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Jiro resisted the urge to laugh as he stared at his arms

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Jiro resisted the urge to laugh as he stared at his arms. His skin was littered in array of band aids and loosely wrapped gauze. A layer of blankets laid on top of his legs with an ice pack underneath. It was almost comedical to watch a twelve- and five-year-old rush around his living quarters in search of a first-aid kit. He even found it endearing how Blue tried to wrap his ankle yet failed poorly. Even White seemed to be concerned as he ushered the younger to search around. Most of the time White would just glare at him or ignore his gaze, but after their little crying session he seems to have warmed up a little.

Resting his head on his uninjured arm, Jiro watches with an amused face. The two were currently trying to figure out how to warm up a bowl of soup as Jiro sat at the floor. Much like the downstairs cafe, the second story had an open floor plan. The kitchen and living room were visible from both sides, being only separated by a small counter. The idea of a dining room was thrown out the window, leaving only a short table in the living room and bar stools at the counter. 

The rest of the apartment was easy to navigate. Three bedrooms and two baths. Out of the two guest rooms he kept one bare and the other turned into a workshop for his writing. Being a coffee shop owner didn't bring in a lot of money much to his surprise, leaving him to rely on his writing as another source of income. He mostly wrote children's books, at times he'd drabble in other genres but not too often. 

His main bedroom was rarely used, the large bed was left empty most nights since he slept in his office. The only reason he'd enter his main room was if he needed to grab something out of the closet or attached bathroom. 

"You can't put metal in a microwave!" Touya scolded as he quickly snatched the spoon out of the bowl.

Jiro could no longer contain his laughter, a joyous sound filtered through the air as he wiped away the stray tears that began to flow. Touya and Tenko could only watch with confusion etched on their faces. Even when Jiro was littered with scraps and scratches, he still managed to laugh. It was truly wonderous to them. Just remarkable.

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"Thank you for the meal," Jiro smiled softly before raising the spoon to his lips. The two children stared in anticipation as he took the first sip. As if he was a judge, he paused for a second while collecting his thoughts. The tension only seemed to grow as he grinned micheviously.

His fingers tap against the bottom of his lip. As if he was lost in thought, he peers upward. "Hmmm, I say... this is the best soup I've ever had!" That would be a lie but he wouldn't tell that to their faces. They somehow managed to burn it and still make the filling ice cold. How they managed to mess up soup that badly was behind him.

"Touya and Tenko."

"Hm?" The [h/c] male hummed. The gears in his brain froze as he tried to comprehend what he was just told.

Touya let out a small sigh and held onto Tenko's arm. "Our names, Touya and Tenko." As he spoke he pointed to the respected person. Truthfully he was feeling a little bashfully, but he'd never show it.

The brightness in the room rivaled the sun's. Smiling bigger than ever, Jiro was practically buzzing in joy. After weeks of waiting, he finally knew their names. They finally trusted him enough. Whi- no, Touya, finally felt comfortable to some degree. If he could, he'd probabaly swing them around out of happiness.

With an outstretched hand L/n beckoned for Touya to do the same. "It's nice to meet you Touya and Tenko, my name is L/n Jiro. You can just call me Jiro if you prefer."

Touya couldn't help but reflect a small back as he shook Jiro's hand. "Thank you for having us." It may have been at that moment, or possibly even before, but both children knew they finally found their home.

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Much to everyone's disapproval, the sun had finally began to set. Every day without fail, both kids would leave without a word. Jiro couldn't stop the small frown from curling onto his lips. He was so emersed in the moment, he forgot they didn't technically live with him.

Tenko may have only been five years old, but he had some sense of emotion recoginition. Something inside him didn't feel fuzzy like it did before when he saw Jiro frown. He didn't like this feeling, not at all. His eyebrows furrowed as he yanked on Touya's shirt. A small pout rested on his face, "stay."

The one word was enough for both Todoroki and L/n to freeze. This was the first time Tenko ever spoke in front of him. And not only that, he actually wanted to stay.

That was enough for all of them to realize their lives weren't ever going to be the same.

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"Tenko, don't jump! You might fall!" Touya fussed. The two were sitting on the large bed in the master bedroom as Jiro went to gather more blankets and pillows for the two. The sight of a bed was enough for them to want to drown in it. They couldn't even remember the last time they were allowed to sleep in something so soft. Touya even debated just sleeping on the floor.

"Here are some blankets and pillows! I'm sorry the only clothes I had were my old ones, if you'd like we can get you both some more tomorrow?" Jiro asked quickly before setting the pile of bedding in front of them. He assumed they'd be too anxious sleeping apart, and well the guest room wasn't very clean at the moment. So giving them his room was the best option, besides if they needed to use the bathroom it was just a few feet away.

Tomorrow? Did they hear him right? They were allowed to stay longer? He wasn't just going to kick them out?

Almost as if he read their minds, he patted their heads softly. "I don't know what situation you're in, but I have a vauge idea. You're both welcome to stay here as long as you wish. I won't demand any sort of pay in return, I just want you both to sleep with a roof over your head." His voice came out barely above a whisper. But they knew he meant every word. And that was enough for them to start another crying fit.

That night, both children went to sleep without worries for the first time.

A little on the shorter side but now that we got through the introduction section we can begin the fluff part! :D

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

A little on the shorter side but now that we got through the introduction section we can begin the fluff part! :D

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