#he is playing morio kart

[melboi]

" Mh... 5 more minutes please..."

[elevensixteenpm]

Thoughts on the days they're not living with Miri anymore:

Kazuki prepares a cute bento for Miri, only to realize she's not there anymore.

Rei finds himself confused when he woke up in the afternoon but then realized it's because there's no Miri who would jump at him to wake him up in the morning.

Kazuki cooks for three people and only realized it when they have to eat the leftovers.

Rei puts on Morio Kart to wait for Miri, only to have it on for like six hours with no Miri playing with him.

Kazuki finding out how empty it felt when half of his tasks are no longer needed because they do not have a child to prepare for daycare and to take care of everyday anymore.

Rei mumbles, confused, "Where's the high chair?" because Miri isn't tall yet for the regular chairs, only for Kazuki to look at him with such a painful expression and oh, right, they're not living with their little but massive ball of sunshine anymore.

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

There is a story behind this…

Taiga only wants to play, to continue being Miri’s friend. He had the happiest time when he was allowed to visit Miri and played Morio Kart with her two dads. Most of all, he misses the girl. It feels as if she understands him better than his male friends at his new school. Besides, he has not seen her for months. And today walking home from school, he sees her again. But there is a problem. Her dads are also there. And they guard her like wolves in the daytime.

Oh well..

[todoroki-waifu]

Headcanons about how Sebastian, Agni, and Rei would react accidentally overheard their gender neutral crush saying that they would be thrilled to have him as their romantic partner?

Warning: Gender neutral reader. 

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 392

-------

~Sebastian(Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler)~

Will act unfazed, but you can see a knowing smile on his face as he walks in on your conversation.

Offers you refreshments, but pours you a cup of tea first (he knows you tend to forget to stay hydrated).

You're a bit nervous that he's not saying anything because it's so obvious he heard you.

Asks you what's bothering you as if it was like asking how's the weather.

Sebastian will tell you that he did indeed hear what you said, but only after you bring up the topic. 

He's the type to make you so curious that you'll burst and have to tell him what's on your mind. 

Though it's hard to determine what he's thinking/feeling, he is also thrilled that your feelings are mutual.

Finds that he would need to work harder on getting you to not hide what's on your mind.

~Agni (Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler)~

Agni has to immediately slap a hand over his mouth to keep a loud gasp from slipping out.

Tries to keep himself unseen, but fails.

Apologizes constantly because he doesn't want you to think he's eavesdropping on your conversations. 

Agni tells you that he can forget what you said if it makes you uncomfortable.

His heart is leaping out of his chest when you tell him you don't want him to forget, but want to know his thoughts.

Not sure who gasped louder, you or him?

Definitely awkward about it at first, but relaxes after you reassure him to act like himself.

That's what made you fall for him in the first place.

Is too shy to kiss you on the lips/cheeks, but will hold your hand and kiss it.

~Rei (Buddy Daddies)~

His ears perked up immediately. 

Doesn't try to hide his presence.

Will come out and say "What?!"

Rei won't yell it, but his face says everything.

As you try to explain, he cuts you off and asks why you didn't tell him sooner?

Because the two of could have been playing Morio Kart together a long time ago!

He's never asked you before because he wasn't sure if you'd want to play with him.

But now you both can! (If you want.) 

His brain is rushing with different date ideas...most of them consisting of arcades or laser tag. 

Excited that he can share his likes/hobbies with you and vice versa. 

[drabblesandimagines]

Kitty (part 4)

Pairings: Rei Suwa x you, so much fluff Warnings: past descriptions of abuse Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.

The morning and early afternoon passed by – you’d taken the opportunity of Rei’s absence from the sofa to really get the vacuum in between the cushions. Something about having a four-year-old about the place seemed to mean crumbs got in everywhere. You’d assured Kazuki you really did enjoy cleaning and you wanted to do it – it just kept your hands and mind busy and it did always give you a sense of satisfaction. Rei had taken you through how to set up Morio Kart – he knew Miri would probably ask for you to play in his absence. You were nowhere as good as he was, but Miri just seemed delighted with any outcome.

Your phone buzzed on the coffee table. One new message received from Rei.

Hi. Kazuki is driving, but says to check you’re all right. So, are you all right?

It was just before 1pm. They’d been gone about three hours so you were surprised to read they were still driving, but not so surprised at Kazuki’s concern.

Hi – I’m fine, thank you. How’s the drive?

It wasn’t long until there was a response.

Boring. I wanted to drive but he wouldn’t let me. Should be there soon at least.

You smiled, picturing Rei’s scowl in the passenger seat.

Good. Do you want me to text when Miri and I are back?

Please.

--

Leaving the apartment by yourself felt really weird – the first time you’d been truly independent in who knows how long. You were glad to have a set destination, a task to complete. Miri was really excited to see you at pick-up, and you managed to just smile and nod at the mothers’ questions, helped along by the little girl who was desperate to get home and start your solo time together.

You’d got Miri to bed on time, cleaned up after dinner and found an interesting nature documentary to watch on the endless list of channels they had available. You took yourself to bed just after 9, feeling especially tired after being the sole carer of the little girl that afternoon – you’d coloured with her, played hide and seek, fed her, bathed her and played a couple of rounds of Morio Kart – pulling off an 11th placed finish to her delight, before tucking her in with a short bedtime story.

--

“Stupid girl.”

It’s dark, but you know you’re on your knees in the dining room. You slipped on the oak floors you’d waxed that afternoon, dropping his dinner.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper. “I didn’t mean it, I prom-”

A sharp sting on your cheek, a hand in your hair, a foot in your stomach.

“Useless, weak bitch. Why do I even keep you around? You’re not worth what your deadbeat father owes me.”

“I’ll do better, I’ll be better…”

There’s a hand around your throat now. You pull at it, but it’s so tight and it’s squeezing and you can’t breathe.

--

You wake up with a gasp, covered in cold sweat. The alarm clock on the side reads 01.07 and your chest is tight and you can’t quite catch your breath. Your heart is pounding and you feel on edge but you’re not sure why, your nightmare dissipating, an awful sinking feeling in your stomach. You sit up, propping yourself against the headboard but it feels like something’s constricting you, not allowing your lungs to expand enough. You put a hand on your chest and rub, squeezing your eyes shut and trying to get the breath down. The door creaks open.

“Kitty?” Miri is stood there, rubbing her tired eyes. “Papas aren’t back yet, can I sleep with you?”

You exhale - a shuddering breath - but no words come along with it. The little girl widens her eyes before vaulting herself onto the bed. “What’s the matter, Kitty?” Her face screws up in concern. “Is it the spell?”

Your hands are shaking and you can’t get oxygen to the bottom of your lungs.

“You sound funny, have you been running?”

She’s thinking of when she increased the speed on Rei’s treadmill, resulting in the man being thoroughly out of breath. You shake your head. Get a grip, breathe and let Miri know you’re okay.

“Erm… Did you have a bad dream?”

You nod at that.

“Let’s go to Papa Rei’s safe space! Come on,” and she’s yanking at your arm, using all her might to pull you out of the bed. Maybe standing up would help – would gravity help air reach the bottom of your lungs? You don’t really remember going down the stairs, you must’ve been on auto pilot. You’re biting your lip and forcing yourself to take shuddering breaths through your nose alone as Miri leads you to the bathroom – maybe it's an issue with your throat and the air will make it through there instead. She points you over to the tub. “Get in”. You follow her instructions – you’re good at instructions. Miri slides the door over and you step into tub with anything but grace. The little girl then clambers into your lap.

“Better?” She smiles.

The tub is a little damp still from Miri’s evening bath. It feels cooling on your warm skin – briefly - but your heart is still hammering and you still can’t catch your breath.

“Kitty, talk to me!” Miri demands, screwing up her face, jabbing you in the stomach. You wish you could. You just want to get oxygen deep enough into your lungs. There are spots of black dancing around your vision. You can’t breathe for long enough, or deep enough, or hard enough – whatever you’re getting in barely covers the surface of what you feel you need and you’re going to die, you’re going to die, you’re going to die.

Miri pokes you in the stomach again. It always gets a reaction out of Kazuki but you’re still breathing weird, looking weird and being weird and she doesn’t like it. She starts to bawl.

Your gasps mingle with her sobs for what feels like an eternity when the door is frantically slid open and the two men enter. Kazuki is dressed in his black outfit, his black beanie hat on to cover his blonde locks and Rei still looks impeccable in his suit, hair up and his gun is drawn as they take in the sight before them.

“Miri?” Rei asks, confused why the girl is sobbing in the tub. Behind her, he spots your panicked face, pale and shuddering as you gasp for air. “Kitty?!”

Kazuki is now knelt over the side of the tub, checking over the two of you. He can see Miri is physically fine despite being upset, and you’re clearly hyperventilating.

The blonde grabs the little girl up and off you, squeezing her tight for a moment. “You’re all right, Miri. Papa Rei will make it better, okay?” He holds her aloft, expecting Rei to be there already but he’s still by the door, staring at you. “Rei, take Miri!” Rei strides over, wrapping the little girl up in his arms. Miri is sobbing, saying something absolutely incoherent amongst the tears.

“Kitty, you’re okay,” Kazuki turns to you. Miri wails in Rei’s ear. “You’re all right. Can you hear me?” You nod, and the blonde gives you a smile before he turns back to partner, “Rei, take Miri out of here and calm her down.”

Rei hesitates. He wants to stay with you, make sure you’re okay, kill whoever’s made you this way. He wants to protest, ask if they can switch roles, but Kazuki hisses his name again and the hitman turns on his heels and leaves, rubbing soothing circles on the girl’s back. Maybe if he can calm Miri down he’ll be allowed back in.

“Okay, Kitty,” Kazuki squeezes your hand. “I know it feels difficult, but you’ve really got to take some deeper breaths for me. But we can do it together, all right?” A jerky nod. “Great. So, we’re gonna inhale through our noses for four seconds, hold that breath in for four seconds, then exhale through our mouths for another four. Don’t worry about counting, I’ll do it. Think you can try that with me?”

You nod. You’re going to die, but you’re going to do it following instructions. Figures.

Kazuki starts counting and Miri’s sobs become quieter in the background. It takes you a while to get into it, the blonde starting over when you falter. “Nah, you can’t trick me, that wasn’t a full four.” He says gently. “You don’t need to rush, we’ve got time.” Over the course of a few minutes, your shuddering breaths even out and you feel your lungs take in more and more oxygen.

“Good job! Now, keep that nice pace for me, but I think we should play a game. You need to tell me any five things you can see, touch or smell. Think you can do that?”

“A-any?”

“Yep, any. Five things you can see, feel or smell.”

“Erm… I c-c-can see a t-t-towel.” There’s one hanging up on the wall.

“Good! What’s next?

“W-w-water, from M-Miri’s bath.”

“Perfect. Three more.” He’s still got hold of your hand.

“I can f-feel m-my pyjamas?” You grip the fabric with your free hand.

“Mm-hm.”

“I can see… I can see y-you.”

“And it’s a great sight, huh?” He winks. “One more.”

“I… I think I c-can smell… t-trash?” You frown, that can’t be right. The grin drops from his face for a moment and then he sighs loudly.

“Yeah, things didn’t go as smooth as I’d like and I had to hide in a dumpster. Anyway, great job, that’s five! Your breathing sounds good too.”

“Thank y-you, Zuki.” You feel embarrassed all of a sudden. They’d trusted you to look after Miri for the evening and they’d returned home to you dying in the bath and the little girl sobbing. “I’m s-sorry I m-made Miri upset.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I guess you hadn’t had one of those before, huh?”

“One of w-what?”

“I think it might’ve been a panic attack. Would explain the breathlessness and why you couldn’t breathe, or like it felt like that. The pattern of four helps you concentrate on your breathing, and then the game is meant to ground you.” He squeezes your hand. “Are you feeling a little better?”

“I t-t-think so.”

“Good. Er, how did you end up in the bath anyhow?”

“M-Miri thought I’d h-h-had a n-nightmare and that R-Rei’s safe space w-would help.”

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“I t-think so. I w-w-woke up and my chest w-was all tight.” You rubbed your chest, a dull ache remaining.

There’s a knock. Rei is still holding Miri, who is cheerfully eating something – Kazuki prays it’s sugar-free – and he hovers at the doorframe, his eyes zoning in on the blonde holding your hand.

“Can we come back in now?”

“You know, normal families don’t just hang around in their bathrooms.” Kazuki sighed as Rei put Miri down and she threw herself back into the tub with you. Her hands are sticky.

“I’m s-sorry I scared y-you, Miri.” You squeezed her tight, wrapping your arms around her.

“It’s okay, Kitty. You scared Papa Rei too,” Miri clarified. You looked up at the assassin, a scowl on his face at the suggestion as Kazuki tried to hide a giggle.

“I’m s-sorry if I s-scared you t-too, Rei.”

“I wasn’t scared,” he mumbled.

“You were too!” Miri scowled. “Don’t lie, Papa Rei. We can’t both be like Papa Kazuki - brave and strong!”

Kazuki flexes. “I am pretty strong, that’s for sure.” He slaps his thighs and gets to his feet. “Right, let’s all have some cocoa and then we can get to bed.”

“Cocoa, cocoa, cocoa!” Miri chants, scrambling back out of the tub to follow Kazuki into the kitchen.

Rei remains in the bathroom as you get to your feet. He offers you his hand to clamber over the high sides and you smile, taking it but as you lift your leg you don’t get it quite high enough to clear and your foot catches on the edge, sending you colliding into his chest. A steadying arm is now around your waist, your hand still in his.

“I’ve got you.” He says it so quietly you wonder whether you were meant to hear. Is that his heart or yours that’s thudding? You lift the other leg clear of the bath, both your feet now solidly on the floor. You know you should move, you’ve definitely been there too long and surely as the person who fell you should be the one to move first, right? But it reminds you of the brief embrace that morning of how you wanted it to last longer.

You look up at him, he’s looking down at you. His cheeks are tinged with red and you’re pretty sure yours are the same.

“S-sorry.” You shake your head, trying to take a step back but the arm holding you stays firm.

“You never need to apologise to me.” He says it without pause and for the first time in a long time, there’s no doubt curdling in your stomach. You were used to people saying one thing and meaning the other, always second-guessing what you’d done or were about to do, but there’s none of that there when he speaks.

“Kitty!” Miri squeals and you hear her thudding footsteps. Rei steps back, shoving his hands in his pockets. You feel breathless, but in a much different way than earlier that night.

 “Papa wants to know how many marshmallows you’d like.” She stops at the door, tilting her head to the side quizzically. “Papa Rei, why is your face so red?”

“It’s not.”

“It is too!”

“Is not…”

“H-h-how many are you h-having, Miri?” You cut across Rei. From your short time with the two, both are always reluctant to back down but at least one of them you’re confident you can distract.

“Four, like my age!” She beams as you step past Rei and head out the bathroom, the little girl following at your heels. “And lots of whipped cream…”

“S-s-sounds good.”

--

A little while later, you’re back in bed. Miri didn’t last long with her cocoa, crashing out after a marshmallow and whipped cream combo. Rei had disappeared for a shower before you’d had chance to wish him goodnight. You’re staring up at the ceiling, the embrace swirling in your mind and before you can think about it any longer, you pick up your phone and type.

Sweet dreams.

A buzz a minute later – one new message received from Rei.

I will.

--

Thank you for all the love! Part 5, anyone? Always welcoming requests.

EDIT: Part 5 is up!

[bannock-freak]

headcanon - kazuki doesn't give rei permission to wear his clothes, rei just wanders in and steals them (usually from the laundry hamper) when he needs a +10 boost and snuggles into them and kazuki

just can't bring himself to mind.

for some reason, it actually makes him feel sort of warm and fuzzy inside.

seeing rei in his jacket as he takes miri to daycare, kazuki's shirt as he and miri play morio kart, kazuki's sweatpants as they battle over chocorings at the supermarket...

for some reason, it makes kazuki feel at home.

yuzuko never wore his clothes. it's a difference that kazuki can latch onto.

[mcclens]

Did no one seriously mention how Rei bought morio kart 2nd edition for miri (and him) for Christmas and now he's gonna play it alone

[dk-wren]

Buddy Daddies Week - Headcanons

Welcome to Day 3 of my Buddy Daddies 1 Year Anniversary Celebration Week!

Today, I present to you...more headcanons!

12 more to be exact, corresponding with the number of episodes (plus a bonus 13th one that is kinda a hc to honor the recap ep). Hope you enjoy them! Feel free to add on to any or add some more of your own!

One day, while Miri is at daycare, Rei and Kazuki are relaxing with each other on their couch. Rei is scrolling on his phone while Kazuki is playing some word game. Eventually, Rei calls Kazuki's name and shows him a picture on his phone, asking Kazuki if he can find this the next time he is at the market. It's a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Rei is absolutely enchanted by the idea of little cereal that is supposed to taste like French Toast. Kazuki is pretty sure he won't be able to find it at their usual market, but he promises to look since he's sure Miri would also love it. After much research and online scouring, Kazuki finally finds a box and has it shipped to their place. Several weeks have passed and due to Rei not bringing it up again, Kazuki thinks he might have forgotten about his request, and the intensity in which he asked Kazuki about finding this cereal. So, Kazuki decides to surprise Rei and Miri by telling them that they can have cereal for breakfast, but instead of their usual bowls of Choco Rings, Kazuki places three bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Miri absolutely loves it, asking for a second bowl, Kazuki doesn't think it's that bad, but it's way too sugary and his homemade french toast is definitely better, and Rei is in heaven.

Kazuki definitely has pictures in his wallet of Miri and Rei, and if anyone asks about his family, you bet he's pulling out this little album and proudly showing whoever. It started out on a whim when he had some pictures printed and was given a complimentary "wallet size" print. Not thinking too much about it, Kazuki stuck it into his own wallet. After a few weeks, he realized he liked seeing these pictures of the fun times the three of them spent together and slowly began to add more photos to his wallet, as well as updating them by taking older ones out and replacing them with newer adventures.

In the third audio drama, Rei pulls out a gun a handful of times throughout their apartment. Logically, Rei is probably keeping the gun on him for self-defense or to be ready if anyone tried to attack him, Kazuki, or Miri. But, for the sake of comedy (or the gag), I headcanon Rei has several guns or other weapons hidden around the house, way out of Miri’s reach, and unknown to Kazuki, for quick access in any room should an attack occur. So each time Rei pulls one out in this story, it’s a different one, which Kazuki eventually catches on to and always causes him to have a slight moment of confusion or perhaps questioning over how long it’s been hidden, how’d he keep it hidden even from him, and how many more are hidden. 

For his birthday, Kazuki decides he wants to have a picnic on the beach with Rei and Miri. Since it's his birthday, Rei tells Kazuki that he will take care of their lunches. Kazuki is a little hesitant, but if it means spending the morning with Miri coloring, being beaten at Morio Kart, or whatever activity she decides on, he agrees. Kazuki even decides to leave Rei alone in the kitchen and not watch over him, thinking that if Rei needs any help, he'll come ask Kazuki. When the time comes to eat their lunches, Kazuki opens his bento, and somewhat to his surprise, it's pretty good. He notices that a lot of the items Rei put in are what he normally puts in the bentos he makes for Miri on special school occasions (or on previous family outings). And while it may not be the prettiest looking, Kazuki knows it was made with so much love, making everything taste incredible. After they finish their meal and are relaxing by the ocean, Kazuki asks Rei how he figured out everything since most of the time, Rei is elsewhere while Kazuki is making the bentos. Rei shrugs his shoulders and tells him he decided on what to include based on what Kazuki likes, what he remembers Kazuki put in previous bentos, and from past conversations with Miri about the special lunch Kazuki had made for her that day. This makes Kazuki's heart melt knowing how much consideration went into making it. 

During the end credits, there is an image of Miri in a kimono looking at three fish (which, side hc, I've always thought she or her papas would have won at a festival). These fish come home with them and are technically Miri, Rei, and Kazuki's first family pets. Kazuki can't do much to prevent the fish from coming home because they won them, but he still argues he doesn't want a pet. Kazuki then tells Rei and Miri that it is their responsibility to look after them, such as by making sure their bowl stays clean and that they are well fed. Kazuki knows he'll have to help out here or there, but considering fish don't do much (or could cause that much havoc), he's okay with having fishes for a pet. Despite Rei and Miri working hard to take care of the fish, and proving they can both responsibly look after another living being, the fish eventually pass away, which causes Miri to become sad since she enjoyed taking care of them and watching them swim around their tank. Seeing how down Miri is after their fishes pass, and knowing how much they would both love it, Kazuki finally gives in and allows them to get a cat for their next family pet. 

Karin was originally the over-protective little sister. When Yuzuko first brought Kazuki to meet Karin, she totally interrogated him about his motives, his likes/dislikes, how he would treat her big sister, and was the one to give Kazuki the "talk" about dating Yuzuko. She eventually realized Kazuki had nothing but good intentions and how in love Yuzuko and Kazuki were with each other, causing Karin to ease off on her questioning. She would continue to do so in a teasing manner, which Kazuki eventually picked up on and would play along with his answers. It is this understanding of their love for each other and how good of a man Kazuki was to Yuzuko that leads Karin to seek Kazuki out, not out of anger, but to check in on him and remind him that he can be happy and change without forgetting her big sister. 

In the flashback shown in ep. 7 of Yuzuko's death, Kazuki is seen wearing a black (or possibly navy, sorry couldn't exactly tell) jacket that at least stylewise bears a strong resemblance to his signature green jacket. What if that black jacket is what Kazuki regularly wore on missions, similar to how Rei always wears a suit? And what if on one of their earlier missions together, something goes terribly wrong, leaving Kazuki injured and that jacket in shreds? Kazuki is left to rest in bed for a short period of time, with Rei feeling guilty that the mission went so wrong because of him. Wanting to apologize and perhaps express some of his gratitude for all that Kazuki has begun to do around the apartment, Rei tries to find Kazuki a replacement jacket. He can't find the exact one, and instead orders the green one he is constantly seen wearing in the show. When Kazuki finally makes it out of his room, he opens his bedroom door to a package waiting just in front, with a note saying something short and sweet like "I'm sorry" or "Thank you." And perhaps it is this gesture from Rei, which Kazuki was not at all expecting, that causes them to start getting to know each other better and spend more time together.  

Because this post would've become too long according to Tumblr's guidelines, click here to go to Part 2!

[cageyperry]

Due to his injury, Rei would no longer be able to play Morio Kart. Certainly not to the level of skill he previously had without some serious adjustment.

Rei was not only willing to give up his job, his fancy home, his secure income - the only life he had ever known - but also his favorite hobby in order to stay with his newfound family.

[himebushou]

Gaps

The days bleed into each other: night follows day, follows day, follows day; Kazuki and Rei shoot and scheme and shoot and scheme —

And Miri is gone.

They don't know how to talk about it.

It starts with Rei making their home more presentable, picking up Miri's old toys and placing them back in Miri's old room.  Kazuki can no longer bear to step inside that space, so it falls to Rei to wipe down surfaces and vacuum.  He never realised, before now, that dust can somehow accumulate in an uninhabited place.

It continues with Kazuki refusing to buy Choco Puffs, even though he knows that Rei likes them; they argue, voices rising, until Kazuki snaps and disappears for three days.

While he waits, Rei plays video games (anything but Morio Kart) and tries to convince himself that his partner isn't lying in a pool of blood, somewhere. Kazuki finished off Ogino, after all: Kazuki is a fighter, a survivor, a threat. Rei has to believe in that.

Kazuki finally returns with a broken nose and a black eye.

They don't talk about it.

Work is good.  Kyuutarou supplies a steady flow of targets. As a team, Rei and Kazuki have reached new levels of proficiency. Rei is less volatile and Kazuki has finally learnt how to act. He can be sinister, moody, charming, dense. Rei enjoys seeing these facets of Kazuki: they're preferable to the man who alternates between silently sitting on the sofa and replying to everything Rei says in a stupid, sing-song voice.

But it hits a wall.

A cold day in April. The start of the new academic year. Kazuki drives and Rei stares at the world beyond the windows, wanting cherry blossoms, wanting Miri. Idly, he turns on the radio and a melodic voice floats through the speakers:

"Don't say goodbye..."

Rei intervenes — stops Kazuki from crashing into the vehicle in front. Switches the radio off. Kazuki doesn't scream or cry, just thumps his fists against the steering wheel, cursing, "Damn it! Damn it!" as horns bleat around them.

They have to leave.

Quickly.

"We need to address this."

Then they're at home. Kazuki stands out on the balcony, gulping down air between his tears. Rei follows and miserably sprays the plants while Kazuki calms down.

When there is stillness, Rei looks at Kazuki's locked shoulders and says,

"Why?"

"That's a stupid question."

Kazuki laughs. The sound cuts like a knife. He says, "I don't know anything, Rei. Nothing at all. I'm... an idiot."

There he goes again, steeping himself in martyrdom, blaming himself for everything that has ever, or will ever, go wrong. Rei's patience breaks. He grips Kazuki's shoulders — forcibly turns Kazuki around. He wants to shake Kazuki! Strangle him!

But —

"Rei," Kazuki says softly, "I haven't been doing much around here. I think... I need to get my head clear. Find my own place."

"This is your home."

Kazuki scoffs. "Forget it, Rei. We're still living on your family's blood money. I know you hate this prison as much as I do."

Rei nods to show Kazuki that he gets it. It's a meaningless action — they're both aware that they are two kindred souls in a blood-garbed world and that only Rei understands Kazuki and that only Kazuki understands Rei. Thus, when Rei asks,

Hate.

Hates?

"How long?"

So Rei inclines his head again. Acquiesces. He won't force his will on others. That's a move from Kazuki's playbook, or hell, even the late Suwa Shigeki's. Instead, Rei goes back inside and starts washing rice. Despite everything, he's hungry.

He knows that Kazuki is lying when he replies,

"Just a little while."

Kazuki soon joins him. He begins prepping the fish.

They don't talk.

(And this is why.)

[happyk44]

[ID: Screenshots from Buddy Daddies with different tumblr text posts edited in.

1: Rei smokes in the kitchen. The smoke flows off his cigarette and towards the ceiling as he watches it, mouth agape.

Post from @/homoidiotic: me at support group: idk guys i'm feeling so ben affleck smoking jpeg over it all

2: Kazuki looking annoyed. Post from @/0ffwhite: I just took a DNA test, turns out I'm 100% tired of this bullshit

3: Rei, Miri and Kazuki play Morio Kart at the arcade. Rei celebrates his first place win, while Miri gazes up at him happily from her seat. Her screen displays a 2nd place win. Meanwhile Kazuki is moping, his screen showing 12th place, aka last.

Post from @/hiiddles in all caps save for the first two letters: I came home to hear my dad and dad shouting abuse at each other and my dad threatening divorce and I got scared but omfg it's because [italics] they're playing morio kart [end italics]

4: Rein sitting awkwardly on one of the kid's chairs while Kazuki sits normally beside him. Rei is staring off to the wall. His calfs are crossed over one another as he sits on the very edge of the chair, hands between his legs and touching the floor. His arms are perfectly straight.

Post from @/eebie: girls love him for his poor posture and pathetic demeanor

5: A small trio of moms and their kids whispering at each other while they watch Kazuki, who is sitting on a bench, pointedly looking away from them. A bead of sweat drips down his cheek.

Post from @/generalgrievousdatingsim: oh, so when [italics] other [end italics] people go outside it's "good for their health" and "highly recommended", it's only when [italics] i [end italics] do it that it's a "containment breach" and a "high-level threat to public safety and security", huh?

/end ID]

Buddy Daddies + Text Posts [Part 18/ ??]

[drabblesandimagines]

Milkshake

Lil' follow-up to Syrup that I couldn't get outta my head after seeing the finale! Rei x reader, fluffy fluff

-

You blink – not quite believing your eyes when the grey dot has changed to green next to his name. You haven’t seen that in weeks. You’d spent literal hours on voice chat together, sometimes playing a multiplayer game, sometimes doing your own thing, sometimes just chatting and nothing else, right up until a couple of weeks before Christmas when things went radio silent. At first you shrugged it off, thinking that it was the run up to the holidays, things maybe just got busy, or maybe his internet was out, or maybe he’d even gone out of town and just hadn’t mentioned it… But then, when the Morio Kart DLC expansion came out – one that you knew both Rei and Miri had been so excited to play – you began to feel a little hurt. Your mind would often try and dissect the snippets of your last conversation, trying to work out if you’d offended him somehow, said something weird?

There’s another beep and a notification pops up. ReiSuwa1 is inviting you to voice chat. Your disbelief turns to annoyance – he’s ghosted you for so long, this better be one hell of an explanation.

You lean back in your gaming chair, kicking your feet up on the TV console as you hit accept. “Hello, stranger.” Your tone is tense.

“What?!” A voice cries out – it’s too far from wherever the microphone is but it doesn’t sound like Rei. There’s a lot of racket – like someone’s scrambling around, looking for something, then it stops.

“Hello?” You try again.

“Who’s this?” Definitely not Rei. Had his account been hacked?

“Er, you called me.”

“I did?” They sound puzzled. “I was just trying to switch the damn thing off and then your voice started coming out the headset. Rei’s shown me but I can never remember the right buttons…”, the mysterious voice rambles on before stopping. There’s a twinge in your stomach at the mention of Rei’s name. “Oh… Are you that girl he was speaking to, from the video games shop?”

You try your best to sound casual. “Well, that depends on how many girls from video games shops he talks to.”

“You’ve met Rei, right? I don’t think you’ll be surprised to hear the amount is incredibly low, single digit low. One and under.”

“Ah, you must be Kazuki.”

“Huh, he mentioned me?” You hear him sit down on something with a loud exhale – must be getting comfortable.

“Yeah, loads of times.” He had – funny stories, usually.

“Well, I’m honoured.” He chuckles.

“Hey, just whilst I’ve got you on the line and all,” you pause and wonder if you’re going to regret this, but press on regardless, “Is Rei okay?”

“Yeah.” There’s a beat. “Why? Has he said something?”

“See, that’s the thing – he hasn’t said anything. I haven’t spoken to him since, like, mid-December. I was really surprised to see him calling, to be honest…” You trail off.

“Oh!” Kazuki sounds genuinely surprised, or is an incredible actor on his roommate’s behalf. “I mean, he’s been on here with Miri recently, but when I properly think about, I haven’t seen him play anything solo in a while.”

“Sorry, this is probably the worst conversation to have got yourself into. I think I misread things – I shouldn’t drag you into my woes.”

“No, he…” He sighs. “How do I say this? There was… There was an accident about two months ago. Rei really injured his right arm. He’s a lost a lot of the mobility in it, including his hand. He’s doing physio, but…”

“Oh, jeez.” You exhale.

“He’s okay now. Well, okay-ish. They don’t think he’s really going to get a lot of movement back in it. Shit.” He mutters, as if he’s had a realization. “I kinda forgot that means video games are off the table. I thought he wasn’t playing with Miri because he says she’s a bad loser, but I guess he can’t use the controller thing as well as he used to?”

“Mm, a lot of them do just work off the premise that everyone’s got two functioning hands. You can do some tactical button mapping on some, I think. Gotta admit I haven’t looked into it much.” You bite your lip in thought. “Poor Rei. That must be a big adjustment.”

“Yeah. I mean, he’s taking it really well. Never complains.” Another pause. “I mean, you haven’t even seen him by the shop? He took Miri a couple of weekends ago to get some new figure to unlock something.”

“Oh. No, I don’t work weekends. He… He knows that.” Your stomach is twisting in knots. There were a few times him and Miri would pop in when he picked her up from daycare to say hello and on a rare occasion, he would show up online on the weekend saying Kazuki was out somewhere with Miri, so he knew your rota.

“I’m sorry.” He sounds genuine, at least.

“No, I’m sorry – I just feel a bit of an idiot.” You don’t know what it is, but Kazuki is surprisingly easy to talk to and you need to get it off your chest. “Like, I was trying to build up the courage to ask if we could go for a real date instead of all these virtual ones we seemed to be having. Probably for the best he ghosted me, huh?”

“No, I think he would’ve liked that. Honestly, this…” he pauses, as if he’s choosing his words carefully, “accident has been a lot. Rei’s surprisingly sensitive, he’s probably worried that he wouldn’t be able to keep up with you. Did you guys do quests or some shit?”

“You do know video games!”

“I may have overheard some key terms, that’s it. And, er, don’t ignore the question.”

“Yeah, we did. He’s a much better player than me, though. He was dragging my stats up.” You sigh. It’s not what you wanted at all, but maybe it’s a sense of closure. “Well, I’m glad he’s okay-ish. I don’t know if you want to tell him you accidentally called the video games store girl, but if you do, tell him… Tell him I’m thinking of him, yeah?”

“Sure will. Erm, whilst I’ve got an expert on the line – A, how do I hang up and B, how do I turn this machine off?”

You laugh. “I’ll hang up so that’ll take care of that. Do you see the really big rectangular button in the middle of the controller?”

“Mm.”

“If you hold that down it’ll bring up a start up menu, kinda like a laptop? Then you can select power off and that’s you.”

“Thank you. And, hey, I will speak to Rei, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks. Bye, Kazuki.”

You press the end call button, as promised, and a few seconds later you see Rei’s icon change to offline so it looks like Kazuki at least managed to turn off the machine. You fling off your headset, spin your chair around to face your bed and collapse down onto it face-first, letting out an exhale. Poor Rei…

--

You’re so tired. You tossed and turned all night with an idea swirling around your head. You got up, wrote it down, and got back under the sheets but your brain still wouldn’t shut up about it. You’d spent until the really early hours conducting research and now, you’re on your third cup of coffee due to an early delivery you need to sign for at the shop, annoyed at yourself but you wouldn’t say you were full of regret what you’d discovered.

You’d been thinking about Rei and that, if he did want to play video games, there must be something out there to help. Whilst you found there were some consoles with “official” adaptive controllers in a way – and, ouch, eye-wateringly expensive, much? - your research also led you to a bunch of online videos where people shared their modded designs - even the schematics or a print bundle for you to 3D print your own to adapt the controller yourself for numerous different machines. The reviews are sometimes so-so, things are a work in progress, but you wonder if you could take parts of one and parts of another and try and make something workable.

As you watch the boxes get unloaded and put into the store room, you wonder if whether you’re getting way ahead of yourself. Sure, you could make the adaptor for the controller but if you did, how do you know he even wants such a thing, plus how would you even get it to him? You didn’t have his number – it was the shop policy to shred anything with customer’s details on right after the repair had been complete and you’d rang off the store’s phone those few months ago.

You sigh, before taking another deep sip of coffee. The problem is, you know you, and once you set your mind to a project you’re going to see it to the bitter end.

“Sign here, please.” The delivery driver pulls you out of your thoughts as he taps on the clipboard, after stacking up the last of the boxes.

Right – work first.

--

A week later, you’re sat at your desk fiddling with various parts. You’d found a place that offered 3D printing facilities, so you’d printed out a bunch of stuff on your day off that you’d bookmarked for possibilities and you’ve spent your evenings since placing bits and pieces together to try and make something workable. Luckily from your shared game play and access to his gaming history via his profile, you know what games Rei likes so you can begin to test your configurations a little, noting down what is and isn’t working to try and tweak things further.

Your console chimes – you’d turned it on when you got home to download an update. Looking at the screen, you see a notification. ReiSuwa1 is inviting you to voice chat.

You grab your headset and slip it on before picking up your own controller and hesitating. The conversation with Kazuki had popped up in your mind since you’d spoken and as you reflected, you’d begun to wonder if you’d just sounded so utterly sad and desperate.

You press accept and brace yourself. “Hello?”

“Hey!” It’s Kazuki again. “I deliberately called this time – I promise.”

“You’re learning.” You smile, rolling your seat back over to your desk. “What can I help you with?”

“I spoke to Rei.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t say it like that – I was covert.”

“Yeah?”

“I just said I noticed that I hadn’t seen him playing on here recently alone, or speaking to you… He admitted it’s difficult with the controller. He didn’t want to bother you.”

“Bother me?”

“Yeah. I didn’t quite get it either. I pressed him on it a bit – said something about holding you back in gameplay, that maybe you wouldn’t want to speak to him anymore.”

“What? No, that’s not right – we spoke loads of times when neither of us were even playing.”

“I know! I suggested he called you, I said you were probably worried about him since from what he and Miri had told me about you, you seemed a nice girl, but he shrugged it off in his usual Rei way.”

“It’s okay, you can’t force him.”

“Oh, I can. As his roommate and friend, it’s important that I aid him in his recovery, and that is reconnecting with his friends, if not more.” Is it possible to hear someone wink through a call? Cos you feel he definitely just did. “So, I was wondering, whatcha doing Saturday?”

“Huh?”

“Miri’s desperate for a new kart thing? We’ve got a chore chart, she gets a gold star every time she does her tasks and I said when she’s earned enough, Rei will get it for her. So, I thought, maybe, if you happened to be in a certain video games store on your day off and I sent a certain man to go in…”

“Ah, I don’t know.”

“Come on, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“He could think I’m stalking him.”

“Uh-uh, you’ll be in the store first.”

You look at the controller in your hand. “I’ve been working on something dumb.”

“Are you changing the subject?”

“No, it’s related. You know I repair controllers, right? Well, after our conversation, I’ve been fiddling around with some adaptors - you kinda clip them on the controller and then you can use it with one hand. I thought it might be something Rei would want to try, I mean, he might want to try…”

There’s silence from Kazuki’s end of the line.

“I’m sorry, is that creepy I’ve done that? It’s probably creepy.”

There’s a loud sniff.

“Are you…? Are you crying?”

“No! It’s just allergies.” There’s another loud sniff. “That settles it - we’re doing this. Give me your number.”

--

When Saturday rolls around, you’ve got the controller adapters into decent shape and they’ve passed all your self-created one hand tests. Kazuki and you have been texting off and on the last few days and he’s bringing both Rei and Miri to the mall – there’s some live performance of those dancing vegetables from the TV that kids seem to like so much. Whilst Kazuki takes Miri to that, he’s going to get Rei to head to the Joypad and pick up Miri’s figure as a surprise. You’d taken your spare controller with the adaptors in place to work yesterday and left your bag in the back office – more so as an excuse to your colleagues as to why you’re there on your day off. You don’t know how to explain that your crush’s roommate has set an elaborate meet-cute for you both, so with Kazuki’s detailed updates and ETAs, you time it perfectly to pop in the store, greeting Mr Kyoto himself before slipping into the back office to pick up your backpack. You got in the back office as Kazuki texted to say that he could see Rei entering the store now – oh, jeez, is this the creepiest thing you’ve ever done? – and you wait about a minute before exiting. The timing is almost too perfect - you’re walking down the aisle towards the exit as Rei’s walking up, looking for the figurine.

His right arm is strapped up in some sort of black immobilization aid, keeping it close to his chest, but he looks as good as ever and you suddenly feel queasy. This was a terrible idea, you’re considering spinning on your heels and diving back into the office until he leaves but it’s too late as the two of you make eye contact.

Rei looks almost embarrassed to see you, and there’s an awkward staring competition before you realise you’re the one that needs to break the ice.

“Hi, stranger,” you smile, casually.

“Hi.” His cheeks are tinged red and he looks down at the floor for a moment. “Er… I’m sorry that I haven’t been online, or in here for a while…”

“That’s okay, it seems a lot has happened since we last spoke.” A not so veiled reference to his arm. “Are you doing all right?”

“It is what it is.” He shrugs. “I’m… adjusting. How are you?”

“I’m okay.” A pause. “I… I’ve missed talking to you, though.”

“Me too.”

You swallow, “What brings you here today, then?”

“Oh, Miri wants another one of these.” He casts his eyes to the display and grabs the character she’s after. You’re not sure which one, you’re too busy staring at his face.

“Oh, er, cool.” There’s another awkward pause and you lose all confidence. “Erm, well, I should let you get on. It was nice to see you, though…”

“Yeah,” he nods. This was such a stupid idea, you berate yourself, as you go to walk past him. He suddenly steps in front of you. “Wait.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you busy right now?”

“Erm, no…”

“Can I buy you a milkshake?”

You smile. “A milkshake?”

“I seem to remember you like them,” there’s a smirk on his face. There was one evening when you enthusiastically described an incredible milkshake that one of the kiosks in the mall made for probably a solid five minutes.

“That is true. Okay, then.” You nod. “You can buy me a milkshake.”

“Cool. I’ll just go buy this…” He nods to the figurine in his head and heads up to the counter, where Mr Kyoto is beaming at you, giving you two thumbs up and you avoid eye contact, pretending you don’t see your boss’ celebration. Rei retrieves his phone from his pocket as Mr Kyoto is scanning the figurine through the register and about 45 seconds later, your own phone buzzes.

Kazuki has sent you a text message comprising entirely of emojis – a winking face and love hearts.

--

You’re sat at one of the tables in the food court, sipping on milkshakes and chatting away like no time has passed. Rei’s slowly been opening up about his online absence.

“I just… I wasn’t sure if you’d still want to hang out if I can’t play.”

“Rei, I wasn’t just talking to you because I wanted to game with you, I was talking to you because I like talking to you.” You take another slurp of milkshake for a shot of sugar rush courage. “And, just to make this absolutely clear because I don’t think I was in all of our previous conversations, I quite like you, actually.”

“You do?” He smirks.

“Mm. I was going to ask you on a date.”

“You were going to?”

“Yeah, but then you went offline. You’re a hard guy to track down.”

“Ah.” He nods, taking a sip of his own drink.

“And I need to be completely honest because I feel creepy - Kazuki accidentally called me from your profile a week or so ago.”

“Is that why he and Miri are hiding behind that plant?” He gestures lazily to the corner and you see a flash of blonde duck behind the greenery and hear the little girl giggle.

“Most likely, yes.” You sigh. “He’s a sweet guy.”

“He is.”

“Sorry, I think he just felt bad for me and my sob story. And, well, he kinda told me about your arm too…” You pick up your backpack and place it on the table. “And it got me thinking – you know how I like messing around with controllers anyway?”

He nods.

“Well, it turns out there’s some really clever people out there making devices to ensure people with limited hand movement can enjoy video games, so, I kinda got a little too into researching it and mixed and matched and came up with this,” you dig into your bag and remove the controller - it's got the plastic adaptors clipped over it - placing it onto the table.

“So, you can use all the joysticks and triggers across the whole thing with your left hand.” You demonstrate, taking him through what controls what. “You’ll need to do some button configuration still on start menus, but I tried it out on my console on a few things I know you’ve played and it’s super easy.” You look up and he’s just staring at you, almost in disbelief and you panic.

“I mean, I’m not expecting you to use it or even take it home with you because I know this whole thing has been super creepy and I’ve overstepped so many boundaries and, like, talking behind your back with Kazuki, but I…” Without any indication, he leans forward and kisses you on the lips, gently, cutting off your ramble. He tastes like his strawberry milkshake.

He has a dreamy smile on his face as he pulls back and you’re sure you look like a total idiot, your mouth open in disbelief at the turn of events.

“Huh.” You find your voice. “I take that means you like it?”

“Mm, and I like you.” He gets to his feet and holds out his left hand to you. “Kazuki and Miri are going to get kicked out if they continue to hide in the shrubbery any longer. Come back to ours, you can show me how this thing works again.”

You nod, stuffing the controller back into your backpack and taking his outstretched hand. He doesn’t let go as he leads you over to Miri and Kazuki. The little girl greets you eagerly, crashing into your legs.

You don’t even need to hear Kazuki to put a face to a voice – his loud sniff as he wipes away his tears is enough to give it away.

--

Check out my masterlist.

[bannock-freak]

Kazuki is gonna need to get Rei one of these for his bday cus damn knows his boy DESERVES to be able to still play Morio Kart with their daughter!

(link to article here)

(while he's adjusting to it Miri and Kazuki might even be able to win a few times kukuku)

[yuzuuu4]

"for miri's sake," he says, like a liar

[dk-wren]

The ABCs of Buddy Daddies

A = Anna Hanyu, aka Miss Anna, Miri’s teacher for the Giraffe Class at Aozora Daycare

B = Buddy Daddies, yeah sorry for not being more original

C = Child, as in “Shame on you, I know you're irresponsible. But I never dreamed you’d put our work before our child”

D = Diabolical, how Miss Anna plays piano

E = Everything crepe, what Miri got to share with her Papas because “everything tastes better when you share”

F = French Toast, Rei and Kazuki’s signature dish 

G = Gene, as in “Those are our genes at work”

H = Hamburg steak, Miri’s favorite meal her mother made

I = Izumi Karin, Kazuki’s sister-in-law who teaches him he can be happy and change without forgetting Yuzuko

J = Juice, what Miri asks for, but Kazuki and Rei only have soda water

K = Kurusu Kazuki, a.k.a Papa Kazuki, the brains but also the comedian

L = Lily_20210401, bless them for all their adorable art of the Kurusu Suwa Unasaka family

M = Mom Group Chat, the tea that was spilt there stays there

N = No Sweet Without Sweat, a.k.a the Sports Day episode where Miri basically confirms to Rei and Kazuki they are absolutely a family

O = Ogino Ryo, this man got what he deserved

P = Party, a surprise party for Rei’s 26th birthday, planned by Miri and Kazuki

Q = Quit, what Rei and Kazuki do with the organization to try and give Miri a normal, happy life

R = Rice balls, what Rei made for Miri’s Sports Day lunch

S = Suwa Rei, former heir of the Suwa organization now full time Papa to Miri

T = Taiga, Kazuki, chill! He is literally a 4 year old child.

U = Unasaka Miri, the sunshine that brightens Rei and Kazuki’s lives

V = video games, such as Morio Kart, Rei’s favorite past time

W = Weenie, what Miri mistakenly calls Kazuki instead of “meanie”

X = Kazuki x Rei, I couldn’t think of anything better but also they are together for the long haul, whether you interpret that as romantically or platonically

Y = Yadorigi, Kugi Kyutaro’s base and Miri, Kazuki, and Rei’s favorite spot to grab a drink

Z = Zoo, where Kazuki and Rei traveled to deliver Miri her lunch

Hi, hello! I don't know where my mind was last night, but woke up to this in my drafts and thought it was too funny not to post (sorry, maybe it's just funny to me). Will gladly take other suggestions or alternative ideas for any of the letters! Probably will clean it up and add visuals for each letter, along with any suggestions (with credit!), at a later date and repost closer to the 1-year anniversary. Also, so sorry if this has already been done! When I'm tired or write something when the late night delirium hits, which is what happened with this, I tend to not remember everything I've seen. It is not my intention to copy or steal. -Dakota Wren

[yeosangs-horizon]

One Call Away

Genre: Fluff | Friends -> Lovers | Pairing: Rei x Reader Word Count: 5.4k Content Warning(s): Mention of abusive parent Author’s Note: There may be a part 2 to this coming out soon!

You let out a sigh as you put on your gaming headphones, glancing to the side of the massive pile of papers and textbooks next to you that you knew you had to burn into your mind before your final exams. A bit of a break wouldn’t hurt right? You switched your status to online and hovered your mouse over you friend Rei’s profile.

You were deprived of human contact besides your roommate but you hadn’t seen them in awhile either as the two of you were busy gearing up for your finals, thankfully the last time you would have to do them as you would be done with university by the end of the month.

‘Wanna race?’ you typed to Rei. His instant response to you didn’t surprise you at this time of night, he would go on benders sometimes, gaming for nights in a row. He was someone who you could talk to online, although you had never met him you didn’t feel as if he had malicious intent and therefore trusted him. He wasn’t much of a talker, but he would listen to you ramble to no end. You had met him through an online forum that you would post your gaming highlight reels on and he seemed to interact with your posts every time, despite having a vast following you had noticed his interactions.

You messaged him and the two of you started chatting. It was mainly about Morio Kart, sharing techniques and talking about your favourite builds. It branched into other games the two of you shared in common too and one thing led to another and the two of you would play games together. You hadn’t spoken to him for awhile though with your busy schedule and his, as far as you knew he told you that he and his roommate were private investigators but kept pretty quiet about the specifics about his job. Nonetheless you missed him, you loved late night discussions with him, even if it was one sided. 

‘Sure.’ he simply replied. ‘Call or nah? I have a lot I wanna catch you up on’ you typed, hoping that you could get him onto a call. The two of you called a couple times in the past, you always initiated first as you picked up that he was pretty reserved. His voice took you by surprise at first, you knew that Rei was a man, but wasn’t expecting his voice to be so deep and… attractive. You hadn’t seen his face yet, but you already found him pretty attractive with his personality and voice. 

Rei looked around his surroundings, the reason why he had been so preoccupied recently and hadn’t been calling with you was because of Miri. The incident where Kazuki took in a little girl of the father that they had to kill during a mission took up most of his time. With finding a suitable daycare to buying supplies, and almost rendering the two of them broke, he had to cut back on gaming. Things were slowly going back to normal though, as normal as things could be with raising their new daughter that they had taken in. She was passed out on the couch next to him, but he usually didn’t talk that loudly anyway and Kazuki was taking a nap, why not? He turned his mic on in his headphones and pressed the button on your profile to call you. 

“What’s up Rei?” you chimed as you connected to the call. “Exhausted. Finally have some time for myself though…” he mumbled, trying not to be too loud. You had to turn up his volume. “Gah yeah, tell me about it. I’ve been so swamped with essays and studying for my finals. What’s been on your plate?” “I have a daughter now,” he bluntly spewed out. “What?” That was something you were not expecting from him, not in a million years. You had always known him as an isolated being, just wanting a kitty to accompany him but had to live with a rowdy couch crasher but took care of him. Was he seeing someone this entire time? Was it his? “You mean a cat right? You finally adopted one?” you asked lightheartedly, hoping that your previous thoughts weren’t true. “No. A little girl.” 

Damn, so it was true. The few months of getting to know him and developing bits and pieces of feelings for him shattered immediately, or so you hoped as you felt a pang in your chest.”With who?” your voice cracked a bit, hoping it wouldn’t be heard on Rei’s end. “Um during our work we ran into a little girl who was convinced that Kazuki was her papa. He looked similar to the guy in the photo she was holding to find her papa so he took her in. Now I’m kinda… forced to be a father too.” He sugar coated the fact that he had shot her actual father and now they are dealing with the consequences of their line of work. “Oh haha! So you weren’t seeing anybody and accidentally had a kid?” “(Y/N) you know how much I despise children… I wouldn’t do that, but Miri is ok… you’d like her.” You let out an invisible sigh of relief, knowing that he wasn’t seeing anyone as far as you knew. 

“That’s adorable Rei. You’ll be an amazing father! Let me know if you need me to babysit sometime, I’m surprisingly good with kids,” you joked around. You hadn’t even met him in person yet, but was this an opportunity amidst your joking manner? “(Y/N) I know you said you’re in the area, but maybe… in the future… you could?” Rei and Kazuki were exhausted by parenthood, they were looking into getting her a babysitter for the times when they would have to go scope or execute their missions in the middle of the night. “Wait actually?” “Yeah… maybe.” He was eager to lessen the load for their roommate and contribute something for once, and have a chance to meet you. Rei’s face flushed a light tint of pink, thinking about the idea of meeting you after so long. 

“Rei Papa, who are you talking to?” The sound of a little girl suddenly chimed in your headphones. You smiled a bit, Miri called him papa, how adorable. You heard him groan on the other side. “Miri go upstairs and tell Kazuki to put you to bed.” “But papa I’m not tired! I just slept! I wanna play Morio Kart!” She started to throw a tantrum. “(Y/N) I’ll message you later. I need to deal with Miri.” You chuckled, hearing him go into ‘parent mode’. “Sure, I’ll talk to you later Rei.” With that he hung up, and you grinned to yourself. He’s so adorable. Now that the highlight of your night was over, you rubbed your eyes and shifted your head towards the textbooks and papers again. You could only procrastinate for so long. You groaned as you grabbed your psychology textbook, getting back to it trying to shove Rei to the back of your mind.

You groaned as you felt your back crack, lifting yourself up from your desk. What time was it? It wasn’t the first time you had fallen asleep like that studying at your desk. Your back ached though from your posture, when had you even fallen asleep? You heard a ‘ding’ from your phone as you picked it up. It was already noon? You usually didn’t even sleep in this late. You swiped up to see your messages, two of them from Rei. ‘Sorry ‘bout last night. Do you think we could meet?’ ‘Miri wants to meet you, and we need a babysitter.’ Your heart skipped a beat, Rei was asking to meet you? You trusted that he wasn’t some creepy old man with bad intentions, you heard Miri last night too, you had to trust him that his situation was real with how much time you’ve spend with him.

You replied back, ‘Sure, what are are you located in? We can meet in public first, but I trust you.’ He sent a location at a nearby mall in the city, that was only a couple miles away from you. ‘No way that’s so close! We could meet there, when were you thinking?’ you texted back eagerly. ‘Today. If you can, at 3?.’ you started to feel giddy, you always loved meeting friends you got close to online and Rei wouldn’t be the first. Your heart started to race a bit, wondering what he looked like and if he would be the same as he was online. ‘Absolutely.’ you replied, rushing to get changed into a nicer outfit. 

Rei looked down in his phone, feeling a bit nervous now knowing that he was going to meet you in person. He had never initiated any plans with anybody else besides Kazuki before. This was foreign to him. You meant a lot to him, somebody that he could sit in silence with sometimes and he enjoyed listening to you ramble, even if he knew that he wasn’t the one to give the best advice. Through the months that the two of you had gotten closer, he also developed some sort of feelings for you although he did not know how to put it into words. He had told Kazuki the night before about your offer to babysit Miri to lessen the load for their missions and he was ecstatic. He picked out a nice suit to wear, trying to look nice for you.

He put his hair back, sideburns showing as he would usually do on his missions. He walked out of the room, tie in hand, knowing that he had to ask Kazuki to help him as he always did before their missions. “Kazuki…” he called out in routine. The blonde turned his head and gazed at him all dressed up. “Rei what’s all this for, I thought we were just meeting your friend at the mall, not going on a mission.” Rei had realized that too and started to blush as he averted his eyes from Kazuki’s direction. He caught on pretty quick. Grabbing the tie in his hand he gently put it around Rei to help him out. “Oh Rei, trying to impress them I see?” he said with a smug smile. “No…” Rei muttered. “You usually don’t give any effort in what you wear when we take Miri out to go shopping, you like em don’tcha?” he giggled. “I don’t know…” Rei answered dryly, still looking away from Kazuki with a blush. “Well in that case, I should dress up to par with you too, don’t wanna be looking like the housewife or anything and maybe I’ll impress em too!” he teased. Rei shot him a glare. “Alright I’m not some partner stealer don’t worry.” “It’s not like that,” he grumbled. Kazuki stepped back after helping Rei with his tie. He shot him a smirk. “Yet.” 

You spritz on a spray of your favourite scent. Looking in the mirror, you had a modest fashionable outfit on, trying to look your best for Rei. You picked up your phone and realized that it was already 2:45 PM. You were going to be late. You grabbed your keys and exited your shared apartment.  Your roommate caught a whiff of your strong vanilla scent that you put on and turned their head. “Headin’ out on a date?” you heard them remark. “Uh, something like that!” you shrugged whilst rushing to put on your shoes and head out the door. “Stay safe! Call me if you need an excuse to leave!” You smiled to yourself, heart racing as the time ticked down to the moment you were going to meet Rei. Surely it wouldn’t be that bad, you enjoyed his company online, even the silences became comforting at this point instead of being awkward.

You rushed towards the meeting spot, checking the time every once in awhile knowing that you still had a ways to walk. By the time you got to the entrance of the mall that Rei had texted you that they were at, you were out of breath. Hiding behind a corner, you decide to straighten yourself up and wipe the beads of sweat away from your forehead before approaching them. You took a deep breath and hoped that you didn’t smell gross from the exercise you had done to get there. You peered your head around the corner and looked down to see a little girl at your feet. “Are you (Y/N)?” she beamed. 

That must be Miri, you thought. You nodded and stammered, “Yes I am! Are you Miri?” You glanced your head up to see a blonde and a darker haired male standing not too far away looking in your direction. That must be them! You wondered which one Rei was, you had a feeling that he was the one in the suit and slicked back hair. You giggled, he’s cute. You stepped out from the shadows. “My papas wanted me to meet you!” She exclaimed with joy. She really was a bundle of happiness if you’d ever seen one. You glanced up at Rei whose eyes were widened now after noticing you and held up a hand in a slow wave. You ran towards him, time stopping a bit as you crashed into him with a hug.

You felt one arm around you patting your back awkwardly as you pulled away, a bit embarrassed as you were normally pretty touchy with the people close to you. “Sorry Rei, uh, it’s wonderful to finally meet you!” His cheeks tinted pink as he gave you a half smile. “(Y/N)... I don’t mind… this is Kazuki and Miri.” He began, mumbling the first part. “(Y/N)! Don’t I get an introductory hug too?” Kazuki joked, opening his arms up. Rei shot him a glance. You shrugged and accepted it, he patted you on the back with the embrace. He was shooting daggers at Kazuki. “Miri too!” You heard the brown haired girl exclaim. You smiled, kneeling down to pick her up as she giggled. “She seems to take a liking to you already,” Kazuki cheered. You smiled and nodded. “So (Y/N), down to be our babysitter? I’m sure Rei has already told you lots about our situation,” he grinned. “Of course! When do you need me?” He looked at Rei. “Tomorrow if you’re not busy um… but if you wanna see our apartment and familiar with things we can right now… or if you want to game,” he added the last part with a hush. “I’d love to Rei.”

The four of you walked back from the mall entrance to Rei’s flat. You and Rei trailed behind, walking in silence as Miri begged Kazuki for an ice cream cone as she noticed a stand with colourful decor. You stood next to Rei, appreciating your time with him. “You look really nice, the suit fits you.” You commented, feeling a bit shy now.” His expression softened as he glanced at you. “You’re really pretty…” he mumbled. You felt your lips tug into a smile as you blushed. “You’re sweet. I’m glad you’re just like how you are online and not some creepy human trafficker.” You joked trying to feel less shy. “Hate those kinds of creeps,” he mumbled. “Me too.” You leaned back against the wall as you watched Miri choose her ice cream flavours and Kazuki chat up the lady at the stand. You went to stretch your back as you heard a crack and lost your footing, falling into Rei who was also leaning against the wall.

Instinctively, he reached out and caught you before you smashed your head on the wall and grasped your arm. His loose strand of dark brown hanging down brushed against your face as you shifted your orbs to meet his. He’s beautiful. Realizing the predicament you were in, you hoisted yourself back up. “Sorry ah, I had a long night of studying and fell asleep at my desk!” You exclaimed, noticing his hand still having a hold on your arm. “I don’t mind…” he blushed as he slowly let go of your arm, the two of you not wanting to break contact. You looked towards the distance and saw Kazuki and Miri walking back with an ice cream in hand. You turned towards to Rei who was still flustered. “Let’s go.” 

The group arrived at the apartment and you stepped in, gazing at the luxury. I guess that was how two private investigators spent their money. “C’mon (Y/N) let me give you a tour so you know where things are for tomorrow!” Kazuki beamed. Miri followed behind closely, wanting to talk to you more. “I’ll have food prepared so it’ll be in the fridge on the top shelf, just reheat it and it’ll be good to go!” He whispered the next part. “And the pudding is in this box. Rei and Miri love pudding.” Miri’s ears perked up. “Pudding! I want pudding!” Rei turned his head too as he was messing with his consoles to prepare for you. Kazuki shook his hands frantically and hopped away. “Quickly uh, over here is where the emergency first aid is kept, never know when you might need it, and Miri’s bedroom is upstairs with the flowers on the door!” You peered down as you felt a tug on your pants. “I want to take a nap. Sleepy…” Miri mumbled. You looked at Kazuki. He sighed as he bent down to scoop her up. “Guess I’ll put her to bed now.”

You stepped away as you looked towards Rei, already sitting on the couch and gestures for you to come. You sat next to him and looked on the screen. He had already set up Morio Kart for the two of you to mess around in. He handed you a controller as you smiled. “Never thought we would be able to race together in person.” “I’ll beat you…” he said with enthusiasm in his tone. After a while of racing, you won more races against him fair and square as he sulked at your gloating. “I lost on purpose for you…” he mumbled, a half true statement. You giggled and leaned towards Rei, resting your head on his shoulder as your leg touched his. “I’m glad I could finally meet you y’know.” He hummed in agreement as he set his controller down. Kazuki hadn’t come down in awhile, assuming he had put Miri to nap and also fell asleep there himself.

The room was dark at this point as the two of you had been playing for awhile. The only light was illuminated from the TV screen, giving light to his facial features as you looked up to admire him. You felt his hand shift from his lap to gently touch yours. Your fingers mindlessly danced around his as they found their way in between his. It felt right. You relaxed against his comfort as he stiffened up, not used to this touch and physical contact. “Am I making you uncomfortable?” You asked with worry. He shook his head. “Just never had this…” you knew a bit about his past, about how rough his father treated him but not in detail and he wasn’t one to socialize around and be touchy. But he felt your hand in his and it felt comforting to him, he liked it.

Your phone lit up with a notification as you noticed the time. It was already 8 PM and you had an essay due that night. You jolted away from your position, startling Rei. “Shit sorry, I just have an essay due soon. After playing with you last night I tried to study and just passed out I’m sorry!” You apologized, knowing you had to get back and it was a walk away. “Wait (Y/N), let me drive you.” He was so thoughtful but you didn’t want to inconvenience him. “Are you sure?” He nodded firmly as he stood up to grab the keys to the car. 

You sat in the passenger seat and looked out at the window at the illuminating lights that made your face glow. You didn’t notice but Rei was staring at you at the red light. You were stunning to him, and he knew that he had fully fallen, the butterflies churning in his tummy was a dead giveaway. He had never felt anything like this before. “Sleep after you finish your work… in your bed ok?” He asked with a soft tone. You hummed. “I’ll try. What time did you want me at your place?” “Around 5. You can bring your work too if it’s too much. We’ll pay you too for your trouble…” Rei offered. You shook your head. “No need. Just take me on a date…” you mumbled the last part. “Hm?” He asked, hoping you’d repeat the last part. You lost your sudden confidence, fearful that he would not reciprocate. “Nothing, just thanks for the ride! I’ll see you tomorrow!” You beamed whilst exiting the vehicle. He watched as your figure disappeared into the darkness of your apartment complex. He couldn’t wait to see you again. And for the record he did want to take you on that date. 

You ran inside to get started on your essay with an hour or two to complete it. Trying to push Rei out of your mind for the time was difficult, the day went so well. You thoroughly enjoyed his company and had fallen for him harder than before. He checked all of your boxes in a potential partner and not to mention that he had an adorable daughter and was so thoughtful. You would have been able to fully focus if you hadn’t received a text an hour into your focused mindset from Rei that said ‘sleep well’ with a kitty blowing a kiss emoji at you. 

The following day you were exhausted. You had managed to turn in your essay on time and spent some more time studying for your finals that were coming up in about two weeks. Groaning, you knew you had to get out of bed as you had chores to do, it was your turn to clean the apartment this week and pack your things to head to Rei’s place later to babysit Miri. Shoving your textbooks and laptop into your bag, you hear a notification from your desktop and saw that it was from Rei. Your face automatically lit up as you clicked to open his message. “Need a ride?” As much as you wanted to be with him as soon as possible again, you decided that the walk was needed to get some fresh air before committing to more work again. ‘I’ll walk to destress a bit, but I can’t wait to see you again!’

As you walked out of your room to vacuum the apartment, you seemed in a happier mood than usual as your roommate noticed you from the kitchen table. “Date went well yesterday?” they asked grinning at you. “Uh yeah! Gonna babysit his kid today,” you remarked. “Damn (Y/N), getting it on with a dad?” they smirked. “Nah it’s not like that, just a special circumstance.” “Well just make sure he’s not a player or a liar.” “He’s not like that, just an extreme introvert who loves to play games,” you smiled. 

Rei stared at himself in the closet, knowing that had to wear stealth clothes to blend in with the public, meaning just his regular attire and not a suit. He wanted to impress you again, a bit fearful that you wouldn’t find him attractive with his hair down. Kazuki caught onto his tension and made his way over. “Relax, I have a feeling that (Y/N) likes you for you, don’t worry about it too much.” He tensed up with embarrassment, not knowing that he could give away his emotions that easily. “How do you know?” “Just trust me Rei,” he grinned. Just as you were on the topic of their conversation, they heard you knocking on the door and an excited squeal from Miri as she came running from her bedroom.

Rei was the one to quickly rush to the door to greet you. “Nice to see you again Rei. Missed you,” you added with a giggle. He felt his heart race a bit as you flirted with him. “You too,” he stuttered out. Miri ran between the two of you and wrapped her small arms around your legs. “(Y/N)! Papa Rei, do I get to spend time with them tonight when you’re gone?” Your gaze softened at Rei after hearing Miri call him papa. The more time you spent with him, the more qualities you saw in him to be a good father, even if he was distant and didn’t act like an adult at times. “Yes Miri, we’re going to be out for awhile. Don’t give (Y/N) a hard time.” She nodded with enthusiasm. He gazed at you again, taking in your comfortable sweater that you had on you and your sweats. You didn’t bother dressing up today as you were focused on chores and your homework. You caught on his gaze and chuckled, “I got busy this morning, sorry for not looking my best,” you excused.

He shook his head, “No you look… stunning,” he confessed. You noticed how casual he looked too and imagined that he would be looking like that when talking to you. “So are you,” you smiled. The moment was interrupted by Kazuki swinging his arm around Rei’s neck. “Watch it…’ Rei mumbled. “Let’s go or else we’ll miss the check-in time!” Kazuki exclaimed enthusiastically. You assumed that they were doing some private investigative work tonight. “Oh hey (Y/N) have fun with Miri tonight we’ll be out for awhile!” You waved at him as they walked out the door. “Good luck!” you called out, now turning your gaze towards Miri. “Papa told you where the pudding is! Gimmie!” 

Spoonfuls of pudding later, you put on her favourite TV show for her to watch as you got started on an assignment. You were in the zone before you heard a ‘ding’ from your phone, a notification from Rei. ‘Hope Miri isn’t giving you a hard time.’ It wrote. You smiled and looked at her and replied. ‘Not at all, she’s watching her show and I’m just catching up on some assignments. I miss playing games with you on the couch though :(‘ Miri noticed your preoccupation with your phone. “(Y/N) you’re done with your homework already? Can we play Morio Kart?” You glanced down at her and sighed. “Not yet Miri. Unfortunately I was just got distracted with your papa texting me.” ‘Ding.’ Another notification. “Me too. It’s so boring here at this festival with Kazuki. I wish I could have brought you.’

You smiled at his text, imagining yourself on a date with him there. ‘Me too Rei. I’ll put Miri to bed soon and wait for you to come back. Stay safe ok?’ You put down your phone as Miri was looking at you with widened eyes. “What did my papas say?” she asked curiously. You smiled and shook your head. “Nothing too important, Rei just said that he was bored doing his job. I can imagine that takes a lot of time and patience.” She nodded and turned towards the kitchen. “I’m hungry (Y/N).” You glanced down at your half finished assignment and the kitchen. You suppose dinner couldn’t hurt your progress. 

You served Miri dinner and had some yourself. Kazuki made pad thai, something you really liked and the flavors hit just right. You didn’t know how he knew, but you guessed Miri liked it just as much as you. The only person you’d told that to as of recently was Rei, perhaps he had spilled the beans to Kazuki about your favourite food, how sweet. You took initiative and washed the dishes for them, knowing that it must be tiring coming back from work to doing more chores. Soon after you tucked Miri into bed and read her one of her favourite bedtime stories. Closing the door behind you, you made your way down into the living room to finish your assignment again. Putting in some of your favourite tunes on the TV, you got to work but not before texting Rei that Miri was tucked away in bed and you were going to try to get your assignments done. He left you smiling by writing to you, ‘Be back soon. Things are going well.’ and reacting to your message with a heart. 

You knocked out two assignments before midnight. You wondered when Rei and Kazuki were going to be home, and by this time your eyelids felt heavy and you were quickly losing concentration in your textbooks. You weren’t sure when you passed out but you were softly snoring on the couch when the duo walked inside the flat. Rei’s eyes instantly fell upon you, looking at how the moonlit illuminated your skin and your peaceful expression. Kazuki noticed and whispered to Rei, “I’ll leave it up to you. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He got a slight smack on the shoulder from Rei. 

Rei quietly made his way next to you, but not before grabbing a blanket from the extra closet they had. He sat down slowly, hoping to not disturb your sleeping state. He draped the soft blanket over you whilst placing a hand on your cheek. He knew that he was in love with you. You made his life so much easier and was there to support him and trusted him enough to babysit his kid and come over to his house on the first day of meeting him. He felt himself smile and let go the angst that he had. He ran his fingers through your locks whilst leaning down and placing a small kiss on your forehead. He didn’t want to leave your side. He wanted to feel your palm in his again and your touch. You stirred in your sleep, making him a bit startled but still caressing your cheek. “Rei…” you mumbled half coherent about what was going on. His gaze softened whilst staring at you, letting himself admire you against the moonlight. He was definitely going to take you on that date to make up for your hard work today.

You shifted as the morning sunlight hit your eyes. Moving around, you felt your back hit against a warm wall and slowly, you realized that there was someone behind you. You gazed down and saw an arm that was draped over you and the sound of quiet breathing behind you. You took it to be Rei instantly. You looked at your mess of papers around the coffee table and realized that you had probably passed out a bit after midnight in their house. You felt a bit guilty for staying over without asking and unintentionally, but you couldn’t help feel a bit flushed in the cheeks as your heartbeat started to race after realizing that Rei was cuddling you.

You saw the blanket over you and realized that he had probably come home to find you passed out on his couch and didn’t want to leave you to freeze in the middle of the night. You smiled, gazing at his mouth half open and messy brown locks that splayed across the couch and his face. Letting yourself feel comfortable in his embrace, you felt him shift and bury his face in the crook of your neck. “Good morning to you too Rei,” you mused. He opened his eyes and found his limbs with yours. He jolted up a bit, startling you. “Ah shit, I thought I was dreaming. Sorry for… that,” he sheepishly stated. You stared at him, realizing that he may have feelings for you too. Fuck it. You closed the distance between the two of you and captured his lips in yours.

You felt his hand cup your jaw and pull you in closer. After a heartwarming kiss, you pulled away and giggled. “I like you a lot Rei, I didn’t mind waking up to you cuddling me this morning. It was so adorable.” He looked down and replied in a hush, “Me too (Y/N), does this make us…” he trailed off. “I’d love to be yours. I’ve had feelings for you for awhile y’know.” He pulled you into another kiss, wrapping his arms around you and embraced your warmth. 

“I’ll take you out on that date, thank you for taking care of Miri and loving me.”