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Split households are difficult to navigate. For children especially. A child’s world being turned upside down through no fault of their own, was almost too sad to fathom, though for the better in certain cases.
Choki getting to see both of his fathers was most certainly for the better. At least that’s what Nagi had told Reo. They had never married (too young), and whatever they had going on wasn’t exactly dating. There was also the fact that Choki was a cactus and not a child, but Reo was still somehow considered to be his second dad? He was touched, honestly. Reo, however, didn’t know what accepting the title of Cactus Dad™ would entail until Nagi was trying to force a pot into his arms as he was trying to leave the latter's apartment.
“Reo, you can’t abandon him,” Nagi argued as he clutched Choki’s pot in his arms, careful not to accidentally poke himself on the spines. “He loves you.”
Reo let out a long sigh, the kind that parents or anyone who’s worked in customer service are intimately familiar with. He looked to the textured ceiling above, as though the lines would spell out some sort of method for him to not give into Nagi. The lines looked to have said ‘nice try lol’ because the fact that Reo was even entertaining this at all was pretty telling as to how this argument would play out.
“I can’t take him away from his home,” Reo eventually decided to say. Nagi would never forgive him if something happened to Choki during the trips between their places. (Reo would never forgive himself either, but that’s besides the point.)
“Your home is his home too. You’re his Dad.”
“Nagi, you cannot be serious,” Reo said, annoyance bleeding into his tone. “ He’s a cactus, and I doubt he’ll know or care whose house he’s at.”
Nagi pouted, and Reo hated that he found it kind of cute. “Don’t listen to him, Choki,” he whispered to the cactus, loud enough for Reo to hear. “Daddy doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
“My point still stands. He’s a cactus, and it’s not like I’m not gonna see him in a few days,” Reo retorted, “I’m just going back to my own home. The one that’s not that far away from here.”
“He’ll miss you though…”
“I think he’ll cope. He has every other time I’ve gone back home.”
Nagi didn’t respond immediately, his eyes training to the ground as his hands tapped against the pot he held – a nervous gesture. His eyes were covered by his fringe and Reo suppressed the urge to sweep them away so he could read the emotions they could never ever hide.
“That was before you basically moved in. He got attached.”
It’s not that Reo was a weak man. No, the heir of a multi-billion dollar company couldn’t be. He was only weak for messy white hair and gray eyes. No matter how much he didn’t want to be. Making Nagi happy never felt like losing. He was his treasure, after all.
The tension in his body left along with the long breath he let out. “Let me have him.”
Nagi’s head snapped up, those hopeful eyes peeking through where Reo could finally see them. “Seriously? If you really don’t want to –”
“I can’t abandon him, right?”
Nagi’s disinterested expression cracked slightly, as hard as he tried to contain it, and he handed the pot over, very carefully, to Reo who was already stressed. What if he dropped the poor thing or, god forbid, got poked in the face by his spines? Was this what holding a real baby was like? Fuck that.
“You looked horrified.” Nagi observed, stepping back after Choki was safely in Reo’s arms. Safely being used very loosely as Reo held the pot as far away from his body as he could without having his arms stick straight out.
“How the fuck am I supposed to hold him without eating his spines?”
“I held him closer than that and I am perfectly fine.”
“Better yet, how am I supposed to drive with him?”
“Hold him in your lap? You don’t drive, and Ba-ya is right out there with the car.”
Reo turned to look out the window, bringing Choki in closer reflexively so he wouldn’t go flying. Sure enough, Ba-ya was standing beside the back door of the car parked by the curb right in front of the sidewalk of the apartment complex. Reo would have to apologize for making her wait for who knows how long.
“Better get going then,” Reo sighed, turning back to face Nagi who was coming closer.
“Bye-bye, Choki. Here’s your goodbye peace,” he said to the pot, now sitting much more comfortably in Reo’s arms. He flashed the peace sign at the cactus before continuing, “Be good, for Reo.”
Reo huffed a small laugh, fondness radiating from his chest, its warmth creeping through his body, making him shiver. “I’ll make sure he behaves. What kind of Daddy would I be otherwise?”
Nagi’s eyes widened so slightly that Reo would have missed it had he not been so familiar with the littlest signs of emotion that he expressed. Cute. It was so cute, and Reo needed to get out of his apartment before his own blush that was creeping up exposed his carefully suppressed feelings.
Nagi’s hand found its place on the side of his neck, a habit he’s had since Reo had known him. “Keep me updated. And send pictures if you think about it.”
“I promise.”
“Pinky?”
“Pinky.”
Nagi walked towards the door, holding it open for Reo who didn’t trust himself to take even a single finger off of Choki’s pot. Nagi stood in the doorway as he watched Reo and Choki make their way to the car, waving at Ba-ya who had a curious expression. Nagi couldn’t tell if it was a good or bad kind. A genuine sense of ‘what the hell is going on?’ or an ‘oh so this is what’s going on *wink wink nudge nudge*’ kind.
“Good afternoon, young master, Reo.” she said as she pulled the car door open for him. “Good afternoon to you too, Choki.”
Reo flushed red as he slumped into his seat, sliding down as far as he could with the pot in his lap.
Ba-ya took her seat and began driving without further questioning, much to Reo’s relief. He should have known better than to bask in the short lived, comfortable silence.
“I will promptly make accommodations for our guest as soon as we arrive home.”
“No need.” Reo mumbled, embarrassed for reasons he couldn’t grasp. “I’m taking care of him.”
“As you wish.”
🌵🌵🌵
Reo
11:09 pm
[image: Choki sitting on the corner of Reo’s bedroom window sill, the curtains drawn enough so that he won’t be in the direct sunlight come morning time.]
choki’s settling in nicely c:
Nagi
11:11 pm
good
give him a goodnight peace for me
Reo
11:15 pm
[video: Reo flashing a peace sign at the cactus from across the room as he lays in bed. “Nagi says goodnight!” can be heard from behind the camera]
Nagi
11:16 pm
thank :x
Seen
Nagi
06:07 pm
humbly requesting a picture of my son
i am deprived
Reo
09:06 pm
sorry got dragged to a company dinner thing
[image: Choki sits on Reo’s desk now. The golden glow of the lamp beside him making it look as though he were basking in the sunlight]
Nagi
09:09
yikes im sorry
food good at least?
and choki looks amazing btw let him know
Reo
09:14pm
always is but that hardly makes it worth being around those fuckers for hours
you should come with next time so i don’t fantasize about committing arson
choki said thank you
Nagi
09:16 pm
arson sounds like a hassle
but not as much as socializing with suits
Reo
09:17 pm
stop fueling the fantasy
Nagi
09:19 pm
why
i’d burn down a dining hall for you
partners in crime and shit
<3
Reo
09:25 pm
i am flattered
truly
<3
Reo started up at the ceiling as he laid in bed, cursing his dumb, weak heart for getting so giddy over the emoji that Nagi likely didn’t mean anything by.
🌵🌵🌵
“It’s been five days, Nagi, he’s doing fine,” Reo assured, his voice sounded far away though the speaker as he rummaged through his drawers for something comfortable to wear, phone laying on his bed.
“I know, but I still miss him.” he said, the pout on his face evident in his tone. Cute.
“You’ll have him back in a couple more days.” Reo’s voice was closer now. He had given up his search for something comfy, opting for one of Nagi’s hoodies that he had left over and probably didn’t notice was missing.
“Will you tell him something for me?” Nagi’s voice came through, airy and soft like Reo had rarely heard. Goosebumps prickled across his skin, a shiver running through him.
Reo nodded slowly before realizing Nagi couldn’t see him. Which was good because Reo had no good excuse, let alone an explanation as to why he was flushed and shaking. ‘Your voice sounds so pretty like that’ was not something he would admit, probably ever. “Yes.” he eventually said, hoping more than anything that he sounded normal.
“Tell him I miss him.”
“You said that already.”
“You didn’t let me finish,” Nagi said. Rusting could be heard in the background, as he likely shifted positions on his bed. “Tell him I miss him, and that he needs to come over really soon because I feel like I’m going crazy.”
Reo blinked slowly, letting his brain catch up with what Nagi had said. “Come over?” he said under his breath. “He lives there?”
“Mm,” Nagi hummed, pausing for so long that Reo was afraid he had fallen asleep on him. It wouldn’t have been the first time and definitely not the last. “This part’s really important.”
“Do you want me to pass the phone to him?”
“You can if you put it on speaker.”
Reo sat up from the bed, making his way over to the window where Choki sat. He put the call on speaker before setting the phone down on the sill right next to the pot before he too sat on the sill opposite from Choki. “He’s listening," he said, playing with the stings of the hoodie as silence filled the room. Anything to occupy his still shaking hands.
“Choki,”Nagi started, pausing to allow Choki an opportunity to respond. Reo felt like he got punched in the gut. Warmth radiating through his body, spreading down his limbs, making him feel hot. Almost the same feeling as when he watched Nagi bid his dear cactus farewell almost a week ago. “I have something important to tell you. Reo, is he still listening?”
“He is.”
“Choki, I need to tell you something very important.” He reiterated after getting confirmation that the cactus was indeed listening.
More silence. Reo stilled, the hoodie strings slipping from his fingers as he waited for Nagi to continue.
Nagi took a breath. One deep enough for the phone to pick up. “You’re my best friend and I’m kind of scared to lose you again, but I love you. Romantically. And I know that you have my favorite hoodie.”
“That… wasn’t about Choki…” Reo said slowly, processing the words Nagi said along with the emotions swirling around in his head that were making him feel dizzy.
“Astute.”
“You’re at home, right?” Reo asked, the adrenaline rushing through his system and his need to see Nagi right now overriding his initial shock. “I’ll be there super soon.”
He hung up the phone before hearing Nagi’s reply, pocketing it before rushing out of his room to go find Ba-ya.
Choki sat in the window. A sliver of sunlight hitting him where the curtains couldn’t cover.
🌵🌵🌵
“Where’s Choki?” was the first thing out of Nagi’s mouth before it was occupied by Reo’s lips.
He smiled into the kiss, before resting his hand on the back of Reo’s neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.
Reo sighed into his mouth, reaching his own hands up to cup Nagi’s face. He pulled away when his breath was running out, hands still resting on Nagi’s jaw. “Say it again.”
“Where’s Cho –”
“That you love me. Say it again.” He clarified, sounding frantic.
“I love you, Reo.”
“How long?” Reo asked, leaning into Nagi to rest his forehead against the latter's own.
“I don’t know…” Nagi shrugged. “Since always, probably.”
“Probably…” Reo parroted, still in disbelief that his seemingly one sided crush was, in fact, not.
“Since you took interest in a slacker like me.”
Reo smiled before he was hit with a fit of giggles. “I don’t know which one of us is stupider.”
Nagi moved his hands from Reo’s neck to snake them around his waist, drawing them even closer together. He moved his head to rest in the crook of Reo’s neck, humming in acknowledgement, waiting for Reo to continue. Reo shivered as he felt Nagi’s breath tickling his neck.
“You for using a cactus as your wingman or me for not realizing.”
“It wasn’t my idea, to be fair.”
“Please don’t talk into my neck. It tickles.”
“Does it?” Nagi asked, peppering kisses into the sensitive skin.
“You’re being an ass,” Reo bit back, barely stifling the embarrassing sounds that were bubbling in the back of his throat. He stepped back, not enough for Nagi to let go, but enough for some oxygen and sense to come back into his brain. “Who’s idea?”
“I asked Isagi how I should go about confessing since he has a boyfriend and all,” Nagi started, rubbing circles into the small of Reo’s back. “But he said he didn’t know, so he asked Bachira.”
“Okay, that makes sense.”
“Bachira was very excited about it, by the way. We need to let him know how it went. Said something about being the captain of the ship, whatever the fuck that means.”
“Oh my god,” Reo groaned, burning his face into Nagi’s chest. “Why go through the hassle, though? You could’ve just told me.”
“First of all, you’re not a hassle,” Nagi said, firmly but not unkindly. Reo could feel his voice reverberate against his cheek. “And I wanted to do something cute for you, I don’t know…”
“It was very sweet. Thank you for going through the trouble.”
“It wasn’t troublesome…” Nagi huffed, hugging Reo tighter.
They stood like that for a while, simply enjoying being close to each other.
“I love you, Seishiro,” Reo said after a while, breaking the silence. “I never said it back.”
Nagi kissed the crown of Reo’s head, letting it linger. “Don’t worry about it. I know.”
🌵🌵🌵
Choki came back to Nagi’s a few days later, as promised. He still went from house to house when the lovers couldn't be together, but in due time, he had a permanent spot on the dresser shared by both of his fathers.
Years later, when the cactus sat on a table in between Nagi and Reo, a white bow tied around his pot for the occasion, they made sure to raise a toast to their wingman, Choki. Everyone cheered, and only a few were reckless enough to get poked by his spines as they expressed their gratitude for his contribution to getting the pair of idiots together.