Truly Ours ✔️

Prologue

Disclaimer because this is important: I am not fully aware of what happens during an adoption process. I know that there's a lot of paper work involved, and I believe, typically if they are older orphans, the house that they are being "adopted into" must be checked to ensure that it is a safe and viable environment for them to live in. I am an adopted child myself, however, I was adopted as a baby, and in a different country, so I am not positive how adoptions are set up/work if being carried out in the same country. But just because I was adopted doesn't mean that I know how they all work. You may continue (:

𝒫𝓇𝑜𝓁𝑜𝑔𝓊𝑒 / 𝟢 / 𝒜 𝒩𝑒𝓌 𝐵𝑒𝑔𝒾𝓃𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔

    They were here again. Taz looked up from where he was sitting in the back corner of the orphanage, tilting his head as he watched the family speaking to the owners of the run-down and dusty orphanage. They'd come a few times now, and Taz noticed that there was always a boy with them, about Taz's own age.

    He'd waved hi to Taz before, who'd blinked back, lifting his own hand in a shy greeting back. Taz's tail flicked back and forth, knees still curled to his chest, as his green eyes swept across the orphanage's main room warily. Families came in a few times a month, and children would be picked up, giggling and glowing as they received a new family.

     Taz had been in two orphanages for over sixteen years. No one had ever spared a glance at him when they came in, often shooting him disgusted or disapproving looks. Taz had given up hope of being accepted, or taken into a family. He was turning 18 soon, or so the orphanage told him. After that, he would be kicked out of the orphanage. Taz often wondered what life would be like outside of the orphanage if he was kicked out.

    His years here had been anything but pleasant. He was bullied, kicked around and abused. Even though the world was a place where supernaturals and humans lived together in supposed peace and harmony, everyone in the orphanage had called Taz a freak at least twice.

     It... wasn't his fault that he had a tail, or that he had a second presence inside. Then again, his second presence was what got him kicked out of the first orphanage, and labelled as a freak. Taz shrank into himself as a couple children passed him, shooting him rather nasty glares, one even throwing a wooden toy block at him. Taz flinched as it smacked him square in the forehead. He knew that he must look pitiful, being bullied by children much younger than him. But Taz had given up the fight.

     Taz's tail curled around his ankle tightly, a sign when he felt belittled and insignificant. His tail didn't really move from that spot very often. He tugged at the torn leather choker around his neck. The other children mocked him for it, saying that he was just like a dog, but for Taz, it was his solace of comfort. It was the only thing that reminded him that he was still alive and breathing.

     A sudden presence made Taz start, and he looked up, startled to see that the boy of the family had approached. His eyes were curious, a heterochromatic blue and yellow, and he offered Taz a friendly smile.

    "Hello. I'm Cadence." Taz stared at him with wide eyes, and fumbled to try to respond. However, as being a selective mute, that was difficult. Taz bit his tongue, and Cadence tilted his head at Taz curiously. Taz lifted a hand, and signed out his name. To his surprise, Cadence smiled, and signed back in greeting.

    Taz nodded, and was even more surprised when Cadence continued to sign instead of speaking.

    My family is working on adopting you into the family. The manager of the orphanage is being difficult, but it's working out, I think.

    The shifter couldn't believe what the boy before him was telling Taz. He... was getting a family? The wooden block from before was still in Taz's lap, and he fiddled with it in his hands, biting the lower corner of his lip, before shakily lifting a hand to respond, before dropping it and shrugging helplessly. He didn't know what to say. Cadence smiled brightly, and lifted a thumbs up.

    It's all gonna work out. I promise. Mom and Dad have really wanted to adopt, Cadence seemed to pause, before grinning sheepishly. "I don't know too much sign language, but I did practice those few things I said at home before I came here. You know, so I could try to talk to you." Taz's brain was working at what felt like a million miles per hour. He felt a little overwhelmed, but his chest felt warm. This... boy had learned how to sign just so he could talk to Taz?

    "But yeah, we're working on getting you adopted into our family. Mom and Dad really wanted to adopt on the older side, and we heard of an orphanage that had a supernatural orphan on the older side, so we came to visit here." Cadence thumbed over the fingerless gloves he was wearing, and tugged the fabric down.

    To Taz's surprise and awe, the other boy had a pattern of swirling stars on the back of his hand. "We're also supernatural. A perfect fit, don't you think?" Cadence was so cheerful and positive that Taz didn't know how to react. It had been so long since he was in the presence of positivity.

    "Cadence, sweetheart!" Cadence glanced over his shoulder as the woman - his mother, Taz guessed - called. "Come on over, and bring the boy with you please!" Cadence turned back to Taz and offered his hand.

    "Come on. We're gonna take you to a home that you deserve." Taz couldn't believe this was happening. He felt such a foreign giddiness rising in his chest that he didn't hesitate to take the other's hands, even managing to ignore the spiteful and jealous looks that the other children were shooting him.

    When Taz and Cadence approached Cadence's parents and the "headmaster" of the orphanage, Taz shrank back slightly at the passive glance that the headmaster gave him. He hadn't been a kind man.

    "Alrighty! We've got all the adoption papers set, the paperwork completed, and I believe everything else under control." Cadence's mother clapped, and the father chuckled softly. Cadence's mother turned to Taz, eyes bright and kind. "You're Taz, right?" Taz nodded. "Well sweetie, I hope that Cadence has told you what's going on?" Taz nodded again, tail flicking and wrapping around his wrist.

    "Do you have any things that you need to go collect?" Cadence's father asked. His voice was low and calming, almost soothing. The only things Taz had were the rags that the headmaster called clothes, so he shook his head, avoiding looking at the headmaster whose lip curled back in a distasteful sneer.

    "Ungrateful brat." Taz's hearing picked it up, and he tensed, feeling Cadence's grip on his wrist tighten slightly. If Cadence's parents heard it, they didn't acknowledge it.

    "Well, then let's get you into the car and bring you to your new home!" Taz felt a slight tugging at the corner of his lips as Cadence's mother excitedly left the orphanage to start the car. Cadence's father fell into step with Taz and Cadence as they followed.

    "I'm sure you know Cadence already. I'm Micah, and my wife's name is Trinity." Micah introduced himself. "Welcome to our little family, Taz." Taz nodded, his chest feeling tight, and signed out a thank you, to which Micah responded with a signed you're welcome.

    Taz didn't even think about looking back as he left. This was his new beginning.