Orphanage

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Reggie beamed at the compliment then took the football. He scurried some ways down and turned around to face the man, judging whether their distance was okay or not. Once satisfied, his bright smile tensed into a serious frown as he hurled the ball as far as he could.
Nikolai watched the two play their game, already knowing that Leon would want to take Reggie home. His lime green eyes scanned the rest of the playground, watching many kids attempt to be cute for his sake or stare at Reggie angrily. His eyes stopped when they fell on a boy with glasses and a deep anger clear on his face. Or was that sadness?
Deciding to leave Leon with the boy, Nikolai stepped into the playground. Ah, the sound of children playing. Their laughter and energy was rather exhausting just to listen to. He was always a nap time kind of child. The Sin walked on, briefly glancing at children that waved at him eagerly and giving them smiles. Some insisted that he play with them, but he politely turned them down, already having someone in mind. He stopped when he reached his destination, crouching down to look at the boy with glasses.
"Something bothering you, dearie?" he asked while pulling out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and offering it to the boy.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Leon Court




The man grunted as the football hit him in the chest. He caught it, of course, but geez, the arm on that kid! He laughed a little, then gently tossed the ball back to him. He already knew, like Nikolai did, that he wanted to bring this one home. "So Reggie, do you like the orphanage?" he asked as he caught the ball again.

Meanwhile, Ray stood glaring at the ground. He hated this. He hated himself. Why didn't Reggie hate him too? He kept rejecting couples so he could get adopted with him and all for what? To grow up in an orphanage? How stupid!
Two feet appeared in front of the child. He looked up, eyes landing on the crouching Russian. With tears still wet on his cheeks, he took the handkerchief and looked back down, roughly wiping his cheeks. "No!" he insisted, then winced as he heard Leon's booming laugh. He glanced over, eyes catching his best friend. "You should adopt him. Reggie's the best. H-he's gonna try to say no though, but I'll convince him."

Coconut Coalition

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Reggie caught the ball and looked at it as he considered the question, giving a halfhearted shrug. "I guess. It's not the worst. The caretakers are nice... sorta." There were things he still wasn't used to, like having to hear one of the caretakers and her boyfriend go at it, or hearing the other caretaker snidely mention that he'd never get adopted because of his color. Still, it wasn't like he had been anywhere else to compare this to. He looked back at Leon and tossed the football back at him.

Nikolai blinked slowly as the boy swiped the handkerchief, firmly denying anything wrong. He smiled slowly before following his gaze to his husband and the boy. "He's certainly an energetic one." He turned back to the boy with glasses. "Why would he say no?"

 

[Mayah Playah]

Leon Court




"Sorta?" he repeated, catching the ball and holding it in his hands. He looked down at the boy, then glanced over to Nikolai. He didn't have to ask permission from his husband, who already probably knew what he was going to say. He gently tossed the ball back to Reggie, walking closer before it could be tossed back. "You know, we have a boy and a girl we've already adopted that're just a little bit older than you, but they're already excited to meet the little boys we adopt today." He knelt down, smiling. "And I want to adopt you, Reggie."

He sniffed, eyes on the ground again. "Because Reggie's so nice that he only wants to get adopted if I am. He wants us to be brothers, real brothers, since we're already best friends. But nobody ever wants to adopt me, so he's gonna end up stuck here with me forever and I don't want that. So you gotta convince him to say yes or he'll never find parents and he'll never get adopted and it'll be all my fault!" He started to cry a little harder, hiccuping and wiping his eyes with the handkerchief even harder.

Coconut Coalition

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Reggie caught the ball again, ready to toss it only to find the man coming towards him. He held the ball close, his gaze dropping as Leon knelt down to announce his decision. In his attempt to look away, his eyes fell on Ray, who was crying in front of the man's husband. He furrowed his eyebrows and puffed up his chest as he looked sharply up at Leon. "I'm not gonna go unless you adopt my friend Ray, too!" he said firmly while pointing at the boy.

Nikolai silently listened to the boy cry before looking over to Reggie and Leon, seeing them already looking their way. He smiled at Leon, silently telling him his plan, then got up. He dusted off his pants before extending a hand towards Ray. "Come now, dearie, I've a better idea. What's say you and I go say hi to your new father?"

 

[Mayah Playah]

Leon Court




The boy hiccuped and rubbed his eye, then looked up as Nikolai stood. He was so distraught at losing Reggie that he almost didn't hear the man. When his words hit him, he didn't move. "My new father?" he asked, voice still thick from crying. Nevertheless, he slipped his small hand into Nikolai's.

Coconut Coalition

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Nikolai smiled at the question, curling his fingers around the small hand. "My husband wants two sons. I think it's rather convenient that you and Reggie will only be adopted together. It's rather perfect, don't you think?" he explained while leading the boy towards Leon and Reggie.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Leon Court




As they walked, it felt like the whole world was slowing down, the only people that existed being himself, the man holding his hand, and the two they were walking towards. "You... You want to adopt me?" he asked quietly. "But why?"

Coconut Coalition

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

"Why indeed," the Sin murmured. "I suppose because you wear your heart on your sleeve, dearie. You weren't acting however you thought would catch my eye, you stayed true to yourself even when my husband and I arrived. More importantly, you tried to support your friend instead of yourself. It takes quite the selfless heart to do that, hmm? A boy like you, I think, deserves a home with a close friend of his." Once they reached the two, Nikolai smiled at his husband. "I think it's only fair that I get to pick the next boy to adopt, hmm? I choose this one, Ray."
Reggie stared up at Nikolai with wide eyes before looking at his friend, unsure of what to say.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Leon Court




Selfless? He was selfless? He didn't think so. He felt more selfish, to be honest, after spending all this time letting his friend miss out on being adopted all because he was lonely. He clung tightly to Nikolai's hand, a feeling welling up in his chest. It was unlike anything he'd felt before. Wait, no, he knew this feeling. It had been so long since he'd last felt it, but he knew it. It was hope.
Leon stood upright as the two approached, brow raising as his husband announced his choice. He then cleared his throat, then smiled. "Well, if that's what you want, it's fine by me!" he said, crouching down to Ray's level. "Hi there. My name's Leon. How would you like to join our family with Reggie?" he asked.
The boy looked back up at Nikolai, then to Leon, and finally to Reggie. Tears reappeared in his eyes as he nodded firmly. "I'd like that!" he said, then launched himself towards Reggie and hugged him tightly. "We're gonna be brothers, Reggie! And you didn't even have to try to bargain with them!"

Coconut Coalition