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“This is going to end in disaster,” a familiar voice solemnly declares, tone clipped and mildly panicked, as serious as a heart attack. It’s the exact same thing that that voice had declared not even ten minutes prior, however, so it’s not exactly anything new. With eyes that he forces to appear calmer than he feels inside, Mondo looks over at the man beside him, an eyebrow raised almost condescendingly.
“Ya’ve already said that a hundred times, Ki. Kinda a broken record at this point,” he points out, unimpressed at the man’s repetitiveness. He feels himself physically melt when his boyfriend gives him his patented unamused glare, his heart putty for the man before him. Unable to help himself, he sways forward and wraps a careful arm around his lover, a soft hum escaping him at the subtle warmth that infuses him at the semi embrace. “C’mon, Ki. Don’t be like that. We agreed that we’d give it a try, right? Know that your da still ain’t my biggest fan, but we’ve been datin’ for over a year, now. ‘Bout time we introduced the families, yeah?”
In his arms, he can feel Taka momentarily stiffen up, before he melts entirely as well, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he nestles closer. The action makes Mondo smile, love flooding his heart so fiercely it would make him reel if he wasn’t so used to the feeling by now.
“Yes, I… yes. You’re right, of course. I just… worry. I know my father is not the easiest man to get along with, especially when it comes to things concerning the law. And… well. No offense meant, but your brother…” Taka trails off then, a small grimace on his lips when Mondo pulls back enough to see his lover’s face. Humming in acknowledgment, Mondo nods slowly, knowing exactly what Taka means without him saying it.
“Yeah. Yeah, I know, man. But Dai promised ta be on his best behavior, an’ ya know he ain’t the kind ta go back on his word. A man’s promise is a man’s promise, an’ I know Dai ain’t gonna do anythin’ that would make your da angry. ‘Sides. Your ma’s gonna be there, yeah? Lady’s a goddamn angel, far as I’m concerned, an’ I know she’ll be able ta keep your da in line. She did when we first told ‘em we were datin’, an’ I was fuckin’ positive that the dude was gonna fuckin’ deck me or somethin’. Y’ain’t gotta worry, babe. Promise.”
Despite his reassurances, Taka still looks extremely perturbed, his monumental eyebrows furrowed deeply. With a tired sigh, Mondo decides to take matters into his own hands and promptly leans down to press a gentle— yet still passionate— kiss to lips he always craves with a fierce hunger. The man makes a token protest to the embrace, pressing a firm hand to his chest, but Mondo doesn’t pull back. Not immediately. And soon enough, Taka melts into the kiss like he always does, a soft hum of contentment escaping him as he wraps deceptively strong arms around his neck. Perfect.
“You know, you can’t always erase my worries with a kiss,” Taka mumbles against his lips several moments later, their foreheads pressed tenderly together as they stare lovingly into one another’s eyes. The patently untrue comment makes Mondo snort incredulously, a wicked smirk on his lips as he lets his hands wander to a place that is not at all family friendly.
“Yeah? Ain’t failed me yet,” Mondo brags, snickering at the reprimanding smack Taka gives him, his vividly red eyes disapproving. Whether the disapproval is for his boastful words or the hands that are latched firmly onto his ass, well. That’s anyone’s guess. “C’mon, Kiyo. Stop worryin’ so much. Ain’t good for ya, baby. We’ve been over this a hundred times. Shit ain’t gonna end in disaster. Worst case, we just don’t have family get togethers ever again. Ain’t like our families are gonna force us ta break up or somethin’ if shit goes wrong. Ya know Dai fuckin’ adores ya, an’ I know your ma fuckin’ adores me. Your da can rot in hell for all I care, but he ain’t gonna go against your ma. Shit’s gonna be fine.”
Taka gives him yet another patented glare at his comment, even going so far as to pull away from him entirely so that he can put his hands imperiously on his hips, like the fucking nerd he is. Jesus, does he love this fussy little man.
“Mondo Owada! Please refrain from insulting my father! I know the two of you have no love lost between you, but if you would please remain civil at least…”
Mondo can’t help but snicker at the familiar comment, pulling away from Taka as well so that he can finish finalizing their set up for the dinner Taka’s spent the entire day preparing. No love lost, indeed.
“Ya know I can’t stand the dude, Ki, an’ we both know the feelin’s mutual. Dude tried ta fuckin’ arrest me when he first found out we were friends. Kinda spoiled the whole relationship from the get-go, really. But I’ve promised ya that I’ll be on my best behavior around him, an’ I always am, aren’t I? An’ it ain’t like we’ve had any major problems in months. Really, Taka. Stop worryin’. Please. Ya know I hate seein’ ya upset.”
The words are said softly, and he knows he means them fully. He hates it when Taka gets like this. All anxious and worried, his hands fluttering fitfully at his sides, not the happy fluttering they do when he’s content. He’s spent the last five years of his life doing everything he can to ensure that his once kyoudai, now kareshi never has that look on his face for long.
Relief floods him when he sees Taka finally relax, a gentle smile on his lips as he darts forward to give him one last kiss, before flitting away to presumably put some final touches on his meal.
“I know that, kareshi. And I know that you will not do anything to antagonize my father. I just… ah. Worry. But don’t worry about me, Mon-chan, I’ll be fine! But I must confess! The sooner this dinner is over with, the happier I’ll be!” Taka exclaims, before giving an overly serious nod that Mondo can’t help but find absolutely ridiculous. Snorting out a laugh, he decides that if Taka’s okay enough to be his usual dorky self, then he’ll be fine for now.
With that, Mondo finally turns back to the dining room table, which is currently half set up. He grabs the napkins he’d been arranging when Taka had had his brief moment of panic and begins to fold them in the weirdly specific way Taka always does it. He’s not nearly as neat as his kareshi is, but he thinks he did a good enough job when he steps back a few minutes later. A little lumpy, but eh. He tried.
After that, he sets out the utensils they’ll be using, the fancy chopsticks that Taka got for cheap at a rummage sale when they’d first moved in together after high school (before they’d started dating, in fact, when they’d been complete dumbasses blissfully unaware that they were madly in love). They’re a nice tortoiseshell pattern that have a shiny quality to them, which they only ever use for the most special of occasions.
Finally, Mondo rearranges the chairs to make sure that Daiya’s spot is as accessible as possible, the space as close to the door as possible. He gets the familiar squeeze in his heart that he always gets when he’s reminded of his brother’s challenges, and quickly moves on, eye darting over to the open doorway that leads from the dining room into the kitchen, where he can hear the vague sounds of someone moving around.
Now, while he’d been working on setting the table, Taka had moved back into the kitchen to do… whatever the hell he’s doing to the dinner he’s been meticulously preparing all night. Honestly, Mondo is a bit concerned at the sheer volume of food his boyfriend managed to create for tonight. Ranging from traditional Japanese ramen, all the way to American style hamburgers (something Mondo himself has always disliked, but is unfortunately a favorite of Daiya, as well as Taka’s ma). It’s a good thing that they both had received raises recently, otherwise he’d hate to see their bank account after this meal… heh.
With nothing better to do (and growing a little bored, not gonna lie), Mondo moves into the kitchen to see if there is anything Taka needs help with, since he has no other tasks that are required of him at the moment.
As he enters the room, Mondo can’t help but stop for a moment, eyes softening when he catches sight of his boyfriend determinedly stirring a pot on the stove, his eyebrows bunched up and his stare intense, almost like he’s creating a powerful yet temperamental concoction that requires his full attention, not a simple broth to accompany the noodles he’d created by hand earlier that day. He’s always been like that, for as long as Mondo has known him, he thinks with a soft and tender heart. It’s hard to believe that he’d once hated the man for his intensity. Now, it’s something he loves about him quite deeply.
Heart still softer than a fucking kitten, Mondo quietly makes his way over to his boyfriend, who is so focused he hasn’t even noticed his entry into the room. Carefully, so as to not tip the man off of his intentions, Mondo creeps up behind him, eyes intense as he watches. Finally, once he’s within touching range, Mondo carefully wraps his arms around that glorious waist, gently pulling his boyfriend back into his body while burying his face firmly into Taka’s thin but powerful neck. It makes him smile when he hears his boyfriend cry loudly in his obvious fright, silently adoring how over the top the man is about literally everything. He’d made sure to pull Taka far enough away from the stove so as to not hurt himself or ruin the broth when the man stereotypically flails wildly, of course. He’d hate it if he was the reason his boyfriend got hurt. Or, worse. Ruined his dinner.
“Ahh! M-Mondo!” Taka cries as he flails around, still not quite knowing what is going on. Chuckling lowly, Mondo presses his lips to the sinewy column before him, tongue pressing oh so gently against the rapidly beating pulse.
“Yes, baby?” Mondo hums, snickering softly when he hears the exasperated sigh Taka gives him, the man finally clued into what is going on. The snickers grow louder when he feels Taka sharply smack his arm in a chiding reprimand, responding in kind with a teasing nip. That earns him a rather nice, stifled moan, Taka melting in his arms for all of a second, making Mondo think that perhaps he actually might be able to convince Taka to take a small, eh… break before their families arrive.
But, to his disappointment (but not surprise), Taka almost immediately straightens back up, wiggling around so much in his grasp that he’s forced to let the man and take a step back. A sheepish grin rises on his face when Taka reels around and gives him a death glare, his hands firmly on his hips, the cooking chopsticks he’d been using to stir the broth pointing outward in a way that would be funny, if not for the vitriolic glare on that lovely face. Heh. Oops.
“Mondo Owada! What on earth do you think you’re doing?! Our families are going to be here in less than twenty minutes, and I’ve not even begun to plate dinner! Not to mention how I still have to prepare the salad and the drinks! If you think there is at all time for anything… unwholesome, then you are sadly mistaken!”
Jesus, he’s so fucking pretentious, Mondo thinks with a snort of laughter. Luckily, he’s long since gotten used to Taka’s anxious tendencies, so he doesn’t take it personally. Sticking his hands casually in his pockets, Mondo shrugs casually, a lazy grin rising on his lips.
“Eh, can’t blame a guy for tryin’. Anyway, wanted ta see if ya needed any help, babe. I mean, since ya got so much going on,” Mondo drawls, only slightly sarcastic. Luckily, Taka doesn’t pick up on the sarcasm (he rarely, if ever, does), and instead he just beams brightly, his earlier displeasure forgotten like it was never there at all. Heh. Adorable.
“Oh! In that case, then yes, I would love some help kareshi! Would you be able to keep an eye on the broth while I prepare the salad?! I didn’t want to prepare the salad too early, as less than crisp veggies are never desirable!”
Jesus, can the dude get any more adorable or what? Christ, he has it bad for this man. But he wouldn’t have it any other way, he thinks happily as he readily agrees to his boyfriend’s request, taking the stirring chopsticks easily when Taka eagerly hands them over.
After that, the pair fall into a companionable silence as they head off and work on their respective projects, Mondo staring as intently as he can tolerate down at the bubbling pot, stirring occasionally at random when the feeling strikes him. He can hear Taka shuffling around behind him, grabbing this and that from the fridge as he diligently organizes his salad (which he obviously couldn’t just buy premade from the market, since then it wouldn’t be ‘authentic, kareshi!’ Or whatever the hell Taka had sternly told him when they’d gone to the market a few days prior to pick up supplies for today’s meal. Heh). He gives into temptation a few times and turns to watch his boyfriend purposefully march around the decently sized kitchen but is always quickly caught and put back on his (ridiculously dull) task by a pointed glare. Heh. Worth it.
Before long, the sound of the doorbell ringing fills the air, cutting through the silent peace of the kitchen cleanly. Mondo glances curiously at the clock— not having expected twenty minutes to have already passed so quickly— and sees that there’s still roughly twelve minutes left until the time they’d informed their guests to arrive. Which, of course, immediately makes Mondo apprehensive. Darting a quick look at Taka, he finds himself grimacing deeply, the look of abject horror and panic he finds there definitely not a good sign. Ah, shit…
“W-what?! The doorbell is already ringing?! B-but we still have twelve minutes! Why- why is the bell ringing now?! Kareshi, are the clocks slow?! Oh my gosh, the clocks are slow aren’t they, oh no, I messed this whole thing up, now everything is ruined, and my father is going to hate me, and mother is going to be so disappointed, and I’ll never become prime minister, and—!” Taka begins to ramble, the words flying out of his mouth rapidly, his hands fluttering anxiously at his sides as he begins to pace restlessly. With a silent sigh, Mondo immediately goes over to his (somewhat frustrating but still endlessly endearing) boyfriend to place his hands firmly (yet gently) upon his shoulders. Yeah, he had a feeling something like this was gonna happen at some point today. Fucking shit.
“Hey, hey, calm down baby, ain’t no big deal, okay?” Mondo interrupts, running his hands firmly up and down Taka’s arms, the way he’s long since learned helps ground the man when he’s in a spiral like this. He can see Taka open his mouth immediately, likely to refute his statement, but Mondo continues before he can even get a single syllable out. He knows from experience that anything the man would say right now would not be productive. “Look, the clocks ain’t slow, okay? I triple checked them ‘fore we even started, promise baby. S’prolly just my bro at the door. Ya know he likes ta sometimes arrive early ta places ‘fore big events an’ shit. S’easier ta case the place out, see if shit’ll be accessible. I can go an’ entertain him in the livin’ room while ya finish up in here, ‘kay? Ain’t no big thing.”
Looking at Taka, Mondo can see the man visibly hesitating, his clear internal panic warring with the logic that Mondo just provided. Mondo doesn’t stop with his ministrations, his hands still running firmly up and down Taka’s arms, the action a little awkward, but helpful, nonetheless. After a couple of moments, Taka hesitantly nods, his eyes darting around as he internally debates with himself. Mondo doesn’t rush the man, letting him work through his anxiety on his own time.
“I- I… I suppose, kareshi… s-shouldn’t I come with you to greet your brother at the door, though…? It’s only polite for a host to greet their guests when they arrive, even if they are rudely early for a clearly scheduled event! … a-ah, but that will make me fall behind on my schedule, and oh gosh, I’m already so far behind already, and—!”
This time, knowing that stricter measures are going to be needed, Mondo silences Taka with a firm kiss, one hand rising to his cheek to securely hold the man in place, knowing that he’ll be needing the stability right around now. And, despite his clear tension, Taka doesn’t resist the embrace. He doesn’t quite kiss back, either, but that’s okay. They’ve spoken about this before, and he knows that even if Taka isn’t returning the kiss, as long as he’s not pulling away the embrace is not unwelcome.
“Baby. Taka. Don’t fuckin’ worry ‘bout that shit, okay? Dai ain’t gonna fuckin’ care if y’ain’t ‘round ta ‘greet him,’ or some shit. He ain’t gonna mind. Shit, would prolly be best if we talk alone ‘fore your folks arrive anyway, make sure he’s aware a’ what’s expected an’ shit. Just keep workin’ on the salad an’ ya can greet him when you’re done. ‘Kay?”
Once he’s done, he can feel Taka physically hesitate against him again, their lips no longer touching but so close together they might as well be. After a moment— in which he can see Taka’s eyes dart restlessly around the room— he feels Taka nod. Not quite as forceful as he’d like, but hey. He’ll take it.
“I… suppose, kareshi. H-he is your brother, so I guess you would know best… b-but are you sure…?” Taka questions hesitantly, looking so lost it breaks his heart. Giving Taka one last deep, meaningful kiss, Mondo nods firmly, before pulling away.
“Hell yeah, baby. Let me handle my shithead big bro, an’ you worry ‘bout your salad, got it?”
With that, Mondo takes a step back, giving Taka a little space to come to terms with his statement, knowing the man well enough to know he’ll need that space. And, luckily, it seems to work. While the man still looks a little shaky, his usual determination not quite up to snuff, he does turn back to the countertop where his half made salad sits. As he turns, Mondo’s eyes are drawn somewhere a little south (like they often are), and he makes a split second decision.
Moving quickly, Mondo erases the few centimeters of space between him and Taka, and immediately reels his hand back to slap the fat ass he’s been secretly (and not so secretly) obsessed with for the past five years. What, what? Like you wouldn’t do the same if you were in his position.
Grinning wildly, Mondo watches with glee as Taka immediately reels around, his previously hesitant eyes filled with shock and disbelief at what Mondo just did. The shock quickly makes way for stern disapproval, his hands flying to his hips as he glares his heart out at him, no anxiety or panic to be found. Which is exactly what he’d been going for, thank you very much. And if he was able to see that ass jiggle a little? Well, that’s just a bonus in his eyes.
“Mondo Owada!” Taka barks angrily, his staunch displeasure clear in his harsh tone. Snickering, Mondo just gives his boyfriend a saucy little wink and blows him an exaggerated kiss, before turning and sauntering away. While some men would be afraid that they’d just seriously fucked up with their significant other and would be fearing the doghouse tonight, Mondo isn’t worried. He knows that Taka’s protestations are not nearly as legitimate as he may want people to believe, something they’ve spoken about several times late at night, when they’re both able to be vulnerable together. Despite his goody goody demeanor, the man can be surprisingly kinky in the sheets. Something he definitely appreciates, he’ll tell you that.
With all of that settled, Mondo quickly heads over to the front door of their small but comfortable apartment, hesitating only a second before he reaches out to open the door.
But hesitating at all is stupid, there’s no reason to feel fucking apprehensive over seeing his big brother again, and so he quickly stomps the emotion down as he quickly grabs the handle and yanks the door open. And then, heart stupidly clenching, his eyes immediately dart down, looking for the man he knows will be waiting there. And, like expected…
“Sure took your sweet ass time ta answer the door, Mon-chan. What, too busy mackin’ on your beau ta let in your poor, dear brother? Tch. Typical,” Daiya snarks the second the door is open, a wicked smirk on his face as his lavender eyes dance with mirth. Mondo just scowls and rolls his eyes at the typical greeting, though he promptly backs up to let his brother enter the apartment.
As Daiya skillfully wheels himself into the room, Mondo has to fight down the onslaught of guilt that always hits him when he first sees his brother after a period of time apart, his eyes lingering just a hint too long on the sleek wheelchair his brother has been confined to for the past seven years. A wheelchair he forced his brother into due to his reckless actions. Yeah, yeah, Daiya swears up and down that it wasn’t Mondo’s fault, that he never should have accepted the challenge in the first place, that he’d have given anything to keep Mondo safe. Even his own life, if it had come to it. Luckily it didn’t (narrowly), but… s-shit. No, nope. Not going down that route, not again. Especially not tonight.
Shaking his head, Mondo skillfully raises an eyebrow and makes a face when Daiya finally turns around to face him, doing his best to distract from the guilt he can never fully hide. And— despite the vaguely annoyed and exasperated look Daiya gets on his face— his brother seems content to ignore the guilt just like Mondo is. Which is. Good. The few times they’ve fought over his so called ‘stupid as fuck guilt’ have, uh. Not ended well. For either of them.
“So fuckin’ dramatic, Christ. Took me a goddamn minute ta answer the goddamn door, an’ you’re makin’ it seem like I took a fuckin’ year. Whiny ass bitch,” Mondo snarks right on back, rolling his eyes once more when Daiya puts a melodramatic hand to his chest, gasping like the melodramatic bitch he is.
“I can’t believe this shit. Spend twenty fuckin’ years raisin’ your shitty ass, an’ this is the fuckin’ thanks I get. No fuckin’ respect at all, I’ll tell ya that,” Daiya sniffs, all haughty and overdone. Scowling yet again, Mondo takes a step closer to his brother and gives him a hard shove on the shoulder, something he wouldn’t have dared to do several years ago, as terrified as he’d been to hurt his brother more than he already had. Daiya had quickly done away with that nonsense, the man able to pin him down and relentlessly pummel him even despite the paralysis, but it had taken a couple years before the lesson fully stuck.
“Shut the fuck up, ya goddamn bastard. Ain’t got fuckin’ time for your goddamn whinin’, Christ,” Mondo shoots back, feeling something within him relax when he hears Daiya let out a bark of laughter, the tension between them fading greatly with the sound. Dropping the act (finally…), Daiya gives Mondo a little grin, the blatant affection in the look causing his heart to fill with a matching emotion. God, does he love his brother.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Dickhead,” Daiya mutters warmly, eyes squinting with his grin. He then holds his arms out wide, his meaning obvious. “Now, come here an’ give your big bro a hug, huh? Ain’t seen your shitty mug in fuckin’ ages, Christ.”
Despite the eye roll he gives at the demand, Mondo readily bends over and folds his arms securely around the older man, something in his heart settling when he feels familiar strong arms wrapping around him in return. Christ. While he’ll never, ever admit it (certainly not to Daiya’s face), he’s missed his brother something fierce. It’s been about a month since they were last able to see each other face to face, and it’s so fucking nice to be able to see his brother at last, the warm hug something he’ll never take for granted. Not after nearly losing the man all those years ago.
“Missed ya, bro,” Daiya mumbles softly in his ear, arms squeezing just that much tighter in conjunction. Mondo readily melts further into the warm embrace, his eyes sliding shut as he buries his face into Daiya’s shoulder, breathing deeply to rid himself of the gnawing guilt at last. It’s still there, of course, lingering deep within his heart always, but it’s faded enough that he can barely feel it anymore. Thank Christ.
It takes about a minute for Mondo to feel ready to let go, the part of him that will always be a snot nosed little kid clinging to his brother’s arm in fear whining at the thought of leaving Daiya’s embrace, but eventually he’s able to do it. Slightly embarrassed at his clinginess, Mondo sniffs haughtily and casually looks away, shrugging a seemingly careless shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, ya sentimental bastard. Anyway, s’ppose we should talk ‘bout the dinner an’ shit. An’, uh. How we shouldn’t. Ya know. Be cursin’ an’ sh- stuff.”
Daiya’s nose wrinkles at that, his tongue poking out in obvious distaste at the very thought of it. Mondo doesn’t blame him. He hates censoring himself as much as his brother does, but it’s for Taka, so of course he gonna fucking do it. Doesn’t mean either of them will be happy about it.
“Ugh, do I fuckin’ gotta…?” At Mondo’s stern look (learned from being the recipient of such a look countless times before), Daiya rolls his eyes and lets out a long-suffering sigh. Melodramatic fucker.
“Fine. I’ll behave. Don’t you worry, ol’ chap, I’ll be on my best behavior for the bloody pig,” Daiya says in an over the top accent, his back straightening (as much as it can) and the haughtiest look imaginable on his face. Mondo has to stifle the snort of laughter that wants to escape at the words, instead focusing on intensifying his Stern Glare (tm).
“Hey, c’mon man. Don’t call him that. Trust me, don’t like the dude any more than you do, but he’s Ki’s da, an’ Ki fricken loves the dude. No clue why, but I don’t want him overhearin’ ya call his old man that sh- stuff an’ gettin’ upset. Dude’s already freaked out enough as it stands. Got it?”
Daiya’s face gets even more pinched at that, but thankfully he just nods sharply, the agreement a relief.
“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry ‘bout it. Wouldn’t wanna make the kid upset. Speakin’ of, where is the dude? Ain’t he usually big on ‘greetin’ guests,’ or whatever?”
Mondo grimaces lightly at the comment, glancing at the kitchen, hoping that Taka didn’t overhear that. He’d never hear the end of it if Taka heard Daiya even slightly comment on the man not being a ‘perfect host’, taking his brother’s polite concern as proof that he has to be perfect at all times or else ‘people will talk.’ Ugh.
“Yeah, but he’s been stressin’ all fricken week over this dinner, an’ he’s currently workin’ on creatin’ the salad. Don’t fricken question him ‘bout it, though, okay? Took me long enough ta calm him down after ya stupidly decided ta arrive twelve fricken minutes early, despite knowin’ how freaked Ki gets over stuff not goin’ perfectly accordin’ ta plan,” Mondo warns, not really upset with his brother, but needing him to realize that he’s being serious here. He can see Daiya frown at the comment, clearly not liking some part of it, but thankfully he doesn’t say anything rude about Taka. Which is good. He’d hate to have to punch his brother in the face to defend his boyfriend’s honor, or something.
“Sorry, man. Ya know I like gettin’ places early if I can. Makes it easier ta get the chair set up ‘fore other people arrive. An’ if I hear one fuckin’ word ‘bout this shit bein’ your fault…” Daiya trails off, lavender eyes intense on him as he glares. It makes Mondo grimace, since he had actually felt a spark of guilt at the comment. Instead, he just shrugs as casually as he can, eyes darting off to the side evasively. Luckily, Daiya continues before the moment can linger too long. “Anyway. Ain’t gotta worry ‘bout that, alright, kid? Know how uppity your boy toy can be, an’ I ain’t gonna do anythin’ that would wind him up. Like the kid, ya know? Might be a bit too much of a brown noser for my tastes, but he’s got a good heart.”
The comment makes Mondo’s nose wrinkle, and he shoots an aggravated look at his brother. Who, of course, just snickers and doesn’t look remorseful at all. Dickhead.
“Don’t fricken call him that, jackass,” Mondo intones, something he’s had to tell his brother countless times. And, considering how Daiya just continues to snicker, he has a feeling he’ll be making similar comments again in the future.
“What? Boy toy, or brown noser?” Daiya questions cheekily. With a scowl, Mondo raises his hand menacingly, the threat in the action obvious. However, before he can even start making good on the unspoken threat, Taka decides that that is the perfect moment to head out into the living room, Mondo dropping his hand immediately. But if he was hoping that Taka somehow didn’t see what he was clearly just about to do, he finds himself sorely disappointed when Taka gives him yet another Stern Glare (tm).
“Mondo Owada! You better not have been about to hit your poor brother just now! I think it’s needless to say that that would be incredibly poor manners of a host!”
Mondo groans loudly at the ridiculously forceful reprimand. He groans even louder when he sees Daiya give him a shit eating grin, which he quickly tempers into a faux upset grimace when Taka turns his attention to him, his brother’s melodramatic fucking hand rising to his melodramatic fucking chest. That melodramatic fucking bastard.
“Yeah, Mon-chan. Ya weren’t ‘bout ta abuse your poor, innocent big bro, were ya? How shameful,” Daiya simpers, the grin returning despite the man’s clear effort to suppress it. With the most vitriolic glare he can muster, Mondo raises his middle finger towards his brother, ignoring the offended noise Taka makes when he sees it.
“Fuck off, ya bastard. Like y’ain’t done hella worse shit ta me over the years. An’ I was defendin’ your honor, babe! Dickhead was callin’ ya names again,” he informs Taka, feeling mildly vindicated at the troubled frown that arises at the information. He also feels kinda bad, though. He didn’t want to upset Taka, after all…
Luckily for them all, rather than continue the argument (which may or may not be exaggerated, Mondo legitimately cannot tell), Taka just sighs, shaking his head with a small half smile on his face.
“I don’t think I will ever understand your relationship with your brother, kareshi,” Taka informs him solemnly, though he does look vaguely amused. Honestly, he doesn’t blame the man for his confusion. Most lonely onlys he’s met don’t understand the strange intricacies of a healthy sibling relationship, where you’ll be grievously insulting each other with the very same breath you pledge your undying love and loyalty to one another. Hell, even some siblings he’s met don’t understand that.
Mondo is about to say something to move the conversation along, thinking that that might be the best course of action, but before he can even open his mouth, the doorbell is ringing once again. And this time, the feeling of apprehension that washes over him is almost crushing.
Turning to look at Taka, his heart sinks to see the panicked terror that has returned on the man’s face. With yet another silent sigh, Mondo heads over towards Taka yet again, hands raising to soothe him. Again.
“Ki. Calm down, babe, it’s gonna be fine. Okay?” is all Mondo says, his own nerves (and having to soothe his boyfriend for the third time in half an hour) making him a bit shorter than he ordinarily would be. Luckily, Taka doesn’t seem to notice, the man just biting his lip as he trembles lightly.
“Yeah, don’t worry ‘bout nothin’, got it, kid? Things’ll go great. Already promised Mon that I’ll be on my best behavior, an’ I’ll tell ya that I can be quite charmin’ when I wanna be,” Daiya chimes in after a moment, Taka still looking hesitant even despite Mondo’s reassurances. He watches as Taka takes a slow, deep breath, before nodding sharply. His face is still paler than it should be, and the smile he plasters on his face is much shakier than he’d like, but at least he’s not spiraling again. Thank fuck.
“Y-yes, of course! I have no doubt about that, Daiya-san, none at all! I just… a-ah. Know my father. That’s all,” Taka claims, voice softer towards the end than it usually gets, the sadness in the tone breaking Mondo’s heart. Before he can reach out and pull his boyfriend into his arms, however, Taka is pulling away, marching determinedly towards the door, not wasting another second. Mondo shares an apprehensive look with his brother, neither of them feeling particularly confident about the upcoming dinner either. While Mondo knows Daiya won’t cause any problems, since his brother has always been the charmer amongst the two of them, he’s not quite as confident in himself to not rise to any potential bait…
But it’s far, far too late to back out now. And as he watches Taka confidently reach out to open the door, he can’t quite squash the panic that fills him, suddenly quite terrified that he’s going to mess this shit up and that Taka is finally going to see how unworthy he is of his overwhelming affection, and that he’ll leave his ass like he deserves, and then he’ll be alone again, and—
“Hey. Hey, breathe Mondo, breathe. C’mon, kid, don’t worry ‘bout a thing, okay? Dinner’ll go fine, y’ain’t gotta worry ‘bout it. Just remember the breathin’ technique sh- stuff we learned ‘bout ages ago, okay? Things’ll be fine,” a low voice mutters to him at the same time a firm hand presses to his back, breaking him out of his own spiral. Darting an eye over towards his older brother, Mondo can’t help the rush of appreciative affection that floods him, a grateful smile on his lips when he sees the worried frown on Daiya’s face. He is unable to take a moment to thank his brother, not when the cheerful greetings at the door finally end and their new guests walk inside, but he swears to himself that he’ll find a way to thank Daiya for this all later. The man more than deserves it after putting up with his bullshit for all of these years.
But that’s something he’ll have to worry about later. For now, he has to plaster on the brightest smile he can muster, despite the roiling that is happening in his stomach when his guests set their sights on him.
“Mondo-san,” a warm, matronly voice calls, before a slight woman with vividly red eyes makes her way over towards him, her lips pulled up into a gentle smile. The look makes his heart clench, the feeling getting infinitely worse when he feels thin arms wrap around his shoulders, pulling him down into the kind of motherly embrace he never received as a child. Fuck.
As much as he adores Taka’s ma (and trust him, he fucking adores this woman. She was the one who welcomed him with open arms when Taka introduced them a year into their friendship, as warm as sunshine, something he’d never had in his own shitty ma), her embraces always leave him feeling mildly uncomfortable. And not because they’re inherently uncomfortable or he doesn’t like them, or anything like that. It’s just… shit. Reminds him of how fucked up his own ma made him. She was always dismissive and cold to him, even before she fully shut down following his da’s horrible abuse, and because of that, anything motherly in general always makes him vaguely uncomfortable and awkward.
But he does his best to fight the discomfort down as he returns the embrace, arms gentle as he wraps them around her petite frame. She pulls back after a few extended beats, her face full of warmth as she looks at him, her hand briefly touching his cheek tenderly before she pulls away fully. It makes his face bloom bright red, eyes darting over to his brother to see his reaction to the exchange, and winces internally when he sees the pinched, somewhat wistful look on his brother’s face. Because… yeah, they both have fucking trauma (as Taka calls it) for how their parents treated them. Sometimes he thinks it was worse for Daiya, though, since his brother actually remembers what it was like when their family was somewhat functional, before their old man lost his job and turned to drugs and alcohol to cope. But he’s getting away from the situation at hand, shit.
Shaking off his trauma, Mondo turns back to his guest and forces another smile on his lips, nodding in acknowledgment of Taka’s ma, who has told him time and time again he can call her by her name if he wants.
“Hey, Kiyoshi-san. It’s, uh. Nice ta see ya again, ma’am,” Mondo says, doing his best to sound as respectful as possible. He used to try and stifle his accent whenever he was around Taka’s parents, but once Kiyoshi found out she gently but firmly told him that he didn’t have to hide his accent from them if he didn’t want to, that they wouldn’t judge him for how he spoke. Taka’s da’s pinched expression told him that that wasn’t quite accurate, but considering he doesn’t give a single shit about what the dude thinks of him, he stopped trying as hard to stifle his accent around them. That doesn’t mean he can’t do his best to sound respectful, though.
“Likewise, Mondo-san. How have things been with you? Is your job going well?” Kiyoshi asks, still smiling as bright as the sun. It’s the same smile her son has, and it never fails to relax him, the mild tension he’d been carrying fading as he shrugs casually, nodding in agreement.
“Yeah, yeah, things have been fine. Job’s a job, so it ain’t perfect, but it’s been goin’ well enough. Up for a promotion soon, if the company gets that new commission they’re hopin’ for, so here’s hopin’,” Mondo claims, shrugging again. He blushes lightly when he hears Kiyoshi gasp happily, before clapping excitedly, the exact same thing Taka always does when he’s excited about something.
“Oh, that’s good news indeed, Mondo-san! Well, Takaaki and I will be rooting for you! Right, dear?” Kiyoshi calls over her shoulder, giving her husband— who has been skulking in the corner up until now—a pointed look. Called out, Mondo watches as Taka’s da— Takaaki, Kiyoshi had insisted he could call him, the man himself not countering it for fear of angering his wife— straightens up, a small scowl on his face that he clearly does his best to smooth over into casual indifference. To minimal success, Mondo thinks with a soft snort.
“Ah. Yes, dear. Of course,” Takaaki replies stiffly, his body as stiff as a board. It honestly makes Mondo smirk a little, somewhat amused at the cop’s obvious discomfort. Somehow, he doubts that Takaaki will ever ‘root for him,’ as it were. But hey, he won’t call the bastard out on it.
Following that exchange, a moment of silence crops up, which feels a little awkward to him, though he’s not entirely sure why. It’s when he sees Kiyoshi’s eyes dart over towards his brother and back quickly that Mondo realizes his mistake and mentally curses at himself for forgetting the ‘guest etiquette’ shit Taka’s been slowly teaching him over the past two years they’ve shared an apartment together. Taking a step back, he gestures over towards his brother, a slightly chagrined smile on his face.
“Oh, I uh, almost forgot. This is my older brother, Daiya Owada. He, uh. Kinda raised me. Daiya, these are Taka’s parents, Kiyoshi and Takaaki Ishimaru-san,” Mondo says, voice only a hint stiff. He’s never been good at this kinda thing, etiquette and shit not exactly something that comes naturally to him, since he sure as shit wasn’t taught it as a kid. His bro did his best to raise him with basic manners (which he ignores more often than not, but always uses when he’s speaking with someone that he thinks deserves his respect, especially older ladies), but the deeper ‘etiquette’ stuff was never part of all of that.
Luckily, no one calls him out on it, as Kiyoshi just turns a bright smile onto his brother, who is already bowing his head respectfully with a charming smile on his face.
“It’s a pleasure ta meet ya both,” Daiya says smoothly, charming as ever. Bastard. “You’re lookin’ radiant today, Ishimaru-san. I’ve heard a lot about ya from my brother, an’ I can see now that everythin’ he’s said is true.”
Mondo watches with mild amusement as Kiyoshi’s cheeks pinken, a pleased smile on her lips as she bows her head respectfully towards Daiya. Heh. Ladies always love Daiya, even more so now that he’s in his chair. Something about the combination of his natural charm and the sympathy (and sometimes pity, though fuck does Daiya hate that shit) they feel towards him making him irresistible or something. Not that Mondo’s bitter about that, of course…
“Oh, you flatterer. Yes, it is really nice to meet you as well, Owada-san. My Taka has spoken of you as well, and I really must commend you for how well you raised your brother. He’s certainly turned out to be a very kind, polite young man. Doing that couldn’t have been easy on you, especially at such a young age,” Kiyoshi says softly, sympathy in her eyes as she looks at Daiya. Mondo also looks over towards his brother and isn’t sure how he feels inside at the startled, somewhat embarrassed look the man has on his face, clearly not having expected the lady to say something like that. Mondo had tried to warn him that Kiyoshi will sometimes make comments like that, the lady somehow able to see into the heart of you and gently comment on your deepest insecurities in a way that is both startling and yet also loving, but it seems his brother hadn’t taken that to heart. Ah well. He’d tried.
“O-oh, uh… ain’t nothin’ big, ma’am. Ain’t like I had much of a choice. What was I s’pposed ta do, let the brat starve? Heh…” Daiya comments haltingly, nothing like the confident charm he’d had a minute ago on his face. It makes Mondo feel oddly vindicated. See, at least he isn’t the only one caught off guard by this lady.
Kiyoshi doesn’t seem to agree with Daiya’s statement, however, a soft, disagreeing hum escaping her lips as she shakes her head gently, her scarlet eyes intent as they look directly at his brother. Mondo almost feels bad for the man. He’s been on the receiving end of that look multiple times, and he can admit that it’s never easy to stomach. But it’s not bad. Not bad at all.
“I would have to disagree, Owada-san. There are always choices in life, and you chose to do right by your brother when you didn’t have to. No one would have blamed you if you hadn’t stepped up the way you did, and yet you chose to do so anyway. It really is commendable. Oh, and please. Call me Kiyoshi.”
A very loaded moment engulfs them all then, Daiya’s eyes wide as he looks at Kiyoshi, a myriad of emotions flashing across his face, the room seeming to hold its breath as they wait for the man to react one way or the other. To Mondo’s private relief, after a minute Daiya seems to settle, a slightly wry smile rising on his lips as he bows his head respectfully. Which is… definitely a relief. While he didn’t think Daiya would explode or anything, as that’s more Mondo’s thing, he knows that his brother often gets embarrassed and upset when someone brings up their unusual upbringing, and he can get a bit snippy and curt afterwards.
“Ya know what? I can definitely understand what Mondo meant about ya now. You’re well met, Kiyoshi-san. An’, uh. Call me Daiya.”
The tension in the room fades away then as the two give each other a pleasant smile, Mondo’s body relaxing to see the pair interacting pleasantly. That’s one down, one to go… and speaking of…
“Hm. As… nice as this is, I was led to believe that there was a dinner involved tonight?” a short, clipped voice calls out, breaking the pleasant atmosphere neatly. Feeling annoyed at the rudeness, Mondo turns to look at the man who spoke, scowling when he sees Takaaki glaring bitterly at his brother. It turns out he’s not the only one to be annoyed, since he can clearly see Kiyoshi also turn to give her husband an icy glare from the corner of his eye, so similar to the one her son always gives him that it almost erases the annoyance. Almost, but not quite.
Before Mondo can snap something at the man that he likely shouldn’t, however, Taka steps forward with wide eyes, making his presence known for the first time since his parents entered the room.
“A-ah! Y-yes, of course, father! Forgive my manners! I have dinner all prepped in the kitchen, so if you all would like to head to the dining room, I can start bringing it out! If you’d like!”
The nervous quality of Taka’s voice concerns Mondo, and he can’t help how he walks over to his boyfriend’s side, not caring that everyone’s staring at him now. Not when Taka gives him a slightly helpless look that fades when Mondo gently takes his hand and squeezes it, a crooked, hopefully reassuring smile on his lips.
“Sounds good, Ki. Need any help bringin’ out the dishes or whatever?” Mondo asks lowly, head tilted in question. Taka’s eyes widen a little, darting to look between his da and Daiya, before shaking his head firmly, Mondo understanding exactly why. Right. Prolly shouldn’t leave the folks unattended together. Shit.
“A-ah! N-no, I should be fine, kareshi, but I appreciate the offer! Why don’t you show my parents and your brother the dining room while I prepare the first course?” Taka asks, voice still sounding nervous, but there’s not much Mondo can do about that now. Nodding slowly, he gently lifts one of Taka’s hands to his lips to kiss it, a show of support more than anything. The way his boyfriend’s shoulders relax at the gesture helps him relax, too, and it’s with a calmer mind that he turns to face the peanut gallery, who are all staring at him with varying expressions on their faces. Ignoring the looks (a somewhat mocking grin from Daiya, an overly saccharine look from Kiyoshi, and a bitter glare from Takaaki), he lets go of Taka’s hands and gestures over towards the direction of their modest dining room.
“Well, ya heard the man. Let’s, uh. Get goin’,” Mondo says awkwardly, hoping he didn’t sound too rude. Judging from the disapproving scowl Takaaki gives him, he likely was, but oh well. Honestly, the man likely would be scowling in disapproval even if he had said the most perfect thing ever, so he’s not overly bothered by it. Kiyoshi doesn’t seem to mind, the lady smiling sweetly at him, and that’s all that matters to him.
As Mondo starts leading the group into the dining room, watching with a hint of reluctance while Taka walks away to the kitchen, he wonders what the hell is going to happen next. While the initial meeting wasn’t quite as bad as Mondo had been fearing, there are still a lot of unknown factors set in play, particularly Takaaki.
But, sadly, it’s far too late to back out now. For better or for worse, they’re in this for the long haul now.
Here’s hoping no one ends the night in a body bag…
~xox~
Mondo sits at the dining room table with his head in his hands, breathing deeply to try and push down the rising headache that seems determined to overwhelm him. The apartment is silent for the first time in what feels like hours, but he can’t quite make himself appreciate the silence. If anything, the quiet feels a little too oppressive. Like it’s a prowling beast, waiting for the right chance to strike. Or something, he doesn’t know. He ain’t no fucking poet.
“Ya know, Mon, I really don’t think it went as bad as you’re makin’ it out ta seem,” a far too casual voice calls out, breaking that mounting silence neatly. It makes him long for the silence to return. Anything but this. Jesus fuck.
Raising his head slowly from his hands, Mondo settles his most vitriolic glare onto his older brother, eyes immediately catching on the shiny new black eye the bastard is sporting. Good, Mondo thinks uncharitably. He fucking deserves it after that goddamn stunt he pulled. Best behavior his fucking ass.
“Oh? Do ya really, Daiya? Do ya really think it coulda gone fuckin’ worse?!” Mondo hisses, eyes on fire as he glares his heart out at his stupid ass brother. Who, by the by, doesn’t look the least bit apologetic. Bastard. “Ya punched a fuckin’ cop in the middle a’ my fuckin’ dinin’ room, ya fuckin’ jackass! What part a’ ‘your best behavior’ was that, huh?! Jesus goddamn Christ!”
For the first time, a look of discomfort passes over Daiya’s face, his brother looking away as he shrugs tightly, something a little like shame in his eyes. Not enough, Mondo thinks. Not nearly enough.
“Yeah, well… in my defense, you invited me over ta a dinner with a fuckin’ cop. The fuck did ya think was gonna happen?” Daiya asks mulishly, wincing when Mondo’s glare gets even stronger. Holding his hands up in a placating manner, Daiya does his best to fix the unfixable damage he caused. Bastard. “Look. Mondo. I’m sorry, alright? I was tryin’ not ta rise ta any bait, but ya heard what that bastard said ‘bout the kids I work with! He called ‘em ‘no good delinquents who are prolly gonna end up in jail!’ The fuck was I s’pposed ta do, fuckin’ nothin’?! Plus, he was right up in my face, so… fuck.”
The more Daiya tries to defend himself, the angrier Mondo feels. Rising up, he takes a menacing step towards his older brother, scowl as deep as the ocean on his face.
“Yeah. Yeah, he did do that. After ya fuckin’ said that all cops are fuckin’ bastards who deserve ta be fuckin’ killed in action,’ ya fuckin’ jackass! Like… fuck, dude! I get it, I ain’t a fan a’ cops either! But I asked ya this one fuckin’ thing, an’ ya couldn’t even fuckin’ do it! Goddamnit, Dai! Now shit’s gonna be all awkward ‘tween me an’ the dude, which is gonna stress Taka the fuck out, which none a’ us fuckin’ need! Just… fuck. Whatever, man. What the fuck ever…”
Running out of steam, Mondo takes a heavy seat at the dining room table again, head returning to his hands, not sure what the fuck he’s gonna do now. He can hear Daiya shuffling awkwardly before him, but he legit doesn’t care. He hates being angry with his brother, but like… fuck. Just… fuck.
And he can’t fully blame his brother. Right? The dinner had been awkward from the get go, none of them knowing how to talk to each other or how to navigate the tense atmosphere. It didn’t help that at one point Kiyoshi— through no fault of her own— had asked his brother about his work as a children’s advocate and had praised him for the work he’s doing to support kids who come from broken families, like they did. While the lady was genuine in her praise, Kiyoshi a children’s therapist herself and thus more inclined to feel admiration for the kind of work his brother does, Mondo knows that his brother has trouble accepting praise for the things he does, much like he, himself does. It’s one of the traits that they sadly share. And while he’d seemed alright at the time, if a bit tense, Mondo knows that the discomfort only led to Daiya feeling more and more uncomfortable as the evening drew on.
It was right after the main course was almost finished that it happened. Mondo had finally started to relax then, as everyone ate the last few bites of their meal, thinking that maybe, just maybe, they’d have been able to get through the entire meal without any major incident. That maybe, just maybe, things would be fine.
But no. No, of course that couldn’t have happened. Instead, Takaaki just had to make a blithe comment about how the police help keep the city safe, his dark grey eyes darting to Daiya when he said it, clearly intending to get a rise from Daiya. And Daiya— already uncomfortable from earlier, thus making his filter looser than it should be— had shot back how the police didn’t make anything safer at all. Which had caused Takaaki to tersely say that without the police, the city would fall to ruin, which led to an argument that kept escalating until Daiya claimed that all cops should die, causing Takaaki to insult Daiya and the work he does with his kids, which, of course, led to Daiya punching Takaaki and Takaaki punching back. Despite everyone else trying to diffuse the situation and keep the peace.
Honestly? Mondo doesn’t know why he thought anything else would occur. Yeah, Daiya can usually keep his cool a lot better than Mondo can, but even his brother has his limits. And… while Mondo would like to blame Takaaki for everything, he kinda can’t. No, Mondo can’t stand the police force and thinks the world would be better off without it, or at least with intense reform. But— through Taka— he does acknowledge that the idea behind the police isn’t inherently bad, and he kinda guesses he can understand why people who support the police would do it. Kinda. Plus, Takaaki is legitimately a decent cop, from what Taka has told him. He will give warnings to people before outright arresting them and will provide information about various resources people can access to help them turn their lives around. Or something like that. Yeah, he perpetuates a deeply flawed system that needs to be redone. But at least he’s trying, right?
Ugh. Mondo doesn’t know. He just knows that tonight was a disaster, and he’ll be lucky if he didn’t just ruin any possible progress that he’s managed to make with Taka’s da. No, they never particularly liked one another, but they’ve been getting better over the years. Hell, Takaaki had actually even given him a genuine compliment on one of the desks he’d made at the hobby store he’s been learning carpentry from once, saying that he thought he had a lot of potential as a carpenter. He’ll never admit it, but he’d actually gotten a tear in his eye at that comment, never having a fatherly type figure praising anything he’s done, ever.
Point is, shit’s a disaster at the moment, and he has no idea what the fuck he’s gonna do now. He can only hope that Taka’s not currently having a panic attack… he took his parents outside to their car to help defuse the situation earlier and has yet to return, which definitely concerns Mondo. It’s been at least five minutes, if not more.
“Look. Mondo. I really am sorry, alright? I didn’t mean ta make shit complicated for ya. What can I do ta make it up ta you?” Daiya asks softly, then, the man legitimately sounding regretful. Which is… something, he guesses. But it doesn’t exactly fix the problem, now, does it?
Before Mondo can figure out how to respond to that, the door opens, a harried looking Taka marching in. Immediately forgetting about his older brother, Mondo stands up and hurries over to his boyfriend, hands out to touch him long before he’s within touching range.
“Well? How’d it go? Is your old man gonna call the fuckin’ cops ‘r somethin’?” Mondo questions a little nervously once he reaches Taka’s side, his hands fitting perfectly upon those lithe hips. Taka gives him a tired yet grateful look, before shaking his head firmly once, which is such a fucking relief, Christ.
“No, no, mother was able to calm him down. She then proceeded to berate him in the parking lot, informing him that he had disappointed her by not being able to ‘keep his cool,’ as it were. By the time she was finished, he looked… ah. Very chagrined,” Taka explains tiredly, a small, humorless half smile on his lips. Shaking his head, he lets out a soft sigh, before leaning forward to rest his forehead against Mondo’s chest. “I can’t say for certain, kareshi, but I think things were able to be defused well enough… father even apologized haltingly to me, saying that he was sorry for being a poor guest. Mother said that they will stop by later this week to try and make up for their behavior tonight, so it seems that they’re willing to accept partial blame for how things went down tonight. Which is… good. I suppose.”
Mondo hums softly in response, wrapping his arms securely around Taka, thinking over what he said. So, at least it wasn’t a complete disaster… yeah, who knows what will happen at their makeup dinner next week, but at least it will only be them, not Daiya as well. And it’s been a while since Mondo got into a serious argument with Takaaki. It’s… something. He guesses.
Taka and Mondo stay in their embrace for several long, peaceful moments, the world around them still and silent for once. But, like all things, it doesn’t last long. And, also like all things, the moment is broken by his good nothing brother. Yes, he’s being a petty little bitch inside his own head. No, he doesn’t fucking care.
“Uh. So, I hate ta break this shit up, but, uh. My ride’s kinda here,” Daiya calls out, his voice thick with discomfort. Good, Mondo thinks uncharitably, looking up at his brother with a disgruntled look. Seeing Daiya’s shamed wince tempers his annoyance somewhat. A little. “C’mon, Mon. I already said I was fuckin’ sorry, alright? An’ I promise I’m gonna make this shit up ta you. I fucked up. I’ll admit that. I promise I’ll find a way ta make it up ta you, little bro. Maybe… ugh. Maybe I can even send the dude somethin’ as an apology. What kinda shit does he like, Taka?”
Taka pulls back from Mondo with a thoughtful hum, putting his hand on his chin and everything as he thinks. Adorable.
“Hmm… that’s hard to say! Father isn’t one for material goods, preferring to spend whatever money he has on necessities. Perhaps you could volunteer your time or money towards a homeless shelter? Father often will spend whatever free time he has volunteering at various homeless shelters in the city, so that would go a long way in smoothing things over with him,” Taka informs, which is actually not something Mondo was aware of about Takaaki. Huh. Interesting.
Daiya also seems to be impressed by the information, his eyebrows raised as he nods thoughtfully, taking the breaks off his chair as he prepares to leave.
“Huh… yeah, that I could do. The chair makes it harder ta do that kinda shit, but I can make it work. Let me know if there’s a specific shelter he prefers, an’ I can do some volunteer work there. Otherwise, I’ll just pick one. I’ve worked with shelters before for some a’ my kids, so I know my way ‘round various shelters. Anyway, I’ll leave the two a’ ya alone now. See ya ‘round, Taka, Mon-chan.”
And then, with that, Daiya is wheeling himself out of their apartment, leaving them alone at last.
“I mean. I suppose it really could have gone worse,” Taka muses after several weighty moments, breaking the oppressive silence that had cropped up following his brother’s departure. Snorting, Mondo gives Taka a Look, his eyebrow raised condescendingly and everything.
“Yeah. But it sure as shit could have gone better,” he comments, though he thinks that’s the understatement of the century. But hey. What’s a family get together without at least one black eye, is he right?
“Well. At least my mother seemed to get along well with your brother, right? Of course, she wasn’t very impressed by the fighting, but I believe she blames father more than your brother,” Taka informs him with a sigh, taking a heavy seat on their couch. Mondo follows after a second later, sitting with a groan, honestly relieved that that shit is over. And, if they’re lucky, they’ll never have to do that shit again.
“Yeah, yeah. Honestly, Kiyo, I don’t wanna talk ‘bout this shit anymore. Wanna watch somethin’ on TV ta get our minds off of this shit?” Mondo questions, grabbing the remote preemptively, since he’s fairly certain Taka will agree. While the man still isn’t the biggest fan of ‘wasting time’ watching TV and movies, he’s willing to put up with it from time to time if Mondo wants to. And, like he expected, Taka nods gingerly after a moment of thought, nestling close to his side as they settle in to watch some mindless anime garbage to take their minds off of their family drama.
So, yeah. It didn’t go perfectly, it’s safe to say. But, at the end of the day… it doesn’t really matter. Not as long as he has Taka in his arms, safe and sound, still in love with him. As long as he has that? Then nothing else matters.
Simple as that.