Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Bungo Stray Dogs, its characters, or the franchise. This is fanfiction after all.
Story: Atsushi continues to bond and connect with her newfound father, and slowly begins to be introduced and meet her new family. Francis just continues to support and be a good signficant other, while being dragged into the family matters himself. Agency and Guild antics included in that. In other words, moments where Atsushi and her families develop together and their relationships grow.
Set as a slice of life, future-ish fic, set somewhere after season 3 of the anime.
Spoilers: Maybe.
Warnings: Age disparity. Mild implied sexual situations.
Pairings: Francis Fitzgerald/Fem!Atsushi
Family
Chapter Four: Babies
"Thank you again," her father bowed lowly, sighing in gratefulness.
Atsushi just gave him an awkward smile as she waved him off, one hand still holding tightly to her youngest brother. Tamaki, quiet and still, held onto her just as tightly.
He was like a miniature of their father —both with the same styled hair, even if his was colored the same as his mother's. His face still held that childish chubbiness that children of his age usually had, but would probably slim down to be similar to hers and their father's. If he'd inherited the hair and eye color that was apparently their father's family signature traits (traits she apparently inherited), he could've been a clone of Hirohito.
"We'll be fine…Otou-san," she gave him a small smile, still unused to the fact she had an actual father and was getting to know him and his family.
He smiled back to her also, glancing at the man that was standing behind her. Francis gave a nod to him as well and it seemed to reassure her father even more, and after a final goodbye, he left and then it was just Atsushi, Francis and Tamaki.
"Well…it is a bit early to start a family, but I don't really mind —"
She whirled around and slapped his shoulder in exasperation as she pushed passed him while holding onto her brother. Ignoring the chuckling of her boyfriend (it was still strange to think of Francis like that), she gently led Tamaki to the apartment's kitchen.
"I don't know if you've eaten yet, Tama-kun," she said softly, already giving him a nickname. "But let me know if you want to eat something. It's lunchtime after all."
The young boy's eyes widened at her and he was so cute, Atsushi could feel herself restraining from cooing and wanting to pinch his cheeks. It was a weird feeling, something she'd really not felt like before.
"H-hamburger steak? Please, Onee-sama."
She got flustered, not expecting the super formal address, especially from someone so young.
"Tama-kun, you don't have to call me that! We're family and you don't need to be super formal with me, okay?" she said as she bent down to his level, giving him a fond smile. "I'm your big sister and you're my cute otouto," she ruffled his hair.
Francis had been getting ingredients and pans out while they talked, and finally interjected himself into their talk.
"You have to excuse her, young man," he said grinningly. "She's not big on formalities."
Tamaki nodded shyly, glancing between them. "Okay, Onee-san." He glanced furtively at Francis. "You're Ane's boyfriend, right?"
Francis, amused, nodded in answer and Tamaki looked to him, somehow growing even more shier.
"T-then is it okay to call you 'Onii-san?'" Tamaki asked.
Francis looked taken aback before, as what helped her fall in love with him all over again, his face softened and he smiled gently at her younger brother.
"But of course! Atsushi is my partner and as you're her family, you are mine as well. I would love it if you then consider me family as well," he replied to Atsushi's younger brother and she could see again just how much a family man he is and probably had been.
He probably had been a wonderful, loving father to Ellaria.
Ignoring the ache in her heart, she focused on Tamaki, who beamed up at Francis like he'd loved idea. And he probably did —he, like the rest of his family (even her father) seemed to crave the open affection and readily given care Atsushi gave (and also craved herself). Maybe it was a family trait of theirs or something, or maybe she grew up affection starved because of the orphanage and they grew up affection starved because that was just how they'd grown up raised as.
Lucky for her though, even as she was clumsy and unused to it, she'd been easily and happily given affection by Francis freely and taught how to accept it and return it by him.
"Now…let's start in on this 'hamburger steak!'"
"Onee-san! Please teach me and Onii-san how to cook hamburger steak!"
Atsushi laughed and looked at the two, standing side by side and looking excited as they both grinned and looked to her eagerly. Like this, they really did look like family, even though they looked nothing alike.
"Alright, alright. Good thing I actually managed to learn to cook this back at the orphanage…"
After lunch and when Tamaki had tuckered out from learning to cook and then playing gently with the Uncle Goose blocks Francis had bought awhile ago for amusement (and for refreshment on his Japanese), they brought him to their shared room and let him sleep there. Atsushi watched fondly as Francis tenderly tucked Tamaki in, his own face gentled into a soft, sweet expression that made her heart beat fast and for her to remember again why she fell in love with this man.
Francis went back to her side and together they went back to the main room of the apartment, where she sat at the couch and he picked up the blocks and started organizing them back where he'd contained them. A smile tugged at her lips as she watched him.
"You must've been a really good father," she said and he looked to her in question. "You were really good with Tamaki-kun. You've always been really good with the kids we run into and you just…you just parent and act like a dad so well."
"For the time I had Ellie around, I loved being a father," he told her, smiling sorrowfully. "It was one of the best things that I'd lived for."
Francis walked over to her, plopping down beside her as his long limbs stretched out. He leaned against her and she blushed at his easy affection.
"Speaking of families…" he murmured as he reached out to take her hand and hold it. "Do you think you'd like to…to start a family with me?"
The question startled her and she sort of jolted back, snapping her head to face him in shock. He tilted his head back, watching her silently and not taking it back.
"It's a big ask, I understand," he spoke quietly then. "And I know that it's not exactly something to just ask someone who is just new to this whole relationship and affection thing. Nor something to consider when you're just settling in with the idea of 'us' and you also having a new family to get to know. But having your brother over and taking care of him right now…I don't know. The thought popped up and for a moment, the way we were was like we were a small family and it was a lovely, domestic scene that I could see happening with us and our own child."
Our child.
Oh. The idea was both exciting and scary. Starting a family with Francis and having her own child to take care of was a really, surprisingly appealing thought.
"Would you want a baby with me?" Francis asked hesitantly, suddenly unsure. Her sweet, arrogant, cocky man…
"Yes," Atsushi said firmly. "I would. Not just now or so soon, but yes. In the future, I would definitely love having a family with you, Francis."
Because she really, really would and she could see herself happy and in love with him still.
And she couldn't picture having a family or being with anyone else but him.
Started 2/18/24 (12:26 am); 3/6/24 (12:44 am) – Completed 3/7/24 (1:17 am)
A/n: Our babies thinking about babies~ Next up is focus on Kunikida with Atsushi!
Quick Points:
1. Japanese ergo the Fujiwara's are big on formalities (especially Atsushi's family). Hence, them teaching even the youngest to address Atsu super formally as 'Onee-sama' aka 'Honorable Older Sister'. Also, Onee-san is only used within families, while Ane is talking about your older sister to other people.
2. Uncle Goose blocks are language blocks to help learn the language. Japanese symbols, animal illustrations and English/Japanese translation are on them.
