Nagase's family stories (Part 24)
Satoshi was upset as he came home that evening. He threw his bag to the side and stomped to the living room where he buried his face into one of the pillows there. He hugged it tightly as he tried to calm down again.
He heard noises from the kitchen as he wiped his eyes, sitting up again. Kazu was out with Nagase, and he knew because there was a sleepover at daycare tonight for which Nagase has promised to be one of the extra caretakers. Kazu had been nervous and excited at the same time, and Satoshi had thought he would be all alone today.
"Satoshi, welcome back," Samantha said with a smile which turned into a concerned frown as she saw the way Satoshi tried to hide his face. "Oh no, what happened?" she asked as she walked around the sofa to kneel in front of it.
Satoshi stared to the floor, feeling the sting of tears in his eyes he tried so much to hide. He sniffled slightly as her warm, soft hands came up to cradle his cheeks in her hands to make him look up.
"What happened?" she asked as she carefully wiped his wet cheeks and rubbed at a dirty spot on his cheeks. "Did you get into a fight?"
Tears started running down his cheeks again at her soft question, and he sank into her open arms as he hid his face at Samantha's shoulder. It was seldom he felt like that, but today he felt awful.
Samantha didn't ask any more questions as he held the crying boy close to her and swayed him back and forth as she hummed slightly. It took a while, but slowly, the tears stopped, and Satoshi was able to lean against her a bit exhausted.
"I'm sorry, your shirt is dirty," he whispered with shame when he moved his head back and saw snot, dirt and a bit of blood clinging to her formerly clean white blouse.
"It's okay, but could you tell me what happened, please? I worry about you."
Satoshi sniffed slightly as he wiped his eyes again. "I was at the soccer field with Sho. We were playing soccer because Sho wanted to train it was fun. But then he had to go home. I wanted to stay back a little, but there was another group… I don't know they were older, but they knew dad and knew that he isn't my real dad or Kazu and they made fun of Kazu and me, saying we are worthless, and I told them to stop because that's not true, right? But they didn't stop, and because I wanted to play still I ignored them, but they didn't like that, and… and…" Satoshi stopped speaking as another crying fit hit him.
Samantha looked at him with sad eyes before taking him in his arms again, swaying him forth and back while trying to calm him down.
"They said that I was just like my father and that I would kill people soon enough if they don't show me. They said Kazu was crazy because he goes to therapy it hurt. They took the ball, but it was mine. I wanted it back then they shoved me and hit me and then I ran away. They laughed, telling me I'm weak," he whispered, hiding his face at her chest.
Samantha sighed at his words and kissed the top of his head. "Those boys were idiots," she said suddenly.
Satoshi blinked a little. Samantha never swore or told anyone an idiot. The woman moved back to be able to look into his eyes. "Listen to me, Satoshi. You and Kazu both are very special boys. You are very much loved by Tomoya and me even if we don't know each other that well, I can't imagine not to have you both around. Everybody who tells you otherwise is stupid and envious."
"Envious?" Satoshi asked in a small voice, looking at her in wonder. How could anybody be envious of them ever?
"Yes, because my dear Satoshi: Tomoya has chosen you to be his sons. He loved and cared so much for you that he wanted to see you grow up. It's very special."
"For real?"
She smiled as she caressed his head. "Yes, for real. And your father now is Tomoya, right? He is the one raising you so if you become like him, would it be bad?"
Satoshi thought it over before shaking his head. He would like it very much if he would become like his dad.
"See. Do you want me to call Tomoya? Do you want to talk to your dad? I'm sure he won't mind."
Satoshi thought it over for a while, but he felt a lot calmer already, and he didn't think he needed the words of his father right now. Tomorrow would be early enough. So he shook his head. Samantha smiled as she cleaned his face carefully before hugging him again so very warmly.
"Kazu is right," he mumbled suddenly.
"Right, how?"
"You are almost like my mother. Her hugs were as warm as yours."
"Then I'm glad to hear that. What do you want to do tonight? We should make it a fun night, don't you think so? So that Tomoya and Kazu are envious of us?"
Satoshi giggled slightly at her words. "I don't want Kazu to be jealous."
"Okay so then it will be our secret, sounds better?"
Satoshi nodded, rubbing his now itching eyes. "Why are you here?"
"Because I didn't want you to be alone tonight. Being alone at night can be scary, but it always is kind of lonely, don't you think so?"
Satoshi nodded softly. He hadn't minded so much, but now he realised that he was much happier to see that he wasn't alone after all. "Can we order food and I should take a shower. I'm dirty," he said with a frown as he realised that.
"Sounds good. I wasn't looking forward to cooking either way," Samantha teased him as she rubbed his cheeks. "So you go take a shower. I will order lots of junk food, and then we will watch a movie or two?"
"Can we watch an action movie? Kazu isn't allowed since he is still too young," Satoshi asked hopefully with bright eyes.
Samantha grinned as she nodded and dropped a kiss to his forehead, which made him smile even wider.
"Of course, anything that's age-appropriate for you and on Netflix. Now hurry."
He grinned happily as he hugged her tightly once more before springing to his feet and heading for the bathroom. His heartfelt much lighter now. He knew Samantha would tell Tomoya soon about today, but for now, he was just happy to know that he shouldn't care for any judgement of other people, he was loved, and he loved.
He heard noises from the kitchen as he wiped his eyes, sitting up again. Kazu was out with Nagase, and he knew because there was a sleepover at daycare tonight for which Nagase has promised to be one of the extra caretakers. Kazu had been nervous and excited at the same time, and Satoshi had thought he would be all alone today.
"Satoshi, welcome back," Samantha said with a smile which turned into a concerned frown as she saw the way Satoshi tried to hide his face. "Oh no, what happened?" she asked as she walked around the sofa to kneel in front of it.
Satoshi stared to the floor, feeling the sting of tears in his eyes he tried so much to hide. He sniffled slightly as her warm, soft hands came up to cradle his cheeks in her hands to make him look up.
"What happened?" she asked as she carefully wiped his wet cheeks and rubbed at a dirty spot on his cheeks. "Did you get into a fight?"
Tears started running down his cheeks again at her soft question, and he sank into her open arms as he hid his face at Samantha's shoulder. It was seldom he felt like that, but today he felt awful.
Samantha didn't ask any more questions as he held the crying boy close to her and swayed him back and forth as she hummed slightly. It took a while, but slowly, the tears stopped, and Satoshi was able to lean against her a bit exhausted.
"I'm sorry, your shirt is dirty," he whispered with shame when he moved his head back and saw snot, dirt and a bit of blood clinging to her formerly clean white blouse.
"It's okay, but could you tell me what happened, please? I worry about you."
Satoshi sniffed slightly as he wiped his eyes again. "I was at the soccer field with Sho. We were playing soccer because Sho wanted to train it was fun. But then he had to go home. I wanted to stay back a little, but there was another group… I don't know they were older, but they knew dad and knew that he isn't my real dad or Kazu and they made fun of Kazu and me, saying we are worthless, and I told them to stop because that's not true, right? But they didn't stop, and because I wanted to play still I ignored them, but they didn't like that, and… and…" Satoshi stopped speaking as another crying fit hit him.
Samantha looked at him with sad eyes before taking him in his arms again, swaying him forth and back while trying to calm him down.
"They said that I was just like my father and that I would kill people soon enough if they don't show me. They said Kazu was crazy because he goes to therapy it hurt. They took the ball, but it was mine. I wanted it back then they shoved me and hit me and then I ran away. They laughed, telling me I'm weak," he whispered, hiding his face at her chest.
Samantha sighed at his words and kissed the top of his head. "Those boys were idiots," she said suddenly.
Satoshi blinked a little. Samantha never swore or told anyone an idiot. The woman moved back to be able to look into his eyes. "Listen to me, Satoshi. You and Kazu both are very special boys. You are very much loved by Tomoya and me even if we don't know each other that well, I can't imagine not to have you both around. Everybody who tells you otherwise is stupid and envious."
"Envious?" Satoshi asked in a small voice, looking at her in wonder. How could anybody be envious of them ever?
"Yes, because my dear Satoshi: Tomoya has chosen you to be his sons. He loved and cared so much for you that he wanted to see you grow up. It's very special."
"For real?"
She smiled as she caressed his head. "Yes, for real. And your father now is Tomoya, right? He is the one raising you so if you become like him, would it be bad?"
Satoshi thought it over before shaking his head. He would like it very much if he would become like his dad.
"See. Do you want me to call Tomoya? Do you want to talk to your dad? I'm sure he won't mind."
Satoshi thought it over for a while, but he felt a lot calmer already, and he didn't think he needed the words of his father right now. Tomorrow would be early enough. So he shook his head. Samantha smiled as she cleaned his face carefully before hugging him again so very warmly.
"Kazu is right," he mumbled suddenly.
"Right, how?"
"You are almost like my mother. Her hugs were as warm as yours."
"Then I'm glad to hear that. What do you want to do tonight? We should make it a fun night, don't you think so? So that Tomoya and Kazu are envious of us?"
Satoshi giggled slightly at her words. "I don't want Kazu to be jealous."
"Okay so then it will be our secret, sounds better?"
Satoshi nodded, rubbing his now itching eyes. "Why are you here?"
"Because I didn't want you to be alone tonight. Being alone at night can be scary, but it always is kind of lonely, don't you think so?"
Satoshi nodded softly. He hadn't minded so much, but now he realised that he was much happier to see that he wasn't alone after all. "Can we order food and I should take a shower. I'm dirty," he said with a frown as he realised that.
"Sounds good. I wasn't looking forward to cooking either way," Samantha teased him as she rubbed his cheeks. "So you go take a shower. I will order lots of junk food, and then we will watch a movie or two?"
"Can we watch an action movie? Kazu isn't allowed since he is still too young," Satoshi asked hopefully with bright eyes.
Samantha grinned as she nodded and dropped a kiss to his forehead, which made him smile even wider.
"Of course, anything that's age-appropriate for you and on Netflix. Now hurry."
He grinned happily as he hugged her tightly once more before springing to his feet and heading for the bathroom. His heartfelt much lighter now. He knew Samantha would tell Tomoya soon about today, but for now, he was just happy to know that he shouldn't care for any judgement of other people, he was loved, and he loved.