Chapter Text
When the news breaks out, Nagi does not expect his phone to vibrate. Reo is right next to him. They were making out on the floor of his bedroom, and no one beside spam callers have graced Nagi’s recents list ever since his parents got him a phone. It always suited him fine, because it meant he could mute his phone notifications while playing games with little guilt—as long as he swiped away periodically to check for any new texts from Reo. If Nagi was being honest, he had been under the impression that Reo was the only contact on his phone.
That’s proven wrong, as, against all odds, Nagi turns to watch his phone screen light up with a contact card for his father, under his wallet name. As if Nagi’s father had been hesitant when he inputted the number and wondered if labeling himself as a dad was too inaccurate for someone scarcely in his life as one.
Reo hooks his chin over Nagi’s shoulder to look at what grabbed Nagi’s attention.
“A family member?” Reo asks, eyes alight with curiosity. It’s not often that Nagi gets calls after all (it’s never, when Reo is right next to him).
“My dad.” At least, Nagi thinks it’s his dad. There’s no contact picture either, not like the cute peace sign that’s been Reo’s contact ever since Nagi introduced Reo to Choki.
Because Reo is pressed up against him, Nagi can feel it when Reo stills.
“You should answer it,” Reo says.
Nagi doesn’t want to. If he were alone, he’d most likely let it ring until the call died out, but now he has to. Reo told him to.
He accepts the call.
“Seishiro?” his father’s voice crackles on. Nagi stares at the screen. He can’t remember the last time they’ve spoken.
“Yes,” he replies, tapping on the speakerphone so he can drop the phone in his lap.
There’s a rustling on the other end of the call. Nothing about this sounds familiar to Nagi. He considers hanging up.
“Son,” Nagi hears. “I have something to tell you.”
“Huh,” Nagi says, trying to come up with a reason to hang up that would pass Reo-standards. If it’s important, his father can come see him in person. Phone calls are a pain.
“Are you alone?” his father asks. Nagi shifts his eyes toward Reo, who still is hanging on him curiously.
“No,” Nagi says honestly.
“Can you go somewhere alone for me, son?”
Nagi’s entire body feels heavier. He doesn’t get that much time with Reo as is, even more so since Reo was appointed their school festival committee head. Also, getting up is a hassle.
“I’m going to go grab a snack,” Reo says and lifts his chin off Nagi’s shoulder. Nagi’s finger catches on the edge of Reo’s school blouse collar, pulling him back into place.
“Stay,” Nagi says. Whatever his father has to say, he can say in front of Reo.
“Seishiro,” his father’s voice on the other side of the line implores.
Nagi hangs up. Reo gasps.
...his phone begins to vibrate again.
Reo nudges Nagi. Nagi sighs and, once again, presses accept.
“Alright then, Seishiro,” his father says once the line connects. “Your friend can stay. This will be brief.”
Nagi doesn’t grace it with a response and simply presses the speakerphone back on.
His father continues, “I assume you saw the news.”
Nagi didn’t but Reo did—Nagi doesn’t really check the news but Reo has multiple news apps downloaded on his phone, and was the type to open articles seconds after they’ve been written. He also has fun announcing interesting ones to Nagi.
“Anyway, it’s highly unlikely anyone will come for you, but I figured you should know that you’re half alien.”
It’s Nagi’s turn to still.
Because what the hell?
His father isn’t done, apparently—
“Been traveling up in space with your mother’s kin for a while now but it looks like earth humans finally figured out the existence of us.”
“Uh-huh...” Nagi says.
What are you supposed to do when your parents—whom you have had the barest minimum of contact with because they were always traveling—turns out to have been traveling in space all this time?
Seriously, what does his father expect him to do?
“Well,” his father says cheerfully. “I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing.”
The line goes dead.
Well, that thoroughly ruined the mood. How is Nagi supposed to kiss Reo now that they know Nagi isn’t even fully human? Does it make him less worthy to be by Reo’s side because alien blood courses through him?
He doesn’t know what to do.
Nagi doesn’t do anything at all.
“That was interesting,” Reo says.
“Yeah,” Nagi agrees. That’s an understatement.
“My father always dreamed of communicating with aliens,” Reo says with a grin. “He’ll be so annoyed when I tell him I beat him to it— I’m dating one.”