The Next Morning, 

Tate yawned, stretching as a delicious scent caught his attention.

“Is that… breakfast?” he murmured, sliding out of bed. He followed the smell all the way to the kitchen, where he found DJ busy at the stove, completely unaware of Tate’s presence.

Tate padded quietly across the floor and finally spoke up, “Morning, DJ. Whatcha cookin’?”

DJ jumped slightly, turning around in surprise. “Oh, Tate! Morning. You snuck up on me there!” He chuckled, a bit flustered, as he tried to recover from the unexpected greeting.

"People say that to me a lot. So, whatcha cookin’? It smells yummy," Tate said, craning his neck to peek at the food.

DJ cleared his throat. "Just some eggs and bacon, nothing too fancy. How’d you sleep?”

“Really good! My bed was super soft. It's the best bed ever! ” Tate said, practically bouncing with excitement.

“Glad you slept good,” DJ replied with a smile. Then, noticing Tate was only in his underwear, he asked, “Do you need pajamas, or do you usually sleep like that?”

“I always sleep like this. Clothes make me itchy at bedtime ,” Tate explained.

DJ nodded, making a mental note. "(Right, Theo mentioned Tate hates certain materials. Gotta remember that,)" he thought to himself.

Tate noticed DJ demeanor had changed as the man was deep in thought.To Tate this usually indicated he was being weird.

"I-Im sorry.

Tate said as he started twiddling with his fingers in slight nervousness.

DJ was snapped out of his thoughts by Tate's seemingly out of nowhere apology.

"Sorry? Why are you saying sorry for, you haven't done anything bad." DJ  assured the young boy but Tate shook his head.

"I was acting funny again."

Tate muttered. 

" Acting funny?" DJ repeated confused at what Tate meant.

"You got quiet... When people at the orphanage did that, it meant I was being weird," Tate explained softly as he lowered his head.

DJ eyes widened when he understood what Tate meant. He guessed people didn't really know how to handle kids like Tate.

DJ knelt down to Tate's level. "'You're weren't acting funny Tate, you just walk to a different tune and that makes you special, that's not something to apologize for."

" Walk to a different tune? What's that mean?". Tate asked curiously raising his head up to look to DJ.

DJ smirked. "It just means you're different and being different means you're cool."

Being different…makes me really cool?" Tate asked, a smile creeping onto his face.

"That's right! People are just hating because you do things differently, and that makes you cool,” DJ added.

“Yeah, I’m super cool!” Tate exclaimed.

“High five to that,” DJ said, holding up his hand.

Tate giggled as he reciprocated the gesture and gave DJ a high five.

"Alright, Tate, breakfast is just about done. I’m gonna wake up Deonte. Can you get Theo up for me?" DJ asked.

"I'm on it, Dad!" Tate exclaimed, dashing out of the kitchen.

"Kid’s got energy to spare....wait did he call me Dad?" DJ asked himself as he headed to Deonte's room to wake the toddler.

Tate returned to his and Theo's bedroom to find his older brother still fast asleep.

"Theo, wake up! DJ made breakfast," Tate said, gently shaking him.

Theo groaned, barely opening his eyes. "Tate, they’re just gonna serve us oatmeal and orange juice again. I’m not eating that crap."

"What? But I think DJ made eggs and bacon," Tate insisted.

Theo blinked and slowly sat up, looking around in a daze. Tate tilted his head, confused by Theo’s reaction.

"Oh, right... we got adopted. We're not back at the orphanage?" Theo mumbled, still trying to process where he was. He was used to being returned to the orphanage after just a day.

"Yeah, don’t you remember? Do older kids lose their memory like old people?" Tate teased with a grin.

"Very funny," Theo replied with a smirk as he stretched.

"I actually slept pretty well," Theo admitted.

"I know, our beds are super duper soft!" Tate said excitedly.

"Yeah, and since they're super duper soft, I’m staying in bed," Theo said, turning over and pulling the covers back up.

"But don’t you want breakfast? It's really good," Tate urged Theo.

Theo sighed and turned back to face his younger brother. "Look, Tate, I’m trying not to get too comfortable here. One of us has to be ready for when this guy  sends us back."

Tate’s face fell as he asked quietly, "DJ won’t send us back, right? He’s different. He likes js... right?"

"I dunno, Tate. We don’t have a good track record," Theo replied, his voice heavy with caution. "I’m just saying, don’t be surprised if a 'fun day out' turns into us getting sent back."

"N-no, you’re wrong! You’re just being mean!" Tate stammered, tears welling up in his eyes.

Seeing his little brother getting upset, Theo hesitated. He didn’t like making Tate sad, but he felt it was important to keep his expectations in check. "Look, Tate, just… don’t get too attached, okay? If you put all your eggs in one basket, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment."

"We won’t get sent back! You’re just being dumb!" Tate shouted, his voice trembling before he ran out of the room, tears spilling over.

Theo sighed deeply, turning to face the wall. "Maybe I could’ve been nicer… but he needed to know," he muttered, though he wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Tate—or himself.

While Theo stayed in bed, lost in his thoughts, Tate trudged down the hallway, trying to shake off his brother’s words. Theo was just being a mean; he didn’t know what he was talking about.

"Hey, Tate! Perfect timing—I was just finishing up," DJ called out, snapping Tate out of his thoughts.

"Hi, Tat!" Deonte called out, his words garbled with a mouthful of food.

"Deonte, not with your mouth full," DJ gently corrected, his attention shifting to Tate, who quietly sat down at the table, unusually subdued.

"Theo didn’t want breakfast?" DJ asked, noticing the change in Tate’s demeanor.

"H-he’s still asleep," Tate replied, trying to blink away the tears forming in his eyes.

"Is Tat sad?" Deonte asked, peering up at his big brother with concern. Tate quickly shook his head.

"No, I’m not sad," Tate insisted, though it was obvious he was struggling to keep it together.

"Tate, did something happen?" DJ asked, his voice filled with concern.

"No, I'm okay. I promise," Tate said, his voice shaky and unconvincing.

DJ wasn’t buying it, but he decided not to press, for now. "Okay... but if you’re feeling down, you know what always makes me feel better?" DJ said, trying to cheer Tate up.

"What?" Tate asked, barely above a whisper.

"Shopping! I was waiting for Theo to wake up, but we’re going out today to get some stuff for you guys," DJ said with a smile.

Tate’s eyes went wide with fear. "Going... out? Like, a fun day out?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Yeah exactly, a surprise fun day out. How's that sound?" DJ asked the boy, expecting a favorable response but then suddenly, Tate’s emotions broke free, and he started hysterically crying, his small body shaking with sobs.

"DJ, Tat’s sad," Deonte said, his own eyes welling up as he watched his brother cry.

"Crap, Tate, what’s wrong?" DJ asked, kneeling down to Tate's level, panic rising in his chest as he saw how upset the boy was.

"T-Theo was right! You’re... you’re!" Tate stammered through his tears, too hysterical to finish his sentence.

"Tate, hey, calm down a little, okay? You’re gonna make yourself sick," DJ said gently, rubbing Tate’s back in an attempt to soothe him.

But Tate only clung to DJ, his cries growing more desperate. "Please don’t send us back! I’ll be good!" he sobbed, his words barely understandable.

"Send you back? To the orphanage?" DJ asked, completely taken aback.

"Please! I’ll be good, I promise! I won’t be weird anymore!" Tate cried, his voice breaking as he begged to DJ, his tears soaking into his adoptive father's shirt.

"No one’s getting sent back to the orphanage. Why would you even think that?" DJ asked, lifting Tate onto his knee with a gentle bounce.

Tate sniffled, wiping at his tears. "So... y-you’re not gonna send us back?" he asked, his voice shaky.

"Of course not, bud. That thought never even crossed my mind," DJ said, his tone relaxed and reassuring.

"But Theo said it’s only a matter of time until you take us for a drive and bring us back, and now you wanna take us out," Tate explained, still clinging to his fear.

DJ chuckled softly. "Yeah, to take you shopping, not back to the orphanage. We’re getting you and your brother some new stuff."

Tate wiped his face with his arm, leaving a trail of snot. DJ grimaced for a second before grabbing a tissue and holding it up to Tate’s nose.

"So... we can stay?" Tate asked, still a bit unsure.

"Of course you can stay," DJ said with an easy smile. "Now, please, blow your nose."

Tate blew his nose into the tissue DJ had held up to his face, and DJ ruffled his hair. "See? All better now, right?" DJ asked, his voice full of warmth.

Yeah, a little," Tate mumbled, his voice small.

"Well, maybe some breakfast will help," DJ said, guiding Tate into a chair and quickly fixing him a plate.

Tate took a bite, and his face lit up with a big smile.

"Ah, there’s that smile I was looking for," DJ said as he poured Tate a cup of orange juice.

"This is yummy! We only get oatmeal at the orphanage," Tate said, his words muffled as he stuffed food into his mouth.

"Hey, slow down, buddy. You’ll get a tummy ache if you eat too fast. There’s plenty of food," DJ reminded him gently.

"Oops, sorry," Tate said, trying to eat slower.

"Tat not sad no more?" Deonte asked, his big eyes watching Tate.

"I’m not sad anymore, Dee-Dee. I’m happy now," Tate replied with a big grin.

"Tat happy, we play again?" Deonte asked, bouncing in his seat.

"Yeah, we can play again," Tate said, nodding eagerly.

"Yay!" Deonte cheered, clapping his hands.

DJ watched them with a smile, then turned to Tate. "So, you said Theo told you about going back to the orphanage?"

"Uh-huh... but is Theo in trouble? I don’t want him to get in trouble," Tate asked, his eyes wide with worry.

"Nah, no one’s in trouble, bud. I just wanna talk to him, that’s all. I promise," DJ assured him.

Tate held out his pinky finger. "Pinky swear?"

DJ chuckled and linked his pinky with Tate’s. "Pinky swear."

"And if you break it, your pants will catch on fire!" Tate added with a serious expression.

DJ grinned. "I know, I know. I’m just gonna talk to him, that’s all," he said as he headed toward Theo and Tate’s room.

{Knock Knock}

"Yeah?" Theo’s voice called out.

DJ walked into the room. "Hey Theo, I made breakfast if you want some," he offered.

"Not hungry," Theo muttered, turning away, but his stomach growled loudly, giving him away.

"Your stomach says different," DJ teased, sitting on the edge of Theo’s bed.

Theo blushed and snapped, "Did you want something or what?"

"Well, Tate was pretty upset earlier. He told me you said I was gonna send you two back to the orphanage," DJ said, looking at Theo.

"I mean, yeah, that’s what always happens to us sooner or later. We’re problem kids, remember?" Theo muttered, his voice heavy with resignation.

DJ knelt down beside him, making sure to meet Theo's eyes. "I’m not sending you two back to that orphanage. I adopted you because I want to give you and Tate a good life, not just because of some mix-up."

Theo frowned, his gaze hardening. "But you weren’t even supposed to adopt us in the first place. The headmaster messed up our ages on the forms. If it wasn’t for that, you wouldn’t have even looked twice at us."

DJ sighed, but his expression remained calm. "Yeah, that’s true. But even after I found out, I still chose to adopt you two. That wasn’t a mistake."

Theo’s frustration boiled over. "But why? What do you get out of this? Are you one of those fucking sickos who prey on kids?" Tears welled up in Theo's eyes as he spat out the accusation, his confusion and anger getting the better of him.

DJ's eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. He knew Theo was lashing out, trying to make sense of a world that had let him down too many times. "Two things, Theo. First, watch the language. Second, no, I’m not one of those creeps. I adopted you because… you remind me of myself when I was your age."

Theo looked away, his voice quieter now. "You don’t know what we’ve been through."

"I know more than you think," DJ replied gently. "I was in the system too when I was a kid."

Theo's eyes snapped back to DJ. "You were an orphan?"

DJ nodded. "Yeah. I never got adopted, though. I emancipated myself when I was 16 and ended up joining a gang."

Theo’s eyes widened in surprise. "You were in a gang? You sure don’t look like it now."

DJ chuckled, shaking his head. "I didn’t used to look like this. I had long hair, was covered in tattoos, and always wore a bandana over my face. I was just a runner, delivering drugs and money."

"What made you quit?" Theo asked, his curiosity piqued.

DJ hesitated, then smiled softly. "That’s a story for when you’re older."

Theo nodded slowly, digesting what DJ had shared. "So why tell me all this now?"

"Because I want you to know that I’ve been where you are, and I genuinely want to take care of you and Tate. You’re not alone in this," DJ said, standing up and offering a hand to Theo.

Theo stared at DJ’s hand for a moment before taking it and slipping out of bed. "Alright… let’s go eat."

Together, they walked to the kitchen, where Tate was already at the table. DJ quickly set a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of Theo.

"Eat up, boys. We’ve got a lot to do today" DJ said, sitting down with his own plate.

Tate, who was happily munching on his food, looked up with wide eyes. "What’re we doing today?"

"Shopping, little man, remember? We’re getting you and Theo some new stuff," DJ said with a smile.

Tate’s eyes lit up, his worries momentarily forgotten. "Yay! I like new stuff!"

DJ chuckled, glad to see the boys finally starting to relax.

You hear that, Theo?! We get to decorate our room!" Tate exclaimed, practically bouncing in his seat.

"Yeah, that’s cool... I guess," Theo replied, taking a bite of his food, trying to act nonchalant.

DJ chuckled at the contrast between the brothers. "Since you two are gonna be living here for good, you should make your room your own. Add your personal touch."

"Can I get toys too?" Tate asked, his excitement bubbling over.

"Tate, he said decorations, not toys," Theo pointed out, trying to manage his brother's expectations.

DJ smiled. "You can get whatever you want—decorations and toys."

Tate’s eyes lit up like Christmas lights. He quickly shoveled the rest of his breakfast into his mouth, then dashed toward the front door. "I’m ready! I'm ready!" 

Theo groaned and covered his face with his hand. "Tate, you can’t go outside in just your undies."

Tate glanced down at himself and blushed. "Oh... right. Sorry."

"Hopeless," Theo muttered, but there was a small grin on his face as he walked over to Tate and started guiding him back to their room to get dressed.

DJ turned to Deonte, who was still in his booster seat. "Well, little man, let’s get you ready too."

Deonte looked up with wide eyes. "DJ, I ged toy too?"

DJ smiled warmly at the toddler. "Yes, you can get one too."

"