Archive of Our Own

"Papas, you two aren't married, right?"

The question took both men by surprise.

"Two men can't get married here, Miri," Rei responded, only half paying attention as he prepped food for the day.

Kazuki walked over to the other man, throwing his arm around his shoulders. He could feel Rei lean slightly into his body.

"I don't think Papa Rei could even handle me as a husband. I am hard to deal with." He teased.
Miri giggled.

"Why do you ask, jelly bean?"

The little girl grinned at her nickname. "My friends at school were asking. I never know how to explain why I have two dads who do everything together even though they aren't a couple."

This was something Kazuki's family had dealt with on almost a daily basis since the day Miri had been brought into their lives. He didn't think raising a kid with your best friend was strange, but many people did, which was fine. He didn't need other people's approval. Their family dynamic worked for them, and that was all that mattered.

"You shouldn't feel the need to justify our family," Rei grunted, his voice still groggy with sleep. Even after almost a decade, early mornings weren't for him.

Kazuki pulled his arm away and lightly smacked him on the shoulder. Sometimes his words came out a lot harsher than he meant them to be. Luckily over the years, Kazuki and Miri learned better than to get upset.

Miri stuck her tongue out at her dad.

"Then how come neither of you has ever married? Papa Kazuki, I know you had a wife before, and I know you sneak off at night sometimes to have a drink with women. I've seen the texts! And Papa Rei, how come you've never been on secret dates with anyone?"

Kazuki could see Rei visibly tense. The other man wasn't fond of talking about romantic relationships. Kazuki had assured them that he could start dating once Miri had turned ten if he wanted to. Of course, they would have to set some ground rules, and their relationship with Miri would always come first, but finding someone was a good idea. Rei's only response was to question Kazuki as to why he had yet to find himself a girlfriend then. He decided to save Rei from Miri's early morning interrogation.

"Because little Miri, you're the only woman we need in our lives." He practically sung before picking her up and twirling her around, causing Miri to burst into a fit of laughter. Once he put her down, she looked at the clock on the wall.

"Oh, Papas! I've gotta run to school. I'll be back to help close after judo! Love you!" Miri said, kissing both her fathers on the cheek and rushing out the back door in the kitchen. She might not have been theirs by blood, but she definitely got her fighting skills from Rei.

The silence that filled the room once Miri had left was awkward, which was strange because the silence between the two men who were busy prepping their diner for opening was never awkward anymore. It was comfortable and quaint, part of their everyday morning routine. Kazuki tried to ignore it by cutting up some potatoes.

"I'm going to set up the cash register," Rei mumbled before walking past Kazuki.

Oh… he's upset, Kazuki thought to himself.

Someone who might not know Rei would never be able to tell. With his monotone voice and sometimes lack of facial expression, it was hard to decipher what he was feeling at any given moment. But Kazuki could tell. There was no doubt in his mind that Rei was upset about something. He followed him to the register.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice laced with thick concern.

Rei didn't bother looking up at him and began counting the money. "Nothing." He shrugged.

"Rei, you can't fool me. After living with you for almost 15 years, you think I can't tell when something is bothering you?"

He let out a quiet sigh, letting Kazuki know Rei wanted him to leave it alone, but he could be insufferable sometimes and liked pushing his partner's buttons, so he continued anyways.

"Is it what Miri asked?" He guessed.

He gave Kazuki a blank stare.

"Look, she didn't mean anything by it. She's just at that age where people start to date, and couples are everywhere. So I think it's normal for a kid to ask questions about their parent's relationship!" He grinned, trying his very best to lighten the mood.

"You don't get it," Rei said, shaking his head.

"Maybe I would if you told me," Kazuki replied, crossing his arms. It was a gesture he had picked up from his partner after all these years.

Rei looked hesitant, like there was something on the tip of his tongue that he wanted to say but wasn't sure how to say it. It shocked Kazuki because he always spoke what was on his mind. The silence between the two was so quiet he could hear the large clock ticking from the kitchen.

"What if you don't like what I'm about to say?" The younger man asked.

Kazuki chuckled. "You really think you could tell me something that would scare me away? We've murdered people together, and now we're raising a kid as one small happy family."

Rei crossed his arms, mirroring Kazuki. The only difference was Rei began to pout. Kazuki secretly loved looking at his pouting face.

"What if I told you the reason I never dated was because of you?"

"Because of me? Why would I stop you? I even told you you should!" Kazuki exclaimed.

"That's not what I mean."

The two men stood there staring at each other. Over the years, they had developed the ability to have a silent conversation between the two, relying on facial expressions and body language alone. Rei could tell Kazuki was confused by how he had his head cocked to the side, almost like a puppy, when his owner was trying to teach him a new trick. He gestured between the two of them with his hands.
Oh? Oh!

"You mean…me?" Kazuki asked, shocked.

Rei nodded.

"After all these years, that's why you never dated anyone?"

“Yes.

"How long?"

"Long."

"Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"You weren't interested, and I wasn't so oblivious to not notice when you would disappear in the evenings sometimes."

"I only did that because I didn't think you were an option!" Kazuki brushed a hand through his hair.

How could he be so stupid? After all these years, how could he not have noticed? A small part of Kazuki always hoped Rei felt something other than platonic feelings toward him. The older man tried to hide a very small part because the thought that he had feelings for the man he was raising his daughter with terrified him since what they had was good. It was great. It was perfect. He just never thought Rei was even capable of those feelings. But now that he was thinking about it, other man did so many things that made his feelings blatantly obvious. There were lingering touches and looks. Soft smiles Rei had explicitly reserved for him. Rei never denied it when people assumed they were an actual couple or refused to offer clarification to people who were clearly confused when he introduced them as Miri's fathers. Even earlier, the only reason he gave to Miri why they weren't married was that they legally couldn't be! And there was that one time when they did almost kiss. But they were drunk, and it was Valentine's Day. Miri was staying the night at a friend's house, and wow, he really was a moron.

"Holy shit, I'm so stupid," Kazuki said, gripping at the ends of his hair.

Rei simply shrugged and crossed his arms. "Yea, but it's not like I said anything either."

They stared at each other momentarily before the black-haired man brushed past Kazuki, heading back to the kitchen. He quickly reached out to grab Rei's arm, stopping him from leaving.

"Where are you going?"

"Uh…to cook?"

Kazuki forgot they had a restaurant to open. He looked at the watch on his wrist.

Shit. We open in only 45 minutes, he thought to himself. He stared at his hand that held the pale arm for a second before letting it go.

"This conversation isn't finished. We're talking about this the second we get home, okay?"

Rei nodded before walking through the kitchen doors. Kazuki sighed loudly, rubbing his hands aggressively over his face.

"Today is going to be one of the longest days of my life." He muttered out loud. He looked at his watch once again, wincing at how little time they had to prepare to open the diner. He hated running behind schedule.

True to his thoughts, this was the longest day of his life. Health and safety showed up unexpectedly, as they usually do. Of course, they passed with flying colours seeing as Kazuki would lose his mind even if he saw a speck of grease on the floor, but regardless it was still stressful. And naturally, customers were particularly heinous that day as well. It seems his food could make no one happy. It also didn't help that he was so incredibly distracted.
 How could Rei drop the ball on him like that and expect him to be okay? Because he was very much not okay. He was burning food and screwing up orders because of how fine he wasn't. And to make matters worse, Rei seemed completely fine! He seemed so goddamn normal that Kazuki even began to think the conversation this morning had never happened. He pouted and muttered aggressively at the stir fry he was currently cooking.

"Kazuki-Papa, what did that stir fry do to you?"

The cheerful familiar voice brought him out of his thoughts. Miri. Ah, his sweet innocent Miri. There was no better part of his day than when she would come here for the last hour after her school day had finished. She really was a good kid, and it warmed Kazuki's heart, knowing he contributed to some of that goodness. He was able to change enough to participate in the creation of such a wonderful human being.

"Ah, Miri! You're here. I didn't even hear you walk back here!"

Miri walked over to her father, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. He would mourn days like these when she grew out of giving him and Rei this kind of affection.

"That's because you were too busy getting mad at that poor stir fry you're currently cooking. Long day?" She giggled.

The older man stopped stirring the food for a moment and turned to kiss his kid on the forehead, returning her gesture.

"You have no idea, Jelly Bean."

Miri let out another giggle before gently pushing Kazuki out of the way and taking over to cook.

"Go take a break, papa! I'll finish this up for you."

He let go of the pan's handle and gave his daughter another kiss on her forehead. Yea. She really was a good kid. He walked out the back door and laid against the brick siding of the building across from theirs. He had never smoked a day in his life, but at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to put a cigarette between his lips and feel the addicting burn in his throat and lungs.

From his spot on the wall, he could see into their restaurant. He knew how loud and chaotic it was in there right now, especially as the dinner rush was coming to an end. But looking at it through a window almost made it look peaceful. He kicked a rock on the ground until he spotted a familiar black ponytail placing plates at a table.

Kazuki studied the other man. His movements. His body language. He couldn't help but chuckle at how awkward Rei was still. The man had learned how to be more of a human after almost a decade, but customer service was not something that came naturally to him, and it never would, but Kazuki admired how hard he tried.

They both had come a long way, but Rei had come even further. The man had to almost completely rewire his brain and instincts, overcoming everything his piece-of-shit father had drilled into him. He felt himself smile.

He knew he loved Rei. How could he not? They'd spent almost every waking moment together, even before Miri had come into their lives. They had a job that required them to protect each other daily, and now they were ten years into raising their daughter. It would be even more shocking if he didn't love the other man. He just didn't realize until this moment what kind of love it was. And maybe it was pure platonic love until this moment. Still, as Kazuki stared at the other man waltzing around their restaurant, he started thinking about how much he wanted to walk in there right now, grab him by his tiny waist and pull him into an earth-shattering kiss to make up for the lost time. He wanted to wrap his arms around him, burying his face into his neck. He wanted to cuddle him in his bed. He wanted to undo his ponytail and run his fingers through that long raven-coloured hair, tugging on it as he pounded— He gasped and looked down to see a tent in his pants. He was hard. He was at work, and he was so goddamn hard right now. He slid down the brick wall, hoping the sharp pain of the clay scratching his back would kill his boner. It helped a bit as he sat on the cold concrete ground.

"Fuck. I just wanna go home." He groaned.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, trying to think of anything but Rei. He tried to think of the baseball game that was on tonight. He tried to think about what he wanted to cook his family for dinner. He even tried to think about how desperately he needed to vacuum the living room because he realized it hadn't been done in two days. He made a face of disgust thinking about all the dust that was probably on their lamp and coffee table.

"Are you okay?"

Kazuki's eyes shot open. He saw Rei standing across from him, propping open their back door. There was no point in lying.

"No, Rei. I'm not. I'm having a bit of a crisis over here about our conversation this morning."

Rei stared at him blankly. "I thought you said we would talk about this at home?"

"Yea, I did. I just don't understand how you can be so normal about this. How are you not thinking about it at all?"

Rei shrugged. It was pretty much his signature gesture at this point. "It's not like I learned anything new. I was the one who told you I was in love with you. That's just a part of my everyday life."

A part of Kazuki's heart broke because he was right. Every day for god knows how long, Rei had been harbouring these feelings that he thought were unrequited. That he still thinks are unrequited.

The older man sighed, reaching out his hand in hopes Rei would help him stand back up. He felt warm fingers intertwine with his and was on his feet the next moment. God, he was getting old, and all those years of fighting were now starting to settle in his bones.

"You're right. We're still talking about this at home tonight. Come on; I'll help you start closing."
He headed through the pale grey door, Rei following close behind him. They had work to do.

Closing the store was probably his least favourite part about owning a restaurant. Normally he would love cleaning and counting money, but after being on his feet all day, the only thing he wanted to do was yell at the final few stragglers who were overstaying their welcome that they needed to get the fuck out. He never did, though.

He breathed in relief as he walked through the kitchen doors to the dining floor and saw that Miri had already begun wiping down the tables and gently letting customers know they were closed. He even spotted a mop in the corner that Miri had prepared so she could wash the floors when their little diner was empty. Yea, she was a damn good kid.

Luckily for him, closing was a breeze after such a long and slow day. They were out of the restaurant right at six pm and made it home only 10 minutes later. The three of them stood in the front hallway, removing their shoes before Miri quickly rushed by.

"I have so much homework to do tonight! Let me know when dinner is ready!" She shouted before running off to her bedroom.

"Looks like it'll just be you and me cooking tonight," Kazuki said. Most nights before Miri had started high school, it was their routine to cook together. Rei had always joined them, keen on learning any tips and tricks so he could be of more help at their restaurant. Cooking was a life skill that he wanted Miri to have, so he welcomed her with open arms into his kitchen when he knew she could be trusted not to burn the place down.

Rei hadn't responded, so he turned to see if he was still there. You can take the man out of being an assassin, but you can't take the assassin out of the man. Sometimes it scared Kazuki how quietly Rei could disappear. He was surprised to see the younger man staring at his feet, twiddling with the bottom of his shirt. He looked so young right now.

"Are we talking about this now or later?" He asked, refusing to look at Kazuki.

The older man walked the few steps to where he was standing and placed two fingers under his chin, lifting his face so that they were eye to eye. He noticed how anxious Rei looked, which scared him. He only saw this look a handful of times, and it was only when there was a gun in the room that had been pointed at either one of them.

"Let's wait until Miri goes to bed, okay? The diner is closed tomorrow, so we have all night." He smiled.

Kazuki laced his fingers with Rei's, dragging him to the kitchen. The two men had a lot of work to do.

Naturally, they made hamburger steak, a staple in their household. Kazuki had it down to a science, it was quick and easy and a favourite of Miri's, so it made everyone happy. The young girl didn't have to be told dinner was ready before practically skipping down the stairs.

"It smells so good!" She squealed excitedly.

She opened the cupboards, pulling out plates and cutlery to set the table. Kazuki looked over his shoulder to see her folding the napkins into neat little swans. She had taken up an interest in origami lately. Kids can be weird, he thought to himself.

He also saw her go to the fridge, pulling out two beers and pouring a glass of water for herself.

"Who says we're drinking tonight?" Kazuki asked.

The young girl simply put the cans on the table at their designated seats beside each other and smiled at him.

"Both my papas look like they could use one!" She said with a wink.

He squinted at her before she let out a devious laugh and sat at the table where she pulled at her phone to check whatever it is kids do on their phones these days.

"The sauce is done," Rei said quietly. They hadn't been cooking for that long, but the man had hardly said anything besides one-word responses to Kazuki's questions.
Kazuki gave him a large grin and took the bowl of sauce from his hands, bringing it to the table along with the hamburger steak and roasted veggies. "Thank you, Rei Papa."

The man turned his head to hide the cutest shade of pink dusting his cheeks.

The three of them sat at the table, doing their nightly catch-up about their days. Usually, Miri would rant about friends and school. There was always some kind of drama going on with her friends. Or friends of her friends. They didn't mind. They loved seeing her so animated and excited. Sometimes she would even dramatically reenact the stories she would talk about. Tonight though, she was a little more quiet than usual. She was still talking their ears off, but there was less excitement. Almost as if she was rushing them through her day.

"Is everything okay, Miri?" Rei asked as they were close to finishing their plates.

It still shocked Kazuki that the other man learned to pick up on these things.

A small smile appeared on her face.

"Of course, Rei Papa! Why wouldn't I be?"

The young man sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"You just seem off, that's all." He shrugged.

"I am super okay! So don't you worry!" She replied before mimicking Rei and leaning to sit against the back of her chair. She was clearly thinking about something. As Kazuki studied her face, he could practically see her going through a thought process, almost as if she was having an internal debate with herself. Suddenly she leaned forward, reaching her arms across the table and grabbing her fathers' hands.

"Y'know, Papas, I've just been thinking about how I want you two to be happy." She said, rubbing the backs of their hands with her thumbs.

Rei also leaned forward, wrapping his other fingers around his and Miri's clasped hands. "We are Miri. I've never been happier." He reassured her. Kazuki did the same. "Of course, we're happy, Jelly Bean! We've just had a long day at the restaurant."

Miri nodded her head to what they said. "I know, Papas! I'm really happy too. I just want you two to be extra happy!"
The two men looked at each other in confusion, silently conversing through looks.

"Hey! No secret conversations between you too. You know how I can't understand you guys when you do that." Miri complained before letting go of their hands.

The young girl began cleaning off the table, taking plates to the dishwasher and grabbing a paper towel to wipe down the table. The two men followed suit and began packaging some leftovers and wiping down the kitchen counters. They cleaned in silence for a few moments before Miri continued speaking. "All I'm saying is that you two can tell me anything, okay?"

The men didn't have time to say anything before Miri walked up to them, giving them both a hug and kisses on the cheek. Kazuki's face went pale as he finally understood what she was getting at. Rei had never looked more confused in his life.

"I'm gonna have a bath and then go to sleep. I have a fitness test early in the morning, so I wanted to go to bed early! Love you both!" She said before jumping up the stairs.

Both Kazuki and Rei shouted they loved her too before she disappeared into the bathroom.

"I don't understand what just happened."

Kazuki gently slapped Rei on the back. "Eh, I can explain later."

The two fathers went about their nightly routine of bathing to get the smell of diner food off their bodies and getting into fresh, clean pyjamas. Kazuki had gotten Rei into the lifestyle of wearing actual comfy sleeping clothes to bed instead of jeans and a sweater. It's changed the younger man's life forever. They met a little later and fell onto their comfy couch. Kazuki insisted it was one of the best investments they had ever made.

"What do you wanna watch?" Kazuki asked.

Rei thought for a moment. Kazuki could tell he was eyeing his gaming console. As Miri got older and there was less work to do around the house, he assumed Rei would start sneaking in more game time. But the younger man upheld his agreement and still, to this day, limited himself to one hour a day. Even when a new game came out, whenever he would tell Rei he was free to play as much as he wanted as long as he helped clean up after dinner, the man would shrug it off.

"Isn't there a game on tonight?"

"Yea, but since when do you like to watch baseball?"

"I don't; you do, though," Rei responded.

Kazuki couldn't help but smile and changed the channel to the sports channel. He always knew it was, but now it was nice to be able to stare. To stare at his prominent cheekbones that left a shadow on his face. To stare at his surprisingly perfectly straight pointy nose because how on earth hadn't he broken it hundreds of times already? He also stared at his lips. They always seemed to be pouty and kissable. Kazuki wanted nothing more than to lean across the couch and kiss them.

"Stop staring," Rei muttered.

Kazuki laughed. "Y'know, I kinda miss the undercut. It was a good look."

"You can shave the sides of my hair the next time you cut it if you want."

Kazuki thought about it for a moment.

"You sure? I didn't know if it would remind you of before."

"It does, but it doesn't upset me. I don't hate who I was before. Or who you were before. It might be nice to remember how much we've changed."
Kazuki reached over and pulled the elastic out of Rei's hair, eliciting a surprised gasp.

"I would like that."

Rei stared at him, mouth slightly open and nodded. He looked completely and utterly dumbfounded.

Kazuki took note of the sudden tension in the air. He couldn't fully decipher what kind of tension it was, but it was there, and it was heavy. Almost overwhelming for him.

"Are we going to talk about earlier?" Kazuki asked.

"Only if you want to."

Rei sounded upset again. Almost hurt. As if he expected only the worst would come out of this conversation.

"You don't need to be sad."

His face went from upset to annoyed in an instant. "That's not very fair of you to say."

"Why do you assume this will be a bad conversation?" Kazuki asked. He knew he was teasing the man.

"Can we just get this done and over with? I get it. I know. I know this -"he gestured between them, "is not a thing and never will be."

The older man smiled big. "Well, I think it should be a thing."

Rei snapped his head to look at Kazuki. "What?" Was all he managed to say.

Kazuki grabbed the other man's hand, bringing it to his lips and gently kissing the back.

"Look, Rei…I didn't realize that we could be a thing. If I had known, I wouldn't have been with anyone else. It was all meaningless fun with them. But with you, I promise I could never be more serious. We've been together for over ten years. We've taken care of each other; protected each other. Hell, we're even raising a kid together. How could I not love you like that?"

Rei was staring at their hands. He was never known for his words, but his silence was deafening.

"Hey man, you gonna say anything?" Kazuki joked before he felt pressure against his lips.

Rei had managed to grab the collar of his shirt, bringing them together in the softest kiss known to man. It was a simple press of the lips. And Kazuki knew at that moment that this was love because something so innocent and unpracticed was so goddamn perfect to him that it felt overwhelming. Rei pulled away all too soon.

"That wasn't my first kiss."

Kazuki let out a deep laugh. "I never said it was."

"I know. I'm just letting you know that it wasn't. I just don't have a lot of experience."

"Rei, you're fine," Kazuki reassured. He started leaning in for another kiss before hesitating.

"Is this okay?" He asked.

Rei nodded and closed the remaining distance. This kiss wasn't as soft, but it wasn't heated either. It was delicate and careful. Kazuki felt like he would pounce on the other man if he didn't hold himself back, and Rei was nervous about his lack of experience. He knew Kazuki wouldn't judge him. Maybe tease him a little, but he wouldn't dare make him feel bad. After a few moments, Rei did gain a bit of confidence. He brought his hands up to Kazuki's face, cupping his face. As they continued kissing, he rubbed the other man's cheekbones soothingly.
 Kazuki could feel himself becoming addicted to this. Rei's lips were heavenly soft, and he tasted like peppermint. His hands felt so gentle on his face, almost like the younger man was handling a prized possession. We could've been doing this this whole time? He thought to himself. The sweet kisses lasted for a while, but it always remained innocent. The older man had laced his fingers through Rei's hair, gently massaging his scalp and brushing out any knots he came across. Rei pulled back.

"Did you want to cut my hair now?"

"You don't have to cut it just because I said I missed the shaved sides."

Rei frowned slightly, thinking to himself for a moment. "It feels a bit more like me, I think."

Kazuki nodded, brushing the hair out of Rei's face and held him in his hands for a second. He stared at the younger man and smiled before kissing him on his nose. "Okay! If you say so."

He got up from the couch and headed to his bedroom upstairs. It had been years since he brought out the clippers since the moment they left the hitman lifestyle, Rei started growing his hair back out. Of course, Kazuki still trimmed it from time to time. He didn't understand how, but that head of raven hair had a mind of its own and would tangle if someone breathed too hard. He also grabbed the hair scissors in case the other man wanted a trim.

He returned quickly, not wanting to make Rei wait. He had already sat down at one of the dining room chairs, a garbage bag lying on the floor underneath him to catch all the falling hair. Kazuki could practically cry at how far Rei had come.
 He came up behind the other man and laid all his tools on the table. It had been a while since the last time he had cut Rei's hair. He was concerned he would be out of practice but then reminded himself that at least he was never too concerned about his own appearance.

"Ready?"

Rei nodded. He got back into the swing of things. First, he gave Rei a decent chop, still longer than he always used to, but he definitely cut off more than a couple of inches. Once satisfied with the length, he began sectioning the black hair with a comb and tying up all the hair he didn't plan on cutting. He chopped off the excess hair where he wanted the undercut to be and then plugged in his clippers. The familiar buzz in his hand felt almost nostalgic. As he was trimming away the hair, he stared at Rei's neck. He had never realized how attractive of a neck it was before. It was slim and pale. Almost too delicate looking for him. And like the rest of him, it was pale and free from any scars. Probably one of the very few places on his body that wasn't littered with them. Kazuki couldn't help but think how pretty it would look with purple markings. He pushed that thought away and continued buzzing the hair.

He was not very successful. Once he finished, he put the clippers on the table, pulling Rei out of the chair.

"What are you doing?" Rei asked.

Kazuki offered him no response and instead grabbed his arm, pulling him toward his bedroom. He couldn't have been happier that his room was far from Miri's.

He aggressively opened his door, pushing Rei into the room. The younger man could hear the click of the lock being turned.

"You have no idea how goddamn sexy you are right now. Always have been." Kazuki groaned as he rushed over to Rei, latching his mouth on his neck. He began leaving deep red marks as Rei fell back onto the bed.

He sucked in a deep breath. "Don't you think I look old?"

Kazuki pulled back to look the other man in the eyes and smiled. "If you're old, I'm ancient. You don't think I'm sexy?" He joked.

Rei's eyes widened, and he nodded quickly. To him, Kazuki was the only attractive person on this planet.

"You are." He whispered before he pulled Kazuki into an earth-shattering kiss.

The older man was trying to take things slow, not to devour this beautiful man as fast as he could, but that was becoming increasingly difficult. He shivered as he felt teeth gently tug on his lower lip. "You've always been such a fast learner."

Rei smirked.

Feeling bold, he teased the bottom of Kazuki's shirt, softly pressing his fingers against the skin on his lower belly.

Kazuki whimpered. "Rei, you're going to be the fucking death of me."

He took that opportunity to press the bullet hole scar through Kazuki's shirt. "Yea."

Kazuki pulled back from nipping at his neck.

"Dude, did you just make a joke? I think that's hotter than anything we're doing right now!"

The younger man began to pout. "Did you just call me dude?"

Kazuki couldn't help but laugh. He was enjoying this. He always thought intimacy should be hot and heavy, but there was something even more intimate about laughing during make-out sessions and even sex. He surprised Rei by pulling at the bottom of his shirt, signalling for the younger man to lift his arms. He didn't hesitate. Once the shirt was discarded in the corner of the room, he began slowly pushing Rei back against the bed, pressing feather-light kisses to his chest and shoulders.

"Is there something else I should call you? You don't seem like the kind of guy to like being called babe or handsome. Maybe you're a honey type of guy. Darling? Or are you my baby girl?" He teased.

Rei moaned at the last one. A mischievous smile appeared on the older man's face.

"Oh. Baby girl? You like that one?"

Rei moaned again and turned a beautiful deep shade of red. Oh, he was going to have so much fun with this.

"I-"Rei began as Kazuki shut him up with a deep kiss. Their tongues intertwined in such a rhythm that it was almost like they were destined to be.

"Shhhh, don't be embarrassed, baby girl. It suits you." Kazuki leaned on the backs of his calves, drinking in the man underneath him. "I mean, look at this pale marble skin." He dragged his hands down the side of Rei's hips and grabbed onto his waist. "And look at this fucking waist, Rei. Holy shit, you have no idea what you're doing to me with this tiny waist! You're definitely my baby girl."

Rei turned an even darker shade of red, practically purple at this point. He had no idea how turned on it was making Kazuki. The older man leaned back down, kissing down his pale chest. He kissed down to his belly button and began pulling on Rei's pants. He grabbed Kazuki's hands.

"You're wearing more clothes than I am." He pouted.

Kazuki smirked, sitting back up again and stripped his shirt off. He laid it close beside him in case Miri decided to come knocking at his door. Sometimes she had nightmares of that night Misaki was killed. He never wanted his little girl to be scared of her dreams, but he cherished the moments he still cuddled and comforted her.

"That better?"

Rei shook his head and began pulling his pants down. He may not know what he was entirely doing, but he knew he needed Kazuki naked. He wanted to feel as much of him as he could with no barriers.

Kazuki had always assumed Rei wasn't an affectionate guy. When they first met, Kazuki seemed so hesitant to touch him, even if it was a simple pat on the back or a hand on the shoulder. Rei had assumed he himself hated being touched too. Growing up, the only time he felt the touch of another human was his father slapping him across the face or his mentor punching him in the stomach. It wasn't until he felt the warmth of holding Miri's hand that he realized being touched wasn't always painful. He realized that being touched could be soothing and gentle. When Miri asked him and Kazuki to sleep with her, he discovered that it could make him feel safe and secure. And now, he found that touch could be so overwhelming and hot in the most delicious way. He was addicted. He needed more.

"Someone's eager." Kazuki grinned.

He was eager. He pulled Kazuki back down so they were chest to chest and kissed him. It was hot and messy, and maybe there was too much lip-biting and unskilled tongues, but it was the hottest thing he had ever done in his life. His brain completely stopped working when he felt Kazuki's hard cock rubbing against his, reminding him just how horny he really was. Kazuki kept grinding more and more aggressively, eliciting the sweetest sounds coming from Rei's mouth. He was getting close. He didn't want this to be over so quickly. His cock had gone so long without being touched by anyone other than him. He might have gone on a few dates with women here and there and made out with them in the back of his car like a couple of teenagers, but he couldn't bring himself to go past that. Anytime the women would try to go any further, a deep knot would settle in the middle of his stomach. He never knew why he would get cold feet. He slept around with many women for years; why was it so hard for him now? And, of course, he debated with himself that he was scared to get serious with a woman because a part of him still wanted to get married; have a romantic partner in his life, but how would that even work? Two dads and a mom raising a little girl? How would they even begin to explain that dynamic? But now, as he has one of the most beautiful people he's ever seen in his life pinned underneath him, he thinks he understands why he couldn't go any further with anyone else. He wasn't looking for someone. He was waiting for Rei.

He paused for a moment and looked down at the younger man. "Yea," he thought to himself. Rei is all he's ever needed and wanted.

"Why'd you stop?"

"Wanted to savour this moment," Kazuki replied, kissing Rei's cheek. "Want to try other things too." He continued.

Kazuki leaned over to his side table and pulled out a bottle of lube. Rei could hear him shuffling things around as if he were looking for something.

"What's wrong?" Rei asked.

Kazuki shook his head. "Nothing. I don't have any condoms, but it's okay. I know you'll be gentle with me."

"Oh," Rei muttered.

Kazuki could tell there was a certain hesitancy in his voice.

"Oh? Baby girl, we don't have to do anything. I just thought-"

"I thought I would be…on the bottom." Rei practically whispered. He threw his arm over his face, covering himself in embarrassment.

"Ah…well, I figured since it was your first time, maybe I would give you the less risky position? You don't have to be on top if you don't want to. But don't worry; I'm talented on both ends." Kazuki winked. However, after a moment, Rei was still covering his face. He could tell there was more to it.

"Rei…-"Kazuki began before attempting to pull Rei's arm away from him gently. He gave in to Kazuki but still wouldn't look the other man in the face. Kazuki had never seen him like this. After all these years of living together, practically being attached at the hip, he liked to consider himself an expert on all there was to know about Rei. He could tell his mood from his body language at this point, and they could have a full-on conversation with their facial expressions. But this…this was something new, making something in his stomach churn. He grabbed the younger man's face between his hands, softly massaging his cheeks bones.

"Hey, if there is something wrong, you can tell me. If you don't want to, we can stop here and fall asleep next to each other. We have the rest of our lives to do whatever we want together."

Rei finally looked up at him. He looked embarrassed. "This isn't my first time."

Kazuki tried his best not to look shocked. He didn't know why he assumed Rei was a virgin. They had met when Rei was 20, and if he were anything like Kazuki, his innocence would have been gone years before that.

"Oh. Well, then, even better. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume-"

“No that’s…It’s just… I've only ever been with one person before. It was a woman, and it wasn't-"Rei was getting upset. Kazuki could hear the shakiness in his voice. He pulled the other man into a tight hug.

"Rei, I promise you don't have to tell me anything if it will just upset you," Kazuki said, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"No…I want to. When I was 15, I had a mentor. My first mentor. We were close. He was the only person who treated me like a person, not just a killing machine. And the boss noticed how close we were and didn't like it…so he hired an older woman."

Kazuki sucked in a deep breath. He knew where this was going, and he hated it. He hated nothing more than what Rei was about to tell him. He hugged the younger man even tighter.

"When he introduced us, I didn't get it. But then she led me to a room and took my clothes off. I was so scared, Kazuki. It scared me even more because I was raised not to feel fear. I didn't blame her at first, but she kept coming back and would tell me how much she enjoyed our time together. It didn't last long. The boss tried to make me kill her but even after all of that…I couldn't. He shot her in the face in front of me."

Kazuki felt sick. He felt sad for Rei, and he felt so fucking angry. He knew Rei's dad was a piece of shit. How could he not? Even if the other man had spared him details, he put a hit on him and their daughter. There was no afterlife bad enough for Shigeki. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt a drop of water fall onto his shoulder. He had never seen Rei cry before. Even when faced with death, the man never cried. He pulled him impossibly close to his body.

"I know we left the hitman life, but I have no fucking issue going to that shit hole mansion right now and putting a bullet in that man's heart." He could feel Rei bury his face deeper into his shoulder.

They sat like that for a long while, and Kazuki was perfectly content. He was growing very fond of holding another man, especially since that man was Rei. He finally pulled away from Kazuki.

"I want this time to be different. I want to forget all of that and enjoy this with you."

The older man cupped his face, giving him a soft kiss.

"Rei, we definitely aren't doing anything tonight."

"I didn't tell you that because I wanted you to feel bad. I told you because I want you to know everything about me." He huffed in frustration.

He pushed Kazuki back onto the mattress and straddled his hips.
"I want this to be what I associate with sex. Not that."

Kazuki could tell that Rei was sure. He looked determined to get what he wanted, and in all honesty, despite hearing such a tragic memory, his cock had a mind of his own and was still ready to go.

"You sure? You need to tell me if you feel uneasy or even if I think something is bothering you; we're stopping, okay?"

Rei nodded, diving in for a kiss. Things didn't go back to being fiery right away. Kazuki wanted things to be slower for a moment, so he knew for certain the other man wasn't forcing himself to do something he wasn't ready for. Rei wasn't making this easy for him. He could feel his partner getting hard again as he rubbed his hands up and down his back, feeling all the crevices in his spine.

"Baby girl, I'm trying not to rush into things again, but you are too goddamn hot.”

Rei softly moaned into Kazuki's mouth, nipping and sucking at his bottom lip. He felt a warm hand trace down the side of his body before fingers began teasing the waist of his boxers. He grabbed Rei's hand, sliding it beneath his waistband and bringing it to his aching cock. Rei was shocked to feel how much it was leaking at the tip already.

"That's all because of you." Kazuki teased.

"Can I taste it?" Rei asked.

The older man quickly nodded. Judging by the deep red blush on his pale cheeks and swollen lips, he was more than okay. He knew better than to coddle Rei than to ask if he was fine constantly. He trusted Rei to tell him if anything felt wrong and entrusted himself to be able to read if he wasn't okay.

The young man lowered himself down Kazuki's body, leaving kisses and bruises along the way. He kissed the bottom of his stomach at the part right above his dick. He groaned as Rei left a wet stripe with his tongue. He needed to be touched right now, or he felt like he would explode. After teasing Kazuki for ages, he finally pulled down his underwear, throwing them toward the laundry hamper.

Rei sat back up momentarily, eyeing all that Kazuki had to offer.

"Your cock is a pretty shade of pink… it's big too." He whispered.

Kazuki was taken aback by Rei's bedroom talk. It was a bit awkward and slightly forced, but it was so very Rei that the older man grew impossibly harder.

He couldn't contain his moan when he felt warmth and wetness surrounding his aching erection. Rei was bobbing his head up and down, swirling his tongue deliciously at the head of his cock and hollowing his cheeks as he went back down. He never wanted this to end. Rei was a bit sloppy and unpracticed, but that somehow made it better. Kazuki could tell he wouldn't last long, so he gently nudged Rei off of him.

"Why did you stop me?" Rei whined. "I was enjoying myself. You were enjoying it too."

Kazuki laughed as he pushed Rei on his back onto the bed.

"Because if you make me come, baby girl, I won't be able to fuck you until you see stars."

Rei whimpered at his new pet name and pulled down his boxers. Kazuki was surprised at how docile he was in bed, not that Rei was an overly dominant guy. He almost always willingly did what Kazuki asked of him but would make it known if it displeased or annoyed him. Here, it seemed like he would go along with anything and was happy to do so. Kazuki made a note that he would be more than excited to explore that in the near future.

He grabbed the bottle of lube, squirting it onto his fingers. He massaged it around his hand, hoping to warm it up slightly.

"You ready for this?"

Rei nodded.

Kazuki slowly inserted one finger to his second knuckle, easing his way in. He began twisting and lightly pumping. He could feel Rei shiver underneath him. Kazuki didn't notice any sign of discomfort on his partner's face, so he began pushing his finger in even deeper, finally reaching the base of it. He pumped it in and out, quicker than before, eliciting a soft moan from the man under him. He inserted his second finger. With two inside Rei, he started stretching him out, scissoring his fingers and adding more lube to the mix if he felt like Rei was getting too dry.

Rei began panting harder and harder the longer Kazuki stretched out his hole. He practically jolted off the bed when the older man surprised him by pressing against his prostate.

"Ah, did that feel good, baby girl?" Kazuki grinned.

Rei was speechless. He had never felt such pure bliss in his entire life. It felt electric and exploding, sending blood straight to his cock. Kazuki scooped the precum off the top, bringing it to his mouth and sucking on his finger. "Tastes good, just like the rest of you!"

He felt like he was going to pass out. As Kazuki continued his assault on his prostate, he felt confident Rei was loose enough and added a third finger for good measure. There was no way he would make this experience anything less than pleasurable for his partner.

"You can…you can put it in now."

"Are you sure?" Kazuki teased. "Tell me how much you really want it, Rei."

He was too blissed out to even put up a fight. Kazuki could convince him to do anything right now.

"Please, Kaz. Please fuck me. I need you inside me!" He begged.

The older man grinned. He grabbed his erection, rubbing lube on it before lining it up with Rei's ass.

"Make all the pretty noises you can for me, okay baby girl?"

He slowly began inserting his cock, hearing Rei hiss as the head entered.

"I'm gonna make you feel so nice and full!"

"Please make me feel so full!" Rei moaned.

Kazuki had no idea where he learned to talk like that. He could never have pictured Rei underneath him, begging to be filled and fucked. He wouldn't complain, though, him and his cock were more than happy to see this side of his lover.

He bottomed out but waited for Rei to tell him when moving was okay. He didn't say anything but instead began pushing himself back and forth, fucking himself on Kazuki's dick.

The older man grinned. Kazuki had never been hornier in his life. He started thrusting himself along with Rei, perfectly timing it so that their hips would collide at the same time. He tried to angle himself the right way so his head would hit Rei's prostate with every push. It took a few moments of trial and error, but then Rei let out the sexiest whimper Kazuki had ever heard and felt copious amounts of precum coating both of their stomachs.

They were getting close to coming. Both men were panting messes, pressing kisses to whichever spot they could reach. Rei was grabbing onto Kazuki's ass, definitely leaving scratch marks for him to admire in the mirror in the morning.

"Baby girl, touch yourself for me. I need to see you come undone."

Rei nodded and closed his eyes, reaching for his own bright red cock and began pumping up and down. This distraction allowed Kazuki to begin thrusting at a new quicker pace, pounding against Rei's prostate every time. His lover didn't last much longer. With a soft whimper, Rei's body arched off the bed as he came, causing the muscles in his ass to tighten around Kazuki's cock, causing him to come only a few seconds later. He fucked Rei through both of their orgasms, laying down on top of him only a second later, completely spent.

He could feel Rei panting underneath him, satisfied he caused the other man to feel out of breath.

They lay together for a while; Rei had wrapped his arms around Kazuki's back, holding him tightly.

It was incredibly nice and deliciously warm, but Kazuki began to be hyperaware of the sliminess from Rei's come on his stomach, and the drying sweat was giving him the chills. He needed to get both of them cleaned. He tried to pull his softened cock out of his partner's ass, but Rei pulled him even closer to his body.

"Not yet. Not ready to feel empty." Rei muttered.

Kazuki chuckled and kissed his forehead. "We'll both regret it if I don't get us cleaned up."
He pulled out of Rei's embrace, laughing at the whiney noises the younger man made. He was grateful that he was the one who got the bedroom with the ensuite, meaning he didn't have to leave his room to get a warm washcloth. He was back with Rei only a moment later and gently wiped off all the sweat and come.

"We gotta clean you out, or your stomach will hurt in the morning."

Rei sleepily pulled on a pair of Kazuki's sweatpants.

"S'fine." He mumbled and crawled back into the bed.

Kazuki was smart enough to know when to pick his battles, putting on a pair of pyjama pants and a sweater. He left his room only for a moment to get glasses of water for the two of them. When he returned, Rei was already sound asleep, softly breathing. He pulled the comforter on his bed back and curled around Rei. He was pleased with how nicely Rei's body fit against him, almost as if they were two puzzle pieces. He fell asleep quickly that night.

He was awoken by a body slamming against his; he sat up quickly and yelled in pain.

"What the hell?" He shouted.

It took a moment for his brain to wake up fully, but when it did, he heard the sound of giggling.

"Miri?" Rei mumbled, his voice still laced with sleep.

"I knew it!" She laughed, joining them under the blankets and cuddling between them.

Kazuki was still confused as to what was going on.

"Knew what, Jelly Bean?" He asked.

"You two!! I knew you two were in love!" She shouted in glee. "You two were always so obvious. Papa Kazuki, you should see how Papa Rei looks at you. It's like, as my book said! He looked at you as if you hung the moon and stars for him to look at every night! And Papa Kazuki, I knew there was a reason I never met any of those ladies you went out with. You were always more than happy cooking and cleaning for Papa Rei. And then yesterday, after I left, I had to go back because I forgot my backpack, but then I heard you two talking, and Papa Rei finally admitted he was in love with you and the face you made was like you were hearing good news for the first time in your life! AH! I'm so happy my papas are in love!"

The young girl was breathing heavily, barely taking a breath during her entire speech.

"So that's what you meant last night," Rei muttered.

Miri nodded excitedly and pulled them both in for a hug. The three of them lay together, enjoying the warmth underneath the covers. Kazuki always pretended he hated sleeping with the two of them when Miri was younger, but he was always happy to see the two people he loved most sound asleep beside him.

The moment ended too soon before Miri jumped out of their bed and headed to the door. She smiled. "I gotta get ready for school, but don't worry about breakfast! I can have cereal for once."

Both the men visibly relaxed as they heard the door finally close. Kazuki pulled Rei into a tight embrace.

"I love you." He said, pressing a kiss to his lover's temple.

"Love you too," Rei whispered back.