"Haru!" Haru felt a disturbance in his bed. "Haru!"
Not ready to be woken up, Haru pulled his covers and responded, "not now Yuujin, go take care of it in the bathroom."
Gatchmon had enough. He grabbed a pillow and slammed it on his sleeping human buddy. "I'M NOT YUUJIN!"
Gatchmon's antics were too much for the green haired man and it woke him up. "Gatchmon!?"
"Good morning Haru, time to get up. Yuujin is making breakfast."
Haru went downstairs while holding Gatchmon in his arms. He saw Offmon sitting down near the kitchen table and Yuujin in the kitchen. "Good morning Offmon, good morning Yuujin"
"Good morning," they replied.
Haru set Gatchmon down and went to kiss his husband on the cheek. "What are you making Yuujin?"
"Grilled salmon, rice, and miso soup."
"Smells delicious."
"I hope so."
"Yuujin?"
"Yes Haru?"
"Why are you wearing that shirt?" Yuujin was wearing a green shirt with huge black letters that said HAL'S PROPERTY. Astra and Eri bought that shirt for their android friend when they were in England two years ago. They were visiting England to have Eri meet the family of Astra's mother.
Yuujin responded to his partner, "Is there a problem? It's your favorite shirt Haru and besides it is the truth. I'm your property now and forever." Yuujin let out a grin.
Haru became annoyed that his lover was being his usual goofy self instead of taking this seriously. "I don't know if I would say it's my favorite, but can you please not say you are property, not even as a joke."
"Haru does this have to do with the encounter we had several days ago?"
Haru gave no response and just looked away. A week ago, they went to the park with their Appmon. While their Appmon were busying playing in the playground and Yuujin was napping, Haru was approached by a random stranger, a man about his mid-twenties. He blatantly asked Haru how much would it cost to rent Yuujin out for a night, implying Yuujin was no different from the sexbots that were now commonplace. Yuujin woke up to hearing his husband yelling angrily and later consoling him when he began to cry.
"Haru, we all know what those people say isn't true."
"But Yuujin, doesn't it bother you, even a little, that people think that of you?"
Yuujin pressed their heads together and spoke, "No, because it isn't true and I only care what you and the other people I love think about me."
Haru decided to stop, he knew he wasn't going to make his partner yield. "Fine, you can keep wearing the shirt, but please wear something over it if you leave the house?"
"Sure Haru. Breakfast is ready by the way," Yuujin said this while holding plates full of food.
The little family began to eat their meal. Midway into the meal, Haru noticed that there was something wrong with Gatchmon. Haru could see that Gatchmon was eating but not at his regular vigorous pace.
"Gatchmon you don't look so good, what's the matter?" The young researcher asked his Appmon buddy.
"Ugh, Offmon kept me up last night, he couldn't sleep because you two were extra noisy." The married couple knew what Gatchmon was speaking about and blushed at the fact they were heard.
Yuujin spoke up, "Offmon were you worried about me and Haru?"
"Offu." Offmon didn't look back at Yuujin when he asked him a question and instead chose to look away.
"It's okay, Haru and I just had a rough day yesterday, but everything should be fine, right Haru?" Haru nodded yes.
"Is that true?" Offmon pressed on, not entirely convinced.
Haru felt that instead of trying to convince Offmon that they were fine maybe it wouldn't hurt to make Offmon happy and get his mind off the subject. "How about tonight you sleep in our bed? Will that make you feel better Offmon?"
"Offu." Offmon loved sleeping with the two humans and enjoyed witnessing how sweet the couple were to each other.
"Hey what about me?" Gatchmon pipped.
"You are welcome too, Gatchmon," Haru giggled at how silly Gatchmon could be.
When everyone finished their meal, Offmon felt this was the right time to ask his question. "By the way Yuujin, Haru what is sex?"
"WHAT!?" Both Haru and Yuujin shouted.
"Offmon, why are you asking?" Yuujin asked with his voice trying to remain calm as to not further alarm his buddy Appmon. Offmon realized that the question might not have been appropriate because of his "parents'" shock.
"Me and Gatchmon went to check up on you and I heard that word. I have heard it before, but don't know what it is. What is it?"
"I should have known Gatchmon was involved," the redhead android said.
Haru intended to give Gatchmon a good lecture about invasion of privacy but noticed that his rambunctious "son" was nowhere in sight. Gatchmon snuck out of the dining area when Offmon said his name. Both Yuujin and Haru left the table to go look for him and give him his well-earned scolding. Poor Offmon never got his question answered.
An hour later in the Shinkai home, Haru finished bathing and was looking for his spouse. Yuujin was in the living room practicing the guitar. Normally, Haru wouldn't interrupt him and instead watch and listen to his partner create a new song, usually it was meant for him. However, he had no time to lose.
Haru sat down next to his husband on the couch. "Yuujin can you bathe Gatchmon for me. I must get your new body ready for the scheduled transfer, and I don't have the energy to do both."
"WHAT!?" Gatchmon could be heard screaming after he was knee deep in the pantry looking for his favorite snacks, Gatchmonaka. He rushed to the living room to stop what he thought was a big mistake. "But why Haru? Haru you always give me my baths. Why can't you do it this time?" Gatchmon was desperate for an answer.
"I'm sorry Gatchmon but you haven't taken a bath in a while and you need one. Maybe next time. But right now, the baby won't let me do that much work."
Gatchmon jumped to the couch and placed his claw on Haru's bulging belly. "You little brat. Listen here kid, once you are born you are going to understand how it works around here. I was here first and Offmon second. That means I'm the boss around here and you are the newbie disciple. I'm letting this slide now, but that ends once you are out here."
"Gatchmon! Honestly what are we going to do with you?" Haru rolled his eyes at how melodramatic Gatchmon's empty threat was.
Gatchmon looked at Haru with puppy dog eyes. "Give me a bath and not Yuujin?"
After giving Gatchmon a bath, Yuujin began to dry off the Search Appmon's fur with a towel. "Stupid Haru, I just wanted to spend some quality time with you."
"I'm sorry Gatchmon. The baby takes up a lot of energy from Haru."
"Why do you two want a kid anyway when you have me and Offmon?
"It's not like we don't love you two, but since Haru is a human, he has an instinctive need to breed with his mate and produce children to continue his genes," Yuujin said in a monotone voice.
Gatchmon shuddered to himself. "It's creepy when you talk like that."
Yuujin started laughing, he got the reaction he wanted from Gatchmon. "Well there's another reason, much more depressing than what I just said."
"Which is?"
"We are legally required to have a child, or our marriage will be annulled."
"Annulled? You mean like ended?"
"Yes." Yuujin had a solemn look on his face.
"You cannot be serious, let me look that up." Gatchmon used his ability and began to look up the web for marriage annulment in Japan and children. What he found disturbed him greatly.
Due to the declining birth rate of the Japanese population which was reaching the tipping point of demographic collapse, the Japanese government had taken drastic measures to fix it. The Japanese National Diet, the legal national body of Japan, passed a measure of draconian laws. One of the measures allowed same-sex marriage, but at a steppe price. Within the first five years of the marriage, same-sex couples would be required to have a child, either adopted or biological, if not they forfeit the legality of their marriage. In addition, monetary incentives were passed for Japanese couples to adopt or produce more children. Only a few years into the new laws, many of Japan's orphanages were empty.
This forced Haru into a predicament. Yuujin and him had waited too long to act. Adopting was now virtually impossible for them. The government had made it even more difficult for Japanese citizens to adopt children from foreign nations. It seemed with tolerance of LGBTQ people had only been achieved through national xenophobic mentality.
"That's not right. They shouldn't be allowed to force Haru and you like that."
Yuujin looks at Gatchmon with concern. "I know. That was one of the factors that drove Haru to want a kid, the others being he wants a little me and him and that he is jealous that all our friends are settling down and having children. Even Wato has a kid now."
"Haru gets jealous? I don't believe you!" Gatchmon cross his arms and looks away at Yuujin, expressing his doubt.
"Yep. He is pretty good at hiding it, but I know he does. He makes me dress up in ugly clothes and will not let me fix my bed hair, so people won't flirt with me. I think Haru might be a tad paranoid."
"Or maybe you instigate it, Yuujin. You are too nice sometimes Yuujin and people mistake that for affection."
"You think? Well I'll try to not do that anymore, I don't want Haru to get the wrong impression." Guilt always ran through Yuujin's mind for making his partner worry that there might exist some possibility that he would cheat on him. Yuujin would never dream of it. Haru saved him, multiple times. He is his hero and his world. In Yuujin's eyes, no human could ever come close to the perfection that is his Haru. Haru deserved better than him, Yuujin thought. However, Yuujin wouldn't let Haru have that choice. Maybe being selfish like that is what made him truly human.
A bored Offmon went looking for Haru, since his buddy human was busying with Gatchmon. He first checked for the goggle wearing man in his's study. Haru's study was a small lab that was designed for him to work on his AI research when he wasn't unable to go to the main lab that he shared with Hajime. Offmon opened the door and saw that the AI researcher looking intensely at his laptop.
"Haru what are you doing?"
Haru turned around to look at Offmon. "Oh, hello Offmon. I'm putting my finishing touches on Yuujin's next body."
"Why are you doing that? You don't like his current body?"
"It's not that, it's just that since I'm growing up and aging, Yuujin needs to appear that he is too. Well originally that was the primary motive." With the world discovering the true nature of his lover, they no longer needed to keep up the charade. However, other motives still existed for giving him a new body. "Now we are doing it because Yuujin wants a body to reflect that. He wants us to grow old together."
"Oh, that sure sounds like Yuujin, he is very romantic," Offmon cooed. The Offline Appmon enjoyed hearing about his human partner's romance with Haru. It made his heart melt.
"He is, isn't he? But another reason why he needs a replacement is because his current body is outdated. When I first put back together his broken conscious from the AR field where he…died, I kept replacing his bodies every 18 months to reflect as if he aged like a human. However, I haven't given him a new body in six years. He needs an update."
"Like what updates?" Offmon asks.
Haru mumbles to himself, "maybe make him a little less attractive so people would stop flirting with him."
"What was that?"
"Oh nothing." Haru gives Offmon a suspicious smile, which the naïve Appmon doesn't take notice. In truth, Haru was not planning on doing that. While creating an attractive body for Yuujin might seem to some as if it is cheating and self-indulgent of Haru, his physical appearance was a part of who Yuujin is and he couldn't change that, even if his looks caused him great envy over how many desired his husband. His personality didn't help.
"Ok ofuu."
"The only major change I making to him is that his hairline will recede a bit and his hair will be a bit thinner, but that's only normal for a male his age of 30." If Haru was honest, Yuujin looking older and mature was a major turn on.
Offmon rose his hand up and said, "Haru, I have another question."
"Yes Offmon?"
"Does Yuujin ever ask for you to make his body in a certain way?
"Um, I ask him about any changes that I make and ask for his consent on all of them, but he only wants me to make his body in the form that would be "most pleasing to me." Haru's face turned red. "His words, not mine."
"Yuujin really wants to make you happy doesn't he, Haru?"
"Yeah, that's my Yuujin." Haru thought about how unselfish his beloved is. Sometimes, Haru felt as if he didn't deserve someone like Yuujin. But despite that, he was never letting Yuujin go, no matter how selfish that maybe. Yuujin is the only thing in his life where he'll be selfish. Yuujin is his, for eternity.
AN: Sorry for the long wait, I have been busy with my historical research. Here it is. A lot of interactions with the buddy Appmon. I'll try to make it more plot related in the next chapter. Try is the key word.