Since the first dinner with Rei and Nagisa had gone as well as it had, Makoto agreed with Maruyama that he would have them over for dinner on Tuesday and Saturday nights. He kept up his part-time job and therefore he still saw Rei and Nagisa every day. On Tuesdays he actually went and took them home directly after swimming club activities. He had already okayed it with Maruyama. It would seem silly if Rei and Nagisa had to go back to the orphanage as Makoto could pick them up there less than half an hour after they had left the swimming club.

It was one Tuesday, early in December, when Makoto accidentally forgot the time. Nagisa had brought a book and asked Makoto to read aloud from it, but both he and Rei had fallen asleep half way through the first chapter. And since it was still early, Makoto had decided he could afford to take a nap as well.

Unfortunately he forgot to wake up, and so he didn't wake up before it was half past eight in the evening. Makoto had woken Rei up and they had gotten dressed and ready to go. Then Makoto had given Nagisa his jacket and shoes on while he was still asleep and taken both children back to the orphanage.

Maruyama had greeted them when they came in.

"I'm sorry we're late," Makoto said. "We all fell asleep and didn't wake up on time." He bowed as much as he could, seeing as Nagisa was still sleeping in his arms. He had carried the small boy all the way over to the orphanage.

Maruyama smiled at this. "That is alright," she said. "You are a good person, Tachibana-san. I trust that they are safe with you," She smiled. "But why didn't you just call over and say that they'd spend the night at your place. I mean, you would save the trouble of waking them up and coming here."

Makoto looked surprised. "I didn't know you could do that. And besides, aren't they more comfortable in their own beds?" he asked.

Maruyama chuckled. "Perhaps," she said. "But I think they wish their beds were at your place rather than the orphanage, especially that one." She nodded her head in Nagisa's direction as she said this.

"Is that true?" Makoto asked. He looked surprised from Maruyama to Rei. Both nodded their heads at him.

"If it's too much trouble, we can understand," Rei said, politely. "But we both like being at your place, Makoto-san. You're kind, especially to Nagisa, and you understand us both."

Makoto smiled. "It's no trouble," he said. "I like having the two of you around. It brings life to the house that you're there." He looked to Maruyama. "Shall I come back tomorrow?" he asked.

Maruyama shook her head. "Although we are supposed to be closed, I can make an exception with you, Tachibana-san. We can manage the adoption right away if you wish," she said.

Makoto smiled. "I appreciate the offer, but shouldn't Nagisa be awake as well and have a say in the matter?"

As if to respond to Makoto's question and give his say on the matter, Nagisa turned in Makoto's arms and wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Mako-chan…" Nagisa mumbled softly in his sleep and Makoto smiled at this.

"I think it's pretty clear what he wants," Maruyama said. She went upstairs and returned shortly after with a paper. She put her signature on it and pointed out the line where Makoto had to sign. Then she went to collect both Nagisa's and Rei's things. As it turned out, they didn't own more than what could be in a small suitcase. This was given to Rei, seeing as Nagisa was still sleeping in Makoto's arms.

"Now, you three take care," Maruyama said. "I will take care of getting Ryugazaki out of this school. You will have to sign both of them up for your local school on your own. Do you know how it works, Tachibana-san?" she asked.

Makoto nodded. "I have two siblings who are eight years younger than me. I sort of remember how it went when they started school, so I should be fine," he said.

"That's good to know," Maruyama said. "Get home safe," she said, smiling.

Makoto thanked her and then walked home. Rei followed him, dragging the suitcase after him.

When Nagisa woke in the morning he didn't recognize where he was at first. The last thing he remembered was that Makoto had read a book aloud to him and Rei. He didn't remember anything after that. He had had a nice dream though, about penguins. He only remembered that, and feeling warm and comfortable, and then the fact that Makoto and Rei had both been there. But where were they now?

Nagisa sat up and looked around in the room. It was only then he realized that he didn't know where he was. The room was completely unfamiliar to him. He was lying in a bed. Next to him were two futons. Both were empty.

Since he didn't know where he was, Nagisa decided to get up and figure that one out. Therefore he tossed the blanket aside and crossed the room. He opened the door and stepped out, into a hallway. He didn't know where this was either, but he could hear Rei's and Makoto's voices from somewhere and the sound of something being cooked.

He decided to follow these sounds and by doing so, he found some stairs, leading downwards. He followed them and finally learned where he was. He recognized the entrée in Makoto's house easily.

Nagisa then made his way to the kitchen and now he could see Makoto cooking and Rei standing by the kitchen table, watching and talking to Makoto.

"What's going on?" Nagisa asked.

Rei and Makoto both turned around and smiled at Nagisa as he walked closer.

"Good morning, Nagisa," Makoto said.

"We've been adopted," Rei said

"Really?" Nagisa smiled widely. "When?" he asked.

"Last night," Makoto said. "We all ended up falling asleep and when I took you back to the orphanage a little too late, I was given the offer by Maruyama-san. According to both her and Rei, it seemed you wanted to be adopted, so… I guess I went ahead and signed up for the adoption," he said.

"Yay!" Nagisa exclaimed. He ran up to Makoto and hugged his legs tightly. "Now I get to live at Mako-chan's place! I'm happy!"

Rei smiled. "So am I," he said.

"I'm glad to hear that," Makoto said. He could feel as his eyes were getting slightly wet with tears of joy.

"Mako-chan, what's for breakfast?" Nagisa asked then, deciding that it was time for a change of topic.

"Rice and tuna," Makoto answered.

"Sound boring," Nagisa pouted.

"We'll see about that," Makoto said. "It seems to be done," He put rice in three bowls and tuna on three plates. He had Rei and Nagisa help carrying them to the table and then they sat down and ate.

It turned out that Nagisa found the food too bitter, especially the tuna, and Makoto laughed at this. Then he asked Nagisa what he would like for breakfast in the future.

"Something with strawberry jam!" Nagisa declared.

Makoto smiled at this too. "We'll see what we can do about that then," he said. He had already noticed that Nagisa seemed to like the strawberry flavor a lot, and sweet stuff too. Therefore the demand didn't really come as a surprise to him. And since Nagisa was still young, Makoto saw no reason to not give him what he asked for, at least when it came to breakfast.

Makoto had taken the day off from school as he could have Nagisa and Rei enrolled into the local elementary school and pre-school. He would want them to get started as soon as possible as they didn't have to stay home alone all day while he was at school as well.

Nagisa would have to wait until spring before he could get started, of course, but Rei could start school on the following day, so Makoto was happy. He then arranged for the elder woman who was living next door, to have Nagisa stay at her place until either Makoto or Rei were off from school. At least the swimming club was at a short distance from their home, so Nagisa could walk there on his own if he wanted.

Although the decision to adopt was made rather quickly, Makoto soon found that he didn't regret it, not even once. He was actually happy that he had taken the offer and adopted the two boys. Now he officially had a family to call his own.