Chapter Text
"Legoshi, don't you have to go to work? If you keep staring at the door like that, you're going to scare the customers off."
"But there's no one here, Haru."
"Yeah, that's because of you."
Legoshi positioned himself on one of the chairs, keeping an eye out for Kosaku in case he decided to return. Through the glass, any passerbys would see him and hurry along, clutching their pearls and purses and whatnot. His glowering expression set them all off.
"Are you just going to sit there?" Haru asked, hands on her hips as she stood directly behind her husband.
"I can be a little late to work."
Haru sighed and shook her head at him. "What am I going to do with you? No one is going to show up, especially not with you scaring everyone away. If that guy decides to show up, it could happen with you here and it could not. We still have to live our lives."
"You're right," Legoshi admitted. He turned over to face her. "Have you thought about hiring another employee? Someone that's... Not a preteen? A large breed, preferably. One that could protect you while I'm not here."
"That's a bit of an ask to put in a job description. Besides, the restaurant doesn't make enough for that kind out output."
Legoshi opened his mouth to speak but Haru cut him off.
"And no, you don't get paid consistently enough from Yahya-sama to make it work. I'm fine with Fido-kun, we manage."
Legoshi hung his head in consideration. "Then I should quit and work full-time at the restaurant."
"What?! No way-" Haru waved her arms wildly. "You're not doing that. You love that job, you went to school for it."
Legoshi's tail wagged limply between his legs, thumping against the chair legs. "Not as much as I love you."
Haru softened, drooping her ears. "Oh, Legoshi." She placed a hand beneath his jaw. "I'm not going to let you do that because I love you. There has to be some other way."
Legoshi closed his eyes in thought. "Take self defense lessons."
"... You're kidding, right?"
"I'm serious, Haru. It could be good for you in the long run. I could teach you if you want. Although, I'm not sure of how good of a teacher I could be, but I'll try."
"I thought you were teaching Juno?"
"No... That was a lie. She was more like... Shadowing me. She had her own duties to carry out for the most part. B-But think about it!" Legoshi's tail wagged harder. "I'll feel a lot better if you knew how to defend yourself. I'll even teach Fido-kun. Then again, his mom probably won't be too pleased... But it's a good idea, I can't be here all the time."
Haru sighed deeply. "Fine, fine. I'll do it." She kissed his nose and patted his cheek. "Now get to work before you get fired."
"Don't I get a real kiss?"
"Legoshi."
"Fine, I'm going." He stood up to leave, etching his disappointment into his features. "See you later, Haru."
"Wait!" Haru hopped up and pulled on his ear to bring him down to her level. She whispered a few choice words into his ear to get him motivated to go to work. It was the least she could do to keep his mind off things.
His eyes grew wide. "Really? You'll do that?"
Haru nodded, smiling coyly.
Legoshi groaned, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. "I can't go to work like this. That's going to be on my mind all day."
Haru crossed her arms indignantly. "Then I'm not doing it."
"Do what?"
The couple snapped their attention towards the door as Fido walked in, ready for his shift. With his ears, it was a good thing he didn't arrive a second sooner. His youth addled brain would have been exposed to horrors.
"Changing diapers!" Legoshi answered quickly, nearly tripping over his own words. "Not fun," he said, "I don't recommend it. Anyway... I should get going to work." He dipped his head towards the two and hurried off.
Fido wagged his tail as the older canine acknowledged his presence, marveling at how fast Legoshi ran off. "Wow," he mused. "Mister Legoshi-san is so cool!"
Haru snorted in laughter. "He sure is."
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Louis couldn't focus on any of his work. Proposals had to be looked through, deals had to be signed off, and all other sorts of business jargon gr didn't care for was on his schedule. Nothing too pressing, fortunately. Louis knew better than to leave such things unattended for a long time. But right now, the rest of it could wait one afternoon while he spent it with his son.
LJ scribbled away with crayons, practicing his finer motor skills. With both of his hands busy, he wasn't sucking on his thumb. His little brow was furled in concentration.
Louis tried to peer over his work. "Can I see?"
"Nuh-uh! Not yet." LJ hunched over his paper even more.
"I'll show you my drawing."
"Daddy doesn't draw."
"You got me there." The only papers in front of Louis were work related- work pertaining to Yahya that is. LJ couldn't read so Louis had no qualms about sifting through case files in front of him, so long as he kept the pictures hidden. "I just want to see what you did."
"Okay." LJ drew back and brandished his picture in front of Louis. Nothing was distinct in the drawing, looking more like a hodge podge of shapes and colors. Louis lacked the imagination to tell what it is.
"It's... Wonderful Junior. It's a wonderful picture of... Something."
"This is you, Daddy." LJ pointed to one side of the paper where a deer-like figure (if Louis squinted and tilted his head) was engaged with some kind of altercation with another cervid. "That Mister Reindeer."
Louis frowned.
"And this is Uncka Le'oshi." LJ pointed to the other side of Hoka where there a depiction of what was supposed to be Legoshi. His claws were scribbled with red. "Then there Mommy. Then there Missus Wolf. Then there me."
"Oh LJ..." Louis was at a loss for words.
"I gonna be strong like Daddy," LJ boasted. "And like Uncka Le'oshi and Missus Wolf."
As his father, Louis had no idea how to tell LJ that the sort of behavior he witnessed was nothing to boast about. He didn't want to hurt the boy's feelings. Oguma had a way of being cold and dismissive. Louis didn't want to be like that.
"You can be strong like me in other ways," he assured him. "Antlers are mostly for show, not for fighting. That's a last resort. Leave the fighting to carnivores, like Legoshi-san and Juno-san." He placed special emphasis on Juno's name so that LJ could learn it. "She's not a Missus Wolf, she's not married. She would be Miss Wolf. Or better yet, just call her by her name."
"Not married?" LJ echoed. The proper titles were lost on him.
"No." Not yet. "Did you... Like Juno-san?"
Before LJ could answer, the door opened slightly and the head butler poked his head in. "Master Louis," he said, "you have a guest. It's your- it's Madame Azuki."
"Right." Louis rose to his feet. "Watch him for me. LJ, draw him a portrait."
"Okay!"
Louis slipped out of his son's room to meet with Azuki in the foyer. She still had her purse and her shoes on, meaning she was probably ready to leave quickly.
"I was wondering when you were going to show up," Louis remarked unceremoniously.
"Funny." The corner of her lip curled into something resembling a smile. "I was wondering when you were going to thank me."
"I was getting to that."
"You know, Louis, when you said that you were only attracted to carnivores, I had no idea that you were in love with one. Let alone the current Beastar." Azuki laughed lightly. "You did go to school together, right? It all makes sense now. Happy for you really."
Louis clenched his teeth. "What do you want, Azuki?"
"I just want to go fifty-fifty with Little Louis," she explained. "Given how you're bringing a new female into our family dynamic, I don't want him to get overwhelmed. Let's not do what I did, that's all."
"You're really not mad about this?"
"Not at all," Azuki assured him. "Actually, it's quite liberating. It's the 21st century. A female carnivore can be Beastar and a doe can be CEO. Arranged marriages are archaic. I'll be happy to let that tradition die with us. You'd be surprised how much support I got after your little display. It made me realize that I don't have to do things the way they always was."
Louis was shocked by how cordial she was being about this. Then again, she was typically the level headed out of the two.
"Oh and I'll take Little Louis today, seeing as I'm here and all."
And there it is.
Louis sighed. "I'll let him know."