Chapter Text
Three years and ten months ago
A new lifestyle appeared with Viktor now gone. Of course, it was hard for Yuuri to get used to and even harder for Kei to adjust to, but they managed. Phichit was still living with them, declaring that he'd stay until he was certain his best friend and nephew were ready for him to leave.
Kei hadn't asked about his Otets since the day Yuuri lost it. Often times he'd catch his son looking at the framed photo's on the wall or on the bedside and feel a pain of regret. He shouldn't have taken his hurt feelings out on Kei.
At night after Kei had fallen asleep, or at least faked it long enough for one of the adults to leave his room, Yuuri and Phichit sat in the kitchen. The Thai man had told Yuuri that Kei asked him about Viktor all the time but was afraid to ask about him to Yuuri in fear that he'd get yelled at or turned away from.
"I tell him stories," Phichit confessed to his friend. "I show him the pictures from the photo album and try and tell him the stories, but I know he want's to hear them from you... I'm not saying you have to, but at least look the photo albums some time. For his sake."
Yuuri nodded, taking his friends words into consideration. And did as his friend requested. Not that very same time but a few days later.
It was after their nightly conversation. Phichit was asleep on the couch and Kei was supposedly asleep in his room. Yuuri, who had gone into the kitchen for a glass of water, pausing by the bookcase that held the photo albums. He contemplated for a moment before picking a random one off the shelf.
The lamp was still on when he entered the room, so Yuuri saw that as a sign that he was meant to be looking at the pictures. He settled in on the pillows of the bed, opening it to the first page. Upon opening it, he found pictures from when he and Viktor first started dating.
He remembered how silly, yet adorable the Russian had been while taking the photos. It wasn't till six months later did he discover why he'd taken so many pictures. On the eve of their six months of dating, Viktor handed him the very same book, each page consisting of him or something else he was doing or was into. There were even little messages on notebook papers for him, describing little things he loved about Yuuri.
A shuffling noise made him look away from the photo's and to the door where Kei was now standing. Yuuri sighed, setting the album on the nightstand. With out stretched arm, Yuuri took Kei into his arms, holding him to his chest and resting his chin on the top of his head. He knew Kei saw the photo album, but the boy didn't say anything about it.
Yuuri set Kei down so that he was resting against his side. The child moved to be more comfortable, watching his father curiously as he reached for the photo album. Once he had it in his hands, he put one arm around Kei, allowing them to cuddle up with one another.
Kei took long looks at each picture, Yuuri noticed. Yuuri made sure he waited long enough before flipping through the pages, giving the child time to absorb every detail in every picture. It wasn't until about a quarter of the way through did Yuuri pause.
On the left page were three pictures of Yuuri and Makkachin as well as a little note on how cute Viktor thought the sight was. On the other page was a single photo of Yuuri trying to give the poodle a bath, only to have the dog splash water at him.
Sadly, Makkachin passed away shortly after Kei's first birthday. The boy didn't remember the dog but had heard countless stories from his Otets about the fluffy poodle.
So Yuuri told Kei about Makkachin. About how gentle she was and how she loved cuddles. About how protective she was of baby Kei. He chose not to bring up about the dog's last few weeks, fearing it would only upset the child. At the end, Kei's eyes shone with so much wonder and interest. It almost made Yuuri cry.
"Come on, chīsana mono," Yuuri encouraged. "I know you have a question."
He hesitated when quietly asked, "Can we get another puppy? Just like Makka?"
Yuuri smiled, ruffling his hair. "Someday, chīsana mono. Some day."
Present day
A week later, they all returned to Yuri and Otabek's place. Viktor and Yuuri had come to the conclusion that taking Kei back to the apartment wasn't the best idea. Yuri and Otabek had no objections about letting the family of three staying at their place till they bought a house in Hasetu, though Yuuri still felt like they were intruding.
They pulled up in front of the house, all seven of them pulling out of the car. They all had their backs on them, heading toward the front door with Yuri in lead since he was the one with the key. Everything was fine until Yuri started cursing very loudly.
"You are in the presence of a child!" Phichit scolded, leaning over to cover Kei's ears.
"But Dyadya Yuri swears all the time in front of me," Kei told him. Phichit gasped.
"What is it?" Viktor asked, ignoring Phichit's comment.
Yuri said nothing but held up a small letter with an all too familiar symbol on it. Viktor nearly dropped Kei.
Apparently they'd be dealing with this Hóngsè límíng longer than they expected.
Kei didn't know what was going on, and to be frank, no one else did either. They all filed into the house, hoping that the letter wasn't a declaration of war.
Yuuri kindly asked Otabek to take Kei while the others went down stairs to open and discuss what was in the small envelope. Once the five team members were down in the basement, Yuuri ripped the letter from Yuri's hands, Viktor rushed over to his side, looking down at the paper.
To the Katsuki-Nikiforov's,
Meet up at the Aronia de Takazawa downtown Tokyo on the 20th at 2 pm. Failure to attend in meet up will have dramatic consequences.
- Leader of the Hóngsè límíng , Wang Yong
The two read it over a few times before passing it around. After a moment of processing, the other three men looked up wondering the same thing. Phichit was the first to ask.
"Are you guys go to it?"
"What choice do we have?" Yuuri asked, giving them the answer.
***
The morning that Viktor and Yuuri left for the meeting was a disaster. Kei clung to both of them at the front door, begging for them not to go and repeatedly asking to come with. It pained both men to see their child think this, but they had to go.
On the way to the meeting place, they were both a nervous wreck. Viktor linked hands with Yuuri, hoping that it would bring comfort to the both of them, but it did no such thing. Viktor tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and Yuuri hummed along the way. Finally, they reached their destination, parking in the parking garage before walking to the restaurant.
The place was high end, top of the class. Definitely, an expensive place to dine. Definitely, a place Yuuri would never go to even if Viktor offered to take him to.
As soon as they stepped into the building, two men in black suits escorted them to the meeting room. They went up an elevator and on the way up, both men patted them down for weapons that neither of them brought. The elevator opened, revealing the meeting room.
Two bodyguards stood in the back corners, and the two that had led them to the room returned to the other two corners. At the table in the center of the room, a man in his early fifties stood up, bowing at the two. Viktor and Yuuri did the same before taking a seat across from the man.
"Wang Yong, I presume?" Viktor stated, casually picking up the menu in front of him.
"Indeed, Mr. Katuski-Nikiforov."
"May I ask why you called us here today?"
"In a moment. Why don't we order first? Please, order whatever you'd like."
From behind their menus, Viktor and Yuuri glanced at one another, wishing to get down to business. There weren't here for small talk.
When it came time to order, Viktor and Yuuri chose randomly and asked for water as their drink. Their menus were taken away, leaving the three men to discuss what they were there for. The leader of the Hóngsè límíng spoke first.
"I would ask how your day has been, but I'm afraid you two would like to skip to the business part, correct?"
"Yes," they both replied. Wang Yong smiled, amused to hear he was right.
"Well then. I shall get down to it. I would like to talk about custody rights to Kei."
"And what makes you think you have any right to our son?" Yuuri spat.
The man focused his gaze on Yuuri. "What makes you think you have rights to my grandson?"
"What?" Viktor gasped, wondering if he heard right. Instead, the man asked another question.
"How much do you know about his parents?"
Viktor looked at Yuuri, who began to recite the very few bits of information he knew. That the father's name was Wang Mǐn and that the mother's name was Chia Hwa-Young. That they had moved from Hong Kong and to Tokyo in hopes of escaping something but ended up failing and leaving their son in the hands of a stranger. At the end, Wang Yong started to explain in more depth.
"My son Mǐn as meant to be my successor. Everything in his life was set in stone, but then he had to go and mess it up.
"Back in Korea, the Chia household wasn't able to pay off their debt so we took their only child. Originally, she was to be sold to the Yakuza for sex trafficking but then my foolish son found out and was bound to keep her from that fate. Then I found out that they were planning on running away together, due to that whore getting knocked up."
"She was no whore," Yuuri defended. "That woman died protecting her son. As did his father."
"Yes, but he went against my words, behind my back and impregnated a foreign girl, then ran off with her. He--"
"Good for him. He should have."
"--left all his duties behind and he was the only success I had. And on top of all that, he married the mother of his unborn son when he knew he was betrothed to another."
"So you're upset that he chose love over power?" Viktor concluded.
"I'm furious that he went behind my back. And now his son is the only person who can take over when I'm done, even if he's the son of a whore."
The food arrived at the table and the conversation ceased for the time being. Wang Yong insisted that they ate before finishing up the meeting. Yuuri and Viktor ate a few minutes, not very hungry after what they had heard. Wang Yong took his time eating, not caring that the other two were waiting. Once he had cleared the plate of every last crumb, he whipped his mouth with a napkin, tossing it onto the empty plate.
"Not hungry?" he assumed.
"We'd like to continue the meeting and return home before our son's bedtime, if you'd please," Viktor replied with a straight face. "I'd hate for him to go to bed without a story."
"Alright then, where'd I leave off?"
"I believe you were at the part explaining why you need our son," Yuuri answered, his voice stern with a certain edge. Viktor knew that Yuuri had had enough of this man's games.
"Ah, yes. So you--"
"I wasn't finished," Yuuri cut in. "I'm not letting you take my son away again. Not you or anyone else. Your son and his wife fled China to get away from you and your life, and when you came for them, they kept Kei away from you. Clearly, they wanted him out of your hands, so that's how I plan to keep it."
Wang Yong narrowed his eyes at Yuuri. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, boy."
"Oh, I do," Yuuri assured. "The question is: do you?"
"What?" he scoffed. "You and your team of five are nothing against me and my army."
And that's when Viktor stepped in. He cleared his throat, drawing the old man's attention to him.
"Sir, do you have any idea what I did before Kei came into our lives?"
"You had business in Russia, correct?"
"Yes, but do you have the slightest idea as to what I did?" When Viktor received no answer, he continued. "I was next in line to become the leader of the Bravata. I turned that opposition away for the sake of my family."
Wang Yong opened his mouth, but Viktor didn't allow him to get a word out. He and Yuuri leaned forward a bit, attempting to intimidate him more.
"And for the past four years, I've been slaving away at trying to get every debt and favor paid off so that I wouldn't have to leave my family again. Then, I return home to find my son taken from his bed by some man who claims to be his grandfather," Viktor paused so scoff.
"I must ask: does the name Millia Babicheva ring a bell to you?"
"Yes. Current Phakan of the Russian Mafia."
"Good, good. Did you also know that we grew up with each other? Practically like brother and sister?"
"I did not."
Yuuri took it from there. "Millia if Kei's godmother," he paused to watch the color drain from the old man's face. "If she heard that someone landed a hand on her godson, she'd call upon the forces of hell to make sure that who ever hurt him paid for it."
Yuuri stood up, leaning over the table to see the fear clouding Wang Yong's eyes. The four bodyguards in the room were now on alert, readying their weapons.
"So go ahead," Yuuri challenged. "Start a war with us. See how that ends for you."
Yuuri stood up straight, adjusting his suit jacket and tie. His eyes never left the man's as he did. Finally, he pushed his glasses up his nose and pushed his chair in.
"I believe we're done here."
"Indeed," Viktor agreed, standing beside his husband. "Have a good rest of the day, sir."
The two headed for the elevator without being stopped. The room was silent as they waiting for the doors to open, and was only broken by the ding of the elevator arriving. Yuuri entered the confined space first, Viktor following close behind. The Russian pressed the button for the lobby, then straightened up, waiting patiently for the doors to close. Once they were shut all the way, their acts fell.
Viktor held onto the railing behind him and left out a sigh of relief. Yuuri took a deep breath, holding onto Viktor's shoulder for support.
"That was..." Yuuri started, but couldn't place the words.
"Stressful?" Viktor suggested. Yuuri nodded, taking another deep breath. "I know, lyublyu. I know. But look on the bright side," Viktor beamed. "I think we scared them off for good."
Yuuri let out a shaky laugh, leaning into Viktor. Viktor gladly accepted having Yuuri in his arms, relaxing little by little. Then the elevator dinged, ruining the moment.
"Let's get going," Viktor smiled, taking Yuuri's hand. "I think Kei wants to see his dads as soon as possible."
Yuuri smiled, following Viktor hand in hand.
***
Three weeks had passed since the meeting with Wang Yong. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened and there was no contact from the Hóngsè límíng. Both parents had a silent decision that they'd do everything to make sure Kei never knew that the people who took him were his grandfather's men, fearing it would only hurt the boy.
As for Kei, he had been awfully more clingy to both his dad's. Neither one minded in the beginning, seeing as though they too wanted their son close to them. But they soon realized how difficult to it became to do normal things like the dishes or laundry. And God forbid Viktor leave the house without him. Yuuri understood why Kei was upset about Viktor leaving, thinking that he might not come back, but the tantrums he'd have.
Other than that, everything was great. Chris had flown back to Sweden shortly after everything had settled down, and Phichit went back to his apartment but visited at least three times a week.
Yuuri had talked it over with Viktor, telling him that he wanted to visit Hasetu alone to clear things over with his family. Viktor agreed with him, but then there was Kei to think about. Yuuri didn't want to leave Kei or Viktor behind but at the same time, he knew it would shock his family enough to know he had gotten married and adopted a child. Breaking the news was the first step.
So the night before Yuuri was to leave for Hasetu, everyone one came out the living room to watch a movie. All three members of the Katsuki-Nikiforov family were curled on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. Off to the right. Otabek sat in the arm chair with Yuri on his lap, both of them snuggled up against one another.
After it had ended, Kei started jumping around, expressing how much he liked the movie. Everyone finding the boy adorable. Once the buzz had died down about the movie, Kei settled in between his parents again, nuzzling into Yuuri's side. From under his arm, he looked over at Yuri and Otabek.
"Dyadya Yuri, when are you and Otabek going to get married?"
"Kei!" Yuuri gasped. "That's not something you say."
"What? It was just a question." Kei defended innocently.
The two in question didn't seem uncomfortable, just a little flustered from the sudden topic. Yuri leaned his head back, looking up at his boyfriend, smirking a little at how red his face was.
"I don't know," Yuri answered Kei, then spoke directly to Otabek. "Do you want to get married?"
"Of course I do," Otabek said, without missing a beat. "When do you want to get married?"
"I was thinking sometime in the fall. Not this year but maybe next year."
"Okay. Sounds like a plan to me."
They smiled at each other, then shared a simple kiss. Meanwhile, Viktor and Yuuri were sitting on the couch, their jaws dropped. Kei laughed.
"Did... did they just get engaged?" Yuuri wondered under his breath.
"Yes," Viktor whispered. "I mean, I think they did anyway."
***
The day, Yuuri left. He and Kei had a very tearful goodbye, a normal one with the newly engaged couple, and a hesitant one with Viktor. It wasn't that he didn't want to say bye, but because he was leaving Viktor alone with their son for three days. The last time he had done that when Kei was nine months old. He tried to convince that's why he hesitated anyway, but he and Viktor both knew the reason that he wasn't ready to confess.
Over the past few weeks, things had started to feel like they used to. Raising Kei like they were supposed to. Making meals in the kitchen like they had done four years ago. Trading off chores and many more tasks like that.
And it made feelings resurface, much to their liking. The only problem was Yuuri wasn't ready to accept that. Not this soon anyway. So Viktor allowed Yuuri to take his time like he always did.
The day had been quiet after Yuuri left for Hasetu. Yuri and Otabek were lounging around down stairs while Kei and Viktor stayed in the living room with a coloring book and crayons. The small boy had been less talkative since Yuuri's departure, which Viktor and the others had expected. Hopefully, Yuuri's phone call would cheer him up later.
That phone call came in just as Yuri and Otabek started making dinner. Viktor, who had been grabbing something out of the bedroom, picked up the phone and answered it with a quick hello. Not five seconds later, Kei ran in asking if his Chichi was on the phone. Chuckling, he handed the phone over to him, watching his face light up.
"Chichi!" Kei screamed into the device. Viktor laughed, bending down to hug him and peck his cheek. Kei giggled, continuing to speak his son. Viktor decided to leave Kei in the bedroom and check on dinner.
Thirty minutes later, Viktor came back, telling Kei he had to go eat dining. He was upset about having to say goodbye to his Chichi. So upset he started crying again. In the end, they came up with an agreement that Kei could call before he went to bed and both his dad's could tell him a story together. Afterward, Viktor took the phone back, taking his turn talking to Yuuri.
"How is it down there?" Viktor asked.
"Good," Yuuri replied, sounding relaxed. "Everyone's happy to see me again. My parents even closed the inn for the day so we could all catch up. My Okāsan made katsudon."
"Was it good?"
"Oh, you have no idea," Yuuri said breathlessly. Viktor laughed. "I forgot how good her cooking is."
"Then I can't wait to meet her. How'd everyone take the news?"
"Well, everyone's happy for me, though I think all the girls were ready to kill me after I said we adopted Kei. Hell, Okāsan nearly chased me out of the house with a broom." Viktor laughed. "And I think Mari's going to have a talk with you later. You know, the one older siblings give their younger siblings partner?"
"Yes, I know those talks. Though I'm afraid I haven't had many of those."
"Shame," Yuuri smiled, teasing the Russian. "Everyone can't wait to meet you two. And they're all excited about us moving here."
"That's nice. Have you looked at any houses?"
"Not yet. Mari and Yuko are coming with me tomorrow to look. Hopefully, we find one so that we can move in right away."
"Hopefully," Viktor agreed. A silence fell over the line. One full of content and Viktor swore that if he closed his eyes he could imagine Yuuri standing beside him.
"Viktor," Yuuri whispered. "I'm glad you're back."
Viktor smiled. It wasn't a clear declaration of love, but he knew it still meant something similar to that.
"So am I, lyublyu."
Yuuri let out a breath that neither one of them knew he had been holding. "Well, you should get off the phone. Kei probably wants you to eat with him."
"Probably... yeah, uh, I should be going. So, we'll call later. When Kei goes to bed."
Then the spell that had been cast over them broke, ending the unspoken thing that was on the tip of their tongues.
"Yes. I'll be waiting for that call."
"Okay. I'm going," Viktor clarified. Yuuri let out a small chuckle.Viktor waited a moment before pulling his phone away and ending the call, a grin still plastered on his face.
***
By the end of the month, Viktor, Yuuri, and Kei had moved into their new house. Or, they had purchased the house and filled it with boxes of their belongings. Nothing was unpacked yet and wouldn't be until they went to see Yuuri's family. That wasn't his idea though. Yuuri's mother, Hiroko, insisted that they stay at the Inn for the first night they were in town.
Which was why they were pulling up to the Inn instead of their house. Viktor and Yuuri left the car first, then went to retrieve Kei. Unlike Viktor who was over excited about meeting his in-laws, Kei was extremely shy. He had Milo held to his chest, holding onto it for dear life and buried his face in Yuuri's neck.
Yuuri smiled, trying to lessen Kei's nervousness. "Obā-chan very excited to meet you. And so is Ojī-chan."
"I know," Kei mumbled, wrapping his arms around his Chichi.
"What's troubling you, chīsana mono?"
"What if they don't like me?"
Yuuri chuckled at Kei's silly worrying. He kissed his forehead, reassuringly telling him he had no such thing to worry about. Once he had calmed down a little, they entered the inn.
Yuuri's father Toshiya was manning the front desk, being the first to greet them. He immediately rushed over to shake hands and introduce himself to Viktor, then moved on to Kei. Kei only managed to wiggle out of Yuuri's arms and run to hide behind Viktor's legs.
"Sorry about that," Yuuri apologized. "Kei's a little shy."
"It's alright," Toshiya smiled. "Maybe your mother will be able to coax him out of his shell."
"Hopefully," Yuuri sighed, glancing over at his son. Viktor had picked him up and was now holding him. "Where is Okāsan anyway?"
He gestured behind him. "In the kitchen with your sister. We also made sure to keep Yukko and Minako away for the night. We thought it would be a little overwhelming on the three of you to have everyone here at once."
"Thank you, Otōsan. We appreciate the gesture."
Toshiya only patted his back, slightly pushing him in the direction of the kitchen. "Go. The girls want to see you."
So that's what they did, They headed toward the kitchen, but only had it halfway before Hiroko caught sight of them, running over. She almost broke a glass on the way. Mari paused what she was doing to look. She stopped what she was doing to see them.
Hiroko focused on Kei completely while Mari went to interrogate her brother-in-law. Yuuri tried to stop both ladies from doing what they were doing, thinking that they'd scare them off. Somehow though, the opposite had happened.
Viktor happily answered all of Mari's questions honestly and with a smile despite her threatening tone. And to much of everyone's luck, Hiroko had made Kei warm up to her with in seconds. Yuuri relaxed a little, seeing how everything was going over so smoothly, so he took a chance to retrieve their overnight bags and put them in the room they'd be staying in. When he came back to where everyone else was, he found everyone but his mother who had disappeared to make katsudon for everyone.
Kei was sitting in between Viktor and Mari, chatting his head off. From the little bit he had heard so far, he was telling his Oba-san Mari why he liked tigers and leopards so much but that he'd rather have a dog as a pet. A strange subject, but at least he was talking to her.
A few minutes later, Hiroko brought out four bowls of food, one for each of them at the table. She sat down with them, waiting for Viktor and Kei to take their first bites.
"Vkuso!" Viktor exclaimed after the first bite.
Kei, on the other hand, dug in, not saying a word. He didn't need to though. His face said it all. Mari and Hiroko giggled at the boy's reaction. Everything was fine till Kei suddenly stopped eating. Both his parents did as well and were about to ask what was wrong till Kei suddenly stood up and ran over to Yuuri, crying into his chest.
"What's wrong, chīsana mono?"
"Obā-chan's katsudon is better than yours," Kei sobbed. Yuuri smiled, breathlessly chuckling.
"I know, Kei. I grew up with Obā-chan's katsudon."
Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to calm the boy. Yuuri excused himself and calm him down, leaving the room with Kei in his arms. Once the sounds of Kei's crying had faded, Mari swallowed the food in her mouth and turned to her mother.
"Well, Okāsan, you just made your grandson cry. How do you feel?"
Hiroko glared, lightly smacking the back of her daughter's head. Viktor and Mari chuckled in response, both of them receiving a glare. Viktor straightened up, smiling at his mother-in-law.
"I assure you Hiroko-san, he does like the food. It is wonderful," Viktor complemented. Hiroko smiled, walking over and kissing the top of his head.
"No need to be so formal, Viktor. You're part of the family now. Call me Ka-chan."
She disappeared back into the kitchen to clean some dishes. Meanwhile, Viktor was grinning from his victory. Mari only nudged him, smirking.
"You may be on my Okāsan's good side, but good luck with Otōsan."
Viktor's grin only grew, hearing those words. "Is that a challenge, nē-san?"
Mari raised an eyebrow, scoffing. "Don't call me that, oroka."
Viktor gasped, holding a hand over his heart like he was wounded. Mari only rolled her eyes, shaking her head. But Viktor caught the smile on her face and knew that he was also on her good side as well.
***
Things began to settle down after Yuuri and Viktor unpacked Yukko came over with the triplets to help the adults unpack. The girls, who were now twelve, kept Kei busy in the backyard, playing tag and such. Viktor occasionally paused to snap a picture of the scene but stopped once he was scolded by Yuuri or Yuuko.
While unpacking, Yuuri told the whole story of what Kei had gone through and what he and Viktor had been up to the past few years. Yuuko was the only one who knew what Yuuri had truly been up to after he moved away, so most of it wasn't a shock. What a shock was what Viktor had been up to.
He and Yuuri hadn't had the time to sit down and discuss everything that had happened while he was gone but now was the time apparently.
"Wait, what?" both Yuuri and Yuuko blurted.
"What? Milla was more than willing to help me with getting my work done. If it weren't for her help, I'd still be away."
"But at what cost?" Yuuri asked, stopping what he was doing. "Don't you owe her a debt now?"
Viktor sighed. "We did make an arrangement."
"Which is?"
"All she asked for was a visit to Russia once a year for five days at least. She even offered to pay for the tickets and such."
Yuuri's mouth fell open in disbelief. Yuuko decided that it was best if she were to go check up on the kids at this time, leaving the couple to sort things out.
"That's not a decision you make without consulting with your husband!"
"I'm sorry, lyublyu, but I had to. It was the only thing to agree to. Personally, I think it's reasonable considering she is the godmother of our son."
Yuuri huffed, returning to what he had been doing before. Without turning to look at him, he said, "You're sleeping on the couch tonight." And that was the end of the conversation.
Yuuko entered the room again after they had stopped talking, no doubt she heard everything. She didn't say anything when she reentered the room. So the room was quiet for awhile until Yuko asked the question she had been wondering since Yuuri came back.
"Are you guys going to tell anyone else the truth?"
"If we do, it'll be Mari," Yuuri answered like had already thought about it. "That's it though."
"Fair enough," Yuuko agreed, the silence returning after that.
After another three hours of unpacking, all the furniture had been put together and a few pictures hung on the wall. Boxes were still scattered about the place, but that was expected after having just moved in.
Yuuko and girls left promising to call them in the morning. Kei waved bye as they drove off, happy as could be since he was able to play with the cousin's he never knew he had till now. Yuuri unsheared the joyful child in, telling him that he was going to heat up leftovers for dinner. While it was heating, Viktor sent Kei to the bathroom to wash his hands so that he could speak with Yuuri for a moment.
"Are we still telling him tonight?" Viktor asked, gently taking Yuuri's hand. "We don't have to. We can wait a little longer."
Yuuri frowned. He had been trying not to think about that subject all day, but he knew it was inevitable. The Japanese man sighed, nodding.
"Yes. We can't hold it off forever, ya know."
Viktor nodded grimly, kissing Yuuri's forehead. Afterward, Yuuri leaned in, falling against Viktor as he wrapped his arms around him.
"I'll be there the whole time, remember that. You're not going through this alone." Not ever again, with the unspoken thing that died on his tongue. Yuuri knew it too and was half tempted to finish the sentence but stopped when Kei came running in.
The family sat down at the new dining table, eating the leftover food Hiroko had made for them. Afterward, they rinsed off the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. Kei was about to run off, but Viktor stopped him. It wasn't hard though. All you had to say was the word 'story' and you had his attention.
Viktor and Kei sat on the couch, waiting for Yuuri to join them the photos. Unlock most the photo's Kei had seen, these weren't in a picture frame or an album, but in a yellow envelope.
Before the story began, the parents shared a look. Yuuri took a deep breath and tried to think the easiest way to start this conversation.
"Kei, do you know what adoption means?"
"It's like when you get a pet right? Like a puppy?" Yuuri was about to confirm his words but stopped when he gasped. "Are we getting a puppy?"
Yuuri smiled and Viktor chuckled. "No, solnyshko. Sadly, we aren't getting a puppy. Not yet anyway."
Kei slumped down a little, disappointed with the news. Yuuri and Viktor rubbed circles on his back, assuring him at some day they'd get a puppy.
"Well, you have the right concept," Yuuri told him, smiling. "But it isn't just for pet's."
"Is it for plant's too?" Kei wondered. Viktor smiled and shook his hand no.
"It can be used for babies and children," Viktor told him.
"Oh... oh."
Yuuri bit his lip, knowing Kei was starting to catch on.
"Do you remember when you asked us why you have two dads instead of a mom and a dad?"
Kei nodded, and Viktor took it from there.
"Two dads can't have a baby, and neither can two moms. So they adopt children."
Kei processed the information. Viktor and Yuuri waited, hoping that he wasn't getting too upset over the news. Then, very slowly, he pieced together a question.
"So... then what happened to the mom and dad?"
"It depends," Viktor explained. "Sometimes the mom and dad aren't ready for kids, or something happens to one of them."
The small boy finally looked up from the ground and up at his Otets. The first thing he noticed were the tears that were about to fall.
"S-so what happened to my mom and dad?"
Yuuri took Kei and set him on his lap, wiping away his tears. Viktor knew the story. Not as well as Yuuri, but he knew it.
"Your mom and dad were very kind people, but the same people that took you, they... they killed them."
"Your mother asked me to take you and keep you safe," Yuuri finished, wiping his own eyes. "So I did as she asked and here we are."
Kei blinked, tears streaming down his face no matter how many times he tried to stop them. Viktor and Yuuri wrapped him up in their arms, the child crying into their shirts. The whole time, Yuuri silently scolded himself, knowing Kei was still too young to know the truth.
When Kei finally stopped crying, he sat up, hugging onto his Chichi and was very quiet. Viktor glanced at Yuuri with a worried expression.
"What are you thinking, chīsana mono?" Yuuri whispered, brushing a hand through his hair.
"I think I need more hugs," he answered back.
Viktor and Yuuri gave into the request, piling into one big hug.
For the rest of the night, Kei clung onto one of his parents for the rest of the night. Viktor offered him ice cream, which he ate, but he was still hadn't said anything. Yuuri hadn't said anything to Viktor but it was obvious that he was very worried, regretting that he had told the child what had happened to his biological parents.
It wasn't till they tucked him into bed for the night did he say anything. Viktor asked him if he wanted to hear a bedtime story, a happy one, and Kei nodded.
"Which one, chīsana mono?" Yuuri asked, settling on his left, Viktor on the right.
"What did you guys do when I came home for the first time?"
The parents looked at each other, smiling. Once Kei had asked that they knew everything was going to be alright. Yuuri looked back down, beginning to retell the tale of that night.
"Well, Otets didn't know I was bringing you home," Yuuri confessed to him.
"He didn't?"
Yuuri chuckled. "Nope. And the whole way home, I was so nervous. I thought that he might not be ready for kids because we had only been married for three months. But when I came home and told him--"
"-- I kissed him right on the lips," Viktor finished, turning to eyes to Yuuri. Yuuri blushed. "I let him know that everything was going to be alright, and then I held you for the first time, and," he paused to let out a content sigh, "it was the best day of my life."
"Mind as well," Yuuri added, laughing. "You are the best thing and we couldn't ask for more."
Viktor and Yuuri swooped down, kissing him on the cheeks. Kei laughed, reaching to hold both their hands. And just as soon as they thought there were no more questions, Kei asked one.
"Can you guys kiss like you did in the story?"
Yuuri let out a nervous laugh, and Viktor's smile turned into an awkward one. They glanced at each other, silently trying to figure out how to decline his wish. Sadly, when they looked back at him, they didn't have the heart to tell him no. So Yuuri leaned in, and Viktor did the same till their lips touched.
It was a small kiss. Yuuri had thought a peck would suffice, but he knew that wasn't enough to fool the kid in front of him, so he let it last a little longer. When he pulled in, Viktor was still leaning in, like he was expecting something longer. Yuuri brushed it off, his face red and leaned down to kiss Kei's forehead.
"Good night, chīsana mono."
"Night. Love you."
"Love you, too," Yuuri smiled, leaving the room before Viktor could stop him. Once he was out of the room, Yuuri accepted the truthing he had been trying to deny for weeks.
The truth that he was still helplessly in love his Viktor.
***
Starting that week, Minami started taking the four-hour drive from Tokyo to Hasetu. The plan was for him to stay the weekend and come down every other week till Kei no longer needed therapy.
He stayed in the guest room when he visited and helped out with Kei during the day. The man wouldn't tell Viktor or Yuuri how Kei's process was going until Sunday night before he left.
The first time he came, Minami told him what he had discovered and how the two men could help. The second time, he informed them Kei had gotten a little better but would still need time before he was fully recovered. The next two times, he reported with similar responses. Yuuri and Yuuri were starting to worry that something bad was happening. They planned to tell them the next time they saw Minami but before they could, he dropped a question.
"How have you two been acting around Kei?"
Viktor and Yuuri thought about the question before answering. When they didn't answer right away, Minami started calling them out on a few things Kei had told him.
"He says you two haven't been sleeping in the same room or interacting like an actual married couple. No kissing or hugging or anything like that. And I know that it's been hard adjusting since Viktor just got back, but the way Kei sees it, he doesn't think you two like each other anymore."
"That's not true!" they both said, then turned red, looking away from each other causing Minami.
Minami raised an eyebrow, looking between the two. He was tempted to ask if that was their feelings speaking or them thinking what was best for their child. He didn't though, partly because he already knew his answer.
"Look, I'm not saying you guys have to act like a couple for his sake but try to figure out what you're going to do. If you guys go back to being in love that's cool, but if you're not, Kei needs to know. It'll help him understand better."
They both nodded, understanding why it was important for Kei to know. Afterward, Minami continued to tell them about Kei's progress, and, too much of their luck, everything was going fine. Everything but his parents' strange behavior, but soon that wouldn't be a problem. Hopefully.
So later that night after they had put Kei down, they both sat down at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. They were silent for a moment, both thinking of the subject from earlier. Viktor was the first to acknowledge it out loud, clarifying his thoughts.
"How do you want to go about this, Yuuri?"
"What do you mean?"
Viktor set his cup down, reaching across the table to Yuri's hands. They were warm from the hot mug.
"I mean, do you still love me? I understand if you don't, but it would help to know. I--"
"Yes," Yuuri said simply. Viktor looked up at him, wide eyes. Yuuri met his eyes, flickering between his tea and his husband's face. "I... I still love you, and I'm willing to give you another chance, but before we do anything drastic, I want Kei to be better. Then we can focus on our relationship more."
"Okay," Viktor agreed, a small smile finding its way to his face. "But what do we do about Kei? He doesn't think we like each other."
Yuuri sighed, finally choosing to hold Viktor's hands. "Then I'll stop listening to my head and more my heart.'
Viktor's smile brightened, as did Yuuri's and he raised the Russian's hands to his lips, placing a kiss on them.
***
The following morning, Yuuri sent Kei to wake Viktor up. It was almost eight, but the child was so eager to see his Otets, Yuuri suggested waking him up. The second Yuuri voiced his idea, Kei took off to the guest room where Viktor had been sleeping when no one else was spending the night. Two minutes later, he heard joyous squeals from the room and Yuuri couldn't help but smile.
Minutes passed by and Yuuri realized how quiet the house was. Out of curiosity, he decided to investigate by poking his head into the room. Right outside the door though, Yuuri paused, hearing Viktor's voice. He seemed to be explaining something Kei had asked. As to what was, the Japanese man couldn't tell. At the end though, Viktor sighed, stating Kei asked too many questions.
"Chichi says that's a good thing though," Kei told his Otets.
"And Chichi's right, but I don't think I've ever met a kid who asks as many questions as you," Viktor said, and Yuuri could practically see the smile on his face. "Now, do you have any other questions for me, solnyshko?"
There was a pause, then Kei said, "Just one."
"Go on."
"Why'd you leave me and Chichi?"
Yuuri frowned from where he was standing and he knew Viktor was too. When neither of the boys in the room said anything, Yuuri moved to walk in but stopped when Viktor spoke. It wasn't because Viktor had started to speak but because of what he had said.
"There were a lot of bad things out there, and I was afraid they'd come and hurt us. So I went out there to stop them."
There was a shuffling sound, then Kei spoke, not knowing that it would comfort Viktor.
"Ya know, Chichi says there's a lot of bad things out there, but we can't always stop them. Not all of them."
"Oh, yeah?" Viktor grinned. "Well, how does Chichi suggest we handle the things we can't stop?"
"Well, he told me stuffed animals can protect me while I sleep, but I think you're too old for them." Viktor laughed. "Do you think I can make a stuffed animal army to protect me? I like Milo and all, but I think he could use some help."
"Of course, solnyshko," the Russian promised. "I'll get you all the stuffed animals in the world if it keeps you safe."
Before the discussion of purchasing more toys could progress, Yuuri poked his head in, smiling at the two. Kei grinning happily, holding up his snow leopard and reaching out for Yuuri. Yuuri joined them on the bed, cuddle up beside Viktor with Kei on top of them.
"What were you two talking about?" Yuuri asked even though he knew already.
"We're making an army so nothing can get me at night."
"Sounds like a plan," he smiled.
All three laid there, cuddling up in one giant pile on top of the blankets. It was a peaceful moment that Yuuri sucked up every moment of it. Viktor tried to ruin it, suggesting they get up and make breakfast, but Yuuri pulled him back down, snuggling up against him.
It didn't take too long for him to give in after that.