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If Omi has learned anything from all his years of being in a gang, it is the importance of family. Meeting Nachi and being by his side for so long made him realize that he can belong to more than one family. Fighting together, laughing together, and sharing dreams together…he does not remember when he fell in love, but it was a fact he could no longer deny. After many years of holding back how he truly feels, he confesses with Nachi’s favorite meal prepared in his hands. It’s a moment they both fondly look back on, especially because of Nachi's reaction of laughing and saying "Took ya long enough!"
Making enemies and defeating those enemies constantly had worn the two out. In their early twenties, both decide that being in a gang no longer fits what they want in their life. They have each other, and that’s all that they need. It was difficult to rejoin society after only previously being surrounded by violence and murder, but the two manage to become productive members of society and earn stable incomes.
As time goes on, their love only grows for each other. In their late twenties, after saving up money and building a comfortable life together, Omi drops the question and the two soon become married. Living on the down-low has been relaxing, and they genuinely believe that no more gangs are trying to come after them. Nachi even hints at the idea of adoption because he does not fear any danger. Omi realizes that starting a family with Nachi can further prove his love and adoration for him, so he agrees. He has always been called a mom anyway, so he does not think that raising a child will be difficult.
He was wrong.
Oh so wrong.
But he loves this kid with all his heart. They didn’t even choose this boy, but they were chosen instead by the system due to them being deemed a good fit. Going through the strenuous process of preparing for adoption was difficult, but when they got to meet their son, it all became worth the effort. Once they legally become the guardians of the newborn boy, they both cry, which results in the baby crying as well. Omi knew from the beginning that their baby would fit right in.
And fit right in he did.
Taichi, as they soon decided, has the brightest blue eyes and darkest black hair which contrast so nicely. Nachi would always cry over how happy he is to have a son and how cute their baby boy is. All Omi could do is fondly laugh and calm him down, but he can’t blame Nachi. He would cry too, but Taichi always cries whenever they cry. It never failed to amaze Omi with how well Taichi could pick up on their emotions, even when they tried to hide them.
If Omi was in a good mood, he would find Taichi giggling and waving his toys around until someone joined him. If Omi was more on the sad side, Taichi would cry until Omi gave him attention. When Taichi learned how to crawl and eventually walk (which were both monumental days that made all three of them laugh and cry), he would go to Omi first and give him a hug. If Omi was mad, Taichi would stay eerily quiet. Still, he would do his best to comfort Omi by giving him one of his toys. Omi has never been happier as one of his biggest worries was that his child would be afraid of his scary demeanor. Instead, Taichi never felt threatened by either him or Nachi. The two frequently comment on it, and it wasn’t until their old friend Ryo told them that it’s because Taichi knows that he’s not in harm's way.
Taichi was genuinely the perfect fit for their family. He was never a picky eater when it came to Omi’s cooking, but he did prefer some more childish foods, which is to be expected. He always loved to be in front of the camera as well, never questioning when Omi would start to take pictures. Taichi also loves to act with Nachi, having learned how to read at home by reading Nachi’s scripts. He always enjoyed the love story plots, which would make Nachi laugh. He would always tell Taichi that he has great taste because love is a beautiful thing.
From acting to singing, to even repeating his favorite lines from TV shows, Taichi was always talking. It turned their quiet lifestyle into a loud and lively one, but Omi could never complain. If anything, Omi loves the constant noise in his life because it means that Taichi is happy. If his son is ever too quiet, it would signify that something is wrong.
It started happening when Taichi began school. Their loud wild child was excited for his first day of school, dressed up in his favorite polo shirt that Nachi picked out for him and khakis that he picked out himself. He sang the whole car ride there, but when picking him up, he wouldn’t say anything more than necessary. Red flags immediately went off for both parents, even when Taichi told them that he was just sleepy and wanted a nap. Their boy who used to be so talkative now becoming distant was worrying, but Omi always had a problem with speaking up. It was always Nachi who initiated those hard conversations.
When Nachi initiated that conversation, it was the first time Taichi asked about a mom. It was also that conversation where he realized that he is adopted. Being so young, it was hard for Taichi to comprehend what this all meant. He struggled to understand, but he did come to terms with the fact and became his loud self again.
The second time Omi was alerted of a problem was when Taichi started his last year of primary school. It started out well, but when Taichi stopped telling him and Nachi about how his day was, it raised red flags. Their talkative boy stopped talking to them. They learned through his teacher that Taichi might have a learning disability that hinders his ability to fully comprehend what is being taught. Nachi is the first one to ask Taichi about his grades at school because Omi still struggles to reach out and ask what is wrong. He feels immense guilt when he hears Taichi throwing a tantrum in his room, but he is afraid of making matters worse, so he listens and beats himself up over his failure to comfort his child.
After seeing Nachi talk to their son multiple times about his performance at school and only receive a meltdown as an answer, Omi faces his fears and steps in to help his husband figure out what is going on. They both go to Taichi and ask why his grades are below average, but instead of an angry outburst, they are met with tears.
(“I’m stupid.” “I’m stupid,” He would say. “All of my classmates call me dumb,” He would cry to his parents).
A promise is made that day. Both parents will tutor Taichi and help with his studies so he does not feel stupid any longer. He will become top of the class and make everyone take back what they said. The passion that Omi has to protect his child is in his voice as he tells Taichi “No one will hurt you again.” It has Taichi believing that things will be okay now. When he comes home from school the next day, he tells his parents about his day.
(“Am I talking too much?” He hesitantly asked, worried that he might be talking too much. He doesn’t understand why Nachi laughs and Omi smiles. It still doesn’t make sense when Omi answers his question by saying, “We miss hearing you talk this much.”)
As Taichi’s performance in school slowly improves, so does his confidence. He has always struggled with this growing up, but his parents are always there to remind him that he is amazing, even if they do go overboard with it sometimes.
(“Okay, that’s enough! I get it!” He would whine when Nachi would spew compliment after compliment about him, face red because of how embarrassed he would be).
Taichi discovered how serious he is about acting when he starts junior high. He heard from upperclassmen about this play's auditions coming up and he begged his parents to let him try out as soon as he got home. Nachi is so proud of his son for wanting to audition and even teases him, saying that his confidence boost is due to all of his praises. When Taichi argues, it causes Nachi to shower his son with praises, which in turn makes Omi chuckle fondly from the familiar banter.
When the time for the audition comes, Omi has to guide Taichi through some breathing exercises because of how nervous he is. Nachi had to be sent to wait in the car because he was starting to tear up from how proud he is, which made Taichi’s panic even worse. When his group was called in to enter the auditorium, Omi wishes him luck one last time.
Their poor boy is a mess when he leaves the audition and Omi feels bad for wanting to laugh. He doesn’t have any ill intentions; he thinks his son is cute because Nachi would make the same face whenever he finished an audition. He guides Taichi out to the car and when he helps Taichi in, he’s not surprised to hear Nachi jump all over their son with questions. He chuckles and gets in his seat, reminding his husband that their son might need a minute to compose himself before he can answer.
It’s not long after the audition that the cast list is sent out by email to the parents. Nachi cries when he sees Taichi’s name and so does Taichi himself. Even though it’s a minor character, Nachi is proud that his son gets to stand on stage. Something he never got the chance to do. Omi is so proud of his son that he makes loaded hot dogs for dinner to celebrate.
After reading over the script and finding all of the lines that Taichi’s character plays, he was bummed to find out that he only gets to say one line. Not even a line. Two words! Nachi, however, never lost the excitement he held on the first day. He would repeat the same line until Taichi could see that having a minor role is still fun. Their daily routine would be to parrot the line to each other wherever it seemed fit. Taichi would be on his way to the dinner table when he would hear Nachi shout:
“Look out!”
Taichi always laughed when he heard the line. He would shout it back, then Nachi would shout it back with even more enthusiasm. It would go on until Omi fondly hushes them because dinner will get cold, or it ends when they tire themselves out.
This would even happen during car rides, Nachi would tell him. Poor Nachi, it would scare him each time. Omi could only laugh as he gets let in on the fact, but he makes sure to kiss his husband’s cheek and remind him to be careful behind the wheel. Nachi returns the kiss to Omi’s cheek and soon enough they have a loving, domestic moment full of love they never knew could be possible in their early years. This ends when they hear an over-exaggerated gagging sound. Of course it comes from Taichi, bless him. Like every growing boy thinks, seeing your parents kiss is gross! They stop to spare their son, but the gaze that they share holds a promise for a continuation later in the night.
The night is a beautiful night filled with only the most intimate of times, passing by before they realize it. It’s unfortunate, but the couple pulls away from their embrace in order to get ready for the day that lies ahead. First and foremost, Nachi has to wake their child up for school. They part ways, but not before sharing a good morning kiss. The moment seems to last forever because it’s never easy letting the love of your life go.
Omi still thinks about their kiss while he’s at work. It has been hours since he last got off the phone with Nachi, him telling Omi that Taichi made it to school on time despite their hectic morning. As it turns out, the couple did stay in each other’s arms for too long. They woke Taichi up later than normal, so naturally, they had to rush and get him ready. Even if Taichi had been late, Omi could never be mad at his family for such a trivial issue.
A few more hours pass.
That evening while Omi is buried in his work, he receives a phone call.
It comes from Taichi.
Omi answers, of course. He expects to hear about Taichi’s day and how rehearsals went, but the quiet whimpers that come from the other line let him know that something is wrong.
“Taichi? What’s wrong?” That is all he can think to say. He frowns when a broken voice answers instead of the cheerful one he’s used to.
(...What? Why did Nachi not pick Taichi up from rehearsals? It’s been over an hour now, hasn’t it?)
“I’m sorry, Taichi. Let me finish up and then I’ll be on my way, okay? Can you wait another 30 minutes?” He asks, panicking as he hears his son’s cries, knowing he must be stressed. “I know, baby. I’ll do my best to hurry. Let me call Nachi and…what? He hasn’t been answering your calls?”
Omi ignores the rest of the work he has to do for the night. He’s packing up his station as he listens to Taichi’s pleas to hurry, leaving the building in what feels like under a minute. His heart breaks when he tells Taichi he has to hang up, but he has no choice if he wants to call Nachi. He calls his husband’s number and...
Well. He should’ve listened to Taichi. He said that Nachi wouldn’t answer his phone no matter how many times he called, and the same applies now.
Oddly enough, on his way to pick Taichi up from school, he gets a phone call. Not from Nachi or Taichi, but from Ryo.
(Ryo? What would he be calling for?)
Omi has to pull the phone away from his ear because of how loud his friend is.
“NACHI’S DEAD! HE-”
…What? That has to be a joke. A rather cruel one, but a joke, right? Omi does his best to listen, but his thoughts are louder.
“HEY, ARE YOU THERE?”
Omi has to slam on the breaks before he runs a light. He sighs, not hearing the car behind him honking over the beating of his heart. “Sorry. Can you explain that again?”
On the other line, Ryo’s panic is clear, and Omi is briefly reminded of his son’s earlier panic. “They got Nachi! Those assholes ambushed him and sent a letter to the base saying that Wild Wolf is next!”
Wild Wolf, the previous boss of the Wolf gang that had dominated West Tokyo for a few years. Wild Wolf, who happens to be Omi Fushimi.
As one would expect, the news is hard to devour and process. Omi knows that he has to grieve later because he has to be strong for both Nachi and his son. No words leave his mouth as he hangs up, not trusting his voice to be steady.
The rest of the drive to Taichi’s school is miserable. How is he supposed to stay strong? He’s never been one to call himself strong. Trying to be something you’re not is difficult, and Omi has to learn this lesson again. He knew he wasn't fit for a normal life. Why did he think he deserves happiness with a family to call his own? When he approaches the school, tears are already beginning to form. How will Taichi react? Will his son hate him when he finds out that one of his dads is responsible for the other’s death? Resent him, even? He doesn’t recognize he’s in the pick-up lane until Taichi is pulling at the car handle to get in. The bright red hair snaps him out of his thoughts and he unlocks the door for Taichi to get in.
One look at Taichi in his seat causes him to break.
Taichi’s concern raises immediately. “Dad? Dad what’s wrong?”
Oh no. Why is he struggling to breathe?
“Hey dad?”
This can’t be happening. He’s supposed to be strong in front of his son! Where’s the attitude he once had when he led a dangerous gang? The fearless one that would knock someone out cold in a second?
“Omi?”
Oh. Wait.
He blinks. How embarrassing. Another nightmare? That tragic day happened a few years ago, yet he still remembers it so vividly and lets the day haunt him.
“Dad! I didn’t think you would wake up! Did you have another nightmare?”
Omi has learned how to smile through the negative and he exhibits the skill by offering his son a kind smile.
“Well...did you?”
This has Taichi embarrassed. He invites himself into the bed and under all of the warm, comfy blankets instead of answering. Omi expected this much.
“Don’t worry, me too. Thank you for waking me up.” He whispers, turning on his side so he can hold his son close to his chest. His son, the one that never resented him or blamed him for what happened. His son, who did not judge him for his past. His son that has grown to be the best thing he could ever ask for.
Taichi only hums as his response because he’s deep in thought. He is tempted to let the thought pass, but he can feel Omi’s eyes burning a hole through his head. He can’t tell if he’s that easy to read or if his dad just knows him too well.
“So…do you think we could visit him soon? It’s my birthday soon and I want to visit him.” He states with too much hesitation in his tone, the touchy subject uncomfortable for both of them to talk about.
Instead of shutting it down, Omi listens and considers. “We’ll have to see. Are you sure that’s what you want for your birthday? I can invite some of your friends over instead or-”
Taichi awkwardly clears his throat to cut Omi off. “Dad…I miss him. Can we please go?”
Omi can’t argue with his birthday wish. “Okay, Taichi. We can go on your birthday. Now go to sleep, okay? You’ll have trouble waking up for school if you stay up any longer.”
This makes Taichi groan, but he understands. “Fine! Oh, and…thank you! I love you, dad.” He answers, making himself comfortable in Omi’s arms.
Omi’s smile becomes genuine after hearing that. “I love you too, Taichi. Sleep well and wake me up if you need anything.”
That night, Omi was able to fall back asleep without any returning nightmares. It’s amazing how much love can change a person.