#rei finally accepting his feelings for kazuki BUT

[btwn2lungs]

Not In That Way by Sam Smith is sooo kazurei like do you see my vision?!!

[lilyginnyblackv2]

Some long, big thoughts on Kazuki, Rei, and being “Fathers.” - SPOILERS!

I really think this episode is when Kazuki and Rei really face the reality that they are Miri’s FATHERS. Like, it finally sunk in.

The lady here uses otou-sama, which is a very formal way to address the two of them, very stuffy. But also very...Japanese. In Japan, it is very commonplace nowadays for little kids to use papa and mama when addressing their parents, but those are still seen as loanwords. They don’t carry the same weight as being referred to, and seen as, FATHERS.

That question and how they would be perceived by others really hit them here. They aren’t just playing house at home anymore, they are out in society and are going to be perceived as this Miri’s fathers. That may also come with the assumption that they are a couple or in a relationship with each other. 

They both look uncomfortable here at that realization, but neither one really denies it either. Of course, this daycare is very unwelcoming and the lady far more judgmental than Anna. So that also likely plays a part in how they feel and react here too. The first daycare they go to  focused more on the business side of things. 

The room is huge, but empty, the walls are colorful, but not bright. Miri is sent off to play with blocks and the lady never directly addresses her or asks for her thoughts on things. Everything about this daycare is unwelcoming and uninviting and unaccepting, so Rei and Kazuki act coldly to this initial realization and the usage of the word FATHER here, seems very fitting.

It’s not a happy, bubbly, childlike, and even fantastical like the word “Papa” is. And the lady interviewing them, was definitely judging them, even before Miri started mentioning some more...suspicious stuff, lol.

Now, when they go to Aozora Daycare, Anna also addresses them using the word father in Japanese, but she goes with otou-san, still formal, but not stuffy and far more common and approachable. It’s still not “Papa” though. She only uses “Papa” when she talks to Miri about Rei and Kazuki.��

(In the Japanese she directly addresses Kazuki first by calling him otou-san and then stating that she was asking Miri, not him, haha). 

We are met with understanding here, though. Not judgement. The walls of Aozora are filled with children’s art projects, a piano that indicates singing and dancing time as a group, and warm smiles and comfy clothes. Everything that indicates a child-first daycare center. 

The whole interview process ends successfully. The daycare views them as suitable parents and Miri got accepted into the school. 

And while Rei looks disinterested during this entire interview. He was paying just as close attention to everything as Kazuki was, and if watch the high-five scene with a good eye, you can see that Rei actually has his hand up and waiting for Miri’s high-five before Kazuki.He understands her and her flow so well.

The rest is going under a Read More due to length.

Next we see them navigating all the prep work. And even though Rei did fall asleep at one point, we see that they both put in as much effort and energy as they can to get everything right for Miri and her first day of daycare. They both read through the handbook, write her names on things, even Rei did some sewing too. They exhaust themselves out. 

They think they make a great first impression on that first day:

But they make a lot of faux pas in the world of Japanese parenthood (specifically in a space that tends to be dominated by motherhood).

Arriving by car = ✘

Wearing suits that aren’t black = ✘

Having Miri wearing clothes that look expensive = ✘

Arriving by car is equated to wealth and money, and even to showing off, as opposed to riding a bike.

Wearing suits that aren’t black is associated with the underbelly side of Japan, men that work in the red light district or with the yakuza. An exception to this would be like, in many places, the entertainment business.

Dressing Miri up in clothes that look expensive plays into the whole “yakuza daughter” vibes, but also makes it so that she stands apart from the other children. It can also make it so that Miri has a difficult time putting the clothes on and off herself, which could take up class time when coming in from play time, getting ready to go home, and etc.

I worked at a juku (cram school) with a daycare. Most of the students I cared for there were native Japanese kids between 2 - 4 years old whose parents were working in America. My boss would often get annoyed when parents would bring their (usually daughters) in wearing fancy shoes that looked pretty, but hurt the child’s feet and were hard for the child to take on and off themself. 

Kids around Miri’s age are also shown to be aware of economic and social class on some level as well. 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Rich, poor, middle class. Parents often believe it’s their responsibility to shield their children from economic differences and social class.

But new research shows children as young as five years old are not economically blind. In fact, by the time they reach prekindergarten, kids know the difference.

This group of primary school kids already knows what money can buy.

Combine that with the (thirsty though they were) mothers who probably advised their children to not get on Miri’s bad side because of her dad’s, and her outfits that set her apart, and scenes like this one:

Don’t seem so out-of-place.

When Kazuki and Rei pick Miri up at school, her answer to “How was your first day? Have fun?” being “I dunno yet.’ Set’s off alarm bells - even with Rei.

His brows are furrowed. He knows that something is off and wrong with that statement. They don’t know what they did wrong, and they don’t know how to fix it. Miri gets quieter and sadder and this is the first time they’ve had to actually deal with Miri on a deeper, emotional level. 

That feeling like you are failing a child (whether your own, one of your students, or just a child in your care) is such a devasting feeling. This episode expresses it well by having these scenes all take place on the way home from the daycare, when the sun is setting. 

Thankfully, Kazuki is open to listening to what Miss Anna has to tell him, and she is so supportive. She doesn’t judge them or treat them like they are incompetent or incapable. She just gives them the push in the right direction, with “insider info” in a way, to get them and Miri acclimated correctly. And Rei and Kazuki jump on it. They love that they’ve found this place with a bunch of good quality cheap shit that can help them and make their lives easier.

And after this, Miri goes to school in regular clothes. Kazuki goes to the play area in the regular clothes, and he is just genuine and authentic with the kids. He doesn’t dress Miri up in a way that sets her apart anymore (on a class level, in a way that makes the other kids think she is “saying” “don’t play with me.”). 

Kazuki, especially, isn’t trying to “fake it until he makes it anymore.” He isn’t trying to give the impression that they are rich. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he also felt a bit more pressure to get everything right because he and Rei are two guys raising a kid together - two FATHERS. 

But then he realizes letting Miri and him and Rei just be themselves is enough.

This was very much so a Kazuki issue that ended up negatively impacting Miri. A situation I’m sure every parent (or even teacher, like I’ve been before) has experienced on some level. It’s one of the harsher parts of being a parent and trying to help your child and do what’s right.

And now, he and Rei have one foot further into parenthood, since they know about this new shop and:

Gave Miri her own room.

That is such a big deal. Similar in a way to how people say not to name an animal unless you plan on keeping it as a pet. Not because Miri can be compared to a pet or an animal in any way like that, but because of what it implies on both an emotional attachment level and a “she is now a permanent part of our household” level. 

That's a fully decorated room, filled with toys and plush dolls and games, a bed, books, a rug, even a desk. A desk filled with stationary supplies for her to learn and something which is viewed as a necessity for children to have at home when they are in elementary and junior high school (especially). 

Rei and Kazuki have gone from being Miri’s “Papas” on a sort of imaginary, “playing house” level, with very limited outside and real-world/societal interactions to being her fathers. They have integrated her and themselves as her parents and fathers into society on a large level now. 

By investing in that room, they are investing in Miri, and are openly choosing to be viewed as her fathers - as partners. Even if they don’t necessarily view each other in that way, it doesn’t matter to them in the end, because Miri is what’s most important. 

(Note: I will link to the news article and report that stated that information about children and economic class recognition in the comments).

[bsd-elle]

Thoughts on Buddy Daddies Episode 9

I have so many thoughts about this episode and it all stems from P.A works' fantastic SUBTLE writing choices.

This episode, on paper, sounds like a pretty cliche sports day episode, but they somehow managed to show us the character progression and the relationship progression between the characters.

The biggest progress we can blatantly see is Rei taking an effort to help Kazuki more.

And we can see that Kazuki reacts accordingly.

Kazuki is surprised by this development, and voices his concern.

Rei was genuinely impacted by the events in episode 7, realizing that he was pretty 'useless' when it came to raising Miri, and has taken the initiative to give a helping hand.

And what I love about that is, we know that Rei had absolutely no clue how to work a microwave or any basic cooking, so for him to automatically suggest and start making onigiri shows that either he had previously asked Kazuki how to make simple items, or two, he was more observant when Kazuki was cooking, because he wanted to be able to do more, do anything to make his little girl smile.

And it's so wonderful to see them actually bring up this plot point and continue it, rather than letting it be a one-off plot point.

They pick up on his interest to be more involved and we see him actually trying.

Knowing the unfortunate circumstances of his childhood, it's not that Rei doesn't want to help out or get into Miri's activities, but rather that he simply doesn't KNOW what to do. Doesn't know what's right.

His hesitance throughout the Episode is evidence of that, his hesitance to give Miri his riceballs.

He genuinely looks so sad, feeling like he can't compete with Kazuki's sheer talent with cooking.

His hesitance to even cheer for Miri.

Growing up in a family full of espionage and assassination, quietness and taking up little to no space must've been embedded into his system, into his psyche, and the fact that he's actively trying to be loud, to draw attention to himself, just shows the effort he's putting into taking care and raising Miri, something his father never attempted to try.

And both Kazuki and Miri appreciate his efforts.

They understand that he's trying and are so enthusiastic and receptive to his attempts.

Which is why he takes it to heart that Miri fell down because he was 'loud'.

I think, in that moment, he thought that he failed, that failure is never acceptable.

But, that final reassurance from Miri (in the cutest way possible), that he didn't fail, he didn't do anything wrong, and Miri considers them all to be a family, something he never had, something he's never known, that's all he needed to realize that, yes, maybe he'll fail, but at the end of the day, Miri is happy, and there's nothing else that matters.

The other one I wanted to talk about, which is definitely more subtle, but the progression of Kazuki and Rei's relationship is truly so beautiful.

Kazuki treasures the help Rei attempts and supports him in every way possible.

When Rei said that he wanted to make riceballs and was worried if Miri would like it, Kazuki instantly reassures him that Miri would love it.

In fact, he proudly proclaims to Miri that Rei would be making onigiri. And I'm sure that if he hadn't, there might be a chance that Miri wouldn't have been able to eat it, while Rei was clouded by his doubt.

When Miri says that she likes the onigiri and she thanks Rei, Kazuki immediately tells him, "hey, you did good, look our daughter agrees too. You're doing good and trying, and we both see that".

When Rei is drowning in his self-loathing about potentially causing Miri to lose the gold medal, Kazuki tries to reassure him and tell him that he didn't do anything wrong.

Finally, when they're walking back, Kazuki tells him that he's proud of him, that he worked hard, and you can tell that Rei really appreciated that, to know that his efforts were being accepted.

And that's why their relationship grows in such an organic manner, Rei puts in the effort, tries his best to help out to the best of his abilities, and Kazuki reassures him, let's him know about things that he would have no idea about, and vocally supports him.

And Miri, my sweet angel, with her bright personality and even brighter smile, constantly comforts both Kazuki and Rei, that she's happy, that they ARE a family.

The reason they are a family is because each one of them helps each other, is an equal part in the group.

And at the end of the day, they're just all trying their best, taking one step at a time, while the others, cheer them on.

(And this picture is the perfect symbolism of that sentiment, Rei awkwardly trying his best to smile, and Kazuki physically trying to bring him closer into the picture).

[7swordsmen]

on the other hand. i dont care about whatever they do with their relationship status going forward, bc they DIDNT SHY AWAY FROM SHOWING THEIR CLOSENESS.

wayyyy too many times have series gotten scared of people going "wait is this gay???" and forgo ANY shows of closeness bc of that fear. that, or they no homo it immediately afterward, which again makes it like.... doesnt feel as genuine, yknow? makes it feel like a joke. no homo should be the last thing on your mind at that point.

the bed scene? they went for it! i dont even care about anything else bc that WAS important to show rei finally joining the dynamic, him being comfortable enough to fall asleep immediately, kazuki waking up first again but not leaving like he has to do with his honeypot missions.... even with the possibility of gay allegations (regardless if those come true or not) they showed it in its 100%.

or the latest episode. the 3rd episode was all ABOUT rei accepting the papa title, so i honestly got kinda concerned bc. again. if pa works got too scared of the gay allegations, and listed rei as a family friend or uncle or something, that would completely destroy all the development we JUST saw him go through!!

BUT NO!!!!!! they 100% and fully delivered. theyre both miris papas, they have a good relationship and hang out all the time, and most importantly miri loves and is happy with them :'))) even if they do NOT do bad business. theyre partners now and whatever that means for them, we get to see their partnership development in its entirety ❤

[giggly-squiggily]

Challenge Accepted (Buddy Daddies)

*runs in and cartwheels into a candy apple display* HI-*crashes* I'm a little sleep deprived as of writing this intro but we're gonna run with it! Heyo everyone! I bring you today some good ol' Buddy Daddies! Besides writing sentence starters and dabbles for them- I haven't had the chance to write a full fic yet. That changes today!

Huge huge thank you to @thatbigbisexual29 for this brilliant idea- Thank you for giving me the inspo I needed and patience to finally write this thing! :D I hope y'all like it!

Summary: Miri comes home and asks a world changing question: Which of her two Papa's is tougher? Kazuki comes up with a grand plan to find out!

~~~

“Which one of you is tougher?”

The question made both men pause, Kazuki standing by the counter while Rei sat comfortably against the couch. Sharing a look, the blonde turned to their daughter with a huffed laugh. “What do you mean?”

“Taiga said his papa was super tough! He said both his mama and his papa are tough!” She stood up, raising her arms over her head in emphasis. “I told him my papa’s are tough too, but then he asked which one was more!”

“What did you tell him?” Rei asked. Kazuki shot him a look. They really shouldn’t encourage this-

“I told him Papa Rei’s tougher!” She beamed, making her other papa gap in shock. Rei barely fought down a smirk.

“What? Papa Rei? Tougher? I’m so much tougher!” Kazuki scurried over, flexing his biceps. “Your Papa Kazuki can carry both you and Rei whenever we need to get somewhere quickly!”

“I can do that too.” Rei pointed out, earning another look.

“Plus, who’s the one who gets all the critters out when they wander in?”

“Papa Rei.” Miri said just as Rei said “Me.”

Kazuki blanched. Okay- maybe Rei was better than him at catching bugs. “Well…I can cook!” “And we have stomachs of steel because of it.” Rei shrugged. Miri patted her belly in emphasis.

“Oh you- You love my cooking!” Kazuki rolled his eyes. “We’re not getting anywhere with this. What we need is a proper competition.”

“Oh?” Miri and Rei asked at the same time, one more tired than the other.

“Yeah! A challenge to see who’s the toughest papa!” The blonde grinned, rolling up his sleeves. “And I know just how we’re gonna figure it out!”

~~~

“Come on, Rei- you know you wanna break.” Kazuki cooed with devilish delight down at the squirming brunette beneath him, fingers creeping up his shirt and trailing along the curve of his belly. “Just say you give up, and it’ll all be over.”

The assassin merely flattened his lips in response, raising his quivering chin against the relentless waves of sensitivity threatening to drown him. “N-No! N-Never! Mmm!” He arched, the arms behind his head flexing but never quite dropping.

It was admittedly rather childish; the whole tickling thing. Still-There wasn’t much more the two could compete on given the circumstances. Both were similar in terms of speed and agility; and testing things like defusing a bomb and firing aim were simply undoable with Miri in the picture.

And yet- it was effective; Kazuki could feel Rei’s resistance slowly melt away with each flick of his fingers, the way his muscles tightened like bowstrings as the blonde traced over a particularly ticklish spot. He could have ended it all there- gone straight for Rei’s armpits and had him shooting his arms down with a shriek.

But that wasn’t much fun now, was it?

“So stubborn~ What a tough guy you are.” Kazuki cooed, giggling when Rei tried to glare. “Nah ah ah- no faces like that!” He raked his fingers higher, giving his bottom ribs a scratch. “Give me a smile.”

“Mmmph!” Rei’s eyes widened, cheeks puffing as he arched. Behind him, Kazuki could hear the sound of shuffling feet as Rei dug his heels into the sofa cushions.

“What? Nothing to say, tough guy?” Kazuki grinned, widening his fingers and slowly walking them up and down Rei’s ribcage. “Cat got your tongue? Or are you just scared when you open your mouth you’re gonna be laughing? I’d laugh too- especially with these tickly fingers walking up and down my ribs, getting closer and closer to my armpits but nooooooot quite touching them.” He prodded along the brunette’s upper ribs, nearly making Rei shoot his arms down. “I can feel them pounding against your chest- the laughter within you. They’re gonna burst out soon- might as well let it go~”

Rei shook his head, eyes squeezed shut as his arms twitched, the veins in his neck strained with effort. His hair had fallen into his eyes, hiding the mist forming in the corners. He was starting to rival a tomato in color. For a moment, Kazuki was worried he’d actually explode.

Well- better help him let it out before he does.

“And a one, and a two and a-” Kazuki lifted his hands up for dramatic pause, giving Rei a second to breathe. Once he was normal colored again, he shot his hands into his armpits.

“GEHAHHAHAHA!” Rei all but shrieked, arms shooting down to block out Kazuki’s hands.

“Oo, we’re halfway there! Tickle tickle tickle Rei!” Kazuki cackled, hanging on for dear life as the brunette thrashed and twisted beneath him, feet kicking and knees banging into his back. “Do you give in? Huh, do ya, do ya?”

“Ahehahahhahahahahahha! F-Fuuhuhuhuhuhuhu! Screehhehehehhw yohohohoohohu, Kahahhahahahzukihihihihiihihi!” Rei howled, covering his face with his hands as he howled in mirth. Tsking, the blonde snatched a wrist, easily pushing it back above Rei’s head as his fingers carried on wiggling into his armpit. “NO FHAHHHAHHAHAHIR!”

“Say you give up! Say it! Say it!” Kazuki teased. “I won’t stop until you do!”

“AHEHHEHHEHHEHEHE!” Rei made a whining sound at the threat, his free hand coming up to loosely grab Kazuki’s shirt. The older hitman was starting to feel a tad guilty- Rei was too stubborn for his own good. He was about to pull back and let him breathe when he finally heard it.

“FIHIHIHIHINE! FIHIHIIHIHNE YOU WIHIIHIHIHHN!” Rei cried out, tapping against Kazuki’s chest. “I GIHIHIHIVE UP!”

“Ha-HA!” Kazuki cheered, releasing Rei from his tickly attack and throwing his arms up in glee. “Take THAT! I win! I got you to give up!” He looked over, grinning from ear to ear. “Did you see that Miri? Miri…?”

The little girl was no longer by their side- at some point she had wandered away to doodle. Currently she was passed out against her artwork, snoring softly with her blue crown clutched in her little hand.

“Oh man, and after I put in all that effort to beat you!” Kazuki pouted, letting out a sigh. He was so put out by the lack of his audience he failed to feel Rei sitting up.

“Who said anything about beating me?” He growled, making the blonde squeak with wide eyes. “YOU haven’t gone yet.”

“Oh- oh no- I shouldn’t- Miri fell asleep you know? I should take her to bed-” Kazuki went to run, but Rei was faster, grabbing him and shoving him into the cushions. Immediately fingers were against his belly, making him arch and squeal like a pig. “Rehehehehehehehhei plehahahahhahahse!”

“Please what? Keep tickling you? Okay.” Rei jeered, eyes dangerous as he attacked every soft spot he could reach. “I won’t stop tickling you until you give up!”

Miri snoozed on, a little smile on her face as her dreams became ones of her and her papas, laughing as they ran through a field of tickly flowers.

Thanks for reading!

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Six-sentence Sunday:

All the colours look brighter now

“I am back!” Silence. Kazuki tried again. “I am home, you guys!?” Still no answer, until Kazuki noticed the chaos.

Not at all surprised that the loft was not in tiptop condition when he returned, he finally accepted how slovenly his little family was. It was time to teach them how to do the housework. He eyed at the kid’s toys that were scattered on the floor. The discarded pizza boxes decorated the dining table and the carpet. Half-consumed soda in grimy bottles and cans. Cups and glasses were everywhere. And the little girl’s coat and daycare bag were still lying on the now dried floor. Truth to tell, the chaos was an eyesore. It reminded him of the day he got a first glimpse of Rei’s living condition back when they were not roommates yet. It was their fifth mission, and, for a change, Rei invited him to his loft albeit reluctantly after “destroying” Kazuki’s flat unplanned courtesy of the goons who managed to follow Rei when the latter stole their money.

Where are those two rascals anyway?

The apartment seemed empty except for the detritus of life that were present in front of him.

He searched all the rooms saved for Miri’s sleeping chamber.

When he finally went up to see it, he opened the door slowly and was a bit skeptic. He was still feeling cross, dejected, mind. Expecting boisterous laughter and raucous blabbering coming from an energetic four-year-old girl, there was utter silence. Kazuki raised his left eyebrow.

What’s happening here?

Read the rest on AO3.

* I managed to expand a bit and posted this short story on AO3. This has been sitting on my drafts for more than half a year. To celebrate the first anniversary of Buddy Daddies, I offer you this. Lily might be busy with their other projects (Blue Exorcist for one), but we are still lucky that they don’t forget us even if PA Works might have. May we have more illustrations from Lily. Happy Anniversary of one whole year of Buddy Daddies!!! So vote for this family as an anime wild card !

[littleholmes]

I can’t stop thinking about Rei immediately telling his dad to keep Kazuki out of this because he knew this would likely happen and he doesn’t want Kazuki or Miri to be collateral in his dad’s twisted game of control.

I also can’t stop thinking about Rei getting that call in the foyer from Kazuki asking him when he’ll come home with Miri yelling in the background that she wants to talk to Papa Rei and for the whole call, for that moment in time, he was just a dad getting a call from his partner and his kid—he wasn’t an assassin, he wasn’t his dad’s puppet, he was Rei and he was hearing from his family…but the weight of his father’s threats and the obligation of being a Suwa assassin and taking over the business weighed so heavy on him and clouded the conversation and I just *screams*

I also can’t stop thinking about seeing Rei fighting his mentor and losing him after he fought defensively and tried to save him and the devastated look on his face…It was similar to the look he had when Miri was sick on the couch and he couldn’t do anything and he ran to Kyu-chan and he was powerless—but at least she was okay in the end. I just…I don’t want to see that look on his face again and I don’t want it to be because something happened to Kazuki or Miri.

And also that conversation he had with Kazuki where he finally let his emotions out and accepted how he feels about the trajectory of his life and how he wants to change and want something different than the family expectation, I can’t get over. He wants happiness and it’s okay to want that and I want that for him so much.

And Rei not remembering his own birthday (and that probably being the only time his birthday was properly celebrated), and him walking into a warm home with lights and laughter and comfort when his dad’s home is dark and cold and hostile and distant literally and metaphorically.

idk I’m rambling but I can’t get over so many things in this episode, and seeing Rei realize that he doesn’t want to live up to the family name anymore (especially after the whole car conversation with creepy family ghoul dude), and seeing Rei accept that Kazuki and his help, especially during his low moments, meant a lot to him and Miri does too, was so nice.

But also seeing Rei go from just letting life happen to him to clawing his way out of a dark place to wanting to have a found family that cares and remembers his birthday when he doesn’t, and actually hoping for a better future and wanting to take control of his life? I love it and idk I just can’t stop thinking about all of it

[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.

[chippuyon]

How do you feel about episode 10?

Anon I hope you know I had no idea it was out yet and rushed to open it as soon as I saw this I AM IN SHAMBLES

Ok so as I was going through the op again remember this shot?

A metaphorical barrier between Kazuki and Rei and Miri, which makes a LOT more sense now that we know Misaki is taking Miri back. The act of holding the frame symbolizes kazurei's efforts to give Miri the happy life she has now, but they are outside the frame while Miri is inside. They can look in, Miri can't look out. They can't touch or interact with each other anymore.

On to the actual episode lmfao can we talk about how Misaki made herself look so cool and motherly in the kitchen when it turns out she was just microwaving a convenience store meal in the microwave I laughed so hard.

(Also Kazuki's line about there being nothing worse than somebody else messing around in your kitchen just solidified my ocd hc for him this man is sooo ocd adhd coded)

So this episode we learn that Misaki is about to die which, WOAH, was not expecting that. It adds a lot more gravity to the situation and is a believable motivation to take your daughter back. But, again, this does not mean she should be Miri's mother. Because once she grows up Miri will have to constantly be reminded of the fact that she was abandoned by her mom when she was 4. Kinda fucked up!

I do appreciate that Misaki is willing to spend the rest of her life dedicated to Miri, but, as Rei and Kazuki say, it's still just about her. She's only approaching Miri now because she's about to die and doesn't want any regrets before then. But Misaki is right too, their work is dangerous, and on top of that they're being actively targeted right now. The writers did a good job setting up the moral dilemma. The most important factor here though is Miri's happiness, which to her includes both her Papas and Mama so we'll see how that goes.

(That said, if Misaki does end up taking Miri back for good, isn't that cruel? To abandon your daughter, then take her back and properly care for her, while knowing you're just going to leave her alone again sooner rather than later.)

(Another interesting tidbit is Kazuki telling Misaki not to smoke. We know Rei has given up smoking, at least around Miri. Maybe a hint about who will be the best fit for Miri in the end?)

Then there's the family outing which was so adorable and chock full of references to past eps. Love this silent exchange between Kazuki and Rei what are you guys talking about up there let me into your heads...

AND THIS SHOT WITH THE CHRISTMAS WREATH ABOVE THEM GRAHHHH the final ep is gonna be during Christmas and parallel Kazuki catching Miri in ep 1 I just know it.

This dynamic where Kazuki is all too ready to give up on his happiness because he's already lost it before so many times versus Rei who doesn't want to accept it because *this* is his first happiness is juicy as hell and I'm gonna need all the fanartists and fic writers to step on it cause damn!!!

Kazuki putting his scarf around Miri like the cat :( sobbing ueueue need the cat and Miri to return to them later. And as if this ep wasn't painful enough they really had Kazuki closing it on THIS goddamn line

Like just shoot me in the head at this point it would hurt less.

[soniadamasco]

Ryo Ogino's role in Buddy Daddies

(Warning: this post is just speculations and based on the few info we have at the time of the 4th episode)

I've recently watched again the second preview of Buddy Daddies and a scene caught my eye:

Here we see Rei sitting in a car and talking with a man, who asks him what is the reason for him to kill. The man's voice (if I'm not wrong) sounds really similar to Ogino's voice, the assassin we see entering Kyutaro's pub in the 2nd episode:

Another thing that makes me think the man in the car is Ogino, is the fact that we already know the reason why he himself kills from the post credit scene in the same episode:

From Ogino's character bio we learn that he is a sadistic man who seems to be involved in the accident that killed Kazuki's wife. So why is Rei travelling in the same car as him?

What I think at this point in time and especially because we see Rei wearing his work suit, is that he probably got assigned to a mission together with Ogino. Why? The main reason I could think about relates to Kyutaro. We know that Kyutaro is getting upset at Kazuki and Rei's work lately and that he is a professional man, who cares a lot about the missions being successful. He also already reminded them how unstable their job is:

What I'm thinking is that Kyutaro will probably get fed up with Kazuki and Rei and give them the only option to prove themselves again by working with someone else. It is also possible that something will happen which will put Miri in danger and Kazuki will be forced to leave his job to protect her, leaving Rei to work with Ogino.

In both cases, I am sure Miri will be in danger in the next episodes, probably because of her connection to her dead bio father. I think this also because we see a lot of emphasis put on the fact that being close to an assassin puts you in a dangerous spot:

Now, back to Ogino's role.

I think Ogino, being probably the main antagonist, will be the reason for Rei and Kazuki to face the demons of their past.

For Rei, it is the relationship with his father and being destined to be an assassin since he was born. A clue that sends me in that direction is Rei's answer in the scene in the car: "This is also a job".

We see that, unlike Odino who kills for satisfaction, Rei sees killing as just a job, with no emotions connected to it. In the next scene in the preview we also see Rei fighting with someone, who looks either like a guard or another assassin:

I think this scene is probably connected to Rei trying to save Miri from this unknown danger. We know that Rei became Miri's papa because he wants to protect her, to become what his father never was for him. I believe this also entails changing his attitude towards fighting and killing.

His father taught him to kill for money, to be emotionless. Here I believe Rei is not fighting with that reason in mind. We see him being vulnerable, taking a bad hit while until now he has been a perfect killing machine. I think in this scene Rei is fighting to protect someone, probably Miri (and Kazuki as well). I believe this also because in this scene we can hear Miri's voiceover saying "sometimes papa feels lonely" and I interpret this as Rei finally having someone who cares about him, someone worth fighting for.

I also think the reason Miri will be in danger will be Ogino himself. This relates to Kazuki's past trauma, the death of his pregnant wife and Ogino's role in it. We know for a fact that Kazuki cannot let go of his wife and unborn child's death, still sending money to her family despite them never accepting it.

Kazuki still cannot get over the fact that he couldn't save the ones he loved and nothing can change that. Nothing except for saving someone else, someone who he sees as his daughter, from the same man who killed his child: Ogino.

We're still at the beginning of the series and many things could change, but here are my two cents about what could happen. Still, I cannot stress enough how good the story already is and I cannot wait to see how all these small clues will be put together at the end.

[ecargmura]

Buddy Daddies Episode 7 Review: Solemn Happiness

Come check out my review on my blog here, but if you don't want to, proceed below.

The anime’s vibe takes a shift as today’s episode ventures into a more solemn episode that focuses on Kazuki’s past as he remembers what happened to his wife and why he behaves the way he does.

We finally learn who Kazuki was sending money to: his sister-in-law Karin. She is Yuzuko’s younger sister; Yuzuko was Kazuki’s late wife who died five years prior to the story.

Yuzuko died during one of his missions; I assume his wife had no idea he was an assassin and she just happened to be there coincidentally and the truck explosion happened. While we, the viewers, saw that Ryo Ogino was the cause of the explosion, Kazuki has been guilt-ridden ever since. Despite being all happy and energetic in previous episodes, Kazuki has a lot of baggage inside of him that he lets out in this episode. He’s afraid of moving on because it means there will be a day he will no longer remember Yuzuko. I think that’s a bittersweet thing to think about. Imagine loving someone so much, but they died. What would you do? Be a prisoner of your own memories or move on? I’m sure that in place of Yuzuko, Rei and Miri will be the ones that can give him that happiness he longed for.

I thought Karin would be an intrusive, hostile character with the purpose of being a hindrance, but my expectations flipped upside down. Karin is nothing like that at all. She’s wonderful. She serves as a way for Kazuki to finally move on from his guilt. She wants Kazuki to be happy. She’s not someone who holds a grudge from losing her only family. I hope we see more of her soon. She seems like a lovely person.

There are a lot of hydrangeas in this episode. In flower language, blue hydrangeas means forgiveness while purple means deeper understanding. As someone who likes using flower language in my own original writing, I really like the symbolism these flowers were used in this episode. Kazuki and Karin have a conversation that help them understand each other deeper and eventually Kazuki is able to forgive himself.

A side plot for this episode is Rei stepping up to become a better parent for Miri. We’ve always seen Rei laze around and play games all day. He plays with Miri, but never really does the chores like taking packing her bags, feeding her, etc. As Kazuki leaves the house for the day, Rei learns what it means to be responsible.

Without Kazuki, Rei is pretty much a mess. He has no idea what the stuff in his own refrigerator are, thinks fried potatoes are an acceptable form of vegetable consumption, and has no idea where the hospital is. By being in Kazuki’s shoes for the day, he understands what Kazuki has to do every day in their house and how much responsibility it is to take care of something. I think it’s when Miri gets sick that he finally understands that he has to step up just in case Kazuki is not home. I find this good character development for Rei.

I’m glad that Kazuki is being more appreciated even if Rei and Miri suck at making French toast. It makes me wonder what’s next for our family. This episode feels like it’s signaling a change for what’s to come. Will they finally get some assassination work? Will something bad happen to them? All I want is for all three to be happy with each other.

[bbfeelings]

My contribution to the first day of Kazuki Week 2023: grief/acceptance. Sorry double posting, but I figure it's more accessible to post the entire fic here on Tumblr. You can also read it on AO3.

Title inspired by this song. And for your vibe considerations.

Your Mess Is Mine

QPR or mlm KazuRei. Post-finale, Pre-Time Skip. Family fluff.

Summary: Kazuki, Rei, and Miri attend Karin's wedding in France. Before this, Kazuki and Rei's relationship was largely undefined because they were both fine with whatever that is going on.

────

When Karin flashed her engagement ring over video chat a year ago, Kazuki didn’t imagine he’d be in the French countryside, walking her down the aisle, with Miri tossing petals just steps before them. Karin clung to “Kazu-nii” all those years ago; and just now, she hooked her arm around his again.

Yuzuko’s death once separated them. Parentless and raised by her elder sister, young Karin went to live with a distant relative up north, while Kazuki remained in Tokyo. He believed that she resented him for taking her only family away. Then they reconnected again, and she fitted right into his newfound family. Miri and Karin adore each other, and Rei warmed up to her quickly, too.

Kazuki feels the tears well up. Don’t cry, don’t cry, they’re taking photos. He looks at her; Karin is beautiful in the gown she designed herself. She looks right back at him, the way she squints when she smiles, the same quirk Yuzuko had. I’m walking her down the aisle, Yuzu. Can you believe it? He presses his lips together, but a blink lets the droplets fall.

“Aw, come on, you’re such a cryer,” Karin says, with a smile so dazzling that he almost misses her misty eyes. “You’re gonna make me cry, too.” The two giggles at how silly they look trying to fight back tears.

────

After retiring from their previous careers and moving out of the city to a seaside town, Kazuki and Rei (mostly Kazuki, really) made local friends and were invited to weddings a couple of times. But this particular wedding is unlike anything they’ve experienced. For starters, the celebration is hosted at a chateau—or what Miri excitedly called a castle. Karin’s husband is an award-winning chef specializing in Japanese-French cuisine, so the food is bound to be exquisite. Not to mention, French weddings are an all-day affair, as they’ve been warned that dinner will be served at 9 pm, and the party after will last till dawn.

As her first trip outside of Japan, or perhaps just as a 9-year-old, Miri is having the time of her life. “We’re staying at a castle!” Their room is furnished with one king-sized bed. Kazuki and Rei looked at each other and shrugged.

In the four and a half years they’ve left their old lives behind, the family of three had had a few living situations. After the loft apartment, they moved into an old unit with a tatami floor in the only bedroom. Much to young Miri’s delight, the three of them slept together for an entire year.

It wasn’t an easy year; stuck in a shoe box, between assimilating into civilian life, parenthood, and Rei’s disability, Kazuki and Rei had disagreements. Many. Never fighting in front of Miri was the one thing they could agree on from the start.

But it was also that year when they grew much closer. The reality forced them to communicate, and to face issues head on. Ultimately, Kazuki and Rei wanted the same thing: a safe, happy childhood for Miri. Every time they fought, it was to protect that vision. In that same year, they began to truly mold and fit into each other, consciously or unconsciously. From Kazuki walking on Rei’s right side, Rei’s ability to maneuver in the kitchen alongside Kazuki, to the way they sleep in the futons on tatami.

────

The day of the wedding, Kazuki stood before the armoire; a black suit for him, a navy suit for Rei, and a satin and tulle dress Karin had made for Miri in a shade of sage green that flatters her eyes and hair. She’d even hand sewed her name, in cursive, on the inside of the dress.

“Reminds me of the night before her first day at daycare,” Kazuki said in a tone reminiscent of something like nostalgia.

“A much better job than we’ll ever do,” Rei took a glance then chuckled.

“Can’t argue with that.”

Kazuki zipped up the dress then fluffed up the wrinkled tulle skirt. Miri twirled excitedly. “Can I go? Can I go?” Her eyes sparkled.

“Don’t run too far, be back here in 10 minutes, okay?” She nodded then disappeared behind the door. By the sound of her heels, she was skipping down the hall.

Kazuki combed and tied Rei’s hair into a sleek low ponytail. Rei had kept it at mid length, after discovering his strands form loose waves with the right haircut, instead of a puffy, frizzy mess. Though Kazuki never called it a mess; he’d say it was fluffy while ruffling through it.

“I can do it myself,” Rei said. Kazuki fastened the necktie just right, then smoothed down the collar. “I know. But I like doing it.”

“Hmm.”

────

After the ceremony, it’s the cocktail hours. When the blonde man finally returns with a plate of hors d'oeuvre and two flutes, Rei snares. “Done harassing your brother-in-law?”

“This is the time! A real, living Michelin star chef. I had to.”

“So what did you steal from him.” Rei takes a sip as he watches Miri playing with other children across the room.

“He said we should try using baguette instead of milk bread for French toast.”

“We could test with baguette on the next day off. What else?”

“Something about olive oil… I’m not sure. His Japanese isn’t fluent. And a lot of the food terms were in French,” Kazuki pauses to enjoy the finger food. “You have to try this.”

Rei studies the little piece of toast with various toppings, “Nah. It has olives.”

Kazuki picks out the olive, eats it, then offers Rei again by shoving it directly in front of his face. Rei reluctantly eats off Kazuki’s hand.

“Not bad.”

“Right?”

────

The dinner was a feast. Multi-course, modern Japanese-French cuisine with wine pairings. Rei swears that Kazuki was nearly brought to tears, again. “The miso? The miso in the sauce? Brilliant. Gosh. I wish I was Karin.” Kazuki gushes.

“Don’t even think about stealing my husband, Kazuki,” the tipsy bride waltzes over with a wine glass in hand. Her pretend stern face turns into giggles as soon as she sees Rei. “I don’t think Rei-kun would be happy with that either!”

“Why wouldn’t I be—“

Karin shushes him. “Stop it. Stop. It flew right over you again and I’m not explaining.” Rei closes his gaping mouth in confusion.

“Go get Miri! I’m doing the bouquet toss in a bit!” The giddy bride says before hopping away towards the groom, who waits to take her hand with the fondest look on his face.

“What was that?” Rei asks. Kazuki puts a hand on his back and shakes his head.

“Figured.”

────

Kazuki and Miri wait with a group of women who are participating in the bouquet toss.

“This is so fun,” She says as she yawns. Too much fun, perhaps. It is getting late. “When you and Rei-papa get married, can I be a flower girl again?” She looks up at Kazuki and asks nonchalantly.

“Eh? Why—“

“Kazuki! Get outta there! You’re not getting this bouquet!” Karin shouts and swings her arm dramatically. Her cheeks are flushed and her steps are slightly unsteady. She looks so happy.

“My bad, my bad…” Kazuki holds up his hands as he moves out of the way. The guests laugh at their sibling banter.

The excited crowd gathers. This is where the real fun of the night begins. Karin turns around and does a couple of swings before her toss; the guests watch attentively in anticipation.

“Three… two… one!” The bride jumps and hurls backward, sending the bouquet across the ballroom. In front of the group, Miri realizes the bundle of flowers isn’t coming their way. It’s going completely sideways, towards the wine table. Everyone’s eyes follow the flying bouquet.

Rei flexes his left arm and catches it backhandedly. He turns around, prosecco in one hand, flowers in the other, utterly flabbergasted. The guests go wild; several women swarm him. That man wasn’t even looking!

Miri weaves through the traffic, throws herself at Rei, and squeals. “That was so cool!” She beams and hugs his waist tightly. “My papas are getting married!”

“Eh? What do you mean—“

“Congratulations!” The guests cheer, making him even more flustered. What is Miri saying? He scans the crowd in a panic, but couldn’t find a single familiar face.

Then he sees it. Strawberry blonde, a pair of bright, tea-brown eyes, and a crooked grin. Kazuki swims through the crowd and makes it to Rei and Miri.

“Rei-papa and Kazuki-papa are getting married!”

“Wow, haha, um, nice catch!” Kazuki says awkwardly. Damn it, my nerves! Rei doesn’t say anything, eyes wide like a deer in the headlight. “Um, you all right? Rei?”

“I saw something in the corner of my eye and… this.” He holds up the bouquet, “That wasn’t very normal people of me.” Rei mutters, ears still hot from all the attention.

Kazuki chuckles slyly, “Sure was very assassin of you.”

Rei dishes a side eye and chucks the flowers in his face.

────

They finally coaxed Miri into going to bed. The condition: she gets to hold on to the bouquet when she does. The two men step out to the garden for some fresh air. Rei takes out a brand new pack of cigarettes in French packaging.

“Haven’t seen you smoke in a while,” Kazuki commented.

“Well, it’s for the occasion.” He lights it up, takes a drag, and promptly coughs.

“Can’t handle it anymore?”

“Shut up. I just wasn’t expecting it to be this strong.”

The lively music flows out from the chateau, a stark contrast to the serene and sleepy countryside.

“…would you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Sign the papers.”

“Sign what papers?”

“Gosh, Rei, do I really need to spell it out?”

“You know the answer.”

“Fine.” Kazuki sighs, wishing he’d had a drink before this. “Like, getting married or whatever. Hypothetically, of course.”

Rei takes a long drag and exhales. “I mean, you’re the one who was married.”

“That was different.”

“How so?”

Kazuki pictures the day he and Yuzuko got married at the city hall. She was in a sundress, and he was in a shirt and tie that were sold as a set. But that wasn’t really it, was it? Marriage is… what comes after. Though their marriage barely lasted, and it wasn’t their fault. Kazuki reaches his hand over, Rei passes the cigarette.

Kazuki coughs.

“Told you.”

“Yeah, thanks for the warning.” Regaining composure, Kazuki continues. “You know she died six months later.”

Rei remains silent.

“But it was easy—the decision to get married. It was just the thing to do, you know? If I could do it over, I’d marry her again. She was what I needed. At the time. I… loved her. I really did. And I still do, I think.” He pauses, looking back at the chateau. “Like how I love Karin and Miri. I’d do anything for them—I’d die in their place, if I could.”

The thought of Miri or Kazuki dying sends a chill down his spine. Rei turns his head away. “That’s grim. We’re at a wedding.”

“I know. But—and then there’s you. And I’d do the same for you, too.”

“I can handle myself.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what do you mean, Kazuki? You asked me a hypothetical question and went on about… about the people you love. What’s that got to do with each other? I can’t understand you when you go roundabout like that.” Rei pauses, filling his lungs with brisk air. “I need you to tell me exactly what it is.”

Kazuki traces the outline of the man before him, then puts his arm around his slim frame. Rei leans in and rests his head on his shoulder. “We’re not fighting though, are we?”

“Of course not, dummy,” Kazuki says softly.

“Idiot.”

“Jerk.”

“…it’s warm.”

“Hmm.”

“I like you.”

“What did you just say?” Kazuki pulls away, “What are you, a teenager?”

“I didn’t like anyone when I was a teenager.”

“Don’t get smart with me,” he fixes Rei’s crooked tie, “I love you.”

Rei brings them back together and burrows his face in the strawberry blonde.

“I love you, too.”

────

The guests circle the newlyweds as they open the dance. Kazuki and Rei watch from a safe distance, sipping on drinks.

Rei finishes his dessert wine. “This is delicious, why do they serve it in such a small glass?”

“Probably because only an ant like you could drink it,” Kazuki scrunches his nose, “It’s sickly sweet.”

“No, it’s not, it has… layers.”

“I think it’s too sweet.”

“Can we stock these at the diner?”

“Absolutely not.”

“You suck,” Rei pouts, “I’m going to get more.”

10 minutes later, Rei is visibly tipsy. “I learned,” he says as he puts his hand on the small of Kazuki’s back, “these are called dessert wine.” His eyes twinkle. Oh no. Kazuki knows this look.

“Let’s go!” Rei tugs on the lapels.

“You don’t even like dancing!”

“Yeah, but, Karin says we have to.”

Kazuki glances over, Karin is in the middle of the dance floor, picking up her floor-length skirt, laughing and twirling to the poppy music. Kazuki hesitates. He can’t dance to save his life. A happy drunk Rei is mesmerized by the joy spilling over from the dance floor.

Then the music changes. It’s a slower instrumental piece; anyone can tell that it’s a love song. The crowd slows down. Then the groom waltzes in, Karin takes his hand. Cheek to cheek, they step and sway to the rhythm. The guests pair up and follow their lead.

Rei looks at Kazuki, eyes twinkling. He gives in. Then Rei smiles the only way he can: a thin-lipped, strained smile. But Kazuki knows better than anyone else. This is Rei’s happy face. He takes his left hand, and he places his right on his heart. He pulls him in with an arm around the waist.

“Is your arm okay like that?” Kazuki asks, in a voice only Rei can hear. Rei hums. They move with the music; knowing nothing about dancing, they just follow their instincts. Rei puts his head down on Kazuki’s shoulder and closes his eyes.

“Don’t fall asleep on me.”

“Hmm.”

────

Daylight breaks into the ballroom, the partied-out guests sit around, nibbling hot onion soup.

Rei’s glossy, wavy, raven-colored hair is down, draping over his shoulders. Kazuki’s shirt is stained with wine. Their ties are missing. The two huddle together, eating soup.

“If it’s possible, it’d be nice.”

“What?”

“To get married. To you.”

“I see.”

“Tsk. That’s it?”

“You want me to propose now?”

“Maybe.”

“Then I propose to—add French onion soup to the menu.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s delicious.”

“That’d be nice.”

“Hmm.”

“To get married. If it’s possible. That is.”

“Okay. What about dessert wine?”

“No.”

“Fine.”

Kazuki warps Rei into his arms and rests his chin on his left shoulder. Their cheeks touch; slightly sticky with sweat, wine, and maybe a little bit of happy tears.

[ The End ]

Thank you for reading! Fun fact: the baguette French toast is a secret menu at this little cafe run by a French couple near where I used to live. The best French toast hands down. I want to thank the anon who sent in the lovely idea of a KazuRei story at Karin’s wedding.

Check out my other Buddy Daddies fics in the pinned post, if you'd like!

[lilyginnyblackv2]

Hmm, this is interesting to think about:

In Episode 7, we see how Yuzuko and Kazuki first met. 

She found him in a field of hydrangeas during the rainy season, holding an umbrella. He was at a low point here, in the sense of being very badly wounded and in need of physical help, which I am going to assume Yuzuko provided for him.

 We also get the full picture of her death in this week’s episode as well.

It is, once again, the rainy season and she is holding the same umbrella. So Kazuki met her and lost her around the same time of year. This adds even more depth and emotion to Karin’s words to Kazuki:

“So the thought that you only remember her looking sad...”

Since it is highlighting her later sentiment that “memories aren’t prisons.” Kazuki was locking himself in the memory of her death during this time of the year, rather than the memory of his meeting her. 

Now, when it comes to Rei, we don’t know when exactly it was that the two of them met. But it was likely a good bit before the events of Episode 1, since there was a familiarity between the two of them already. The interesting thing here though is that Rei didn’t find Kazuki like Yuzuko did, it seems more like Kazuki found him. This is based off of the February Animedia interview where the producer, Toba says:

Kazuki is very family-oriented; he's the so-called maternal type. The reason why he started living together with Rei is that he saw the complete shambles of Rei's lifestyle, went, 'This won't do!' and started fussing over him.

And we know from Rei’s general personality and the dynamic they have going on that Rei follows Kazuki, not the other way around. So, at his lowest he sought out someone to care for. But when it was just him and Rei, they were still at their lowest, diving deep into their bad habits and styles of living. 

They were both just in survival mode. They weren’t really living though. 

The one who finds Kazuki this time though is Miri. 

She finds him when he is at his lowest, and her existence in his life gives him the motivation to start changing and to start actually living again. This was in the middle of the winter, when everything is dead. And then this little ball of energy and sunshine entered his life. She provided him the same chance at a family that Yuzuko did, though obviously in a very different way than her (through being a daughter as opposed to a romantic partner and wife like Yuzuko).

And he jumped at the chance. We see him accepting her into his life slowly, bit by bit and through various different aspects and areas. But he still has boundaries set up, he still has a part of himself that is holding back, and he still sees Miri as something that was given to him in a way, then something he actively sought out.  At the end of Episode 7, though we see him “find” Miri. 

He chooses to go back to her. 

He also chooses to go back to Rei too. When he looks softly at the end of Episode 7, it is a look directed at both Miri and Rei. He’s proud and happy to see that Rei actually stepped up and took care of Miri. His warm smile is at the thought of him having a true second chance at a family again, without past memories blocking emotional bonds and connections.

And the thing is, this all happens, again, during the rainy season. Kazuki was, imo, seriously contemplating not returning at various points in this episode. But, he decided to go back to this unexpected family instead of losing the chance again, during the rainy season.

Episode 7 was a great leap in Kazuki’s character development. He’s finally starting to allow himself to properly heal, and like how Yuzuko found him when he was at a low point and in bad shape during the rainy season 5 years ago, Kazuki is here now, in the rainy season, actively returning to Rei when Rei is at his lowest point (in terms of caring for Miri). 

It almost feels like Kazuki is being to Rei what Yuzuko was for him, like taking on that same kind of role, though maybe not with the same kind of dynamic, more so just being the helping hand needed when in a bad place. 

That’s lovely in a way, but it does keep Kazuki in a sort of perpetual “giving” position in the relationship that he has with Rei. Since Rei grew up without love, we haven’t really seen him reaching out for it. Not in the same way it seems Yuzuko may have done with Kazuki or in the way that Kazuki seems to instinctually do with Miri or in the way Kazuki has done with Rei now. The gasp at realizing Miri was sick, then the confused stare for a moment, and finally the soft stare when he realized Rei stepped up and everything was fine.. That’s us seeing him making an emotional connection with the both of them at that moment, even if they were both asleep.

Something clicked there and we can see that a proper shift has happened, and that while Kazuki has always been more of an animated personality type than Rei, there is something much more true and genuine about this smile than the ones he has given in the past:

I think it’s because Kazuki has finally found himself and the obvious weight that he was carrying around has lifted. I feel like Kazuki maybe doesn’t feel like he needs to be found anymore and needs to reach out to Rei and Miri like he was doing in the past - to survive and deal with his trauma, but now he just wants to be with them and reach out to them and connect with them (we can see this through him saying he’ll teach them what good French toast actually is).

With Rei, we see that he has literally reached out to Miri in this episode:

And he is reaching out to Kazuki too. Usually Rei just goes with Kazuki’s flow, but he doesn’t actively seek anything out from Kazuki. At the end of this week’s episode though, he is actively seeking some kind of approval from Kazuki in regards to his French toast.

Kazuki may no longer need to be found or reached out to, but I hope we see Rei still try and do that, not so he can continue to take, but so that he can start to give back.

[himebushou]

In terms of how things went down with the Organisation, I was super, super satisfied.

First of all, talk about ACTION-PACKED? I'm so glad that we got to see Kazuki shooting and actually hitting targets! As he said, he can show up sometimes, lol

Ogino's death being the product of TEAMWORK was very satisfying. Personally, I would say that Kazuki dealt the final blow — but yeah, Rei's kick definitely sealed the deal

The stupid book burning up? Perfection. Ogino appears to be a literary man; he talks about the immortality of words and as @lilyginnyblackv2 mentioned in a post, his gun was inscribed with Jane Austen's last words. I feel that he's a reader. And yet, his sick little collection was not afforded immortality. It's perfect

@bbfeelings said that Rei wouldn't be ready to finish his father, which turned out to be the case — but I think the way it did go down was very, very fitting. We saw that Suwa Shigeki was ensconced in a much smaller and barer office, one that lacked the grandeur of the room where he'd had his last two conversations with Rei. This symbolised how he, and the Organisation, was losing power. It was SO good

Rei finally had the power to retaliate — and he shot Shigeki, thereby taking out Shigeki's 'killing arm' (assuming that Shigeki is right-handed; EDIT: I just realised that Shigeki was holding the gun in his left hand). Rei then proceeded to injure himself. In effect, Rei symbolically ended the Suwa family's ability to kill (I say symbolically because, in my opinion, Rei will always be deadly). Also, his father gets to go on in misery, knowing that he was rejected — the ideal world he presented Rei — was rejected. Having seen the ep, I think it's more satisfying than if he got KO'd

And... yeah. Just the amount of blood was fitting? The AIBOU mention had me super emotional (thanks YGO, lol!)

Rei patching up Kazuki? The lighter serving a purpose? Kazuki freaking out over Rei's arm and then instantly accepting it when Rei got in the car? REI BEING A LIVING WEAPON?

I am sad that Kazuki's yellow car is gone... I hope he gets a new one

But yeah. The mansion bit? PERFECT.

[theshortolivia]

Ok I finally got around to watching all of buddy daddies and I have Thoughts.

First off literally months ago I had a fan fiction idea in which rei’s father called him home, told him he knew about kazuki and Miri and had had them assassinated so rei would have no more connections (this was before I’d watched that Misaki was even in the picture) so?? I’m psychic maybe? That fic idea also included a 10ish year time skip so Literally

As a psych student I couldn’t help but read way too far into everyone’s actions. I know some people have said Rei is autistic coded and while I def do see that I also see similarities to isolated children cases (to a lesser extent of course he wasn’t isolated more deprived) which ends up with a lot symptoms we also see in ASD like the difficulty in reading social cues. in general reading way into Rei’s actions and words and relating it to his upbringing was super fun.

Super interesting that Rei, while clearly being emotional stunted and not the best with social cues, is super good at reading people, at least Kazuki and Miri

The CHARACTER GROWTH they clearly still have so much more to go but moving past unhealthy coping mechanisms? Processing grief healthily? Learning life skills? Learning to parent? Amazing

This anime shone light on so many real issues in modern day Japan (that are dealt with all over the world to different extents) that I’m just beginning to learn about now since I’ve been doing research since I want to go and maybe live there at some point. Namely same sex couples being still stigmatized by not a small amount of the population (we see the variety in acceptance with the first daycare woman and miss Anna) Also with gender labor division at home, Kazuki feeling taken advantage of and exhausted trying to balance home care and work and being frustrated Rei is not contributing equally in those aspects is something a lot of women deal w in Japan since the role of house and child care and cooking is still seen as the wife/mother’s responsibility while the man is the breadwinner a lot.

While the eventful ending was wonderful and shocking and scary and well done i was ultimately disappointed by the ending for a few reasons

Personally I don’t think an non functioning arm would make Rei’s father suddenly okay with him not taking over? Like as the head of the business I don’t think rei’s father is doing a lot of active assassin work anyway (I will write fanfictions about this don’t worry)

Disappointed that they made a point to include in the timeskip that kazuki and rei were not together instead of leaving it even just ambiguous with Miri’s comment about kazuki going out with a woman the night before or w/e. I know it was clarified to NOT be a BL anime so my expectations probably should have been lower than they were but idk the amount of tropes they so obviously put in there throughout make me feel a LITTLE queerbaited

The outfits were all ICONIC especially Miri’s I LOVED THEM

Finally, I have MORE STORY IDEAS NOW some bridging off from the canon end and some from earlier in the anime and I’m trying to get back into writing so wish me luck on that cause I’m SUPER inspired rn

[animereviewsbykyranskye]

Reviews while I watch  Buddy Daddies: Episode 8

Told ya I would be late for this one too. Annnnnnyways. FInally off working 12 hour shifts for four days straight. Lets do this. 

Rei is getting ready. And we see a wound on his back as well. Damn he still looks so good with the hair up. My subtitles aren’t working. Ahhhhh.

Um. I can’t get my subtitles to work... Not even refreshing si working... Might have to use a different site. Ummm. Okay. Got a different site to work. Don’t know why my normal one wasn’t working. it’s never done that before. 

OH NO. IS HE SEEING HIS FAMILY???? Also he agrees that his place with Kazuki and Miri is actually his home. That’s so sweet. 

It’s going to be his birthday or something isn’t it?

Opening is still damn good. 

Backstory! He hasn’t been there for three years? Damn.

Teaching children words is hard. Especially the nuisances of them.

Noooo. Rei. DOn’t go back to that toxic environment. 

MEETING BACKSTORY!! So they both met through the job guy. I have forgotten his name. I am so sorry. I need more than a brief scene!

Rei is not happy. ARE THEY GOING TO TARGET KAZUKI AND MIRI? 

And it’s definitely for his birthday. Shame. I hope everything turns out okay. 

So a man is seen as betraying because he ended up in a relationship. Lets hope the dad doesn’t figure out about Miri. 

This man collects last words. That’s so psychotic. 

aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh. Miri is so cuuute. She really cares about Rei.

Oh god. He accepted his death as he fell. And Rei reacted to the last words. 

The dad is going to come back to kill him, isn’t he?

Awwww. They did so much for him and now he’s brushing them off. 

Meep meep.

How did Kazuki know where to find him? And is isn’t taking any of Rei’s moping. Ah he has a tracker. 

More backstory! He made the place a home!

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.Shame, she’s tired. 

REI SMILED!!!! It’s so soft! He deserves so much.

The boss wants info about them. 

----after thoughts----

This is truly the calm before the storm. The next few episodes are going to hurt aren’t they? I’m loving the development so much. It feels so fluid and perfectly understandable with how the characters are progressing.