At least tonight, Mio would sleep under a real roof.
And tomorrow, he could work on their beds.
But for now, this was more than enough.
Takumi climbed down from the tree, careful with each step, and made his way back to where everyone had gathered. The smell of roasted roots and boiled greens filled the air, simple but satisfying.
He sank down on a log and took whatever vegetables he could find, experimenting as he chewed.
The carrots were surprisingly good, he didn't think they tasted this good when he was human.
He made a mental note to make more carrot dishes for Mio, she would love them.
The others chatted quietly while eating, laughing at small jokes, sharing stories of past hunts, and even teasing each other a little. It was primitive, simple, but somehow comforting.
Takumi had never experienced this kind of community before, and it made him realize that no blueprint or architectural plan could ever capture the warmth of people actually working together.
By the time everyone finished and had rested, the sun was dipping low, painting the sky with streaks of orange and pink.
Takumi rubbed his arms and looked up at the tree hut. There was still work to do.
They lifted the remaining beams into place, carefully thatched the roof with thick layers of reeds, and hammered in a makeshift door.
Even a little latch, Takumi had fashioned from a carved branch and rope. Takumi watched them hand him vegetables as snacks, small gifts for his effort.
Finally, it was done. Everyone stepped back to admire the work.
Takumi's eyes widened. It was… perfect. Not the perfect technical blueprint, maybe, but in function, in safety, in heart, it was the best house in the settlement.
He turned toward Kiko, Daigo, Yuto, Shun, and the others, bowing low. "Thank you. Truly. I...this means a lot. You all… helped me and Mio more than I can say."
Kiko waved her hand dismissively. "Don't be sappy. It's fine. All for Mio, right? She has a home to go back to now."
They grinned, chest puffed with pride.
"Go bring her back, time to show her the new home.."
Takumi nodded, feeling the weight of gratitude settle in his chest. "I… will. Thank you again. Really."
Takumi made his way down the central walkway, passing rows of huts on both sides. By the time he reached Ayame's place, warm light flickered from inside, and he could hear faint giggles.
Mio was sitting with Riko and Yura, finishing the last scraps of dinner while the two kids looked half-exhausted beside her.
The moment Mio saw him, her ears perked up. "Papa!"
Takumi stepped inside. "Hey. Ready to go home?"
Ayame looked up from the herbs she was sorting. "Thanks for trusting me with her.." she said with a soft smile. "Come by anytime."
Takumi exhaled a bit, some tension leaving his shoulders. "Seriously, Ayame. Thanks. I needed the help today."
"She was no trouble.." Ayame said. "Riko and Yura actually enjoyed having someone new to play with."
Riko slumped forward. "She made us play chase…"
Yura nodded dramatically. "For a long time."
Mio puffed her cheeks. "That's because you two are slow."
-_-
Takumi snorted. "Alright, that's enough trash talk. Come on, kiddo."
He picked her up, thanked Ayame again, then stepped back onto the main path. From here, the tree hut stood at the very end of the walkway.
Mio gasped when she saw it. The building structure was obviously different from the rest hut in the settlement.
"Papa! It's so big!"
Takumi smiled, feeling proud, he didn't know why but getting Mio's approval boosted his self esteem.
"I know right? There's alot of room for you to play in..."
Mio wriggled in his arms, so he set her down. She sprinted toward the ladder, practically vibrating with excitement.
Ayame and her kids watched from their doorway as Mio climbed up, peeking through the newly hung door.
Takumi stood below, hands on his hips.
Everything inside him finally felt…stable.
"Tomorrow.." he murmured to himself, "I'll start on beds. Maybe shelves. Something soft for her to sleep on and some utensils.."
"Papa! Come see!" Mio called from the platform.
"Yeah, yeah.." he said, finally allowing himself a real smile. "I'm coming."
Inside Mio happily climbed up, her excitement and curious was contagious.
"Papa, it's big, Mio can run around and Riko and Yura can run around too.."
Takumi, raised the ladder up, they weren't coming back down again and no one was coming up. He secured it to the tree and then walked inside it, closing the door and also securing the latch.
"Yeah, you and your friends have lots of room to play in.."
That made Mio even excited as she ran around the place.
Takumi slowly sank to the ground.
Then froze slightly, the wood was harder than he had expected.
He let his mind make a mental to-do list, he needed to make a water system, it would be an hassle to do to the river to do everything, having the water come to them would make things easier.
Then there was the matter of hygiene. People in this timeline didn't care for things like hygiene or soap.
But germs and bacteria were very much real and he couldn't let Mio get an infection or fall sick.
Medicine was hard to come by in a world like this and he wasn't a doctor.
Tomorrow he would make the bed, he could make a soft one if he layered it right, he'd have to find alot of leaves, moss and then some animal skin, it would perfect for bed covering and also as a blanket.
Eventually, he clapped his hands softly. "Alright, chatterbox. It's time to sleep..."
"Nooo." she immediately complained, dragging the word out until it dissolved into giggles. "Mio not sleeping.."
"Uh-huh. Come here, let's test that theory.."
She shuffled over and climbed into his lap without being asked. Her hair was soft, Ayame had given her a little wash and food to eat, her cheeks were warm from moving around.
As soon as he wrapped his arms around her, her body relaxed, and the fight drained out of her. He rocked her gently, humming without thinking about it.
He noticed yesterday that she liked being rocked.
Within a minute, her hands loosened their grip on his shirt.
Another minute, her breathing evened out.
Takumi smiled faintly. "Thought so."