The Sea Kumi: A Heisei Kumi fanfic

[ryosukekoibito]

Author: ryosukekoibito
Pairing: none
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Genre: Slice of life
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from J&A.
Summary: Goseki's life with the Kitagawa Yakuza Group was good. But when a friend asks him for help, he finds himself reevaluating what he wants his life to look like.
A/N: So I came up with this idea one year ago, when I got to see ABC-Z for the first time. And now, in commemoration of that one year anniversary I am posting it! This fic does take place in my Heisei Kumi universe. It takes place in late February to early March of 2007. This is my first fic on this journal that does not have any JUMP boys in it, and is my first ABC-Z fic. So I'm a little nervous. Hopefully I did okay.  You don't have to be familiar with the AU to read this story, however if you'd like to read the other stories in this AU, please check out my masterlist. All Heisei Kumi fics have 平成組 next to their titles, to mark them as part of the AU. This little story is dedicated to effi_g! I miss you babe.




Goseki sighed, and Tsukada glanced over at him reproachfully, Goseki glancing down at his own chest, checking to make sure that the expansion of his ribcage hadn’t upset the line of stitches he had running across it. Tsukada pulled off the last of the old dressings and ran his fingers over the gash on Goseki’s chest delicately, eyes focused, as Kawai yelled out from the other side of the room,
   “What do you want on your pizza?” They were all in Kawai’s apartment, the four of them checking on each other’s injuries, and while Goseki and Tsukada had taken up post at the kitchen table, Kawai hadn’t gotten that far, and he was standing in the middle of his living room while Totsuka flitted around him. Kawai barely paid Tottsu any mind however, as he was focused on the most important task at hand-ordering dinner.
   “Chicken!” Goseki yelled back, wincing as pain ran through his chest at the movement, just as Tsukada called out,
   “Curry!” Kawai nodded in response, holding his phone back up to his ear with one hand, while next to him Totsuka was busy with the other hand, taping two of Kawai’s three fingers together. Tsukada grabbed a fresh roll of gauze from the tabletop and began redressing Goseki’s chest, the older man leaning forward to help facilitate the process. He hissed a little as the bandaging irritated the wound, but Tsukada didn’t relent until it was bound neatly and he taped it in place.
   “Bastard.” Goseki said teasingly, and Tsukada grinned that manically bright grin of his as Goseki got to his feet. “Your turn, give me your foot.”
   “Yes, Gocchi!” Tsukada replied in an overly submissive tone, a giggle rising in his chest as he plopped down in the chair Goseki had just vacated, and Goseki rolled his eyes bemusedly, lowering himself to his knees to get a good look at the damage. As he began peeling away the bandages on Tsukada’s foot he listened to Kawai talking loudly on the phone, cursing haphazardly when something Totsuka did hurt more than he was expecting. The words never stopped flowing, no breath taken or care placed in them, and sometimes just how much Kawai could talk drove them all crazy, but right now Goseki liked it. It lifted the mood, something that as their leader he could really appreciate.
   Goseki was a Kumi-cho for the Kitagawa Group. He ran the smallest kumi for their group, and their small size often made enemies think that they would be easy targets, but as his kumi-affectionately referred to by most as the Sea Kumi-was almost exclusively a peninsula and was therefore surrounded by water on three sides, it proved hard to conquer. Plus, Goseki couldn’t help but think, as he grabbed a damp cloth and wiped away all of the dried blood from the cut on Tsukada’s black and blue foot; no one ever bargained for how fiercely this little strip of land was protected. They’d been attacked just a few days previous, and had come away mostly unscathed, despite being heavily outnumbered. Walking away with just a few cuts and bruises, while many of their opponents weren’t walking away at all.
   “Pizza should be ready in twenty minutes.” Kawai declared, tossing his cell phone onto a nearby couch and flopping onto it unceremoniously. Totsuka yelped in an undignified manner as Kawai landed half on his thighs, but Kawai laughed that wild, stuttering laugh of his, and despite himself Totsuka smiled, Goseki smiling too as he redid the bandaging on Tsukada’s foot. They all sat down on couches and chairs around the coffee table, none of them really wanting to move as the twenty minutes passed, Goseki eventually just falling back on his clout as Kumi-cho and saying jokingly
   “Who is going go pick up the pizza? Tottsu?” Totsuka caught his eye, seeing right through the facade of authority to the laziness underneath, and he smirked a little, but he got to his feet, snatching his wallet and switchblade off the table and sauntering out of the room. He returned quickly, hot pizza in his hands, his nose pink from the late February chill, and they broke into the pizzas with big smiles and curses and exclamations of enthusiasm. Goseki fell silent as he ate, preferring to listen as Kawai and Tsukada tried to talk Totsuka into bleaching his hair again. It startled all of them when his cell phone lit up, vibrating harshly on the tabletop, and they all froze, attentions stolen by the little device.
   “Who is it?” Totsuka asked, seeming relieved by everyone’s attention having been stolen away from his dark hair.
   “Yara?” Kawai asked, as Tsukada reached for the device. Yara Tomoyuki was one of the Kitagawa group’s fix-it guys, and a good friend.
   “Shouldn’t be.” Goseki offered, frowning. “He’s off on assignment.” Tsukada handed him the phone as Kawai tried again.
   “Kitayama?” Goseki shook his head, flipping the little device open and putting it to his ear, concern on all of their faces as he said
   “Hello?”
   “Goseki-san?” He blinked in surprise when he realized who it was that was calling him, and he asked,
   “Yamashita-san?”
   “I hope I’m not disturbing you.” It was Yamashita Shoon, Kumi-cho for the Heisei Kumi. The other three all gave him bewildered looks, pizza forgotten in their hands, but all Goseki could do was shrug as he leaned forward and set his plate down on the table to focus on the phone call. Yamashita Shoon was a man he’d only met a handful of times previous, and while Goseki quite enjoyed his company, and found him to make for intelligent, engaging conversation, they’d never talked outside of Kitagawa Group meetings. He was immensely curious about the nature of this phone call, and so he hastened to assure the other man.
   “No, you’re not disturbing me Yamashita-san.” The others had all fallen silent, listening in to his half of the conversation.
   “Oh, good.” Shoon said, relief clear in his tone. “I know it’s rather late, but I couldn’t find time until now.” He paused, and the pause dragged on, Goseki about to open his mouth and say something to break up the silence when Shoon seemed to snap out of whatever he had been thinking about, and he said “I was hoping to set up a meeting with you, Goseki-san.”
   “A meeting?” Goseki couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice, and his companions all reacted with raised eyebrows and more confused glances.
   “Please.” Shoon said. “I have a proposition for you. Well, more of a favor to ask, really. But I really would prefer to do it in person.” Goseki’s bewilderment only grew as Shoon spoke, but by the end he agreed to the meeting, offering that Shoon come and visit him in his territory sometime early the following week. As they negotiated the time and date he could hear the other man talking to a third person, muffled as though he had his hand over the receiver. It was odd, but Goseki didn’t ask about it. Everything about this was odd. Besides, Shoon lived with nine other boys; he wouldn’t be surprised if phone conversations were often interrupted by third parties in that house.
   Goseki and his companions also lived together in the same building, but they at least each had their own apartment, one on each floor, with their kumi headquarters and Goseki’s office on the ground level of their five story building. It was a much more ideal place for a private meeting than the zoo Goseki felt that the Heisei Kumi house must be. Once the two kumi-chos decided the date and time of the meeting the call was wrapped up quickly, and Goseki could sense relief in Shoon’s voice as he thanked him, promising to be there that coming Thursday, before he hung up. Goseki stared at his phone screen for a moment after it was all over, pondering the exchange.
   “So.” Goseki said, looking up at the rest of them. “I have a meeting with Yamashita Shoon on Thursday.” Tsukada nodded, stuffing his pizza back into his mouth, as though having just remembered what he’d been doing before the phone had rung.
   “What does he want?” Totsuka asked, and Goseki shrugged and sighed, flipping his phone shut and setting it down on the table.
   “He wouldn’t tell me. He said he wanted to do all of the talking in person.”
   “Weird.” Kawai said, and Goseki had to agree. The whole thing was weird. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. But he took comfort in knowing that really, if for some reason things got out of hand he could simply decline Shoon’s request. And if nothing else, the other three would have his back, no matter what came of this mysterious meeting. They threw around possibilities as to what this could all be about, but in the end they didn’t come up with anything substantial, the four of them eventually abandoning that conversation for a game of mahjong.
   When Thursday rolled around Goseki found himself surprisingly anxious, and he spent the better part of the morning putzing around his apartment, unable to focus well. He distracted himself by knocking on Totsuka’s door, the other man taking pity on him and cooking him breakfast. The rest of them gathered throughout the morning and effectively calmed his nerves before he went to change into his suit and tidy the meeting room in preparation for Shoon’s arrival. The others all dressed up too, and by the time Shoon arrived the four of them were ready, and they fell into deep bows when Shoon appeared on their doorstep, Goseki welcoming the other man inside.
   Shoon was taller than any of them, but he looked smaller than the last time Goseki had seen him. He looked thin and exhausted, his suit not quite fitting, like he’d lost some weight. And there was a heaviness to him that Goseki had never seen before. His eyes were dark and weary, and while they still had that ability to make Goseki feel like he was being seen through, they weren’t as bright or full of life as he remembered. Shoon looked ill, and Goseki opened his mouth to ask if the other man was feeling alright when another person stepped out from behind Shoon, and his voice died in his throat.
   A boy followed behind him, a kid that couldn’t be any older than maybe fifteen was standing behind Shoon, and while he was definitely young, he was strikingly tall. The kid moved to stand by Shoon’s side after they passed by Goseki’s companions and came into the meeting room. He was wide eyed, a backpack slung over his shoulder, one hand with scabbed knuckles clutching at the strap, his round cheeks flushing as soon as he met Goseki’s eyes. He didn’t hold Goseki’s gaze, instead looking around with disbelief on his face. Shoon however just smiled, and he thanked Goseki for agreeing to meet and talk, nudging the kid forward slightly and telling him to introduce himself. The boy met Goseki’s eyes again, and this time he didn’t look away, instead he just said
   “I’m Hashimoto. Hashimoto Ryosuke.” Shoon reached out, running a comforting hand over the boy’s shoulders, and he smiled as Goseki said
   “Nice to meet you, Hashimoto-kun. Do you know who I am?” The kid nodded, his voice more sure now, some of the fear already gone from his face.
   “You’re Goseki Koichi. You’re a Kumi-cho too. My Kumi-cho says you’re nice and smart, like him.” Goseki couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows a bit in amusement at that, and Shoon smiled, affection in his gaze as he looked at the boy. Hashimoto wasn’t finished speaking however, and he glanced over his shoulder at the door they’d just come in through, the door behind which Goseki’s companions had been hidden from view, and he asked “Who were those guys?” To Goseki’s surprise, Shoon answered before he could.
   “They’re Goseki-san’s family.” Hashimoto’s eyes widened in understanding, and he looked over at Shoon, asking
   “Like how Yaotome-san and Nakajima-san are your family?” Shoon smiled and nodded, and Hashimoto glanced back at the door again, frowning a little. “I should have said hello.” Shoon’s smile grew at that, and Goseki found himself rather bewildered by this kid’s behavior. Usually all it took was one look at Kawai’s three fingered hand and the huge scars that marred Tsukada’s head and cut through his spikey, bleached hair to set people-even people within the Kitagawa Group-on edge. Hell, Goseki himself had a scar that curled across his left cheek that often had people staring. But this boy hadn’t batted an eyelash at any of their appearances.
   “Don’t worry about it. They won’t mind.” Goseki told Hashimoto, and the boy blinked at him before nodding in acceptance. Goseki gestured for the two younger men to sit down on one of the leather couches, and he offered them tea, both taking their cups and immediately drinking, while Goseki just set his own down on the table in front of him, watching Hashimoto as the boy drank heartily, not stopping until his cup was empty. His backpack had been deposited by his feet. Hashimoto set his empty cup down, eyes wandering the room again, and he said
   “This place is nice.” His eyes caught on the couch Goseki was sitting on, across from him, and he said “Your furniture even matches.” He said it with such a genuine naivete that Goseki couldn’t help but smile, bemused. Hashimoto caught his eye and smiled back, as Goseki murmured
   “Thank you, Hashimoto-kun.” It was then that Shoon set his cup down, and both Hashimoto and Goseki turned to the other man, Goseki asking “Are you ready to get to business, Yamashita-san?” Shoon nodded, clearing his throat, and Goseki half expected him to send Hashimoto out of the room; still not sure as to why the boy was there in the first place. But Shoon did no such thing, instead he sat up a little straighter, his tone serious as he said
   “I have a big request to ask of you, Goseki-san. And I thought that meeting Hashimoto would help you to understand.” His eyes met Goseki’s own, his gaze piercing, his wide eyes full of a desperation that Goseki hadn’t been expecting.
   “What is it that I need to understand, Yamashita-san?” Goseki asked, still feeling rather in the dark. Shoon hadn’t said anything that had explained at all what it was he wanted to ask of Goseki, and it wasn’t like him to be so vague. Shoon shook his head a little, and sighed a small sigh, and he said
   “I’m getting ahead of myself. This wasn’t how I wanted to start this.” He paused, his eyes staring into his cup for a moment, before he looked back up at Goseki. Goseki nodded, gesturing for Shoon to continue, and he settled in, alert, but content to let Shoon figure out what he was going to say.  There was a long pause, in which the only person that moved was Hashimoto, the boy’s knees bouncing, his eyes moving from one Kumi-cho to the other. Goseki didn’t acknowledge his gaze, despite feeling it, instead he kept his eyes on Shoon, until the other man said
   “The Heisei Kumi is set up differently from yours.” Goseki nodded. Not every kumi was run the same way, every Kumi-cho making their own decisions about how their territory would be run. Shoon’s kumi in particular was full of small children. Goseki knew it had to work differently than the Sea Kumi did. This little nod seemed to convince Shoon that Goseki was content to listen and Shoon’s shoulders relaxed. He seemed to have figured out how to go about his explanation. He picked up his tea, and he took another sip before continuing.
   “In my kumi I have many young boys that I look after, and they all stay together, and look out for each other. Every once and a while there will be a boy that rises to the top of the ranks, a boy that simply doesn’t fit in with the others, and whenever that happens in the past I have offered those boys a place in my home to live with me.” He glanced up at Goseki’s face, and Goseki offered
   “Like that little punk...what was his name...Arioka? The dragon boy.” Shoon smiled, affection lighting up in his eyes at the mention of the kid, and he nodded.
   “Yes, Daiki was one that outgrew his underling status pretty early on.” Shoon agreed. Goseki had heard of Shoon’s practice of taking in kids previously. Some people thought it was weakness, or softness. Goseki didn’t have much of an opinion on it. It seemed to work well for Shoon and his kumi, and so he didn’t judge. Goseki himself had lived with Kawai, Totsuka, and Tsukada since they were kids too, but they’d never added to their group. It had always been just the four of them. And even once they’d gained a territory, and underlings, it was still the four of them, underneath the frills of it all.
   “The Dragon?” Hashimoto asked, wide eyed. “He used to be with the underlings like me?” Goseki was surprised by the interruption, not expecting Hashimoto to cut into their conversation. None of his underlings would dare speak without having been requested to. He turned his surprised attention to the boy, not sure what he was expecting to happen. But Shoon didn’t frown or reprimand him. He just glanced over, and Hashimoto’s eyes grew even wider, Goseki watching as the realization of what he’d just done hit him, and his mouth clamped shut, his face flushing pink, and he murmured an apology, eyes turning to his knees. Shoon reached out, rubbing Hashimoto’s back warmly, and the boy perked up, a warm respect on his face when he glanced over at Shoon, the other man returning to his explanation.
    “Hashimoto-kun here is in a similar position.” Shoon declared, and in an instant Goseki understood just what it was Shoon had come to ask. He was so caught up in his realization that he almost missed Shoon’s next few words. “He is strong, and big for his age. He’s proven himself to be a loyal, honest, and hard working boy, and he’s earned a place higher up than the other underlings in my care. The only problem is that I no longer have any extra space for him. We filled the last spare spot in my home last August.” Goseki met Shoon’s gaze, surprised, because he knew for a fact that regardless of what Shoon thought of Hashimoto, he was lying, and it was a jarring realization, the words falling sharply from his lips.
   “You say you have no room for him?” Shoon nodded, and Goseki leaned forward, eyes on Shoon’s own. “We both know that’s not entirely true.” Shoon froze for a moment, hostility flashing in his usually open gaze, and Goseki knew he had struck a nerve. Shoon’s house of boys had lost one a few months previous. Ayukawa Taiyo had been one of the Heisei Kumi’s founding members; Goseki had been at his funeral. Hashimoto seemed to feel the tension in the room, his shoulders hunching up a little, his body going still as he watched them. He looked like he was preparing for a fight, and it was almost cute, Goseki couldn’t help but think. The kid had guts, despite looking like he couldn’t believe the words that had fallen from Goseki’s lips, like he was terrified of where this exchange was going. 
   “Taiyo will not be replaced.” Shoon said, softly but firmly. His gaze fell, eyes bright and glassy with unshed tears. The grief emanating from Shoon made Goseki feel a little regretful. Goseki himself hadn’t lost anyone close to him since his mother had died when he was a child. He hadn’t had to deal with that type of pain in a long time. He didn’t know what he would do if one of his companions were to die. Still, he wasn’t sure he could help Shoon out. He wasn’t sure he could give the answer Shoon wanted to the question he had yet to ask.
   “Forgive me.” He said quietly, and Shoon swallowed roughly, raising his teacup to his lips once more with a trembling hand. Goseki wondered momentarily if it was the grief over the loss of Ayukawa that was causing Shoon’s peaky appearance, but he knew that this was not the time nor place to ask such a question. Hashimoto’s shoulders sagged in apparent relief that things had been de-escalated, and Goseki smiled a little as the boy slumped back into the couch. As he did, Hashimoto’s shirt collar was pulled to one side, and Goseki caught sight of a purple bruise just below the kid’s collarbone.
   Shoon sighed, seeming suddenly exhausted, but he cradled his cup for a few moments, before meeting Goseki’s gaze, his desperation back in his eyes.
   “I came here today to ask if you would consider taking Hashimoto-kun in.” Shoon said, finally presenting his request. Goseki didn’t say anything. Shoon pressed on, setting his cup back down, focusing his attention on Goseki. “I brought Hashimoto-kun here with me today because I thought if you met him you would see in Hashimoto what I see in him, and you might be more willing to give him a chance. I was hoping that if you met him you would understand why I want to give him an opportunity to move forward. Why I was hoping you would let him come to live with you. He’s smart and he’s strong and he’s good. He just needs...he needs a family.”
   Hashimoto’s eyes were glued on Shoon’s face as he spoke, the boy notably embarrassed by all of the praises falling from the older man’s lips. Goseki regarded him carefully, fingers trailing absently across the raised line of the scar on his cheek, his mind racing. Hashimoto was young. Much younger than the rest of them. And he was inexperienced. He’d need looking after, he’d need training, and it would be a while before he could truly be an asset and not a burden. His little group of four was a well oiled machine. They didn’t need this boy. Still, the Sea Kumi was doing well. They could afford to take Hashimoto. They could feed him, and care for him, and train him into a formidable asset. As Goseki thought all of this over, he already knew in his gut what his opinion was. And in the end that gut feeling meant more than any logic. Still. This wasn’t his choice to make.
   “This isn’t a simple matter.” Goseki said, voice quiet, mind still going over every facet of the change something like this could bring to his kumi, and the likelihood that it would even happen. “You can’t honestly expect me to just declare that of course we’ll take the boy.” Shoon met his gaze, his piercing eyes searching Goseki’s face, and he seemed to know what it was Goseki was going to say before he finished. Shoon’s ability to read people had always been interesting to him, but now that it was being used on him Goseki was surprised to find that he wasn’t made uneasy by it. Hashimoto, next to Shoon, seemed oblivious to the direction the conversation was going, his shoulders tensing up, body taught with anxiety before Goseki said “I have to discuss this with the others first. If even one of them doesn’t want him to stay then I cannot allow him to join my kumi. ”
   “Of course.” Shoon’s tone betrayed nothing, but his eyes were still startling shades of desperate. Something had happened. Something that Shoon wasn’t telling him. There was an even bigger reason that Shoon wanted Hashimoto to come and stay with him. But the time for having shared it had past, and Goseki got the feeling that Shoon wouldn’t have said it, no matter how hard he’d pushed. Goseki was surprised by his own concern. He knew that he liked Shoon, but he always forgot just how much until the other man was standing in front of him. And he found himself offering
   “Would you like to participate in the discussion? I believe they’re all right upstairs.” Shoon glanced up at the ceiling, nodding, and Goseki rose to his feet, gesturing to the door, Shoon rising to follow him. Hashimoto remained sitting, eyes darting between the two of them, unsure, until Goseki said “C’mon, kid. You wanted to meet them, didn’t you?” At that Hashimoto popped to his feet, excited energy in his movements as he nodded, bangs flopping in his face, and he said
   “Yes! Thank you.” Goseki had to fight down a smile at the boy’s enthusiasm. It was amusing, just how fearless he seemed in the face of Goseki’s companions. But Goseki led the two younger men up to the closest apartment-Tottsu’s-hoping that they would all be there. It was the group’s most common hang out spot, as it was the apartment closest to the ground floor.
He knocked smartly on the door, pleased to hear Kawai’s braying laugh through the wood before it was pulled open, Totsuka greeting him with a small smile, the smile turning into a look of confusion when he realized that Goseki wasn’t alone. His eyes swept over Shoon and Hashimoto standing in his doorway, brow furrowing slightly as he registered them.
       But he stepped aside, welcoming the three of them in, and Goseki wasn’t at all surprised to find the other two sitting around Totsuka’s coffee table, with playing cards gripped in their hands. Everyone was in various states of undress, Kawai in nothing but a pair of slacks, while Tsukada still had a tank top on. Even Tottsu-who upon first glance looked perfectly acceptable-was missing his suit jacket and tie, as well as one sock. Kawai must have talked them into strip poker again. It was a common enough occurrence that Goseki wasn’t all that surprised, but he did wish that maybe they could have all had a little more clothing on for the important conversation that was about to take place.
  “What’s going on, Kumi-cho?” Tsukada asked, sitting up straight from where he’d been sprawled out over the overstuffed chair on the far side of the room, his playing cards placed face down on the table. Energy always seemed to radiate from him, he practically vibrated with it, but now he was focused. They all were, all three of them looking to him, and it took him aback for a moment. It was always a little jarring when they treated him like the boss. He was the one they had chosen to lead, back when they’d been granted their territory, but they still made most of their decisions together, and they rarely treated him any different. Only in front of outsiders. And Shoon and Hashimoto were just that, he supposed. Outsiders. Anyone that wasn’t one of them was.
   “You all know that Yamashita-san came by today with a request.” Goseki started, and they all nodded, Kawai setting his playing cards down as well, to listen to what Goseki had to say. “We talked, and I feel that what he is asking is something that should be decided upon by the group. But I wanted to give him a chance to explain his request himself.” All eyes went to Shoon, all but Goseki’s, and while Shoon treated his companions to his pitch, Goseki watched Hashimoto. The boy was looking at the other three men, his eyes roaming over the waves tattooed on Kawai’s chest and the long scars on Tsukada’s skull, and the nick missing from Totsuka’s ear, before wandering the room, his head turning to take it all in.
   The room was silent but for Shoon’s calm voice, the other three listening, faces serious as they thought. Goseki kept one ear tuned in to Shoon’s words, waiting for one of the others to speak up and make some sort of protest at the request. Kawai perhaps, or maybe even a blatant dismissal from Totsuka. Something. But Shoon got to the end of his request without interruption, and the room fell silent, all eyes this time on Hashimoto. The attention seemed to snap him out of his curious inspection of the room, and he moved a little closer to Shoon’s side, his backpack strap gripped a little tighter by his scabbed up hand. He let his gaze go back to the three men scrutinizing him across the room, a hesitant curiosity in his face.
   “I’m okay with it. With Hashimoto joining our kumi.” Tsukada declared, almost at once. He nodded, confident in his choice, a small smile on his lips, and he leaned back, his arms folding over his chest, the blue waves and the stark orange of the koi bright against his white tank top. Goseki nodded in acceptance of his response. He’d figured that if anyone was going to be okay with Hashimoto, it would be Tsukada. He was by far the most trusting and open hearted member of their little group. And he always had been.
  “What are you feeling, Kumi-cho?” Kawai asked, his eyes searching Goseki’s face, and Goseki thought over his response for a moment, before speaking.
  “We have the financial means to take in another person without trouble. And technically we do have the space, presuming someone would be willing to share their apartment. Resources are not a question. We could take Hashimoto-kun in if we wanted to.” He paused, letting out a small sigh and shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks, fingers running over the handle of his stiletto switchblade, the weight of it familiar in his hand as he thought. “However, we have been together for a long time. We have been a family of four for years, and I like what we have. What we’re doing here works, and we don’t have to change. We could keep it like it is. Because how it is now is good.” 
   Goseki looked up from Kawai’s face, glancing over at Hashimoto, and he was surprised to find the boy’s eyes locked on him, his expression rather somber, pleading and sad, like a kicked puppy, and Goseki set his jaw, almost frustrated by how hurt the boy seemed. Goseki shouldn’t care that Hashimoto was upset, but it was almost too easy to care about the kid. He looked away, back to Kawai, and his second in command was studying him fiercely, before he said
       “You think we should take him.” Goseki couldn’t fight the little smile that spread across his lips. There was no room for posturing with them. They all knew each other too well.
   “Yes.” He conceded. “I do.” Kawai smiled back at him, reassured, and he nodded.
   “What the hell.” Kawai said, his smile growing as he looked Hashimoto over. “I’m in. We can keep the kid or whatever.” Next to Hashimoto, Shoon smiled a little at the casual phrasing, and Goseki expected Hashimoto to smile or nod or give some sign of acknowledgement at Kawai’s acceptance, but the kid didn’t move, and it was then that Goseki realized that the boy was staring at the one person that hadn’t spoken since they’d entered the room-Totsuka. Totsuka was the one person he’d expected the most resistance from, the one he’d anticipated having to turn Hashimoto away because of. He, more than any of the rest of them, hated change. Even small things or good things left him huffy and sulking.
   And now he was looking at Hashimoto, his face blank, body still but for his roaming eyes. And Hashimoto was looking back, and as Goseki watched something in Totsuka’s gaze must have given the boy comfort because he visibly relaxed, his shoulders settling, the grip on his backpack becoming more lax, as a small smile curled his lips. It was a fond little smile, and Goseki barely had time to register it before Totsuka said quietly
   “He can stay with me.” He glanced over at Goseki, his eyes finally leaving Hashimoto’s face, and Goseki was so startled by the declaration that it took him a moment to find his voice. And even then he couldn’t help but ask
   “Are you sure?” Totsuka nodded, looking back over at Hashimoto and smiling a little, his cheeks flushing a light pink. There was a long silence, as they all registered what it was they had just agreed to, but Goseki realized in that moment that there was one last person whose opinion on this new arrangement was vital, and he turned to Hashimoto, offering gently “Hashimoto-kun, you don’t have to join the Sea Kumi, but there is a spot here for you, if you want it.” Hashimoto’s eyes lit up at the offer, and he turned back to look at Shoon one last time, the taller man nodding encouragingly at him, before he said
   “Please, Kumi-cho.” Goseki nodded in acceptance, and Tsukada cheered and stood, smiles blooming on everyone’s faces, Tsukada’s excitement infectious. Kawai immediately started griping at him to shut up, but it only made Tsukada yell louder, and he crossed the room to grab Kawai and pull him into a pointed hug. Kawai started whining at him to ‘get the fuck off’ immediately, and Hashimoto smiled at this display, his eyes catching on Totsuka’s, and Goseki heard Tottsu say quietly to the boy
   “You’re going to like it here. I think this is going to be good.”
   Shoon, meanwhile, met Goseki’s gaze, and there was an intense relief in his face, a weight seeming lifted from his shoulders, and he nodded, his gratitude unspoken. Goseki nodded back, while Kawai and Tsukada were already discussing what type of food they should eat in celebration of the occasion. Totsuka took Hashimoto’s bag, gesturing toward the hall that led to the bedroom, and Goseki turned to see Shoon out. The younger man smiled and thanked him quietly, and Goseki almost asked him if he wanted to stay, if he wanted to get drinks and talk in private for a while. Maybe see if Shoon would tell him what it was that had him so beaten down. But Kawai was yelling for his input on dinner, and Shoon said quietly
   “I won’t keep you. You’ve done more than enough for me today.” Goseki shook his head, and Shoon sighed, his lips trembling a little, like he was about to cry. “Go celebrate. I can find my own way out, Goseki-san.” Goseki nodded, but he couldn’t help but watch Shoon leave, wondering if the next time he saw the younger man he’d look better.
   He would never see Shoon again, but Hashimoto would quickly become an irreplaceable fixture in his life, the boy immediately being taken to by all four of them. It was easy to care for Hashimoto, and as the years passed, and the boy grew up, Goseki never once regretted having let him into their lives. Of course, that first night he didn’t know all of that. But that night over dinner as he watched the others talk and laugh and pamper Hashimoto with extra helpings of meat and sake, ruffling his hair and trying to make him laugh, he couldn’t help but feel that this change was going to be good.