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Shiro was working behind the counter of his coffee shop “The Black Lion”, cleaning the bars of the coffee machine, when he heard a small cough. He looked up to find Keith on the other side, grinning brightly.
“Hey there handsome” , the raven-haired man with the sparkling violet eyes greeted.
Shiro chuckled.
“Hey, what are you up to? Don’t you have work?”
“My boss let me off early and I thought I’d visit my favourite boyfriend. It is valentines after all”
“I’d appreciate it if I’m your only boyfriend”, Shiro sternly corrected.
Keith laughed a little.
“As if anyone else would have the patience to be with me.”
Shiro frowned.
“I do.”
“But you’re the only one. Even I agree that I am insufferable.”
At that, Shiro had to laugh too.
“Hunk and Pidge have no problem with you either”, he countered and proceeded to clean his machine.
“Yes… but they’re an exception. You’re my special man. And I have a surprise for you.”
The way Keith’s voice shifted from arrogant to warm, made Shiro look up again. Keith’s eyes were glinting, almost sparkling with happiness. It made Shiro’s heart change its rhythm and he felt like he’d just run a mile. With the erratic beating in his ear, he watched his – god he’s beautiful – man, produce a letter.
His heart stopped.
“Is..is that what I think it his?”, he whispered. When Keith nodded, Shiro dropped everything, literally – his wet cleaning cloth smacked onto the floor-, and he lurched over the counter to snatch the letter.
He even growled a little when Keith moved away.
“Keith! Don’t tease me like this! Did you open it yet?! Without me?!”
Keith shook his head.
“I wouldn’t dare! But this is a special moment! Let’s wait until you’re done with work, go home, have dinner and open it in peace” he replied with such a shit-eating grin that told Shiro that Keith had just told a blatant lie.
“You did open it! And screw you, you never want dinner. Give me the letter, now! Don’t be a child!”
By now they had caught everyone’s attention in the café. Shiro didn’t care though. He left the counter and chased after the laughing Keith. Bless his two long-time customers who stood up to grab Keith and scold him for teasing his husband.
Keith just laughed and finally handed the letter to Shiro, who took it with shaking hands. His mind went through a couple of emotional states that he couldn’t pinpoint. Fear? Excitement? Stress? Definitely stress. Shiro held onto Keith’s good mood. If the letter were negative, he wouldn’t be this bubbly, would he? No, not Keith. So the letter HAD to be positive.
Shiro still checked the seal to confirm that yes, it had indeed been opened before. Shooting a dark glare to the unfazed Keith, he opened it with his metal arm and carefully pulled out the first sheet of paper.
He felt Keith move closer and lean against him for support that he didn’t know he needed but already appreciated. Taking a deep breath, he started reading.
“Dear Mr. Shirogane Takashi,
it is with great pleasure that the Family Centre for Adoption accepted your application to adopt Shirogane Akira. Please come to the date and time below in order to formally complete signing the papers, together with your partner, Mr. Kogane Keith who will be announced as the secondary father.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Connor
Date: 29.02.2020
Time: 10:00
Shiro’s eyes widened.
“We were accepted. Keith! WE’RE ACCEPTED!!” he yelled and everyone started clapping immediately, even the few customers who didn’t know what was going on.
Keith chuckled when Shiro pulled him into a tight embrace.
“We did it”, he whispered into Shiro’s ear and hugged him back.
Shiro nodded and then drew Keith in for a tender kiss. The raven-haired man closed his eyes and rested against him. After separating, Shiro turns to his customers to explain the commotion.
“We’ve been trying to adopt for four years. We were always rejected. Too young, too gay, bullshitting us with not being able to afford it, too different. Earlier this year, my brother and his wife died in an accident, leaving behind their three-year-old son, Akira. I’m the only relative who agreed to adopt him, otherwise he’d end up in an orphanage. Keith and I, both decided, that no child deserves the harsh system. We applied to adopt him. And we were accepted! So today, as a celebration and because it’s valentines, I offer you three free drinks and free food!” he proclaimed, earning a huge wave of applaud and hugs.
The husbands were swept up in the celebrations and spent a happy valentines afternoon, closing the café early evening in order to continue celebrating at home.
Shiro draped an arm around Keith as they walked home, still high on his happiness.
“Adopting Akira might have been your best idea ever, Keith”, he admitted to his husband, who only smiled.
“I know how the system is. I can’t let some innocent child suffer. And maybe, if we do well with Akira, we might be allowed to properly adopt a second kid. I don’t want to see more suffering…”
Shiro smiled warmly and gave him a kiss. “You’re too kind for this world. But you can’t save everybody.”
“But I can try”, Keith replied with that determined glint in his violet eyes. God, how Shiro just loved his eyes.
“Yes, yes you can. And you did your first safe by rescuing Akira…”
“We will take good care of him”, he whispered and leant against Shiro, who only nodded.
When they arrived at their home and opened the front door, Shiro stumbled backwards again the second he turned the light on.
“What the hell… is this?” he asked, baffled by the red rose petals that adorned their wooden floor.
Keith blushed a little. “Well, I DID want to open the letter at home with you. And I did actually prepare dinner”, he scoffed.
Now it was Shiro’s turn to blush. How could Keith be so endearing, even after all these years? He pulled him inside, closed the door and pushed him against the door, going for another kiss.
Separating, after the air became too thin, Keith grinned up at him.
“Happy valentines day Shiro. Now, as much as I’d like to continue kissing, I have a grumbling stomach I need to settle first. Food now, kissing later.”
Shiro snickered and nodded.
“I’m hungry too, alright, but we hurry up. You’ve been looking way too good today for me to hold back much longer. I want to cuddle on the couch and watch a good movie.”
Keith chuckled and nodded.
_________________________________________
Morning of the 29th:
“Shiro! Get up! Happy birthday!” Keith woke Shiro and pushed a cupcake with a candle into his face.
“What? No? What are you talking about? Today we’re getting Akira… on the 29th… oh… OH!”
“Don’t tell me you only realise that now! Shiro! You’re such an airhead sometimes. Now blow out the candle before the wax drips”, Keith smirked.
Quickly blowing out the candle, Shiro gets up and pulls Keith into a hug.
“We’re getting him today! We’ll be a family from today!” Keith scrunched his eyebrows a little.
“We’ve been a family for years, we’re just going to be a bigger family”, he murmurs in a soft voice.
Shiro nods, embarrassed.
“You’re right. But this still feels special.”
“Come on then we got an appointment and a kid to pick up. And then we have a birthday party to go to.”
Nodding in acknowledgement, Shiro gets ready and heads downstairs. He’s greeted with the sweet smell of pancakes and sighs.
“Ah… it smells really good!”
“Then come”; Keith laughed and gave him a quick kiss.
Shiro sat down and together they enjoyed their breakfast.
“Now that I think of it, it’s Saturday. Why would be Adoption center be open on the weekend?”
Keith inhaled the food a little to quickly and started coughing.
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter, does it? The room is ready and stuffed with Akira’s old toys. We’ll have today and even tomorrow to have him accommodate to both of us. I mean, I have the next two weeks off, but you have the café next week until you have your planned vacation time. So we’ll get to spend some time with him.”
“You’re right. Alright, I’m finished with eating, you?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
As they reached the Adoption center, Shiro had to wipe his clammy hands on his trousers. He was nervous like hell. Keith took hold of his hand and Shiro whined in protest.
“Keith they’re…”
“I don’t care. Let’s go. We can do this.”
His reassurance calmed Shiro down, and after taking a deep breath, they entered the large white building. Soon the found the office they were supposed to be, and knocked. They didn’t have to wait long for the door to open. They were on time after all.
A man with brown hair, grey eyes and a grey suit opened for them. He had a small smile. It was Jeffrey Connor, the man who had accepted them as Akira’s foster parents.
“Ah, good morning. Come in. Have a seat”, he invited them and both nervously sat down. Although both knew how not to show it.
Shiro was caught off guard when Mr. Connor turned to Keith first and smiled a little.
“Did it all work out?”
“Yes, thank you so much”, Keith replied with a happy grin, leaving Shiro confused.
“What is going on?”
Keith looked to him.
“You’ll find out soon.”
Mr. Connor coughed and handed them the papers.
“I need you to sign these. These are the papers for finalising the adoption. I will then give you an adoption set we give to all new parents with information about raising children and course offerings.”
Shiro nodded and looked the papers over with Keith before both placed their signature.
Nodding in approval, Mr. Connor stood up and put the papers in a file.
“One moment”, he asked and left the room. Shiro immediately turned to Keith.
“Tell me.”
Keith withered under Shiro’s hard stare, but didn’t back down.
“The meeting wasn’t supposed to be until in two weeks. I asked him to move it forward. Preferably to your birthday…”, he admitted with a sly blush.
Shiro gaped.
“You did what?!”
“W..was that not okay?” Keith asked, growing wide-eyed at Shiro’s outburst.
“What? No, no! Of course it was okay! I just can’t believe you’d do that!”
“I.. couldn’t think of a better birthday present. The letter was just the beginning.”
“You planned it all out? Damn Keith, you sly fox!” Shiro scolded with an ever growing beam.
Keith smiled when the door opened and Mr. Connor entered with a small black-haired boy at his side. Dark eyes immediately darted to the two of them.
“Sheewo! Keef!”, the small boy yelled and ran to them, glad to finally see familiar faces.
Shiro bent down and picked him up on his arms. Keith watched the two of them hug and a happy smile forced his lips to curve up in joy.
“Happy birthday, Takashi” Keith whispered.