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Akira had spent the past couple of years in a state of constantly thinking the same thing: where had the time gone? How was she going to cope with Goro being away from the house? School? How was she supposed to handle knowing she couldn’t be there with him every step of the way? She liked to think that she wasn’t a clingy parent… but she was a mother, dammit. Of course she was going to be choked up the first day her son went to school.
“Alright,” she said, smoothing down Goro’s shirt. “You’ll be on your best behavior for your teacher, okay?”
Goro nodded, looking out the window. He wasn’t paying any attention to her. All he was was excited about getting to go to school. He got to play and be with kids his age. He was so social, even at this age. He’d do great in school, even Ryuji had said so. He’d have a lot of fun.
Oh God. She’d been away from him for a weekend when Ryuji’s mother had abruptly taken ill and Haru had babysat for them, but it was different now. There was nothing to distract her. She didn’t know the teacher well, she didn’t know the kids that were going to be there. What if they were mean to him? What if Goro got upset? What if he wanted her and she wasn’t there?
Come on, Akira, you saved the damn world. Your son’s just going to school, you can handle this!
… He’d gotten so big so fast.
And he looked so cute in his little outfit with his little backpack and dark hair that wouldn’t stay down no matter how many times she licked at her thumb to smooth it down. He was so cute, and he was growing up so fast – she’d be seeing him out of the house soon, for university, and then he would be spending most of his time out of the house, and she’d only see him on the weekends, or on holidays, or if something happened–
She pulled him into a hug and Goro grumbled a protest against her chest. “Stop!”
He already wanted to leave her. He already wanted to go–
Okay. No. No. He was just going to school. School. Suck it up. Breathe.
“Can we goooo?”
Akira steeled herself, finally letting go of him. She had to fix his shirt and his hair again. “Yes, we’re going to go. You can’t be there too early.”
“Now?”
Akira sighed, straightening up. “Yes, now. By the time we get there, you should be able to go in. If you’re ready.”
“Yeah! Come on!” Goro tugged on her hand to pull her towards the door.
“Okay, okay,” she murmured. “Daddy’ll pick you up after lunch, okay?”
“Yes! Let’s go!”
Always so fearless. She wondered who he got that from… not.
Akira let herself be tugged out their front door to walk him to the school.
Ryuji was, admittingly, at least half glad he’d had to work this morning. He had joked with Akira about how upset she was to see their son off to school– got smacked for it, too, thanks– but, really… he was probably just as anxious. It sucked. He knew that Goro would do fine, he was so excited, but… they’d had him all to themselves, mostly, for the past couple of years. They’d watched him grow up. They were the ones who had raised him to be able to go off, excited, to school and it was… just… bittersweet.
Shit, he felt old. How was his kid already in school? And emotional. Why was it so emotional? He couldn’t even think about it at work or his throat would get all closed up and the last thing he was gonna do was start crying at work. For his son! Going to school! He never thought he’d be one of those people! How the hell had he turned into one of those people!?
And he wasn’t even home alone! Akira was probably tearing her hair out. At least Yusuke had gone over to stay with her… actually, scratch that, Akira was probably definitely tearing her hair out.
He did, however, get the honor of having a coinciding lunch break that he had told Akira he would pick Goro up. He’d be able to walk him back home and then catch the train back to work, but he wouldn’t be able to stay and hear how it had gone. Well, he assumed. What did you even do in school at this age? Sleep and eat paste? He couldn’t remember.
Whatever it was you did do in school at this age, Goro looked like he had had the time of his life doing it when he came running across the playground.
That was good. He’d had fun. He looked so happy. Of course he did. Ryuji had known, he’d told Akira– oh God, he wasn’t crying his eyes were just sweating–
“Daddy!” Goro all but threw his arms around Ryuji’s legs and before Ryuji could even respond, he had pulled away. “We had snacks and they read us a story! Look!” From his pocket he produced a slightly sticky, slightly rumpled sticker. “We got stickies for being quiet!”
“Wow.” Ryuji was trying not to beam and failing. “Here, did you want to put this on your shirt? Mama’ll be really proud of you when she sees it.”
“Yeah!”
Goro stretched up on tiptoes even as Ryuji bent down, peeling the backing off the sticker and pressing it firmly onto his shirt. “There we go,” he continued, and ruffled Goro’s hair. “My little champ.”
“Let’s show mom!”
“Yeah.” He reached down to take his hand. “She’ll be real happy to see you.”
“I’m happy to see both of you, too!”
“Did you miss us?”
Goro nodded. “But it was fun.”
“That’s great, kid. I’m glad.”
Glad that he had had fun just as much as he was glad that he had missed them, too. You could always have family. You should always have family.
“Let’s get home, okay?”
Goro nodded cheerfully, and tried to tell Ryuji the story from the schoolbook as they walked.