Silence permeated through the air inside the Den clinic ward. Nobody spoke nor move. It was as if time froze inside this specific room, until a young man's voice broke through the thick silence. "....I have a very good explanation why I am in this odd pose." Kazama nervously gulped. The glamour-obsessed god eater was in a very awkward position— crouching like a frog while croaking.

".....You better do.. Unless I'm taking the children off of your custody.." Lindow did not know whether to laugh or be worried about his friend's mental health. There may be some weird chemical inside those sunscreens he regularly uses.

"...I was teaching her how frogs make sounds.." Kazama immediately went off of his weird crouching position and sat on the stool, looking like he had broken his mother's favorite vase. ".. pfft.." Lindow couldn't keep the serious facade anymore, he averted his gaze and exploded into laughter.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT— YOU LOOKED SO STUPID!! HAHAHAHAHA" Lindow clutched his stomach, "YOU DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING." Kazama's face was quite red, attempting to silence the older veteran's laughter.

"Let me move in with you! Hahahahaha, then everyday I'd see you doing that!" Lindow guffawed as Kazama tried to cover the guffawing veteran's mouth.

The young girl watched silently from her bed, coloring her doodles, not caring about the commotion going around her as the two veterans continued to fool around.

it's not really as if she knew what they were talking about..

***

Hours of bickering later, Lindow and Kazama sat on a bar stool by the lounge with their respective drinks in hand- Lindow with a can of beer, Kazama with a glass of orange juice.

"Phew~ That was a moment I'd never forget!" Lindow snickered as Kazama nearly choked on his drink. "Honestly! You have to admit, I still looked glamorous!" Kazama placed down his orange juice and stared at Lindow. "A glamorous frog." Lindow chuckled. "Still glamorous though." came a smug reply from the younger veteran.

The raven haired veteran took a swig of his beer while Kazama watched him. "Say, Why were you teaching her animal sounds again? Don't tell me she doesn't know how to read and write." Lindow turned to the glamorous male beside him.

"Yeah. She doesn't know how to speak too." Kazama sighed as ice melted in his orange juice. "...You're kidding." Lindow stared at his colleague with disbelief. "Not at all. I wouldn't do unglamorous things glamorously without a reason." Kazama snorted and flipped his fringes back.

"...It's.. not yet too late to send her to an orphanage.. After all, you'll only be able to adopt the both of them officially when you become 18." The raven haired male advised the young veteran, Responsibility is not a joke especially if it involves another life. But the veteran was only met with a glare from the said youngling.

"Just because it's difficult doesn't mean I should give up without even trying. I promised to take responsibility of them. They are my children." Kazama stared directly into Lindow's eyes, and in that moment, a smile found its way into Lindow's lips. It seemed that Kazama had started to mature with the appearance of the two children.

"..By the way, Do you think there would be a sale on sunscreens in the shop?... I need to buy more.." Kazama scratched his nape

"........"..

Okay.. that part of him won't really change in any way. right?

***

~Extra~

Sakuya Tachibana was getting curious.

her teammate, Lindow often hangs out with the younger veteran gunner lately, often returning to missions with a refreshed aura, and he hasn't been stealing her beer rations much as of now.

And when she asks Lindow what was going on, He only replies with: "Nothing much, really." and a snicker.

worry filled the young lass, and thus followed Lindow into a certain hospital ward.

She was surprised to hear chicken noises inside, and peeked at the slightly open door.

"Pfft.. you look funnier in that, Lindow-san."

"Hey, Atleast your kid would be fonder of her uncle more."

Sakuya stared in disbelief. two grown men, (One was almost an adult) were in chicken suits whilst entertaining a young girl she In a hospital gown that she had not seen before.

"...Lindow.. What are you.. doing.. exactly?" without you any hesitation, Sakuya entered the room, confused with the situation.

Awkwardness filled the room as Lindow and Kazama stared at the newcomer, and Sakuya only stared back, expecting an answer.

"....There is a good explanation for this, Sakuya....." Lindow spoke with caution.

but that's another story to be told soon.