Chapter Text
Mondo Oowada was, in no uncertain terms, a dead man walking.
He could feel it in his bones, so certain that he wouldn't make it out of the Ishimaru house alive. He could barely eat the meal Kiyotaka had made- even though he did an amazing job and Mondo was so proud of him for making one of his own recipes. The man staring a hole through him from across the table was the source of his panic, the one obstacle he never thought he would come face-to-face with so soon. Keeping his eyes on his plate had been his plan to get through it, but even that wasn't enough to diminish the burning hatred he felt in that gaze. Could he really keep avoiding him for the rest of the night? Never should have agreed t' this, feels like a fuckin' set up! No, jus' paranoid, Taka wouldn't do that t' me. Still…. shit, shoulda jus' told 'im it was a bad time-
"Did I make it right, kyoudai?"
Taka's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, eyes darting up to see the boy looking at him nervously. Why would he be nervous? He lived with that demon of a cop, and hadn't sensed the tension between them the whole night. Maybe he was mumbling under his breath, or he'd finally noticed? It took him a moment to understand the question, taking a bite as it finally clicked. He flashed him a smile that was much more confident than he felt.
"Yeah, ya did good ba-" He felt his blood run cold, seeing out of the corner of his eyes the cop's burning eyes narrow at the pet name. He cleared his throat, "Ya did good, Tak. Tastes great."
The happy look on Taka's face was enough of a reward to remind himself why he was even sitting through this mess, taking another bite as he watched him tap the table beside his plate. Even with how tense it was, with feeling like he was one wrong step away from death, it made the moral compass so happy for him to even be there in this horrible situation. It was enough to make his mouth twitch up in a smile, heart warming at the sight he tried so often to see. Though his moment of being okay was short lived.
"How long has this… relationship been going on?" Takaaki finally spoke up, that piercing gaze finally leaving Mondo to look at his son. The harshness of his stare was gone when he looked at Taka, but he couldn't even take any solace in that because of the question.
Taka spoke up immediately, tapping the table faster. Usually, he loved his excitement, but in a moment like this? "A little over half a year! But my friend Chihiro is convinced that I should say almost a year, he says we've been dating since our competition!"
"Competition?" Takaaki's eyebrows furrowed, and Mondo choked on his water. Oh no . No no no no! He had to think of something to say quickly. If he found out about their time together in the sauna , Daiya wouldn't even have a corpse to bury.
"It, uh, it ain't that interesting. 'S just how we started gettin' along," Mondo cut in, shooting Taka a look that begged for him to let it go.
He could feel that steely gaze turning back on him. "What was that, boy? Weren't you taught that it's rude to interrupt?"
Mondo swallowed nervously, eyes darting between his boyfriend and his certain doom. How could someone like that be related to someone as open and friendly as Taka?! He'd always been curious how the hall monitor could be so scary when he was angry, but looking at the demon that raised him it wasn't even a question anymore. Mentally, he was kicking himself for not making Daiya change his plans, at least then he wouldn't have the brunt of this all directly on him! And Hiro's mom would have been there too, she would have at least been making jokes!
Taka didn't seem to have any problem making his situation worse, however unintentional it was. "I apologise for keeping this a secret for so long, father, but Mondo was nervous about meeting you!"
"Oh, I'm sure he was," the cop shot back, frowning as he mentally went over the number of Crazy Diamond related calls he'd been sent out on. Mondo rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at the clock as if the time would give him a free pass to leave. He could do this, he would get through this. He'd survive dinner and then rub it in Daiya's face for the next few weeks since he'd chickened out from the exact same situation. Had he known who Taka's father was? And not warned him?? That irked him the most, just a little warning would have made this so much easier! When he saw him later that night, he would- "You did what?!"
"Rode with Mondo and his friends! I was very nervous, but they were all very kind to me! Although, they laughed when I mentioned that they should really look into getting some helmets."
How long had he been zoning out for? Taka was talking about the gang now?! He could practically feel the sweat dripping down his forehead as his gaze snapped back to the other people in the room. Takaaki's look of bewilderment turned into seething rage as he glared at the biker. "Oh, but don't worry! I made sure we followed all the road laws and stayed at the speed limit. We didn't go very far, just around town a couple times. Mondo wore the helmet I bought him! And he had one for me too!!" Taka was beaming, tapping the table with his whole hand now as he talked. "He even had me sit in front of him so I would feel safer!"
Well. Shit.
It had been a good run, he decided, sipping his water to avoid having to say anything. Out of all the things he could have said, he just had to mention their day out with the Diamonds. He knew Taka wasn't intentionally trying to make things hard on him, but he definitely wasn't making this night go any smoother… especially with that last part. He knew the cop wasn't stupid, and he could see the man clenching his jaw. He could practically feel handcuffs being slapped on him for some bullshit reason the cop made up to get revenge on him, unable to hide the scowl that was working its way onto his face.
A sharp digital tone cut through the room, and for the first time since they ran into each other Mondo was free of that horrible stare. Takaaki glanced down at his phone, frowning as he saw the caller ID. With a mumbled apology to Taka he excused himself from the table, walking down the hall to answer the call. A sigh of relief fell heavily from Mondo's lips, like a huge weight had just been lifted off of him. He slumped back in his chair, rubbing his face as he tried to regain some composure.
"Kyoudai? Is something wrong?"
The concern in Taka's eyes was so genuine it hurt a little. Was he really so blind to how aggressive his father was? Livin' with the fucker must make 'im immune or some shit, god… He shook his head, propping his arms up on the table as he messed with the end of his pompadour. "Tak, baby, babe, yer pops… he's fuckin' terrifying . If ya weren't wit' me he'd have me scalped."
"I'm sure that's not true, he-!"
"Taka, he knows th' Diamonds, he-" Mondo sighed, glancing down the hall as he lowered his voice. "Yer pops an' Dai go way back, even before th' gang started. First mark on Dai's record when we were kids? Yer dad was th' one 'at caught him. Everytime Dai's been caught, it was 'im. We try t' avoid the pi- … the cops, all we can, but that guy? 'S like a big alarm goin' off anytime he's on patrol. I mean, shit, no wonder Dai dipped."
The smile slipped from Taka's face for the first time that night, replaced with a sincere concern. He didn't even remark on the no cursing rule. "I'm extremely sorry, Mondo! If I had known, I wouldn't have been so firm about you coming! No wonder you've been so quiet."
"Look, 's fine, just-"
"But it's not fine! I was so excited for you two to meet, I didn't take into account that you may have some sort of negative history. Please forgive me!"
Mondo held his hand, thumb brushing along his knuckles. "Ain't nothin' to forgive, baby. Wouldn't have come if I didn't think it'd be fine. Ya don't gotta apologize fer anythin'."
Squeezing his hand, Taka gave him a gentle smile. There was still a lingering anger behind his eyes, Mondo could tell in the stiff way he looked at his father's spot. Without a doubt, he did not want to get caught between the two Ishimarus when they were pissed off… but it might be nice to see that cop knocked off his high horse for once. He rested his head on his free hand, watching thin fingers trace the faint scars on the back of his hand.
Takaaki cleared his throat as he entered, sending a sharp look Mondo's way. Mondo moved to pull his hand away, but Taka's grip was firm as he looked up at his father. His gaze was almost as piercing as the one the cop had been giving him all night, and Mondo felt his heart beating faster.
"Father! Mondo has just informed me that you have a prior history with his brother." The hard tone he used in detention must have come as a surprise to the cop, facing his son with an expression of confusion.
"I've... had more run-ins with the Oowada then I'd care to, yes-"
"Even so! While Mondo or his brother are in our home, remember that they are our guests first and foremost! You taught me to treat guests with kindness, so please remember to treat my boyfriend the same way!"
Oh, Mondo would have paid to have a photo of the cop's reaction. He looked genuinely surprised at his son's words, the glare wiped clean off his face. It took all his willpower not to laugh. Satisfied that he had, in his mind, fixed their problem, Taka's usual smile returned. "Was that mother?"
It took a second for Takaaki to answer, composing himself as the hard look slipped back onto his face. "No, the school. Your brother was raising a litter of racoons beneath his bed. One bit a reserve student, they're in the office now." Momentarily it was like Mondo wasn't even there as Takaaki rubbed his eyes in disbelief, shoulders drooping with exhaustion. "He won't be expelled, not this time. But he'll be coming home for a bit."
"I'll make him a plate then!" Taka decided, hopping up from the table to do just that. He glanced back at the table, frowning when he saw his father start to clean up. "I'll take care of that, father! Please, it's the least I can do while I'm here! You just prepare for Gundham's arrival." Takaaki raised his hands in defeat, knowing better than to argue with him about it.
Mondo stood, grabbing the plates off the table. "I'll help ya Tak-" He cut off as the plates were promptly taken from him, looking down at the other student.
"Unacceptable! You're my guest, I can't have you working!" Taka flashed him a smile, "Thank you though. It won't take me long to finish up here, so please make yourself at home! Why don't you and father talk? Maybe it'll make you more comfortable!"
"Doubt it." He glanced back down at Taka and instantly regretted his words, groaning at the pout he was given. He was going to kill Chihiro for teaching him those puppy eyes. "Fuckin- alright, fine, I'll try. Jus' don't give me 'at look baby" he muttered, scowling halfheartedly at the shorter boy's smile. He knew damn well what he was doing, and he also knew Mondo would never call him out on it. It was hard enough to get the hall monitor to joke about anything, and with as much teasing as he'd received over the past year? He'd more than earned the right to be difficult.
Shoving his hands in his pockets he made his way into the living room, unsure of what to do with himself. Last time he had been over, he'd made himself comfortable watching Taka mosey about doing his little domestic tasks when he wasn't helping out, filing away the memories to put in his own daydreams of their future together. But that had been over the summer, when his father had been working a graveyard shift and there was no chance of running into him- hell, he probably didn't even know the delinquent had been in his house. With the cop there though, he didn't want to push his luck too much and be banned.
With little other option, he slumped down on the couch and propped a leg up on the coffee table. Checking his phone didn't give him much piece of mind either; a long message from Takemichi giving a report on the gang's activities for the day- he could always count on his little bro to handle things for him- and a snapchat from Daiya that all but confirmed that he wouldn't want to go home that night- he couldn't imagine saying something that bold in front of Taka, let alone his dad, and there Hiroko was laughing at Yasuhiro's embarrassment.
"Get your feet off my table, boy." He followed the hissed command without really thinking about it, scowling at himself for giving in so easily as he looked at the cop. The smart-ass retort he had died on his tongue as every instinct he had kicked in, yelling at him to get the hell away from the man.
Takaaki had put his holster and coat back on, and the metal of the gun's handle winked at him from behind the canvas coat. He'd spent too many years running from men like him to keep his body from tensing up, and he cursed himself for showing weakness in front of the man- he didn't notice as he grabbed his wallet from the table though. Takaaki leered down at him, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke. "I don't know what your intentions are with my son, but you better keep this in mind: if you even think about laying a hand on him-"
"Ya think I'm gonna fuckin' hurt 'im?" Mondo snapped back, eye twitching as he tried to keep himself from yelling. There wasn't much that could make his anger out rule his instincts, but he'd just hit a nerve. "Ya know how many fuckers I've laid out fer sayin' some shit 'bout Taka? Know how many times he's written me up fer breaking some asshole's shit 'cause they made fun of 'im?"
His hands balled into fists at his side, nails digging into his palm as he tried to hold back the urge to punch something. The cop's words had echoed his own fears of being with the smaller student. He knew Taka was strong- hell, he could bench press Hiro if he wanted and he'd seen him sparring with Peko, the kid could more than hold his own in a fight!- but he always worried that one day he'd be too rough and he'd end up hurting him, hurting one of his most important people. "I'd let 'im beat me down in front of my own gang before I ever raised my hand against 'im!"
Maybe it was the intensity of his words, maybe it was how openly disgusted he looked at the idea of hurting the younger Ishimaru, but the intensity of Takaaki's gaze seemed to lighten up. It wasn't friendly by any means, but it no longer felt like he was being put on death's row. "If I hear so much as a rumour that he's been hurt, I'll be more than happy to put the first permanent mark on your record-"
"Oh, gargle my balls ya fuckin' pig-"
"Are you two getting along in there?" Taka's voice called out to them from the kitchen, worry plainly in his voice as they heard the water cut off. They both paused, glancing at the kitchen as a sense of understanding washed over them. Takaaki wasn't blind, of course he could see how happy this delinquent made his son- he didn't approve of it, but he would do anything for his son's happiness. If it meant pretending to tolerate the student on his couch, then he could learn how to do that.
Mondo twisted to watch the kitchen door, feeling a little more brave as he saw Taka finishing the dishes. "Yeah, we're fine baby. Ya need any help?"
"No, thank you! I've just finished!" He could hear his smile even before the hall monitor walked into the room. Takaaki was still visibly irritated by the nickname, but held his tongue and mumbled a parting to the room as he grabbed his keys and left. Taka moved to walk past Mondo, squealing as strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him down.
Both boys laughed as Taka shifted to get comfortable on his lap, a smile lighting up his face as he reached up to squish the end of his pompadour. "Thank you," he said softly, "I know this wasn't ideal, but it really means alot to me."
"I know, yer family's th' most important thing to ya," Mondo teased, recalling all the times he had said that exact thing to him. "If it's important to ya, 's important t' me. Even if I gotta be interrogated by some fuckin' demon-"
"He interrogated you?!" Taka sat up quickly, his smile slipping as his eyebrows furrowed. "I made him promise not to make any of my friends uncomfortable when he met them! He-"
"No- Taka, babe, it's jus' an expression," he hurriedly tried to fix his mistake, pulling his partner back down. "Promise, nothin' bad happened."
Humming to himself in thought, Taka relaxed back against his chest, knocking their heads together lightly. "Still, I'm just happy you agreed to come! I was worried you might think this was a set up or something-"
"Whaat? Nah, 'course not baby!" He laughed, wondering if he really was that easy to read. "Jus' thought yer pops was gonna rip my head off if I looked at ya."
"I would never allow him to do such a thing!"
"Heh, yeah, ya gonna beat someone up fer me?"
"Wh- No! That'd be a horrible abuse of power!"
"Ya gonna knock some cop out fer profilin' me?"
"Completely out of the question!"
"Yeah, yer right, yer too cute to hurt anyone… Hm? Why's yer face so red, baby? Somethin' embarrassing ya?" Mondo grinned, pressing a kiss to his jaw lightly. "Am I embarrassin' ya? Huh?"
"Kyoudai!" Taka's smile was back, laughing as he pretended to struggle against his grip. He loved this, loved being able to be open about their relationship. Their classmates had teased him before for being so open talking about it, but he couldn't help it- being with Mondo just felt right, and he was the happiest he could ever remember being. He hugged his arm, squeezing it as if he might disappear, as if it was all a dream that could one day end. "I wish we could always be together like this," he whispered, half to himself.
Mondo leaned in for a gentle kiss, resting their foreheads together as they parted slowly. "Long as I've got ya, we will be."