A/N: Songs are : Fujita Maiko- Nee & Prince of Egypt River Lullaby Japanese (subbed)

Mitch's sleepwear is this: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Men-s-pajamas-gauze-kimono-sleepwear-japanese-style-clothing-cotton-Men-lounge-pajama-set/32793039736.html?spm=2114.40010708.4.116.bdyync  I thought it was perfect for a guest sleepwear.

                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Middle of Night~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The storm outside was showing it's power as it raged beyond the walls of Kyoto University Hospital on this dark night...inside the sounds of wails could be heard as people cried in pain or in sorrow. Earlier this evening the storm claimed lives as it aimed it's might at the city below where it caused a landslide to destroy parts of Kyoto to the North. Within the hospital walls was a young woman walking around the Pediatrics of the North Ward...her hair was dark brown and pinned up on top of her head...her eyes were a lovely green that made most people gasp at how intense they were. She was slowly making her way down the hallways, eyes and ears taking in the sounds of her sleeping charges within their rooms. As she made her way along , one of the nurses came running up to her...the young woman's hair was cropped short and was tassled from her rushed flight as she called to the other woman.

"Hara-san...Hara-san! Sensai needs you in room 203, she sent me to find you quick." the young woman was a bit out of breath as she came up to her colleague. Hara gave her a nod and turned to make her way in the direction indicated when suddenly the elevator doors rang out as they opened. There was something about it that made her glance back and she saw two men exiting the elevators as they made their way towards NICU where the babies slept. One of the men made Hara pause for he looked like an old college flame of hers that was lost to her nearly eleven years ago.She made to chase after him to see if it was him, but the other nurse began to tug on her hand to get her to move quicker with her.

"Hara-san! We need to go ..now!" she looked at the young woman briefly...torn between allowing the woman to drag her along or to give chase and see if it was him. Her sense of duty kicked in and she decided to follow along with her fellow nurse...knowing in the back of her mind it was just her own wishful thinking, for there was no way Kai-Anji could be here in Japan...believing he was still in the United States, waiting and searching for her all these past years she has been gone.

It has been eleven years since she saw him back in college where they both attended at the same time, with her under a different name then...Laurel Tavers. She was considered a prodigy at seventeen and was allowed with the permission of her parents to enter college ...and that is where she met him, Kai-Anji, her soul mate. Those months that she was there was filled with joy and happiness as they basked in the love of their relationship, even though they had to keep it a secret from everyone around because she knew his family would never approve...especially that man he called his best friend, Keiran O'Shea. He made everyone think that him and Kai-Anji were friends, but Laurel knew the truth about him...Mr. O'Shea was a controlling man who kept her beloved under his control, she did not know how he was doing it but she knew he was because her beloved Kai-Anji would have never allowed another woman to get close to him. The reason she knew this was one day she overheard Kai-Anji telling a woman named Carol that Keiran was such a dominating man with Daddy issues...she knew then that Keiran O'Shea was hell spawn and she needed to get her love away from this devil's influence. It came to a head one night on Valentines day when she caught one of Keiran's bitches trying to seduce her love by dragging Kai-Anji up to his room, by using her feminine wiles on him at a weak moment. Seeing that woman with her hand on Laurel's sweet, clueless love enraged Laurel past the point of her control...she had to do something now and save her beloved before he was violated by this succubus. 

"Kai! Who is this slut you have brought in here?" she spat in the woman's direction in hopes that she would get the warning and leave her Kai-Anji alone. It was no use for it became clear that this woman had her hooks in her poor trapped lover for he was acting as if she was an acquaintance of his and not the woman he loves with all his heart. She even tried to break the spell the woman had him under by stabbing her in the stomach...but the hold she had on Kai-Anji was entirely to strong for Laurel to break. She knew she had to take more drastic means, she hit him over and over as she screamed at him...praying it would finally break that spell he was trapped in.

"YOU'RE MINE! MINE!MINE!" as her hand fell down onto him...red was clouding her vision...there was a loud crash as the door to his dorm room burst open and in strode that devil of a man keeping them apart. On that night of lovers, she was struck unconscious and snatched away from her beloveds side to be placed in a prison where lies were told to her parents about her. Her family was told that she had tried to murder two students on campus and she was having  a psychotic breakdown with obsessive tendencies towards Asian men. It seemed no matter how much she told them that her and Kai-Anji were in love, they listened to the lies of the doctors who convinced her parents to try some new age, experimental treatment. Since Laurel was still only seventeen...her parents gave permission for this experimental method to be implemented almost immediately...especially since the judge told them it was either this or be tried in adult court where she would face jail for years. This new treatment was some neurotics insane idea that involved Laurel being taken across seas to Japan itself where she would be exposed to the  Japanese culture...they hoped by immersing her in the reality of Asian culture then it would shock her out of her ethnic delusions she held. She had to admit it was a shocking experience...literally, for the doctor used shock therapy, Oriental music that was loud and jarring and visual images upon a large TV screen all in an attempt to make her abhor the culture. 

It had been ongoing for nearly a week until one evening a earthquake struck the city Sendai of the Tohoku Region and freed her from this hell she was trapped in. There was many inhabitants that were homeless and in need of medical care...which made it possible for Laurel to hide among the crying masses. When it was asked who she was ,Laurel quickly realized if she told them who she really was then she would be hospitalized again or sent back to America where her parents could place her back into that program. As luck would have it she remembered that there was a woman who had a daughter close to her age that was admitted here at this hospital  where both of them perished in the quake...no family other than each other, it was perfect. On that night Laurel Tavers died and a Natsuko Hara was born from the rubble. She claimed she was visiting her sick mother here in this hospital when the quake hit and killed her mother Chiku Hara who was buried under the collapsed building. She also insisted that she did not know who her father was since her mother had her very young and he abandoned them before she was born...the only thing she knew was he was a blonde haired man which explained the color of her hair. She also lied about her age, saying she was 18, so there was no way they would try to look for the imaginary man. All her lies and endeavors paid off because she given a hardship scholarship by the country which she used to go back to college at the Kyoto University and became a nurse's assistant. So here she was now, working at the University hospital as a nurses assistant in the Pediatrics Ward. There had been many a day these past eleven years that her thoughts would always gravitate towards her lost love, Kai-Anji...to the point she was now beginning to image he was here in this very hospital. that was impossible...he was clear across the ocean from her...there was no way he would be in Japan. She let out a sigh and focused on work once again.

                                                  ************************************

Several hours later Mitch and Anji had to leave the NICU ward because visitor hours were long past over and even though Mitch was the only family she had left, there just was no room for him to stay in. So with extremely heavy heart he had to leave and come back in the morning when visitor hours started again...at least they allowed him to sit with little Jayde for a while to bond with the baby girl. While Mitch was holding Jayde close to him...watching her breath peacefully and counting every one of her toes and fingers, he could hear Anji dialing Jamie's phone number...knowing while it was nearly 1 in the morning here, back in the states it was 8 AM. The line was picked up quickly and Jamie's soft voice came over the line...Mitch tuned Anji out when the words ~ Jamie... is Keir close to you? Good, then please go sit down....~ he focused instead on the tiny girl in his arms and not the conversation going on close to him. It didn't take long for Anji to relay the bad news to Jamie and Keir about the death of Ana, but the wails coming from Jamie could not be blocked out and it tore Mitch up to hear the pain in that young voice. When it came time to hand Jayde over to the nurse who said time was up tonight, it was very heartbreaking for him to do so, he wanted to hold her close to him forever...never to let her go. The moment the door shut, Mitch curled inward in grief as he tried to choke back the sobs tearing from him. He might have been able to hold it in but the moment Anji touched his shoulder he lost control of it and his grief echoed around the small room. Within seconds arms wrapped around his shoulders to pull him against a slender chest and soothing words caressed into his ears.

"It's alright Mitch. I am here with you...cry it out suitoharto (sweetheart)." Anji's deep voice enclosed around him like an embrace that was filled with warmth and tenderness...it was exactly what he needed. Feeling those slender arms holding him gently, yet tightly made him feel safe and protected from the cruelties of this world that rose up to rip the very earth out from under him. Eventually he ran out of tears...but not the pain of sorrow, to be able to sit back in his chair again and that's when he realized he was homeless now..all his possessions, all his memory knic-knacs , his very home was now gone, which meant there was no place to bring his niece home to when she would be released in a few days into his care. He began to shake under the strain of not knowing what he was going to do now...Anji must have read his mind because he felt one of his hands being enveloped by the older man.

"Mitch...I would like it if you stayed with me at the Ryoko, at least till you get yourself sorted out enough." those blue eyes turned in surprise to meet his browns. " It will give you both a safe place to stay at, especially when you are allowed to bring Jayde home. The Ryoko is safe and warm...there are plenty of beds and food there and...it's close to the hospital and your work." it was like an answer to his prayers.. a secure haven he could bring his niece home to and it meant he would not have to be alone while dealing with everything. Gazing into those dark brown eyes, Mitch could see the honesty and the want to help him ...he nodded and received a smile.

"Does the Ryoko have a fax machine? I need to get in touch with my lawyer back in the states to get Ana's will to prove I am Jayde's legal guardian to the officials here." he saw Anji nod at him and he gave a sigh of relief, at least that was one worry off his plate. Within a few moments they exited the small private room and were greeted by a few nurses who offered their condolences along with some forms to fill out like the newborns name. It was the same nurse who guided them here who came back with more news for Mitch.

"Ortiz-san, I understand you are the legal guardian to your meikko (niece). Well, come back in the morning to see her and we will start to show you the basics on taking care of her...feeding and diapering, alright." her smile was very comforting to both men and with a bow she left them to leave out the hospital doors where it was still raining heavily. Both men braved the torrential downpour together to get to Anji's car to take them to where they both were now staying. During the ride, Mitch seemed to be in a daze...the exhaustion of both emotional and physical was consuming him and Anji knew he would not last before succumbing to sleep. Luckily for them both the trip was short and in no time at all they made it to their destination where they both stumbled out of the car and into the warm shelter of the family home. Both men stopped in the entrance way, Mitch recalling it was called a genkan, where they wearily removed their shoes and slipped on some soft slippers that were resting upon the first step up into the home. Following Anji further into the home he saw the man give a slight bow towards a small shrine that held  a stone statue,a tiny pot, and incense burning upon the shelf close to the entrance.

"Ta daima (I'm home)." Anji's deep voice echoed softly into the silent home...he saw Mitch's bleary eyes giving him a questioning look and Anji chuckled at him because he knew what the look was for. ~ I forgot it must look odd to Gaijin (foreigners) to greet a home when you enter, even if there is no one to meet you.~ he thought as he chuckled lowly before speaking. "It is a Japanese custom that whenever you enter your home you call out that you have arrived and if anyone hears they will answer back. When we do this we are greeting or acknowledging all those inside be it physical or spiritual residents." he saw Mitch's eyes go wide at the mention of spiritual residents and he smiled. " Yes...we believe the spirits of our ancestors reside with us and can hear us...so by saying *I am home* we are including them and are honored for it. It goes for that old saying ~ Happy wife equals happy home~...well for us ~Happy ancestors equals a happy home~." as Anji spoke he led Mitch down the hallway of the Sakata family residence towards his own room. He could see the young man was slightly thinking over what he said about honoring those who had died before...it sounded like an appealing notion. His faith was Catholic and in some ways they had a similar belief of the spirits of their ancestors watching over them, even to the point you send up prayer requests for those ancestors to add their voices to one's own to God above. It was Anji's sudden stop in front of a shoji screened door that interrupted his musings and when he glanced over to the older man he could see his cheeks were faintly pink...the reason why became clear quickly.

"Uhhhmm...this is my room. You can stay in here for the night and in the morning we shall clean up a room for you and Jayde to stay in. If you are uncomfortable staying in the same room, I can sleep in another room, so you can have privacy." he glanced in nervousness at Mitch and how he would react to his words. At first the young man seemed to ponder over the situation before he made a decision and he began to shift a bit anxiously there in front of that door as his eyes glanced at Anji.

"Well...uhhmm...I would not like to push you out of your bed. I am not opposed to sleeping in the same room if you are not." he waited for a moment, then saw the relieved sigh as Anji's shoulders relaxed from their tensed state.

"Yes...of course it's fine. Come on in and make yourself comfortable or if you rather take a shower before you do then go a head. I'll find you some clothes to sleep in...I think we are roughly the same size so my clothes should fit okay."it was hearing the word shower that made Mitch remember he still had not had one since this morning and now that he was aware of that, he felt grungy and disgusting. It must have shown on his face because Anji chuckled and began to steer Mitch down the hall towards where the bathing facilities were for the family. "Go...take one and I will bring you some clothes to wear tonight." with that Anji left Mitch at the door and ran off to find something that , may fit...he was after all taller and a bit wider in the shoulders than the older man but they were close enough in size.

 From the moment Mitch entered the room he could feel the difference between his apartment bathing room and an Onsen bathing chamber...the one he had in his apartment  was cramped and small, barely big enough for someone accustomed to American bathrooms. The Onsen bathing room for the family was spacious with stone flooring, a couple of shower heads with stools against the walls and a large , deep hot spring tub that could fit four people easily within...it was stunning to see. He instantly felt his skin cringing at the accumulation of the day upon it and he fought the desire to just dive into the hot pool that beckoned him with heated tendrils of mist coming off the surface. The first thing he did was swiftly discard his clothes in the changing portion of the room...then once the offending clothes were gone he made his way over to one of the stools naked since he was the only one in there he saw no reason to use the towel to cover his genitals like he would have if others were present.

Mitch quickly began to use one of the shower nozzles upon the wall as he washed the days grime from his body...starting with his feet then moving up his body until finally even his hair was clean. Once he was sure he was squeaky clean he stepped into the hot spring pool next to him and he lowered himself with a deep groan of pleasure into it's heated embrace. It felt like magic the way his muscles relaxed and eased so easily...even the metallic smell was soothing to his strained nerves and he closed his eyes.  As he practically melted into the water he heard a sound of someone entering and his eyes cracked open...there standing in the doorway was Anji with a handful of clothes.

"I found some clothes that might fit you...I'll lay them over here upon a stool and i will take yours to be washed for you to wear in the morning." those dark eyes respectfully stayed looking at his face...not once glancing down like a gentleman. " I would suggest you stay not long in the waters...the heat can get to you if you are not used to it." his deep voice was traced with concern and it brought a warm feeling to his chest...Mitch nodded and saw Anji walk out after setting the clothes down and taking his dirty ones with him. He sat there for a few more minutes to soak in the mineral rich waters into his body before easing out and drying himself off to get dressed in his borrowed outfit which happened to be a Japanese kimono style sleepwear set for guests that was a dark blue grey color. The top was a shirt that tied in the front so it could fit most body types...the bottom half was a pair of cotton gauze pants that had an elastic band so it made it easy to pull on and off as needed. Looking at himself in the small wall mirror he could see the color was not bad on him but it was hard to miss that he wore nothing underneath his clothing for the outline of his shaft was very evident to anyone who looked at him. He knew there was no help for it unless he put back on his old underwear, which made a shiver of revulsion slither down his spine at that thought, he made his way down the hall to Anji's room...blushing the whole way there as he used a hand to sort of shield his nether region. He softly knocked on the door to let the man know he was coming in and when he entered he was greeted by that gentle smile  along with the sight of his futon mattress with bamboo patterned quilt that matched the one Anji was already settled on upon the floor that looked warm and very welcoming to Mitch.

Anji saw the younger man enter the room, slightly hesitant with a hand in front of his pants to cover himself from his eyes as if he was unsure and worried about things. Anji knew what part of Mitch's problem that had him flushing pink in the cheeks was over...no underwear, which would make any man a bit uncomfortable...so Anji made sure his eyes stayed focused upon the Latin man's face to not fluster him any more than he already was. His brown eyes noticed there was dark circles under those blue eyes from exhaustion and a yearning to help ease his suffering filled him ...with a soft smile of understanding he gestured towards the other bed that was close by to him. He saw Mitch give him a bashful smile as he shut the door and went to lay down on the bed he was provided...once he saw him easing under the cover he quickly shut off the light close to his head ...plunging the room into darkness as exhaustion swept over them both.

"Oyasumi Mitch (sleep well)" his deep voice echoed in the dark to his companion barely a few feet away from him.

"Oyasumi Anji. Arigato (thank you)." he answered back softly.

"Arigato iie (no thanks needed). I am glad I can be here for you." a smile could be heard in his voice and Mitch sighed as he tried to relax his muscles enough that sleep could finally claim him. Mitch did not know how long he laid there trying to go to sleep, but it felt like an eternity as the promise of sleep kept eluding him there in the quiet room. Every time he closed his eyes, morbid images of what happened would flit across his mind that refused to shut off as it began to mull over the state of his life at this point in time. Here he was having to impose on the family of the man he yearned for...homeless...without any family..having to raise his niece by himself with nothing to his name except for the very clothes on his back. Suddenly the darkness of the room was oppressive and he felt alone with only his thoughts and grief as his companion...even though Anji laid feet away, Mitch felt alone with this albatross around him. It was all to much for him to bear and he curled up onto his bed as he cried...shoving a hand against his mouth to stifle the sounds of his anguish so not to disturb his slumbering companion. It became apparent moments later that his attempts at silence fizzled because there was a stirring close by and then a warm hand settling on his shoulder in reassurance.

"Mitch...I am here." the sound of compassion in that rich voice shattered his control and Mitch rolled over to face him...tears pouring down his face. He felt a hand upon his cheek as a thumb tenderly wiped the tears that fell down to soak in the bedding...Anji's voice was calm and soothing to his ears. As Mitch cried he felt Anji's warm body slipping under the cover along his own and strong, slender arms wrapping around his body to hold him close to that chest. That seemed to be exactly what Mitch needed for he buried his face there as the feeling of safety and warmth washed over him. It was in that moment that Mitch's body finally allowed him to relax into that consoling hold and sleep was able to claim him...no dreams...no worries...just peace in those arms that reassured him that he was not alone in this.