Making a Home Ch. 25
Kita Shinsuke had experienced a lot in life. He had been raised with his grandmother, a loving foster parent and for some time he followed in her foot steps before finding his own path. He thought his foster care license had expired before getting a call at three am with two small boys thrust into his arms. Miya Osamu and Atsumu, from broken homes but still fighting. Thirty days before his license expires. Thirty days to make a choice, keep the boys or let them be separated into different homes. Thirty days to fall in love with them.
Words: 100k+
Relationships: Ojiro Aran/Kita Shinsuke, Gen
Warnings: Mention of past child abuse, non-graphic abuseNot from Kita, but it is mentioned. I will post any warnings before any panic attacks or vague descriptions of abuse.
Read below or on AO3
*Mention of a nightmare and small panic attack*
Osamu was surrounded in black. Something soft was under his hands but no matter what he did he couldn’t see anything. He squirmed, chest tightening when he couldn’t speak.
He tried to cry out, tried to move, looking for his brother. He writhed, trying to get his body to respond as panic started to fill him. Still, he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.
“Osamu?” A voice seemed to cut through the darkness but it wasn’t Atsumu’s voice. Osamu didn’t know who it was, he couldn’t see or move. He was always in bed by himself or Atsumu.
Where was he? Where was Atsumu? Why wasn’t his brother coming to help him?
Terror clawed at his heart and he struggled to breathe as the salty taste of tears hit his lips.
“Osamu!” The voice came again, sterner and Osamu jolted up, eyes snapping open. He stared at Aran’s face for a second without really seeing him, confusion and panic flooding through him.
Osamu spun, catching sight of silver hair from Shinsuke on his side and Lady on Aran’s right but Atsumu was nowhere to be found. He shoved off the hands trying to comfort him, desperate to find his brother.
Atsumu wouldn’t leave him right? Atsumu had promised to be there for him. He said he would fight anyone trying to take him away no matter what. Atsumu wouldn’t leave him for anyone, not Shinsuke, not Aran, not Shinji. Atsumu wouldn't. Atsumu wouldn’t.
“ ‘Tsumu!” The cry finally broke from followed by a loud sob. “ ‘Tsumu! ‘Tsumu!”
“ ‘Samu?” Atsumu’s voice yawned as his head popped up from between Shinsuke and Lady. He’d been tucked rather tightly against Shinsuke’s chest and seemed more than a little bit confused.
He crawled over Shinsuke as the man started to wake up himself. Osamu was flying at him the moment Atsumu was close enough to be tackled into a hug. Osamu sobbed as he held onto his brother as tightly as he could, only clinging harder at Atsumu’s yelp of his name.
“ ‘Samu? ‘Samu what happened?” Atsumu whined, looking close to tears himself and in a heartbeat he was sobbing too as he hugged his brother back.
“I couldn’t... move..” Every break was racked with another sob from Osamu, “then I couldn’t breathe… and I… I woke up… you were gone… I couldn’t find you… Thought you left me… Don’t leave me ‘Tsumu… Please don’t leave me.”
Atsumu clung to his brother, shaking his head and wrapping himself around him as if to help him hide from the world.
“ ‘m never going to leave you ‘Samu, never ever.” Atsumu promised, eyes pressed shut even as tears slipped out bit by bit.
“Thought someone… someone took…” Osamu choked on the words, rocking in his brother’s arms as the panic started to overwhelm him.
“Osamu, breathe in.” Shinsuke said, sitting up slightly as the fog in his eyes started to fade. “Seven seconds, breathe with me and Atsumu.”
Osamu gulped in a breath, barely reaching the full time. Atsumu tried to rub his back like he’d seen Shinsuke do, breathing in time with Shinsuke. Aran shifted slowly to sit up, but Osamu didn’t even seem to notice, too busy holding onto Atsumu like a lifeline.
Nearly half an hour passed before Osamu was able to blink open his eyes tiredly at Shinsuke. He glanced over his shoulder, staring at Aran’s concerned face for a moment before releasing his brother. He fell back against Aran’s chest instead, half on his lap.
“I don’t like bad dreams.” He mumbled, a yawn breaking from him. “I thought… Maybe…”
Guilt was written across his face and he shrunk down slightly, pawing for Atsumu’s hand to hold. He wouldn’t look at Shinsuke though, even when Shinsuke sat up more to watch him, stroking Lady’s back to keep her from tackling the kids and licking them to cheer them up.
“Maybe… Shinsuke had given Atsumu away to Aran when I fell asleep last night.” His head hung down low with shame. “I’m sorry…”
“Oh little one.” Shinsuke whispered softly, moving closer. “Is this alright?”
He waited until Osamu was nodding before he kicked out of the blanket and pulled Atsumu onto his lap so he could sit knee to knee with Aran. Atsumu instantly grabbed Aran’s shirt too, as if to keep him from going away.
“There’s no need to be sorry, Osamu.” Shinsuke soothed softly, “You had a nightmare, it’s okay to be scared after that. But there’s no need to worry about Atsumu being given away on his own-”
“I don’t want to leave you though!” Osamu blurted, freezing and patting with his free hand until it could wrap around Lady’s collar. “I wanna stay with Aran, but I wanna stay with you too but I don’t know if you w-want us or… or… or…”
Aran gently rubbed Osamu’s back, letting the child shake as he stared at Shinsuke. He gave Shinsuke a pointed look over their heads but Shinsuke didn’t need it. Seeing Aran in such a vulnerable spot with his kid on his lap though, definitely set Shinsuke’s heart to beat a little harder though.
“No, Osamu that isn’t what I meant.” Shinsuke explained softly, his hand not on Lady’s fur moving to stroke through Atsumu’s hair. The child sighed softly, flopping back against his chest and tilting his head up to stare at him with wide eyes.
“I was going to wait until breakfast time, but I suppose five am works too.” Shinsuke hummed softly, the slightest curve of his lip appearing at Atsumu’s almost timed yawn. “I know, when you spoke to Oomimi you told him you didn’t want to be adopted by me-”
This time Atsumu was the one to shrink down, his own guilt and panic overtaking the almost peaceful look he’d had on his face. He hadn’t meant to make Shinsuke upset then, he just thought that Shinsuke would be happier with them gone. He wouldn’t have been so stressed or busy.
“But, I also know that was a very stressful and bad day,” Shinsuke continued, leaning his head down just enough to press a kiss to Atsumu’s forehead. “And I wanted to ask you now.”
Atsumu’s eyes widened immeasurably as he stared up at Shinsuke. His grip on his brother’s hand tightened and both of the twins’ eyes were locked on Shinsuke.
“You and Aran are going to get married again and keep us!” Atsumu blurted before Shinsuke could open his mouth. Of course that was why Aran said he would keep them before! Because he and Shinsuke we’re getting back together after Aran moved to France and Aran was keeping it a surprise! Just like the birthday party!
Osamu had to let go of Lady to hold onto Aran’s knee as his chair started to laugh. Aran tried to hold it back, desperately pinching his lips shut but he couldn’t. Laughter broke from him as he wrapped an arm around Osamu to keep him from being bounced around, a wide grin on both of their faces.
“Keep you, yes, Aran and I….” Shinsuke said delicately, chuckling quietly himself. “I was-”
“ ‘Tsumu you dummy.” Osamu interrupted, moving to swipe at his brother’s face playfully. “They gotta learn to walk in their ice skates before they get married. They haven’t been skatin’ cuz they’ve been with us.”
“Ohhh, right! Can we go ice skating so you can get married and keep us?” Atsumu said, nodding his head to the clear logic of his brother’s words.
Aran was nearly wheezing with laughter, Osamu more than a little happy to be shaken as Aran tried to calm himself. It worked for a few seconds before he caught sight of Shinsuke’s unamused stare and raised eyebrow and the laughter broke out again.
Shinsuke’s lips quirked up in response and he pressed them together, looking away before Aran dragged him into a laughing fit. It definitely didn’t help the soft warmth slowly building in his chest as he looked down at his two boys clearly excited.
“Atsumu, Osamu, would you like to be adopted by me?” Shinsuke asked, watching in amusement as Lady started to crawl her way between them as if trying to hold Osamu down from the force of the still laughing Aran.
He wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of two excitable six year olds launching themselves at him and trying to scramble up towards his face. He squeaked as he fell back, feeling two hands wrap around his wrists and tug him back up.
Aran’s smiling face greeted him as the boys scrambled over him, trying to hug his neck and each other at the same time. Shinsuke shifted, waiting for Lady to move herself onto Aran’s lap instead before he was leaning against Aran’s shoulder.
“I don’t think you have a few years to make me wait,” Aran teased him lightly, “You might have another forty five seconds before they start asking about ice skating again though.”
Shinsuke tossed him a fake glare, wrapping his arms around the boys and nuzzling the hair under his nose. He closed his eyes for a moment, just taking in a breath to revel in the moment. His boys. All three of them. Right here with him. No one was going anywhere, they were a family even if the last bit of the puzzle was going to take some time to put together.
“I know you taught them that, what does it even mean?” Shinsuke grumbled, blinking when Osamu sat up suddenly and let go of Shinsuke’s neck.
“Oh! Oh! I know. Can I tell him? Please Aran?” Osamu begged, reaching over to pat at Aran until he was sure he was being paid attention to. Aran was going to have to talk to the Matsukawa’s about their cat teaching his kids how to beg for attention.
“Sure, darling, go ahead.” Aran hummed, settling in to hear what he assumed was going to be a ridiculous version of what he’d told the boys days ago.
“Okay, okay, so!” Osamu started, happily holding onto the collar of Aran’s shirt. “There’s lotsa steps to ice skate. Ya gotta go to the place, then you gotta walk around, then you gotta check your feet and make sure they’re… feet. Then you get your shoes, and you put them on and then you gotta tie them and that’s super hard, I needed help but ‘Tsumu was really good at it… and….”
He blinked, trying to remember what he had been talking about, then grinned again.
“Then you have to walk in them and ‘Tsumu isn’t good at that, then you have to step on the ice and it’s super super scary but since Aran-kun will be there it’s not so scary. Then you gotta learn to skate! And Tooru-san and Hajime-san and Issei-san and Taka-san all had each other and learned to ice skate like… a bajillion years ago, that’s why they’re married!”
Shinsuke kept the smile on his face but he had absolutely no idea what was just said to him.
“Ah… Thank you for that explanation, Osamu. Perhaps Aran and I will… try to go ice skating and… learn to walk in them?” He said cautiously but it seemed to be the right thing to do because Osamu brightened and Atsumu’s hold got tighter.
“Okay boys, if we’re not going to go to bed again, we need to eat-”
“Cake!” Atsumu and Osamu shouted together, making both adults wince.
“No.” Aran said sternly, watching them deflate with exaggerated pouts. “Cake is for after dinner, five… six thirty now, is time for breakfast. Why don’t you go get the rice started?”
The boys gasped, thrilled to be allowed to ‘make’ something on their own and scrambled to get off the bed. Lady leaped out of Aran’s lap, smacking him in the face with her tail, and followed after them cheerfully.
“.... Aran did you teach my kids about dating by using ice skating as a metaphor?” Shinsuke asked, quirking an eyebrow over at his best friend.
“... That… was perhaps something I did. Unless you wanted me to try and explain to a six year old that sometimes people aren’t ready to date. Because they’re six and they don’t understand the concept of ‘not ready’ for anything beyond dinner.” Aran said simply, but he still wasn’t looking Shinsuke in the eye. It only took a second for Shinsuke to realize that Aran was laughing.
“Are you-”
“When’s the wedding, Shin? I want to coordinate the boys’ outfits.” Aran teased, a loud laugh exploding from him at Shinsuke’s offended expression.
“I have seen the clothes you wear, you are not choosing the wedding outfits or colors or anything beyond food to be completely honest. You’d go with the ugliest colors just to see who died first, me or Tooru.” Shinsuke bumped their shoulders together, rolling his eyes at the second laugh that bubbled out of him. “Get out of my bed. I don’t want anything to do with you anymore. I’m telling the kids you died and we’re keeping Lady.”
Aran rolled his eyes, grabbing the blanket and chucking it over Shinsuke’s head. Shinsuke wrestled free, giving him a half glare as his hair stuck up in every direction.
“I’m going to help our kids make breakfast.” Aran said sweetly, copying Shinsuke’s attitude from the night before, already sliding out of the bed as a pillow was chucked at his back.
“Aran.” Shinsuke shouted after him, but Aran could hear his soft laugh. Relaxed and at peace, Aran knew that laugh and he’d missed it far too much.
“If we’re getting married, I want a divorce.” Shinsuke deadpanned as he was kicked in the shoulder on accident. Osamu gasped from his spot on Aran’s shoulders as they walked down the street, heading towards the park.
His small hands smacked Aran’s cheeks in an attempt to hold on and get his attention.
“Aran are you going to be okay? You’re still going to visit right?” He whined and Aran hushed him softly, reaching up to hold Osamu’s hands instead.
“Shinsuke’s just being cranky because I won’t let him hold Lady’s leash.” Aran soothed, squeezing his hand and looking over to where Atsumu was very carefully walking Lady beside him. Though from the way Lady kept her head turned toward Atsumu and nudged him carefully around any gaps in the road, Aran was pretty sure she was walking Atsumu.
“... That’s a good reason to be cranky.” Atsumu said, staring down at the sidewalk to keep from tripping and Lady tugged him away from a light post. Aran hummed in amusement, letting go of Osamu for a moment to tuck Atsumu closer to his hip instead of the edge of the sidewalk.
“I’m not cranky.” Shinsuke said, sounding mildly cranky but Aran could see the humor in his eyes.
“He’s very, very cranky.” Aran assured the twins, smiling over at Shinsuke’s eye roll. “But once we get to the park I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“Don’t worry Shinsuke-san.” Osamu chirped, waving Aran’s hands in the air theatrically. “We’ll have lots of fun and then you’ll smile- like that! Aran, Aran! He smiled.”
Shinsuke was indeed smiling, and this time he wasn't trying to suppress it. He let it grow until it was comfortable on his face, shaking his head fondly at the gasps from each of them. He took a few steps ahead of them, stepping into the gated park and checking for any other dogs. Like he suspected, there were no other dogs so early in the morning.
He could hear shuffling behind him and seconds later Osamu and Atsumu were running past, Lady jogging quietly behind them.
“Sorry, they got excited.” Aran chuckled, eyes already scanning the park and relaxing when there was no sign of anything that could distract Lady. She was well trained, but she was, afterall, a dog.
“I can see that.” Shinsuke hummed quietly, watching the boys as they made their way over.
“... Shinsuke, are you still grumpy I didn’t let you hold Lady’s leash?” Aran asked, voice soft with apology but as soon as Shinsuke turned to look at him, he could see the laughter in his eyes. Aran was struggling not to laugh and Shinsuke shook his head at him.
“Why do the boys think we’re married? You’re clearly just harassing me, there’s absolutely no love here.” Shinsuke said, keeping his face neutral.
“Don’t start that. The boys may think you hung the moon but I’m well aware you’re a devil. I’ve been with you since you were fifteen remember?”
“Yes I do, every minute.” Shinsuke said softly, tilting his head up to blink prettily up at him. Aran’s cheek burned red and he gaped at Shinsuke for a moment before it settled into a half hearted glare instead.
“How you manage to be so sweet but devious at the same time blows my mind, every single time.” Aran sighed, shaking his head and bumping his shoulders into Shinsuke’s at the sight of the amused smile returning.
They walked a few more steps, eyes on the boys chasing each other around with Lady herding them away from the half frozen lake. They were laughing and cheering and Shinsuke couldn’t say he’d ever felt more at peace, more at home, then right now.
He stepped to the right, fingers dancing at the edge of Aran’s palm before Aran’s hand moved to intertwine their fingers. He flicked his eyes up to Aran’s, taking in the softness around his own eyes and the curve of his mouth in an easy smile. He looked happy, incredibly happy.
“Aran… Remember what I said before?” Shinsuke asked softly, finding himself unable to stare at him any longer until the words were out. “About… waiting...I know I need to, but I don’t want to raise these boys without you… If you are willing… to go… rather slow… probably unnaturally slow for most people… Why don’t we go ice skating next week? I have Thursday off next.”
Aran’s lips were curved in a smile when Shinsuke felt them press against his temple.
“Toldja before, Shin. I’m here, as long as it takes.” Aran said against his skin and Shinsuke could feel the affection in his words. “We can take breaks too, the boys come first after all.”
Shinsuke didn’t disagree, but he also couldn’t help but think that they’d been rather glued to the hip since the break down last week. It didn’t feel like he was changing anything to be with Aran, nothing he wasn’t already changing for the boy’s atleast. Baby steps though, were just fine with him. Like Osamu had said, you had to learn to walk in skates before you got on the ice.
It didn’t have to be a date but Shinsuke wanted to spend more time with Aran regardless. Besides, ice skating gave him more excuses to hang off of Aran’s arm and guilt him into buying drinks.
“Shinsuke-san!” Atsumu’s voice made them both perk up, looking over at the child. His bruises had healed and he looked as cheerful and happy as any kid their age should be.
“We found a duck! Hurry up.” Osamu echoed beside him, pointing at the small herd of ducks settling on the icy water.
Aran and Shinsuke shared a soft laugh, picking up speed a little but not enough for the twins.
“Touchan!” They hollered together, pointing at the ducks with clear excitement.
Shinsuke stumbled on the snow but the hand in his kept him up and he moved a little faster, the warmth in his chest spreading throughout all of him. He almost thought he’d pass out from the overwhelming emotion but all he could do was hurry to his boys. His boys.
His family.
* This is the final chapter, but an epilogue will be up next week. Let me know i fyou'd be more interested in teen-adult epilogue or still young kids epilogue. Thank you so much for taking this journey with me, it's been an amazing journey. *
