[ Buddy Daddies | Oneshots ]

[ sprout ]

Rei had been halfway out the door, going to fetch some more seed packets when Miri called for him and he froze.

"PAPA REI!" She shouted from the top of her lungs from the living room, loud enough that the whole city could've heard her.

Rei silently debated leaving anyway.

"Come see this, Papa Rei!" She called again, just as loud.

"He's on his way, Miri," Kazuki called back to her, deciding the course of Rei's day for himself.

Rei grumbled and turned around for the balcony. Miri was waiting for him eagerly, jumping up and down. She had her hands behind her back, holding something. He hummed a short what? and Miri took out the little clay pot from behind herself. 

"It grew! You can see the green!" She held it up high so he could see, but Rei still had to bend over a bit to see what she was talking about.

Sure enough, there was a green bud just starting to emerge from the dirt of the pot.

"You have to give it a kiss!" Miri exclaimed. "So it'll grow up all loved!"

"I'm not doing that," Rei said plainly.

"Pleeease!" She begged.

"Oh come on, Papa Rei," Kazuki teased, "it won't hurt any!"

Rei glared at him. "You're serious right now."

"Completely." Kazuki nodded.

"It's ridiculous."

"Is not!" Miri defended the plant, hugging the clay pot tight in her arms for a moment.

A moment passed, and then Rei groaned in defeat. "Just give it here."

The four-year-old beamed and held out the clay pot in her hands, the little green bud just popping out of the dirt. Rei squatted down and took it from her, and then gave the sprout a quick kiss. Miri cheered.

"Now you, Papa Kazuki!" She said, taking back the planter and rushing over to where Kazuki sat on the couch.

"Oh of course!" He responded cheerfully. He gave the green bud a smooch. Miri cheered again.

"Now me!" She kissed the little plant with a mwah! and smiled, looking satisfied with herself, "Now it's the family plant." She declared.

Miri happily hopped off to put the plant on the balcony (Rei had gotten her a stool so she could reach) and Kazuki chuckled.

"So, what kind of plant is it anyway?" He asked Rei, sipping on his coffee.

"No idea."

Kazuki raised a brow at him.

"It's probably a flower of some kind, but Miri wanted it to be a 'mystery plant', as she put it," he explained, "so she dumped a bunch of my seed packets together in a bowl, mixed them up, and picked some out randomly."

"Oh, I see." Kazuki resisted laughing at Rei's misfortune. 

"She's going to be the death of me," Rei grumbled. It was probably true.

----

It wasn't too long before the bud started to grow and grow, eventually revealing itself to be a carnation, beautifully dark red in color.

"It's such a pretty flower!" Miri gasped, admiring it.

"Mhm." Rei nodded. He had never grown carnations before, so he would have to do some research on how to properly care for them.

"I want to plant a tree next! Can I plant a tree next?" Miri inquired, curious and hopeful.

"No."

----

just a short little continuation to the previous chapter. honestly if you have any ideas for chapters i would greatly appreciate them rn because i'm already running out of ideas lol

508 words

written 2/1/2023