow it— he seemed to welcome it. He picked her up when she cried. He spoke to her gently. He fed her, bathed her, changed her.

He could deny it all he wants, but he knows that when they return her to Kira, he’s going to deal with a devastated Nagi. That’s why Reo’s trying to reserve himself as best he can, but he’s not sure he’s doing a great job. Saying goodbye right now, while the small child cried for him to stay felt like a knife to the heart.

He must’ve zoned out for the whole drive because he didn’t even remember how he got home.

He scrubbed a hand over his face, exhausted down to the bone.

Then, unexpectedly, he heard the ding of his phone. He glanced at the screen and saw it was a text from an unknown number. He could feel his heart rate skyrocket.

[Unknown]
Stop trying to contact me. I have nothing to do with whatever you’re suggesting. If you don’t leave me alone I’ll contact my lawyers.

Fuck off.

What the…

Reo was seething. If this was from who he thought he was…

But there was no doubt about it, of course it’s from Kira.

Her actual dad. The one person who should’ve cared. Who could’ve taken this weight off Reo and Nagi’s shoulders.

Instead, he sent a message like Kaede was just a nuisance.

Reo laughed, bitter and humorless. He wasn’t scared of the threat of a lawyer. That’s his bread and butter. So he wasted no time in calling the number. He just had to hear it for himself.

It rang once. Twice.

Reo waited and then finally, an answer.

“Did you not read my text? Fuck off,” Kira spoke, sounding so cold and annoyed.

“Oh, my bad. Am I disturbing whatever the hell it is your doing by telling you that you have a daughter?”

There was a beat of silence, then a dry laugh.

“I gave up all parental rights to her. Dunno what her mother told you, or how you’re even involved, but the second she told me she was pregnant; I was gone,” his voice was a hushed whisper now. “I’ve moved on. I have my own family here, my wife and two sons. That woman has tried ruining my life ever since she realized I didn’t want her. Leave me out of whatever the fuck you’re doing. Don’t disturb my peace again.”

“Wait— Kira, you don’t just get to—” Reo snapped, but it was too late. Kira had hung up.

Reo wanted to scream.

Of course. Why would Kira care? He had the perfect career, the perfect family, perfect little life.

And here Reo was. Falling apart in a car. Stupidly in love with his ex and emotionally tangled up with a child who wasn’t his.

The next morning came too quickly for the emotional meltdown he had all night.

He kept tossing and turning, hearing Kira’s cold, cold voice in his head. That, along with his anxiety over what the hell they were going to do now, made for a pretty terrible night of sleep. He wouldn’t tell Nagi anything just yet, maybe when he got home from practice.

He sighed, desperately needing coffee, so he figured he’d take the girl with him to a cafe.

When he arrived at Nagi’s apartment, Kaede came running to the door, already dressed, clutching her teddy bear and yelling, “Mama!”

And suddenly it was harder to breathe.

He bent down to catch her as she leapt into his arms, the force of her hug almost knocking him off balance. She smelled like his old lavender face wash again. And his heart leapt in his chest picturing Nagi waking up early just to get Kaede ready for the day.

God, he was so fucked.

Nagi emerged from the hallway, letting out a yawn. “She’s been asking for you since she woke up,” he said softly.

Reo managed a smile. “Really? I thought I’d get a day off.”

Kaede gasped. “What?! Nooo! No off!”

“Guess not,” Reo said, voice softening as he hoisted her onto his hip.

Nagi smirked faintly and knelt down to tie his shoes. “Don’t hesitate to call me if anything goes wrong, though, I doubt it,” he shrugged.

Reo nodded, still feeling like there was a stone lodged in his chest. He watched Nagi’s back as he stood and grabbed his duffle bag.

“Good luck at practice,” Reo offered, quieter than usual.

Nagi paused by the door. “Thanks. You okay?”

Reo forced a laugh, shifting Kaede in his arms. “Yeah. Just tired.”

It wasn’t a lie. Just not the full truth.

Nagi gave him a long look, then gently reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Kaede’s ear. “She’s lucky to have you.” Then, he looked right at Kaede. “Be good.”

“Of course, papa,” Kaede smiled, nuzzling into Reo’s neck.

Then he was gone.

And Reo stood there in the quiet, Kaede’s small hands tugging at his hoodie, completely unaware that the man who gave her life didn’t want anything to do with her.

“Hey, since you’re all ready to go, want to join me on a coffee adventure?”

“What’s that.” she asked blankly.

Reo couldn’t help the little smile that formed on his face, ruffling her hair. “C’mon.”

The café was quiet in the early morning lull, a little sunlight streaming through the windows and pooling across the tiled floor. Kaede had insisted on holding Reo’s hand the whole walk over, and Reo didn’t mind.

Now, he watched as she was pressed up against the bakery's display case, nose almost smudging the glass as she stared down the rows of croissants, scones, muffins, danishes, and many more.

“Mama,” she whispered quietly, tugging Reo’s sleeve. “Can I have the brownie,” she said as she pointed to the fudgey bar on display.

Reo was mostly focused on what drink to get, but a sweet treat he didn’t mind at all.

“Alright,” he nodded. “We can probably get you a hot cocoa too, does that sound nice?”

“Yay!” She cheered, focusing back at the glass case. “Brownie,” she murmured to herself.

He was about to call her over so that they could start their order, that was until a voice from behind cut into the moment.

“She doesn’t need that much sugar,” said an older woman in line, arms crossed over her chest. “It’s too early in the day. You’re going to let her eat that whole thing? No wonder kids these days are— ”

“Excuse me?” Reo said, head snapping in the direction of the lady.

Kaede’s eyes widened as she ran to Reo’s leg and shrank behind him.

The woman raised her brows. “I’m just saying. Someone has to. That’s way too fattening for a girl her age.”

Reo stared at her, chest tight. “Don’t talk to her like that.”

“I was only trying to help— ”

“No. You don’t get to speak to my daughter that way.”

The words left his mouth without hesitation. He didn’t even realize what he’d said until the silence that followed.

The woman blinked, taken aback. Reo didn’t wait for her to respond. He turned, ushering Kaede toward the front of the line.

Kaede’s little hand slid into his again, her grip firmer this time. She looked up at him, eyes wide.

“You called me your daughter.”

Reo swallowed, throat suddenly tight. “Yeah. I guess I did.”

She beamed, and it was the kind of smile that made something in his chest ache.

“I want two brownies,” she smirked.

“Don’t push it,” Reo rolled his eyes fondly.

Chapter Text

Crap.

Why the hell did he say that?! How did that even slip out of his mouth?

Reo was trying so hard to find a way to rationalize what he just did.

It must've been because he was still reeling from Kira's words.

Or it could be a mix of annoyance from the silence of her actual mother, who completely abandoned her and seems to have gone off the grid.

Maybe he was also still pissed at how Yukki had jumped the gun on signing that marriage contract and letting his father know.

Maybe he was confused because before this weekend, his life was organized, well-adjusted, and there was a clear path he was following. Sure, he wasn’t the greatest mentally, but still. He was managing just fine.

But now? Well, it was all burnt to the ground. In just the span of a few days his life has gone completely off the rails, and it was no one’s fault but his own.

And yet… he actually felt okay. Maybe even good.

He definitely hadn’t felt this good in almost two years now. Not that he’d ever admit to that.

So when that random older woman started berating Kaede, something in him just snapped.

He may not be able to control his own life, but he could make sure this poor child who— at just four years old, had been completely abandoned by the people who were supposed to cherish her— was at least happy.

And if that means defending her against a random stranger, he'd do it no problem.

Hopefully that was enough.

Kaede was sitting beside him now, legs swinging as she happily bit into her brownie. Reo’s phone was propped horizontally against the café’s napkin holder, playing a kid-friendly video he’d found. He eyed her as a little bit of chocolate smudged onto her cheek.

Reo hummed to himself, grabbing a napkin to clean her up. Kaede whined at the disruption. “I can do it,” she grumbled.

Reo snorted. “I’ve been watching you for the last ten minutes, you made no move to clean it up and I'm not bringing you back to your father all messy.”

He froze mid-wipe at his own words.

Has he ever referred to Nagi as her dad before?

Surely not… at least, definitely not so blatantly. He had no idea how Nagi would even react to this.

Kaede, completely unfazed and focusing on the phone again, shrugged. “Okay, fine. That saves me from another boring bath.”

Ohhh, wait until Nagi hears about that one.

“Boring, huh?” Reo raised a brow.

Kaede sighed dramatically, looking Reo dead in the eyes like it was the most serious matter ever. “No toys,” she said.

He almost laughed at how ridiculous it was.

“You want toys? We can make that happen,” Reo said, mostly to himself. Clearly, Kaede would be sticking around a little longer than anticipated. So, maybe it was reasonable to purchase things that would make her stay a little more exciting.

He would also have to ask Ba-Ya later on if she could babysit Kaede tomorrow while he and Nagi returned to work.

He did think briefly about bringing Kaede to work with him, but that would raise way too many questions and he couldn't trust that she wouldn't air out their dirty laundry. On the other hand, if she tagged along with Nagi, there was no guarantee he’d be able to keep an eye on her and focus on practice.

Even though she clearly could manage on her own, Reo wasn’t going to let that be the case anymore.

Or, at least not while she's under his care.

Of course, he was making all these plans while Nagi was none the wiser, but he’ll catch the man up to speed later on.

He’s sure he wouldn’t mind the changes.

“Hey, Nagi! Hold up—” Chigiri called as he followed his teammate out the hall.

Sunday practices were usually laid-back, and they often got to leave early. Even Ego didn’t clock in on Sundays and had his assistant run drills. Nagi had been counting on that, he just wanted to get home.

A strange feeling, considering he never used to care about rushing anywhere. But now, he had people waiting for him. Something about that brought out a sense of responsibility he wasn’t used to, and he was getting a weird kind of anxiety being away from Reo and Kaede for too long.

He was also considering stopping by a grocery store and bringing home lunch. They would like that wouldn't they? The image of a smiling, surprised Reo helped seal his decision. He slung his bag over his shoulder and was about to exit the stadium when he heard Chigiri calling out to him.

“What's up?” He asked when the shorter man approached him. Honestly, Nagi was ready to go. Couldn’t this wait until tomorrow?

“I didn't want to ask earlier, but,” he paused, looking around and continuing when he spotted no one. “What's going on with that girl? Did you figure all that out yet?”

Ahh, right. He almost forgot that he left Kaede with Chigiri that first time she plowed into his life. Still, couldn't they have this conversation over text? He just wanted to leave…

“Oh, uh,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “It's still… in process,” he said simply. He didn't want to give too much away, especially since everything was still uncertain.

Chigiri raised a brow. “Eh? It's been three days, no? You still haven’t returned her to her mom?” He questioned in disbelief.

Why's he making it sound like he kidnapped her or something? Nagi huffed.

“Still haven't had contact with her parents, but Reo's been on top of it so—”

“Reo?!” Chigiri practically yelled. His eyes narrowed. “Don't tell me you actually dragged him into that.”

Nagi suddenly felt like he was being put on trial here. “I told you I was going to ask for his help,” he said, a little defensively.

“I thought you'd come to your senses and realize how stupid that would be.”

“No,” Nagi’s tone sharpened. “Reo's been a life saver, and I know I owe him a lot for all he's done so far. You don't need to tell me that.”

“I knew you guys were back on a talking basis, but I didn’t realize how fast you were becoming codependent again,” he said.

Nagi simply stared at him, unsure of how to respond to that. Was it really codependency again? Nagi didn’t feel that way… it felt different this time around. Deeper.

“Whatever,” Chigiri said after the silence and ran a hand through his hair. “Where is she, anyway? If you're actually taking care of her, why isn't she here?”

Nagi frowned. Wasn't that obvious? “Reo's watching her.”

Chigiri blinked. For a second, he looked like he hadn’t heard right. Then his expression twisted into something a mix of disbelief and fury.

“What?”

Nagi shifted, uncomfortable. “He’s been helping me with her since the first night. I didn’t really know what to do, and— ”

“Are you serious right now?” Chigiri stepped closer, lowering his voice, but it only made him sound more intense.

“Let me get this straight,” he said. “Not only did you put all the pressure on him to solve this issue for you, but you actually had him meet the girl, too?! And you have him babysitting?”

“I didn’t put any pressure on him,” he said quickly. “I just asked for help. Why? Were you going to do it? Should I have consulted with the princess?” He snapped.

Nagi knew Chigiri was angry, he just simply didn’t understand how this upset him so much.

Chigiri snorted. “You’re insane, actually.”

He was starting to get irritated.

“What’s the issue? She really likes Reo, and I know I can trust him.”

“You’re talking like she’s actually your kid, are you delusional now? You know she isn't, right?” Chigiri snapped.

Nagi wanted to leave. Now.

“I know,” he said, tone flat. “What’s your problem? I thought you didn’t hate me anymore. You were just joking about me taking him out on a date.”

“I don’t hate you. You both frustrate the hell out of me,” he pinched the bridge of his nose. “My problem is that you still seem so clueless as to how much you hurt him. I was the one who had to sit with him when he cried over you for weeks. I was the one who told him it wasn’t his fault you didn’t care enough. I told him— I told him he deserved someone who gave a damn about him, who actually puts in effort.” He breathed hard, clenching his fists. “And for a while, he actually started to believe it. He started to grow up and let go.”

Nagi’s stomach twisted. He hadn't known it was that bad. Or maybe he never wanted to know.

“Now you show up with a kid, and what? He just drops everything to play house with you?” Chigiri asked, his voice quieter but colder. “You brought him back in with a kid, Nagi. A kid. Don’t you realize how manipulative that is?”

“I didn’t mean for it to be like that,” Nagi mumbled, guilt sinking in fast and deep.

Chigiri shook his head. “Maybe not. But it doesn’t matter. He still loves you. He might not say it, but I can tell. And now he’s back in your orbit, doing whatever you need again, like nothing ever happened.”

He still loved Nagi? Chigiri clearly didn’t know anything.

“It’s not like that,” Nagi whispered. “You don’t have the full story, so stop. I already talked to him about this, and he’s not doing whatever I want because if he was we’d be living together and he wouldn’t be engaged to someone else.”

Chigiri rolled his eyes. “That sham engagement. You know that’s not real, right?”

“He said it’s a contract marriage, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening, right?”

“I would bet highly against it,” Chigiri snorted.

Nagi just stared at him.

“Look, I'm just giving you some tough love because I care about both of you, genuinely. Figure your shit out before you lead Reo on again, and definitely figure this out before including a kid in all this.”

Chigiri walked away, his footsteps echoing down the corridor like the final blow of a match Nagi hadn’t even realized he’d lost.

The silence that followed was louder than any argument.

Nagi didn’t move.

He stood there, staring at the exit doors he’d been so eager to walk through five minutes ago. His bag was slipping off his shoulder, but he didn’t fix it. His chest felt weird. Tight. Heavy. Like something had dropped in there and wedged itself between his ribs.

He felt like he’d been living in some sort of dream the last few days, and Chigiri gave him a very rude awakening. The worst part was that he was right. What the hell was he thinking, bringing Reo back into his mess, again?

He hadn’t meant for it to go this way. He just… didn’t want to be alone in it. And Reo was always the person he turned to when things got hard. Without thinking. Without hesitation.

Because Reo made everything easier.

And Reo… Reo looked happy. Laughing, even. Making breakfast for dinner, holding her, helping her sleep. Nagi had wanted to believe that meant he was fine. That maybe, somehow, this was okay.

He suddenly remembered how cautious Reo had been around the two, and now it was really making sense. Even just this morning, Reo had a tired expression on his face, but said he was fine. Nagi didn’t even push for answers.

He sat down on a bench near the entrance, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor like it might tell him what to do.

Had he really been so selfish?

Thinking back on everything, not just their Kaede situation, but their whole relationship in general.

…Yeah. He had.

He was simply too caught up in whatever this was. It was nice, keeping Reo close again. It felt natural. Easy. Like slipping into something familiar and warm.

But Reo wasn’t his to hold onto.

Not after how things ended. Not after how badly he’d hurt him.

And now… now he might be hurting him all over again.

Nagi ran a hand over his face, slowly, as if it might wipe away the guilt sinking into his skin.

He thought about Kaede— her laughter, her tiny hands clinging to Reo’s shirt. She adored him. Of course she did. Everyone did. But that wasn’t fair to her, either. She deserved stability, not someone who was using a father figure to patch a broken heart.

And Reo deserved freedom.

He’d grown. He’d healed. And Nagi had just… pulled him back in.

Nagi exhaled slowly and stood.

His decision settled like a stone in his chest, steady and cold.

He had to fix this.

He had to figure things out with Kaede on his own— get the answers, make the decisions, take responsibility.

And he had to let both of them go.

When Nagi unlocked the door, he didn’t know what he was going to walk into. But it definitely wasn’t scattered toy boxes, all emptied, all over his living room floor. He even spotted a big shopping bag on the table and peeked inside, his eyes widening when he saw an assortment of outfits. All Kaede sized.

He set his own bag down, and the one from the grocery store— even though he had a tough conversation later he still followed through on his idea to bring food for everyone— and took in everything.

To say he was confused was an understatement.

“Reo? Kaede?” He called out loud. To be honest, he was a little surprised that Kaede hadn’t already come to greet him. Not that he was expecting it or anything…

He heard the muffled sounds of their voices coming from down the hallway. But it wasn’t from his room or the bathroom. The sounds were coming from his completely abandoned guest room. More like an extra storage room at this point, but why would those two be in there?

Nagi approached slowly, eyebrows furrowing at the closed door. He turned the knob and entered slowly, peeking his head in.

His breath hitched at the scene in front of him.

There, right in the middle of the room, sat Reo and Kaede on the floor surrounded by plushies, plastic tea cups, and half-dressed dolls. The once dusty guest room looked completely transformed— or rather, overtaken. His old moving boxes had been pushed against the far wall, practically stacked to the ceiling to make space for a soft, pink play mat and piles of sparkly things.

Kaede was wearing a pink princess tiara and giggling as she directed Reo around. Reo, who was holding a plastic sword, and playing around with her easily. He didn’t look embarrassed. In fact, he looked… happy. Carefree in a way Nagi hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Wha…” he murmured, catching Reo’s attention first before Kaede’s.

“Look who’s home!” Reo smiled brightly at Kaede, spinning her around to face Nagi. Her eyes brightened as she ran to him.

“Papa!” She squealed, nuzzling into his legs. “I’m a princess, do you like it?” She laughed.

“Of course,” he said without hesitation, glancing over at Reo. “What happened here?” He tilted his head.

Reo smiled softly, standing up and dusting off his pants. “I might’ve gone a little overboard at the store earlier,” he shrugged.

“Do you wanna see my new toys?” Kaede smiled, taking his hand to lead him deeper in the room. Nagi followed her lead, trying to avoid stepping over a few plushies on the way.

Nagi blinked slowly. His gaze swept over the mess, the tiaras, the soft, pure joy on Kaede’s face… he didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know how to process this.

“I see,” Nagi said, his voice caught somewhere between awe and disbelief.

“Sorry, she said she was bored,” Reo said once he took in Nagi’s expression. “I figured… why not?!”

“It’s…” he paused, trying to find the words. “... nice. Thank you.”

Reo smiled softly.

He glanced again at the space— at how his life, his very physical space, was changing. Reo was to thank for all of that, and it was killing him to know he was about to let it all go.

“Did you guys eat?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Not yet,” Reo answered. “We went out for coffee, and had a few snacks after our little shopping trip. But I was going to make a proper meal soon,” he said.

“I brought, uh, food,” he stammered, unable to even look Reo in the eyes. Reo was definitely picking up on something not being right, but couldn’t exactly comment on it while a wild four year old was running around them in circles with her new dragon plushies.

“Oh? Is that why you’re later than you said you’d be?” He said, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

Part of it… he thought.

“We can eat now, but then I have something I want to talk to you about,” Nagi managed to get out. Reo raised a brow.

“I actually have news as well,” he admitted.

Oh?

“I’m not hungry,” Kaede whined, cutting into their discussion and dropping the plushies. She ran to the corner of the room and gathered her new dolls. “I wanna keep playing!”

Nagi blinked again. He checked the time, it was a little early to have dinner. Plus, the anxiety was killing him.

Reo studied him for a moment, catching something in Nagi’s eyes that made his smile dim just slightly. He sighed. “Kaede, we’ll be right back, okay? You keep playing here.”

“Yay!”

Reo smiled softly, before following Nagi back out into the living room. This was oddly reminiscent.

“I know you have something you want to say, but so do I,” Reo cut in quickly.

Nagi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Let me go first, please. It’s important.”

“So is mine,” Reo argued.

Nagi frowned, normally he would cave and let Reo go first. But… he had to get out his side. Even if it was going to kill him.

“Please just hear me out,” Nagi whispered.

Reo sighed, giving him a curt nod to continue.

Nagi took a breath. “I’m sorry,” he said.

Reo blinked. “For what?”

Nagi exhaled, slow and shaky. “For all of it?” He paused. “For dragging you into this. For calling you up and asking for help when I didn’t even know what I was doing. For messing up everything again.”

Reo’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Nagi…”

Nagi finally turned to face him. “You were doing fine, weren’t you? Before I came back. You had your life together. You were happy.”

“I wouldn’t say— ”

“You were healing,” Nagi cut in. “And I pulled you right back in like nothing ever changed. But it did. I broke your heart, Reo. And now I’m… doing it again, except worse because I forced Kaede onto you.”

Reo’s expression shifted, eyes softening— but he didn’t interrupt.

“I can’t keep doing this to you,” Nagi said, voice low. “So I’ve made up my mind. Tomorrow… I’ll handle the rest. You won’t have to worry about Kaede anymore.”

A pause. “It’ll be your last day with her. We can’t keep doing this.”

Reo stared. “What?”

“I’ll take care of it from here,” Nagi said, eyes already starting to sting. “I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”

For a moment, Reo didn’t say anything. Just looked at him with a quiet, unreadable face.

Then he stepped forward and said, evenly, “Kira called me.”

Nagi froze.

Reo continued. “Last night. He made it clear he wants nothing to do with Kaede. Told me he has a family and this was a mistake. That she’s not his problem.”

Nagi’s jaw clenched. “Are you serious?”

“Would I lie about this? I can even show you the text he sent me!”

“No, no. I believe you.” Nagi frowned. “So he doesn’t care?”

“No,” Reo said. “He doesn’t. And he gave up all parental rights to the mother, so he has no legal connection to her, either.”

Nagi felt like he was just thrown a huge curveball. What the fuck?

“Well…” he bit his lip. “What I said still stands.”

Reo scoffed. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Huh???

Nagi’s head shot up.

“I’m staying,” Reo said, stepping closer. “Not because you need me to. Not because of Kaede. But because I want to.”

“You shouldn’t have to— ”

“I’m not doing this because I have to.” Reo’s voice sharpened. “I chose this. I chose to show up. I chose to help. And I’m still choosing it.”

Nagi’s lips parted, speechless.

“Nagi, I…” Reo paused, his face flushing. “I called her my daughter today,” he admitted.

Nagi’s eyes widened. Did he hear that correctly?

“You… huh?!” He asked, in complete disbelief.

“It just slipped out, but, yeah.” He shrugged.

Nagi just stood there, stunned. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. He looked down at the floor, then at the closed door of the guest room, where Kaede was humming some happy tune to herself, totally unaware of the emotional turmoil going on out here.

“I… didn’t think you…” He paused, struggling. “You’re not just helping me out. You actually— ”

“Care about her?” Reo said gently. “Yeah. I do.”

Nagi’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“I know.”

“How’d this happen?” He asked.

“Ugh. Some lady was being really rude to Kaede because she wanted a brownie. Like, who just scolds a random kid?” Reo said, completely annoyed as he remembered the interaction. “Something in me snapped, I should’ve told her to fuck off. But I told her not to speak to my daughter that way,” he said.

Nagi never wanted to kiss someone more. His stomach was full of butterflies, but he had to contain himself. This was supposed to be him letting Reo go, what was happening?!

“I don’t fully know what it means,” Reo defended quickly. “But I’m definitely not letting you handle this alone. So, quit it with the self pitying bullshit, alright?”

Nagi swallowed the lump he didn’t realize had formed in his throat.

“You’re actually staying?”

“I said I’d help you. I meant it,” Reo said confidently. “We already have one piece of the puzzle solved. We just have to wait until we find out about the mom.”

“But how much longer will that take? What are we supposed to do with a four year old?”

“Look, give me a week. I’ll pester Yukki until he gives me answers.”

Nagi cleared his throat, looking down.

“A week, I promise we’ll have this taken care of.”

Nagi nodded, fumbling with the fabric of his sweater. “That’s why you got so much stuff. I thought it was a little much for someone who wasn’t going to be here tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Reo bit his lip. “Also, I already called Ba-Ya up. She’ll be more than happy to watch Kaede for us this week.”

Nagi’s eyes snapped toward him, completely in awe. “Reo,” he whispered. “You really are amazing. You did all this?”

“This is why I wanted to talk first! Were you really going to think I would let you handle this on your own? You might be a genius, but sometimes you’re fucking stupid.”

Nagi shook his head slowly, like he couldn’t make sense of the words. “Why?” he asked hoarsely. “Why are you still here?”

Reo frowned. “I already told you— ”

“I don’t deserve it,” Nagi cut in, voice cracking. “I really hurt you. And you were the only person I ever…” His throat bobbed. “I never wanted anyone else. I was too stupid to realize what I had.”

His voice had dropped to a whisper.

“And now I’m too late.”

Reo’s eyes widened slightly. “Nagi…”

“You’re getting married,” he said, blinking back the tears welling up fast. “I keep thinking about that. I know you said it’s just for the business. But… you shouldn’t have to do that. Especially not with him. This wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t so stupid back then.”

His eyes shimmered under the kitchen light, and for the first time since this all began, he let himself look completely wrecked. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

Reo inhaled, visibly shaken by how raw it all was. He stepped forward without hesitation and put a hand on Nagi’s shoulder.

“You already apologized enough,” Reo said softly. “That’s why I agreed to be your friend, again. Right? I know you’re sorry.”

Nagi flinched.

“But that engagement?” Reo shook his head with a half-laugh, bitter and sad. “That wasn’t what you think it was.”

Nagi looked up, confused.

“I agreed to it because… honestly? I had this big, dumb romantic fantasy,” Reo admitted, smiling wryly. “That you’d find out. That you’d show up, say something, stop me. I wanted it to be like those movies where the guy bursts into the wedding and— ” He cut himself off with a sigh. “Yukki didn’t even give me that chance. He signed the contract before I could change my mind.”

Nagi’s breath caught. “You didn’t want to go through with it?”

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to end it without blowing everything up,” Reo admitted. “But I’m done being careful. I’m ending it soon. I don’t care what my dad says, or what Yukki expects.”

Nagi stared at him, stunned. “You… you’re serious?”

Reo nodded. “Yes. But we might have to wait until he finds Kaede’s mom for us. Dunno how inclined he’ll be to help us if I drop this on him right now.”

Nagi didn’t know how to process everything. Truly. But he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, like the eggshells he was walking around had dissipated. He felt like he could finally, finally start pursuing what he should’ve those years ago.

Reo took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m here,” he promised.

Chapter Text

One week passed all too quickly. It was a chaotic mess of Nagi having to get up even earlier than usual to get Kaede up and ready. He and Reo took turns to make it easier for one another. Every other day Nagi would drop Kaede off with Ba-ya, and the rest of the days Reo came to pick her up.

It would be exhausting enough already, but depending on the mood Kaede woke up in determined how much effort Nagi had to exert. He eventually realized she woke up in a better mood when he slept beside her, rather than opting for his couch. But she was a little monster in her sleep and kept moving. One night she kicked him square in the jaw and he's been cautious ever since.

Then after all that, he still had to go to work. As if his new morning routine wasn't already exhausting enough. How did people with kids do it? He clearly wasn't built for this.

He was also now in a group chat with Reo and Ba-ya, and the latter would send hourly updates to them about how Kaede was doing. Even though they were both too busy to reply, he appreciated catching up with the texts when he had a chance.

And his relationship with Reo? Well… it certainly wasn’t where he would like it to be. But, they were making progress. Before their talk, he would be careful with his words around the man. Now? He was openly flirting, or at least, attempting to. He was in full courting mode, which was annoying when Reo would leave for the night or when he dropped Kaede off in the morning. It felt like they were divorced and co-parenting their child. He wasn't fond of that. And neither was Kaede, who cried every. single. time. she was dropped off.

She didn't understand why her ’mama and papa’ lived apart.

Honestly? Neither did Nagi.

This whole situation was strange because he felt like they were in limbo. They were just waiting for an update from Yukki about anything. But the longer that took, the longer Kaede stuck around and the more Nagi's physical space had to be more accommodating for a child.

By the end of the second week, Nagi had to sit Reo down for another talk. Thankfully, Nagi had an early day and Reo opted to work from home today. Home being Nagi's apartment, which he insisted on.

Reo sighed, closing his laptop as Nagi took a seat in front of him, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Look, I don't know how much time left we have with Kaede, but it's already been longer than we expected, so I was thinking of converting the guest room into a space just for her,” he admitted sheepishly. “I mean, her toys are all in there anyway. This would just make things easier.”

Reo's eyes widened, before he nodded in understanding. “Sorry— didn't expect that. I'll help you, of course. We can get a bed and other furniture tomorrow, and have everything set up for her.”

Nagi nodded.

“She'll be so excited to have her own room,” Reo said, which caused something in Nagi’s stomach to flip.

“Her room…” he repeated. It sounded more… permanent. Real.

“And since we're on the topic of her,” Reo bit his lip, looking at his phone. “Ba-ya's been extremely generous to give us her time by watching her. But, she can't do this full time. Which is why I was thinking…” he paused, turning his phone screen to Nagi which showed a website to a nearby school.

Nagi took his phone and looked more carefully at what Reo was showing him.

“I think we should seriously consider enrolling her in school. It's more structured and at least she'll be surrounded by kids her age,” Reo suggested, matter-of-factly.

Nagi blinked. It was like it all hit him at once. They were going to build her a room, enroll her in school.

Wow.

This was turning into something real, wasn't it?

Whether he liked it or not, he was her caretaker. Guardian. Papa.

The thought left him scared.

“Okay,” he said, voice low.

“Yeah?” Reo confirmed, his gaze sharpening. “Are you alright?”

“I trust Reo,” Nagi said with full confidence.

How would Kaede do in school? Nagi didn't know why the thought came with a weird pang in his chest. At least with Ba-ya, he knows how well she is at caretaking. She's basically Reo's other mom, the way she cared for him since he was a child.

But this was… different. He'd be putting his trust in strangers essentially.

These feelings were… weird.

“Okay,” Reo smiled, taking his phone back, a hint of pink dusting his cheeks as he scrolled through the school's requirements. “I did my research and this is the best academy nearby. The best of the best go here.”

Nagi raised a brow.

“Only thing is… their acceptance rate is 35%. It's pretty competitive.”

“This is a preschool?” Nagi asked, confused as to why a school for little kids needs to be this strict. He pictured Kaede, singing along to a dancing watermelon, she didn't need much to be entertained. But if this is what Reo wants…

“Not just preschool; it's a huge academy. Once you're in your child is set for life.”

“Oh.”

“Uh huh,” Reo said. “There's just a few strict requirements going in—”

“Like what?”

“Well, the child must have a reading and writing proficiency satisfactory with their age range. For this, they're given an exam,” Reo explained. “Then there's the parents,” he paused.

Nagi's heart nearly skipped a beat. That would be them… right? Of course it would. Who else would it be? He gave Reo a nod, silently encouraging him to continue.

“Right, so parents of a potential applicant must make a combined income of blah blah blah,” Reo skimmed. “Parents must be married, show proof of a stable household, and must complete a group interview with the school board.”

Nagi's face perked up. “Married?”

Reo's face flushed, shaking his hands in defense. “I mean— that's what it says but,”

“I'll marry Reo,” Nagi said bluntly.

Reo's cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red, all the way to the tips of his ears. “That's... stop,” he shook his head. “I can falsify the paperwork. Make it look super believable. And if that doesn't work then a good old fashioned bribe should do it,” he said proudly.

“Mph, it would solve a lot of problems if we just got married. But fine, commit forgery,” Nagi huffed.

“Nagi, you can’t just say things like that,” Reo scolded, though his tone had a teasing sound to it. “I'm still trying to get out of the Yukki thing.”

“If you would just give me his email this whole thing would be over so fast,” Nagi pouted.

“I'm handling it,” Reo promised.

Pfft.

Nagi already knows exactly what he'd say.

to: yukimiya

fuck off. he's mine.

bye forever,

nagi

He couldn’t understand why Reo wouldn't let him!

“Soo, how do we prove the stable household thing? Are they going to visit?” Nagi raised a brow, focusing back on the topic at hand.

Reo shrugged. “I'll call them later on and fill you in,” he paused as he checked his phone. “Shit, I forgot I had another meeting this evening. Can you pick up Kaede from Ba-ya? I know it was supposed to be my turn, I owe you one.”

Nagi yawned, blinking up at Reo. “You don't owe me anything,” he said, plainly. “If you can't get her, then I will. That's how this works.”

“Oh,” Reo said, biting back a smile. “Alrighty then, just didn't want to be a hassle, y'know?”

Nagi stretched, grabbing his keys. “It’s not if it’s you,” he shrugged.

Reo's face turned scarlet, looking down in embarrassment.

Approaching the door, Nagi paused for a moment. “Uhm, if your meeting is online, you can just stay here and use my room,” he suggested. “I'll make sure Kaede doesn't disrupt. We could even bring home dinner.”

Reo blinked up at him with wide eyes. “Are you sure? I don't want to impose,” he said.

Nagi scoffed. “You never do; I promise.”

Reo smiled softly.

Approaching the familiar Mikage complex brought a mix of emotions over Nagi. He'd gotten a little used to it now, as his pick up and drop offs occurred here. But… it was still a little jarring approaching the building that held so many memories.

Where he and Reo once spent their high school days just hanging out, unaware of the roller coaster their relationship would take them over the next few years. To… whatever this was now.

He pressed the elevator button and waited, his gaze drifting upward as the metal doors slid open. He stepped in with a familiar ease, feeling a sense of calm knowing Reo was waiting for him at home. As the elevator rose, his thoughts flickered to the small moments with Kaede, his brain now holding space for her before he could even realize it— her sleepy smile in the mornings, the way her little hand curled around his finger when she was tired. Those moments grounded him more than he cared to admit.

The doors opened, revealing a quiet hallway lined with neat apartment doors. He walked down, his footsteps soft but steady, until he reached Ba-ya’s door.

He raised his hand to knock, politely greeting Ba-ya when she opened the door. He didn’t even get three words out before a very excited Kaede came running toward him.

“Papa!” she exclaimed, launching herself into his arms.

Nagi caught her easily, the familiar weight settling warmly against his chest. “Hey, kiddo. Ready to go home?”

She nodded enthusiastically, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Behind her, Ba-ya smiled from the side. “She’s been well today, but she missed you.”

Nagi gave a tired but genuine smile. “Thanks for everything, Ba-ya. I don’t know how we’d manage without you.”

Ba-ya’s eyes softened as she studied him. “You’re doing a good job, Seishiro. More than you realize.”

“Ah, thank you…” he said, taking her bag when Ba-ya handed it to him.

Was he doing a good job? He really had no clue. He didn’t have any prior experience here, just like when he first started with football. He’s mostly just following Reo’s lead and his basic instinct.

“Let’s get you home, Kaede.”

“Comfy?” He asked when he secured her into her car seat.

This had been a recent development. He and Reo had spent an entire night texting links to each other, comparing every car seat and booster under the sun. Hours of scrolling through reviews, double-checking weight limits, and measuring backseat dimensions. Reo had paced the aisles of the store like a mom on a mission; Nagi had taken photos of every box, cross-referencing specs on his phone like it was a boss level he had to beat.

They ended up buying two— one for each of their cars. Just to be safe.

“Mhm,” Kaede hummed, slurping from the applesauce pouch Nagi handed her.

He reached over to ruffle her hair. “Alright,” he murmured, giving her straps one last tug to double-check them.

“Papa, it’s good!” she whined, squirming playfully.

“Fine, fine,” he huffed, closing the door gently and rounding over to the driver’s side, slipping behind the wheel. The engine rumbled as the car started, but he took a moment before actually heading off.

He spared a quick glance at the rearview mirror.

Kaede was kicking her legs lightly, applesauce pouch still in hand, humming some Barbie song to herself. God, he couldn’t believe that he could recognize it now.

She looked content, perfectly happy and safe. Like this was her normal.

And maybe it was. Maybe it had become that, somehow.

He rested his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, watching her.

He thought about his and Reo’s conversation earlier. How they were going to enroll her in school, but looking at her from this angle she still looked very small. Was she ready for school?

Why did it matter to him so much?

He thought about how often she referred to him as ‘Papa’. It slipped out of her so naturally now, like she didn’t remember a time when he wasn’t that to her. And every time she said it, it cracked open something new in his chest. Something messy and warm and a little scary.

He wasn’t sure when he stopped thinking of her as just someone he was helping out with.

She was just Kaede— a whirlwind with sticky hands and endless questions and a laugh that knocked the breath out of him sometimes. And if something ever happened to her…

His hands tightened on the wheel for a second.

He didn’t finish the thought.

Instead, he glanced back again. Her eyes were half-lidded now, the post-snack sleepiness setting in.

“Alright,” he whispered more to himself than to her, and pulled the car into gear.

The morning had started like most others— with Reo knocking on Nagi’s apartment door, phone tucked between his shoulder and ear as he confirmed drop-off timing with Ba-ya.

What he wasn’t prepared for was the absolute wail that came from inside the apartment as soon as the door cracked open.

“Noooo!” Kaede cried at the top of her lungs. “I don’t wanna go!”

Reo blinked. “…Uh.”

“Sorry,” Nagi said, barely poking his head out, toothbrush hanging from his mouth. “She’s been like this since she woke up.”

Inside, Kaede could be heard stomping away, yelling, “I’m not going! You can’t make me!”

“Someone woke up cranky,” Reo commented.

Nagi spat out his toothpaste. “She’s tired. Didn’t wanna change out of her pajamas. Then I told her to calm down because Ba-ya would not tolerate this, and then it went downhill from there.”

Reo sighed, approaching the small girl and kneeling beside her collapsed form on the carpet. “Kaede, sweetheart. We gotta get going, Ba-ya’s waiting.”

“Mama,” Kaede whimpered, blinking up at Reo through watery lashes. Her lower lip wobbled.

Reo couldn’t lie, the sight made his heart shatter into a million pieces. But he had to remind himself that this was all because they were going to surprise her later. He took a deep breath.

“It’ll be so quick, then we’ll come get you like normal.”

That didn’t seem to help, and Kaede continued whimpering.

“I wanna stay with you. And Papa.”

Reo’s stomach twisted. He reached out, wiping the tears from her puffy cheeks.

“I know, baby. But we’ve got some errands to do today, and they’re super boring. You wouldn’t like them.”

“Yes I would!” she insisted, grabbing hold of his sleeve. “I’ll be quiet. I’ll be good. I just… I don’t wanna be away from you.”

She rubbed at her eyes with the backs of her hands. “It’s Saturday. You’re not working. Why can’t I stay?”

Reo glanced back at Nagi, who was lingering awkwardly in the hallway, watching. Kaede’s voice had gone small. Like she was afraid if she let go, she’d be left behind again.

“We’ll come get you as soon as we’re done,” Reo promised softly. “It’s just for a little while.”

Kaede sniffled. “Are you mad at me?”

“No, no,” he said quickly, gathering her into his arms and rocking her gently. “Never. In fact, what we’re doing is a surprise just for you.”

Kaede pulled away, looking between Reo and Nagi. “A surprise?” She hiccuped.

Nagi nodded, approaching them and brushing her bangs behind her ears. “Yeah, it’s for you. And Ba-ya already told me she’s making you strawberry pancakes. She’s excited to see you.”

Kaede took a moment to calm down.

“Are you better now, sweetheart?” Reo asked quietly.

She nodded against his shoulder, hiccuping quietly now, her grip on him loosening just a little.

Reo stood up with her in his arms, shooting Nagi a look as they made their way toward the door.

“We owe Ba-ya so much,” he murmured.

“Absolutely.”

After dropping Kaede off, Reo and Nagi spent the next few hours weaving through furniture aisles and hardware stores, armed with a list, some vague measurements, and a surprising amount of determination.

Reo was meticulous, double-checking product specs and color swatches. Nagi mostly followed behind with the cart, occasionally offering a quiet “that one’s cute” or taking pictures of shelves for comparison.

They ended up with a soft green duvet, a canopy bed frame that Kaede had pointed at a while ago in a catalog, and an animal-themed bookshelf shaped like a tree.

The afternoon was spent assembling furniture piece by piece— Reo reading instructions out loud while Nagi held boards steady and quietly tightened screws with surgical focus. They argued once over how high the bed should be and again about whether or not she needed a nightlight ("Of course she does," Reo had said, tossing it into the cart earlier. "It’s shaped like a cloud.")

By the time the sun dipped low, the room was finished.

It wasn’t huge, but it was hers: a soft lavender rug in the center, a hand-picked comforter, a toy chest at the foot of her bed, and a row of her plushies perched carefully on the bed, her teddy bear with Nagi’s jersey on it sitting right in the middle. They’d even hung up one of her doodles with tape above the desk, framing it like art.

“This looks perfect, she's going to love it,” Reo said excitedly.

Nagi looked around in awe, unable to distinguish the fact that this used to be his storage room. He figured he'd use it eventually, just not like this.

“I’m really impressed with you, Sei,” Reo said, voice softer now.

Nagi turned, startled. “Really?”

Reo grinned. “You spent your whole day off doing manual labor and didn’t complain once. That’s new.”

Nagi shrugged, but his ears turned a little pink. “I just wanted to finish in time to show Kaede. She was really sad this morning.”

Reo’s smile gentled. “She’ll forget all about that when she sees this.”

Nagi nodded, his gaze falling back to the room— her room, now. “Yeah,” he murmured. “I hope so.”

When they arrived at Ba-ya’s to pick her up, Kaede was already waiting by the door with her backpack on, arms crossed, and a dramatic pout on her face.

“You’re late,” she declared the second she spotted them.

Nagi knelt with a smile, brushing her hair out of her face. “We missed you too, little boss.”

Kaede looked between them, suspicion clouding her features. “You weren’t doing boring adult stuff, were you?”

Nagi blinked. “Ehhhh…”

“Then where’s my surprise?” She looked at them expectantly.

Reo cleared his throat. “You’ll see.”

The car ride back was full of wiggling. Kaede fidgeted in her seat, kicking her little feet and glancing between them with growing excitement.

Once they finally made it back to the apartment, they ushered Kaede in slowly, with Nagi gently covering her eyes.

“Wha—” she was about to argue, but Nagi shushed her.

“Just trust us, okay?”

Kaede giggled. “Okay, okay! But I better not be walking into a trap.”

They guided her down the hallway. When Reo opened the door, Nagi uncovered her eyes— and her jaw dropped.

Her brand-new room was awash in soft colors and cozy lights. Her favorite stuffed animals, her doodles, her very own bed.

Silence.

Then, with a gasp so loud it echoed, she turned around and launched into both their arms. “Is this for me?!” She asked in complete awe.

“All for you,” Reo smiled fondly.

Kaede wiggled between them, wrapping her arms around Reo’s neck, then tugging at Nagi’s sleeve to pull him closer too. “Thank you!” she squeaked, cheeks flushed with joy. “It’s the most beautiful room in the whole entire universe!”

She wriggled free and darted into the room, twirling in a circle before launching herself belly-first onto the bed. “It’s so soft!” she squealed, hugging the teddy bear close to her chest. “Mama, look! Papa, look! It’s my very own bed!”

Reo leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, watching her with a warm smile. “I told you she’d like it.”

“I like everything!” Kaede shouted, sitting up and looking around excitedly. “My drawing!” She squeaked as she ran over to the little desk, seeing her doodles proudly taped to the wall.

“The wall’s were looking a little plain,” Nagi shrugged as he crouched beside her, showing her all the paints and markers they got for her desk. “So you can make more.”

Kaede looked at him for a long moment. Then she threw her arms around his neck in a tight hug. “You’re the best Papa ever.”

Nagi blinked, his hands hovering awkwardly before he gently patted her back. “Oh. Uh. Thanks.”

Reo chuckled, pulling out his phone to capture the moment with a million photos. That was before Kaede gasped and sprinted over into Reo’s arms. “And you’re the best Mama ever too!”

Reo’s cheeks flamed, before meeting Nagi’s eyes. “We have to do something about that,” he grumbled, but his grin told a different story.

Nagi smirked, shaking his head. “Nah.”

Kaede wiggled out of his grasp, continuing to take in her new space. “This is the best day ever!”

Later on that night, after a cozy dinner, Reo began gathering his things to leave. They already tucked Kaede in, and she was sleeping soundly all bundled up in her new bed.

Reo slipped on his jacket and stretched. Nagi pouted, tugging at his sleeve. “Can’t you stay the night?”

Reo bit his lip, checking the time. It was getting late, and the tiredness from everything was hitting him.

“Just rest up here, I don’t want you driving like that,” Nagi said.

After a beat of silence, Reo let out a quiet sigh. “Fine,” he agreed. “You have anything I can sleep in?”

Nagi felt his heart swell, nodding quickly. “Yes. I’ll get everything ready for Reo,” he said, tone soft but excitement obvious.

“I guess I’ll wash up,” Reo said, eyes darting between Nagi and the floor.

“Okay,” Nagi whispered, gazing at him in disbelief.

Reo gave him a shy smile, before removing his jacket and padding over to the bathroom.

Nagi let out a sigh of relief.

Reo was staying!

He was about to head over to the bedroom when a buzzing phone caught his attention. He wandered over to the noise, finding that it was coming from Reo’s jacket pocket. He bit his lip, before checking it quickly. He saw two texts from Yukki on the screen.

Finally found the mother of the girl.

Also, we need to talk.

Nagi felt his stomach drop.

Chapter Text

Nagi was internally panicking. He quickly shoved Reo's phone back in his jacket pocket, as if it had burned him.

Rubbing his eyes, he let out a shaky sigh, unsure of how to proceed from here. From the hall he could hear the faint sound of water running from the shower.

Good. He thought. This gave him a bit more time to really process the situation. 

The gut-wrenching pain twisting in his stomach wasn’t unfamiliar. It was the same dreadful ache he’d felt when he and Reo first ended things. He hated it.

But this time, it wasn’t just about Reo.

He knew he was anxious— he just wasn’t used to it coming from this direction. For once, he didn’t feel nervous about his place in Reo’s life. He believed Reo when he told him there was nothing going on with Yukki. He knew they were rebuilding their once shaky foundation. That's not the main cause of his discomfort. No, this anxiety stemmed from something deeper.

He was scared.

Scared of losing Kaede.

Scared of losing what they’ve built here. Whatever this was.

This weird, spunky little girl who brought so much chaos to his world. This girl, who was absolutely not his daughter, but yet he still managed to feel a strange sense of protectiveness over.

It had only been a few weeks with her, barely even reaching a month. But the thought of her leaving made him sick. Maybe this was selfish. But he came from a neglectful childhood and couldn't bear the thought of allowing Kaede the same fate.

No. He wouldn't allow that at all. Not if he had any say in it.

He headed back to his room and grabbed a shirt and a pair of loose shorts for Reo. He laid them out carefully at the foot of his bed before quickly changing into his own pajamas.

His mouth went dry when Reo appeared in the doorway, hair still dripping, towel wrapped low around his waist. He hadn't seen Reo like this in so fucking long.

“Hey,” Nagi whispered. “Did you have a good shower?”

Reo smiled gently. “Yes, it was definitely needed. Thank you again,” he nodded slowly, gaze lingering on the clothes folded neatly on the bed.

“For me?” He tilted his head.

“Yeah.”

“And you’re sure this is okay?” He asked. “I can still very much go home.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Reo,” Nagi hummed, picking up the clothes and handing them to him. “I'll give you some privacy,” he said as grabbed a couple of his items and made his way to the door.

“Wait—” Reo paused, looking at the blanket Nagi had tucked under his shoulder. “You're not sleeping here?” He asked sheepishly.

Nagi blinked. What was the right move here? He liked the pace they were moving at, it felt healthy, albeit slow. But still. This was much different from their early years of codependency. He knew that wasn't good for either of them.

Taking things slow meant not sleeping together, right? God, he was so, so bad at this.

“I want Reo to have the bed for himself,” he answered simply. “I can take the couch.”

Reo shook his head. “It's your bed. I'll take the couch,” he said confidently.

“You've slept on my bed plenty of times before. Just think of it like that.”

Reo nearly choked on his own spit, before looking away shyly.

Nagi cracked a small smile, reaching over to give his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I'm being a gentleman here. Please, let me.”

Reo stared at him in shock, but nodded slowly. “Alright. Thank you,” he said, plopping down on the bed.

Nagi nodded. “Goodnight, Reo.” He said, shutting the door behind him as he made his way to the living room and got himself situated on the couch.

He didn't believe in divine intervention or a holy deity, but he better get some sort of reward or good karma for being as strong as he was to turn away from Reo in bed.

He sighed as he stretched out on the couch, his long legs awkwardly draped over the armrest. It was far from comfortable— his knees bent at odd angles and his feet dangling off the edge— but he couldn’t complain. He had grown used to this when Kaede first arrived and he spent most of his nights on the couch. Before she demanded cuddles, of course.

Instead of moping, he pulled out his phone and launched his game, letting the familiar distraction pull him in. From his spot, he noticed the light beneath his bedroom door had finally gone dark. Good. At least Reo was getting settled in.

He grabbed his Bluetooth headphones and let himself get distracted by his favorite FPS. He'd ignore real life for a few hours at least.

That was his plan, at least until he got a ping from Isagi. Nagi grumbled, opening up their chat.

[Isagi]
You're online! Wanna hop in a team with me and Hiori? It's been a while

[Nagi]
Ehh…

I could play, but I'll just mute my mic. Dont wanna risk waking up Kaede…

Or Reo… but he'd keep that information to himself.

[Isagi]
Boo

If your daughter is anything like you then nothing will wake her up 😜

Well, it's not like she has his genes or anything. But, it would be a hassle explaining all that to Isagi at the moment.

[Nagi]
Uh huh

But still. She can throw a mighty tantrum when she's woken up, im avoiding that at all costs

[Isagi]
Damn, is that what fatherhood is like?! Still can't believe you have a kid

[Nagi]
Yup

We playing or what?

[Isagi]
Yes!

Nagi adjusted the volume on his headphones and leaned further into the couch cushions, eyes locked on the screen as his fingers moved fluidly across his phone. Playing with Isagi and Hiori was a good distraction— just mindless enough to let his body run on autopilot, but focused enough to keep his brain from spiraling back into what he saw on Reo’s phone.

He wasn’t ready to deal with that. Not yet.

A loud explosion blasted through the game. Isagi was yelling something in his ear about covering the flank, but Nagi was only half-listening. He blinked, attention flickering momentarily to the soft creak of a bedroom door opening down the hall.

He glanced up.

A small blur of pink pajamas and bedhead hair peeked out from Kaede’s room. She rubbed at one eye, teddy bear tucked under her arm.

She’s awake. Nagi grumbled. He didn’t know how many hours had passed, he wasn’t really paying too much attention, but seeing Kaede switched his focus. He glanced at the time, eyes widening when he saw that it was nearly 3am.

Nagi lowered his phone and sat up with a slight frown, pulling off one ear of his headphones.

“Kaede?” he called softly. “Everything okay? It’s late.”

But the little girl didn’t answer. She tiptoed silently across the hall, and pushed open Nagi’s bedroom door with all the strength her little muscles allowed.

Nagi blinked, confused. “Huh?”

Then realization hit him like a truck.

“Ah— wait!” He called.

He barely managed to set his phone down and scramble to his feet, but by then it was already too late.

From down the hall came a very startled squeal followed by a thud as Kaede had presumably hopped on the bed.

Nagi winced. “Shit.”

From his headphones he could hear both Isagi and Hiori yelling at Nagi to focus. He ripped off his headphones, before unmuting himself to mutter a quick “gotta go” into the mic, and rushed down the hall toward the chaos that had just erupted in his room.

When he entered, he saw Kaede was crawling toward the lump under the blankets.

Reo let out a groggy, confused noise, blinking slowly awake at the weight on top of him. “Eh?”

Kaede gasped, looking at Reo in disbelief. “Mama?!” She tilted her head.

Reo blinked again, trying to make sense of her voice before reality slammed into him. His arms instinctively came up to support her as she crawled onto his lap like she belonged there.

“Wh— Kaede? What's wrong? Why aren't you in bed?” He asked groggily.

“I'm guessing she woke up and went looking for me,” Nagi explained quickly, out of breath as he hovered in the doorway. “Sometimes she wakes up at random times of the night. Sorry,” he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Oh,” Reo breathed out.

For being abruptly woken up, Reo still looked breathtaking. Nagi tried to focus on the situation at hand, but his gaze kept landing on how soft his bangs looked covering up most of his face. He had one eye open and the other still shut, as he dealt with a clingy child on his lap. And the way Nagi’s shirt draped over him and completely engulfed his frame had Nagi’s heart racing. There was a reason he picked that specific shirt, if it was oversized on him, he absolutely wanted to see how huge it would look on Reo. And lo and behold, the results were even better than he could’ve imagined.

Kaede giggled, reaching over with her small hands and trying to clear out the bangs from Reo’s face. But unbeknownst to her, all she was doing was tangling it more. “I’m like mama,” she giggled as she tried pushing back his bangs. “You fix my hair, I fix yours!”

Reo winced, gently putting her hands down. “That hurts.”

Kaede pouted, before snapping her head in the direction of Nagi, who was still standing there staring at the scene before him. “You didn't tell me Mama was sleeping over.”.

Nagi groaned, knowing how dramatic she can be about things. How was she even this awake right now? He would never understand children…

“Kaede, let’s just let Reo sleep. C’mon, we set up that comfy bed for you,” Nagi said as he reached out for the small girl, ready to scoop her up.

But instead she whined and clung onto Reo tighter. “No! Family sleepover here,” she said with determination in her eyes.

Nagi blinked. Reo froze.

“Sweetheart, it's so late. We can tuck you back into bed,” Reo yawned, stretching out his arms.

Kaede huffed dramatically, burying her face in Reo’s chest. “Mama and Papa’s are supposed to sleep together. That’s how families do it.”

Reo looked up at Nagi, wide-eyed. Nagi, in turn, froze mid-step.

There was a beat of silence where neither of them knew what to say.

Kaede blinked up at them innocently, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. “C’mon! That couch is dumb. You both fit in here.”

Reo’s mouth opened, then closed again. “Um— ”

“She’s serious,” Nagi said, dazed, rubbing his neck. “She’s not going to drop it.”

Kaede flopped back dramatically against the mattress, tugging at the covers with a tiny grunt. “There’s plenty of space! See?” she kicked at a spot next to her. “Papa, come on.”

Reo gave Nagi a look that said I have no idea what to do.

Nagi gave a look back that said Me neither, but I’m already walking over, I guess?

And he was.

Wordlessly, Nagi crossed the room, still in his rumpled sleep shirt, and slid onto the other side of the bed. He did so stiffly, careful not to bump into Reo or touch too much of the blanket Kaede had claimed. He felt like a teenager sneaking into someone else's room, heart pounding way too loud in the silence.

Kaede let out a satisfied sigh and squirmed in between them, tiny limbs wedging herself right into the center like she owned it. “There,” she murmured, eyes already fluttering. “Now it’s perfect…”

Reo laid back slowly, still stunned. Nagi could feel the tension radiating off of him even though they weren’t touching.

“Just for tonight,” Nagi whispered, staring at the ceiling.

“Right,” Reo whispered back, eyes doing the same.

But Kaede was already fast asleep between them, a sleepy smile on her face.

And somehow, for a moment, even with the awkwardness and unspoken words between them, Nagi felt like he was home.

The soft morning light slipped through the edge of the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room.

Nagi was the first to stir. It wasn’t the sunlight that woke him, but the weight of something warm draped across his chest— and the sound of soft, even breathing near his ear.

It took a second for his brain to process it: Reo was curled into his side, Kaede sprawled across both of them like a human starfish.

Nagi blinked at the ceiling. His arm was trapped under Reo’s shoulders. A tiny foot was pressed into his ribs. Kaede’s head was tucked under Reo’s chin, her drool dampening his shirt.

This wasn’t his usual morning.

He didn’t dare move.

He risked a glance sideways; Reo’s face was relaxed, his lashes long and delicate in the light. His lips parted slightly in sleep. He looked peaceful.

Too peaceful for Nagi to be the one to ruin it.

Nagi’s gaze dropped to Kaede, her hair a tangled mess, one hand fisted loosely in Reo’s shirt, the other clinging to Nagi’s sleeve.

He exhaled quietly. His heart felt like it was trying to melt.

They were warm. Soft. Close. It would’ve been perfect if it weren’t for how aware Nagi was of every inch of Reo pressed against him.

It was kind of excruciating.

Reo shifted slightly, making a quiet noise as he woke. His eyes opened slowly, disoriented at first— until they landed on Nagi, just inches away. His cheeks immediately turning a healthy shade of red.

“...Morning,” Reo mumbled, voice thick with sleep, trying to inch away from Nagi with as little movement as possible.

Frowning at this, Nagi shook his head. “You don’t have to move,” he whispered. “She’ll wake up. And I’m comfortable like this,” he stated casually.

Reo’s entire face warmed up, looking at Nagi in disbelief. “You—” he paused when Kaede stirred softly, then quickly went right back to sleep.

Nagi hummed, eyeing him closely. “Did you sleep okay?” He whispered.

Reo glanced down, as if avoiding Nagi’s gaze will make the situation less embarrassing. “... I did,” he answered softly.

“Mmm. That’s good,” Nagi said. “I did too. Really well, actually.”

Reo parted his lips, before rolling his eyes fondly. “She really is something.”

They both turned their attention to her, the small child who curled between them like she belonged there.

It didn’t feel weird to Nagi, no, this felt… safe.

“Thanks for not ditching the bed,” Reo whispered.

Nagi’s eyes lingered on him. “Wasn’t gonna leave you alone with her. She kicks in her sleep.”

“She elbowed me at one point,” Reo said with a smirk. “I think she was aiming for your spine.”

Nagi huffed out a quiet laugh. “Brutal.”

Another beat of silence passed— warm, comfortable.

“Uhm,” Nagi started. Reo blinked, looking up at him.

“We should talk later,” he said.

Reo let out a sigh, but nodded. “Okay.”

And for now, that was enough.

Kaede was curled up on the living room couch, wrapped in a blanket. A plate of baby carrots and an applesauce pouch sat beside her. Her pink headphones were plugged into her iPad as she watched a show about a talking Australian dog. Reo had been the one to find the show and put it on for her, and she was completely entranced. Nagi had never been more grateful to him.

They decided now was the best time to talk— while she was distracted, but still within sight.

“Soo…” Reo started.

Nagi bit his lip, unsure of how to start the conversation.

“I wasn’t snooping, I swear. But last night when you were showering, I happened to see a few texts you got from Yukki.”

Reo nodded, flinching at the mention of the other’s name. “Oh.”

“Not gonna lie, Reo. Reading those scared me.”

Reo's eyes softened. Nagi felt a sense of liberation by being open and honest. There was no need to beat around the bush or misuse his words like he did as a teenager. He knew now what all this meant.

“I… don't care that he found her mom. She still abandoned Kaede, and it would be irresponsible to just give her back after everything.”

Reo stilled, looking at Nagi like he had grown a second head. “Whoa—” he paused, silent for a moment. “I'm not saying I disagree, but, Nagi. This is a sticky situation and I think we should at least have a conversation with her.”

Nagi sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I just don’t know if it’ll be helpful.”

“Of course it will,” Reo said. “And whatever happens…” he paused, meeting Nagi’s eyes as his whole stance turned more serious. “If the worst case scenario happens; I’ll still be here for you. And we can get through it.”

Nagi froze, understanding what Reo was saying without him needing to elaborate. “...Okay,” he breathed out. He hadn’t dared look over to the living room, he couldn’t look at the girl right now.

“I’ll figure out the details from Yukki today, and I’ll let you know everything.”

“Okay,” Nagi bit his lip. “Guess we can’t keep putting it off?”

Reo shook his head and began to gather his things.

“How long will you be gone?” Nagi asked softly, following his lead and helping him with his stuff.

“Probably all afternoon. I have things to take care of at home too, boring work stuff,” he shrugged. “But I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Alrighty,” Nagi nodded. "Text me when you get home."

Reo smiled softly. "I will."

When Reo arrived back at his complex, he was startled to see Yukki sitting outside his door, arms crossed and clearly annoyed.

“Oh, there you are,” Yukki said, rising to his feet and shooting Reo a look. “I’ve been waiting here for an hour. I’ve been calling you, too.”

Reo blinked, pulling out his phone and seeing he had left it on do not disturb. “Eh? What are you even doing here?” He asked, brushing past him to unlock the door.

“I told you we needed to talk. If you actually checked your phone, maybe this wouldn’t be a surprise.”

“I don’t know why you think you’re entitled to just showing up like this?” Reo tsked, getting a bit irritated from how this was already starting. “I was going to call you by the way.”

“I’ve been waiting,” Yukki said.

“I get it,” Reo snapped back, pushing the door open, leaving it cracked behind him. Yukki followed him in.

“Well? Where were you?”

Reo sighed, setting down his bag and looking Yukki dead in the eye. He hadn’t planned on having this conversation right now. He was planning to call once he’d mentally prepared himself to hear about Kaede’s mom— but Yukki, as always, was making everything more complicated.

“I was just helping Nagi. It ended up being a long day so I just… stayed the night.”

Yukki raised a brow. “Stayed the night?”

Reo gave a slow blink, toeing off his shoes. “Yeah. Not that it’s really your business.”

Yukki scoffed. “Not my business? You’re engaged to me, Reo. Or did you forget that part while playing house with your ex and his kid?”

That stung more than Reo expected it to. He just stood there, staring at him in disbelief. “Did you forget that this is merely a business transaction? It’s not a real engagement, Yukki.”

“It seems like I’m the only one holding up my end of the deal here,” Yukki snapped. “We were supposed to go public with the engagement last week. My family keeps asking about it. And the only time you even bother to contact me is when it’s about some kid who has nothing to do with you.”

Reo could feel anger rising, hot and steady— but he forced himself to stay calm. “If you’re expecting an apology, I’ll tell you right now: you’re not getting one. If anything, you owe me an apology— for signing that contract and dragging my father into it. I wasn’t thinking straight when I came to you with the idea. You knew that. And you took advantage of it.”

“I thought I was helping out a friend,” Yukki muttered bitterly. “You just give mixed signals, that’s not my fault. No wonder—” He cut himself off, lips pressing into a thin line.

Reo’s eyes narrowed. “No… go on. No wonder, what?”

Yukki hesitated, then looked down at the floor. “It doesn’t matter.”

Reo scoffed softly, the silence heavy between them.

Yukki shifted awkwardly. “Look, I sent those messages because I wanted to have this talk. So… where do we go from here?”

Reo didn’t hesitate.

“We don’t,” he said flatly. “There’s nowhere else for this to go. This whole thing was a mistake.”

Yukki looked up, startled. “Wait, what?”

“I don’t want to keep doing this. The engagement— it was never real. And dragging it out any longer would just be cruel to both of us.” Reo’s voice stayed steady, even as his heart raced.

Yukki stared at him, jaw tightening. “So that’s it? Just like that?”

“Yes,” Reo said, softer now but no less certain. “Just like that. I’m sorry it took me this long to say it, but I can’t keep pretending. Not for my father, not for your family. Not when I know what I want now.”

Yukki’s expression darkened. “You’re breaking the contract.”

Reo let out a quiet breath through his nose, utterly unbothered. “And?”

Yukki blinked, clearly thrown off. “There are clauses— your father’s signature, the public rollout plans—”

“I’m aware of all of them,” Reo cut in, his voice calm but firm. “And I have lawyers who are more than capable of dissolving this cleanly. Don’t forget whose company drafted that contract to begin with.”

Yukki’s mouth opened, then shut again. His hands clenched at his sides. “So you’re really just throwing all of it away? Just like that?”

“It was never real to begin with,” Reo said evenly. “You knew that from the start. You just convinced yourself it could become something more.”

“Coming from you… that’s rich.”

A pause. Reo’s jaw tightened.

“Excuse me?”

“Look, clearly you’re still in love with him. Everything you do is about him. You’re the one convincing yourself that he’ll finally treat you right after how many years? But sure, this time is definitely different. Well, good luck with that.”

Reo’s silence was razor-sharp. He didn’t need to yell— his glare said it all.

Yukki grabbed his bag and turned toward the door. “Good luck, Reo. Really. I genuinely hope this works for you.”

Reo didn’t say a word as Yukki left, slamming the door behind him.

For a long moment, he stood there, staring at the closed door, before he let out a frustrated groan.

Fuck.

He never got the information about Kaede’s mom.

“Wait, what?” Nagi asked in disbelief.

“He ambushed me, basically!” Reo huffed dramatically, settling on the couch as he looked up at Nagi with wide eyes. “Ruined my plans completely. I was going to get her number, then tell him about the contract. Now everything’s messed up and we have nothing, and we’re on our own.”

“Shit,” Nagi said as the realization hit him, then sat beside Reo. His thigh brushed against Reo’s, warm and grounding. “So… that’s it? He’s not gonna help anymore?”

Reo shook his head and leaned back against the couch, eyes on the ceiling like it held all the answers. “Not unless I magically feel like reviving the engagement, which— no thanks.”

“Yeah, fair.” Nagi glanced toward the hallway where Kaede was napping soundly in her bed. “So… what do we do now?”

“I don't know,” Reo admitted quietly, running a hand through his hair. “We still don’t have solid info on her mom. We’re basically back at square one here. But I know we can figure this out.”

Nagi hummed, the weight of it all sinking in. “So… we still have Kaede then?”

Reo glanced at him, noticing the shift in his demeanor. “...Yeah.”

“Okay,” Nagi said, nodding once. Then, without missing a beat, he pulled out his phone. “Hey, I really liked the academy you found for Kaede, but I was looking stuff up too and found this preschool down the street.”

He turned the phone toward Reo, scrolling through a bright, cheerful website. “It’s smaller, but their programs look solid, and the pictures kinda feel more like her vibe, you know? Lots of play-based stuff. Artsy. Chill.”

Reo took the phone, watching as Nagi swiped through the photos and pointed out things he thought Kaede would like— the soft reading nook, the messy art station, the big outdoor play area with an actual garden.

There was a soft glow in Nagi’s eyes as he spoke, totally absorbed, and Reo felt something shift in his chest. A warm pull. Like his heart was being gently but insistently tugged forward.

“You really did your homework,” Reo murmured.

Nagi shrugged, looking away like he was suddenly self-conscious. “Well… yeah. I mean, she’s gonna be spending her days there. It should be a cool place. Not boring or weird.”

Reo smiled, wide and warm. “You’re such a dad.”

Nagi groaned. “Gross. Take it back.”

“Nope,” Reo teased, nudging him lightly. “You’re all in, huh?”

Nagi hesitated, then nodded. “I guess I am.”

Chapter Text

Enrolling a child into school was a hassle.

Especially when the child wasn’t legally yours.

Nagi groaned as he looked over the paperwork again. Reo had already done most of the hard work, which consisted of faking legal documents and certificates— all Nagi needed to do now was sign his name where Reo instructed.

“I still don’t understand why you can’t just say we’re married,” Nagi muttered, picking up the pen and scribbling his signature with minimal care.

Reo sighed, watching Nagi take a painstakingly long time to fill in each line.

“Because we aren’t,” Reo shot back. “Now finish signing your name— we’ve only got an hour before the interview.”

Nagi let out another dramatic sigh as he continued, noting how antsy Reo was getting.

They had officially decided on the preschool that Nagi picked out; it felt more suitable for Kaede and Reo was touched that Nagi had put in the effort into actually finding the school. After running a secret background check on the place, Reo decided it was an excellent choice for the four-year-old.

“And remember,” Reo added, adjusting his blazer collar in the mirror, “our story is that Kaede is biologically yours and I’m helping you out.”

“Why?” Nagi asked flatly.

“It’s way more plausible that a pro athlete has a secret kid than, say… the current CEO of a major Japanese company,” Reo pointed out matter-of-factly.

He shuddered at the amount of emails he’d receive if that happened.

“And how are you ‘helping me out’?” Nagi asked, raising a brow at him.

“Uh—” Reo stuttered. “I doubt they’ll ask for the details.”

“Right,” Nagi nodded, completely unconvinced. “Sooo… we’re just a couple of besties raising a kid together?”

“They can think what they want,” Reo shrugged, fixing his hair in the mirror.

“If we’re already lying, I don’t get why we can’t just say we eloped and adopted her or something,” Nagi argued for the third time.

“Sei, I already told you—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nagi grumbled, still scribbling his signature. “You think they’ll leak something to the press.”

“And the press already claimed her as your daughter, anyway. This just makes the most sense.”

Before Nagi could protest again, the soft patter of footsteps pulled their attention toward the hallway.

“Look, look!” Kaede called out, running into the room with a proud grin plastered across her face. She was wearing a pink frilly dress, courtesy of Reo. Along with that, she had a pair of white tights and a small bag that held her favorite plushie. She did a quick twirl, making the skirt of her new dress flutter around her knees.

Reo’s expression instantly softened, tension forgotten. “You look so pretty,” he praised, crouching down to her level. “Hold still for a second.”

Kaede obediently froze, eyes wide as Reo carefully adjusted the little bow on her waist, then reached over to smooth down the messy curls framing her face. From his back pocket, he pulled out a pink headband decorated with tiny sparkles.

Nagi blinked as Reo slid the headband gently into Kaede’s hair, brushing her bangs to the side and evening them out. “Where’d you get that?” he asked.

“Huh? I bought it,” Reo muttered, focused on making sure every little strand was perfect.

Kaede giggled, twirling again, now even more delighted with her reflection. “Mama’s magic,” she declared.

Reo straightened with a chuckle, giving Nagi a knowing look. “She’s ready. You? Not so sure.”

Nagi sighed dramatically, tapping the stack of paperwork. “Yeah, yeah. Almost done.”

The preschool itself looked exactly as it did in the photos. Coincidentally, it was only a few blocks down from Nagi’s apartment. They could walk there if they wanted to, but they needed to buy school supplies after the interview; so Nagi drove them. The street was quaint, and Nagi almost missed it because the building looked like a large house. It sat tucked behind a low white fence with hand-painted flowers lining the panels. The sign above the door read Dewdrop Daycare in bubbly pastel letters.

Nagi squinted at the scene as they approached. “It’s… small.”

“It’s perfect,” Reo whispered back, as they walked up the path. He glanced down at himself— dress shirt, slacks, polished shoes— and then to Nagi, who was equally formal in a pressed black jacket and sharp slacks.

And then to the other parents.

T-shirts. Hoodies. Some in gym clothes.

One dad wore crocs.

Nagi caught on immediately, his face blank as ever but his voice low and dry. “We’re overdressed.”

“I see that,” Reo muttered under his breath, face flushing faintly as he straightened his posture.

Kaede, oblivious, bounced excitedly beside them, clutching both their hands. “This place looks so fun! Look, they got a playground!”

Before they could respond, the door swung open, revealing a warm-faced teacher in jeans and a sweater adorned with tiny cartoon animals.

“Hi there! You must be Kaede! I'm Ms. Aki,” the woman greeted cheerfully, crouching down to Kaede’s level. “And you brought your family with you; perfect! Come on in.”

Reo and Nagi exchanged a quick glance— the nerves still lingered, but the welcoming space, painted walls, shelves of toys, and soft buzz of laughter already made it easier to breathe.

The small office inside was just as inviting as the rest of the preschool— bright cushions along the window seat, posters with smiling animals, and shelves crammed with picture books. A little wooden table sat in the center. It would’ve been small for the average man. Naturally, Nagi and Reo felt like absolute giants just looking at it.

“This feels like a hobbit house,” Nagi muttered under his breath. Reo elbowed him in the gut.

“It’s for the children,” he scolded under his breath.

“Please, take a seat!” Ms. Aki said enthusiastically, and Reo was so thankful she didn’t hear Nagi’s complaints.

Reo and Nagi both hunched awkwardly in the chairs, knees nearly hitting the underside, while Kaede settled comfortably on Nagi’s lap.

The teacher skimmed their paperwork before smiling kindly at them.

“So, Kaede is four?” she confirmed, glancing at the form Reo meticulously filled out.

“Almost five,” Reo added quickly, giving Kaede’s headband a soft pat.

Ms. Aki nodded. “And you both are…?” She trailed off politely, eyes flickering between them.

Nagi blinked. “Partners,” he answered flatly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Reo coughed, shooting him a look, but Ms. Aki only smiled. “Amazing,” she said. “But, in relation to Kaede?” She said with a wink.

“Oh,” Nagi stared at her.

Didn't she read the paperwork? Why did he spend so long filling them out if she was just gonna ask… Ah. What a pain.

“Well, she’s Nagi’s—” Reo started.

“We’re her parents,” Nagi cut in quickly.

“Perfect! We always love seeing families involved together,” She hummed as she scribbled it down.

Kaede beamed, leaning into Nagi’s chest. “Mama and Papa always take care of me.”

Nagi’s mouth twitched, his arms tightening instinctively around her, Reo’s eyes widened pursing his lips. The comment seemed to fly over her head, either that or she didn’t pay any mind to it. Reo was beyond grateful.

“She calls you Mama at home, of course she’s gonna call you that during the interview.”

Reo groaned, shaking his head. “It’s never not going to be embarrassing!”

“Yeah… but. It’s cute seeing you all flustered,” Nagi smirked.

Reo narrowed his eyes at him. “You are absolutely no help!”

Ms. Aki scribbled some notes and then gestured toward the nearby window, where the playground outside was bustling with kids. “Our approach here is very play-based— social development, early learning, lots of creative activities. Kaede will have plenty of time to explore and make friends.”

Kaede wiggled in Nagi’s lap, eyes wide as she spotted the sandbox and climbing structure. “I can play already?” she asked hopefully.

“We’ll let you meet the class at the end of the interview,” Ms. Aki promised.

Ms. Aki glanced down at the file, then back up at them curiously. “And just to clarify… what brings you both to enroll Kaede now? Any particular reason for the timing?”

Reo straightened a little, his expression composed. “It’s mainly our schedules. I just took over a new role at work, and Nagi’s been in and out with training and media. We want to make sure Kaede has stability.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ms. Aki’s eyes widened in realization. “Wait… Nagi… as in Seishiro Nagi? And… Mikage? Mikage Corporation?”

Reo winced internally, ready to play damage control, but Ms. Aki clapped her hands together, beaming.

“Oh my gosh— I didn’t even connect the dots. You two… you’re together? That’s… that’s wonderful!” Her voice dropped conspiratorially, eyes sparkling. “And don’t worry, I completely respect your privacy. I’m just happy to see a family like yours here.”

Reo flushed again, scrubbing his hand through his hair with an embarrassed laugh. “Ah— yeah, we’re… yeah. Thanks.”

Nagi, ever calm, nodded. “Appreciate that.” His hand naturally drifted to rest on Kaede’s head, fingers brushing her curls as she colored in the activity sheet she was given.

Ms. Aki scribbled a note. “Don’t worry— we will keep this all between us. We’re all about creating safe spaces here, no publicity nonsense.”

Reo finally exhaled, shooting Nagi a sideways glance, his pulse slowing. “Yeah… good.”

The adults moved through the rest of the questions— mostly routine things. Allergies, emergency contacts, pickup arrangements. Nagi listened intently even if he was slightly distracted by how easily Kaede had melted against him, little curls brushing his chin, her hand tangled in the fabric of his sleeve.

By the end, Ms. Aki closed the folder and smiled again. “She’s a great fit here. You can both relax— we’re very community-focused.”

Reo let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

Nagi hummed softly, glancing down at Kaede. “So… she’s in?”

“Pending final paperwork, and a standard background check, but ultimately yes,” Ms. Aki confirmed warmly. “But we’d love to have your family join us.”

Family.

Nagi’s gaze flicked to Reo, who was already looking back, his expression softer than Nagi expected.

Kaede giggled, oblivious to the weight of the moment, clapping her hands. “I wanna play now!”

“Go ahead,” Ms. Aki chuckled.

Kaede hopped off Nagi’s lap and bolted toward the playroom.

“And just to be clear, her mother is not in the picture?” Ms. Aki asked, looking at Nagi directly now.

Nagi cleared his throat, sparing a glance at Reo who gave him a reassuring nod.

“No,” Nagi said easily. “Just us.”

“Alrighty then, that’s all we really needed to know,” Ms. Aki smiled. “Your daughter is in safe hands here.”

Your daughter.

Nagi blinked. For some reason, hearing it here and now felt… different. More certain. Real.

He’d known for a while now that he was growing attached to the little menace. But here he was— all dressed up, his heart thumping nervously in his chest over the slim chance she might not get accepted.

Instead, everything was going perfectly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Kaede giggling, already playing with the other kids, her pink dress bouncing as she twirled.

And his heart swelled with something else entirely— pride.

“Thank you,” he said, voice steadier than expected. “I think she’ll be happy here.”

The walk back to the car was calm, the quiet hum of the evening settling around them. Reo carried Kaede on his back, her arms looped loosely around his shoulders, her tiny head resting against him as she drifted off to sleep.

Nagi trailed beside them, smiling softly at the sight— the peaceful weight of her, the way Reo adjusted his grip every so often like he used to do with him.

He didn’t realize how much more he could feel for a single person, and yet.

“She totally thinks we’re married, by the way,” Nagi remarked casually.

Reo snorted, rolling his eyes. “Yeah. And whose fault is that, mister ‘oh yeah, we’re partners raising our child’?” He shot Nagi a look over his shoulder.

Nagi shrugged, entirely unbothered. “I just stated facts. You’re my partner. We’re raising her. What conclusions they jump to after that… not my problem.”

Reo rolled his eyes. “You’re really something.”

Nagi hummed, then looked over the list of supplies Ms. Aki had given them that Kaede would need. His eyes skimmed it lazily— extra clothes, indoor shoes, backup snacks— it was longer than he expected.

“Kind of a lot for preschool,” Nagi muttered, folding the paper.

Reo chuckled softly, adjusting Kaede’s weight on his back as she snuggled in. “Welcome to being a parent.”

Nagi's heart jumped unexpectedly at the word, but he didn’t let it show. He simply tucked the paper into his pocket and fell into step beside them, their shadows stretching across the pavement in the dim evening light.

For the first time all day, everything felt strangely… settled.

“Guess we better get shopping,” Nagi said, and Reo groaned dramatically, but didn’t disagree.

Nagi startled awake to something small and determined, bouncing on top of him.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” Kaede’s voice sang as she practically launched herself onto the bed, curls wild and eyes shining with excitement.

Nagi groaned, cracking one eye open to see the digital clock glowing 5:42 AM.

“…It’s too early,” Nagi mumbled, rolling onto his side, only for Kaede to wedge herself right between him and Reo with alarming strength for someone so small.

Oh. Right. Reo was here again.

Despite his reluctance, Nagi managed to convince the man to spend the night yet again, citing that it was a big day for Kaede and he could really use his help in the morning. He thought Reo would say no, but to his surprise, he agreed.

Nagi shot up and picked up the girl, covering her mouth to shush her. “Reo's sleeping,” he whispered.

Kaede whined, releasing from his grip.

“It’s school day! You promised!” she declared.

Reo groaned from the other side, half-buried under the blankets. “So early,” he mumbled.

Kaede ignored him entirely, already hopping off the bed to grab her little shoes.

By 7:00 AM, she was dressed, hair brushed, backpack packed, and practically vibrating with excitement. Nagi barely managed to sip his tea in peace before they were ushered out the door by their miniature tyrant, Reo laughing the whole way.

But as they finally arrived at the preschool, Kaede bounding ahead to greet the teacher with wide eyes and confidence, Nagi’s stomach twisted unexpectedly. Watching her tiny hand slip into the teacher’s, seeing her settle in so fast— he didn’t know why it hit him like that.

“Good morning!” Ms. Aki greeted, beaming at them as she approached. Her eyes softened when they landed on Kaede. “Are you ready for your big first day?”

Kaede nodded so hard her curls bounced, eyes sparkling with excitement.

“She’s been up since before sunrise,” Nagi mumbled, suppressing a yawn.

Reo chuckled, elbowing him gently. “She wouldn’t let us sleep. Guess someone’s ready to make friends.”

Ms. Aki smiled wider, crouching down to Kaede’s level. “Well, we’re so happy to have you here, sweetheart. But first things first— can you say bye to your papas before you run off?”

Kaede turned back to them with a wide grin, launching herself toward Nagi. He stiffened for half a second before instinct took over, lifting her into a tight hug. His heart squeezed unexpectedly as she squeezed back.

“Bye-bye!” Kaede chirped, letting Reo ruffle her hair next.

“We’ll pick you up as soon as it’s 3, okay?” Reo reminded softly.

Kaede nodded and dashed off toward the playroom, already chatting with another little girl in pink.

Nagi stayed frozen for a moment, watching her disappear inside, a strange ache twisting in his chest.

“Nagi?” Reo asked softly, bumping his shoulder. “You good?”

Nagi blinked, forcing the lump in his throat down. “…Yeah. Just weird.”

Reo smiled faintly, eyes soft. “Yeah. But she’s gonna be okay.”

Nagi nodded.

Operation Ask Reo on a Date was in full swing.

If Nagi wanted Reo back— the way he really wanted him— then he needed to put in the effort. He couldn’t keep sitting around, waiting for the right moment to magically appear. Not this time. Not after all the time they lost. Not after how badly he messed it up before.

This time, he had to show Reo. No mixed signals. No hesitation.

He hovered by the doorway, watching Reo work. The purple-haired man was seated at Nagi’s desk, completely focused, his brows furrowed as he typed away. Nagi had offered up his bedroom as a makeshift home office, mostly to keep Kaede’s toys and chatter from distracting him, but right now it felt like enemy territory.

Reo was here more often now. Ever since they got Kaede settled in, really settled in, he started slowly extending his visits. And spending the night more often now. It had been a few weeks of this and they haven’t gone beyond flirting. Nagi was ready to change that.

His heart was thudding way too hard for a conversation that, in theory, should’ve been simple.

Still, no backing down. This was the perfect time. Kaede was at school, Reo was here, and Nagi didn’t need to be at work for a few more hours. He could do this.

“Hey,” Nagi said quietly as he approached, lingering in the doorway.

Reo looked up, pulling off his blue light glasses. “What’s up?”

Nagi hesitated for a beat, then stepped inside, suddenly hyperaware of how serious this felt.

“Are you doing anything this Saturday…?” He asked slowly, staring at Reo wide eyed like a deer caught in the headlights.

Poor Reo probably thought the worst.

“Eh?”

Nagi didn’t respond, standing there in silence.

Reo gaped at him. “I mean, I wanted to take Kaede to the park and maybe have brunch? Why? Are you doing something?” He raised a brow.

Nagi shook his head. “Uh… clear your schedule.”

“What?”

“I’m taking you out,” he said simply.

Reo blinked. “You’re… what?”

Nagi scratched the back of his head, eyes darting to the floor for half a second before locking back on Reo. “I’m taking you out,” he repeated, just as flatly, but his ears were visibly pink now. “Like. A date.”

Reo’s jaw slackened, completely caught off guard. “A… date? You’re asking me on a—”

“Yeah.”

Nagi fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie, forcing himself to hold eye contact. “Already asked Chigiri and Kunigami to watch Kaede on Saturday. So… no excuses.”

Reo stared at him, utterly speechless, the edges of his lips twitching with the beginnings of a smile. “You really planned all that already?”

Nagi shrugged, trying to look nonchalant but failing miserably. His heart was pounding so hard he was sure Reo could hear it. “I did. I’m in debt to Chigiri now, but… worth it.”

A breath of laughter escaped Reo as he leaned back in the chair, studying Nagi with something soft and unreadable in his eyes. “You’re really something else.”

Nagi tilted his head, faintly smug now that he survived the worst part. “Is that a yes?”

Reo shook his head, biting back a grin. “Yeah, that’s a yes.”

“Cool,” Nagi smiled faintly.

“You really had to ask me this while I’m in the middle of negotiating with the European board?” Reo teased, as he leaned back in the chair.

Nagi shrugged, entirely unfazed. “It couldn’t wait.”

Reo’s grin softened, his gaze lingering. “Don’t you have to get ready for work now?”

“I still have a couple hours,” Nagi shrugged.

“Great! That’s plenty of time to do the laundry that’s been piling up,” Reo winked.

Nagi groaned.

“On it,” he grumbled.

“Appreciate you!” Reo called as he shifted his focus back to work.

Nagi crouched beside Kaede, helping her pull on her little shoes as Chigiri and Kunigami waited by the door. Kaede’s curls bounced as she looked between the three adults, suspicious.

“Why am I leaving?” she asked, clutching her little backpack. “You both aren’t working.”

Nagi tied her shoelaces, straightening up with that faint, smug grin. “You get to spend the day with your super fun uncles.”

“Uncles?” Kunigami whispered to Chigiri.

Chigiri shrugged. “I already accepted that.”

Kaede continued her pouting, Nagi sighed ruffling her hair. “I’m taking Reo on a date.”

Her mouth fell open. “A date?!”

Kunigami chuckled as Chigiri smirked. “Told you he’d finally grow a brain.”

“Took long enough,” Chigiri rolled his eyes.

Reo was back at his apartment today. As much as Nagi had wanted him to stay over again, he wanted to do this properly— to pick him up, to give him the full experience. He’d planned every detail.

“I want to go on a date, too,” Kaede grumbled.

“No,” Nagi said immediately, without even blinking.

Kaede whined.

Chigiri chuckled, reaching out his hand for her to take. “You’re coming with us to the park, that’s even better than some silly date.”

Kunigami swung Kaede’s backpack over his shoulder. “We’ve got her. You go focus on the important part.”

Nagi’s cheeks turned faintly pink, but he didn’t deny it.

Nagi stood outside Reo’s building, shoving his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket as he waited. His heart thudded, embarrassingly loud for someone who’d spent years acting indifferent to basically everything.

Tonight wasn’t about indifference.

The door finally swung open, revealing Reo, dressed sharp but not over the top— casual blazer, open collar, familiar smirk.

“Oh— hi. You look great,” Nagi said, his mind going blank as soon as he saw Reo.

Reo smiled softly. “Thanks, you’re not so bad yourself,” he teased, locking the door behind him.

“You’re early, I’m impressed,” Reo hummed.

Nagi shrugged, letting his gaze roam— he really was stupidly pretty. “Told you I was taking this seriously.”

Reo’s lips twitched. “Right. So where are we going, mystery man?”

Nagi turned, motioning toward the car. “Steakhouse.”

Reo blinked, clearly thrown for a second. “You hate steak.”

“I don’t hate it; it’s just too chewy sometimes. Besides, it doesn’t matter. You love steak,” Nagi corrected simply, walking ahead without giving Reo time to argue.

Reo caught up, laughing under his breath. “Look at you, remembering what I like.”

“Of course,” Nagi shrugged. “I happen to like you.”

The smile on Reo’s face made Nagi want to go back in time and shake his past self for being so dumb because how on earth could he see something so dazzling and let him go.

Whatever. That was the past now.

Now, he will do better.

The steakhouse was upscale, but cozy— dim lighting, sleek black tables, warm wood accents, the quiet murmur of couples and clinking glasses filling the space. Nagi had reserved a booth near the back, tucked away from view and quiet enough for them to have their privacy.

Reo slid into the booth, glancing around in mild surprise. “You really… planned this.”

Nagi shrugged, settling right next to Reo. “Of course I did.”

Reo opened the menu, scanning it with a little smile. “Alright then, impress me. What’s good here?”

Nagi didn’t even look at his own menu. “You’re getting the Wagyu. Medium rare. Garlic mashed potatoes. Probably the grilled asparagus too.”

Reo’s brows shot up, eyes narrowing playfully. “Huh.”

Nagi tilted his head. “It would honestly be depressing if I didn’t know what you liked,” he shrugged.

“Well… you used to never remember this shit.” Reo leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table. His voice softened, teasing.

“I remembered it subconsciously, but I was too busy pretending to be unbothered by everything to show it. Dunno what the hell was wrong with me,” he grumbled, before looking at Reo directly. “Seriously, thank you for giving this another chance.”

Reo smiled. “I think maybe it was good for us,” he hummed. “The time apart. Don’t get me wrong, I was definitely miserable… but I also learned a lot.”

Nagi pursed his lips. He didn’t like knowing how miserable Reo was, and that he was the cause of all of it. “We were young and way in over our heads. But, I always knew we’d find each other again.”

Reo smiled faintly, looking down at the menu again as if to avoid how earnest the moment suddenly felt. “It’s weird.”

“Weird good?” Nagi asked.

Reo snorted under his breath. “Weird… impressive.” His eyes flicked back up, studying him for a beat. “You’ve changed a lot.”

Nagi shrugged again, a little smug this time. “I just know what I want now.”

Reo covered his face with the menu, trying to hide his blush from the other man. But Nagi knew, of course he did.

Somewhere in the middle of all that, they placed their orders and surprisingly enough, they came out quickly— Nagi getting a skirt steak meal, while Reo’s wagyu looked perfectly done, pink in the center just how he liked it. They ate, chatted, traded quiet comments about the food and the people around them. It felt easy… almost too easy.

Halfway through, Reo set his fork down, leaning back slightly. His expression softened again, thoughtful now. “I’m serious, though. You used to coast through life… with everything. But this? Me… Kaede… you’ve really stepped up.”

Nagi’s lips curved, almost shy despite himself. “Didn’t wanna lose you twice. Kaede was kind of my reality check.”

“A kid will do that,” Reo pointed out.

“I guess,” Nagi shrugged.

They finished the meal, laughing more than either expected, slipping back into an old rhythm with something new layered over it— something careful, hopeful, and real.

Outside, the air was cooler now. Nagi held the door for Reo, who leaned into his side lightly as he passed.

“Alright, wanna get some ice cream?” Reo asked, arching a brow, the playful edge back in his voice.

Nagi’s lips twitched. “Obviously.”

Nagi handed Reo his cone— a double scoop of taro (because it’s purple!)— before grabbing his own. Cookies and cream, of course.

They wandered down the street, the soft crunch of waffle cones and hum of passing cars filling the quiet space between them.

“This is perfect,” Reo said, licking his cone. “Reminds me of when we were back in high school.”

“Mm.” Nagi licked his own slowly, thinking, then asked casually, “Hey. I think you should move in.”

Reo stopped mid-step, blinking at him like he’d short-circuited. “Bro.”

Nagi tilted his head. “What?”

Reo barked a laugh, nearly dropping his ice cream. “We’re on our first official date and you’re already trying to get me to live with you?”

Nagi shrugged, unbothered. “You basically live there anyway. Plus Kaede would be so happy. You might as well make it real.”

Reo shook his head, still grinning, eyes fond despite the exasperation. “This is so on brand for you.”

“Is that a no?”

Reo rolled his eyes, leaning closer against him as they walked. “It’s not a no. But maybe let me finish my ice cream before we start playing house again, yeah?”

Nagi smiled faintly, gaze drifting ahead as they strolled. His chest fluttered, lighter than it had felt in a long time.

“Take your time,” Nagi agreed softly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Chapter Text

The date was wonderful. Amazing. Incredible.

The only issue was… Nagi didn’t exactly know how to navigate these types of things. He’s only ever been with Reo, yes, but this was now a totally uncharted territory.

They were now officially dating, weren’t they? Of course they were. Nagi asked him out and they went on a date. This was definitely dating.

Hmm…

He should probably say that out loud, though. Last time, he assumed the opposite, and well… that did not end well.

Not to mention he was totally lost on how to maneuver things, intimacy wise. Besides cuddling in bed when they're both asleep, they don’t even hold hands or hug when awake. Hell, they touched more when they were just friends.

He wanted to kiss him. Bad.

He’s been wanting to kiss him, ever since Reo made his way back into his life. But his only issue was that he was afraid of pushing it. Would a kiss be too soon? Or at this point, maybe overdue?

He’s going to drive himself crazy if he continues to overthink it. It’s like there’s a looming cloud over him whenever he thinks of how badly he could fuck everything up. But then when he sees Reo, there’s a bright shining light at the end of his misery tunnel.

Reo makes everything easier. Maybe he should just ask him about it.

No, that would be totally lame.

“Nagi,” Reo said softly, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Oh. Yeah.

Reo was moving in now, officially. After their date, Nagi pestered…. no— Nagi gently reminded Reo about the move in suggestion. He reiterated the fact that he was being very patient— but Kaede kept asking for Mama. What was poor Nagi to do?

After a few weeks of those “gentle reminders,” Reo finally started taking the idea seriously.

Thus began Operation Move-In: _{Slow and Steady Edition.}

At first, Reo left a few pairs of shoes in Nagi’s closet. Then some work clothes. Okay— a lot of work clothes. Since Reo had been spending the night more often, it was just easier to change when everything was already there.

It made more sense to move in gradually rather than all at once. Nagi helped wherever he could, but Reo being Reo handled most of it himself.

He was currently redoing the bedroom, Nagi gave him full reigns to do whatever he wanted with it. Kaede bounced around excitedly, practically glued to Reo's hip as he worked. Eventually though, Reo shot him a look of Please distract her. So, Nagi did just that.

He was sitting beside her on the couch, watching her play with the Nintendo Switch. Nagi had it docked to the TV because he didn't trust that she wouldn't run off with the console and do god knows what with it. Before Kaede, he hardly touched his Switch, as he was mostly a mobile/PC user. Even still, he didn’t completely abandon it. When he did play, he was drawn to games like Super Smash Bros., Legend of Zelda, or even Splatoon. Now, however, he was watching in horror as Kaede ran around their shared Animal Crossing island, whacking their fellow villagers with a net.

“That's mean,” Nagi huffed. “The net is for bugs, Kaede.”

Kaede laughed maniacally. “Yeah, but this is funny.”

“Look, you're hurting their feelings,” Nagi scolded as one of the duck villagers yelled at Kaede's character.

“Nagi?” Reo called again.

“Hmph?” Nagi called, glancing over his shoulder as he saw Reo leaning against the wall, looking at him expectantly.

“I could use some help now,” he said.

“Ahh, be right there,” he called before looking over at Kaede and ruffling her hair. “I'm gonna go help Reo. How about instead of harassing Diva, you actually catch bugs. We need to fill up the museum,” Nagi said.

Kaede bit her lip, but nodded. “Kay,” she said, not even glancing up from the TV.

Huh. Sometimes it was so easy to distract her, other times it felt like the world was ending if she didn’t have their attention for five minutes. He’ll never understand children.

Nagi entered the bedroom, his eyes scanning the area carefully. What immediately caught his attention first was the large, absolutely atrocious piece of art hanging on the wall. It was loud, and honestly? A little scary. But Reo’s always had a particular taste when it came to decor, so Nagi already knew to prepare for it.

“Don’t you love it?” Reo asked, hands on his hips as he followed Nagi’s gaze to the painting.

“It’s weird,” he grumbled. “It’ll give Kaede nightmares.”

Reo gaped at him, completely offended. “She actually helped me pick it out.”

“Oh God, you’re both weirdos,” Nagi pouted.

Reo rolled his eyes fondly. “Eh, you’ll come around to it. Now, what do you think about the rest of the room?” He tilted his head.

Nagi hummed, actually looking around now. Reo had moved Nagi’s little plant family to the window sill, arranging them from largest to smallest. Choki proudly standing tall with a few buds beginning to blossom. There was a little wooden sign that spelled out ‘Plant Dad’ sitting beside the cacti. Nagi snorted.

Then there was the bed— completely transformed. Nagi had been perfectly content with his floppy pillows and thin blankets, but Reo clearly had something else in mind. Now it looked impossibly cozy, layered with far more pillows than Nagi thought any one bed needed and a frankly excessive number of blankets. He’d always enjoyed his bed, but now it looked actually homey. Maybe from the decor, or maybe from knowing Reo would now be at his side whenever he fell asleep and woke up.

The whole room looked amazing. Even with the ridiculous art. Reo just had a way of breathing life into everything he touched, especially this once dull, ordinary room.

“ ‘s great,” Nagi said quietly as he looked over to Reo.

“Yeah?” Reo smiled.

“I love it, really,” Nagi smiled back. “It screams Reo, which is my favorite thing,” he said sheepishly.

Reo’s eyes widened, biting back his grin. “When did you become such a softie,” he laughed, stepping closer to lean against Nagi’s side.

Nagi hummed at the sudden contact, taking one final glance around the room.

“Just missing one thing,” he added.

Reo tilted his head, confused. “Hah? After all I did, it's still not satisfying—?”

“Shush,” Nagi cut off before padding over to his bedside table and opening the small drawer. He pulled out what looked like a small rectangular box, but it was wrapped with a purple bow placed perfectly in the middle.

He took a step closer to Reo and offered it to him carefully. “A gift.”

Reo’s eyes softened, looking at Nagi in disbelief. “What’s this for? You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said as he took the present.

“I wanted to,” Nagi shrugged, looking at Reo with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Did you wrap this yourself, by the way? Who taught you how to do that?” Reo asked, more impressed at the wrapping skills. He didn’t even want to ruin it by tearing it open.

He was glad Reo took special notice of that, because it took many hours and countless step-by-step videos just to learn. But he’d do anything to impress the man.

“Reooo, open it already,” Nagi whined.

“Okay, okay,” Reo laughed.

He watched as Reo carefully untied the bow and opened the box, peeling back the tissue paper inside.

Reo’s breath caught.

It was a framed photo of the two of them, taken back from their Hakuho days. They were both in their old soccer kits, flushed and sweaty, with Reo’s arm draped proudly around Nagi’s shoulder. Nagi looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, with his lips crunched in a tight x, throwing up a weak peace sign meanwhile Reo was grinning like he’d just won the lottery. The sunset behind them cast the perfect orange glow, but honestly, Reo’s smile was radiant enough.

For a second, he didn’t say anything. He just stared.

“You… kept this?” Reo asked, voice quiet.

Nagi scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah. Been in my drawer since forever. I always saw it when I looked for my keys and it made me happy. I thought it would make you happy, too.”

Reo glanced up at him, touched beyond words. “You’re such a sap,” he murmured, but his voice cracked slightly.

Nagi shrugged, eyes on the photo now too. “I like that day. You were so happy I scored, but I did it for you.”

Reo’s cheeks went bright pink. “You were a genius all on your own, I just happened to discover you.”

“Eh,” Nagi shrugged. “You were my motivation, every time. Still are, actually.”

Reo’s fingers tightened slightly around the frame. He wasn’t used to this. For all the years they’d spent together— drifting apart and slowly finding their way back— he wasn’t used to hearing Nagi say things like this out loud. Not so openly. Not so vulnerably.

“Nagi…” he said, voice barely above a whisper. His throat felt tight.

Nagi looked at him like it was the simplest truth in the world. “You sparked a fire inside me that I didn’t know existed. I’ll always burn for you.”

Reo swallowed hard, laughing softly as he blinked away a sting behind his eyes. “God, you can’t just say stuff like that.”

“But it’s true,” Nagi huffed.

Reo set the photo frame down carefully on the dresser and turned back to him. “You know, if you’d said stuff like this back then, we could’ve been spared from our miscommunication.”

“Doubt it,” Nagi smirked. “You’re as oblivious as you are stubborn.”

“Me?” Reo scoffed. “You never made any of this clear.”

Nagi winced, sheepish. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Reo said gently. “I’m just glad I get to hear it now.”

He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Nagi’s cheek. Nagi froze, eyes wide as the touch short-circuited his entire brain. For a second, all he could register was warmth— whether it came from Reo’s lips or the sudden rush of blood to his face, he couldn’t tell. Either way, he was on cloud nine. Without thinking, he pulled Reo into a tight embrace, holding him close as Reo let out a soft laugh and nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

For a moment, the world faded away— no responsibilities, no complications, no labels. Just NagiandReo, like always.

It felt like back then, when everything was simple and theirs.

“Paaaapaaaaaa!” Kaede’s wail rang out down the hallway, followed by the unmistakable sound of little feet thumping against the hardwood floor. “The games are taking forever!”

Reo groaned softly into Nagi’s shoulder. “That was only a matter of time.”

Nagi snorted, gently pulling back but not fully letting go. “We should’ve known better.”

Kaede appeared in the doorway, arms crossed and face scrunched in frustration. “Papa, make the games go faster—” she paused when she saw how close the two of them were. “What’s going on here?”

Reo’s cheeks brightened, laughing off her question. “Nothing, sweetheart,” he said quickly. “Did you see the room? Isn’t it cool?” He said, trying to redirect her attention.

“Were you two kissing?”

Reo nearly choked. “Wha– Kaede!”

Nagi blinked rapidly, a deep blush creeping up his neck. “I wish,” he murmured.

“Nagi!” Reo reprimanded.

Kaede gave a knowing smirk. “I saw. You were all huggy. That’s what couples do.”

Reo sputtered. “That’s not— hugging isn’t— ”

“Wait,” Nagi said, suddenly processing what Kaede said. “Did the game freeze on you?”

Kaede nodded with a pout. “The games won't load, it’s taking too long,” she whined.

Nagi blinked, confused. Games? Plural?

He glanced at Reo, who raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. With a sigh, Nagi scooped her up, resting her on his hip and headed back out to the living room, dragging his feet a little. “I left you with Animal Crossing,” he said as he entered, only to stop in his tracks when he saw the Switch screen.

A row of download bars stretched across the TV. Five. Five new games were queued up and downloading— some farming sim, something pink and glittery, a rhythm game with bunnies, and a few that Nagi had never even heard of.

He blinked slowly. “Kaede… where did these come from?”

She shrugged innocently, curling against his chest. “I got bored.”

Nagi let out a quiet groan, rubbing his temples. “How did you even buy these?”

“I dunno, pressed some buttons” she said helpfully. “I picked the ones with cute pictures.”

He stared at her, deadpan. He never thought to put parental controls on things on account of him not being a parent. These were things he had to think about now. What a hassle…

He set her down on the couch and ran a hand through his hair. “Uh— don’t do that again,” he reprimanded weakly.

Kaede looked up at him with big, glistening eyes.

Nagi faltered. “…Seriously.”

She pouted.

He sighed, taking a seat next to her. “Okay, well. Maybe just don’t press the shopping bag again. Or don’t play around with other screens. I don’t know how you got bored of Animal Crossing, it’s actually fun…” he trailed off, watching as she slowly leaned her head against his arm, curling up like a sleepy kitten.

“Sorry, Papa,” she murmured, barely above a whisper. “I just wanted to play something else since you were gone and I missed you.”

Nagi’s heart did something unpleasantly soft. He looked away.

“…It’s okay now,” he mumbled, reaching over to smooth her hair down. “Just— next time, ask me or Mama first, alright?”

Kaede beamed up at him. “Okay!”

Nagi blinked. That was the first time he ever referred to Reo like that. It came out so naturally, too. Like, he didn’t need to think twice about it. This little family was becoming more and more real by the day. When did this shift start happening?

That’s when Reo walked in, taking a quick glance at the TV then back to Kaede and Nagi on the couch.

“…Why are there five new download bars?”

Kaede immediately stiffened.

Nagi winced. “Uh…”

Reo slowly turned to Kaede, voice dangerously calm. “Kaede. Did you buy those games with Nagi’s card?”

She gave him her most angelic smile. “Papa said it’s okay now.”

Reo turned to Nagi, wide-eyed. “You told her it was okay?!”

“I mean, it’s not like we can’t afford it,” Nagi argued. “She looked sad and said she wanted to play something fun, and I just— her eyes, Reo.”

Reo pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s not about affording, it’s the principal. She won’t learn if you let her off the hook.”

“What a pain,” he grumbled.

Kaede stayed silent, blinking innocently as she hugged her knees.

“No more Switch for the rest of the day,” Reo said firmly, pointing at her.

Kaede’s face dropped. “But— !”

“Nope.” Reo crossed his arms. “And Nagi, we’re putting a passcode on that thing tonight.”

“I'm already on it,” he murmured as he went to the settings.

Kaede gave Nagi a betrayed look. “Papa…”

Nagi sighed, defeated. “Sorry, kiddo. Whatever the boss says, goes.”

Reo shot him a look. “Good.”

“Why don’t you go play with your plushies, and we’ll get lunch ready?” Nagi suggested, lightly poking her side.

Kaede let out a giggle. “’Kay,” she said before scurrying off, deliberately avoiding Reo as she ran past him.

“She’s mad at you,” Nagi bit back a smirk.

“She’ll get over it,” Reo hummed. “What are you making her for lunch?”

“Was gonna heat up the dino nuggies,” he said casually.

“Alright, I’ll make her a fruit cup,” Reo hummed, heading for the kitchen— only to pause when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, frowning when he saw his father’s name flash across the screen. With a sigh, he declined the call.

“What’s wrong?” Nagi asked, tilting his head.

Reo shook his head. “Just my father again. He and my mom have been trying to get in touch the last couple weeks. I already know what they want to talk about, but honestly? I don’t have the energy, nor the time.”

Nagi bit his lip. “Is this about the whole contract marriage thing?”

Reo nodded. “Probably pissed I called it off. I figure they just need time to get over it.”

The phone buzzed again in his hand. Another call. Reo rolled his eyes and declined once more, then flipped his phone to Do Not Disturb before setting it face down on the counter.

“What if it’s not about that?” Nagi asked, voice a little softer.

“There’s nothing else it could be,” Reo said, brushing it off.

Nagi paused, then gave a small nod. “Alright. Will you let me know if it's anything serious?”

Reo offered him a gentle smile. “Of course.”

Nagi smiled back, satisfied— for now.

Even still, a part of him couldn’t help his mind from wondering about Kaede’s mother. As comfortable as he got, there was always a tiny sense of dread hidden deep within him. He knew he’d eventually have to deal with it, but he liked living in his little bubble. If Reo had found any leads on her, he hadn’t said. But Nagi wasn’t asking about it, either. At this point, Kaede was theirs. No random woman showing up would change that.

In all honesty, he wished Reo would stop looking. Why should they be the ones chasing after someone who walked away from her daughter in the first place?

The thought soured his mood, but it faded as he pulled the dinosaur nuggets from the oven and plated them neatly, adding extra ketchup the way Kaede liked. When he glanced over at Reo— still standing at the counter, carefully pressing stars and hearts into melon slices with his cookie cutters— Nagi felt something warm settle deep in his chest.

This was his.

This little life, this messy, quiet, stubbornly beautiful family— he’d do anything to protect it.

And he wasn’t about to lose it.

“You should go faster,” Kaede whined from her carseat. “We’ll never get there.”

Reo blinked at the road, then glanced up at her in the rearview mirror. “I am going the speed limit. And we’re not in a rush,” he said, trying to reason with the four-year-old.

The worst part? He actually listened. She said go faster, so— like an idiot, he pressed a little harder on the gas, glancing back to gauge her reaction. Not too much, of course, he was still going at a safe speed. But he figured it’d make her laugh or uplift her mood just a bit, since she wanted to faster. He even rolled down her window a bit, so she can feel the wind.

“Stop! I don’t like this!” Kaede whined, crossing her arms.

Reo’s face fell. Why was he even trying?

Then… she had the audacity.

“Papa drives better.”

Reo deadpanned. “Well, he’s not here, is he?!”

Nope. Nagi had a press day— unfortunately mandatory. He looked so apologetic about leaving them for the day, but Reo was actually excited for the opportunity. Ever since the move, he knew he hadn’t been spending as much one-on-one time with Kaede. It wasn’t intentional— he’d just been juggling a lot, and Nagi made things easier by keeping her entertained.

Unfortunately, that also meant Nagi had become the ‘cool parent.’

While Reo enforced screen time limits and bedtime rules, Nagi got to coddle her and say yes to extra bedtime stories. It was completely unfair! He used to be the favorite before he moved in. When she wasn’t begging him to stay: ”Mama, please stay longer I miss you!” she would sob every time he did leave.

Well, now that Nagi was gone for the whole day, Reo would reclaim his spot. He was going to be the coolest mom ever.

He’d woken up in a great mood, full day planned out: pancakes for breakfast, unlimited cartoons, a trip to the art store to refill her paints, and then a relaxing evening.

Perfect. Everything was going to be great.

Until she woke up.

“Where’s Papa?” she whined, rubbing her eyes as she shuffled into the kitchen.

“Good morning to you too,” Reo smiled, crouching down to wipe the sleep from her cheeks. “Papa’s out for the day. It’s just you and me— exciting, right?”

Kaede blinked slowly. Then yawned in his face.

Okay. Someone definitely woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

And so began his morning. Now, halfway to the art store, she was still in a mood.

“Well, I’ll go as fast as I think is necessary,” Reo stuck his tongue out at her. “I’m in charge here.”

“Mama,” she whined.

He was not going to be told how to drive by someone who needed supervision to use safety scissors.

As soon as they got to the art store, Reo didn’t hesitate— he hoisted Kaede into the shopping cart like it was muscle memory.

Predictably, the whining started immediately.

“I can walk,” she protested.

Reo let out a breath. “Fine,” he said slowly. “But stay by the cart at all times, okay?!”

Kaede nodded. “I promise!”

“Alright,” he said brightly, trying to reset the mood. “You get to pick out your paints. Go crazy— within reason.”

That cheered her up immediately, Kaede quickly looking over at every color with great concentration.

Reo sighed, pulling out his phone and rolling his eyes when he saw two more missed calls from his father. Ignoring that, he saw Nagi had just texted him so he opted for calling him.

“Hey, everything okay?” Nagi asked, answering after only the first ring.

“Hardly,” Reo snorted, keeping his gaze locked on Kaede as she threw some glitter paints in the cart.

“What happened?” Nagi asked, voice laced with concern.

“Your daughter is a menace. But other than that, we’re fine,” Reo said, running a hand through his hair. “How’re the interviews?”

“Boring,” Nagi whined. “We have a big match in a few weeks so everyone's asking about that. Oh, and about Kaede of course.”

“Oh?” Reo responded, keeping a close eye on her.

“The press is in love with her,” Nagi hummed.

Reo smiled despite himself. “Yeah, well, they don’t have to take her to the store. She's been in a mood all day.”

“Just give her a sweet treat. That should help.”

“Absolutely not.”

Nagi let out a sleepy laugh. “Then you're on your own.”

“Traitor,” Reo muttered, though his voice was fond.

He glanced at Kaede just in time to see her trying to add a second bottle of glitter paint to the cart, eyes darting guiltily between him and the shelf.

“Put one of those back,” Reo said flatly.

Kaede sighed dramatically.

Reo pinched the bridge of his nose. “Anyway. She’s fine. Just— very attached to you.”

“Mm. You okay with that?” Nagi asked after a pause. “Her being close to me, I mean?”

Reo blinked at the question. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Nagi was quiet for a moment. “I dunno. Just… didn’t want you to feel left out or anything.”

Reo’s chest tightened. He leaned against the handle of the cart, glancing down at the phone like he could somehow make Nagi see how stupid that was.

“I joke around about it, but of course I don’t mind it. She’s just a child, after all. You’re the one wrapped around her finger,” he teased.

“You are, too!” Nagi protested.

“Hah, you think you know everything?” Reo teased.

“I do,” He hummed. “Shit. They're calling me back for more interviews. Talk later. Tell Kaede I said hi.”

“Of course,” Reo said, quietly.

There was a soft breath over the phone. Then:

“Love you,” Nagi said softly, and then the line went dead before Reo could even muster up a reply.

Reo stared at his phone.

His brain short-circuited for a full second, maybe two. The store, the cart, the slightly sticky glitter bottle Kaede was now trying to chew on— all of it faded into static as those words echoed again in his head.

Love you.

Had he misheard?

No. No, Nagi definitely said it. Soft and casual, like it was just any other part of the conversation. Like it wasn’t the first time those words had ever passed his lips… like it wasn’t going to lodge itself inside Reo’s chest and bloom into something too big to ignore.

He hadn’t even sounded nervous. If anything, it was effortless. Natural.

And that somehow made it worse.

Did Nagi know what he’d said? Did he mean it in that way? Or was it just a slip-up— one of those things people say without thinking?

His fingers curled tighter around the cart handle.

He couldn’t stop the warmth that spread in his chest. The weight of those words nestled somewhere deep in him, grounding and terrifying all at once.

“Mama?” Kaede asked, peering up at him with wide eyes, paint forgotten for a moment. “You okay?”

He blinked down at her, then let out a slow breath, trying to gather himself.

“Yeah,” he said, and this time, he couldn’t stop the smile. “I’m great.”

By the time they got home and settled at the table, Kaede was much calmer.

It definitely helped that she napped on the drive home. She probably just needed rest. Her feet swung back and forth under the table as she slurped her noodles, glancing over at Reo now and then like she was checking to make sure he wasn’t still upset.

He wasn’t. Not at all. His mind was simply too occupied. The words still echoed in his mind and honestly? He was impressed he was even able to act like a functional person after that phone call.

“Do you feel okay now?” Kaede asked softly.

Reo blinked, coming back to the present. She was watching him closely, eyes a little round. Oh… he was worrying her.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” he said gently, nudging her bowl closer when he noticed it was slipping to the edge. “You’re being sweet again. I appreciate that.”

She beamed. “You looked sad.”

Reo blinked again, caught off-guard.

“I wasn’t sad,” he said after a beat. “Just surprised.”

“’Cause Papa called?”

“Mmhm,” he hummed, poking at his noodles. “Something like that.”

Before Kaede could pry further, the front door clicked open.

Reo glanced up just as Nagi stepped inside, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, hoodie pushed back just enough to reveal a mess of tousled white hair.

“I’m home,” he called, sounding tired— but happy.

Kaede squealed, nearly toppling her bowl as she slid down from her seat.

“Papa!!”

“Careful— !” Reo started, but she was already across the room and launching herself at Nagi.

Nagi caught her easily, letting out a soft oof as she slammed into his chest. “Hey,” he said, smiling as he kissed the top of her head. “Missed you, kiddo.”

“We went to the store,” she announced proudly. “I got new paints! I was good.”

Reo snorted from the table. “You’re lucky I’m too tired to argue with that.”

Nagi walked over, Kaede still in his arms, and leaned down to press a kiss to Reo’s hair. Reo felt his heart flutter in his chest. “Sorry again for being gone all day,” he said.

“You don’t need to apologize,” Reo hummed. “We had a good day, right, sweetheart?”

Kaede nodded eagerly. “Mama’s the best,” she giggled.

“I agree,” Nagi hummed, finally setting her down and flopping into the seat beside Reo. “Food smells good.”

“Still warm if you want yours now.”

Nagi gave a grateful nod, but didn’t move yet. Instead, he just looked at Reo. Quiet for a beat too long.

Reo could feel it coming— the thing they weren’t saying. That single sentence from earlier still hung heavy in the air between them, even if Kaede didn’t notice.

So Reo cleared his throat and said, “By the way… you kinda dropped a bomb on me earlier.”

Nagi tilted his head, almost lazily. “Did I?”

“You said something,” Reo continued carefully, “right before hanging up.”

Nagi’s face stayed neutral, but his hand froze just slightly as he reached for a napkin.

“Oh,” he said. “Right.”

Reo waited.

“I meant it,” Nagi said finally, still not looking at him. “Didn’t really want to keep it inside anymore.”

Reo blinked.

Then, after a beat, he reached out and tangled their fingers together under the table, squeezing once.

“You’re gonna drive me crazy,” he murmured— but his smile was soft.

Nagi looked up, meeting his eyes finally.

Reo’s cheeks were warm. He could feel the smile tugging at his lips, no matter how hard he tried to keep a straight face. “Love you too, idiot.”

Kaede, oblivious to everything going on, poked Nagi’s side. “Are you eating or not?!”

That broke the moment, and Nagi laughed, pulling his hand away only to grab his bowl.

“Alright, alright,” he said, scooting his chair in. “I’m starving.”

But as they all settled in, bowls steaming, the warmth stayed— quiet and heavy in Reo’s chest. Something solid. 

He couldn’t believe it had taken them this long.

Later that night, Kaede fell asleep almost instantly. Her tantrums had drained her, and the excitement of seeing Nagi again had tipped her into exhaustion.

Reo tucked the blanket around her small frame and smoothed her hair back from her face. She mumbled something incomprehensible in her sleep, already curled against her plush bear.

Nagi stood quietly in the doorway, watching.

“She really missed you today,” Reo said softly as he clicked off the nightlight. “Even if she acted like a little brat.”

“She’s always a little brat,” Nagi whispered with a faint smile. He stepped aside as Reo slipped past him into the hallway, gently pulling the door closed behind them.

The apartment was quiet now. They moved to the living room without saying much, both still lingering in the afterglow of that earlier moment, like neither wanted to break it.

Reo sank onto the couch and leaned back, exhaling deeply.

Nagi flopped down beside him, close enough that their knees brushed.

Neither said anything for a long moment.

Then—

“You’re sure you actually meant it?” Reo asked, barely above a whisper.

Nagi didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Of course,” he said.

Reo swallowed, heart climbing up into his throat. “Say it again.”

Nagi turned toward him. “I love you.”

Reo let out a shaky breath, a laugh hidden in it. His eyes met Nagi’s, and suddenly it felt impossible to look away.

“And I love you too,” he said, quieter this time. Like a secret just for the two of them.

And then— Nagi moved.

He cupped Reo’s jaw and pulled him in, kissing him like he couldn’t wait a second longer. 

Because he couldn’t. 

The kiss wasn’t soft or delicate. No, it was full of desperation. 

It was needy. Like he’d been holding it back for too long and it finally broke loose.

Reo made a sound in the back of his throat, half gasp, half groan, as he kissed him back just as hard. His hands fumbled for Nagi’s shirt, gripping it tight like he needed to anchor himself.

Nagi pushed forward, crowding into Reo’s space, knees knocking together, their mouths moving fast and uneven. Reo pulled him closer, the kiss deepening with every breath they stole between them.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing hard. Reo’s heart was pounding in his throat.

“Shit,” he whispered, eyes wide.

Nagi was still cupping his face. “Yeah.”

“You’ve been holding that back?”

Nagi just nodded, flushed and out of breath.

Reo let out a breathless laugh. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“I won’t,” Nagi said, and kissed him again.

Chapter Text

“Okay, when you kick the ball, make sure you don't use your toe. It'll hurt that way, and you’ll have less control,” Nagi instructed carefully, demonstrating the proper form. It was a kid-sized soccer ball, completely purple to match Reo. That’s what Kaede wanted, who were they to argue?

It was a peaceful weekend, and Reo suggested they all go to the park during the evening time when it was cooler out. Kaede insisted on bringing her soccer ball, determined to be just like Papa.

Nagi would be lying if he said his heart didn't jump at that.

“Okay,” Kaede said excitedly. “Ms. Aki says we have sports day soon. I’m gonna be the best.”

Nagi had to double check when exactly that was again, so he and Reo can take the day off. He made a mental note to check later.

“Of course you are, kiddo,” Nagi smiled, ruffling her hair. “Now, try to pass the ball to Mama. Remember, he's even better than me, so give it your all.”

Reo stood a couple feet away, his hair tied up like he used to when they had their matches.

Playing football with Reo again felt like a dream. They haven’t done this in so long. Too long. Of course, Nagi would’ve never predicted the circumstances of them playing again would be with their daughter. But, he really can’t complain.

Kaede squeezed her eyes shut as she kicked the ball with all her might. Predictably, it flew way past Reo.

“Ack— sorry, Mama,” Kaede said when she saw Reo chasing after the ball.

“All good, sweetheart. Next time, try keeping your eyes open?” Reo suggested gently.

Kaede bit her lip. Reo passed the ball to Nagi perfectly, with Nagi catching it right on time. Kaede watched them in awe, clapping her little hands together. “Wow, you guys really are the best!” She cheered.

“We just have a lot of experience,” Nagi shrugged, and softly kicked the ball to Kaede. “This time, keep your eyes on Mama.”

“Okay~” Kaede hummed as she looked at Reo, who gave her an encouraging thumbs up. She positioned her foot the way Nagi instructed and kept her eyes locked on Reo as she kicked again with all the brute strength a four-year-old can. This time, she aimed perfectly and Reo caught the ball with his foot easily.

“I did it!” she shouted, jumping up happily, her eyes shining. Nagi gave her a high five.

“Proud of you, kiddo. I knew you could,” he hummed, shooting Reo a warm smile.

Reo smiled brightly, clapping his hands. “That was perfect, sweetheart,” he called. “I’m going to pass it back now, okay?”

“’Kay,” she replied, bracing herself in position. Reo passed it back with the kind of care and control that came from years of practice. He knew how to pass to a teammate in the middle of a high-stakes match and he knew exactly how to pass to Kaede.

She caught it with her foot perfectly.

Nagi could tell it was a deliberate, gentle pass, and it warmed his heart to see Reo enjoying the game again.

Kaede squealed as she caught Reo’s pass, and experimentally decided to run with it.

“Ah, be careful,” Nagi called as he watched her zoom around the park with the ball. Reo smiled fondly, catching up to Nagi.

“She’s doing so well,” he said, taking a sip of his water.

“Yeah, I knew she could. That’s our genes at work,” Nagi said easily. Reo nearly spit out his water.

“Hah!?” He laughed, shaking his head fondly. “You’re something else.”

Nagi smiled softly, bringing Reo’s hand up and placing a kiss to his knuckles. “You still have it in you, y’know? Football.”

Reo flushed, gently pulling his hand back and watching Kaede. “Easy to say when my teammate is a child,” he chuckled.

“Nah, I can still see the fire in you. You miss it, huh?” He tilted his head.

“That’s just not my life anymore,” he shrugged. “I’m perfectly happy with this. Plus, imagine how chaotic our schedule would be with two professional athletes for parents. This is better. For her,” Reo concluded.

“Hmm,” Nagi pouted, wrapping his arms around Reo’s waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. “But you looked so hot in your football kit,” he whined.

Reo snorted. “And I don’t look hot in my suits? I’m offended,” he teased.

“Reo looks good in anything,” Nagi hummed, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

“Excuse me— ?” an unfamiliar voice interrupted, breaking the moment. Reo cleared his throat and turned with a polite, professional smile.

“Hello,” he greeted. Nagi stayed quiet beside him.

“Is it okay if my son plays with your daughter? They’re in the same class, and my husband and I—” she gestured to two figures behind her, “we’re trying to help him socialize more. We saw you here and recognized Kaede.”

“Oh,” Reo smiled. “Yeah, absolutely. I don’t see why not,” he said, glancing over at Nagi. “Right?”

“Huh? Oh, that’s fine. She can be competitive though, so. Watch out,” he shrugged.

The woman blinked, before smiling brightly. “Wonderful!” She gave a thumbs up to her son, who ran over to Kaede.

Kaede and the boy had been kicking the ball back and forth for a good ten minutes, their laughter bubbling across the field. Reo had taken a seat beside Nagi on the blanket they'd laid out, sipping water and watching the kids play with a fond smile.

"She's so happy," Reo murmured.

"Yeah," Nagi agreed, his gaze fixed on Kaede. “She’s really glowing lately.”

Reo was about to reply when the boy suddenly charged toward the ball with more force than necessary. His foot collided hard— not just with the ball, but with Kaede’s shin as she reached out for the same kick. She stumbled backward and landed on the grass with a loud thud, her hands scraping against the dirt.

Nagi was up before Reo even processed what happened.

“Kaede!” he called, already at her side.

Kaede blinked hard, her lower lip trembling, small hands braced against the grass. She hadn’t cried yet, but she looked just seconds away.

Reo jogged over, a step behind.

“I-I’m okay,” Kaede mumbled, but her voice wavered. There was a red mark forming on her shin, and little scrapes on her palms.

Nagi crouched beside her, his voice low and serious. “Where does it hurt?”

“Here,” she whispered, pointing at her leg.

“Okay, deep breath, kiddo. Let me see.” His hands were gentle but firm as he inspected the bruise, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

The boy stood awkwardly nearby, eyes wide, muttering, “I didn’t mean to…”

Nagi blinked, his attention snapping to the little boy in question. He was clearly irritated, but he knew not to snap at a child.

“You need to be careful. She’s smaller than you,” Nagi said, calmly but coldly. “This isn’t a game where you get to knock people over.”

Reo placed a hand on Nagi’s shoulder as a gentle grounding, but didn’t interrupt. He could feel Nagi vibrating with restrained frustration, and honestly? He agreed with him.

“I’m sorry,” the boy said quickly, looking embarrassed.

Kaede sniffled. “It’s okay,” she told the boy, always quick to forgive. “I just wasn’t fast enough.”

“You don’t have to blame yourself,” Nagi said, brushing a bit of grass from her hair. “You were playing fair. It’s not your fault.”

Reo agreed, before he easily scooped her up, carrying her back to the blanket. “Let’s take a break, honey.”

The other parents came running after, looking completely apologetic. “Oh gosh, we saw the whole thing. Yuta, apologize!”

“It’s okay, he already did,” Reo smiled politely, patting Kaede’s back. Nagi stood beside them, glancing back and forth between the kid and the parents.

Reo grabbed the messenger bag he usually traveled with, fishing through it and smiling proudly when he found what he was looking for. “I always come prepared,” he hummed as he dug through the first aid kit. He sprayed the antiseptic on Kaede’s scraps, frowning when she winced in pain. “It’s okay, baby,” he soothed as he pulled out the Barbie themed bandaids and placed them on her cuts.

“Oh, what a poor first impression. Hopefully, they can get along better during class time,” the mother remarked, taking her son’s hand.

They were about to turn around to leave, before Nagi spoke up.

“His form was sloppy, he came in with way too much force. He needs to learn how to properly read the ball, and his opponent,” Nagi instructed quietly.

The other parent’s eyes widened.

“If he’s really interested in improving, why not watch a professional game? I have a match this week, and I’ll get you all free tickets,” he smiled softly. Reo blinked up at them, his eyes softening as he watched Nagi.

“W-What?!” The father spoke, in shock.

“That’s too generous, we could never accept!” The mother said. “Espeically since he hurt your daughter!”

“‘S okay,” Nagi shrugged. “You’re good, right, Kaede?” He tilted his head. Kaede was now squealing at her Barbie bandaids, trying to get more from Reo.

“She’s fine,” Nagi chuckled. “We’ll get you tickets, hope to see you there.”

Once they were a far enough distance away, Nagi immediately looked over at Reo. “Did you like the way I handled that?”

Reo snorted. “I was very impressed, yes.”

Nagi hummed, leaning down to press a kiss to both his and Kaede’s heads. “That’s why I did it.”

“Ridiculous,” Reo rolled his eyes fondly. Kaede smiled brightly at the two of them.

Dinner was easy. Nagi’s been stepping up in that regard. Ever since Kaede, he’s been trying to master the skill. It’s one thing eating fruit jellies when the only person who depends on you is, well, yourself. It’s a whole other ballpark when you have a tiny human to feed. To make sure she’s eating right and has the proper nutrients and stuff.

Is this how Reo felt whenever he would feed him?

Ah… he was such a hassle for Reo.

If he had to, he’d spend the rest of his life making it up to the man. For now, dinner would have to do.

He sighed as he rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie and looked around the kitchen. The miso soup was bubbling softly on the stove, the rice cooker was finishing up its cycle. Reo was still in the shower, so he had time. He could do this.

He was currently whisking the eggs in the large mixing bowl when Kaede padded into the room, plopping down on the step stool Nagi had brought in just for her. “Whatcha makin’, Papa?”

“Tamagoyaki,” he said, double checking the recipe before heading over to the stove. “And the miso soup from last time. With tofu, ‘cause you like that, right?”

“Yuh huh!” She leaned forward. “Smells like school lunch, but better!”

Nagi blinked. “That’s good… right?” He asked, carefully flipping the slightly uneven roll in the pan.

She gave him a confident thumbs up. “If you make it, it’s always good!”

His ears went a little pink. “You’re easy to impress,” he chuckled. “How’s your shin and palms?”

Kaede shrugged. “I’m okay, but I’m going to get revenge,” she giggled.

“Eh?” Nagi raised a brow, startled enough to nearly fumble the roll.

Kaede paused, before jumping down from her stool and running off to her room and shutting her door. Nagi simply blinked, unsure if that’s something he should concern himself with or…

Shit. He almost messed up the tamagoyaki. He carefully rolled the egg and then gently poured the rest of the mixture into the pan, waiting for the sides to cook before repeating the process. He was so engrossed in the cooking, he didn’t even register when Reo walked in.

“Need help?” He asked casually as he leaned against the counter, smiling softly at Nagi. Nagi nearly jumped, then looked at Reo in relief.

“Hey,” he said softly. He turned the stove off, padded over to Reo, and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

Reo hummed into the kiss, before pulling away after a couple of seconds. “I’m still getting used to this,” he admitted shyly.

Nagi sighed, leaning against his shoulder. “ ‘m sorry,” he whined. “If I wasn’t such a shit boyfriend in the past, you wouldn’t be so cautious around me.”

Reo stilled, before threading his fingers through Nagi’s hair. “So you admit we were together?” He asked.

“‘Course we were,” he said quietly. “I was too dumb to realize it, though. How many times do I have to say it, Reo?” Nagi whined.

Reo smiled softly, pressing a kiss to his hair. “Well… what about now?” He tilted his head.

Nagi looked up from his shoulders, eyes wide as he registered Reo’s question. “Huh?”

“Are you still too naive to admit it, now?” He asked again.

Nagi shook his head. “No,” he said quietly.

Reo didn’t say anything at first. Just watched him. The silence hung between them, before Reo pulled away. “Good, because you aren’t getting another chance after this,” he said firmly.

Nagi nodded in understanding. “I’m really trying,” he whispered.

Reo smiled gently. “I know; I can tell,” he hummed as he gestured to the kitchen. “I mean, look at what you’ve done here. When I first showed up those months ago, this kitchen was a mess just from you making peanut butter and jelly.”

Nagi blinked, before shrugging his shoulders. “I’m still learning. It’s still gonna be a mess.” He stepped closer, voice low and steady. “But I promise I’m gonna stick around. I’m not gonna let you out of my grasp.”

Reo’s eyes softened, even as he fought back the flicker of doubt in his chest. “You say that now…”

“I mean it.” Nagi’s hand found Reo’s, fingers threading clumsily but deliberately. “It’s not just Kaede I’m doing this for. It’s you.”

Reo looked down at their joined hands. “You didn’t used to say things like that.”

“I didn’t used to know what I had,” Nagi murmured. “Or how to take care of it.”

A silence settled again, Nagi felt his anxiety deep in chest until Reo gently squeezed their hands.

“So what are we, then?”

Nagi’s brow furrowed like he was working through a complex puzzle. “We’re us,” he said finally. “The way we were supposed to be before I screwed it up.”

Reo huffed a small laugh. “That’s not a real answer.”

Nagi whined, before nuzzling against Reo’s neck. “Reooo, will you be my boyfriend?” He asked, hiding the blush that spread across his cheeks.

Reo smiled brightly before pulling away so he could look Nagi directly in the eye. “Finally,” he said before cupping his cheeks and pulling him into a kiss. When they pulled away, Nagi rested his forehead against Reo’s.

“Kinda embarrassing asking you that,” he murmured.

“Huh? Why? You don’t need to be embarrassed, treasure.” Reo said softly, gently caressing his cheek.

“I just mean…” Nagi paused for a moment, his chest fluttering at the nickname. “Ah— um. Like, the word boyfriend. Feels too… casual for what we are. For what you mean to me. It just doesn’t really capture it,” he admitted shyly.

Reo’s gaze softened, before letting out a small chuckle. “Only you would think the word boyfriend is casual,” he smiled. “It works for now, though.”

For now. Nagi would hold onto that.

Reo grinned, before closing the distance in another kiss.

Nagi immediately kissed him back with a hungry desperation. His hands slid to Reo’s waist, gripping tight before hoisting him up and setting him on the counter, never once breaking the kiss.

Reo let out a muffled yelp at being lifted, but wrapped his legs around Nagi’s waist, biting at his lower lip with a grin.

Nagi slipped his tongue into Reo's mouth as his hands ran firmly up and down his back until they landed on his hair, messily running his fingers through it.

Reo moaned quietly, tugging him closer until there was no space left between them, deepening the kiss. He tasted like honey, from that lip balm Nagi always sees him applying. It was as amazing as it was sloppy, but Nagi didn’t care; his mind was just swimming in thoughts of ReoReoReoReoReo.

He could feel his heart rate rising in his chest. Nagi pulled away to catch his breath, just for a moment, then went right back to the kiss. After a while, he began to trail kisses down Reo’s jaw and neck, licking a slow stripe along the spot he remembered made Reo shiver. Even after all these years, Nagi still knew his body— where to touch, how to make him squirm.

Reo whimpered softly, tilting his head back to give Nagi more access. Nagi happily obliged, pressing kisses down the curve of his neck to the dip of his collarbone.

“No marks. We’re not seventeen anymore,” Reo managed, voice breathy.

“Mhm,” Nagi murmured against his skin. He tugged Reo’s shirt a little lower, revealing the top of his chest. Surely, Reo wasn’t wearing anything low-cut to work— Nagi figured this bit of skin was fair game.

He kissed the spot gently, then began to suck just enough to leave the faintest bruise. Reo gasped, fingers digging into Nagi’s shoulders.

Nagi came back up and cupped his jaw, pulling him into another sloppy kiss. Reo melted into it like he’d never been kissed before.

But a loud thud from down the hall jolted them apart.

“Ah,” Reo said, cheeks flushed and lips pink.

“Shit,” Nagi murmured, looking over at the hall and sighing in relief when he saw Kaede’s door was still closed. He took a moment to collect himself, as he looked equally as flustered as Reo. He bit his lip, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry— got a little carried away.”

Reo brought his fingers up to his lips, looking at Nagi through hooded eyes. “Uh huh,” he let out, voice still breathy.

“I’ll go check on her,” Nagi said, taking a step back from Reo. But Reo shook his head, sliding off the counter. “No, no. I got it,” he said once he snapped out of it. “We can’t be careless like that,” he added, after a pause.

Nagi turned back to the stove, starting to set out the plates with a small grumble. “I can’t kiss my boyfriend?”

Reo’s face turned bright red. “Not like that. Not when we have a kid in the other room.”

Nagi huffed. “I guess…”

Reo rolled his eyes fondly.

“Oh— and you better fix your hair before you go in there,” Nagi added with a teasing smirk. “Got a bit messy.”

Reo stuck his tongue out at him, then ducked into the hallway to find a mirror, running his fingers through his hair as he prepared to check on Kaede.

After making sure he looked presentable, Reo knocked gently on Kaede’s door. He waited a beat, then opened it when he heard suspicious shuffling inside.

“Sweetheart? You okay? We heard a thud.”

Kaede was seated in the middle of her rug, surrounded by a circle of dolls and plushies. She looked up, smiled sweetly, and waved him off.

“‘M okay. You can go now,” she said, already turning back to her work.

Reo raised an eyebrow and stepped in for a closer look. Most of her usual dolls were tucked into a makeshift house… except for one boy doll, which sat isolated in the center of a plushie circle.

“What was that noise, then?” he asked cautiously.

Kaede sighed like this was all very obvious. She pointed at the lone doll.

“That’s Yuta,” she said solemnly.

Reo blinked. Yuta…? Oh— right. The boy from earlier.

“Why’s he over there?”

“He kicked me. He’s being sacrificed,” she replied, completely serious.

Reo pursed his lips. He wasn’t totally sure how to respond to that. He eyed the surrounding plushies.

“O… kay. So what was the thud?”

“The ritual, Mama,” Kaede whined, turning her head back to her dolls.

Reo stood there in stunned silence for a second. Nagi could definitely deal with this later…

“Well,” he sighed, rubbing his temple. “You can have your weird little witch thing, but we do not raise our voices in this house.”

Kaede huffed but nodded.

“Alright, let’s clean up now, okay? Dinner’s ready.”

“Okay!” she cheered, instantly chipper again.

Sports day came faster than either Nagi or Reo anticipated. But thankfully, both were able to secure the day off, and a perfect viewing spot.

Reo arrived with a fully packed lunchbox, two folding chairs, and enough snacks to feed the entire class. Nagi brought… himself. And Kaede’s water bottle that Reo had nearly forgotten on the counter.

“You think we brought enough?” Nagi teased, eyeing the giant tote bag slung over Reo’s shoulder.

Reo scoffed. “Do you want her to be the kid whose parents forgot snacks? Exactly. Sit down.”

Nagi sat, eyes scanning the school’s field. Tiny kids in matching red and white caps were already running around in clusters, most of them seemingly ignoring the event coordinators with clipboards. It looked… chaotic. If taking care of Kaede was as crazy as it was, he couldn’t imagine what these teachers went through with classrooms full of them. He had the utmost respect for them.

They spotted Kaede near the front, bouncing on her heels excitedly. Her pigtails were lopsided already, and she was talking the ear off another poor kid who just nodded along.

Reo softened instantly. “She’s so excited,” he whispered, like saying it too loud might ruin the moment.

“She’s gonna win,” Nagi said without hesitation, leaning back in his chair. “Bet you ten bucks.”

Reo raised an eyebrow. “She’s in preschool, Seishiro.”

“Yeah,” Nagi said. “Still gonna win.”

They were halfway through their juice boxes, sitting in the fold out chairs with their sunglasses on, waiting for the first race announcement to happen when a cheerful voice called out to them.

“Excuse me— Mikage-san? Nagi-san?”

Reo turned first, smile already in place. Nagi blinked and sat a little straighter when he recognized the couple approaching.

It was Yuta’s parents. The mom had a sun visor and a camera already slung around her neck, and the dad wore a matching cap and a football-themed T-shirt that probably wasn't a coincidence.

“We just wanted to say thank you again,” Yuta’s mom said, beaming. “Those tickets were such a surprise. Yuta talked about the match for weeks! It really lit something up in him.”

“Ah— yeah,” Nagi rubbed the back of his neck, a little red. “He seemed really into it.”

“He’s been playing every day since,” the dad added with a proud laugh. “He’s obsessed. Even wants to grow his hair out like yours, Nagi-san.”

Reo snorted. “Good luck with the tangles.”

“Honestly, we’re just so grateful,” the mom continued. “We know it was a big game, and for you to offer those tickets— it meant a lot.”

Nagi shifted awkwardly. “Wasn’t a big deal…”

“But it was for him,” she said gently. “He hasn’t stopped talking about wanting to be a striker.”

Reo elbowed Nagi softly, grinning. “Look at you. Inspiring the next generation.”

Nagi mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “gross,” but his ears were pink and he wasn’t exactly frowning.

The announcer’s voice crackled to life over the loudspeaker, calling the first event to the field. Yuta’s parents gave one more round of thanks before heading to their own seats.

As they walked off, Reo leaned toward Nagi, nudging his arm. “You like it. Don’t pretend you don’t.”

Nagi shrugged, eyes flicking toward the field. Kaede had her game face on—intense, puffy-cheeked concentration as she lined up at the start line.

“…It’s kinda cool,” he admitted.

The whistle blew, and the announcer's voice came back, grabbing the parent’s attention.

“Next up! The Class One footrace— get ready, little athletes!”

Kaede shuffled into her lane, her brows were drawn, her hands at her hips. She never looked so serious. On her feet were a pair of little purple sneakers that Reo had insisted were both stylish and supportive. They also lit up, which she absolutely loved.

From the sidelines, Nagi leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “She looks serious.”

“She can be scary sometimes, I feel for the other kids,” Reo said quietly.

The tiny runners crouched down at the line. Kaede glanced sideways, clearly sizing up her competition. Then she looked to the sidelines— saw Reo waving with both hands and Nagi giving her a lazy thumbs-up. She beamed, just for a second, before locking back into position.

The starting pistol fired (well, more of a squeaky toy honk), and they were off.

Kaede launched forward like she’d been catapulted. Her arms pumped wildly, form forgotten entirely as sheer enthusiasm took over. Her little legs moved in a blur, sneakers slapping the track with maximum determination.

“She’s fast,” Nagi muttered, blinking.

“She’s going to wipe out,” Reo whispered at the same time.

Almost just as he said that, Kaede lost her footing just as she passed the halfway point. Her toe clipped the edge of the lane, and for one heart-stopping moment she flew forward.

Nagi stood up instinctively. Reo gasped.

But— miraculously— Kaede twisted midair and rolled right through the fall like a tiny stunt double. She popped back up, scraped and dusty, and kept running.

The crowd cheered louder for that than they had for the actual race.

“She’s got your reflexes,” Reo said, awestruck.

“She’s got your flair for the dramatics,” Nagi replied.

And against all odds, Kaede crossed the finish line— third place, but grinning like she’d won gold. She threw both arms in the air and screamed, “I did it!”

Reo was already waving her over with a towel and a water bottle. Nagi stood, stretching a little, his heart still hammering from the scare.

Kaede barreled toward them across the field, arms outstretched like an airplane. Her face was flushed, dirt smudged across her cheek, and her knee was already showing a bit of purple in the form of a bruise. She didn’t seem to notice, or care.

“Mama, papa, did you see that?!” She said excitedly as she skidded to a stop in front of them.

“We saw it all,” Nagi promised.

Reo was already crouching, eyes scanning her quickly. “We saw you hurt yourself,” he said, brushing a bit of grass from her shoulder. “Kaede, your knee— does that hurt?”

“Nope!” she said cheerfully, then winced when he pressed gently beside the scrape.

“Mmhmm,” Reo hummed, unconvinced. He took out the little emergency pouch he’d insisted on bringing and began dabbing the area with a disinfectant wipe.

“Ow! That stings,” Kaede whined, trying to wriggle away.

“You’re strong, you can handle it,” Reo said, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Nagi peered over Reo’s shoulder, lazily holding out a bandage. “You ran really fast,” he said, voice low but full of pride.

Kaede beamed, squirming with delight. “Did I look cool?!”

“The coolest,” Reo said with a grin. “But next time? Less flipping. More staying on your feet.”

She nodded seriously. “Okay. But I still won against Yuta, so I think I get a prize.”

“You came in third,” Nagi reminded her.

“Still!” She argued.

Their break was interrupted by the announcement of the next game: Tug of War.

Kaede immediately turned around and ran towards the other kids in her class, her best game face on.

Nagi snorted, leaning against Reo’s shoulder. “This is actually more fun than I thought it would be,” he said.

Kaede lined up with her team, and began tugging with all her might when the horn went off. She was on the opposite side of Yuta, and that might’ve been enough motivation to fuel her little arms.

Reo smiled, throwing an arm around his shoulder. “It is, isn’t it? And she’s having a blast.”

Nagi hummed. “I like doing this with you,” he said. “It feels like we’re a proper family,” he said.

Reo turned to him, blinking for a moment before turning his gaze back to Kaede. “That’s because we are one,” he said.

Nagi looked over at him. “Yeah?”

“What else would you call it?” He chuckled, before loudly cheering when Kaede’s team pulled their rope past the threshold, signaling their win. “Fuc—” Reo quickly caught himself, looking around in panic to make sure no one heard him, before he began shouting again. “Heck yeah! Go Kaede!”

Nagi meanwhile, witnessing the whole thing, burst into a fit of laughter.

“Shush!” Reo said.

After the dust had settled and the kids all had their lunch break, it was time for the final activity.

“And finally! Our parent-child three-legged race! Grab your grown-up and head to the starting line!”

Kaede’s head whipped around. “We’re doing that,” she said with conviction.

Reo blinked. “We?”

“You and me!” Kaede said. Then she paused, considering. “No— wait. Papa and me. He has longer legs.”

“Not that much longer,” Reo defended, but smirked when Kaede started tugging at a reluctant Nagi.

“It’s my day off, don’t wanna run,” Nagi huffed.

“You gotta represent our family!” Reo encouraged. Nagi’s eyes brightened at that, before looking down at Kaede.

“Yes! We have the bestest family, so we will win!”

Nagi smiled softly, before nodding along. “Alrighty, princess. Let’s do it.”

Moments later, They stood at the starting line, one leg each awkwardly tied together with a bright red ribbon. Nagi looked down at her. “You sure you know how to do this?”

Kaede nodded seriously. “We practiced at school. Just follow my lead.”

The whistle blew— and chaos erupted.

They stumbled once, twice, then finally found their rhythm, Kaede shouting, “Left! Right! Left!” like a tiny drill sergeant while Nagi huffed beside her, trying not to trip over her.

Reo cheered from the sidelines, laughing with the other parents as his two favorite people crossed the finish line in a tangle of limbs, giggling and panting.

They didn’t win.

But Kaede flung her arms around Nagi’s waist and beamed like she’d just won Olympic gold.

Later on, after they had cleaned her up and got her ready for bed, Kaede had begged to sleep with them that night. Of course they agreed, especially after how hard she worked.

She was nuzzled perfectly between them, Reo running his hands through her hair. Kaede hummed, blinking at the two of them slowly. They knew she was only minutes away from knocking out.

“Hey,” she murmured sleepily. “Mama? Papa?”

“Yeah, baby?” Reo said, brushing her bangs out of her face.

“I love you,” she said simply. “Both of you. So much.”

Reo’s eyes immediately welled. Nagi froze.

Reo leaned down and kissed her forehead. “We love you too, sweetheart.”

Nagi swallowed and brought the blanket up to her. “More than anything.”

Kaede hummed, eyes fluttering closed, safe between the two people who loved her most in the world.

Chapter Text

“Mikage-san,” the receptionist called quietly when she entered the conference room.

Reo gave her an incredulous look. He was currently in the middle of a huge presentation, with various board members seated around the elongated table. They all turned to look at the poor receptionist, who gave an apologetic smile to everyone.

“Hina,” he murmured, barely moving his lips. Normally, he would expect her to have enough experience around here to not interrupt when he was in the middle of a meeting. But, she continued to stand there. He cleared his throat.

“Is there an emergency?” He raised a brow.

“Well… I wouldn’t say that,” she faltered, shifting on her heels.

His frown deepened. “Then it can wait until after the meeting.” He was already turning back to the projector when her voice piped up again.

“Apologies, Mikage-san. But, we keep getting calls from a school?” She tilted her head. “Unsure if you approved a fundraiser or outreach program of some sort?”

That made him pause. He straightened slowly. “…Which school?”

Hina glanced at her notes. “Dewdrop Daycare.”

Kaede’s school.

He stepped closer to her, focusing his attention to Hina now, fully zoning out the whispers of disapproval from the board members.

“What happened?” He asked, his tone was lower now, laced with urgency.

Hina raised a brow. “Well, at first we thought it was a mistake. But the woman on the other line was very insistent that she get ahold of you. She didn’t disclose any other information.”

He exhaled, quick and frustrated. “Moving forward, any calls from that number go straight to me. No exceptions.”

Hina furrowed her brows, but nodded slowly. “Understood,” she said softly.

Turning back to the table, Reo’s composure snapped back into place. “My apologies, folks. Something’s come up. I’ll have this presentation forwarded by the end of the day.” His smile was professional, but his heart was racing in his chest.

By the time Reo slid into his car and hit the call button, his whole body felt like a nervous wreck. He had no idea what to expect. The phone rang a couple times before someone answered.

“Mr. Mikage, thank you for returning our call. We tried reaching out to Nagi-san, but it went straight to voicemail.”

“Yeah, he’s currently in practice. Thank you for getting a hold of me, what’s going on?” He asked, the anxiety tight in his chest.

“There’s been… an incident with Kaede,” Ms. Aki said quietly.

Reo’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “What kind of incident?”

“She was involved in an altercation with another child.”

Altercation. The word sent a dozen possible disasters flashing through his mind. “Is she hurt?”

“No, no, she’s physically fine,” Ms. Aki rushed to clarify. “But the other child is rather… upset. We think it would be best if you came in.”

Reo was still stuck on the whole thing and needed clarification fast. “What kind of altercation?”

There was a pause. “Well… Kaede lashed out after a classmate provoked her. Again, we feel it would be best to discuss this in person.”

Reo shut his eyes briefly. His daughter— barely tall enough to reach the snack shelf— was getting written up for fighting. He swallowed hard. “I’ll be there within the hour.”

When he finally made it to the school, he didn’t know what to expect. But it seemed like Ms. Aki was already there waiting for him, pulling him aside to her office.

“Mikage-san. Thank you for coming so quickly.”

Reo bowed politely, though his chest still thrummed with worry. “Please tell me what happened.”

Ms. Aki gestured for him to sit. “First, let me assure you— Kaede isn’t in trouble. We simply want to work through this together.”

Reo’s brows knit together. “Work through what?”

Ms. Aki folded her hands. “One of the boys was teasing Kaede again. Today, she unfortunately reacted in an unacceptable manner— she shoved him and told him to shut up. The boy cried, of course, and we had to separate them.”

Reo blinked. “…She shoved him?”

“Yes. It wasn’t serious, but it was unkind. At Dewdrop, we emphasize community and relationship-building. So Kaede was placed in a brief time-out and asked to reflect.”

Something else caught his attention… the word again.

Reo leaned forward slightly, voice calm but edged with the frustration he was instantly feeling. “And this teasing— how long has it been happening?”

Ms. Aki hesitated. “Well… there have been a few small incidents over the past couple of weeks.”

“Weeks?” His tone sharpened. “What exactly do you mean by teasing?”

“Well, we sent you e-mails after each incident. Apologies, we assumed you guys were already aware. But there was name-calling as well as singling her out during group play,” Ms. Aki admitted carefully. “We have been handling it, of course. But children at this age sometimes— ”

“So she’s been targeted repeatedly, and today she finally snapped back.” His jaw tightened, though his smile stayed polite. “And she’s the one who ends up in time-out.”

Ms. Aki shook her hands in defense. “We spoke with the boy as well. Both children are learning how to handle conflict. That’s our goal here.”

Reo exhaled through his nose, fighting the urge to argue further. He liked this school, he liked the teachers, and Kaede seemed (mostly) happy. He didn’t want to make a huge scene, especially since Kaede would be graduating into kindergarten next year. All the options filtered through his mind, before he pursed his lips. He smoothed a hand over his tie, a picture of restraint. “I’ll be talking to Kaede myself. But I do expect to be kept informed if this continues.”

Ms. Aki blinked. “Of course, Mikage-san. Is there perhaps another e-mail you want us to contact?”

“No, the one you have now should be good.”

He’ll be double checking if they actually sent the e-mails…

“Oh, and I want the contact information for the parents of that little boy. If we have to correct her behavior, I’m assuming they have a lot more to deal with. Like teaching their son to say sorry and not hurt a little girl’s feelings.”

Ms. Aki flinched, before shaking his head solemnly. “Unfortunately, I cannot provide their information to you. If you happen to run into them during pick-ups and drop offs, maybe you can ask then? But we cannot just give away personal info like that.”

Reo’s smile never faltered. He knew it was a long shot, but he knew he also had to stand his ground and protect what was his. After letting out an exasperated sigh, he looked at Ms. Aki with a cold stare.

“Then, where’s my daughter?”

Ms. Aki stood, gesturing him into the classroom. He spotted the other children on a large mat, playing amongst themselves. Then he saw Kaede, and his heart nearly shattered at the scene. There she was, alone sitting in the corner on a tiny chair, knees pulled up, her hair covering her face. When he approached he could see her lip quivering. She didn’t even register that he was there.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said. He crouched, arms outstretched, and when she finally realized Reo was there, she darted straight into his chest, pressing her wet cheek against his tie. He held her tightly.

“Mama,” she whined, tiny fists curling against his collar. He rubbed her back in soothing circles.

“Where's your backpack?” He asked quietly, even though he could feel the stares of the other children.

“Cubby,” she spoke softly. Reo nodded and turned to the wall of cubbies, finding the one with her name on it. He reached over to grab her things, while still keeping a tight grip on her.

“Alright, we're going home now,” he said as he cradled her protectively in his arms. He hated seeing her look so upset, especially when neither he nor Nagi had any control over the situation. Earlier, he was vibrating with anxiety, now it’s a mix of fury and pure maternal instincts.

“Okay,” she murmured, nuzzling against his neck.

Reo sent Nagi a quick text, not going into full detail but enough for him not to panic when he finally got access to his phone.

Once he buckled her in, she leaned forward, whispering, “Mama… am I bad?”

His breath hitched and his gut felt like someone just took a knife to it. It didn’t help that she looked so small.

Maybe he should turn around and yell at every teacher who allowed this to go on for so long… it was starting to sound like a good idea.

Instead he sighed, taking a moment to compose himself in front of her.

The words hit him hard, of course they did. And he knew he would have to lecture her on the proper way to deal with bullies. But… for now, she was too vulnerable, and Reo didn’t want to make her feel worse. Especially when he didn’t agree with the way things went down.

Reo reached back, covering her little hand with his. “Never. You hear me? Never. You did nothing wrong. That boy should’ve been stopped a long time ago. Why didn’t you tell us he was being mean?”

She sniffled. “Because,” she said quietly, resting her cheek on the pillow of her seat. “I hafta be nice.”

Reo started the car, jaw set. “Being nice doesn’t mean letting someone walk all over you. You don’t need to apologize for standing up for yourself.”

Her lip wobbled, but she nodded, settling back against the seat. “I yelled and said mean words.”

“We’ll talk about that later, sweetheart,” Reo sighed.

Nagi arrived home in record time, his hair still damp from practice.

Looks like he skipped the shower…

“Is she okay?” Was the first thing Nagi said as he set down his stuff and fully entered the apartment, looking at Reo with wide eyes.

Reo smiled fondly, getting up from the couch. “Shes doing better now. I put her down for a nap about an hour ago.”

Nagi huffed, wiping his hair out of his face. “What happened? I just saw all my missed calls and texts.”

Reo pursed his lips. “She got into a little fight at school.”

Nagi’s eyes widened. “Kaede? Fight?”

Reo could sense Nagi instantly tensing up, and he walked over to him, taking his hand into his own.

Nagi’s eyes darted toward her bedroom door, then back to Reo. His grip on Reo’s hand tightened. “Is she hurt? I’m going to check on her.”

“Let her rest,” Reo said quickly, squeezing back. “She’s fine. Just… shaken. Some boy kept teasing her, and today she shoved him.”

Nagi blinked, as if trying to reconcile that with the little girl who still needed help tying her shoes. “She pushed him?” His voice was almost a whisper.

Reo’s mouth quirked, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah. And told him to shut up.”

For a second, silence. Then, to Reo’s surprise, Nagi’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Good.”

Reo raised a brow. “Good?”

“At least she’s standing her ground, y’know?” Nagi paused, pursing his lips. “I don’t think I’m biased either. Even if she wasn’t... y’know, what she is to us, I would still be on her side.”

Reo hummed. “I agree,” he said before double checking that Kaede was still asleep. After confirming, he let out a frustrated groan. “Actually, I was fucking pissed. But I had to restrain myself from going off. And you know I could have.”

“I am well aware,” Nagi said, watching as Reo began to pace back and forth.

“I mean, how ridiculous is that?! He's the one disrupting her and she gets put in time out? You should've seen her when I walked in, all alone and curled into herself. I wanted to yell at every teacher there!”

“I would've backed you up,” Nagi hummed.

“Thank you!” He huffed dramatically. “And I need to find which of my assistants marked Kaede's school e-mails as spam. I had to go digging through so many from my parents before I saw them.”

“.... You have your parents under spam?” Nagi tilted his head.

Reo sighed before plopping down on the couch. “Well, yeah. I told you they kept bugging me about the engagement. I didn't want to see it anymore.”

Nagi frowned. “When was the last time you talked to them?”

“Since I ended it," Reo hummed.

Nagi sighed. “That was months ago. What if they're talking about something else?”

Reo shook his head. “It'll take them at least a year before they get over this. It's fine, I'll reach out soon.”

“Okay,” Nagi said, his eyes darting to the way Reo's tie was loosened, his jacket half on. His hair was getting a little longer, too. Just barely curling over his shoulders. He noticed Reo was getting more comfortable with the half up/half down look. And Nagi was a big fan. He wanted so badly to kiss away the frustration from his boyfriend’s body, but there were some pressing issues at hand. “So… what's our next step with Kaede?”

Nagi knows what he wants to do… which is essentially nothing. Just let it go completely without any repercussions. But maybe that's not what they should do… he could consult with the other parents on the online forum he's a part of. But he didn't want to paint Kaede in a negative light. All he does is brag about her there.

AoiMommy1: Aoi just learned how to control the volume on her iPad! Look at her go. [Video]

S_Nagi: Kaede can do that already. And she just learned to count to 100.

AoiMommy1: Aoi is 6 months….

 

~

 

S_Nagi: Kaede is learning cursive. She spelled her whole name.

[Image]

AngieSAHM: Cute. Cursive is so difficult but she'll get there!

S_Nagi: Reo showed her how to do it. It's perfect. Don't need any backhanded compliments, she's only four. Show me your son's cursive.

 

~

YukoPapa: Is it normal for kids to still struggle with zippers at four?

S_Nagi: Maybe for your kids. Kaede can zip her jacket, and actually buckle her seatbelt by herself, too.

YukoPapa: Does anyone have a better response?

 

~

S_Nagi: Kaede drew a portrait of us. It looks exactly like me. [Image]

MomOf_Three: That’s very sweet! Kids’ art is so fun at this age.

S_Nagi: It’s actually good though. Like, really good.

YukoPapa: …Yeah, sure.

 

 

No… he definitely wouldn't bring this up.

Reo rubbed his temples. “Well, we should tell her not to put her hands on other kids. Other than that I don't believe she should be punished.”

“Agreed.”

A rustling sound made them both glance toward the hall. Kaede stood there, hair mussed from sleep, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Mama? Papa?” Her voice was groggy, but unsure. “You mad at me?”

Nagi was the first to kneel, arms open. “Never, Kaede.” He scooped her up, settling her on his hip. “You’re not in trouble.”

Reo joined them, brushing her cheek with his thumb. “Sweetheart, we just want you to tell us next time, okay? You don’t ever have to go through things like that alone.”

She nuzzled against Nagi’s neck and nodded. “Mm’kay,” she hummed. Reo smiled softly, before sending a knowing look at Nagi. Nagi pursed his lips, but nodded.

“We just wanted to talk to you about stuff,” Nagi said as he carried her over to the couch and set her down. She looked up at both of them with big eyes.

“You know pushing people is mean,” Reo started, sitting on the coffee table so he was level with her. He didn’t want to tower over her while discussing this; she already felt small enough.

Nagi made himself comfortable next to Reo, reaching out to caress Kaede’s pudgy knee. “And we don’t tell people to shut up. There are nicer ways to say it.”

Kaede sighed, but nodded. “My friend Mina said he was doing that ‘cause he likes me, but that’s gross.”

Reo’s head snapped up. “Excuse me?”

Nagi blinked, expression flattening. “…He likes you?” His tone was dangerously calm.

Kaede wrinkled her nose. “That’s what she said! But I don’t like him. He’s mean.”

Reo exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Sweetheart, listen to me carefully— nobody who teases you, or makes you feel bad, likes you. That’s not how liking works.”

“Right,” Nagi added immediately, leaning in. “And anyway, you’re too young for that. Liking people is for grown-ups.”

Kaede tilted her head. “…Really?”

“Yes,” Nagi said firmly, deadpan as ever. “You can think about that when you’re, like… forty.”

Kaede giggled at the absurdity, kicking her little feet against the couch.

Reo, however, was nodding seriously. “Exactly. And even then, your mama and papa are going to be screening applications.”

Kaede groaned dramatically, flopping back against the cushions, which only made both of them laugh. Reo brushed her hair back from her face again, his voice softening. “But really— don’t ever forget. If someone makes you feel bad, that’s not kindness, okay?”

“Mm’kay,” she hummed.

The next morning was a quiet one. Nagi had already left for work, and Reo didn’t have to rush since he was working from home that day. He was about to get up to make his morning coffee and get Kaede up and ready for school, when an idea hit him.

After all she went through yesterday, maybe she deserved a rest day, too. He hummed, sending an e-mail to the school that Kaede would be out sick for the day. He then responded to a few work e-mails before he padded softly to her room, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead as she slept.

Kaede stirred a little under the kiss, slowly blinking her eyes open.

“Morning, Mama,” she mumbled, voice still raspy from sleep.

“Morning, sweetheart,” Reo whispered, smoothing her hair. “Guess what? No school today.”

Her eyes popped wider. “Really?”

“Mmhm.” He tapped her nose. “I thought you deserved a day off after yesterday. But…” He lowered his voice, conspiratorial. “I was thinking maybe we could go visit Papa instead. What do you say?”

Kaede shot upright so fast her hair stuck in every direction. “Yes! Yes yes yes!”

Reo chuckled, pressing a finger to his lips. “Shh, don’t wake the neighbors. Papa doesn’t know we’re coming— it’s a surprise.”

Kaede clasped her hands together, practically vibrating. “We’re gonna sneak up on him?”

“That’s the plan,” Reo said with a grin, already plotting the detour for coffee before they hit the field. He hadn’t been to one of Nagi’s practices in so long. This was definitely overdue…

The field was already alive with the thud of cleats and loud whistles when Reo and Kaede slipped in quietly through the side gate. Reo already informed the staff and Ego that he’d be showing up to practice, so he didn’t have to go through extra security when they arrived.

Being back at the stadium again hit Reo with a sense of nostalgia. He hadn’t played in years now, but football ran through his veins like blood. He was happy where he was at, but these memories can be a little overwhelming at times. He carried two drinks in a cardboard tray, his coffee and Nagi’s tea. Kaede had one hand clutching a juice box, and the other clutching Reo’s shirt.

She tiptoed alongside him, eyes wide as she took in the players darting across the grass. “He doesn’t see us yet, right?” she whispered.

Reo followed her gaze. Out there, Nagi was in motion— effortless as ever, gliding past defenders like the professional that he was. His hair stuck to his forehead, his eyes focused, his body sharp in a way Kaede rarely got to see outside the house.

Reo’s chest tightened with pride. He looked down at Kaede, then back at Nagi on the field. It was like the wave of nostalgia washed past him now, and all he could feel was the now. He wouldn’t change anything about his life.

“Not yet,” he murmured back. “Let’s keep it that way for another minute.”

Kaede bounced on her toes, practically buzzing. Then, unable to contain herself, she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled at the top of her lungs:

“Papa!!!” She screeched, dropping her juice on the floor. Reo snorted, shaking his head as he ducked down to pick it up.

Nagi, along with his teammates all stopped in their tracks at the loud intrusion. He froze mid-dribble, the ball rolling past his foot. Nagi’s head snapped toward the stands, confusion flashing across his face before he visibly brightened when he spotted his little family.

Kaede didn’t wait for permission. She took off running along the sideline, pigtails flying. Nagi jogged over to meet her halfway, scooping her up with one arm despite the sweat dripping down his neck.

“Kaede,” he murmured, his voice low but full of wonder, like she’d just appeared out of thin air. “What are you doing here?”

“Surprise!” she giggled, throwing her arms around his neck.

Reo finally caught up, holding up the drinks with a grin. “We were just in the area, y’know. Decided to pop in,” he said with a knowing smirk.

Nagi’s eyes lingered on them— Reo with his sparkling eyes, Kaede nestled on his hip— and for a second, the whole world seemed to still.

“What about school? And work?” Nagi asked as Kaede prodded at his cheeks.

Reo pulled out his phone. “I am working,” he chuckled. “They don’t need to know where I’m at. As long as I respond to their messages, I’m good. As for school… well, I gave her a sick day.”

Nagi looked at Reo in complete awe, and if they weren’t surrounded by all his teammates, he would’ve kissed him long and hard right there.

It really felt like they were in their own little world for a moment.

Until…

“Holy shit, is that Nagi’s kid!?” Raichi’s voice cracked through the air like a cannon.

“Don’t curse in front of her, idiot,” Chigiri rolled his eyes, though his grin gave him away. He approached them, hand raised. “Hey, you!”

Kaede gave Chigiri a toothy grin, smacking his palm with a triumphant high five.

The coach blew his whistle. “Alright, alright. Everyone take a ten-minute breather, then back in position.”

Too late— the damage was done. The whole team swarmed closer, curiosity written all over their faces.

Kaede wriggled in Nagi’s grip, and he set her down, grabbing the tea from Reo. Isagi crouched right away to be at eye level with her.

“Wow, you’re actually real!” He said.

Kaede blinked.

Isagi laughed, and ruffled her hair messily. “The only time any of us ever saw you was that first time you surprised Nagi. And even then he kept you away from us. I promise we’re not scary,” he said softly, before looking up at Nagi. “She in any football clubs yet?”

Nagi, still focused on Reo, barely registered the question. He glanced down, frowning. “She plays for fun at preschool.”

“Dude, she’s already in preschool and you haven’t registered her into any clubs? Time is running out, these are peak years— ”

“She’s four,” Nagi cut in, voice sharp as he subtly pulled Kaede closer to his side.

“Exactly!” Isagi started, but his momentum faltered when Bachira swooped in and stole Kaede right from under Nagi’s nose.

“What a cutie~” Bachira cooed, spinning her once and making her squeal. “Look, Rin! A mini Nagi!”

“Yeah. She’s cute,” Rin muttered, uninterested as he cracked open a water bottle. His gaze flicked once to Nagi. “Despite her father.”

“Hey,” Nagi pouted, but Kaede’s laughter drowned him out as she pointed at Bachira’s dyed ends that were peeking out. “Yellow hair! So cool,” she said in awe, her eyes practically glittering.

Bachira beamed at her, picking her up so she can have a closer look. “You can touch it, if you like!”

Kaede squealed, positively eating up all the attention.

Meanwhile, Reo dropped onto the bench beside Chigiri, pulling out his phone as he furiously texted away some responses.

Chigiri peeked over his shoulder, his eyes widening when he saw the words ‘ten million dollar project proposal.’

“Jesus, you handle a lot of money,” he said.

Reo tuned him out for a moment, hitting ‘send’ then focusing back. “Eh? Oh… I mean, you get used to the numbers,” he shrugged.

“Tch,” Chigiri scoffed. “And how are things with Nagi?”

Reo hummed, leaning back and glancing over at the man, a soft smile creeping across his face. “Really, really good.”

“Good,” Chigiri echoed, his lips tugging up in a small smile. “I always knew you’d come back to him, but seeing you two raise a child is something else entirely. You’re like a proper family,” he said.

Reo’s heart fluttered, hiding a shy blush. “I mean, I never expected this either. But we just kind of fell into it, and now… I can’t imagine my life without either of them.”

“I would say you’re the biggest simp I ever met, but unfortunately that crown is reserved for your boy over there,” Chigiri snorted, eyeing Nagi.

Reo smiled fondly, leaning over and watching Kaede being fawned over, while Nagi had his everpresent frown on full display.

On the field, Nagi ignored the team’s howling laughter and kept his eyes trained on Bachira, silently calculating exactly how long he was going to let Kaede stay in anyone else’s arms.

“Papa’s scary face,” Kaede whispered dramatically, pointing at him.

That cracked everyone up all over again, and Kaede had the brightest smile making everyone laugh.

“He has a lot of scary faces,” Raichi mentioned with a grimace.

Before Nagi could reclaim her, Isagi suddenly leaned over. “Hey, kid. Wanna kick the ball around?”

Kaede’s head snapped up so fast her pigtails bounced. “Really?”

“She’s not— ” Nagi started, but Bachira was already carrying her onto the grass with Isagi following closely behind.

“She’ll be fine,” Bachira sing-songed, setting her down beside a ball. This was different from the ball she's used to playing with. Kaede’s ball is much smaller, more appropriate for her age. Seeing her next to the actual ball they use was kind of comical. “Wait,” Nagi said, running over to Reo. “Phone.”

Reo smirked at him, leaning forward on the bench and letting the phone dangle from his hand. “Only if you give me something in return,” he hummed.

Nagi let out a breath, staring at Reo with wide eyes.

“Kiss,” Reo said smugly.

Nagi didn’t even blink. He just leaned in and pressed his lips to Reo’s, quick and sure, like Reo had asked him to pass the salt. Absolutely no hesitation needed.

Reo’s smirk faltered into something softer, eyes wide for half a beat before he let out a laugh. “Well. That was fast.” He handed over his phone without another word, ears a little pink.

On Reo’s other side, Chigiri pinched the bridge of his nose like he’d aged ten years in ten seconds. “Are you two serious right now? In public? While your kid’s out there?” He threw his head back against the bench like he was praying for strength. “Unbelievable.”

Nagi ignored him completely, already angling the phone toward the field. It seemed like they didn’t even care that he said to wait, they started anyway. Pfft.

The first picture caught Kaede mid-kick, tiny leg swinging hopelessly at a ball half her size. The second caught her laughing at herself, arms flailing while Isagi clapped dramatically like she’d just performed a miracle.

Reo leaned back, smirk tugging at his lips. “You’re blushing,” he whispered.

“Shut up,” Nagi muttered without looking,

After a couple more rounds with the ball, Nagi decided that was enough, ready to bring her back to Reo. But before he could, Baro’s heavy shadow fell across them. Arms crossed, expression stone serious, he looked down at Kaede. “Her balance is off.”

Everyone froze— Kaede included, staring up at him with wide eyes.

“Baro— ” Nagi started, warning in his tone.

But Baro simply crouched, one knee in the grass, and nudged the ball closer. “Try again. This time, plant your left foot first. Then kick with the right. Understand?”

Nagi narrowed his eyes. “She’s just playing for fun, plus this isn’t even her ball.”

Baro shushed him, and sent another look at Kaede.

She nodded solemnly, mimicking his stance. She took a deep breath, planted her little foot, and swung. This time the ball rolled farther, straighter.

Her eyes lit up. “I did it!”

Baro allowed the faintest of smirks. “Hn. Better.” He ruffled her hair with surprising gentleness. “You’ll be a pro in no time.”

Kaede absolutely beamed. “You’re really nice! I like you!”

The team collectively lost it. “Holy crap— she tamed the king,” Raichi howled.

“Guess we know who her favorite uncle is,” Isagi smirked.

Bachira clutched his chest. “I’ve been replaced!”

Nagi stalked over, glaring daggers at Baro. “Don’t touch her head.”

Baro raised a brow. “What, you jealous? She’s got talent. Better I teach her than let her inherit your laziness.”

Kaede gasped. “Papa’s not lazy!” She hugged tighter around Nagi’s legs, trying to defend him. “He makes me food every day,” she said proudly.

“And you’re still alive?” Baro asked, no hint of teasing in his voice. It sounded more like genuine concern. Which offended Nagi even more. He rolled his eyes, before lifting Kaede in his arms and placing a soft kiss to her temple. “You did good, don’t listen to this ungrateful maid,” he huffed.

Baro's eyes nearly popped out of his skull, ready to throw insults back until the sound of a whistle stopped them all. “Alright, circus is over!” the coach called. “Break’s done— back on the field!”

Groans and chuckles rippled through the team as they jogged back toward their positions. Reo stood from the bench, meeting Nagi halfway.

“C’mon, superstar,” he called gently to Kaede. “Let’s go cheer Papa from the sidelines.”

Nagi held her just a beat longer, reluctant, then finally handed her over. “Stay with Mama,” he murmured, brushing a stray pigtail from her face.

Kaede nodded, hugging Reo’s neck as he carried her back toward the stands. She waved over his shoulder. “Bye, Papa! Score a goal!”

Nagi exhaled, watching them go, before turning reluctantly back to the pitch. His teammates’ smirks told him the teasing wasn’t over anytime soon.

“Mama, hurry up,” Kaede called from the couch, snuggled between Nagi and the blankets.

It had been a long week, and Nagi had suggested a movie night. The idea was perfect— they could be cozy, together, and most importantly, on the couch.

“Coming, coming,” Reo hummed, pouring the freshly microwaved popcorn into a large bowl. He settled beside Kaede, handing it to her. She clutched it happily in her lap, popping a few pieces into her mouth while Nagi pressed 'resume' on the movie.  

Kaede wiggled her feet excitedly. "Mama, papa, look! This part is so funny!" She exclaimed before the scene even started. 

Nagi hummed, not looking away from the screen. He was laser-focused, as if this animated movie was the most important match of his life. Reo glanced at him, amused.

“You’re not even blinking,” Reo whispered.

“Gotta pay attention,” Nagi mumbled, stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. “Kaede said it’s funny.”

Reo rolled his eyes fondly and draped his arm behind them both, pulling Kaede closer against his side. For a moment, everything was perfect.

Then—

Knock, knock, knock.

Kaede didn’t even notice, too absorbed in the movie. Nagi and Reo exchanged a glance.

“Expecting someone?” Reo asked, brow furrowing.

“No,” Nagi answered. It was late. Who would even be knocking?

“Kaede, stay put,” Reo said quietly.

“Yeah,” Nagi added, already moving toward the door. “Don’t come over here.”

They opened the door together.

Standing there was a young woman, early twenties at most. Her coat was slightly rumpled, white hair falling in soft waves around her face. Her eyes were wide. “Hello,” she breathed out.

“Mama!" Kaede squealed, hopping off the couch.

Reo instinctively turned, about to warn Kaede to stay put when she ran right past him and into the arms of the woman. Oh.

Their little cozy bubble had popped. The illusion shattered into a million pieces.

Chapter Text

Reo had been heartbroken many, many, times. Sometimes it was self inflicted, other times, not so much. The last time he felt this Earth-shatteringly broken was when he and Nagi had their fallout. He would never admit this to the man, but he was at such a low the numbness he felt was akin to pure despair. He wanted to die. He didn't want to take another breath, because what was the point if the only other person in the world who understood him— left him? Like it was nothing.

He was broken.

He remembers how he would be alone in the shower, body shaking from how much he was crying. 

Of course, that was years ago and he's gone through so much growth since then. He's emotionally stronger now, and knows how to put up walls when the opportunity calls for it. It's how he excels at this CEO position. It's how he didn't have a mental breakdown when Nagi came back into his life. He was prepared for this.

Or so he thought.

Taking one glance at Kaede, his daughter, in the arms of a stranger, clinging to her like a life preserver shattered him in ways he thought weren't possible anymore. He froze like a deer in the headlights, mouth going completely dry. He could feel the blood drain from his face. He didn't know if it had been seconds or hours that he and Nagi stood there at the door, but when the woman cleared her throat, it brought him out of the trance he was in.

"Thank you for watching her," she said slowly, avoiding all eye contact with them. She wouldn't even look at Kaede. She had one arm loosely around the girl, and the other in her coat pocket.

“Mama, this is Mama Reo, and that's Papa Nagi,” Kaede giggled, completely unfazed by the entire situation. “Do you wanna see my room?”

The woman blinked, shaking her head. “No.”

Kaede huffed, but continued clinging onto her.

Reo’s disbelief only grew. He glanced at Nagi and his heart shattered all over again. The man rarely showed much, but Reo knew him down to the smallest flicker. And right now, Nagi looked… empty. So empty he seemed ready to break. Yet his body moved forward, eyes locked on their daughter.

“How did you get this address? We’ve been trying to contact you for nearly half a year,” Nagi asked, his voice quiet. 

“It doesn’t matter. I’m here now,” she said quickly. A little too quickly, as if it were somehow rehearsed.

"It matters," he refuted, voice low. His demeanor had completely shifted, like he was protecting what was his. Reo jolted when a hand wrapped around his waist, pulling him in. Nagi bent close, whispering against his ear, “I’ll take care of it”. Reo shivered at the words, his lips parting as Nagi gave his waist a reassuring squeeze. Then he stepped forward again, subtly shifting to shield Reo from the narrow doorway.

"Kaede," Nagi called, his voice stern. Kaede froze in the woman's arms, blinking up at Nagi. "Bed time," was all that came from his mouth.

Even here, even now, Nagi was still in dad-mode. Reo watched in awe, his eyes darting between him and the woman.

He just wondered if Kaede would even listen at this point. She has her real mother now, right? Ultimately, if Kaede wanted to go with her, he knows what he and Nagi would do. Even if it shattered him. Even if it would leave him with an unfathomable amount of grief.

But, to his relief, Kaede let out a sigh and wiggled her way out of the woman's arms.

"G'night mama," Kaede mumbled quietly.

Reo tried not to have a visceral reaction to that. She wasn't talking to him…

"Wait—!" the woman said, more emotion in her tone now than when reuniting with her daughter after months. She was finally looking at them, and even though Nagi was blocking most of the view, Reo could still very much see the resemblance. It was uncanny. This was definitely Kaede’s mother.

“We have nothing more to say to you,” Nagi said flatly, taking Kaede’s hand and guiding her back inside.

"Papa," Kaede's eyes widened. "—can mama sleepover?" She asked, tilting her head innocently.

Okay. Reo felt like he was going to vomit. This was such a strange feeling… like he was somehow an outsider, even though this was very much his life, too. His heartbeat was loud in his chest, and for a second he thought it was about to burst. Nagi, as if somehow sensing this, gave him another gentle squeeze as if to say 'you're okay.' He took another breath, the realization hitting him that he hadn't said anything this entire time. Maybe it was for the best.

Nagi crouched down, cupping Kaede's face. "Not today, kiddo," he said simply.

“Nagi…” Reo whispered, shocked at the sound of his own voice. Nagi’s head snapped toward him, equally startled. “I think we should at least let them talk.” His voice betrayed him— he wanted nothing more than to scoop Kaede up and slam the door. But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. He’d never forgive himself if he did.

Legally, they were on thin ice. If things went south, they could lose everything. He had to stay rational, even while his insides burned.

“What?” Nagi whispered, disbelief laced in his voice. “Reo… we can’t,” he said as he stood up, frowning slightly.

Before Reo could say another word, Nagi spoke up again. “How about you take Kaede to her room; I’ll handle it.”

Reo faltered, his adrenaline spiking up. He looked down at Kaede, who kept trying to sneak glances at her mother through the gaps of Nagi’s legs. It was really hitting him that this was all happening now. And how much Nagi has truly changed. He’s never seen him like this, so… in charge. Not even during big football matches when his god complex takes over has Reo seen Nagi lead the charge in such a way.

However, he couldn’t just sit back and watch his beloved defend their family while he did nothing. No… the situation was treacherous and one wrong move could really change everything. Reo shook his head, trying to come up with multiple solutions in the span of a minute. The first priority right now though, was getting Kaede away from the situation.

“Uh,” he stammered. “It’s your night to read her bedtime stories, right? I went yesterday,” Reo pointed out.

Nagi looked at him in disbelief. “But, Reo—”

“Go on, it’s okay. I promise,” Reo gave him a reassuring smile, then shot a glance down at Kaede, a nonverbal cue to Nagi that he hoped he would understand. Take her away.

Nagi sighed. “Okay,” he whispered, taking Kaede’s hand. “Let’s go, little one.”

Kaede let out a yawn, her hand engulfed in Nagi’s. “Kay.”

Reo exhaled, before turning his attention to the young woman, who looked like she was ready to step in as Nagi took Kaede away. NopeNopeNope.

He stepped in her line of vision quickly, offering his hand. "Hello, I'm Reo. That was my partner, Nagi," he said. To still be polite and professional while he was internally breaking down was something he was an expert in. The woman gave him a confused look— only for a second. Reo caught it, however, and decided to ignore it, dropping his hand when he realized she wasn’t going to shake his. "So, I wanted to clear something up… we've been more than just ‘watching’ her, we've been filling the space you left.”

The woman looked away, avoiding Reo’s eyes.

Reo sighed. “You're welcome to have a conversation with us, but you're not leaving with her. Not tonight."

Or ever. But, Reo would like to still be a little cordial.

The woman looked up, shock clearly written all over her face before she composed herself. "I'm Sayuri, and again thank you. You don't know how much I owe you," she paused, biting her lip. "But this isn't your decision to make, respectfully. I'll take my child back now."

Reo swallowed the lump in his throat, shaking his head. "I've already given you the answer to that. And again, let's not do this with her around, okay? She's smarter than you know, and I don't want her to be in the middle of all this." Reo said calmly.

"How is this a discussion? If you don't hand over my daughter, I'm calling the police." She threatened as she leaned over the doorframe.

She was bluffing. He could tell. Not a problem; he could play these games, too.

"Should we make the phone call? Report you for child neglect?" He tilted his head. He pulled out his phone and glanced at her. "Believe me, I’ll do it."

She blinked at him. Her silence gave Reo his answer.

"Great. So, we're in agreement."

“This is a waste of time,” she grumbled.

“Look, it’s late. I think it’s a good idea if you just went home for the night. You, me, and Nagi can all have a discussion at a later date,” he said firmly. “I’ll organize everything, that way no one is showing up randomly at people’s doors,” he said, voice sharp and eyes narrowed.

Sayuri’s lips pressed into a line. She was really looking at him now, and Reo could feel her mask starting to slip. “Whether you like it or not, Kaede is mine. I’ll be taking her back now.”

“Not tonight,” Reo remained firm. “You’ve been gone for half a year, one more night won’t kill you.”

Sayuri was now fully glaring at him. Thankfully, he was well versed in dealing with tantrums from this family.

“I—,” she started.

“Reo already said you could leave,” Nagi’s voice cut in, completely startling Reo. He must’ve already put Kaede to bed.

Truthfully, he was beyond relieved the other man was back. Nagi had a way of grounding him before his anxiety swallowed him whole. Nagi gently reached over to grab hold of Reo’s wrist, silently reassuring the man.

Reo gave him a tired, but grateful smile.

Sayuri paused and took a deep breath, before looking between them. “Fine,” she said simply. “But tomorrow, I’m coming back and I’m taking Kaede.”

Before Reo could fire back, the sound of little feet pattering across the floor cut through the stalemate.

“Look, Mama!” Kaede came barreling toward them, her arms full of plushies— one tucked under her chin, another dangling from her tiny fist.

“Kaede, I thought you fell asleep,” Nagi said, eyes wide.

“I wanted to show Mama,” she quickly defended, before turning back to her mom and shoving the plushies toward her. “These are my friends! This one’s name is Polo, and this one’s Kiki, Mama, uh— Mama Reo got this for me because it reminds us of Papa,” Kaede squealed, shoving the large seal plushie into her arms. “Aren’t they cute?”

Reo’s throat tightened. He felt Nagi tense up beside him.

Sayuri blinked, lips twitching as if she didn’t quite know how to react. She managed a weak, awkward smile as she fumbled with all the plushies in her hands. “Uh… yes. Very cute.”

“Kaede, it’s time to say goodbye,” Nagi said sternly.

But Kaede didn’t listen, nor did she pick up on the disinterest in her mom’s tone. Instead, she smiled excitedly and then grabbed Sayuri’s wrist with both of her tiny hands. “You have to come see my room!”

Reo’s heart stopped. Nagi’s jaw flexed.

And before either of them could say a word, Kaede was dragging her mother past the doorway, plushies tumbling to the floor in her wake. Sayuri cast them a sidelong glance as she let herself be pulled deeper into the apartment, something smug flickering briefly in her eyes.

Reo felt his stomach churn. This was their safe space— the one corner of the world they had built for Kaede— and now this stranger was stepping right into it. Because that’s what she was. A stranger.

“Kaede,” Nagi said firmly, his voice sharp with warning.

But the girl only giggled. “It’s okay, Papa! She has to see it!”

Kaede flung open her door excitedly and stretched to reach the light switch, successfully flicking it on. She then stood proudly in the middle of her room and spread her arms out to display it all for her mom. “Here it is. It’s pretty, right!?” She smiled.

The space was bright and warm, walls dotted with hand-drawn pictures, shelves crowded with books and even more plushies, along with a soft nightlight glowing in the corner. The bed looked a mess, since Kaede jumped out of it after tricking Nagi about falling asleep. A small purple soccer ball rested near the bed— well-loved, scuffed from daily play.

Sayuri froze in the doorway. Her eyes swept the room once, twice, and her mouth parted just slightly.

Reo and Nagi lingered behind her, stiff in the hall, watching carefully. There was absolutely no way they were leaving Kaede alone with her. Reo could feel his pulse drumming in his throat. This was their work on display. Every toy, every blanket, every drawing taped to the wall was proof that Kaede had been loved, safe, and cherished.

“This is where Papa helps me with my homework,” Kaede said cheerfully, pointing to her little desk. “Did you know I go to school now? And Mama helps me to write fancy. Look, I did my name all by myself!” She scrambled to a paper taped crookedly to the wall, letters in uneven cursive but still recognizable.

Sayuri’s eyes softened despite herself. Her lips trembled as she reached out, brushing her fingers along the edge of the paper. “…You wrote that?”

“I did!” Kaede puffed out her chest proudly.

Reo’s heart ached at the sight, torn between pride and panic. He caught the flicker on Sayuri’s face— shock, maybe even a hint of guilt? Whatever it was, it almost made him furious. Now she felt something? After all these months?

“This is…” Sayuri began, but her voice trailed off. Her eyes darted all around the room, as if she was processing what she was seeing. “She’s been… well cared for.”

“Yup,” Nagi said, his tone sharp. His hand brushed against Reo’s, grounding him, even as his stare stayed locked on Sayuri.

Sayuri flinched, guilt flashing in her eyes, but only for a second. Then it was gone, like she was trying to keep a poker face. She straightened, tugging her wrist from Kaede’s grasp when the girl tried dragging her to the dollhouse.

“That’s enough for tonight,” she said briskly. “Thank you for showing me, Kaede.”

Kaede pouted. “But Mama— ”

“Bedtime,” Nagi said again, his voice low, leaving no room for argument.

Kaede wilted but nodded, climbing slowly into her bed. Reo exhaled slowly, his entire chest aching.

Sayuri lingered in the doorway a moment longer, eyes sweeping the room one final time before stopping her gaze on the three of them. She was watching them closely, taking in the way they were with her. Reo didn’t like the way she was staring, and went to make sure Kaede was comfortable under the blankets.

Nagi stood at the foot of the bed, glancing between the two of them and then the woman, who, for some reason, was still there. Her jaw tightened. “She’s mine,” she whispered, too soft for Kaede to hear but loud enough for Reo and Nagi to catch.

Reo’s stomach knotted.

And then she turned on her heel, her voice rising back to its polite edge. “I’ll come back tomorrow. We can… talk more then.”

Her words felt like a threat.

Once she was gone, it was like all the tension in the air vanished. It was just the three of them again. And Reo couldn’t be more grateful. Nagi had followed her out, then returned a moment later with all the plushies that had fallen on the floor, tucking them alongside Kaede in bed.

Reo smoothed the blanket over her, fingers lingering at her shoulder. “Hey, kiddo,” he said gently. “How do you feel… after seeing your mom today? That was unexpected, huh?”

Kaede blinked up at him, unbothered. “It was fine.” She yawned, nuzzling into the plush. “But I like being with Mama and Papa.”

Reo froze. Did she… realize what was happening? There's no way she would, right?

Nagi’s lips pressed together, then softened as he reached out to brush Kaede’s cheek with his thumb. “You don’t have to worry about anything, okay? You’ll always be with us.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “You’re our little treasure.”

Then he looked up at Reo, eyes softening with that same glint that seems to always be there. It made Reo’s heart flutter.

“As long as I’m here,” Nagi said, “you’ll both be safe. I promise.”

Reo’s breath hitched. Kaede smiled softly, nuzzling against her blanket. “M’kay,” she let out, her eyes fluttering closed.

Within minutes, her breathing evened out, her chest rising and falling slowly in a steady rhythm. There was no fooling them now, they knew she was asleep.

Nagi stood, heading to the door, while Reo lingered for a moment longer. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her hair, watching her carefully and taking a deep breath.

“This is fucked,” Reo said once they were in their bedroom.

“I know,” Nagi replied. His voice was flat, but his hand found Reo’s again, squeezing once. “But we’ll get through it.”

Reo swallowed hard, his mind spinning so fast it made him dizzy. “She said she’d be back tomorrow, Sei. What if she means it?”

Nagi’s jaw tightened. “Then I’ll be here when she shows up,” he said. His tone pointed. “She’s not taking Kaede. Not now, not ever.”

Reo looked up at him, almost startled by how steady he sounded. Nagi didn’t look scared. He looked ready. The same focus he had when he was in the middle of an intense match. 

“She’s her mother,” Reo said weakly. The word tasted bitter. “Legally, she could— I mean, we don’t even—”

“She’s Kaede’s mother, sure,” Nagi interrupted. “But we’re her parents.” He took a step closer, voice low but firm. “We’re the ones who feed her. Who read her stories. Who check under her bed when she’s scared. She calls you Mama and me Papa for a reason.”

Reo’s throat went tight. “That might not be enough.”

Nagi frowned, taking his hand again and guiding him toward the bed. “Then we make it enough.”

Reo let himself be pulled, sitting heavily on the edge of the mattress. Nagi followed, sitting beside him, their knees touching. For a moment neither spoke— both of them still reeling from the night.

Reo exhaled shakily. “I don’t know if I can sleep tonight.”

“I’ll stay up with you,” Nagi said simply.

Reo blinked. “Sei—”

“I mean it.” His voice was low, unwavering. “If she tries anything tonight, I’ll handle it. You just… breathe.” He reached up, brushing his thumb across Reo’s jaw. “Kaede’s safe. You’re safe. That’s all I care about.”

Reo’s heart clenched at that— how Nagi could sound so calm while his world felt like it was collapsing. But that was the thing about him: Nagi didn’t need to say much to make him feel like things might still be okay.

He leaned into him, closing his eyes. “I wish it was that simple,” he whispered.

Nagi sighed.

They sat like that for a while— Reo pressed against Nagi’s chest, Nagi’s arm looped protectively around his shoulders. The silence felt heavy.

For a moment, Reo almost let himself believe in the idea that their love could be enough to make this all go away. That they could be that picture perfect family they were trying to be. But this idea was always fleeting, the reality always lingered in the horizon. He didn’t have a clue where they went from here.

…..

Until it hit him.

Reo’s eyes flew open, his stomach twisting. “Wait— ” he breathed, sitting up so suddenly that Nagi’s arm slipped off his shoulder. “The only other person who could’ve possibly contacted her…” His voice trailed off as his mind connected the pieces, horror dawning. “There’s no way it could be him?”

Nagi blinked up at him, still half-dazed by the shift. “Eh?”

Reo was already on his feet, pacing. “Yukki,” he said, voice low, almost to himself. “It has to be him. He’s the only one who’d even know how to find her— he has the resources, the contacts…” His words sped up, tumbling over each other. “And if he’s still angry over that damn contract…”

He stopped mid-sentence, dragging his hands through his hair. “God, I’m so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid,” Nagi frowned, sitting up and watching Reo pace.

But Reo wasn’t listening anymore— he was already grabbing his phone off the nightstand, swiping through his contacts with trembling fingers.

“You really think it’s him?” Nagi tilted his head.

“Absolutely,” Reo said, hitting the call button.

It rang once, then twice. And Reo thought he would be sent to voicemail, until. “Reo?” Yukki’s voice came through, groggy and unmistakably irritated. “You do realize it’s midnight, right?”

“Yukki, I don’t have time for pleasantries. Can you please help me,” Reo nearly stumbled over his words.

“I thought your days of using me were over,” Yukki’s voice sounded beyond annoyed. Well, he supposes he deserved that. But, Reo couldn’t care about Yukki’s feelings right now.

His hand shook as he pressed it to his temple. “Sayuri came tonight.”

There was a pause on the line. “Sayuri? Who…” Another pause, then a small exhale. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” Reo responded sharply. “She’s talking about taking Kaede. I need— anything. Any contacts, any leverage you might have from when we— ” He cut himself off. The past wasn’t the point. “Please.”

There was a beat of silence, then the faintest scoff. “You really only call when you need something, don’t you?”

Reo swallowed. “Yukki, this is about Kaede. She’s a child. Our child— ” He stopped himself, glancing over to Nagi, who watched him closely. “She’s everything to us. Don’t punish her for what happened between me and you.”

Yukki hummed. And Reo didn’t know if he was even being moved by all this. “Relax. I’m not going to punish a child. But I’m not your savior, either.”

“Then what?” Reo demanded. His voice was raw.

Another pause, then Yukki sighed. “Dunno, dude. After your little stunt, your father started emailing me. He wanted to know what made you change your mind so suddenly. All I did was mention your loser boyfriend. Oh, and how you were playing house,” he said. “That was the end of that. I figured he got his answer from that?”

It felt like Reo’s heart fell out of his chest. He suddenly remembered all the missed calls, emails, and messages that he had ignored from his father. He went cold all over.

“Why would you— ”

“I didn’t realize you were keeping that from him? You didn’t tell me anything, Reo. Anyway, it’s late and I have stuff to do in the morning. Please don’t call me again.”

The line went dead.

Reo sat frozen, phone still clutched in his hand, the silence pressing down like a weight. His father knew. This was all his doing.

Nagi sat up, alarm flickering across his face. “Reo?”

Reo finally lowered the phone, his knuckles white. “This is all my fault.”

Nagi frowned, shaking his head. “Hey, don’t say that.”

But Reo ignored him, his hands shook as he set the phone down.

Then he was moving again, frantic, pulling out his laptop from the bedside table. Immediately, he opened his email, typing in his father’s name to make sense of all this. Once his inbox finally loaded, there were dozens of unread messages, subject lines like We need to talk and This is unacceptable.

His breath caught as he clicked one open.

Kaede. A photo of her and Nagi at the park, Kaede’s hair tied up in little uneven pigtails, grinning wide with a soccer ball at her feet. Reo knew that day— he’d taken the photo himself. But this was from a different angle. Someone else had been there, watching.

Another email. Another picture. The three of them at the grocery store. Kaede on Nagi’s shoulders at the festival. A stolen snapshot of her clinging to Reo’s arm as they crossed the street.

And beneath each photo, lines of disapproval:

This is not what we raised you for.

You’re humiliating us with this… facade of a family.

She is not of Mikage blood. She’s a mistake you’ll regret.

Reo’s stomach turned so violently he thought he might be sick right there. His hand covered his mouth, but the bile was already climbing his throat.

Nagi had come closer without him noticing, leaning over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed at the screen, face tightening in a way Reo had only seen on the field before. “He’s been watching us,” Nagi said, low and cold.

Reo slammed the laptop shut, as if that could erase it all. His chest heaved, the room spinning around him. “All those missed calls… I thought he wanted to scold me about the engagement. But it was— Kaede. It was always Kaede.”

He staggered back, pressing both palms to his face, his voice breaking. “God, Nagi, he knows everything. He’s been planning this for months.”

Reo’s breaths were quick and shallow, and his palms pressed against his face like he could shut the whole world out. He felt like he was on the verge of a panic attack. But then— warmth. A hand slid against his wrist, gently pulling it down. Nagi’s eyes found his, and Reo felt the immediate comfort.

“Reo, please don’t panic,” Nagi said softly. “Let’s focus. Why would he do this? Why go this far?”

Reo let out a strangled laugh. “Because he’s obsessed. He’s always been obsessed. With the Mikage name, the bloodline, the legacy. I was supposed to carry it forward— perfect heir, perfect family, perfect everything.” His voice cracked. “But Kaede isn’t his perfect heir. She’s not his blood, so in his mind she doesn’t count. She’s disposable.”

He wanted to puke.

Nagi’s hand on his wrist squeezed once.

Reo stumbled to his phone again, desperate, dialing his father’s number. Straight to voicemail. He tried his mother— no answer either. The silence on the other end felt deliberate. He knew it was late, but he was still their son. They should still pick up.

He dropped the phone on the bed, running both hands through his hair. “If you’re angry at me… if you hate me for ruining all of this, I understand,” he whispered, staring at the floor. His chest rose and fell like he was bracing for a blow.

Nagi didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stepped forward, closing the space between them until Reo felt his warmth against him. Then Nagi tilted his head, gaze softening as he looked at him, and said simply:

“I love you.”

Reo blinked, breath catching.

Nagi slid an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in until Reo’s forehead pressed against the curve of his neck. “I could never hate you, don’t say something so silly again” he replied, firmer this time. “This isn’t your fault.”

For the first time all night, Reo let himself crumble, shoulders shaking as he clung to Nagi like he was the only solid thing left in the room.

Nagi didn’t say anything, just kept his arms around him and repeating to him how it wasn’t his fault.

Then, after a few more moments, Nagi spoke up again. “You have lawyers, don’t you?”

Reo nodded against his body. “Several.”

“I think we can arrange something, then. We just need to talk to Sayuri first.”

“If she’s coming tomorrow, I don’t want Kaede to be here,” Reo mentioned. “Maybe one of us could take her out for the day while the other deals with the mom?”

Nagi pursed his lips. “If that’s what Reo wants. But,” he paused for a moment. “I think we should both be present when talking to her.”

Reo sighed, but nodded softly. “I think you’re right,” he paused. “But now we have to decide what to do with Kaede.”

“Can’t Ba-Ya watch her? Just for the day?” Nagi asked.

“She’s out of town,” Reo frowned.

“I’ll ask Chigiri,” Nagi said simply. “If not, then I’ll ask Isagi. If it comes to that,” he added.

Reo exhaled, completely grateful to have someone like Nagi as his person. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“You don’t have to thank me, we’re in this together,” Nagi said softly, brushing a thumb under Reo’s eyes. “Try getting some rest, okay? I’ll stay up.”

Reo let out a tired laugh. “You’ll fall asleep in five minutes.”

Nagi hummed. “Maybe. But if you need me for anything, I”ll wake up.”

Reo reached for his hand, threading their fingers together. “Tomorrow,” he said softly. “We sort all of this tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Nagi hummed. “Tomorrow.”

They stayed like that for a while, hands clasped, enveloped within each other. Nagi made sure to stay awake until he felt the soft breathing of Reo beneath him.

When he finally did, Nagi pulled out his phone. He normally didn’t have any contact with Reo’s parents. But, he kept their information in case of any emergency. This definitely qualified as that.

He began drafting an email to Reo’s father, and as much as he wanted to let his emotions get the better of him, he decided to be professional about this. He took a deep breath as he began to type.