It had now been a full month since Hachin had started living with the drummer of the band ShinganCrimsonz.

He’d been temporarily placed at an orphanage for a few weeks since social services ended up being called by the hospital staff, but he was lucky in the way that Rom readily agreed to take him in. With a steady job and enough room in his apartment, it only took three weeks for the overwhelmed workers at the local child guidance office to accept him as Hachin’s official caretaker for the time being.

The first few nights he’d been on constant alert, so used to when he was in the apartment he shared with his mum, his nerves fraying as if he was waiting for the other shoe to drop and everything to fall to pieces again.

But it didn’t.

Even when Rom found him awake late at night on a school night he didn’t yell at him. He’d just ruffle Hachin’s hair until it was a mess and ask him if he wanted hot chocolate or tea when he couldn’t sleep, and wouldn’t yell at him to come out of the shower if it lasted longer than five minutes. He didn’t scold him for flinching when Hachin flinched or tensed up at suddenly being approached or quick movements.

It was on a sleepless night like that, a month into his stay at Rom’s apartment, when Hachin realised he hadn’t been as nervous when being approached. When he realised why he wasn’t as nervous.

When he’d been younger, Hachin had feared the silence; it meant that he didn’t know what his mother was doing, and that usually spelled out upcoming trouble.

Logically, he knew that he didn’t have to be afraid of Rom, but the fear of silence went so deep it was as if it had replaced his bone marrow. It was ingrained into his mind that silence was bad.

And Rom seemed to have realised that.

Lately he’d made his footsteps firmer on purpose, made more sound, started making conversation at a larger distance. He was doing it for Hachin’s sake. It made the boy feel both embarrassed and cared for, in a way he’d never felt before. His mum had liked the reactions she got when she suddenly appeared nearby, had used it as an additional means of torment without even having to hit him; she just had to make a sudden move or raise a hand in a mock slap and he’d be scared stiff.

Rom on the other hand was going out of his way to make sure he didn’t have to walk on eggshells, even if it was just by humming to himself so Hachin knew when he was getting closer.

Hachin looked around the room he’d been given. It had already been furnished with a bed, desk, chair, closet and dresser. When he’d hung up the clothes Rom had bought for him he’d found a really old, worn out guitar, shoved into the back like something best left forgotten. He didn’t ask about it, but maybe one day he would. He ran his fingers across the wood in silence before continuing to unpack their shopping.

Apparently Rom used to have a roommate years back, and had never bothered to find a new one, as he made enough money to get by on his own. Maybe the guitar had belonged to them.

The room was worlds apart from the little space that had been his growing up. When he’d seen the bed his eyes had grown wide and he hadn’t been able to stop himself from pouncing onto it, landing face first into the soft pillows. Rom had bought new sheets in a warm yellow tone after he’d asked what colours he liked while he was still in the hospital. It was such a small thing, but to Hachin it felt huge.

Draping the blanket over himself he cocooned into the fabric. The satin woven cotton was smooth against his cheek as he leaned back against the wall, legs drawn up to his chest, one foot on top of the other. It was more than he ever could have dreamt of, and then Rom went even farther, just to make Hachin more comfortable.

He stuffed his nose into the blanket, stifling a sob. God, just a few months ago he almost died in a fire and now he had someone who actually cared about him. Was this what it was like to have a parent that didn’t hate your guts? He thought back to his memories of Yasu’s mum. She’d been warm and accommodating too, just like Rom was now.

One saturday afternoon when Hachin’s body was feeling the ache of the damage done to his nerves when he’d jumped out of the burning building, making him unable to even pick up the guitar, the doorbell rang. For a second he froze in fear, worried that his mother had finally come back to finish the job the fire had failed to do.

Slowly rolling his wheelchair up to the intercom, he soundlessly pressed the button to turn on the camera. It was another of Rom’s additions after Hachin moved in. He’d noticed the way he’d panic every time someone came to the door, and the very next day he’d come home after work with a box in hand. They had installed it together, Rom making sure to include Hachin in the process. It had almost made Hachin cry.

On the screen was the face of none other than a red and black hedgehog and the chin of a blond lion. Few people were as tall as Aion, and they had obviously forgotten to take him into account when they installed the security camera. How do you make sure you can fit everyone else if you make sure you can properly see a man taller than the door though?

Furrowing his brow, he unlocked the door, peering up at them. “Uuuh, Rom isn’t home right now, he had a meeting at work.”

“Yup, we know,” Crow said, looking confused as to why Hachin’s face appeared so far down for a second before remembering he sometimes needed to use a wheelchair now. “We’re here to hang out with you.”

Now it was Hachin’s turn to look confused, eyebrows knitting together, upper lip lifting and exposing teeth.

He had, admittedly, hung out a little bit with the other members of ShinganCrimsonz, but so far he hadn’t done so without Rom being nearby. Him and Crow tended to argue, would this be okay?

“To think that a god of the dark sun would need to babysit a tiny rodent because Rom knows he’ll probably pick a fight with a child. It’s true, the mighty fall the farthest.”

Crow opened his mouth to snap back at his too tall bandmate, a finger in Aion’s face before he squinted up at him, then down at Hachin. Rom had indeed told them that Crow couldn’t go on his own, and Aion would definitely snitch if something happened that made the traumatised child inside the apartment any worse. They knew Rom was working really hard to make the kid comfortable.

Pouting, Crow stood down, murmuring a ‘keep that up and you’re sleeping on the couch tonight’, making Aion’s fingers twitch around his face. Aion responded that it depended entirely on Crow (though with different words, as this was Aion after all), making Crow blow a raspberry in his direction before turning back to Hachin, shoving his hands in the pockets of his black jeans. His pout only grew when he saw the teen snickering at him behind his hand, but he’d let it slip, just this once.

“You gonna let us come in or do you want us to go?” This wasn’t like when he annoyed Chuchu when he was feeling lonely and none of his bandmates were available, he couldn’t just storm in. At least not the first time he came to visit.

“Faah? Right! Yeah, sure.” He rolled the wheelchair back so they could get through the entrance, and the two musicians stepped inside, Crow kicking his shoes off haphazardly, Aion lining his up next to the door. “So uh, why d’you even wanna hang out with me?” Hachin asked as he rolled into the livingroom where he’d been trying (and failing) at doing his homework. Rom helped him out with it, but he felt guilty about the assistance, and was trying his hardest to do it on his own for once. Math was impossible though, he hated it. He hated how hard most subjects were, actually. He wished he could take nothing but electives.

“You’re gonna be a permanent part of Rom’s life now, right? Better get to know ya properly,” Crow stated as he wandered into the kitchen to get himself a drink. He found the big star print carafe Rom had gotten from Moa once when she got a new one sent to her by her mum, filling it with cold water. Bringing three glasses with him to the livingroom where Hachin had moved himself from the wheelchair to the armchair in front of the table, he sat down on the couch, pulling one leg up underneath him, the other pulled to his chest.

“Oi, Aion, don’t dawdle and get your ass in here already!” he called to his bandmate, who was still hesitating in the doorway. The tall lion shuffled after him and sat down with his legs politely (anxiously) together next to the hedgehog.

“Only old people use the word ‘dawdle’,” he mumbled behind his hand, making a weird groan when Crow poked him in his side in retaliation. “I’m not old, I’m a farm boy, Wimpion.”

Hachin watched them as he picked up his pen, chewing at the end in consideration. The wood easily came apart under the pressure of his sharp teeth, so he stopped himself before asking; “you’re... friends, right? At least according to Rom.”

Crow puffed his chest, pulling Aion down to his level as he slung his arm over his shoulders. “We’re dating! Getting close to a year and a half now!”

Hachin dropped his pen, the sound of it bouncing off the floor highlighting his surprised expression. “You, uh, what?”

Crow scowled, leaning forward, almost making Aion double over as his head was moved even farther. “Gotta problem with that, aaahn?”

Hachin felt his face flush, and he defensively put his hands up in front of him. “No, I was just, surprised, I thought, uh, I kinda thought all of you were in love with Rom to be honest.”

He saw Crow relax, and he let go of Aion, who could finally straighten up again. The tall man rearranged his hair that had gotten messed up in the tense moment. “Rom is a shining brave knight we all admire, but neither of us hold romantic feelings for him.”

Crow nodded in agreement. “Can’t speak for Yaiba, but I’m in love with this nerd, not with Rom.” Aion’s face turned red, and he hid it behind both his hands, much to Crow’s amusement and Hachin’s surprise. He spoke of his love for his partner so easily. Hachin could see the red tips of Aion’s ears among the thick mane, before turning his attention back to Crow. “You seriously thought we were in some sorta poly relationship or something?”

“Faah, I’m pretty sure a lot of people think the same thing.”

“For real? Hah, that’s kinda funny!” Crow barked a loud laugh, smacking his leg. “And me and Aion being together was more surprising than all four of us?”

“You don’t exactly act like a couple, so yeah.”

“We’ve known each other for years, we just behave like we always have, I guess.” Crow took a long drink out of his glass of water, letting Hachin think it over for a second, meanwhile Aion collected himself enough to speak, attempting to change the subject.

He cleared his throat a few times before getting the right words out. “What are you working on, bumblebee of chaos?”

Hachin blinked up at the tall man. Well, that certainly took his mind off of the relationship status of the Shingan-members. “Bumblebee of chaos?”

Aion seemed to fidget under the gaze of the teen and of his boyfriend. See, this is why he didn’t initiate a lot of conversations. He was just plain bad at it. “You bring chaos to Rom’s eyes when he thinks of the hardships you’ve gone through and when people speak badly of you. Is… what I meant… by it…”

Hachin felt his cheeks burn, and he picked at a tear in his homework. He knew Rom had come to care for him, but hearing other people speak of it was still surreal. “Oh. Cool.”

He ignored the grin on Crow’s face and the soft look in Aion’s eyes and decided to concentrate on the actual question he’d been asked. “Uh, it’s my math homework. I’m not really getting anywhere with it though.”

Aion, still with his hand across his face, leaned forward to look at it. “I… know what mistake you’re making. I can… help… you out.” God it was embarrassing to try and reach out to people he didn’t really know. Hachin had spoken more with the others, but the two of them had yet to talk much.

“Huh?” When the couple arrived, he never would have thought this was where their visit would go. “That’d be… pretty nice actually.”

When Rom came back home it was to a lively apartment.

He found Aion curled up behind Crow on the couch, while the hedgehog sat on the floor in front of him. Hachin was sitting on the other couch seat, controller in hand as he raced Crow in a car race video game. Crow cursed as he drove straight off the rainbow they were driving on, making Hachin laugh as he passed the other musician on the track.

With a satisfied grin on his face, he greeted the three of them and asked his bandmates if they were staying for dinner.

It looked like this was going to go well.

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