Fics and Pieces

Warnings for implied drug use.

Warnings for dub-con, captivity, female!reader, lots of spicy implications and yabaimaru.

Two heads peered into the pot like modern day witches checking on their cauldron. 

“What do you think, my boy?”

The smaller head looked up, his face scrunched up as he pondered the question with all the knowledge gained from his seven years of life so far. 

“Maybe… five more minutes?” he hazarded a guess. His father ruffled his hair at his answer, making him giggle.

“Five more minutes it is then!” Reiji turned the fire down a notch to prevent the pot from bubbling over then turned to the frying pan next to it. “Daddy’s going to fry up these onions now so stand back okay?”

“Can I help?”

“Hmm… Why don’t you help me wash up these apples for dessert first?” He lifted his boy up onto the step stool which was specially placed in the kitchen for small hands and bodies to reach the sink and kitchen counter properly. “There we go. Make sure you get them all nice and clean, the shinier they are the tastier they’ll be later.”

HIs son rolled up his sleeves and began splashing around the sink with gusto, every fiber of his little body determined to get the fruits in his hands as shiny as possible. Reiji turned away with a smile of pure contentment and got started on preparing the next part of dinner. 

He was skillfully tossing the well-cooked onions in the pan, ignoring the occasional tiny splatter of oil from the pan when he heard an “Ow!” coming from very close beside him. A quick glance down showed the sound had come from his small son, who had finished his given task and had wandered over to watch his father unwittingly demonstrate his prowess in frying techniques. 

Reiji immediately put down everything he was holding with a clatter, snapped the fire off and kneeled down to face the little boy.

“You okay, baby? Here, let me see.” He rubbed a hand regretfully over the little arm which had suffered the accidental oil splatter. “Let’s get some cold water over this and some ointment and you’ll be right as rain again.”

His son was strangely silent except for a frown while Reiji tended to the minor burn. It was only after he had been lifted up to sit on the kitchen counter and Reiji was rubbing ointment on his arm that he finally said something.

“Daddy?”

“Hmm? What is it, my boy?” Reiji looked down at him in concern. “Does anywhere else hurt?”

He shook his head and looked down at Reiji’s much larger hand holding on to his arm.

“Can you kiss it better?” he asked almost shyly. Reiji was mildly stunned at this request, but less than a second later he broke into the biggest grin and obliged. 

“Better now?” His son nodded, cheeks pink with contentment and the smallest smile on his chubby face. 

“Thank you, Daddy. You always make all the bad things go away.” These words shot Reiji right through the heart with their sincerity. His cheeks stretched out in an uncontrollable grin, he picked up his little boy and bounced him around in his arms.

“That’s right! You know Daddy would never, ever let anything bad happen to you or your sister. All the bad things in the world would have to go through me first before they can get anywhere near you. I’ll fight them off with my trusty maracas like this!” He posed, making the little boy in his arms chortle again. Having made his way to the living room at this point, he plopped down on the couch and settled his son in his lap. “So just let Daddy know when something’s bothering you or if anything hurts like just now, okay?”

The little boy in his lap leaned his head heavily against Reiji’s chest in reply.

“Okay, Daddy.” There was the shortest pause. “I love you.”

Reiji’s arms went around his son. He imagined if he hugged him tightly enough it would stop his heart soaring out of his chest at those three simple words. 

Kotobuki Reiji, long-time idol, doting father and loving husband, was currently this close to losing his endorsement with a famous shampoo brand due to the way he was tearing at his hair out of sheer panic. The reason for his current agitated state was up in the tree before him, all four limbs wrapped around a branch and trying her hardest to hold in her sobs of fear. 

“It’s okay baby, Daddy’s here!” Reiji’s voice was as shaky as his hands as he raised them above his head in a show of reassurance to his terrified little girl. “Stay right there, I’m coming up to get you. Whatever you do, don’t move!”

His daughter nodded. Her arms loosened their grip for a second, which was enough to make her panic and slide over the branch. The seven-year-old’s shrieks of terror combined with those of Reiji’s as he immediately plunged into a full-body dive towards the base of the tree, eyes fixed on his plummeting child, his arms stretched out the furthest they could reach. A million prayers blabbered in his mind as he swore he would never be able to forgive himself if he couldn’t make it in time.

One text message from his wife was enough to make Ranmaru run all the way home and slam open the front door of his apartment, startling his spouse who had just been about to get up to see who or what was causing the stampede outside. 

Kicking off his shoes, he stepped into the hall and looked around wildly. “Where is she?” he panted, then spotted Tsubaki staring at him from the sofa with her mouth half-open in shock at both his entrance and how early he was home for once. A few long strides carried him over to his daughter and he sat down heavily next to her, large hands cupping her face and forcing her to face him.

“Here, let me see.” He clucked his tongue in concern at the eye-patch over Tsubaki’s right eye and rubbed her cheeks with a little more force than necessary in concern. “What happened, pet?”

“Nothing,” she lied, averting her visible eye and attempting a pout to get out of the question. “Why’re you home so early, Daddy?”

This earned her having both cheeks being pinched in irritation by her father in return. 

“Quit trying to change the topic,” He looked up at his wife. “So? What’s the deal?”

Ranmaru hadn’t thought much of it at first but his son was deliberately avoiding him since the second he had returned home. He only begun noticing when Sousuke kept his head down and did all he could not to look him in the eye at dinner, and when he told him to look up the boy immediately said he was full and excused himself from the table, practically fleeing to his room and leaving Ranmaru in a mixed state of puzzlement and annoyance. Sure, he had never thought of himself as the best father although he did try his best whenever his children were involved, but he was pretty sure he hadn’t done anything recently to warrant this sort of behaviour from his son.

“What’s up with him?” Ranmaru demanded after putting Tsubaki to bed. The explanation from his wife was short and succinct and led to him rapping sharply on Sousuke’s door before barging in despite his son’s protests. He settled himself on the bed where Sousuke had been brooding while hugging a pillow and had hastily buried his face in it with a squark of surprise when Ranmaru entered. He literally felt his boy stiffen with shock when he placed a large hand on his head.

“Let me see.”

“No! Leave me alone!”

“Here, let me see, darling.”

Camus tenderly ran a thumb over his daughter’s hand, his brow furrowing at the thin line of red marring it. “You’ll be fine, angel.” he reassured her with the best smile he could muster at his little girl’s pain. 

“But it stings, Papa.” Reining in the sudden urge to scoop her up in his arms and rush to the nearest hospital, Camus calmly applied antiseptic and a plaster to his daugher’s wound, willing his hands to tremble as little as possible. 

“There, all done.” He kissed her hand, accepted the hug of gratitude which came afterwards and excused himself. 

His wife found him in the study later, one hand clutching his chest, the other braced against the wall. His head hung low in what seemed to be bottomless despair. He turned at her light touch on his shoulder, face lined with sheer anguish.

“Our treasure was injured,” His words were those of a man broken in soul and spirit. “I have spilled the blood of countless men and yet that single wound on our blessing from heaven haunts me. Wife, I was not able to protect her.” Camus would have fallen to his knees in dramatic wretchedness if not for his grip on his wife’s shoulders. “How do I face her in the future, when the memory of having failed in my role as her father is branded forever in my soul? How can I possibly atone for this unforgivable sin?”

His wife, used to the melodramatics of her ridiculous husband which only seemed to escalate to absurd heights whenever their daughter was involved, allowed him to rest his forehead against her chest for comfort. She patted him on the back, silently rolling her eyes towards the ceiling.

“Well, dear, I’m sure you’ll find a way somehow. If there’s anyone who would be able to find a way to child-proof books it’d definitely be you.”

He stiffened. Drawing back swiftly, he stared at her in wonder. His eyes widened at the sudden revelation that had been bestowed upon him from the most unexpected source.

“It is rare of me to say this but you might just be right for once, woman.” He dropped a quick kiss on her forehead, blatantly ignoring the flat-eyed stare she gave him in return for what passed as a compliment for him. Catching sight of his appearance in the reflection of a window, he released his wife’s shoulders and swiftly exited the room, straightening out his clothes and shaking his disheveled hair back to a more presentable manner as he left, ideas swirling and sparking to life in his brain. 

He would coat the edges of every book he had in his possession in wax and have the softest and most delicate of silk gloves tailored for his daughter especially for reading time; nay, he would even turn the pages for her himself should the need arise, for what else would a father’s flesh exist for if not to be gladly sacrificed for his child’s happiness and safety?

It makes perfect sense and again, these are very very overdue, I am so sorry. OTL

(2019 was crazy-mad, 2020 doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better but I WILL PERSEVERE.)

(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

Also I am very sorry in advance for the mess posting all this created, I should have answered the ask first then posted the fic and now everything is chaos. OTL

papa!Ai

papa!Camus

papa!Ranmaru (1 / 2)

“Here, let me see.”

Ai examined the arm his son held up, magnifying the scrape through his eyes so no detail escaped. “There’s no need to make a fuss, it’s a normal wound for a minor fall.”

“Owie.” The toddler insisted nonetheless. 

“It’s ‘Ouch’,” Ai corrected, meeting his son’s pout with a stoic gaze of his own. “It’s just a mild abrasion, no blood was lost and only 0.00025 per cent of the skin was scraped off. You are still very young so it will grow back quickly with an extremely low chance of scarring. There is nothing to cry about.”

Despite his father’s blunt assurance the little boy still clung to Ai’s chest and refused to let go. He looked down at the sniffling toddler in his arms.

“You are going to have to let go for me to disinfect your wound.”

His son shook his head stubbornly.

“Dun wanna.”

“This is the twenty-seventh time I’m telling you it’s “I don’t want to”, and you really should let me get the antiseptic. There is still a one in ten chance of it getting infected no matter how minor it is.” He paused, reluctant to pry his boy off him by force. “Be good. I’ll give you a cookie.” Ai normally did not approve of or resort to bribery but there were occasions like this when the end justifies the means.

Strangely enough, this did nothing to make his son loosen his grip on his shirt. On the contrary the sniffling got worse.

Seeing his little boy in obvious distress like this, Ai felt a strange discomfort rising in his chest. It didn’t make sense for him to be the one in pain since he wasn’t the one who had fallen over running to greet him at the door. At the same time it was highly intriguing as Ai had previously only read of transmission of emotions between twins and never between parent and child like this. He made a mental note of it in his database to reference for the future. Although he did his best to child-proof his home as much as possible, research showed it was common for children to suffer minor scrapes and bruises as they grew up exploring the world around them so he was highly certain this wouldn’t be the first small injury his son would have. 

Still, he wasn’t going to get anything done with his boy clinging to him like this. Ai recalled something he had seen another parent do when their child who had a role in the drama he was in had similarly fallen down and was holding up filming because they would not stop crying. It was highly illogical but he had seen it work with his own eyes and thought it was worth a try at least.

Holding his son’s arm, he patted the scrape then made a fluttering motion with his fingers in imitation of something flying away.

“Pain, pain, go away.”

Ai looked down expectantly at the child in his lap, who looked back up at him with the widest eyes possible. 

“Does it still hurt?” he asked. The little boy cocked his head to the side in contemplation of the answer, finally shaking his head in the negative. Ai’s lips quirked up involuntarily in relief.

“Good. Stay here while I get the antiseptic.”

“Cookie!” 

Ai gazed down evenly at the small hands being held up with great expectations. 

“It seems your memory is fine, at least.” He turned away to the disappointment of the toddler who followed behind with baby steps. “You’ll get your cookie after I’m done disinfecting your arm. I did promise after all.”

“Ai!”

Your son shook his head stubbornly at Ai’s question. 

“Nothing!”

“It’s not good to lie, you know. Show me?”

“Don’t wanna!”

“It’s “I don’t want to”,” Ai corrected him sternly, earning him a puffy-cheeked pout in return. “Now, what’s that behind your back?”

Seeing the little boy before him unyielding as ever, Ai huffed out a breath of impatience himself. “Sometimes I wonder who you get this strange stubbornness from.”

He reached down and picked up his boy by the waist, easily lifting him up while the toddler struggled to escape.

“Not fair!” The little boy squealed, arms flailing in reflex, the thing he had been hiding almost hitting Ai in the face. “Daddy’s cheating!”

“I’m not,” Ai replied with ease, transferring his son to perch on one arm while he took hold of the ring of leaves and drooping tiny buds his boy had gone to such efforts to hide from him. “What’s this supposed to be?”

The look of disappointment on his little boy’s face made Ai regret his question immediately, despite knowing it was only logical to ask when he didn’t know. 

“It’s supposed to be for Mommy,” he mumbled, eyes downcast, small hands fisted in Ai’s shirt. “Wanted it to be a surprise.”

Ai cocked his head in puzzlement. “So why were you hiding it from me then?”

This earned him a hard thump on the chest from the annoyed toddler in his arms. “Wanted to surprise both of you! But then Daddy kept on asking and then, and then–”

“This isn’t something to cry about,” Ai bounced his boy on his arm in an attempt to stop the teary-eyed toddler from bawling and summoning you over in the process. “Fine, how about I help you to make up for it then?”

His son rubbed his eyes. “Wanted to do it all by myself,” he hiccuped sulkily. “Didn’t want you or Mommy to know.”

Ai sighed in mild impatience. “Well, there’s nothing else to be done about me finding out about it now. You can still make it by yourself and I’ll just watch. Would that do?”

Handing the dried out wreath back to his boy, Ai watched as he turned it around in his hands, then nodded. He bounced his son in his arms to get him more settled in.

“Where did you get the flowers from?”

“Mommy’s garden at the window.”

Ai flicked his son on the forehead in mild admonishment. “Who said you could use those? I’m not helping you if Mommy finds out. Don’t give me that look, you know it doesn’t work on me.”

He glanced at the window box and then back at the innocent-looking toddler in his arms. 

“How did you get up there anyway?”

He blinked when his son pointed at the storage boxes pushed against the wall.

“That is both a creative and slightly dangerous solution. There’s a 58% chance of you falling so please promise me never to do that again.”

“But I needed flowers for Mommy.”

“I don’t think your mother would appreciate you pulling up her garden even if it’s for that.”

“But flowers for Mommy!”

“Which is why we’re going to the florist right now.”

“Yay! Thank you, Daddy!”

I honestly love the things that come up during open prompt requests, I really do. XD

My gut feeling tells me Camus and Ranmaru would very probably leave this bit to their wives, but for the sake of this prompt all the papas are very hands on and involved.

* * *

papa!Ranmaru:

Sets his resolve by budgeting less for diapers 

(I am convinced that Ranmaru still takes charge of, or at the very least looks over the household budget even after marriage. The man has deep-rooted money issues.)

Has an extremely interesting search history accumulated during break time, from “FAST potty training” to “Potty training for cats” to “Why the hell is my kid’s poop green???”

Even furtively did a quick stop by the kids section of the studio to snitch some childcare magazines from the reception 

You have never seen a man in heavier disguise than Ranmaru when he was out buying the potty seat 

“Alright, kiddo. You ready? We’re gonna do this now and we’re gonna do this right.”

Has a towel tied around his forehead and another hanging from his neck

This is a man prepared for a fierce battle

Stays by his kid the whole time

The cats came in as curious bystanders at first and end up being used as examples

“Look, even Ikko knows how to crap in the sandbox. The potty’s just a bigger version of that, yeah?”

Delighted fist pumps and crowing when the first poop is successfully discharged

Has the biggest grin on his face as he holds his kid up to the sink to wash their hands

I picture him gleefully setting up a bonfire with the remaining diapers his kid doesn’t need anymore and grinning like a manic by the light of burning cotton, but in all honestly he’s most likely to either pass them on to Ai (who’s the next to achieve fatherhood after Ranmaru has his youngest) or set up an anonymous account and sell them online (again with Ai’s help).

This is way way WAY overdue and I’m so glad I managed to wish you a happy birthday before this, Anon!

(I only covered the boys celebrating their children's’ first birthdays here, but here’s an idea for you Anon: please feel free to request them celebrating their S/O’s birthday or being surprised on their special days the next time I open for prompts. ;D)

* * *

Papa!Camus:

Brought his S/O and daughter back to Permafrost for his little girl’s first birthday

This would also be the first of many trips to what would be her second home

Had a family portrait done in the same hall where his wedding was held

Like Reiji, he had two parties to celebrate his angel blessing the earth with her existence

One party was for the other Permafrost aristocrats out of social obligation

His little girl never left his arms during the ball he held

Camus refused to let his daughter be drawn into the politics of aristocracy and simply whisked her away with excuses each time a guest gave even a hint of involving him in them

The second birthday party was a surprisingly simple and private gathering with just himself, his S/O and his daughter on his girl’s actual birthday 

Personally baked her a most magnificent birthday cake

Showered his little girl with presents

Created a tiny little tiara for her with his ice magic, as well as other jewelry

(As the years go by Camus would continue to craft jewelry and other accessories for his little girl 

Papa’s hand-crafted jewelry would always remain her favorite, no matter how old she got)

Would have even sewed her birthday gown by hand if his schedule had allowed it

(Manager-san had had to squeeze the life out of Camus’ schedule in order to fit in the week-long break he took to fly off, therefore making it nigh impossible for Camus to go home, let alone have time to sew his daughter’s dress before her birthday

Camus was incensed but Manager-san put his foot down and stood brave in the face of the ice king’s wrath)

(I’m sorry prompt fills are taking so long, real life keeps getting in the way OTL)

***

It’s Daddy’s day out! \o/

They go to Camus’ private beach because it was either that or a public one and Camus figured with great reluctance if he and his precious angel were going to be exposed to peasants it might as well be those he’s familiar with at least, much as it pains him to say it

Reiji rented a family van to pick everyone up and drove them over

Carpool karaoke happened and it was magnificent

They pull up to the beach and to the sight of Camus standing like a Greek god on the sand

His hair is up

His chest gleaming in the sun

His shins exposed

He’s possibly exposed more skin in public today than he had in over a year

It was only his opened shirt printed all over with cartoon heads of Alexander (a Father’s Day gift from his daughter via his S/O) that kept everyone present from being blinded

The deadly glare he shot anyone who even thought of commenting on his fashion sense today was enough to turn even the sun cold

Preparations before playtime see Camus and Ai diligently spraying their children down with sunblock, having brought with them metal canisters of it with spray nozzles attached for even coverage

Ranmaru’s barking at his kids to put it on while slapping it on himself

His son and daughter squeezing it on each other’s backs from a large economy tube of sunblock

When it comes to helping their father, they have fun drawing faces with the cream on Ranmaru’s back, quickly smearing the drawings away when he complains they’re taking too long 

Reiji and his twins have completely forgotten that sun protection exists and are already running into the sea, yelling and whooping, pool floats hooked under one arm and beach balls under the other

(His kids survive the day without sunburn

Unfortunately enough, the same cannot be said for Reiji

He returns to work red as a lobster with new patches of skin showing where his children helpfully assisted Daddy in peeling whatever was coming off

Manager-san banned Reiji from going under the sun for next month, swaddling him in long-sleeves, face-mask, a giant hat and pants, leading to Reiji almost being hospitalized for heat-stroke later)

Reiji and Ranmaru join their kids in the water

Ai and Camus prudently keeping to the shade

Ai’s son tugging on his hand for him to go play in the sea with him

Ai shaking his head

“You know that I’m no good with water. Go play with the others, I’ll be fine by myself here.”

His little boy is super disappointed

Halfheartedly joins the other kiddies in the water

(The disappointed look on his son’s face from that time stuck with him for months after that

The next beach trip sees Ai liberally dousing himself with sealant and wading grimly into the sea with his son and a steely determination not to let the water get in the way of quality father-son time)

Camus, horrified at how rowdy the other children are, at first stands like a stern sentinel between his daughter and the commoners, arms folded and face stern as thunder

But one small tug at his tailored capri trousers, his little girl looking up at him with forlorn eyes and he very literally melts

Compromises by shadowing her closely until he’s dragged off by Reiji to give the poor girl some breathing space 

Ranmaru gleefully assisting by putting Camus in a loose chokehold and literally towing him through the sand because as long as it causes the seaweed head distress he’s in

Ranmaru’s son, being the oldest of the lot, ends up keeping an eye on the other kids, to the silent approval of his father

Camus’ daughter is very excited to see other children her age because much like Camus she’s grown up surrounded by adults, although in very different circumstances 

(Camus is adamant on having his little angel home-schooled, since the alternative would be sending her to a boarding school in the mountains but he can’t uproot himself to join her there just yet due to work

His S/O is equally adamant she at the very least goes to a normal school and make friends with other children because their daughter is going to grow up in a literal ivory tower isolated from the rest of humanity over her dead body)

But she’s a little shy and doesn’t know how to approach them

Ranmaru’s daughter tends to stick to her big brother 

Then she spots Camus’ daughter fidgeting at the edge of the water, looking like she really wants to play with everyone else but is hesitant to do so

The Kurosaki siblings go over and take her hands, drawing her in to join them

Ranmaru’s son was the first boy to ever hold her hand

Little girl has her first crush when she looked up at him and he smiled back

(Camus, feeling a chill go down his body, fights tooth and nail to untangle himself from Reiji and Ranmaru and fly to his daughter’s side)

Ai’s son runs over when he sees them, excited that the little girl he’s always seen standing by the sidelines is finally here

Camus’ daughter’s heart melts when Ai’s son takes her hand and beams up at her

She’s never seen a boy younger than her, and so much smaller too!

Ai’s little son is normally shy and has a tendency to hide behind his parents’ legs when in public, but he’s very different with the other QN children whom he’s practically grown up with

He looks up to and sticks to Ranmaru’s son too, so he’s got two ducklings following him around everywhere he goes

Now with the addition of Camus’ daughter the duckling count has gone up to three

Both Kotobuki twins inherited their father’s boundless energy and appetite for fun

His son tends to be more on the serious side but enjoys a good prank like his sister

He and Ranmaru’s son are the ‘responsible’ ones who will pick up the younger kids and run like bats out of hell anytime a prank or joke goes wrong

The twins are the ones who come up with new games for everyone to play most of the time

Both of them have taken to calling Ranmaru’s son ‘Oniichan’, to his mild annoyance

Afternoon rolls around and both big and small stomachs are rumbling

Each papa brought their own homemade picnic lunch from home for potluck

Ai greatly approves of this

He’s a big believer in his boy getting as many experiences as possible, food included

Reiji’s karaage is naturally one of the more popular items on the menu, with Ran’s meatballs coming in a close second

Ai’s fruit and vitamin punch was left largely unfinished because it had more vitamins than fruit and tasted like it

(Both Ai and his son are puzzled by everyone’s reaction to the drink which was both healthy and absolutely fine to them, reminding all present that Ai’s little boy had inherited his father’s analytical taste buds)

Camus’ dessert tables (filled with nothing but cake and ice-cream and carried in by a crew) saved the day and everyone’s tongues

One table was graciously provided for the potluck

The other was reserved for him and his daughter, who to his dismay keeps trying to share her dessert with the Kurosaki spawn

The Kotobuki twins may be picky eaters but the sand and sea’s sharpened their appetites, making their father weep with joy when he saw empty plates and little hands holding them up, asking for seconds

Ranmaru’s drummed the principle of “clean your plate or starve” into his kids heads ever since they were old enough to eat solid food, so picky eating isn’t much of a problem for him

Except he isn’t exempted from every parent’s enemy of vegetables, which is a high hurdle for him to clear considering he’s not a fan of the green either

Apparently his children got around the ‘starving’ part of their father’s dining discipline by feeding their vegetables to the cats, technically still leaving their plates clean

Camus daughter has never eaten anything that wasn’t prepared by either her father or a professional chef, which should tell you enough about her upbringing

As mentioned, Ai’s son shares the same taste buds as his sire, hence he’ll eat anything and think it tastes alright

After lunch and a half-hour rest in the shade (with Ranmaru being awakened from his nap by his papa!radar going off and cracking open an eye to glare at any child who tries to sneak back on to the beach earlier than they’re supposed to), it’s back to the sun and waves and more fun

Ranmaru’s got his son hoisted up on his shoulders and his daughter hanging gleefully off one bicep, proudly showing off that he’s still got the muscles despite fatherhood

Reiji’s and his two-man army came armed with water soakers and are currently running for their lives from Camus, who is soaked and breathing frost and fury and advancing menacingly on the Kotobukis, his steps turning the surrounding water and sand to ice with his daughter perched on one arm, only slightly damp due to her father shielding her

Later on watermelons are brought out for an afternoon snack

The age-old game of watermelon smashing commences

When it’s Ranmaru’s turn to hit the watermelon he takes aim, spins and strikes alarmingly close to Camus, sending sand flying in all directions

“Eh, thought I sensed something soft headed around here. Guess my gut was right on the mark.”

He grins, taking off the blindfold and cracking his neck with an added smirk

Highly unamused, Camus feels around for the nearest thing at him to bash Ranmaru’s head in with, which turns out to be a plastic toy bucket still half-full with wet sand

Equally unamused and seeing red now, Ranmaru grabs another toy bucket, chooses an area of beach abundant with seashells and tiny crabs, fills it to the brim and dumps it down the back of Camus’ shirt

Their kids watching the sand, seashells and seaweed fly with the battle raging on 

(Good thing their wives had the foresight to pack more than one change of clothes for both the men and their kids)

Everyone eventually settles down to finish off the smashed watermelons

Ranmaru teaching the children how to spit out the seeds and unknowingly initiating a competition to see who can spit them the furthest

Camus has long carried away his daughter, mortified at her having to watch such a crass activity

Reiji’s been furiously taking photographs throughout the entire day and sending constant updates to his wifey at home

(He spams the Quartet Night group chat with the same photos and commentary later

Camus leaves the chat group in a fit of ire, only to be added back almost immediately by Reiji

“Myu-chan, you’re so careless! What’re you doing accidentally exiting the group chat like that? Think of all the news you’d have missed out on if I hadn’t noticed!”)

Closer to evening Ai’s son is worn out from playing and starts getting clingy with his father

“Hm? What’s the matter?” he asks him, rubbing his back with one hand. “Tired already?”

He presses his head against Ai’s shirt and pouts

“Want Mommy.”

“We still have three hours and forty-seven minutes left to go before we can see your mother. Do you want to take a nap in the shade first?”

“No. Want Mommy now!”

Off Ai goes, carrying away his cranky three-year-old to some place quiet where he can calmly explain to him how throwing a tantrum does not make time go by any faster

He returns an hour later, his toddler in his arms, now completely exhausted from his father’s lecture which turned out to be as hypnotic as a lullaby

Hearing Ai’s son whining for his mother makes the other children realise that they’ve gone an entire day without Mommy too

The mood’s going downhill fast, with all the adults frantically trying to stop their children from bursting into tears from suddenly missing their mothers

Reiji saves the day with a brilliant idea

“No summer night is complete without fireworks!”

Good thing he brought along enough to make Ai and Camus seriously worry about being caught by the police for possession of an abnormally large amount of explosives

Firecrackers, whizzlers, fountains, spinners, you name it, Reiji’s probably got more than ten of it

All papas present breath a sigh of relief when their children are distracted from thoughts of their mothers by the possibility of playing with something bright, shiny and noisy

Ai has his boy in his lap, placidly holding on to a sparkler

Baby boy wanted to do nothing but snuggle in his chest at first, but the bright lights and the noise the other children were making woke him up 

Camus hovering anxiously behind his little girl, a globe of water ready to materialize in his hand any second for fear that a stray firework might have the audacity to approach his angel

Ranmaru and Reiji’s children having the time of their lives running up and down the beach, setting off bottle rockets in the air

Ranmaru running after his kids when they gang up with the Kotobuki twins to chase Reiji down the length of the beach with roman candles at ready

At the end of the night, after cleaning up after themselves (junior chipping in to help), each papa carries their exhausted but happy child home in their arms, piling into the rented van

Camus is both stunned and aghast when his little girl tugs on the arm of Ran’s son, her head still resting against her father’s chest, and tells him to come and play again sometime

Ranmaru is just as mortified when the little boy yawns and nods

The two fathers share a mutual look of “WE SHALL NEVER SPEAK OF THIS AGAIN” before urgently bundling their children back home

Ran gives his confused son the “You can pick anyone you like, just not that one” talk

The poor man has never felt so threatened in his life before

Camus bathes his little girl in the Permafrost equivalent of holy water to exorcise whatever black magic that Kurosaki spawn must have cast on his precious angel

Reiji sends everyone home safe and sound

Bathes and carries both his children to bed and tucks them in

Pulls his wife down to sit next to him on the couch as he recounts the day and adds on even more commentary to the sea of photographs he had texted her throughout their day out

All of Quartet Night’s wives say the same thing to their exhausted husbands when they return home with sleeping children in their arms

“Welcome back. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

And they had to agree that it wasn’t

Congratulations, I don’t know how it happened but you’ve made me soft for papa!Camus now. (*´ ▽ `*)

* * *

Prisms sparkled in the light of the little girl’s eyes, the same light blue as her father’s shining as she peered with wonder into the beautifully inlaid wooden box.

“Papa, what are these?”

“Pick one and see, angel.”

Curious eyes darted between the shining crystals, each one lovely and tempting in its own way. Little hands finally chose and closed around one. Candlelight glinted off its ends, sharp and pointed as two rapiers placed handle to handle. She looked up inquiringly at Camus. Long fingers reached forward and stroked the top of the prism, eliciting a gasp of delight from his daughter on his arm when it glowed blue and white, the tingling notes of a harp flowing forth from it. 

“Do all of them play music, Papa?”

A rare smile tugged at Camus’ lips. Passing his free hand across the remaining crystals embedded in the box he was holding, a running scale sounded up and down, lights glowing and winking like fairies dancing under his palm. His daughter clapped her hands in delight, the prism she had chosen still clutched in one fist. 

“What would you like to listen to, darling?” he asked, idly tapping a crystal at random, elaborate notes floating from it into the air. 

The way his daughter’s eyes lit up when she heard it was so much like his wife’s that he felt himself falling in love all over again. 

“I like that one. It sounds like the song you and Mama danced to when you got married!”

“Ho?” Camus marveled, one hand casually selecting the diamond-shaped crystal out of the box. “Now how would you know what that sounds like, angel? I don’t recall you being there. Has someone been showing you things behind my back?”

Dropping the prism she had been holding back where it came from, the little girl threw her arms around Camus’ neck and looked up at him pleadingly. 

“You mustn’t blame Mama, Papa. We were taking measurements for my new dress when the dressmaker said that the pattern we chose reminded her of the bridesmaids dresses for the wedding. I was the one who begged Mama to show me how they looked like so she did.”

Camus was half-way wondering when his wife had learned to work the magic needed to use the crystal the extravagant wedding was recorded on (which he had to admit took much longer than both of them had anticipated to plan because they couldn’t agree on so many things. It was nothing more than a miracle blessed from the Queen they had been able to compromise enough to have held it in the end) when he remembered the existence of something called a Blu-ray player in the house. 

“Besides, it was so beautiful,” his daughter said dreamily, her head leaning against his chest, her hair soft under his chin. “Mama’s dress was so wonderful, the train sweeping so elegantly across the floor when she danced with you. Papa, you looked so handsome too! Just like a king from a fairy tale!” She sighed in longing. “I wish I could have been there. I would have liked to dance with you too.”

Camus’ expression was carefully schooled as he processed the implications this scenario hinted at.  

“Well then,” Placing the crystal in his hand on the mantelpiece where it balanced perfectly by itself, he closed and kept the box away, his daughter perched on his arm while his free hand caressed the diamond, making it glow silver and white. “I would not be much of a king if I could not fulfill such a simple request from my little princess.” Letting her down so that her feet touched the floor, he bowed, one hand sweeping the air, the other behind his back, elegantly enough to put most butlers to shame. “May I have this dance, my small lady?”

He felt a warmth blossom in his chest at the smile spreading across his little girl’s face at this gesture. 

“Of course. My first dance with Papa!”

She dropped into a curtsy, slipped her hand into her father’s waiting one and straightened up. 

“I’m not very good at dancing yet though. It would be terrible if I stepped on your feet, Papa.”

The music started from the beginning again, piano and harp tinkling into existence. Camus held on to his daughter’s hands fondly. 

“Do not worry, my snowflake. All will be well if you follow my lead.”

“I know.” His daughter’s trusting smile up at him made his heart clench again. “I trust you.”

Her feet were sure, following where her fathers’ went without hesitation, her steps graceful despite her young years. Candlelight lit by magic reflected off her face, so very much like his and his wife’s. 

The pride Camus felt leading his daughter around the living room threatened to overwhelm him, and it was with much difficulty that he forced it down, his body language never betraying the struggle within. He took it slow, his strides measured, his sweeps small to accommodate his little daughter who was leaning into him, her full trust in him evident in every movement. 

“This is fun, Papa!” His daughter beamed up at him as he lifted his arm to spin her carefully. “Was it like this when you danced with Mama?”

Camus allowed the slightest smile to escape, the memories of his wedding resurfacing with every step he took with his little girl. “Your mother was not as good a dancer as you are, my darling girl. I’m afraid she may have much to learn from you. Perhaps I should be sending her to your dance lessons instead.”

“Oh Papa,” The sound of her laughter warmed him to the core better than any fire could. He was loathe to admit it but his daughter had been the one crack in his armor since the day she was born. “You are always so stern with Mama, but I know you don’t mean it. Not truly!”

“Oh dear,” They whirled past the mantelpiece, Camus casually running a finger over the crystal in passing and renewing the music. “I must be losing my edge, if I am so easily seen through.” He bent down slightly, his daughter giggling and letting go of his hand to touch his hair falling over one shoulder. “Shall we keep this a secret between us, my little snow bell? Something that only us father and daughter have knowledge of.”

The sheer delight that lit up her little face made her shine brighter than the brightest star to his eyes. A secret between her and Papa! Something that belonged only to them! 

She nodded eagerly, her composure broken as she bounced on her feet in excitement. 

“Oh yes! Let’s do that! I promise I won’t tell anyone!”

It was with great effort that Camus kept his face stern. His daughter remembered then they were still in the middle of dancing and stopped, her cheeks burning as she peered up at her father.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stopped while the music was still playing.”

The way she apologized, her little hand slipping back into his bigger one, made Camus’ heart ache. It reminded him of himself at a slightly older age than she was now, surrounded by adults and expected to behave like one of them as well. She would never be able to grasp just how large an impact her existence was on his life. To him, her being here, her little hands in his, was more magical than anything he could ever conjure up or even dream of.

His wife had asked him once, in a rare tender moment between them, if he would give their child the freedom he had never known in his own childhood.  

Now with his little girl in front of him, doing her best to dance as she had been taught, her steps following his unerringly, the memories of his wedding, his strict childhood, his daughter’s birth and the wonder of watching her grow up without the shadow of obligations, happily and carefree with a joy that he never had and could give her now, the answer was so obvious it made him wonder why he hadn’t been able to reply back then. His daughter made a sound of surprise when he broke his own posture to bend down and scoop her up in his arms.

“You never have to apologize to me, my darling little girl. You may tear out my heart, stab me in the chest and break every bone in my body yet I will always, always forgive you without question. You must always remember this, my angel. You will always be my pride and joy, no matter what you do.”

Relief mixed with delight flooded her face. Throwing her arms around her father she happily buried her face in the crook of his neck, dancing completely forgotten. Camus hesitantly lifted a hand and gently stroked her hair, still swaying slowly to the music playing out its final notes. 

“I love you the most, Papa!”

Here you go! :3

* * *

“Oi, Reiji. You lost or something? My place is that way.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, Ran-ran. You know the Rei-chan compass is never wrong! I’m bringing us to our babies!”

“Eh?”

“They’re having a play date at my place today, and the best part is they don’t know our flight touched down early. Don’t you want to see the looks of surprise on their adorable little faces when they see Daddy’s home earlier than they thought? Ahhhhh, I can’t wait! My darling honey sent me photos of them today and it’s too cute for this world! Here, I’ll show you!”

“SHIT, REIJI! EYES ON THE ROAD FOR FUCK’S SAKE. The hell you trying to do, get us killed before we get back?”

“Eheheheh, sorry~ I got too excited thinking about seeing my little wonder bunnies again after so long. I missed them so much, every day without them was torture, simply torture! Did I tell you I dreamt of them last night– What are you doing, Ran-ran?”

“Looking for something to throw up in.”

“I didn’t know you got carsick.”

“I don’t. It’s you that’s making me want to hurl.”

“That’s mean! Mean meanie Ran-ran! As if you don’t think about your babies all the time too!”

“ ‘Least I don’t gush about them every time I open my mouth and make whichever poor sap you managed to corner green with mush. The hell’s a wonder bunny anyway?”

“Oh! Oh! You don’t know? I can’t believe I didn’t show you the photos! There was this really cute shop I passed by the other day which sold the most adorable onesies for children, so I bought my angels matching bunny sets and you wouldn’t believe how cute they looked and they loved them so much they wore them every night for a week straight and it was so adorable, I almost died from the sheer cuteness the first time they came running up to me with their little hoodies up and their bunny ears flopping and look, look, they even have fluffy cotton ball tails and bunny paw pads and–”

“THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING. HANDS ON THE WHEEL, DUMBASS.”

“But I need to show you how absolutely adorable my little darlings are, I don’t believe there’s anything more heartwarming than the sight of them at the door waiting for me to come home–”

“Which isn’t going to happen if you take your eyes off the road one more time. Just shut up and drive, okay?”

“But I haven’t finished telling you about my babies–”

“CAN IT, REIJI.”

* * *

“And we’re here! Wait for me, my darlings, Daddy’s flying to you right now!”

“Why’re you parking outside?”

“Can’t you hear it, Ran-ran? The beautiful sound of our little angels playing in the front yard! It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I just pulled up to the front like normal, would it? Now, we have to be very, very quiet as we sneak up to them– Come back, Ran-ran! You’re going to spoil everything!”

“Reiji, I don’t know what the hell you’re on but it was a ten-hour flight and the only thing I want to do now is pick up everyone that’s mine from your place, go home and crash for another ten hours.”

“But Ran-ran! Where’s the fun in— Ohhhhhh, there they are! Quick, hide!”

“Damnit Reiji, let go–”

“Shh, they’ll hear us. Look, Ran-ran! Look at our little miracles! Aren’t they just the best thing to happen to you? Aww, I could watch them play forever~ Ooh, look at your little girl go! She’s certainly an energetic one, isn’t she? Does she take more after Daddy or Mommy, I wonder?”

“Dunno. Kept us up all night when she was still in diapers, that’s for sure.”

“D’aww, but you sure didn’t seem to mind back then. Oooh Ran-ran, look, look! My babies are here! Oh my sweet babies, my little treasures– What are they wearing? Are those new outfits? My honey never mentioned this to me!”

“Why does your wife have to tell you something like that anyway?”

“Heh heh, my honey and I have absolutely no secrets from each other! Don’t you know that open communication is the key to a long, successful, loving relationship? We tell each other anything and everything. We’re one team! One family!”

“Everything except that though.”

“She must have meant it as a surprise for me! She’s so sweet, my best girl is! Ahhhhh, they look so cute when they’re dressed like that, and– Ran-ran! Ran-ran! It’s the kiddie version of my latest single’s costume! I thought it looked familiar! Oh no, oh no, I’m going to cry…”

“What the– Don’t use my sleeve– AHH FUCK DAMNIT REIJI WHAT THE HELL.”

“I can’t help it, they’re so adorable, my heart’s going to burst. That’s it, I can’t take it anymore! DADDY’S HOME, MY SWEET DARLINGS!”

“Oi! Weren’t you the one who said to stay–”

“OH MY HONEY BUNNIES, MY LITTLE ANGELS, DID YOU MISS ME? DID YOU MISS DADDY? YOU DID, DIDN’T YOU? DADDY MISSED YOU SO MUCH, SO MUCH SO MUCH—– DADDY’S NEVER LEAVING YOU AGAIN, NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER—”

“…The hell did we just waste all that time hiding for then?”

“Daddy! You’re back early!”

“Hey, kiddo. Alright, up you go. You been good while I was away?”

“Daddy’s home! Daddy, Daddy! Me too, me too!”

“Hi, pet. Careful there.”

“How did you know we were here, Daddy?”

“Eh, your Uncle Reiji can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life.”

“Ooooohhhh, you got something to show Daddy, is that it? What is it? Daddy can’t wait to see! Ah, my girl, my best girl, my one and only honey! Was this supposed to be a surprise for me? But I ended up giving you a surprise too, didn’t I? No way, I love you more, I love all of you, you know me so well, I’m so glad to be home! I’m never leaving again your side again! Rei-chan’s so touched, the tears won’t stop, help…”

“Daddy, why’s Uncle Reiji crying on the floor? Did he fall down?”

Thank you so much to everyone who sent in a request, I had so much fun reading through all of them and they made me literally laugh out loud XD XD XD