Nagase's family stories (Part 37)
Nagase frowned down to the papers he was supposed to work on and then let out a deep sigh. He just couldn’t concentrate today it seemed. It was hard to balance everything. Harder than he had thought and than it had seemed at the start of the lock down. Schools were still closed and while he was glad for that it was also getting to them.
He rubbed his face when he heard a crash from further down the hall and decided that a break would be better than staring at the papers without being able to understand anything. He closed his office door with another sigh and went out to check on what happened. Yuki was barking so he took that as his cue where to go and soon enough he found Kazu crying in front of the low table in the living room and Yuki running in circles around him as he tried to cheer up his master.
“Oh little one, what happened?” Nagase asked worriedly as he knelt beside him.
Kazu turned around and hugged him tightly. “I don’t want to do my homework. My head does hurt and that is just way too much and I am too dumb and I can’t do it,” he cried.
Nagase sighed and started to sway him from side to side until he calmed slightly down again. He looked over him for a second longer and then at the homework he was supposed to write and finally closed the books.
“We will skip schoolwork for the rest of the day,” Nagase decided. “And if you still don’t think you manage tomorrow then as well.”
“But…”
“No buts. Kazu, you did so great the last few weeks, you did all by yourself. You learnt so much without complaining, you were not allowed to meet your friends and even when work was finished you had to be silent because I had to work and Satoshi had to do stuff for school. It’s fine if you don’t want to anymore for a bit. In two days it’s the weekend, we can start fresh on Monday, how does that sound?”
“The teacher will be mad. And I will fall behind.”
“You won’t,” Nagase promised and rubbed his cheeks. “And the teachers will understand, I promise. So don’t cry about that anymore, okay?”
Kazu stared at him for a while longer but then he nodded shyly. “I would like that,” he whispered. Nagase smiled and cleaned his cheeks.
“Do you want to go out in the garden with Yuki? I will prepare some drinks and snacks and then we’ll stay the whole rest of the day outside, how does that sound?”
Kazu nodded, and his face already looked a bit better with the promise of rest and nice things. “Can we have a barbecue?”
“Sure, I’ll call Samantha to ask her to bring stuff for that, okay? So decide what you want.”
“The small sausages!”
Nagase laughed but agreed. That was a staple for them anyway so there was no problem. He dropped a kiss on top of Kazu’s head as the boy finally jumped to his feet again and ran outside with Yuki on his heels.
Nagase stretched and went to check on Satoshi to offer him the same deal he just made with Kazu and smiled when Satoshi agreed that it sounded like a good idea. The strain was a bit much for both boys and Nagase was pretty sure they would be able to pick up lost homework if needed. Otherwise, he had no problems excusing them. Taking care of one’s mental health was just as important as rest if one caught a cold he thought.
-
“How are you doing?” Samantha asked as she offered Nagase a beer and sat down beside him on the lounge on the veranda. The boys were in their rooms, probably fast asleep in the case of Kazu since he had used the rest of the day to run around in the garden and climb up the small playground equipment they had built up there.
Satoshi had taken over the trampoline they had bought at the start of the lock down and Nagase supposed that it had been good for both of them to move as much as they wanted.
Dinner had been barbecue like Kazu had asked for but in a way that allowed all of them to come and eat when they felt like it and without the need to settle down all four together.
Nagase knew that outsiders probably wouldn’t understand but for him, it had been wonderful to watch the strain in the shoulders of both boys loosen and listen to their free laughter again. Just then Nagase had realised how little of that he had witnessed in the last few days.
“Okay, I suppose. I hadn’t seen how stressed they were. They were doing so well since it started.”
“Of course they did. They are good at doing as asked,” Samantha hummed and he nodded. He knew that, he also knew that he needed to keep an eye on them, more on Kazu than Satoshi.
If Satoshi didn’t want to do anything or felt as if he couldn’t he would always tell. Kazu always wanted to make him happy with his achievements and had a very hard time accepting failures. He was proud when the boys did mischief or dared to do differently as told. Kazu had learnt over years to try his best to do as his father told him as to not anger him and therefore didn’t get teasing or sarcastic remarks. And Nagase had learnt to handle those situations, but he had forgotten that Kazu only told them that he couldn’t manage if it was almost too late.
“I should have checked more on them.”
“You are just as stressed,” Samantha disagreed. “And it’s not as bad as you are about to make it.”
Nagase nodded, but there was still a frown on his face which she rubbed away with her fingertips. “You can talk to them tomorrow and find a solution how to make sure they tell you sooner next.”
“I can do that,” he agreed after a while with a smile and she grinned.
Nagase kissed her softly, but then looked up when the door to the veranda opened again and they were face to face with Satoshi.
“Hey, everything okay?” Nagase asked as Samantha sat up and waved him over to them.
“Uhn… Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Shall I go Satoshi?” Samantha asked but the boy shook his head he didn’t mind her being there.
“May I ask you something?”
“Of course, everything.”
Satoshi smiled softly and then sighed as he stared at his hands. “We might start with lessons at school again,” Satoshi said and Nagase hummed. That would not be before the next holidays were over, but nobody was sure if the virus would be gone by then. Nagase honestly didn’t think so.
“I know, does it worry you?”
“Yes, is it stupid to be scared?”
“No,” Samantha said sternly and Nagase’s lips twitched at the word and how surprised Satoshi looked when he looked up. “It is never stupid to be scared about anything. Especially not with a virus nobody really knows anything about.”
“That’s right, Satoshi,” Nagase agreed. “It is not stupid.”
“Some say children can’t get the virus. Others say they do and that it is dangerous. People died from it. I saw in the news.”
“I know, Satoshi. It is very scary, but there are things we can do to make the possibility smaller to get it and we’ll do our best. I know that going back to school might be scary, but you will have to wear masks and the windows can stay open since summer is so close. So the dangers are not as big.”
“But not fully gone,” Satoshi said and pursed his lips.
“No, and I think it will take a long time until we get there,” Nagase sighed. “But I promise we will do our best to make it as safe for you and Kazu.”
“And you and Samantha?”
“We as well.”
Samantha nodded and smiled. “See, Tomoya and me we’ll stay in the home office so there are already fewer chances.”
“Promise you won’t die?” Satoshi asked, looking helpless at the thought and Nagase smiled sadly as he got up and hugged the boy.
“I promise. Okay? You don’t have to worry about us.”
“I don’t want you to die,” he whispered. “I am so scared to get ill and then you die or you have to leave us.”
“We won’t, I promise Satoshi.”
“But what if you get to the hospital?”
“Then there is still Samantha right?”
“Of course, I won’t let you alone either, Satoshi. Don’t be scared we will be very very careful.”
“See it’ll be fine. I know that you are scared, we are as well, but I promise you it won’t end badly, okay?”
Satoshi wiped his eyes and nodded. “Okay, you promised.”
“Yes, and I will never break it if I can help it,” Nagase said.
Satoshi nodded and slowly relaxed enough for Nagase to let him go again. He watched Satoshi for a second longer and then ruffled his hair. “You’re going to be fine,” he promised.
“Uhn… Just sometimes it is hard not to be scared.”
“It is normal to be scared about things that we don’t understand or know yet. The only bad part would be if we were always scared, okay?”
Satoshi wrinkled his nose and nodded. It was not as if he thought always about that but he had read about all the deaths and filled hospitals in other countries so closed. It scared him but slowly it was getting better. “I don’t think I can go to sleep yet.”
“That’s fine, do you want to go in to read or watch TV or stay here with us?”
“Stay here,” Satoshi decided after a few seconds and was happy when both adults agreed. He pulled a thin blanket over himself and got comfortable on his chair while he listened to them talk about the upcoming week and their plans. He watched them and sighed as he realised how much he wished for Samantha to stay with them. He was worried when she was all alone in her apartment. It had to be lonely and there was nobody there if something happened. Also, it would be nice to know she was already at home when something happened. He would ask his dad later he decided.
A/N: Do you have any wishes about what I should write? I thought of doing a jump to Samantha moving in/the wedding now. But I am open to any ideas or wishes from you before or during that :D
He rubbed his face when he heard a crash from further down the hall and decided that a break would be better than staring at the papers without being able to understand anything. He closed his office door with another sigh and went out to check on what happened. Yuki was barking so he took that as his cue where to go and soon enough he found Kazu crying in front of the low table in the living room and Yuki running in circles around him as he tried to cheer up his master.
“Oh little one, what happened?” Nagase asked worriedly as he knelt beside him.
Kazu turned around and hugged him tightly. “I don’t want to do my homework. My head does hurt and that is just way too much and I am too dumb and I can’t do it,” he cried.
Nagase sighed and started to sway him from side to side until he calmed slightly down again. He looked over him for a second longer and then at the homework he was supposed to write and finally closed the books.
“We will skip schoolwork for the rest of the day,” Nagase decided. “And if you still don’t think you manage tomorrow then as well.”
“But…”
“No buts. Kazu, you did so great the last few weeks, you did all by yourself. You learnt so much without complaining, you were not allowed to meet your friends and even when work was finished you had to be silent because I had to work and Satoshi had to do stuff for school. It’s fine if you don’t want to anymore for a bit. In two days it’s the weekend, we can start fresh on Monday, how does that sound?”
“The teacher will be mad. And I will fall behind.”
“You won’t,” Nagase promised and rubbed his cheeks. “And the teachers will understand, I promise. So don’t cry about that anymore, okay?”
Kazu stared at him for a while longer but then he nodded shyly. “I would like that,” he whispered. Nagase smiled and cleaned his cheeks.
“Do you want to go out in the garden with Yuki? I will prepare some drinks and snacks and then we’ll stay the whole rest of the day outside, how does that sound?”
Kazu nodded, and his face already looked a bit better with the promise of rest and nice things. “Can we have a barbecue?”
“Sure, I’ll call Samantha to ask her to bring stuff for that, okay? So decide what you want.”
“The small sausages!”
Nagase laughed but agreed. That was a staple for them anyway so there was no problem. He dropped a kiss on top of Kazu’s head as the boy finally jumped to his feet again and ran outside with Yuki on his heels.
Nagase stretched and went to check on Satoshi to offer him the same deal he just made with Kazu and smiled when Satoshi agreed that it sounded like a good idea. The strain was a bit much for both boys and Nagase was pretty sure they would be able to pick up lost homework if needed. Otherwise, he had no problems excusing them. Taking care of one’s mental health was just as important as rest if one caught a cold he thought.
-
“How are you doing?” Samantha asked as she offered Nagase a beer and sat down beside him on the lounge on the veranda. The boys were in their rooms, probably fast asleep in the case of Kazu since he had used the rest of the day to run around in the garden and climb up the small playground equipment they had built up there.
Satoshi had taken over the trampoline they had bought at the start of the lock down and Nagase supposed that it had been good for both of them to move as much as they wanted.
Dinner had been barbecue like Kazu had asked for but in a way that allowed all of them to come and eat when they felt like it and without the need to settle down all four together.
Nagase knew that outsiders probably wouldn’t understand but for him, it had been wonderful to watch the strain in the shoulders of both boys loosen and listen to their free laughter again. Just then Nagase had realised how little of that he had witnessed in the last few days.
“Okay, I suppose. I hadn’t seen how stressed they were. They were doing so well since it started.”
“Of course they did. They are good at doing as asked,” Samantha hummed and he nodded. He knew that, he also knew that he needed to keep an eye on them, more on Kazu than Satoshi.
If Satoshi didn’t want to do anything or felt as if he couldn’t he would always tell. Kazu always wanted to make him happy with his achievements and had a very hard time accepting failures. He was proud when the boys did mischief or dared to do differently as told. Kazu had learnt over years to try his best to do as his father told him as to not anger him and therefore didn’t get teasing or sarcastic remarks. And Nagase had learnt to handle those situations, but he had forgotten that Kazu only told them that he couldn’t manage if it was almost too late.
“I should have checked more on them.”
“You are just as stressed,” Samantha disagreed. “And it’s not as bad as you are about to make it.”
Nagase nodded, but there was still a frown on his face which she rubbed away with her fingertips. “You can talk to them tomorrow and find a solution how to make sure they tell you sooner next.”
“I can do that,” he agreed after a while with a smile and she grinned.
Nagase kissed her softly, but then looked up when the door to the veranda opened again and they were face to face with Satoshi.
“Hey, everything okay?” Nagase asked as Samantha sat up and waved him over to them.
“Uhn… Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Shall I go Satoshi?” Samantha asked but the boy shook his head he didn’t mind her being there.
“May I ask you something?”
“Of course, everything.”
Satoshi smiled softly and then sighed as he stared at his hands. “We might start with lessons at school again,” Satoshi said and Nagase hummed. That would not be before the next holidays were over, but nobody was sure if the virus would be gone by then. Nagase honestly didn’t think so.
“I know, does it worry you?”
“Yes, is it stupid to be scared?”
“No,” Samantha said sternly and Nagase’s lips twitched at the word and how surprised Satoshi looked when he looked up. “It is never stupid to be scared about anything. Especially not with a virus nobody really knows anything about.”
“That’s right, Satoshi,” Nagase agreed. “It is not stupid.”
“Some say children can’t get the virus. Others say they do and that it is dangerous. People died from it. I saw in the news.”
“I know, Satoshi. It is very scary, but there are things we can do to make the possibility smaller to get it and we’ll do our best. I know that going back to school might be scary, but you will have to wear masks and the windows can stay open since summer is so close. So the dangers are not as big.”
“But not fully gone,” Satoshi said and pursed his lips.
“No, and I think it will take a long time until we get there,” Nagase sighed. “But I promise we will do our best to make it as safe for you and Kazu.”
“And you and Samantha?”
“We as well.”
Samantha nodded and smiled. “See, Tomoya and me we’ll stay in the home office so there are already fewer chances.”
“Promise you won’t die?” Satoshi asked, looking helpless at the thought and Nagase smiled sadly as he got up and hugged the boy.
“I promise. Okay? You don’t have to worry about us.”
“I don’t want you to die,” he whispered. “I am so scared to get ill and then you die or you have to leave us.”
“We won’t, I promise Satoshi.”
“But what if you get to the hospital?”
“Then there is still Samantha right?”
“Of course, I won’t let you alone either, Satoshi. Don’t be scared we will be very very careful.”
“See it’ll be fine. I know that you are scared, we are as well, but I promise you it won’t end badly, okay?”
Satoshi wiped his eyes and nodded. “Okay, you promised.”
“Yes, and I will never break it if I can help it,” Nagase said.
Satoshi nodded and slowly relaxed enough for Nagase to let him go again. He watched Satoshi for a second longer and then ruffled his hair. “You’re going to be fine,” he promised.
“Uhn… Just sometimes it is hard not to be scared.”
“It is normal to be scared about things that we don’t understand or know yet. The only bad part would be if we were always scared, okay?”
Satoshi wrinkled his nose and nodded. It was not as if he thought always about that but he had read about all the deaths and filled hospitals in other countries so closed. It scared him but slowly it was getting better. “I don’t think I can go to sleep yet.”
“That’s fine, do you want to go in to read or watch TV or stay here with us?”
“Stay here,” Satoshi decided after a few seconds and was happy when both adults agreed. He pulled a thin blanket over himself and got comfortable on his chair while he listened to them talk about the upcoming week and their plans. He watched them and sighed as he realised how much he wished for Samantha to stay with them. He was worried when she was all alone in her apartment. It had to be lonely and there was nobody there if something happened. Also, it would be nice to know she was already at home when something happened. He would ask his dad later he decided.
A/N: Do you have any wishes about what I should write? I thought of doing a jump to Samantha moving in/the wedding now. But I am open to any ideas or wishes from you before or during that :D