Why do children have to be so small?

Broken cups

It’s 9 pm. My shift starts in half an hour. I’m changing into my hero costume in the bedroom, while Hizashi is laying beside Hitoshi, who is asleep. I wrap my capture weapon around my neck and shoulders. I walk up to the bed and give them a kiss each. It’s been three days since the incident. I went to the hospital for my injuries the day after, but it wasn’t anything major. They said that my voice would be fine after a week. I walk to the kitchen and prepare a cup of coffee. This time I’m bringing a thermos with coffee, so that I don’t feel like falling asleep. Hizashi comes tiptoeing out from the bedroom and quietly closes the door.
“I wanted to say goodbye before you left.”
I put down the empty coffee cup and put my arms around Hizashi. His skin is warm from being under the cover with Hitoshi. I plant a kiss on his cheek.
“Goodbye, Hizashi. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Shota.”
I don’t want to let go, but I have to. I’m just about to open the door when someone knocks. I furrow my eyebrows.
“Are you expecting company?”
Hizashi shakes his head. He looks just as confused as I am. Who would knock on our door this late?
I hesitate and open the door. Two cops are standing outside our apartment.
“Pro Hero Eraserhead?”
“Uh… yeah?”
“We got a tip that you are currently taking care of an orphaned child, is that correct?”
“Yes?”
“Three days ago, at around 5.34 pm, you put this child in danger. A criminal attacked you, and this child managed to capture him.”
“I didn’t put him in danger, I yelled at him to run. He came for the criminal by his own choice.”
The cops don’t seem to be listening to me.
“Since you are not the child’s parents, you must either hand him over to an orphanage or a foster home.”
My pulse is rising. They want to take him away from me. I shake my head.
“No, we can’t do that. He wants to stay here.”
“Then adopt the child within 90 days.”
“90 days? But sir, since we’re under 25 we have to be married to adopt-”
He interrupts me again.
“You have 90 days to get married and adopt the child, or he will be taken from you by force.”
He closes the door before I can say anything else. I’m just standing there, staring at the closed door. 90 days, to get married and adopt Hitoshi. It’s way too little time. My body starts trembling, I don’t know what to do. I feel a hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t touch me.”
My body fills with rage, sadness and fear, all at the same time. I grab the closest thing to me, the empty coffee cup, and throw it in the wall. It shatters into what looks like a thousand pieces. I scream as I drop to my knees. They can’t take him away from me. I grab the larger pieces of the cup and throw them to the ground, cutting up the rough skin in the palm of my hand.
“Shota.”
“DO YOU NOT CARE AT ALL?”
I have tears in my eyes. I don’t want to cry, especially not in front of anyone. I can’t help it. I let out a loud sob. I put my hand over my mouth, hoping it’d muffle the sound.
“Of course I care, Sho. I care a lot.”
He sits down beside me and puts both of his arms around me. I keep sobbing, not even trying to hold back at this point. I basically lie down with my head in his lap, sobbing uncontrollable. I don’t know how to calm down. A door opens behind us.
“Papa…? Why is daddy crying?”
“Go back to sleep, ‘Toshi. It’s gonna be okay.”
The door closes, but instead of disappearing, the footsteps come closer. I open my eyes. Hitoshi is sitting in front of me. I try to smile at him.
“Don’t cry daddy, it’s okay.”
He grabs the end of my scarf and tries to wipe my tears with it. I let out something that sounds like a mix between of laughter and sobbing. I sit back up and pull Hitoshi close to me.
“It’s okay if I have to go to an orphanage.”
I sob again and pull him even closer.
“It’s not okay. I’m not letting you go, not now.”
I lay back down in Hizashi’s lap with Hitoshi on my belly. I’m trying to not cry. I don’t want to cry in front of Hitoshi. I keep wiping my cheeks, and both of the others help me. I look up at Hizashi.
“I guess we’ll have to get married, then.”
I offer him a weak smile.
“Shota, are you proposing to me?”
“I guess I am.”
He leans down and kisses my mouth.
“It’s a yes then.”
I feel a second pair of lips on my cheek. Hitoshi wanted to join too, it seems. I manage to calm down after a while and we all just lie down on the floor.
“Stay home tonight, okay? I’ll stay home tomorrow and we’ll figure this out.”
I nod slightly, closing my eyes. Hizashi manages to grab a blanket from the couch and puts it over all of us. After just a few minutes, Hitoshi falls asleep on my chest. After another ten minutes, the cats join us. I’m covered in fur and human bodies. But it’s good. I feel at home. Comfortable.

I wake up on the living room floor, still with Hitoshi sleeping on my chest. One of the cats is asleep on top of Hitoshi. The pale sun is shining in my eyes. It’s impossible to fall back asleep like this.
“‘Toshi.” I mumble in his ear. He closes his half-open mouth and looks at me. He’s been drooling on my shirt.
“We need to get to school, it’s already late.”
He rubs his eyes and sits up. The cat jumps down from his back and runs away, probably to the kitchen or bedroom. I lift Hitoshi off of my chest and sit up. Hizashi is in the kitchen making breakfast, per usual. I feel a sharp pain in my palm. I put my hand on one of the shards from the coffee cup I broke yesterday. I just sigh.
“Go eat breakfast with Papa, okay? I’ll be right there.”
He stands up and walks over to Hizashi. I make my way to the bathroom and start removing the shards from the cup. I’m bleeding, but it’s not that bad. I’ve gotten cuts before. Once all the shards are gone, I wash my hands and put some bandages around the wounds. Then I proceed to clean up the remainder of the shards. I’m gonna have to get a new cup. I go to the kitchen and join the others for breakfast.
“Do you want me to take him to school today?” I ask Hizashi. He shakes his head.
“I’ll take him there. You can… start planning meanwhile.”
Right. We have a wedding to plan now. Hizashi wants a big wedding, I know it. But we don’t have much money, or a lot of time. What should be the first thing to look for? A venue? Rings? Clothes? God, I don’t know, why’d I get to plan this? Hizashi is probably gonna want to wear a bright yellow tuxedo, but I don’t think i’d allow that. I think for a while. Let’s start by inviting people. Wait, no, I need time and venue for that. Let’s check the venue then. I google “wedding venues japan”. Way too much comes up. “wedding venues japan cheap”. A bit better. I find someone who can rent their rather big garden for weddings, pretty cheap. They have big sakura trees in their garden, and they should bloom in less than three months. I click on the “contact me” button, and send the person an email. Hopefully they have a free spot in April at the latest. I look around a bit more. A hotel. Another garden. A beach. I email them all, hoping that someone can take us. Hopefully they’re okay with us, well, being guys. We’re gonna have to try rings in person, that’s not something we can do via the internet. Same goes with clothes. Cake? What cake does Hizashi like? What cake do I like? Do I even like cake at all? I sigh and put the computer on the table. I should probably wait until Hizashi gets back with planning. I can’t do this on my own.

Hizashi comes back about an hour later. He looks tired, just like how I feel.
“I checked some venues. I found some who had large gardens who would rent it out for weddings, and some hotels who’d allow it. I emailed them all, asking if they have any free spots in April or earlier.”
He grabs the computer and puts it in his lap.
“We can not think “big” or “spectacular”. Right now we need to think “cheap” and “quick”. I know you want a big wedding, but-”
“We have to do this now if we want to adopt Hitoshi, I know. The wedding doesn’t matter as long as we get to keep him.”
I nod.
“I’m glad you understand.”
I grab the blanket we slept under and pull it over us. It’s still slightly warm.
“But we are getting a cake and rings, right?”
“Yeah, we’re getting cake and rings. I just don’t know what flavour…”
“What do you want?”
“I don’t know, ‘Zashi. I haven’t had cake since my tenth birthday.”
“We could just go with the classic chocolate or vanilla, that’d probably be the cheapest. Macha would be pretty cheap too. But then banana…”
“We are not getting a banana flavoured wedding cake, ‘Zashi.”
“Fine.”