Chapter Text
(Mikage)Nagi:
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[positivepregnancytest.png]
The picture that appears in the groupchat wouldn’t be such a cause for chaos if it weren’t for the fact that it came from Nagi.
The same Nagi, whose messages and responses vary from a series of emojis and single word (sometimes single letter) phrases on the odd occasion. The same Nagi, who a majority of the time is radio silent, opting instead to have his words conveyed by his partner.
A picture from the white haired man is about as rare as— actually, unlike messages, pictures from Nagi aren’t completely cryptic, in fact, they’re so common that they’ve made the transition from being spam to being background noise, not unlike Bachira’s crazed three a.m musings. No, the odd thing about this particular one is that it’s not some kind of aesthetically pleasing candid of Reo.
In a way, it still pertains to him though.
And so, the chat lights up in an instant. Buzzing with questions and jubilations, and the like.
Things that Nagi does not hear both because he has the chat muted and because he does not care for anyone else’s thoughts and opinions. The only such things that matters to him are Reo. Reo’s thoughts and Reo’s opinion. Reo’s happiness and Reo’s dreams and, well, Reo.
Reo who has been camped out in the bathroom and away from Nagi for a length of time deemed unacceptable by Nagi’s mind (five minutes) despite the white haired man having offered to be in there with him for moral support.
In fact, he’s rather unaware of it. He has the chat muted after all. That and he’s far too occupied staring at the bathroom door with an intensity of a million suns, as if looking at it long enough might make Reo come out faster.
A heavy sigh escapes Nagi’s lips.
Looking down at the growing collection of positive pregnancy tests laid before him, something in his stirs— a conflicting cocktail of emotions, excitement, curiosity, and a slight trepidation for what this means for himself and Reo.
Depending on how things go, it looks like Nagi might have something else that will matter to him soon. Someone, rather.
As the seconds pass and Reo fails to appear, something akin to anxiety begins to grow in Nagi’s stomach. He busies himself with his phone only to turn it off and pass it between his hands when he notices the barrage of texts that he’s not really ready or willing to answer. God forbid a man share the positive pregnancy tests of the love of his life.
They should just go about their business like they normally do— stories of their travels, the goings-ons of their fellow professional footballers, and the occasional drunken rambles and blurry snapshots of nights out. And a surprisingly frequent number of aesthetically pleasing pictures of food to be posted onto their social media for some reason.
Nagi doesn’t know why, Nagi doesn’t want to know why.
What Nagi wants at this moment is very simple and it’s this: to have Reo in his arms and talk to him. To have a conversations and clear out the awkward air Reo has had around himself since Nagi came back from practice a bit early— To take care of Reo who’d taken the day off because of an upset stomach was his reason, only to come home to this and to a Reo flushed bright red and too nervous to look Nagi in the eyes, again, for some reason.
Maybe he shouldn’t have sent that picture.
The anxiety grows and the thought that perhaps Reo didn’t want anyone else to know just yet crosses his mind far too late for him to delete the message. It’s just that Nagi had felt so overwhelmingly happy when he saw them. A memory, a pivotal moment, something Nagi wants to remember forever just like any time spent with Reo.
Yes, Nagi has their group chat muted, but these people are still their friends. His friends, people who should share in Nagi’s happiness. That and perhaps a small part of Nagi wanted to show off something good happening to him once again.
The train of thought comes to an abrupt halt when the door to the bathroom opens. Ominously, Nagi might add, in the threshold stands Reo looking a bit like how a killer might pop up in a horror movie. Still beautiful, though. Always beautiful. Nagi would totally let Reo kill him.
Phone in one hand and pregnancy test in the other— the sixth one overall, the third since Nagi came home early (he’s starting to worry about his partner’s bladder. No wonder all of his lemonade was gone from the fridge, Reo must’ve drank it all)— Reo steps forward, face hard and jaw tense.
“Treasure,” Reo says slowly.
“Reo,” Nagi says his name like it’s a breath of fresh air.
Reo relaxes slightly, vice like grip on the test and on his phone loosening. His expression, too, changes from its carefully crafted neutrality to something more playful. Furrowed brows, round and cute, and a petulant pout forming on his lips.
Nagi wants to kiss him so bad. His hands itch to wrap themselves around Reo’s waist, pull him close and never let go.
The one to break their impromptu staring contest first is Reo, who looks down at his phone with a look Nagi can’t quite discern.
Ah, the picture. The onslaught of responses. Nagi looks down at his own phone and there’s even a few missed calls from a few of their friends. He must’ve missed them whilst in the midst of his Reo-induced delusions.
Oops.
With a hand on his hip, Reo gives Nagi that look, the one that wordlessly asks for an answer. How cute, Reo is looking like a mom already.
“Reo is cute.”
The words make it out of his mouth without much thought and, what can Nagi say? He’s grown older, more emotionally mature, sure, but sometimes (a lot of times) his brain to mouth filter is still nonexistent.
A giddy feeling makes Nagi almost imperceptibly bounce on the couch when Reo doesn’t open his mouth to scold him. His partner, instead, clicks his tongue and playfully tosses the latest test at Nagi’s head, which the white haired man catches with ease.
Laying it down beside the others, they paint a clear picture. Positive after positive, Nagi smiles softly.
Reo is with child.
Nagi’s child.
Hard to feel guilty about sending those pictures when he’s too busy feeling proud of himself. As he stares at them more, his admiration for Reo, too, increases.
“Reo is amazing,” He says softly.
Almost impossibly fond and he watches as Reo tries and fails to fight back the flush that climbs to his face, gaze still not quite reaching Nagi’s own but slowly calming down.
“Yeah, yeah,” Reo rolls his eyes, “Maybe hold off on sharing the news before we know for sure.”
“I mean,” Nagi looks at all the tests, “Looks like Reo is pretty pregnant… Choki is gonna get a sibling?”
“Just don’t jump the gun next time,” Reo sighs, red-faced.
“Next time?” Nagi perks up even more.
Reo shoots him a glare, half-hearted and laced with something that has Nagi starting to feel warm again for different reasons.
Even so, Nagi apologizes, “Sorry, Reo, I can’t help myself around you.”
“Sorry my ass—”
“Reo has a nice ass,” Nagi interrupts.
“Shut up!” Reo says, throwing another one of the tests at Nagi’s head, which the white haired man dodges easily.
“I’ll set an appointment,” Reo says quietly, biting his lip. It’s like all of his partner’s confidence has slipped away, leaving him vulnerable as he looks everywhere but in Nagi’s direction.
Gathering the tests, Nagi contemplates saving them in some little photo album or maybe a memory box of some kind. Reo would probably get embarrassed, but that’s fine. He’s cute when he’s shy. Reo is cute all the time, really.
“I’ll do it,” Nagi says as he gets up, gathering the tests, “I’ll set an appointment. We can go together,” he clarifies when Reo tilts his head to the side.
“You just wanna get out of practice,” Reo says.
Nagi gives him a look, shakes his head and then walks towards him, taking Reo into his arms and kissing his forehead.
“I just wanna make sure Reo is okay,” Nagi whispers into Reo’s head, kissing his crown, “Just wanna make sure Reo knows I’m there for him, that you don’t have to do this alone. No matter what you choose, I’ll be there for you because I love you no matter what.”
When he moves to pull away, Reo keeps him in place, like he’s afraid Nagi will disappear if he lets go and for a second, they just stand there.
“I love you too, Sei,” Reo’s voice is muffled by his hoodie, but Nagi doesn’t miss the way it breaks slightly.
So strong but so fragile, Reo never ceases to amaze him, to bring out parts of himself Nagi would’ve never known otherwise. Reo clings to him and Nagi holds on tighter as well.
Eventually, the sound of Reo’s sniffles cut through the silence.
“Are you mad at me?” Reo asks in a quiet voice, trembling.
Nagi tenses.
Mad? At Reo? How could he be? And for something like this. Of course not. Nagi wishes he could incept his thoughts directly into Reo’s brain but at his lack of response, Reo tenses too. Quickly growing ridgid in Nagi’s arms, no doubt taking Nagi’s quiet for discomfort as he attempts in vain to fight his way out of Nagi’s embrace.
It’s futile, Nagi would stay attached to Reo for the rest of his life if he could. Like a male anglerfish. He saw it once in a nature documentary, to be attached to Reo for the rest of their lives? Marriage simply isn’t enough, Nagi wants to share his skin with Reo.
The silence between them stretches on and Nagi almost finds himself amused with the way Reo tries to bang against his chest.
All these years, and Reo’s habit of jumping to conclusions hasn’t exactly subsided. Nagi holds him tighter.
“Reo’s being a dummy.”
“Hey!—”
“I’m not mad,” Nagi says firmly. He opens his mouth and then closes it, repeating the action a few times as he considers his words carefully.
Is he ready for kids? Are they? They’ve talked about it before—well, not really.
They’ve more so spoken about their respective upbringings. Their parents and all the things they did wrong, all the things they wouldn't want to do or be like if they ever had a little one of their own. Reo has dropped hints like he’d think it’d be nice. Eventually. Someday down the line. In all honesty, Nagi used to be pretty indifferent about kids. If Reo wanted some eventually, then yeah. What the hell? Sure. Maybe it’s because he was younger that he didn’t fully grasp what it meant, but now? Kids with Reo? A family with Reo? It sounds like another dream to share with his partner.
Anything with Reo sounds like a win to him. That and that part of his brain that Nagi usually tries to ignore out of fear of it being too intense jumps for joy for some reason, Reo having his kids.
Ultimately, the decision is Reo’s and Reo’s alone.
It’s not just that Nagi can wait, it’s that Nagi is already blessed enough to have Reo in his life at all. Anything Reo chooses to give him is just an additional blessing.
“I want whatever Reo wants,” Nagi whispers as he presses his lips to Reo’s forehead.
Reo goes still. Hiding his face away from Nagi, Nagi can’t quite tell what’s going on in that pretty head of his. Once again, the silence stretches on, a bit tense at first, but gradually calming down as if the very space around them bends to Reo’s whims, follows his lead, deep breathes when he does and exhales just the same.
Eventually, the vice-like grip Reo had on Nagi begins to loosen, not letting go completely, but no longer with the fear-filled desperation that letting go means Nagi walking away.
With eyes still glassy, Reo looks at him and it’s like he’s peering into Nagi’s very soul and addressing it directly.
“I want this,” he says, “I want this with you so bad, Seishiro,” Reo says again.
Quickly, Reo tries to bury his face into Nagi’s chest again and, oh no, that won’t do.
Nagi adjusts, holding Reo firm as if to ground him, as if to tell him without words that he’s not going anywhere, that Reo can never get rid of him, that their existences are so heavily entwined that even the universe could never tear them apart.
Nagi guides Reo so that he can look at him, so that Reo can look into his eyes and know Nagi is with him.
“Again,” Nagi says, “Say it again, Reo.”
In front of him, Reo’s eyes shine whilst tears build at the corners, and he does “I want this,” Reo says again, louder, more resolute.
Nagi takes his partner’s face into both of his hands, gently, because in his hands he holds the most precious thing in the world— no, he holds the world itself.
“Then I want this too.” Nagi affirms.
Zantetsu:
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You and Reo have corvid???
Kunigami:
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Covid*
And congratulations, you two
Isagi:
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Have you guys decided on a godparent yet?
Can it be me?
Congrats btw
Bachira:
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Omg
Infant football
Wait, what if I wanna be the stepdad???
(Mikage)Nagi:
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Me and Reo are still married
Bachira:
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What if I change that hehe
Reo wdys?
(Mikage)Nagi:
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Kys 🖕🏼
Nagi(Reo):
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My treasure and I are married!
Bachira:
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Happily?
Chigiri:
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Okay first
Are you keeping it?
Kunigami:
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Hyouma
Chigiri:
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What? It’s a valid question!
What are you thinking, Reo
Nagi(Reo):
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Yes!
My treasure is setting a doctor’s appointment rn!
I’m so happy!!!
(Mikage)Nagi:
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Me and Reo r gonna b parents
I’m so happy too, Reo ily 🥺
Bachira:
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ASKFJADJF
This is so exciting
Congrats! Please consider selling me your baby!
(Mikage)Nagi:
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Reo and Reo jr. are priceless
Barou:
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Reo Jr?
Bless your child’s soul
And congratulations to Reo I guess
(Mikage)Nagi:
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Wb me?
Barou:
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You got the easy part
Make sure you take care of Reo
(Mikage)Nagi:
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Fair
I’m gonna take care of Reo so hard
Barou:
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Gross
Chigiri:
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Happy for you two but
Ya’ll are not serious with that name
Nagi(Reo):
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We’re not naming them that
No matter how much Sei pouts about it
Isagi:
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Are you gonna sign them up for football lessons?
I don’t mind coaching!
⚽️
Kunigami:
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Congratulations 🎉
Chigiri:
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Congratulations!
Ready to claim my throne as best uncle
Zantetsu:
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Ant*
And congress elations!
Mikage(Nagi):
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Aunt*
Congratulations*
Isagi:
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Seriously, the earlier they start playing, the better!
⚽️⚽️⚽️
In a matter of months, Nagi and Reo bear witness as a shrill cry cuts through the sterile room. A powerful sound, full of life, commanding attention, as if wanting to let the whole world know of his arrival, Nagi and Reo’s newborn son makes his unforgettable entrance.
If it were any other baby, Nagi might clamp his hands over his ears.
Not this sound. Not this baby– if anything, Nagi himself feels like joining his son in his cries, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Next to him in the bed, Reo shakes as he bawls, holding his hands out.
The doctor places the little one on Reo’s chest and immediately the baby calms, looking at Reo with wonder and promptly falling asleep. This moment… Nagi thinks it’s been engraved into his mind, an unforgettable sight, yet another precious memory that Reo has gifted him to place on the shrine in his mind.
Sharing a kiss, and then looking at their son, it’s like for a moment everything in the world has paused to make room for them.
Atsushi Mikage-Nagi is born. Surprisingly large, thankfully healthy, and to two loving parents.
If someone were to tell seventeen year old Nagi Seishiro that he’d find the love of his life, get married, and have a kid someday, he wouldn’t have believed them.
Love? That kind of thing only works in stories and even then, the whole ordeal seems taxing.
Kids? No thanks, what a hassle.
Staring at the infant in his arms, Nagi feels a flood of warmth envelope him.
He’s only had Atsushi for a day and a half, but if anything ever happened to him or Reo, Nagi would kill everyone and then himself. Seriously, Nagi used to think that people with babies or people who liked babies were exaggerating, until his baby was born.
Atsushi throws up on him.
“Ah-”
“Haha!”
“Reooo, don’t laugh at me, it’s not funny,” Nagi pouts.
Okay, so having a baby is kind of a hassle.
But as Reo approaches with a damp cloth and leans in close, wiping Atsuhi’s face and pressing a kiss onto his forehead, Nagi thinks once again that some hassles are important.
“Me too,” Nagi whines.
To his satisfaction, Reo complies, rolling his eyes but smiling anyway as he pulls the collar of Nagi’s shirt to get him to lean down and presses a kiss against Nagi’s lips.
So this is living? It’s pretty good, Nagi can’t lie.
Between them, Atsushi whines, a noise not all that dissimilar from Nagi’s.
“He wants another kiss,” Nagi says.
“If I give him another kiss, you’re gonna want another kiss too, treasure,” Reo huffs.
“And if you don’t give him another kiss, he’s gonna start crying,” Nagi retorts, “And I’ll get cranky too.”
“Fine, come here, little gem,” Reo sighs, pressing another kiss, this time on Atushi’s cheek and then again on Nagi’s lips, “There you are, treasure,” he says as he pulls away.
“Yayy~” Nagi cheers.
Atsushi babbles happily too.
Should Atsushi be in his crib right now? The answer is yes and if their doctor could see them now, he’d scold them. To be honest though, getting scolded is only ever intimidating when it’s by Ba-ya. Retired though she may be, she’s been a beacon of wisdom that would surely give a lecture about infant sleeping safety.
It’s fine, Reo figures.
He’s here, watching both of them like a hawk, getting up to check Atsushi’s breathing and pulse. The baby sleeps like the dead. That is to say, he sleeps like his father. And just like his father, the boy is capable of falling asleep just about anywhere.
It would be so easy for Reo to wake them up. They’d be a bit cranky. For all of three minutes because the two of them would just as easily fall back into dreamland. So Reo doesn’t put a stop to this.
This, of course, refers to Nagi peacefully laying on the couch, Atsushi resting soundly on his chest. They make a good pair, equally lazy, equally sleepy, and equally the absolute loves of Reo’s life.
To hell with the nursery he and Nagi spent his entire pregnancy and a boatload of money on. If this is where Atsushi wants to sleep, then this is where he’ll do it. Atsushi Mikage-Nagi gets what he wants.
Snapping a picture, Reo alternates between looking at the image with fondness and looking at the real deal before making it his new lockscreen.
This is the life!
Quietly, Reo ponders whether Atushi wants any siblings or not, he and Nagi are both only children so maybe… Many things to discuss with his partner! For now, Reo savors his time in his personal paradise.