#i just cant get over how evil it was for kazama to murder kiryus parents and insert himself as kiryus father figure

[mike----wazowski]

Hi!! I saw your post on kazama and literally 100% agree that man was evil. So i was thinking for a fic prompt maybe something about kiryu's birth parents? Thatd be awesome

yes kazama is kind of the worst (v interesting character though, don't get me wrong) and omg this is such a cool prompt idea?? thank you so much for dropping in my asks :D i came up with this, i might actually refine it to post on ao3

this is highkey depressing lol so fair warning death n etc

*

Takaya Kiryu had once firmly told his kyodai this: kids weren't for him. Kids were a nightmare. They stopped you from having a social life, they threw up on you, they were too damn tiny and too damn loud. Takaya was a yakuza, proud and strong, and he was never going to let a little brat bog him down.

Ten years later, Takaya could only laugh at his younger self. Because here he was. In his living room, with his little boy playing with toy cars in front of him, humming along to the theme tune of the cartoon on TV. His entire life revolved around his kid.

And he couldn't have been happier.

Little Kazuma had been racing his cars across the living room for most of the evening, but now he was transfixed by the dancing cartoon animals onscreen. He didn't even notice as his father knelt beside him.

"C'mere, scamp," Takaya said, extending his arms. "You've been running me ragged all day. Tou-chan needs some me time, and you need some sleep."

Kazuma continued to gaze at the TV.

"I'm pretty sure we've watched this episode before, Kaz," Takaya told him. "I recognise that elephant. He's the bad guy, right?"

His son gaped at all the colours.

"But you don't care," Takaya sighed. "Got a goldfish memory, don't you, son? Guess all kids do. C'mon, little man."

He scooped Kazuma up. The little boy babbled something, reaching out for his toy cars.

"Uh-uh. It's bedtime," Takaya told him. Kazuma's mouth parted, and he made an indignant sound, one that had his father chuckling. "You little rascal. You're too effin' cute."

Nuzzling his son's head, Takaya carried him away from the living room. On the way, he ran into Kazuma's mother. Kotone Kiryu was drying her hair with a towel, shivering.

"The hot water turned off halfway through my shower. I thought I was gonna die in there," she said. Teeth chattering, she pinched Kazuma's cheek. "Been giving your tou-chan trouble, Kazzy?"

"Yeah," Kazuma said, apparently thinking it was the right thing to say.

Takaya laughed. "At least he's self-aware, eh?"

"This kid..." Kotone sighed affectionately, and reached out to hold her son. As she did so, she noticed a distinctive stain on the little boy's jumper. "Kaz! I just washed this!"

"Ah, yeah. That was from dinner. It was a battle- got more food on him than in him," Takaya snorted.

Kotone shook her head, aghast. "You will rue the day, small child. I'll put you in the washing machine this time."

Kazuma blinked peacefully at her. Both his parents started laughing.

"He'd probably enjoy whirling around in it," Takaya said, ruffling his hair. "Going round and round."

"Roundaround," Kazuma repeated.

"... Round and round," Kotone sighed, unable to stay annoyed when he looked so blissfully clueless. "Okay, bedtime for you, baby. Pyjamas and teeth."

She combed her fingers through his tufts of hair, holding him against her fluffy dressing gown. The baby yawned.

Takaya followed the two of them into Kazuma's room. He dwarfed almost everything in the child's bedroom, and looked especially out of place among all the colourful toys.

"I got him a new suit for my sister's birthday, by the way," Kotone said, as she jogged Kazuma in her arms. "I think it's really cute."

"A baby in a suit and tie? You've lost it," Takaya told her.

"It'll be smart!" She rested Kazuma on his bed and sought out his pyjamas. "He'll be the best-dressed baby in Yokohama. Though he might end up looking like a Tojo loyalist."

"Pop his collar and give him a crowbar, he'll fit the part no question," Takaya chortled. He knelt down by Kazuma. "Yakuza honour above all else, Kazuma Kiryu. I hope you remember that."

"God, don't say that." Kotone shuddered. She gently stopped Kazuma from fidgeting and pulled his pyjama shirt over his head. His eyes were drooping, and he gave a drowsy mumble. "C'mon, sleepy boy. Still gotta brush your teeth."

She hip-checked Takaya and carried Kazuma to the bathroom. When she was gone, Takaya leaned against his son's bedroom wall and gazed around.

There was once a time where he would sleep in a room swathed in beer bottles and junk, with dirty money on his countertops. Now there were rubber ducks and toy dragons and bouncy balls. Takaya's life had changed so goddamn much that sometimes he didn't believe what he was seeing in front of him.

But he was starting again. As long as his secret remained hidden (stolen yen, but not enough for the Tojo to notice), he had all the time in the world to rebuild. And what better place was there to do that but here? With his son and wife by his side?

Not many people got as lucky as he did.

"Goodnight, Kazzy," he said, when Kazuma was tucked into bed. "Watch out for the monsters under the bed."

Kotone smacked his shoulder.

"I'm only kiddin', keep your hair on," Takaya chuckled. "Dad'll handle any monsters that come your way, so don't worry."

And that's a promise.

"Monsters wouldn't want to eat your dad anyway. He'd taste horrible," Kotone said. "Goodnight, baby."

They each planted a kiss on his head. Kazuma had already dozed off, his little hands curled on his pillowcase.

(He never saw his parents again.)

*

Shintaro Kazama entered the house at three in the morning. He didn't make a sound. He never did.

For once, however, his plan went wrong.

Takaya Kiryu was not in bed. He was standing in his kitchen in shorts and an oversized T-Shirt, gulping from a glass of water. His hair was mussed from sleep and he was squinting blearily in the darkness.

Kazama hadn't intended for him to be awake.

He stepped over a model race-track and scattered toy cars, advancing towards him. The former Tojo man didn't notice Kazama until he was in the kitchen. Then his instincts- dormant, but still there- kicked in. He jumped out of his skin, scrambling backwards.

"K- Kazama-san!" His eyes popped out of their sockets. "Sh- Shintaro Kazama-san!"

Kazama tilted his head, his fingers wrapped around the gun at his side. "Kiryu."

Takaya had always been quick on the uptake. That was exactly how he had escaped the Tojo Clan in the first place- he thought fast, and before anyone knew it, the clan's money was gone. Kazama could see his mind frantically ticking now, his eyes darting around the kitchen.

"How?" he asked. "How did you find me?"

"That doesn't matter." Kazama drew his gun. "Only one thing does, now."

All the colour drained from Takaya's face. His knees shook. "No. Don't. Please. Don't. Kaz- Kaz is upstairs. My baby. He's sleeping. Don't hurt him."

"The child has nothing to do with my mission."

"Please don't do it," Takaya whispered. "Please don't do that to my boy. He needs his dad."

There were tears of panic in his eyes.

"I'll find the money. I'll work it all off. I'll sell myself to Dojima if I have to! Just don't take me away from my son," Takaya begged. "Please, Kazama-san... please don't kill me... is all of this worth it? It was just money... not even that much... I never killed anybody..."

That much was true. But the amount of money and the weight of the crime didn't matter. Takaya Kiryu had disrespected the clan. Stolen its money and disappeared into the wind without anyone being able to find him. He thought he could get away from the system. And that only meant one thing in the yakuza world.

Kazama raised his gun.

"No..." Takaya took a step back. His voice raised, and he yelled, "Kaz!"

He turned to run, arm outstretched as though he were reaching for his son. "KAZ!"

There was a muffled bang. Then another. Two bullets struck Takaya Kiryu, and he fell.

Kazama could hear footsteps from upstairs.

"Takaya!" Kotone Kiryu came sprinting down the stairs. Her mouth fell open at the sight of her motionless husband, and she shrieked, "Kazama! You son of a bitch- you son of a bitch!"

Losing all reason, she flung herself at him.

Another bullet. This one hit her chest, and she dropped to the floor like her husband.

Kazama gazed down at the two bodies. Quick and efficient. That was Kazama's way. He took a step forwards.

"Don't."

He stopped, and glanced down.

It was Kotone. Blood was pooling around her, but she was staring at him, eyes bulging with rage in a way he would never forget.

"Don't... you dare," she rasped. "Don't... you touch... him..."

"The boy?" Kazama asked, voice neutral.

"Don't... let him... see..." she choked. "Not- Kazuma..."

"He won't," Kazama said. "He won't know about any of this."

A small voice sounded from the staircase. "Kaa-chan. Tou-chan."

Blood spouted from Kotone's mouth. "No...!"

"I won't let him see it," Kazama repeated. "And I won't hurt him. So rest."

"Rest...?" Kotone breathed. "I hope... he kills you. I hope... he... kills you..."

Kazama gazed at her. She was repeating the words like a mantra.

He shot her again, and she moved no more.

*

"Kazuma… I have something… I need to apologize to you for. Please forgive me, Kazuma. Your… real parents were killed… by me. Sunflower is… …an orphanage… for the children… of the parents I killed."

"... It's okay. It's okay, pops. To me, you were my true father!"