Work Text:
homework:
WHO MADE HIM CRY
WHO DID IT
WHERE IS DOJIMA COMFORT YOUR NEPHEW
imagine chisato gently bouncing him on her hip and comforting him...
our__beginning:
just giving him a cuddle.. asking him whats wrong...
homework:
he just got lost or something its okay baby boy...
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the way hes clutching his own clothes.he is used to comforting himself.
he cant find his mum or dad and hes pretty sure they forgot him or maybe even left him on purpose..
he cant bring himself to hug his auntie bc every time he tries to hug his mum he gets told off... so hes just there in chisato's arms hugging himself..........
chisato is giving ryotaro the fucking laser eyes like WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING WE CAN'T JUST LET THIS KEEP HAPPENING
and ryotaros just like sweats
homework:
the throwdown that night would be epic
HE;S SO LITTLE AND THEY MADE HIM CRY
our__beginning:
ryotaro trying to get souji's dad to take him for a walk while he, chisato, anf souji's mum have a screaming fight
but his dad "doesn't see the point" and ryotaro can't do it bc he needs to be able to back up his wife
so he sits on the decking at the back and holds his hands over tiny souji's ears :<
souji's like... "it's okay. i know they're fighting." and hes like six and ryotaro's heart shatters into tiny pieces
"it's because of me. i should tell them it's okay."
"no-- sou-chan... no, you don't have to do that. c'mon, sit down."
does as he's told.
"your auntie chisato, she's worried about you. okay?"
"i'm okay though."
"yes, but-- sou-chan... sometimes..." deep breath, "something can seem okay to you because you're used to it, but it could actually be better. and that's what your auntie chisato's worried about."
souji seems to chew on that one for a bit longer
homework:
i bet chisato's really holding her own though
maternal instincts go
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for sure
she is angling for just keep him then if you think you know so much better!! but its taking longer than she expected
homework:
that's okay...she has time....and the guts....she's a cop wife
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little souji shrugs and slips off the deck, rootling through the lawn to try and find daisies. it's night time so they're all closed, but...
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dojima is deeply troubled by this strange silent child
homework:
especially after he was crying so hard at the river bank...
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he was completely inconsolable
homework:
there is something wrong here
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th the they leftmeand they theyre nevercomingback and
homework:
its my fault
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i was bad i was bad
homework:
noooooooooooooo soujiiiiiiiiiiiiii
our__beginning:
that was about when chisato came over and scooped him
homework:
BABY BOOOOOY
our__beginning:
gave him a big cuddle and a smooch on the top of the head...
rocked him and was Deeply Concerned when souji didnt seem to be comforted at all but almost seemed to be afraid
she is so close to kidnapping this little boy ryotaro you have no idea
homework:
she might still do it if this fucking bitch keeps trying to tell her that she's a good mom to souji
like bitch no you are fucking not
our__beginning:
she goes in hard on ryotaro expecting him to make excuses for his sister but hes just like
yeah... yeah
then admits he has no idea what to do about it
homework:
they have a crying child that's afraid of being hugged and has seemingly been abandoned by his sister and he can't pretend she wouldn't do it
there's no excuses he can make for that....
our__beginning:
"she won't listen to reason, chisato. she never even wanted a kid and it seems to me like she still doesn't, but she won't even let us babysit more than a few times a year..."
homework:
"then I'll make her listen! this is unacceptable! and if this is how she's going to act then Souji is staying with us, permanently!" and chisato won't hear an argument about it, she just takes Souji to the house for some juice to help calm down
our__beginning:
he takes a nap on the sofa afterwards... ryotaro tucks him in with a blanket
he still sucks his thumb...
just this tiny bundle of sad...
ryotaro and chisato cuddle each other while he sleeps and resolve that they have to do SOMETHING. whenever souji's parents deign to show up again.
homework:
y e s
christ i bet his mom just busts in the door loaded down with food for dinner expecting to be praised and doesn't understand why chisato almost launches herself across the room
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shes like the attitude of "what could one banana cost, michael, ten dollars?" but its like "i have food? we do food now, yes?"
chisato is like seething but she wants souji out before she starts yelling at his parents
souji's useless dad refuses to take him so dojima takes him out to the porch and she just LAYS INTO THEM
homework:
ryotaro snuggles souji in his blanket and carries him out to the porch and shuuuuts that sliding glass door
shouting starts immediately
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souji doesn't ask questions like a normal six year old..
he just makes statements and quietly gets on with doing his own thing
ryotaro finds it unsettling but mostly bc he knows he needs to help this kid and doesnt know how
he hasnt seen him smile the whole time except for photos
he was such a giggly infant.. just happy to be here..
and now hes watching him solemnly go thru the lawn in the dark with his tiny fingers
homework:
ryotaro desperately trying to ignore the angry shouting through the glass:
would souji's mom finally get mad and start throwing things
our__beginning:
i dont think shed start throwing things but she might "go for a drive" and take the car and leave souji and her husband
no commonplace mobile phones in the 2000s
homework:
at least it'll be quieter...
yeah
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who knows when she'll be back
her husband is like "oh haha just having one of her funny turns again haha"
he is just clueless
he barely spends time with her or the kid so hes just kind of in a room full of strangers
chisato snaps "you know this 'funny turn' of hers is abusive, right?" and fusses about setting the table for souji at the very least
homework:
"this is not good parenting"
our__beginning:
souji's dad is just like "well i wouldn't go that far! she's just emotional"
all the excuses chisato expected from ryotaro lol
but it turns out ryotaro got fed up of her bullshit ages ago
and this is her new man to toy around with
homework:
someone save souji....
our__beginning:
he is perfectly mannered and obedient at the dinner table
around 11pm his mother still isnt back so ryotaro drives his BIL to the hotel and drops him off there while chisato tucks souji into bed at the house. the plan was always that theyd babysit him for a couple weeks while his parents flew out on an overseas holiday but chisato is on a WAR PATH now
homework:
this is her son now
no take backs
our__beginning:
she doesnt care what it takes.. she will protect him and nurture him
he is so small...
he shouldn't seem this grown...
something is wrong
homework:
ryotaro struggles to sleep because he knows he has a panther in bed with him, chisato can't sleep because she's thinking of things she'll do to souji's mom and how she's going to help souji
our__beginning:
will it go into full au and chisato actually successfully pulls her coup... pisses souji's mother off hard enough that she """forgets""" to pick him up after the holiday...
homework:
yes
please
save souji
give him to people who love him
our__beginning:
and then its a massive struggle bc his mother would definitely refuse to send any of his stuff and chisato and ryotaro arent THAT well off
but theyll do it
for souji
ryotaro calls in some favours to get souji enrolled at the local elementary
he was an exemplary student at his previous school but he starts getting into trouble and his performance in class dips...
ryotaro gets screeching voicemails about it from his sister
he starts deleting them
homework:
good for him
act out souji you're not a puppet
(god...chisato having to get clothes second hand for souji....)
our__beginning:
chisato takes great care to find a gender clinic to enroll souji at just so they can make sure he's still healthy and doing well regarding his social transition.. he only needs to go once every months
(trans kids don't start any chemical intervention of any kind until they hit puberty, it's simply not necessary)
souji basically has what was packed for the weeks away and thats it. luckily he has his favourite stuffed toy with him
its probably small and not very fluffy bc his mother picked it out so its a ""grown up"" looking toy
but souji sleeps soundly with it cuddled up to his chest a lot
he cries a lot at home and at school, more as the weeks go by and the homesickness and attachment break set in
his mother has called plenty of times to leave angry voicemail about how theyre ruining her family but never once to say hi to souji or ask about him
homework:
she cares him
every time chisato has doubts she just relistens to the one that bitch left on her cellphone and she's like "naw im okay"
our__beginning:
and souji increasingly feels like its his fault and that he mustve done something wrong
something to deserve being abandoned
chisato keeps him home from school for a week one week and just spends the whole time bonding with him
making collages together, gardening together, baking together, playing games together
she wants to make sure he knows... it doesnt matter whether his mum wants him or not... his auntie chisato and uncle ryotaro do
hes a good boy and they love him even if he isnt perfect or if he does something naughty or if hes sad sometimes
homework:
she just wants souji to know he's safe and cared for
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one day when it's raining souji just sits in chisato's lap while she cuddles him and brushes his hair and they watch the rain trickle down the window pane to water the garden.. and souji quietly starts sucking his thumb while chisato brushes
and thats how she knows shes making progress
her heart sings but she doesnt make a deal of it, just steadily continues
homework:
soujiiiiiii
he's a good boy!!!!!!
he deserves all the things!!!
our__beginning:
he starts to improve in school a little..
hes not a bad student he just had a shock to the system
homework:
he's not a bad kid
just let him be a kid.....
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imagine if he meets chie
homework:
and she makes faces at him when he's so reticent
and he laughs bc he's surprised
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just the tiniest laugh..
and shes like "you smiled!!! i saw you smile!!!"
homework:
"haha! see i knew you could laugh!"
our__beginning:
and soujis like.. embarrassed.. "i smile sometimes......."
homework:
souji and yukiko are two little peas in a pod they need a goofy fremb
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chie pulls them together like she does in canon
chisato is SO HAPPY when souji very shyly asks if he can go to a friend's house
homework:
the tiniest introverts
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his mother would never say yes... too much hassle...
but maybe auntie chisato.........
homework:
souji yes!!!
"of course you can go Souji! I'll walk you there so you don't let get lost."
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and chisato is rewarded with
A Very Small But Genuine Smile
homework:
screams into the night
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soujis little friends seem good.. two little girls, one shy and one outgoing..
shes met chie's mother before, they get along
they have a little puppy and soujis face LIGHTS UP when he sees it
homework:
little puppy boy!!!!
our__beginning:
for his birthday that year chisato gets him a stuffed puppy
he cries and at first chisato worries she did something wrong but it turns out that his parents usually didnt bother with his birthday on the day-of
homework:
ryotaro is actually there for it too he still works hard but he has to go home on time now when he can....
our__beginning:
ryotaro gets him some smart shirts in colours he thinks souji might like bc some of his old clothes are starting to wear out
homework:
soft grays and greens
a nice red one
when dojima gets home he's like "ah here's a present from your aunt--" toy puppy "and here's one from me." i bet its a little magnifying glass so Souji can look at plants in more detail
they're really badly wrapped bc he wrapped them at work
he sucks at it lol but the love is there
our__beginning:
souji with the ghibli tears
chisato and ryotaro pick him up and give him a big cuddle and he isnt shying away from it this time
then they all sit and eat treat sushi and birthday cake
imagine 10 year old souji whos been living with them for 4 years now
homework:
he's so much happier
and bouncier
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being told hes going to have a little cousin
a baby brother or sister
homework:
"r-really!?"
i bet he's excited
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hes so excited!!!
a little baby..
homework:
he'll have a little baby friend
children love other children
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and then when hes falling asleep that night hes like WHAT IF THIS MEANS THEY WONT WANT ME ANY MORE AND THEY SEND ME BACK TO LIVE WITH MUM AND DAD
and he has to get up to go throw up
ryotaro hears and goes to check on him... pats his back and helps him clean his face...
asks him if he ate something bad and souji Just Starts Crying
he hugs him...
homework:
probably by now ryotaro's a little wiser then when he started
our__beginning:
eventually souji sniffles out asking if theyll send him back when the new baby arrives
ryotaro hugs him TIGHT and says of course not, theyll never send him anywhere he doesn't want to go
they love him
homework:
"you're here for life, Souji"
our__beginning:
souji starts crying harder but HE IS HUGGING BACK
I REPEAT SOUJI IS HUGGING BACK
clinging to dojima's pj's with his lil fists
homework:
wahhhhhhhh
soujiiiiii
baby boy baby!!!!
our__beginning:
ryotaro carries him thru to his and chisato's bedroom and lets him sleep in their futon with them tonight.. he wants him to know He Is Loved, this is His place now, His family
homework:
his family!!!!
our__beginning:
he sleeps like a baby and chisato doesnt bother waking him for school when ryotaro explained what happened lol
shes like.. ok ya he can rest
tucks him in with their big two person duvet and kisses his head before she goes off to do chores
He is super helpful as she gets more pregnant
Diligent boy
homework:
he picks up things for her...he helps with the laundry.....
our__beginning:
he loves learning to cook so she gets him to do more of it than she strictly needs him to
but it is nice to get a sit down
nana-chan is born and souji is ABSOLUTELY DOTING
he is old enough not to get hit with the jealousy thing esp since ryotaro and chisato work so hard to make him feel welcome and loved
he just loves her.. shes so bubbly and cute.. he wants to make her happy all the time..
one time ryotaro pauses in the doorway to the nursery and observes as souji very gently and carefully leans over the cot and presses a tiny kiss to nanako's sleeping forehead and he almost dies on the spot from how cute that was
he has no regrets in life