If he was ever asked how many people he's met throughout his life, Korekiyo would be unable to come up with an exact answer. He's travelled a lot in his life for as long as he can remember- meeting anywhere from a handful to hundreds of people for each unique place he's visited. To say he's met a lot of people would be a vast understatement.

Of course, he doesn't necessarily remember everyone he's met. As per Dunbar's number, the human brain can only hold up to 150 connections. Although the amount of people he's met most certainly surpasses that number, it was safe to say that those he was close with fell within the number.

Whether he was close to his 150 people limit or not wouldn't change the impending doom awaiting beyond the door in front of him.

"It's not as bad as you think," A comforting voice assures him. Or, at least, tries to.

Korekiyo bites his tongue, resisting the urge to parrot back his words. "Regardless, a little warning earlier in advance would've been nice," Although he felt a little peeved, he managed to hold his neutral tone when he spoke.

"My bad," Rantaro chuckles, scratching the back of his neck in a sheepish manner. "Are you ready?" he asks, bringing his hand to the doorknob and stopping a few centimeters short.

It didn't matter how long they've dated for- whether this happened one month in or one year in- Korekiyo was more anxious than he'd like to admit when it came to meeting Rantaro's family. Naturally, when he had the pleasure of finding out the sheer amount of little sisters his boyfriend had, that deep-rooted anxiety only skyrocketed.

He's met plenty of people in his life before- this wouldn't be too different. At least, that's what he tried to convince himself, even though the way his hands trembled at his sides and the way Rantaro's smile contorted into a worried glance told him otherwise.

Korekiyo lets out a deep exhale before he answers. "I don't think anyone in their right mind would be ready to meet twelve little girls all at once; but, alas, it appears that I have no choice."

Rantaro hesitates, contemplating whether or not he should interrogate his boyfriend further, before finally opening the door.

"Taro-nii!" Korekiyo had barely stepped foot into the house before a shrill voice met his ears, accompanied by the small pitter-patter of footsteps.

In a matter of seconds, there were not one, but two small girls standing before Korekiyo and Rantaro, both looking up at the former with a curious look in their green eyes.

"Ranty-nii, who's this?" The blonde asked, squeezing the brunette's hand tightly.

"This is Shinguuji Korekiyo, my boyfriend." Two pairs of green eyes light up at the last word that leaves Rantaro's mouth.

The person in question takes this opportunity to approach the girls, pushing aside the apprehension rising within him as he kneels down to match their height. "It's my pleasure to meet you two. What are your names?"

The twins spare each other a glance, before turning their attention back to Korekiyo. "I'm Airi!" the blonde announces.

The brown-haired girl is quick to follow. "And I'm Eri!"

"Such pretty names," Korekiyo muses. Although they cannot see due to the mask he always wears, he offers them a gentle smile. "How old are you two?"

"We're eight," Eri answers.

"Hey, Kore-chan?" Caught off guard by the nickname, Korekiyo turns his gaze to the other sister. "Can we touch your hair?" Airi asks.

The question is innocuous, her intentions pure and whole-hearted, yet Korekiyo finds himself launched into an unsavory memory from his past, now standing before his late sister with his small hands outstretched towards her long hair. He's quick to blink away the memory, clearing his throat. "Actually, my hair-"

He doesn't get the chance to finish his rejection before Eri puts in her two cents. "Please, Kiyo-chan? Your hair is so pretty!"

The poker face he's kept for most of the day finally breaks ever-so-slightly as Korekiyo once again finds himself launched back into time. The last time he'd heard that nickname was ages ago, when his sister was still alive and it was just the two of them.

The discomfort he feels must be apparent, as a third voice snaps him out of his trance. "Now, now, you can't just go asking people you've just met if you can touch their hair."

Korekiyo tilts his head towards the source of the new voice. Leaning against the wall was a girl who appeared to be much older than Airi and Eri, probably one of the older sisters. Her short, unruly black hair had bright green streaks in it, and from here he could see that she had the same green eyes as the other three Amami siblings. "Who's this?" She asks Rantaro.

"Boyfriend." Rantaro answers.

Her eyebrows raise. "New boyfriend? Sick!" A smile makes its way to her face as she approaches Korekiyo, stopping behind the twins. "The name's Hikari. Sorry about these two," Hikari places both of her hands on their heads, ruffling their hair slightly. "They tend to get very excited."

The twins stop holding hands in favor of hugging either side of their older sister. "Kari-nee!" Eri cheers.

"We're sorry!" Airi pouts.

Korekiyo misses the next part of their conversation as his mind starts to wander. He tends to be overly attentive whenever it comes to siblings, and although Airi and Eri seem to look up to their older sister immensely, he senses no kinks in their relationship with one another. From what he can tell, neither party holds power over the other- it's a bond filled with nothing but patience, admiration, and love; and it makes his entire body ache with a petty envy that in turn causes him to feel guilty for harboring such hateful emotions towards people he's just met.

He tunes back into their conversation right in time, as Airi and Eri let go of Hikari and are now back to standing in front of him. "We're sorry for bothering you!" They both exclaim at the same time, bowing down.

Korekiyo swallows the last of his mixed emotions, allowing himself to swoon at how adorable their behavior was. "There is no need to apologize," He assures them, shaking his head. "In fact..." The next words get caught in his throat. After years of growing out and maintaining his hair all for his sister's sake, a part of him feels as if he's betraying her by letting someone touch his hair. He's quick to remind himself that the hair on his head belongs to him and only him- and he should be allowed to do whatever he wants with it.

Although it's easier said than done, he trusts that perhaps this large family is exactly what he needs to help him recover from his past, and he finally allows himself to loosen the grip he holds on all the memories he's worked so hard to preserve. "You guys are more than welcome to touch it."

For a split second, he regrets it as soon as the words leave his mouth. The smiles that break out on both of their faces are able to erase that regret before it has the chance to fester into something more horrid. He braces himself for the moment of contact, but when it finally comes, their touch is so small and gentle that Korekiyo lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Wow!" Eri giggles. "It's so soft!"

"Can we braid your hair?" Airi pleads.

He's unable to bring himself to reject their offer after coming so far. "If that is what you wish, then it's fine with me. Perhaps we should move out of the hall, however." He stands up as he says these words, eyes fixated on the two girls before him.

"How about we all do a braid train?" Hikari suggests. "So we're all included in the fun?"

The wording of her sentence awakens something within Korekiyo. The twins' chanting in favor of the braid train falls upon deaf ears as he feels the jealousy in his body ebb away into nothing- quickly replaced by a warm, pleasant feeling. He's unable to put a name to the emotions running through him now, but he can say with certainty that they're all positive emotions.

Realizing the others were waiting on his consent, Korekiyo blinks and nods meekly in agreement to the idea that Hikari offered.

"Great! You two take him to the living room, I'll go get the others," Hikari winks at her younger sisters, throwing up a peace sign before disappearing around the corner.

Airi and Eri each grab one of his hands before leading him into the living room, and as he's walking he spares a glance at his boyfriend, walking alongside him. The smile on his face says it all- and Korekiyo has never felt more at home than he does now.

1.5k Words

Author's Note: Happy Birthday Korekiyo! This came out a bit later than I expected since I had to do some stuff today, but it's whatever. Also, shoutout to my friend for helping me realize how much potential Korekiyo has- if it weren't for them I wouldn't have wrote this! I hope you enjoyed!