Disclaimer: I don't own! The artist for the thumbnail is 東条さかな(とじょさか) diabolism_st on twitter.

Warnings: Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse

Author's Note: A few notes before we get started:

One, this was deeply inspired by the Swedish film "Patrik, Age 1.5" (which I totally recommend y'all check out, it's great)!

Two, I wanted to keep the gang in Japan, for aesthetic reasons, but Japan has NOT legalized gay marriage nor same-sex adoption, and the latter was necessary for this story, so I'm taking creative liberties.

Three, heed the "referenced child abuse" and "homophobia" tags because while nothing will be overly explicit or violent, both remain very sensitive topics throughout the story. Please be safe when reading.

I hope you enjoy!

...o0o…

"Relax, Koushi," Daichi said for the third time, coming up behind the other man and softly kissing his cheek, right below the beauty mark. "You did everything you could, the rest is up to them."

Suga frowned with his hands on his hips, eyeing the table filled from top to bottom with homemade treats: trays of cookies still warm from the oven on one end all the way to sweet mochi cakes powdered white and in the soft hues of pink, orange, and green on the other.

"I'm just nervous," he told the desserts, "I want to have a good relationship with them." In a quick motion, Suga turned on his heel, facing his partner and enveloping him in a loose hug. "I want to make friends," he confessed, muffled by Daichi's sweater.

"You will," Daichi confirmed, without a doubt, holding him close.

"I will," Suga parroted, his lips curling into a hopeful smile. He gently leaned back, staring into deep brown eyes. "We will."

Nearly ten minutes later, the doorbell rang, and new faces and new families continued to flow in and out over the course of the next few hours.

It had actually been Daichi's idea to throw the housewarming party. He'd taken up the job of handwriting and delivering over twenty invitations to welcome neighboring households and new coworkers to get to know them and their new home. This was their chance for a new start, a raised glass for new beginnings.

And it was honestly going really well.

Suga giggled into his glass of saké, his cheeks dusted pink and his eyes bright, glowing amber as the sun started to set through the open window across from them. A pile of paper plates, only crumbs remaining, were stacked together in a weak attempt at organization.

"You must be joking," a woman exclaimed, her smile wobbly as she tried to contain her amusement. She shared a conspiring look with Sugawara as she reached out a hand to swat at her husband's shoulder.

The man shook his head, faux-doleful. "I wish I was."

Sugawara and the woman, Kiyoko, broke into peels of laughter. At this point, they would have found a normal banana the funniest thing in the world. The man shook his head fondly.

The sound of the front door opening and a fresh chorus of greeting had Suga politely excusing himself to welcome the newest addition to their party, and he cheerfully sidestepped circles of people happily conversing and the odd placement of chairs shifted around to accommodate their growing population.

As soon as Suga came into view, the unfamiliar woman smiled sheepishly, one hand gripping the shirt of a six year old, three cookies shoved into the child's mouth as she blinked without guilt, and the other hand was raised in an awkward greeting as two pre-teens ran around her feet, yelling obscenities at each other.

"Welcome to the neighborhood," she said, grimacing. A burly man, with hard features and a grumpy expression, nodded along.

"Thank you," Suga answered sincerely, still touched by everyone who took the time to come say hello. He beckoned them further into the house, grinning mischievously, "There's sweets for the little ones, and saké for the big ones."

The man laughed, delighted, and his wife smiled gingerly at the sound. The kids immediately cheered at the notion of food, disappearing in the crowd as they raced each other for the cakes.

As Suga led the newcomers over to introduce (or re-acquaint) them to his previous conversation partners, he passed Daichi standing next to one of their potted chrysanthemums, dwarfed by the stoic-faced man next to him in formal attire and a purple tie, and they shared a proud smile at the night's success in this brief moment of quiet before the conversations would pick up again.

As the night marched ahead, the house settled, blanketed under the emerging stars and rising moon, subdued but no less companionable.

There were more rounds of drinks and more glasses clinking together as neighbors cheered to new gossip and new friendships.

It was when the conversation about their local elementary school was winding down that Haya, the stay-at-home mom for the three rambunctious kids (who had since been sent home), asked curiously, "Oh, do you have children? I just realized we've been talking for so long, but I haven't even met your wife!"

Her husband, Jun'ichi, pulled his eyes from the corner of the room to eye Suga with newfound interest.

Sugawara smiled, ignoring the way his heartbeat fluttered against his throat like the nervous wings of a butterfly. "I'm not married yet," he started, and then stopped, his face lighting up as Daichi turned the corner, the taller man smiling goofily when their eyes met. "Oh, here he is," he finished.

"He?" Haya mouthed to Kiyoko, but it was lost in the moment as Daichi appeared before them, kissing the side of Suga's mouth and then turning to the group with an easy smile, leaning back with casual comfort.

Haya's smile turned stale, and Jun'ichi raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief, his expression even. "Oh," she said, now suddenly awkward, her eyes darting to the darkened window.

"This is Sawamura Daichi, my partner," Suga introduced politely, beaming at them and ignoring the sudden tension with practiced ease.

Kiyoko and her husband, Tanaka Ryuu, murmured gentle "hello's" and Haya and Jun'ichi followed quickly after, nodding their greeting.

Daichi asked, "You asked if we had kids?"

He nodded towards Haya, and she startled at the direct question, her fingers aggressively rubbing her wedding ring. Her husband made a quiet, disgruntled noise. "Oh yes, I did, I apologize about that, I didn't mean—"

"Oh no no, it's alright," Suga laughed, resting a hand on Daichi's shoulder and pulling him in close, his expression open and excited.

Daichi put his hand over Suga's and said, "We're adopting, actually. We've been approved by the authorities, so now we're just waiting for our child."

"Oh, that's wonderful," Kiyoko said, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear and leaning forward with delicate grace, "Congratulations."

"Good luck, brother," Tanaka said, but not unkindly.

"Ah, wow," Haya said, glancing to the window again, shifting uncomfortably. She opened her mouth, but Jun'ichi asked before she could start making excuses, tone deceptively innocent, "I didn't even know that was legal."

Sugawara's smile faltered, but Daichi's didn't, "Osaka has certified same-sex couples as foster parents for years now; it seemed they thought the natural next step was adoption."

"Natural?" Jun'ichi scoffed, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"Jun'ichi," Haya hissed warningly under her breath, and then raising her head and smiling at them.

He ignored her, maintaining unflinching eye contact with Daichi. "It doesn't seem natural… just the idea of it, of taking away another person's child to live in an unfamiliar and strange environment."

Haya imperceptibly relaxed, her hands finally resting in her lap instead of obsessively fiddling with her jewelry. "Ah, yes, yes," she added supportively, "We have such a strong sense of blood ties, you know? How will the child develop a bond with her birth parents if she's placed with a foster family? Truly a tragedy in the making."

Suga made a noise of curiosity, open to hearing the discussion, but Daichi instead focused on the way Kiyoko frowned at the other woman, her face darkening like a coming winter storm. Tanaka seemed to pick up on it too.

Covering a yawn with the back of his hand, Tanaka stood, stretching an arm over his head. "Sorry to cut this short, but we've got to head out soon." Daichi and Suga made to get up and walk them to the door like good hosts, but Tanaka waved them both down. He turned to face them fully, his back to the other married couple, and added, "We should do this again sometime. It was fun."

"Thank you for having us," Kiyoko joined in pleasantly, bowing her head. They nodded respectfully to Jun'ichi and Haya on their way out.

With just the four of them now, the mood seemed to shift, the flow unsettled, a leaf sending ripples across still waters.

Haya turned back from looking out the window to offer the couple a civil smile. "It's getting dark, we should probably—"

"Where do you work, again?"

Suga shared a look with Daichi but answered candidly, "I'm starting at the elementary school down the road."

"Police officer," Daichi said with a shrug.

"I see, I see," Haya interrupted, her voice high pitched, and she abruptly stood up, clasping her hands together. "How lucky we are to have you protecting us," she squeaked, bowing quickly, "Thankyouforhavingus."

Jun'ichi snorted, taking his sweet time getting up as she flapped her hands at him. "You're making us look really suspicious, Haya," he told her matter of factly. He faced them with an exaggerated eye roll, "We're a law-abiding family, I promise. Must be missing the kids. You know how women are," he joked.

Suga led the way to the front door, chuckling to fill the silence, and Daichi snorted at the canned sound.

Then it was just the two of them in a quiet — and moderately messy — house. A clock ticked gently somewhere in the background.

"We made the right decision... moving here?"

"Yeah. We did."

They both moved at the same time, slowly pulling each other close, warm and safe and comfortable.

"You think our baby will like it here?" Suga wondered, his mouth brushing the sensitive skin below Daichi's ear, kisses turning into gentle pecks as he trailed a path down his partner's neck.

Daichi's soft laugh reverberated against Suga's lips, and he allowed himself a secretive grin at the feeling. "Of course they will. With us as parents, what could go wrong?"

Suga pulled away to look into the taller man's eyes, swatting at him. "Now look at what you did!"

"Wait, what did I do?" Daichi asked, sincerely confused as Suga pulled away from the hug and started making the motions to get ready for bed. "What did you mean?"

The other man just snickered at his distressed expression so Daichi pulled his face into a frown instead. "Fine, I see how it is."

"Mhh hmm."

When they were both in bed, huddled together in a new house and new neighborhood and new everything, Daichi whispered, "We'll be good parents, I know it. You might have doubts, but I don't."

Suga peeked up through his eyelashes, humming faintly. It was so quiet they could hear each other breathe. "I just want to do it right."

"We will," he assured.

...o0o…

When Daichi awoke, the first thing he did was turn and pat the empty spot beside him, blinking blearily as his alarm looped in the background. Oh yeah, on Mondays he started work later than Koushi.

As he brushed his teeth, Daichi found himself standing in front of an open door, staring at the shadow blue wallpaper and haphazard pile of stuffed animals, overflowing from the top of a woven basket. The baby crib was pushed against the wall, a fluffy pink blanket thrown over the side of the bars.

This was for a baby, for their baby.

Despite all his declarations of confidence and trust, his heartbeat thumped tellingly, like the stomp of an angry rabbit in warning. It was scary, the idea of opening up their home to a stranger. What if the baby didn't like them? What if the baby was defective and the parents had rejected it for a reason? What if—

Shaking his head, Daichi sighed through his nose, pushing the heel of his palms into his eyes. No, he couldn't think like that… not when they were so eager for this. He promised his partner he was ready, he couldn't back out now. Chin up, old boy.

He arrived for work ten minutes early, and cordially waved to the woman at the front window. She nodded respectfully, and he continued through the lobby to the briefing room to officially start off his day.

As the afternoon dragged into evening, Daichi shuffled his written reports together, stretching both arms above his head.

"Long day, eh?" Officer Iwaizumi mumbled, his face drawn into a severe frown as his eyes skimmed across a worn paper with wrinkled corners and messy scribbles cramped in the margins.

"A slow day," he corrected. "I'm used to the bustle of a city, to be honest."

That caught the other man's attention, and he raised his head to give Daichi a cool look. "It's not too quiet for you?"

Daichi thought about it, thought about the street violence and petty thefts he had to respond to on an hourly basis, thought about the bruises under his eyes and the way he flinched from even the gentlest of touches. No, he didn't miss it. "Not yet," he joked lightly, nodding farewell as he sidestepped the desk they were sharing.

He left the station with his heart just a tiny bit lighter. He could get used to this.

...o0o...

Sugawara woke up three minutes before his alarm. He carefully untangled their feet and rolled out of bed. His partner snuffled, shifting ever so slightly into the open space Koushi had left behind, and he chuckled under his breath at the sight. So cute.

Sometimes Suga resented the fact that he couldn't officially call Daichi his husband. Semantics, they'd tell themselves, it didn't matter what they called each other as long as they were together. But it was also in the soft, quiet moments like this that Sugawara felt like they deserved the simplest of acknowledgments other families received without a thought.

After changing into a suit and tie, Suga began to head down the stairs to start breakfast before just turning right back around, feeling such a strong desire to check it out one more time, just once more before he had to leave for work.

The door was closed, so he pushed down on the handle and followed the swinging motion inside. Beyond the teal, cushioned rocking chair, beyond the pile of toys overflowing with fuzzy, cozy heads and big button eyes, and beyond the elastic crib with tall bars, Suga pictured a tiny child, full cheeks and sparkling eyes, babbling joyously with grubby little hands reaching out for them.

Suga sniffed, his eyes stinging just a little as he blinked the image away, and he started to fold the blanket that had fallen off the rocking chair.

The room fell into darkness as he walked out. He left the door open, taking one last look before walking down the stairs.

When he arrived at the elementary school - an off-white, three-story building with a gated front and scraggly shrubs lining the sides - the first thing Suga did was head for the teacher's lounge. Normally, he would immediately start setting up the class, double check the lesson plan, quickly skim the attendance folder… but he'd never started teaching midyear before, and there was bound to be some stuff the administrators and faculty forgot to mention.

It was nearly empty, but there was a tall young man about his age, with styled hair that curled upward in little tufts, who was staring vacantly at his phone screen as he leaned on the counter, a steaming cup of coffee waiting for him.

"Oh hello there," Suga greeted, shuffling his bags through the doorway and smiling brightly. "I'm Sugawara Koushi."

The man glanced up and raised both eyebrows. "Hello," he repeated, pocketing his phone and fixing Suga with an aloof, calculating stare. "You're the one replacing Tomi-san?"

Suga thought back to the many interviews and meetings with the administrators, and the puzzle pieces he'd had to fit together — something really bad had happened with the old teacher, and the school had been in a desperate scramble to find substitute teachers and other faculty to cover the class before Suga had come into the picture and lessened the burden.

"Yes," he said, firmly. Whatever had happened with Tomi-sensei wasn't his business, but he wasn't going to let his predecessor's tainted reputation follow him around like a rotten stank.

"Hmm," the other teacher said, glancing at the doorway before his sharp eyes landed back on him. "I'm Oikawa Tooru, I teach on the second floor."

Suga released a small breath, smiling back. "Nice to meet you. I used to work in Miyagi as an elementary school teacher, but I know every school is different. Any tips?"

Oikawa blinked, caught off guard (by what, Suga didn't know), and said, a bit awkwardly, "We have a schoolwide assembly every Monday morning?"

That was actually helpful. In his old school, the students merely attended a homeroom for the early morning announcements.

He smiled again, and aimed to squeeze out a few more tips from Oikawa-kun, but his eye caught the clock in the corner of the room and his heart rate immediately spiked. He hadn't set up his classroom yet! He grimaced, nodding, and Oikawa politely nodded back.

"Thank you!" Suga said on his way out, dodging an older man with greying hair and a bristly mustache as he speed-walked down the hallway. Suddenly, he turned and called back, "Let's eat lunch together! See you then!"

Oikawa's face went slack in surprise, and Suga turned around with a private smile.

The lessons with the little ones started off pretty well, if he did say so himself. The children were loud and rambunctious and confused with the concept of having a more permanent sensei, but Suga managed all the questions with a learned patience.

He began with a fun "get to know you" trivia that created high shrieks of laughter and big smiles on the cute, chubby faces, and Suga felt his heart yearn even stronger.

When lunch came around, after Suga dropped off some of the children at the cafeteria, he immediately made his way to the faculty room, hoping Oikawa-kun would honor his request.

The open room was filled with a few familiar teachers he had passed in the hallway in the morning, mostly older than him by at least ten years. He carefully scanned the tables, muted conversations taking place, but Oikawa wasn't there.

Trying not to feel disappointed, Suga headed over to a rounded table with three people and two open chairs.

"Hello, I'm Sugawara Koushi, I just started today," he introduced when there was a natural pause in the group's conversation. They smiled up at him and welcomed him with open arms, kindly patting at the free spot.

Suga quietly ate his rice as they gossiped about their students with fond looks and exasperated eyerolls. A few questions were sent his way, asking about his previous job, where he lived, if he had kids of his own.

It was when he was explaining the adoption process to them that Oikawa appeared in the doorway, his face a mask of indifference, eyes wintry cold. Suga faltered mid-sentence, and one of the older teachers caught it, following the look. Oikawa was gone by the time he finished explaining.

A hand caught his arm as he tried to stand up, and he stared back, confused.

"You don't want to talk with him," the man said, low to not be overheard by the other tables.

"He's weird," another teacher stage-whispered, leaning on the table to glare at the empty doorway.

"Surely—" Suga started to say before being cut off.

"It's sick is what it is."

"Abnormal," the other woman amended before facing him, her lips pursed, "He says he's dated women, so why is he with a man? Doesn't he want to have a normal marriage, a normal family?"

"What will happen to childbirths if—?"

"—not to mention how anyone trusts him with their children? Haven't you heard of what those perverts do to kids?"

Suga's breath hitched, his face paling bone-white, and the chopstick in his hand wouldn't stop trembling. He dropped it on the table with a clatter, pushing his chair back with an awkward cough.

The paths lay before him. Should he speak out? Correct the misunderstandings and hope they were open to someone different? Or would he end up being hurt again?

(Gasping on the side of the road, his hands sticky with blood and vision spinning violently?)

"I'm.. I'm sorry, please excuse me," he said, like a coward, and fled the room, like a coward.

If Daichi was here, he'd make them apologize, make them feel guilty for their harsh misconceptions. But he wasn't here, it was just Suga, and he didn't know how to be as commanding as his partner.

He nearly ran into someone as he quickly turned the corner, leaving the cruel words behind him, muted and gravely in his head, cutting into him even still.

"I'm so sorry- wait, Oikawa-kun?"

The young man had a hand braced on the wall, his head bowed. Suga wondered, his mind racing… how should he approach this? Oikawa had obviously been listening to them talk…

"I'm gay," Suga blurted out, his mouth faster than his brain. His face burned. "I mean, I have a boyfriend."

Oikawa raised his head, his eyes flicking back and forth, and then the tenseness melted away, like he had been in too much direct sunlight for too long. "Ah, me too," he admitted quietly, his expression somewhere far away.

"Oh that's lovely," Suga exclaimed, starting to walk down the hallway. He didn't want to risk talking with the other faculty again today, "I'd love to meet him sometime. You should come by—"

"Humph."

It echoed, like the abstract beginnings of a long lost memory, and Suga jumped, spinning to find the source. An elderly man in a suit, hunching, had just turned a corner.

"They're a bunch of old hags, don't pay them any mind, Refreshing-kun," Oikawa hummed cheerfully, his happy mood an abrupt contrast from earlier.

"You seem, wait, Refreshing-kun?"

Oikawa laughed, dancing away from the jab to his ribs with athletic instincts. "This year is going to be fun!" he declared, throwing his hands in the air.

Suga grinned. "That better be a promise!"

It was more than a promise, it was prophetic.

The school day had ended on a good note, children running screaming and only three scraped knees after playtime. When he'd arrived home, he had put their pile of mail on the kitchen table as he instead fluffed around the kitchen for something a little more sweet than a banana and protein bar.

There was a chocolate chip muffin hidden inside an opaque plastic container, and Suga hoped Daichi had forgotten about it. He was nearly done finishing off his partner's pastry when an envelope, smaller and boxier than the other paper advertisements and bills, caught his eye.

Child Guide Centers.

He tore it open and devoured the words.

It was pure agony waiting for his partner to finish work.

"How was your day?" was the first thing Daichi said from the front door, hearing the rhythmic sound of Suga pacing back and forth. It could be either a really good or really bad day. He finished hanging up his jacket, stepping into the kitchen with a loving smile.

"Daichi, Daichi," Suga called, rushing towards him, clutching a folded paper in his fingers. His hands were shaking, and Daichi quickly rested his hand on top, rubbing the cool skin with the pads of his thumb. He searched Suga's face for any signs of distress - and found pure joy instead.

"What is it?"

Suga smiled, tears in the corner of his hazel eyes, "We're getting our child!"

They crowded over the paper together, giddy and breathless.

Suga read aloud: "Tobio, age 1.5 needs a new family."

"He has a troubled background and needs love and a stable environment," Daichi took over, shifting around Suga, a grin in his voice.

"If you choose to accept, he can come at the end of the week."

Sugawara immediately turned to Daichi, pulling him close and squishing the official letter between them, "We're getting our child," he repeated, awestruck.

Daichi seared his mouth with a kiss that tasted like fireworks exploding new colors across an inky black sky. They separated, breathing deeply, and Suga hugged him even tighter.

They were going to be parents.

.

tbc

.

Author's Note: The big question is how to fit in all my gay ships when homophobia is such a major aspect of this story haha. Hope y'all liked the premise, the story should hopefully pick up once we meet our 3rd main character (cough Kageyama cough) next chapter. Thanks for reading!