I'm Much Much Better W This Stuff Now Tho!!!! Its Great :") - Tumblr Posts

CONTENT WARNING: this piece is about disordered eating [nothing very graphic, but mentions of some of the milder side effects of not eating well for a somewhat extended period of time] so please please take caution in reading

I honestly think Taichi may struggle with eating properly. Like, I can see him feeling super nervous during the middle of spring, because ‘oh jeez, summer is coming and I totally gained weight, I know I did, ah shit.,,’. He’d get worried about how he has a smaller frame compared to the other guys in Mankai, and especially the guys in his troupe. Like, Omi is huge. When he’s in a bad headspace, just standing up near Omi makes him feel so scrawny and pathetic. So he starts eating in a very unbalanced manner. While simultaneously trying to lose his ‘winter weight’ and gain muscle, Taichi starts skipping meals and doing strenuous workouts way more often than his body can handle. He starts sneaking into the kitchen late at night, trying to find something to stave off his hunger so he can sleep. He starts feeling dizzy and lightheaded multiple times a day. He can barely help Yuki sew anymore because his seams keep going crooked and he’s just too woozy and ‘God it's warm in here’ ‘Shit I'm freezing’ ‘Dude I’m fine I swear! (I feel sick)’ and he can't keep track of where the needle is going. Two and a half weeks of this. He feels terrible. Not only is his body struggling to keep up with his activities and schoolwork, he feels incredibly guilty for lying to everyone. Because, let's be real, some of the older members of Mankai know something is up with Taichi. Izumi can see that something is wrong, but she can't pinpoint exactly what. Kazu is worried about his peppy little bro seeming so wiped out at 3 in the afternoon. And Omi. Shit. It feels horrible lying to him. And smiling while lying to his face? Taichi feels nauseated every time he does it. 

 “I ate already!!”

“Oh don't worry, I had a big lunch, I’m just not hungry for dinner!”

“Haha, I’ll tell ya if I’m hungry Omimiiii!” 

Three weeks. Three weeks of this. And Taichi is in the kitchen at 2 in the morning, with a sad little sandwich in his cold hand. And he stubs his toe.

And apparently that was the last fucking straw.

And he slides down the side of the countertop to curl up into himself on the floor. And he cries. And he cries. Juza was the first one who found Taichi curled up on the floor and got scared. Unsure of how to proceed, he gently laid his hand on the little boy’s shaking back. Opening his arms, allowing Taichi to lean in and be held, asked who he would be comfortable talking with. And now we have Omi and Izumi sitting on the couch with Taichi, comforting him and listening attentively as he tells them everything. No more lying. Never again. I promise. I'm so sorry. Omi and Izumi glanced at each other for a moment, and the two minds as one body, proceeded to reassure this kid in front of them. “Taichi, its ok” 

“...what?” 

“Listen to me, hey hey, look at me please? Taichi, listen please.” 

“It's okay Nanao. I promise. We love you.” 

“We care about you. I promise.” 

 “It’s alright.” 

“It's okay.” 

“We love you” 

All Taichi can do is cry harder, cradled in Izumi and Omi’s arms, surrounded by the warmest reassurance he’s felt in a while. Omi and Izumi spend the next few hours calming Taichi down, re-assuring him that they’re here for him, that they still love him, that they’ll always love him. that they could never be mad at him for something like this. And Izumi chokes a little bit between ‘like’ and ‘this’. Someone in her care, god, a child in her care was hurting so bad and she couldn't help sooner? She could have helped with this one. She knew what it felt like to…no, she knows what it feels like, she, oh god, she knows and it’s bad. She’s tensed up to hell and back, she will not cry right now, this is not about her. but of course, Taichi notices. And he silently leans his forehead against her shoulder in assumed understanding. Omi notices and he keeps one hand on Taichi’s knee and one hand slides to the middle of Izumi’s back. Warm. Solid. Safe.

Tucked up on the couch like this, Taichi falls asleep first. Omi and Izumi can’t bring themselves to sleep yet though, and they both sit there for a little over an hour, in rapt contemplation of the boy between him, and the way he looked younger when he was asleep. There was a quiet comfort in how they both laid a hand each on Taichi’s back, in how Izumi’s hand tentatively searches for Omi’s behind the cushion between them, and how Omi gently catches it, and holds on to her, absolutely swept with a sense of fierce protectiveness, of reverence, and a sickening twist of fear and deep seated care for the two sleeping bodies next to him.

Misumi just so happened to wake up earliest that morning, having planned to cut up some triangle shaped fruits for Natsugumi’s picnic later that day. Yawing and wrapping his crochet blanket [courtesy of Yuki] to bunch up on his shoulders, he sleepily shuffled into the living room, walking to pull aside the curtains to let in some sunlight almost on autopilot, when he stopped in the middle of the carpet, standing stock still. Oh boy. Something deeeefinitely happened here. Something not very nice at all. As quiet as he could, Misumi tip-toed over to the couch, gently laying his blanket over Taichi and Omi, and slid off his hoodie to cover up Izumi. As darling as they looked, all cuddled up, Misumi’s heart absolutely ached seeing how desperately it seemed Taichi was clutching onto the hem of Omi’s shirt, how protectively the two adults had been sitting around Taichi. Putting aside the fruit for now, Misumi thought it best to put on a pot of water to make some black tea for the little group when they woke up. It’s what his grandfather did whenever Misumi was feeling all sad and run-down. While the water boiled he snuck around to the rooms of anyone he guessed could have been awake that early, Chikage and Itaru, Tasuku, Kazunari and Kumon, he even flagged down Kamekichi and asked him to keep the living room clear of any visitors till the trio woke up. Bustling around the kitchen, he couldnt help but softly giggle as he heard Taichi yawn and stretch out, one arm hanging off of the couch, and Misumi caught himself blushing a little as he turned around to see Omi [still half asleep], pulling Izumi closer, who, in turn, snuggled in, with her hand resting on the back of Taichi’s head. Pretty cute.