"Mom! We're here!"
"Grandma!"
M/n's mother walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands with a small towel. She kneeled down, accepting the hug S/n gave her. "How's my precious grandson doing?"
"Good! Papa and I got ice cream!"
"You did? And you didn't bring me any?"
"Did you want some?"
She chuckled. "I'm just kidding, sweetie."
Just then, there was a bark. A tiny Bichon Frise dog came bounding into the room, barking about.
S/n's eyes shone brightly. He let go of his grandma and opened his arms wide, the dog jumping into his embrace. He giggled as the dog licked his cheek, barking.
"Wow. You didn't tell me you got a dog", M/n said as he took off his tuxedo blazer, hanging it on the hat hanger before loosening his tie a little.
"Well...it was beginning to get too quiet around here."
M/n smiled and hugged her. He then led his mother to the living room while S/n played with the dog. "So, how are you?"
"I'm doing fine, dear."
"Where's Mitch?"
"Father, M/n. Your father."
"Right. Where is he?"
"I was just about to cook dinner, but I was missing a few things, so he went out to get them for me."
"I see."
"What about you?"
"Busy, as always."
She frowned. "M/n, I know being a lawyer has kept you busy. Especially when you work for the law firm your grandfather owns. But, you still have the responsibility of being with your son."
"I know I have that responsibility. I promised him that I'd be there as his father... His mother couldn't do that much... And to make up for that, I have to be there for him... Show him that I care... If I can't do that...how can I call myself a father?"
She sighed a little before smiling. "As long as you make the time for him."
Before they could speak anymore, the front door opened. They both turned to see Mitch walk in. "Ah. M/n."
"Hey, Mitch."
"M/n...!", his mother whisper yelled scoldingly before smiling again. "Welcome back, Mitch."
"Hey, hun", he said, pecking her on the cheek.
M/n stood up and helped him with the bags, placing them on the counter in the kitchen. "Thanks. You really didn't need to do that."
"It's no problem."
"Grandpa!"
"Hey, kiddo! What's up?"
S/n giggled as Mitch picked him up, spinning him in the air. "It's been a while since I've seen you!"
He then set him down on the floor. "Go on and play with Kiri. She's lonely here by herself. She's been waiting for someone to play with."
"Okay!"
He ran to find the dog, but it didn't take long since the dog had been looking for him. "How've you been, M/n? It's been some time since you've visited."
"Exactly what I was thinking", M/n's mother said, heading back to cooking.
"Sorry. Work's been keeping me busy."
"And with good reason", Mitch said before chuckling. "You've made quite the name for yourself. And I couldn't be more proud!"
"Thanks..."
"By the way, how's it going at the bureau? I heard from your grandfather that it's been really busy lately", Mitch said as he began putting the groceries away.
M/n sat down at the bar. "I've been getting a lot of people these past few weeks."
"Really now?"
"Uh-huh. And the workload is just piling up with me having to handle three types of cases. Not to mention I've been a lot busier with handling Grandfather's duties since he's on leave for a month-long vacation."
"Well, I know you'll get through it. You've always found a way to make things work. It shows with your undefeated winning streak in court I keep hearing about."
"Yeah, I guess... I've been thinking..."
"Hmm?"
"What if I leave S/n with you for a couple of days? I know he probably gets bored at the house by himself. And with me having a lot of work on my shoulders these days, I'm usually not home till 11 or 12 at night."
"That's fine with us, right, Mitch?"
"Of course you can leave S/n here for a couple of days. After all, you've got business to take care of. And if you stop working, how are you gonna keep up with taking care of him?"
"I know..."
"If he's alone all the time, why not get him a pet as a companion to keep him company? I mean, look at him. He's having fun playing with Kiri-chan."
M/n glanced at S/n, seeing him giggle as he played with the small, fluffy dog.
--
"Thanks for dinner. It was great."
"You're welcome."
"It was nice of you to drop by, M/n."
"Yeah. Alright, S/n. Come on. We're getting ready to leave."
S/n whined. "Aww~ Do we really have to go?"
"Yes. I have work tomorrow and you need to get to bed. Say bye to grandma and grandpa."
"Bye, grandma, grandpa", S/n said, disappointed about leaving.
They both bent down to his level. He kissed her cheek and hugged Mitch. "We'll see you soon, okay?"
"Okay."
S/n then walked behind M/n. "I know you won't accept it, but I brought it by anyway."
He pulled out an envelope from his pocket and held it out to her. She took it from his hand and looked inside. The amount residing in it made her gasp. She shook her head. "No, no, no. M/n, hun, I can't accept this. I--"
She tried to give it back, but he pushed her hand towards her, shaking his own head. "I said I was going to support you, remember? Please, accept it."
"M/n, I--"
"It's the least I can do. I know I don't see you often and I'm rarely there to see you through your check-ups and operations. So...I want you to have it. That way, you don't have to worry about paying for the medical bills. I'll be in charge of that. Please...accept it."
She had tears at the corners of her eyes as she hugged him. "What did I do to deserve you...?"
"You were there for me...when dad wasn't..."
She let go of him. "I'll try to come by more often."
"I'll hold you to that then", she replied with a smile.
M/n turned to Mitch and hugged him. "It was nice seeing you again."
"You too. Good luck."
"Thanks."
"I hope you'll take your mother's advice."
"I will. Bye, mom. Dad."
Mitch's eyes widened. M/n smiled a little before turning and leaving as he held one of S/n's hands. The couple watched as they got in their car and left the driveway. "He called me dad..." Mitch said, not really believing it.
"It shocked me too."
"But...I'm happy."
--
-Levi-
"Mikasa, are you hungry?"
"Yes, Daddy."
[Don't take it the wrong way. I was gonna say Papa, but S/n already says that, so...It's there and it'll stay there]
Levi smiled slightly. His eyes continuously darted towards the clock on the wall. He was dreading the time that his husband came home from work. As he made dinner, he glanced towards Mikasa, seeing the little girl at the table, doing homework. She seemed to be really focused as the end of her pencil swayed as she wrote.
"It's done. Mind putting the work away for a little bit?"
She nodded and placed her papers in her red folder, setting it down beside her. Levi walked over with a bowl and a plate. He set the meal down in front of her. "Here you go."
Mikasa looked at the plate with a shine in her eyes. Levi chuckled a little before joining her. As Mikasa ate, he noticed a bit of sauce drip down her chin. "Look at you."
He grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth. "Not very proper for a lady."
"Sorry, Daddy."
Just before they could continue eating, the front door opened harshly. Suddenly, Levi started feeling sick to his stomach. With shaky hands, he set down his chopsticks. He heard the sound of things being thrown and heavy footsteps drawing closer, making him flinch.
"Levi! Where the fuck are you, you good for nothing piece of shit?!"