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-Lucicelo
A child's words
"Mama?" Tamiko pulled down Onodera's pant leg.
Pausing in cutting the carrots for their dinner, he looked down at Tamiko. "Tamiko, dinner isn't done yet. It'll be ready in fifteen minutes...I think?"
Right beside him, Takano prepared the main curry components from scratch. Ever since Hanako spoke to them about homemade meals, both of them knuckled down to work on prepared actual meals when the kids came to visit them. It served to help them save money because they didn't order out or leave to eat at a restaurant.
Their first attempts, ended up burnt and in the trash.
Takano added the rice to the rice cooker and pressed the button.
Tamiko asked him. "Why don't you live with papa?"
Onodera almost dropped the knife out of shock. "Mind repeating that please?"
Takano turned to pay attention to Tamiko. "Why do you ask?"
He set the knife on the cutting board, so no skin was nicked. He tried not to assume that Takano hinted at this impressionable child that he needed to move in with him. The idea flopped quick. Takano didn't need a child to make his point. He would have said something years ago or even convinced him of this bright idea through...interesting methods.
Tamiko tilted her head to the side. "Well...I thought all mommies and daddies lived with each other. My momma and daddy live with us and they are married."
Onodera scrambled to find an appropriate answer. So far, both kids didn't question the closeness he shared with Takano. They didn't care that one man was a mom and the other was the dad. His own objections in loving Takano aside, their parental set showcased a couple taking care of these kids.
Tamiko asked way more questions than her older brother.
Takano answered. "I haven't proposed to mama, yet." Tamiko bounced in excitement at the news and he added in. "Then, we will move in together. We might not live in this apartment complex for long. Does that answer your question?"
"Yes!" She ran out of the kitchen. "Ryo-chan! Papa is going to ask mama to marry him!"
Onodera and Takano heard a distant. "Really?!"
Onodera smacked Takano's shoulder with a frown. "Why did you lie to her? You're not proposing to me. Honestly! This is going to spread to Hanako and Marukawa by tomorrow morning! You better talk to those kids before Hanako comes to pick them up later."
Takano watched Onodera, transitioning his gaze down to the ringless left wedding finger. The idea of displaying his connection to Onodera made his chest tingle in excitement. He never thought of marriage, but sharing a set of rings with Onodera made him smile.
Those children sprouted the best ideas out of him.