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artekai · 3 years

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dojiruki vampire/researcher au?????????????? 👀👀👀👀👀👀 (i'm already weak for vampire aus............. but with this ship???????? OvO) i would like to know more................

HONESTLY IT IS A CRIME THAT I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING FOR THIS AU CAUSE IT'S IS SO DEAR TO ME <3

Under the cut cause this got unexpectedly long oh lord

Okay, okay, so it's not an AU as much as it's a mess of vaguely related ideas I've been trying to organize into something coherent for over a year BUT it’s a slice-of-life-y slow burn and basically the gist of it is that Takuto is a supernatural researcher who gets captured by Dojima for blood.

Dojima has no interest in humans and avoids them whenever he can, but he needs to feed Nanako somehow, and Takuto is the perfect target because Dojima doesn't like supernatural researchers very much. He says that their research makes monster hunters' jobs easier, thus putting Nanako in danger. Takuto begs and cries for his life, insisting that he isn't affiliated with monster hunters, but Dojima doesn't listen, until both of their screams wake up Nanako, who walks in on them and instantly becomes fascinated by Takuto, because she was born a vampire and barely gets to see any humans due to Dojima's rules about staying away from them except for feeding purposes.

So, Nanako looks at Takuto and goes, "Whoa, a real human! :O :O Aww, he's cute! :D But he looks so scared... :(( Can we keep him? :3" and Takuto is like "GOD YES yes yes I'm very cute and very scared please let me go - wait WHAT?!"

Fortunately, Dojima is like "uh. no. that's a whole ass human right there. I'll get you a wolf or something instead." But Nanako keeps saying that she wants the human because they can talk and do tricks, so, eventually, he manages to strike a deal by telling her that they can't keep a human as a pet, but he'll spare Takuto's life and release him into the wild.

And so, Takuto gets kicked out and Dojima warns him to never come back again because he won't be so merciful next time.

Of course, Takuto does what any sane, rational person would do in that situation. He writes about his encounter in his diary and then goes back to the Dojimas! :D

For some reason, he has decided that Dojima's place is a prime spot for some field research, and that, if he gets captured again, he can just exploit Dojima’s soft spot for Nanako to save himself. He tries to sneak in as silently as possible, but, because vampires have amazing senses, of course he gets caught, first by Nanako (who doesn't tell on him, of course) and then by Dojima, who, despite his threats, has no option but to kick him out again, because Nanako is watching. However, Takuto is very persistent, and the same happens a couple more times (I'm assuming he only sneaks in at night, at a time when it's guaranteed that Nanako will be around), until he realizes that sneaking in isn't working for him, so he begins trying a more aggressive approach, with more traditional methods to ward off vampires, like garlic. His attempts fail, though, and Dojima calls him a joke of a researcher ("If you had told me you were a fraud, I would've let you go a lot sooner"), which only makes him want to set his research right even more.

Anyways, Takuto's repeated attempts wear Dojima off to the point where he reluctantly accepts that this lowkey masochistic human coming over every other day is just a thing that happens now, I guess. Don't get me wrong, he's still tough on Takuto, scolds him for the tiniest things, and doesn't like that he's a researcher, but at least he doesn't want to suck his blood anymore because he does have a personal policy about only feeding off bad people, and, now that he has seen more of Takuto being a dumbass who can't defend himself, he feels hesitant to try to kidnap him again. Like... what harm can he even do? He’s a dork and a weakling. Besides, there’s also the fact that Dojima hasn’t seen Nanako so happy in a while... (she's. very lonely ;-;) And, the more Takuto keeping coming back, the more he bonds with Nanako (especially when Dojima is away), which means that, if Dojima were to hurt him now, it would just break Nanako’s heart even more...

Eventually, as he reluctantly gets more and more used to Takuto's presence, he just begins letting him in, much to Nanako's excitement. He’s tired of going through all of the song and dance of having to play hide and seek with him and threaten him with murder, so he might as well just leave him alone. Besides, if Takuto ever steps out of line, Dojima can still take him pretty easily. And, on the other hand, he is kinda curious as to why Takuto keeps coming back, or, rather, why is this research so important to him that he's willing to put his life on the line like this for it.

Okay, so at this point Takuto is really close to becoming part of the family. He starts joining the Dojimas for dinner, observing their behavior from up close, asking questions, and making notes, helps them with chores, keeps them company, and begins earning their trust until he practically finds himself babysitting Nanako whenever Dojima is away.

So, Takuto and Nanako develop a symbiotic relationship where Takuto answers Nanako's questions about humans and, in turn, she answers his questions about vampires (which Dojima is reluctant to answer). She's still young and isolated from supernatural creatures other than her dad, so she only knows so much, but, of course, as a primary source, her input is still infinitely valuable to Takuto. As for Nanako, she's fascinated by the human snacks and human food that Takuto brings with him, so she becomes interested in learning human recipes, and that’s how they start cooking together :)

(Well, part of the reason why she's interested is because she still kinda sees Takuto as a stray animal and wants to feed him, but give her a break, she's trying, she still has to unlearn all of Dojima's conditioning cause he deliberately taught her that humans were an inferior species that's only valuable for their blood T-T)

Okay, but, the more Takuto hangs out with the Dojimas, and the more Dojima sees him and Nanako acting like a family, the more he warms up to Takuto, until he even asks him to come over himself. Of course, he says that it's for Nanako's birthday, that he wants Takuto to be there because his presence makes her happy, but, on the other hand, you don't invite someone over for your kid's birthday unless you want them for be there, am I right?

Anyways, one night Takuto cooks some gyoza and the enticing smell brings back memories for Dojima, so, in a rare moment of vulnerability, he admits that he doesn’t let him hang around just because it makes Nanako happy, but that he actually enjoys Takuto’s company too (he’s. also very lonely ;-;). He finally opens up to him, telling him that he appreciates all of his help around the house, and he reveals that the reason he's such a cringe fail vampire that couldn't even follow through with his threats towards Takuto is that he used to be a human not too long ago. He’s so overprotective of Nanako and unsure of of his parenting skills because he had to figure out how to raise a vampire all on his own after Chisato (the vampire who turned him) died. I dunno when he was turned exactly, but it was probably shortly before her death, but, either way, that explains why he had a more down to earth view of humans, as opposed to Nanako.

(Not to mention that he might’ve also sympathized with Takuto over his loss of Rumi... I think Dojima generally sees a lot of the human part of him in Takuto)

In any case, Nanako tells Takuto that the reason Dojima is so wary of humans is that they were the ones who killed Chisato, and she makes him promise that he won't hurt them, cause he’s different to other humans, and both of them like him a lot :)

And, well. Takuto feels icky about his research now :)

At this point, the Dojimas barely see him as a source of food, if at all, and he barely sees them as an object of research, so he has begun questioning if publishing his paper is worth it. Technically, he doesn’t need their consent to study them because they’re not human, but.... that’s literally his boyfriend and his daughter... his research might be important to him, but he can’t sell out his family for it!

Okay, so here’s where the mess of vaguely related ideas I mentioned comes into play, because I’m not really sure how Takuto’s research fits into the grand scheme of things and how that affects the plot. My initial idea was that he used to work for Wakaba until she died, and thus honoring her memory is a huge part of the reason why he’s so intent on finishing his paper even if it costs him his life (he thinks it’s honorable that Wakaba gave her life for science and that anything less than that would be unacceptable for him when she’s such an inspiration for his work), but now I’m considering letting Wakaba live so that she can encourage Takuto to continue his research when he starts having doubts about it. Either way, Takuto starts questioning her methods and her intent after bonding with the Dojimas, cause. you know. let’s not forget she’s a mad scientist on her own right <3

Oh, and I guess I forgot to mention there was initially supposed to be a political subplot where Namatame and Shido are running for office and they both have their eyes on Takuto, cause Namatame wants to hire him and Shido wants to kill him for his research. Namatame is also a well-known monster hunter who thinks Takuto is on his side, but the bigger threat here is Shido, of course, With him on Takuto’s trail, it’s only a matter of time until his supporters track him down and find out about the Dojimas, which can’t end well... But, to be honest, I think I’ll probably scrap that entire subplot because it feels out of place within the overarching narrative, even though I do like the idea of Dojima entrusting Takuto with Nanako’s care so they can run away while he holds them back, since he’s the only one who stands a chance...

Anyways! What I mean to say is that the main issue here is that I don’t have an ending and I thought that adding some external conflict could fix it, but I haven’t been able to get that to work either ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’m. not good at external conflict cause I’m too much of a sucker for internal conflict lol. Either way, everything else is extraneous haha, the main focus is the love story between Dojima and Takuto and their respective arcs as Dojima overcomes his fear and his prejudices against humans and learns to open up while Takuto overcomes his prejudices against supernatural creatures and starts reflecting upon his own morality and what he truly wants out of life. And so the moral of the story is that Nanako is the number 1 Dojiruki shipper ever and we owe everything to her. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk :)

#ask tag #weavingmemories #deni's stuff #vampire au #dojiruki #dojiruki vampire/researcher au #new day new rarepair #vampire!dojima #vampire!nanako #A DOJIRUKI ASK OMG YES I AM GONNA SCREAM T-T #THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING ILY <3 #this ask made me unreasonably happy T-T i got to ramble about my beloveds... my precious rarepair otp... <3 #i care my silly little daydreaming au so much :') i've had it for so long and it isn't getting anywhere but idc idc #i just love my precious dojiruki family and want to see them be soft and happy together hhhhhhhhhhh :')#sorry that this au doesn't lean into the fantasy elements so much ;-; but hey! dojima turns into a bat and drinks blood!#takuto eventually lets him drink his blood.... for research purposes of course #wdym he's falling in love? he's a researcher with a perfectly normal and platonic interest in his object of study!!!#i spent so much time typing this i had to take a break omg #totally worth it ^^#you can see me freely borrowing elements from the beauty and the beast and hotel transylvania cuz no one can stop me lol #maybe this au should just end with the dojiruki family running away to transylvania and founding hotel transylvania lmao #*looks at hotel transylvania* i can fix him. he just needs more dojiruki #and you know what would add more spice? some side adarumi. cuz dojiruki + adarumi is a god tier ship combination #for a while i considered adarumi in the background with adachi being a vampire with beef with the dojimas...#but AGAIN it just interfered with the main plot. as cool as it sounds it doesn't fit in with the story i'm trying to tell </3 #anyways THANK YOU :)#and i hope you enjoy the dissertation i wrote for you <3 #i'm very sorry it got so long i just got excited :(

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artekai · 3 years

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Chapters: 1/2 Fandom: Persona 4, Persona 5 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dojima Ryotaro/Maruki Takuto Characters: Dojima Ryotaro, Maruki Takuto Additional Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Character Study, Self-Reflection, Psychological Trauma, Rain, Driving, driving anxiety, Cars, Car Accidents (mentioned), Canonical Past Character Death, mental health stigma, Denial of Feelings, Pre-Slash, Post-Canon, Persona 4 Spoilers, Fear of Death

Summary:

It was raining, back when Chisato died. It was raining, back when the murders started. It was raining, back when Nanako got kidnapped.

It is raining now. ---- Ryotaro won’t admit it, but his past can still get the best of him from time to time. Unluckily (or, perhaps, luckily) for him, Maruki is persistent enough to break through his walls.

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artekai · 2 years

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That quiz called me out bc this is exactly how I treat Dojiruki 90% of the time lol

#ramble #dojiruki #new day new rarepair #i can still squeeze more trauma out of these two old men!!#oh but when i say i will make them talk about their feelings i don't mean their feelings on each other #oh no that's gonna take a long time to come out #it's because they're both like #i miss my wife tails #and then they turn around and are like #is it insensitive to tell him i'm in love with him after what happened to his wife??#haha these two have a lot to work out before pursuing a romantic relationship with each other!

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artekai · 3 years

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I may be a bit addicted to this

#adajimaruki #adaruki #adajima #dojiruki #there's a bit of everything tbf #prompts #ramble #new day new rarepair

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artekai · 3 years

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Wait just saw ur pinned post and now I HAVE to ask how maruki is being inserted into p4 ABDHDJFJ

SO GLAD YOU ASKED

ASDFSHFG OKAY where to start?

I must have some kind of curse because whenever I try to write a fic I cannot physically resist the urge to put Maruki in it. So every time I start writing a P4 fic it feels like the how do you do fellow kids meme except it’s Maruki going “how do you do, fellow Persona 4™ characters?” This is funny in my head.

I also have tons of crossover ships involving Maruki and P4 characters (okay, they’re only three, but three crossover ships are three sources of pain too many), so it makes sense to put him in P4 so he can interact with them, right?

Usually, the way I put him where I want him to be is very basic. I just say that, after P5R, he moved to Inaba to get a fresh start in life. There, he meets Dojima and falls in love and gets married and becomes Nanako’s father and has a family of his own and they LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

(Hi there, hello, I’m the CEO of Dojiruki, nice to meet you :] )

But, well, using a post-canon setting ensures that neither him or the P4 characters can interfere with the main plot of the games.

HOWEVER, one of my fics, Tristitia, takes place during the main plot of P4 in an AU where everything is the same except Maruki is there and is dating Namatame. Well, they’re not dating, but it’s not really platonic either, it’s complicated. To be fair, though, Maruki doesn’t really affect the plot there, because he’s not close to any of characters (besides Namatame) and the whole fic is basically just Maruki reacting to Nanako’s kidnapping, combined with a bit of a character study and comparing and contrasting him and Namatame.

So, moving on. I do have an AU where Maruki plays a huge part in the plot of P4 and that is the Adaruki Roleswap AU, which is exactly what it sounds like. Maruki and Adachi are swapped, so Maruki is Dojima’s partner and the Inaba murderer while Adachi is Shujin’s counselor and can bend reality to his whim during the third semester. It’s the most elaborate AU in this list but it’s pretty half-baked, mostly because I cannot figure out Maruki’s motives for murder and Adachi’s motives to NOT murder the Phantom Thieves during the third semester.

Still, it’s a fun idea to toy around with, and I’ve written two fics about Maruki interacting with the P4 setting in this scenario, Credit Where It’s Due and Pink Alligator in a Forest of Green. I don’t consider any of those as strictly “canon” to the main plot of the AU, because that was just me playing around and seeing what I could do with the idea of Maruki being Dojima’s partner, but he gets to interact with six year old Nanako in the second one, so that’s nice :3

A similar AU that I haven’t talked about but that has been on my mind for a long time is the Dojiruki Roleswap AU. That one doesn’t change much in P4, only the Hierophant SL, but it’s also half-baked because I have no clue what to do with Nanako’s kidnapping since she’s not in Inaba but in Tokyo with Dojima. And, when it comes to the P5R side of things, Dojima’s reality bending shtick is a whole other can of worms. He should be easier to figure out than Adachi because at least he cares about people’s wellbeing, but that doesn’t mean it’s not gonna take a lot of planning too.

Maruki is still a counselor in this one, but I was thinking that Dojima could maybe be Akiren’s probation officer? We’ll see.

Oh, and I know we’re talking about Maruki and not Rumi, but I thought this might be relevant since we’re talking about P4 x P5R crossovers. In the Phantom Thief Rumi AU, the plot kicks off when Rumi moves out of her grandparents’ and moves to Inaba. But this AU is in its very early stages so I probably shouldn’t say much because else I might end up spoiling the whole plot :)

Anyways, I guess I just have a thing for putting Maruki and Rumi in Inaba and seeing how they interact with the setting and the other characters. Probably because P5R came out right in the middle of my P4 phase, haha :)

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artekai · 3 years

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Please consider the Dojiruki 👉👈

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artekai · 3 years

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As Far as I’m Concerned

Fandom: Persona 4 x Persona 5 Royal

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: Dojima Ryotaro/Maruki Takuto

Summary: Half the time, Ryotaro doesn’t know what’s going through Takuto’s mind. But, even so, he’ll always be there for his husband, no matter what.

(Dojima comforts Maruki after a nightmare)

// Read on AO3 //

For @personararepairweek day 4: Hurt/Comfort / Future (Though, technically, this could fit the “future” prompt too)

In the dead of night and in a small, quiet town like Inaba, the sounds of muffled crying were all the more noticeable. At first, Ryotaro’s sleep was interrupted only due to the sound itself, but he became more alert as soon as he realized where it was coming from. He stirred in his futon, let out a groan, which made the crying stop instantly, and forced himself to fully wake up.

After rubbing his eyes to wipe the sleepiness off them, he saw a shadow sitting crossed-legged at the edge of the futon. Considering the outline of the figure’s silhouette and the empty space next to Ryotaro, it could only be one person.

“Takuto?” Ryotaro asked, his groggy voice making him sound more inconvenienced than he would’ve liked. “What are you doing up at this hour?”

Takuto sighed, as he lifted one of his arms, presumably to scratch his head or place his hand against his forehead. “Ah, darling, I’m sorry... I woke you up…”

“Doesn’t matter. What’s wrong?”

Takuto hesitated, but, after some careful consideration, he shook his head, still not turning to look at Ryotaro. After a few more beats of silence, he answered.

“Nothing.” He said. “It’s okay, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine.”

Ryotaro frowned. “I can hear you’re obviously not fine. Tell me, what’s wrong?”

“Ryou, please, I didn’t mean to upset you. Everything’s alright.” Breathing in deeply, he turned his head towards a wall as if searching for a distraction to try and clear his head. “I just need a glass of water and I’ll be alright.”

Takuto moved to stand up, but Ryotaro caught his arm on time and brought him back onto the futon, pulling him closer with a “c’mere.” He grabbed Takuto’s shoulders and tried to position him so that they could both be comfortable, but every movement was awkward, as Takuto was strangely stiff. He tried to adjust himself, but he seemed to be purposely avoiding having to face Ryotaro, which made everything even more difficult.

It wasn’t long until Ryotaro figured out why he was acting that way. Takuto didn’t want him to look at his face, because, from up close, it was even more obvious that he had been crying; his cheeks were damp with tears and he had a heartbroken glint in his eyes that quickly turned into guilt under Ryotaro’s scrutinizing gaze.

“You’re having nightmares again, aren’t you?”

Takuto’s eyes narrowed, as he looked away from Ryotaro, and nodded almost imperceptibly.

It wasn’t much of a surprise. Every now and then, Takuto had nightmares that varied in intensity, that came and went in waves that couldn’t be predicted. After a couple of years of living together, Ryotaro had come to expect this kind of stuff to happen every once in a while, given Takuto’s turbulent past, so he already knew what to watch out for and how to react.

Although Ryotaro was mostly unaware of the contents of these nightmares, he could clearly see that they caused Takuto a lot of distress. His brain probably had a lot of material to work with, considering everything that Takuto had been through, while also factoring in the supernatural element... Ryotaro couldn’t even begin to imagine the kind of Lovecraftian horrors they featured, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to, to be honest.

That was worrying in and out of itself, but Ryotaro’s concern was only exacerbated by the fact that Takuto kept insisting on dealing with his nightmares by himself, instead of reaching out for help.

Ryotaro let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Takuto, you know you don’t have to deal with everything on your own. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s late and you have to get up early for work tomorrow, so I didn’t want to trouble you…” Takuto dipped his head. “But I guess that, in the end, I still did. I’m so sorry…”

He trailed off, his voice breaking with the last few words. Unable to resist anymore, he leaned in, buried his face into Ryotaro’s chest, and let the other man wrap his arms around his body. He gritted his teeth, his breathing hitching as he struggled to keep himself together, but a pained hiss escaped him despite his best efforts to choke back his tears.

“No need to apologize.” Ryotaro said, stroking Takuto’s back in a soothing motion. “Just… tell me when something’s wrong. I know you think it’s a pain, but it’s not. I love you, Takuto, and I wanna help you however I can. That’s what family is for.”

“You’re right.” Takuto whispered, not returning the embrace but gladly melting into it. “Keeping my problems to myself never turned out well for me, or for anyone around me.” He sucked in a breath and chuckled wryly. “I’m such a fool...”

“Hey.” Ryotaro softly pushed Takuto away so he could gaze into his eyes. “Things happen. People make mistakes. It’s okay.”

Takuto gave him a half-hearted smile, before falling over Ryotaro’s chest like a rag doll. He rested against Ryotaro, taking in as much of his warmth as possible, as he placed his arms around Takuto once again. Over the course of a few minutes, Takuto began to tremble in soft spasms, as it got harder to hold the pain in, until he let out a pitiful sob that broke Ryotaro’s heart.

“It’s okay.” He muttered. “Everything’s okay now. I’m here if you wanna talk.”

He knew that he probably wouldn’t, because it hurt him to talk about those nightmares of his, but the offer itself meant a lot to Takuto regardless. Ryotaro understood how important it was, too; after all, Takuto was a reserved person who hated burdening others, so he often needed to be reminded that there were people around him who did care about him and who truly wanted to help him.

“Nnh… It’s one of those migraines...”

Ryotaro perked up at Takuto’s voice. That was a problem he could solve.

“Hold on, I’ll go get an aspirin.” He said, letting go of Takuto, shifting on the futon, and turning away from him. “Don’t move.”

“Ah, w-wait!”

Takuto reached out, grabbed Ryotaro’s shoulder, and pushed him down, preventing him from standing up. He pressed his forehead against Ryotaro’s back, his nose prodding against his skin, as his free hand clutched his arm, leaving the other man in an awkward position that he found he didn’t mind at all.

“P-Please. Stay.” Takuto mumbled against Ryotaro’s back. “I need to make sure this is real.”

Ryotaro couldn’t help but smile fondly, even though he knew Takuto couldn’t see him. “It’s okay.” He said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Ryotaro simply sat there, in silence, listening to the rhythm of Takuto’s soft but broken breathing, which gradually evened out over time. The hand around Ryotaro’s wrist was cold and the grip was tight, but it loosened up over time as Takuto grew more relaxed.

Takuto swallowed audibly in the stillness of the night, before whispering, “... Ryotaro?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you… satisfied with this reality?” Takuto spoke slowly, threading through his words carefully. “The one we’re in right now?”

“Takuto...” Ryotaro let out a sigh, rubbing at his temple. “Look. As far as I’m concerned, this is the reality where we are a family, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.”

The grip around Ryotaro’s wrist tightened again, as Takuto’s voice took on a sharp, pointed tone. “Are you sure?” He asked. “I understand that there’s a lot that I can’t provide, no matter how hard I try, so there’s no need to lie to spare my feelings.”

Ryotaro huffed. He looked over his shoulder with a smile. “Are you calling me a liar?”

Takuto’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, not at all! I just want to know if you’re a hundred percent sure. Our lives might not be perfect, but I want you to be happy… even if it’s not by my side.”

“What?” Ryotaro grimaced, shifting in place to face Takuto head-on. “I am happy with the way things are right now. And, of course, I can’t speak for Nanako, but she seems happy too. You don’t have to do more than you’re already doing.” He reached up with one hand, gently cupping Takuto’s cheek. “I mean it.”

Takuto placed his own hand over Ryotaro’s and melted into his touch, his eyelids sliding shut. He breathed in and out, in and out, enjoying the soothing silence of the night, before he let out a strangled noise. “Thank you for saying that.” He muttered, his voice cracking. “You always know what to say.”

“Come on now. I’m still figuring this out.” Ryotaro said. “You know there’s not much I can do about stuff like this, other than to be here and lend you an ear.”

Takuto’s eyes fluttered open, gazing at him with either a lovestruck or sleepy expression. “Oh, no, Ryou, that’s alright.” He whispered, as he gave Ryotaro’s hand a soft squeeze. “That’s all I could ever ask for.”

Ryotaro couldn’t help but shake his head at that, as he brushed his fingers over Takuto’s forehead, sweeping the hair out of his husband’s face. “Heh, you’re saying cheesy crap again.”

“Well, it might sound cheesy, but it’s true.”

Ryotaro smiled, amused at Takuto’s adorable mannerisms and corny lines. “Aaaand you did it again.”

Takuto returned the smile in spite of himself, knowing full well he was guilty as charged. “Hey, if you want me to take your word at face value, I need you to take mine too. That includes all of the cheesy lines too, you know.”

“Okay, that’s fair.” Ryotaro shrugged, still absorbed in his task. Once he had successfully swept Takuto’s unruly bedhead to the side, he put a hand behind his husband’s head, and leaned in to press a kiss against his forehead. “If you’re feeling better, we should go to sleep. We have work tomorrow.”

“Ah, of course, yes!” Takuto said, right before a yawn escaped him, as if on cue. “... Let’s go back to sleep now.”

Takuto scooted away to make room for Ryotaro, since they had both moved towards the latter’s side of the futon, and laid down with a sigh. After rearranging his pillow, Ryotaro settled next to Takuto, who turned towards him and coyly wrapped his arms around his waist, placing his head over Ryotaro’s chest.

“Good night, darling.” He mumbled, eyes already closed. “Sweet dreams.”

Ryotaro smiled. “‘Night.” He said, briefly admiring Takuto’s peaceful expression before closing his eyes as well. “Sleep well, love.”

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artekai · 3 years

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A Pink Alligator in a Forest of Green

Fandom: Persona 4 x Persona 5 Royal

Rating: General Audiences

Characters: Dojima Ryotaro, Maruki Takuto, Dojima Nanako, and Narukami Yu

Pairing: Dojima Ryotaro/Maruki Takuto

Summary: Dojima comes home from work to find Yu and Maruki helping Nanako with her homework. Coincidentally, he also has some pending business with Maruki, so he takes the chance to have a private talk with his work partner.

// Read on AO3 //

For @personararepairweek day 1: Roleswap / Hanahaki AU

In this AU, Maruki is swapped with Adachi, but the main pairing is Dojima x Maruki.

On one of those rare days when Dojima just so happened to go home earlier, he ran across a rather pleasant surprise. At first, he thought it was weird that he wasn’t greeted with an enthusiastic “Welcome home!” as soon as he walked through the door, but he soon realized that the reason why no one had been alerted to his presence was that they were all engulfed in a story that someone was reading out loud.

“... And so no one remembered the pink alligator.”

Dojima instantly recognized the narrator’s voice. It belonged to Maruki, his junior partner, who had left the station a couple hours before him, and who, apparently, was now hanging out in his house while he was away. It didn’t bother him, as Maruki had been there many times before, but it would’ve been nice to get a heads-up in advance.

Dojima took off his shoes and hung back to listen in for a bit.

“Even today, the lake is shining the way it always did.” Maruki put the book down audibly. “The end.”

“Aww…” Nanako cooed. “That’s so sad…”

“It is.” He said. “It’s hard to believe they are asking you to read this at school. It’s way too upsetting for a children’s book.”

That’s when Yu decided to cut in. “It wasn’t all bad. The alligator had a positive impact on the other animals’ lives, even if he didn’t realize it.”

“Well, I’m glad that’s what you took away from it,” Maruki said, “But, after everything he went through, don’t you think that the alligator deserved a happy ending?”

“Uh huh!” Nanako protested. “He was very lonely, and he just wanted friends.”

“No, I agree with you, Nanako.” Yu scrambled to correct himself. “No one deserves to go through that. However, I think that the moral of the story is that all of us can help make the world a better place, even if we don’t realize it yet.”

“Of course, I get where you’re coming from.” Maruki said. “Still, I can only imagine the amount of guilt that the alligator had to deal with after what happened to the bird…”

At that moment, Dojima decided it was time to make his entrance, so he stepped into the living room, announcing himself. “I’m home!”

“Dad!” Nanako said, her face brightening up with a wide grin. “Welcome home!”

They were all sitting around the low table, with the book placed over it, and the TV was turned off. The atmosphere seemed cozy, strangely easy-going, and definitely more homely than whenever Dojima arrived at a silent house only to get a few hours of sleep and be on his way before Yu and Nanako woke up.

“Ah, Dojima-san!” Maruki said. “Good evening. I’m sorry for coming over without first asking for your permission, but Narukami-kun invited me and I couldn’t exactly turn him down.”

“It’s fine.” Dojima waved it off, as he approached the group. “What were you up to?”

Maruki tilted his head towards the table. “We’ve been helping Nanako-chan with her homework.”

“Hmhm.” Nanako nodded. “I had to read this book and get a mark from a grown-up saying that I did it.” She turned towards Maruki. “Can I get a mark now?”

“Of course! You did a great job.” He smiled, but then he looked at Dojima out of the corner of his eye and reconsidered. “Although… Wouldn’t you prefer to get a mark from your father, since he got here just in time?”

Nanako frowned. “But you promised!”

“Well,” Dojima said, plopping down on the couch with a sigh. “I can’t exactly give her a mark if I wasn’t here while you guys were reading.”

“That’s a good point.” Maruki turned back to Nanako. “Fine, I’ll give you one. Where should I sign?”

She handed him the slip of paper where the instructions of assignment were presumably written. He slipped a pen out of his suit pocket, but hesitated, glancing at Nanako. She smiled, encouraging, and he returned the gesture before drawing a smiley face neatly and giving the piece of the paper back.

“Is that alright, Nanako-chan?”

“Yay! I like it!” She said. “Thank you, Maruki-san!”

He chuckled. “Glad I could help!”

Dojima sat back and watched the whole exchange fondly, thinking that Maruki would be a great father to Nanako. He already had an idea to show his appreciation for his partner, but seeing him help Nanako with her homework with so much glee only cemented Dojima’s decision in his mind.

After that, the evening passed by fairly quickly. For once, Dojima managed to kick back a little and enjoy the pleasant chat he had with his daughter, his nephew, and his partner while they had dinner together. They watched some TV, commenting on it occasionally, and then Dojima sent Nanako to bed, tucking her in and everything. It felt kinda weird, given that he was rarely ever home these days and that Chisato used to be the one who tucked Nanako into bed, but he found himself enjoying the closeness. Things around the house had definitely started to feel different since Yu had arrived, and he was beginning to open up little by little. Even if facing her was still a bit painful, he had missed those small moments he spent together with Nanako more than he had initially thought…

By the time Dojima went back downstairs, he realized that Maruki was having a serious conversation with Yu, judging by the tone of his voice. They were now standing near the entrance, as if Maruki was getting ready to leave.

“... It’s for your own good.” He said. “The last thing I want is for you to get hurt.”

“Who’s getting hurt?” Dojima asked.

“Oh, nobody, hopefully.” Maruki knitted his brows. “I was only advising Narukami-kun to stay away from crime scenes. There haven’t been any more murders since spring, but we can never be too safe. Isn’t that right, Dojima-san?”

“Yeah.” Dojima glared at Yu. “If you won’t take it from me, at least take it from Maruki.”

He had warned Yu to stay out of the murder case time and time again, but he didn’t seem to be getting through to him. Of course, Dojima’s warnings always sounded more like an interrogation or a reprimand than like a friendly piece of advice, so maybe he would listen to Maruki, who was the opposite; always approachable and overly youthful.

Maruki placed his hand on his chest, his voice dripping with sympathy. “I understand that you’re worried, but it’s best for everyone if you leave the case to us.”

Yu was quiet, as usual, but there was something unnatural about it. He stared at Maruki a little too intently, a little too distrustfully, as if he wanted to take his words at face value but knew he couldn’t.

However, Maruki didn’t waver, as his concerned frown was still plastered onto his face. “By hanging around crime scenes, not only are you putting yourself in danger, but also on the police’s radar. I don’t think you’re suspicious, but I wouldn’t want to see you or any of your friends getting into unnecessary trouble.” Maruki’s tone then softened. “Will you promise to at least try to stay safe?”

Yu closed his eyes. “I’ll try.”

“Good.” Maruki nodded, before an idea struck him. “Oh, I almost forgot! I also meant to ask you not to overwork yourself with school and part-time jobs. You’ve been taking on a lot of responsibilities, but you should be hanging out with your peers and enjoying yourself. Make the most of your stay in Inaba while you are still here.”

“Come on…” Dojima said. “He’s got a lot of energy at his age, so he should put that to a good use. I’m sure he knows his limits.”

Dojima didn’t get why a hard worker like Maruki seemed to be in a constant quest to promote laziness, but that was his way of showing how much he cared for Yu. Not like the kid would take that advice seriously, given how many activities he had packed into his schedule. He really did take after his mother… and Dojima, to some extent.

“Dojima-san is right.” Yu said. “I’ll be fine.”

Yu then proceeded to dismiss himself to go to his room. The three of them exchanged their good nights before he went upstairs.

Maruki took that as the cue to take his leave. “I should get going as well.”

He turned around, but Dojima grabbed his wrist before he could make for the door. “Hey, not so fast. I need to have a word with you.”

Maruki glanced at him over his shoulder, his eyes widening. “Is something wrong?”

“No, don’t worry. This won’t take long.”

Maruki hesitantly stepped back, as Dojima made his way towards one of the kitchen cabinets, opened it, and produced an object so quickly that Maruki didn’t get the chance to see what it was until he had planted it over the table. Dojima leaned back to witness Maruki’s reaction when he saw the gift: it was a purple mug, similar to the ones Nanako, Yu, and Dojima himself had.

“Here. This is for you.”

Maruki could only gape, clearly having been caught off-guard, and he stared at the mug in shock. “Dojima-san…!”

“You’re officially part of the family now.” Dojima smiled. “Swing by whenever you want.”

“I can’t…” Maruki shook his head. “I can’t accept this.”

“Why not? You’ve been looking out for Yu and Nanako, and I’m very thankful for that.” He then paused, realizing that Maruki might not be as excited about the compromise as him. “Uh… Do you want me to show my gratitude some other way?”

Maruki broke out of his reverie, putting his hands up and shaking them in denial. “Oh, no, no, it’s okay! I’m not uncomfortable, only surprised! In fact, I’m flattered, because I know this means a lot to you -- a-and it means a lot to me too -- but I never thought you’d consider me deserving of… being part of your family.”

He stepped towards the table, carefully grabbed the mug, and inspected it with a sad smile on his face, holding it with both hands like it was a prized artwork, the only one of its kind. He then placed it back on the table, but he kept staring at it while he ran his finger over the rim, deep in thought.

“I have to confess…” He said, his eyes still on the mug. “What I told Nanako-chan wasn’t entirely accurate.”

Dojima raised a brow. “About what?”

Maruki’s expression was unreadable. “About the pink alligator.” He said. “Unfortunately, he wasn’t fated to live a happy ending, but his sorrow brought joy to all of the other animals, whether they recognized him for it or not. I guess that was the purpose of his existence.” Maruki glanced up at Dojima. “And I have a feeling that that was enough for him.”

But Dojima thought he had heard Nanako mention that the alligator wanted friends… Surely he wouldn’t have been satisfied with his fate. Then again, Dojima didn’t know the whole story, so he didn’t have enough information to draw a conclusion.

He chuckled. “If Nanako heard you talking like that, she would be up in arms about how the alligator deserved better.”

“But he didn’t.” Maruki insisted. “Even if it was accidental, he was still guilty for hurting the bird. Before the incident, he was treated unfairly by the other animals due to a characteristic he couldn’t control... but after the incident, he was the one who caused his own loneliness. He might’ve regretted what he did, and he might’ve wanted to turn back time to save his friend, but that was impossible. He was left alone to deal with his pain on his own.”

For someone who was kind to everyone, Maruki was being surprisingly harsh to a fictional animal, of all things...

Dojima grimaced. “You’re reading way too much into it. It’s just a children’s book.”

“Perhaps.” Maruki sighed, before recovering his usual gentle smile. “Sorry for going off on a tangent like that. Thanks for the mug, Dojima-san.”

Maruki excused himself, muttering a quick “good night”, a “rest well”, and a “see you tomorrow”, and scurried out of the house, almost like he was in a hurry to get somewhere.

With his departure, Dojima was left alone to wonder… had Maruki truly liked the mug? Or was he just being polite? He didn’t seem as excited as Dojima thought he would be… Rather, he seemed melancholic, for some reason. Had Dojima jumped the gun? Did Maruki not see himself as part of this family? Maybe he wasn’t ready for the kind of commitment that the mug implied, not that it implied that anything had to change in practice... And why had he started to ramble about the pink alligator? What part did he play in all of this?

Dojima groaned, placing the mug back into the cabinet. If Maruki were still here, he would’ve told him to turn off his racing thoughts and stop looking for answers to everything, because that would only stress him out. There might’ve been some truth to those words…

Dojima resolved to go to bed early. He couldn’t remember the last time he had had a full night’s sleep anyway, so maybe it’d do him some good.

#personararepairweek #personararepairweek2020 #persona rarepair week 2020 #dojima x maruki #dojiruki #ryotaro dojima #takuto maruki #persona 4 #persona 5 royal #deni's stuff #persona fanfiction #p4 #p5r #nanako dojima #yu narukami #souji seta #Adaruki Roleswap AU #persona 4 fanfiction #persona 5 fanfiction

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artekai · 3 years

Text

It's in the Coffee

Fandom: Persona 4 x Persona 5 Royal

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Pairing: Ryotaro Dojima/Takuto Maruki

Characters: Nanako Dojima, Ryotaro Dojima, and Takuto Maruki.

Summary: In her defense, Nanako just wanted her dad to be upfront with her about the real reason why he had started to frequent that small coffee shop near his new workplace. After all, the coffee was nice, but Dojima’s attention seemed to be on Maruki instead...

// Read on AO3 //

For @personararepairweek day 2: Angel/Demon / Coffee Shop AU

A belated entry, but an entry nonetheless.

It was a quaint little coffee shop by the side of the street. Small, cozy, warm, and not very frequented. It was near the station, so it was convenient for Dojima, the prices were reasonable, and the coffee was great, from what Nanako had heard.

It was the twelve-year-old’s first time here, so she was very excited -- and a little apprehensive -- about meeting the barista that her father wouldn’t stop talking about since they met. At first, he had been confined to broadcasting the quality of his coffee (“I’m just glad I don’t have to drink Adachi’s sad excuse of a coffee anymore”), but Nanako didn’t miss the shift when he began commenting on the barista himself (“he said he’s learning a new recipe -- some kind of soup, I think?”) and how much he wished they would meet (“you know, I think you two would get along”). And it was finally happening; Nanako was going to meet the man who’d managed to capture her dad’s attention like no one else could.

“Welcome!” A cheery voice said, in tandem with the sound of the bells chiming as Dojima walked in, followed by Nanako. “Please, come in and make yourselves at home.”

Her first impression of the barista was that he looked exactly like the sort of person she had imagined based on Dojima’s descriptions. He was a middle-aged man with wavy hair, thick-rimmed glasses, and a small smile, who looked polite and responsible, but also gentle and easy-going. But he was a lot taller than expected, she would give him that.

“‘Morning.” Dojima said.

“Good morning, Dojima. It’s great to see you again.” When the barista spotted Nanako, he tilted his head towards her. “Oh, and who do we have here?”

Dojima gestured towards her. “This is my daughter, Nanako. Nanako, this is Maruki.”

“Nice to meet you!” She said, offering him a handshake.

“The pleasure’s all mine.”

Dojima already had his eyes set on one of the tables, probably the one he usually sat at, so they both headed towards it and made themselves comfortable. Maruki swiftly handed them the menu, which listed snacks on the front and different types of beverages, mostly coffee, on the back. He made casual conversation with Dojima, asking him about work and life in general, before turning to Nanako, asking for her opinion, and giving her a few recommendations based on her tastes. He seemed very dedicated to customer service, as he was not only sociable, but also knew each of the items in the menu like the back of his hand.

Nanako keenly observed Maruki’s actions, took note of his words, and gauged his personality, trying to discern how this guy had managed to break through her dad’s barriers and become his friend, when Dojima was usually withdrawn and skeptical of other people’s intentions (you could blame that last part on Adachi). However, while Maruki was really kind, he didn’t seem very remarkable... Not to mention that Dojima wasn’t one to bend just because someone had a modicum of manners.

When Maruki was out of earshot, Nanako bent over the table, lowering his voice to prevent other customers from overhearing.

“So…” She said, conspiratorially. “What’s so special about him?”

“What?” Dojima gave her a questioning look, a smile tugging at his lips. “Nothing about him needs to be special. He’s just kinda nice, I guess. You wouldn’t think he’s from the city.”

His eyes drifted back to the menu, even though there was no way he didn’t already know what he wanted to order. Nanako was unsatisfied with the answer, but she didn’t want to press further, instead choosing to avert her eyes with a sigh. The move to Tokyo really had been tough on Dojima...

Well, no, to be honest, it had been tough on both of them. Inaba was the place where they had spent all of their lives, where they had built their most precious memories, and where most of their friends lived… leaving that behind wasn’t easy. Inaba was everything that Nanako had ever known, and it would always be home in her heart, no matter how far away she was.

Still, she felt like the sudden change had been harder on her father than on her. While she had made an effort to view things from an optimistic standpoint, recognizing that they were better off now than they would’ve been if they had stayed in the town, Dojima had adopted a cynical attitude towards the city. He constantly compared the way things were here to how they used to be in Inaba, complained about the crowded streets and the rushing passersby, and reminisced about the past, not without adding a few unflattering remarks about their present situation here and there.

The best comparison that Nanako could think of were those scenes in Hollywood movies where the protagonist moves to New York and absolutely hates it because of how busy the big city is. She had never been to New York herself, but she imagined that was similar to how Dojima felt.

All in all, saying that Maruki passed for an out-of-towner was one of the highest compliments Dojima could pay him in his current state… There had to be something about him that reminded Dojima of home.

“Are you two ready to order?” Maruki said once he came back. “If you have any questions, please, don’t hesitate to ask.”

They had made up their minds already, so they simply placed their orders, as Maruki jotted them now on a tiny notepad, nodding and pursing his lips. About Dojima’s order, he just said “the usual, eh?”, but he commented that Nanako had made a good choice and that he thought she would like it.

“By the way, Dojima,” Maruki said, “If you don’t mind me asking, have you gotten your coffee maker fixed?”

Right. The coffee maker. The coffee maker that had broken down weeks ago. The coffee maker that Dojima used as an excuse to stop by the coffee shop everyday before work, because he couldn’t use the coffee maker at home but couldn’t be bothered to drink instant coffee like he did back in Inaba, for some reason. Very suspicious...

“Hmm?” Dojima glanced up from his menu, which he had no reason to be staring at right now. “Ah, the coffee maker. No, I, uh. I’ve…” He cleared his throat. “I’ve had no time.”

“I see.” Maruki scratched his head, looking away. “Um, I can volunteer to fix it, if that makes things easier for you.”

“Uh, you would?” Dojima stared at him, his eyes narrowing. “You don’t have to do that.”

“W-Well, I don’t, but it’s no trouble for me,” Maruki quickly added. “All I want is to lift a weight off your shoulders.”

“It’s fine, really--” Dojima started, but he cut himself off at the sight of Maruki’s overeager expression, as his own expression softened and his eyes widened, like he had been put on the spot and forced to reconsider. Almost as if struck by the barista’s beauty...

“I-I’m not exactly great at fixing stuff, but I can try to help.” Maruki said. “And if I only make it worse, I promise I’ll pay for it. What do you say?”

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to… you know...” Dojima trailed off, as if trying to find yet another excuse as to why he couldn’t just get the machine fixed. “I wouldn’t want to burden you with my own problems.”

“Oh, no, no!” Maruki insisted. “There’s no need to decline for my sake. It really isn’t a bother. B-but, well, I wouldn’t want to be pry, so it’s up to you--”

“It’s fine, you aren’t prying. The coffee maker is the reason why I’m coming here every day and pushing more work onto you, so it kinda is your business...” He sighed.

“I don’t mind you giving me more work!” Maruki said, a little too excitedly, before correcting himself. “I-I mean... It doesn’t feel like work if I’m doing it for you.”

Dojima gaped at him in shock. “W-What?”

“A-Ah, sorry, what I’m trying to say is…” Maruki breathed in, composing himself while he fiddled with his apron. “It’s fine if you don’t want me to fix your coffee maker. I have no right to barge in and fix it for you. I apologize for overstepping my boundaries.”

“It’s okay, you’re not overstepping anything.” Dojima cleared his throat again. “Thanks for the offer.”

Welp. If that awkward exchange didn’t confirm Nanako’s hypothesis, she didn’t know what would.

Geez... she never expected to see her dad crushing on someone like a lovestruck teenager before she did.

As soon as Maruki had left, Dojima lost any semblance of coolness he still had and buried his face into his hand, letting out a groan. “Damn, that was embarrassing as hell...” He then realized he was swearing in front of Nanako and looked up in shame. “Uh, sorry.”

“No problem.” She said, swinging her legs under the table. Boy, was that awkward. “Anyways… Maruki-san’s the one who always makes your coffee, right?”

“Always.” Dojima nodded. “The others aren’t as good. Or as quick.”

“Oh.” She paused, her legs coming to a stop. “No other reason?”

“No, of course not.” Dojima frowned. “Why would there be any other reason?”

“Hmm, I dunno. I was curious.”

Nanako couldn’t help but wonder what things would be like if the coffee maker hadn’t suddenly broken down right before Dojima headed to work on that one morning a few weeks ago. Maybe he would’ve never learned of the coffee shop’s existence… or maybe he would’ve met Maruki some other way. No one could tell, but, still, it did feel like fate had somehow brought those two together, so who knew?

Though, on second thought... it might not have been fate as much as it was Dojima seeking comfort and stability by clinging to the company of the first person from the city who he could tolerate…

In any case, Dojima had praised Maruki’s coffee so much (in his own downplayed, nonchalant way, of course) that Nanako feared that her expectations were too high and that she would be disappointed in the final product. However, when Maruki came back with the two cups, she found that the coffee wasn’t half bad. It was hot and sweet, but not too much, just the way she liked it.

Maruki was pleased to hear that she was enjoying it, and Dojima also seemed kinda proud. It was obvious that he desperately wanted Nanako to get along with Maruki…

He then left the two on their own again, which left an opening for Nanako to speak up.

“It’s actually pretty good.” She assured Dojima, to let him know that she hadn’t complimented the coffee just to save face in front of Maruki. “Especially for a new barista like him.”

“Well, he’s a scientist.” Dojima took a sip, but paused to correct himself. “Or something like that. Of course he makes good coffee.”

“Huh? A… scientist?” She repeated, forcing out a nervous laugh. “How f-fun!”

Hopefully he wasn’t experimenting on the coffee...?

Dear god… Nanako wasn’t sure if she wanted to know that information… She had definitely watched way too many sci-fi horror movies on TV.

Hypotheticals aside, the fact that Maruki was a scientist opened a whole can of worms. On one hand, she wasn’t sure how being a scientist was related to making good coffee, but okay. On the other hand, she didn’t understand why a scientist with a degree and everything would be working at a coffee shop, of all places...

Nanako blinked. “Wait, didn’t you tell me that he’s a doctor?”

“Yeah, he’s both.” Dojima said, smiling. “Impressive, huh?”

“Sure, but. Why is he working here?”

Dojima’s expression soured as he put the cup down, clicking his tongue. “I don’t know the full story, but he said he caused some ethical violations, and--”

Nanako had to clamp her hand over her mouth to avoid having a visceral reaction to the coffee she was drinking, but that made him choke on said coffee, and the ensuing coughing fit effectively cut Dojima off, as well as a bunch of customers and some staffers.

Yep, Nanako was living inside a sci-fi horror show and either something horrible was about to happen or she was an extra. Either way, she didn’t want to find out.

“Really?!” She cried, holding onto the back of her chair to avoid falling down in her state of alarm. “He made a medical mistake, so he was kicked out? And now he’s working here?! That’s like something out of a movie!”

“Hmm… I guess so.” Dojima began to stir his coffee, as his gaze wandered to another table, where Maruki was tending to other customers. He stared at the bartender with a dreamy glint in his eyes, like he was about to blurt out a cheesy line like ‘maybe he’s something out of a movie himself…’

But Dojima remained quiet, with that stupid smile on his face, not noticing how painfully obvious he was being. If Maruki had turned around at that precise moment, he would’ve caught Dojima red-handed and the resulting scene would have been hilarious, but he was too engrossed in his task of explaining the process of coffee preparation to the group of customers in front of him to see his not-so-secret admirer.

Nanako put her cup down on the table with a thump to snap her father out of his fantasies. “Dad.” She deadpanned. “What’s going on with Maruki-san?”

Dojima looked at her quizzically, surprised by her sudden mood change. “What do you mean, what’s going on with him?”

She raised a brow. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

“No, of course not.” He frowned. “Where did this come from?”

“You really thought I wouldn’t notice…?” She sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. “You should’ve just told me you have feelings for Maruki-san...”

“F-Feelings?” He sputtered out. His dumbfounded expression quickly turned into a scowl. “Me, feelings for Maruki? What in the world are you talking about? I’d never-- I don’t -- Look, that’s not --”

“I know, it’s fine.” Nanako gave him what she hoped was a comforting smile. “I know men can like men too. And that some people can like men and women. I’m okay with it.”

“What? No!” Dojima snapped, but he quickly realized his mistake and corrected himself, flustered. “Well -- yes, but that’s not what’s going on here! Where did you even get that idea?”

“Dad.” She shot him a glare. “The coffee maker. You had time to fix it, you just didn’t want to.”

“I forgot.”

“Uh huh, right.” She said. Nanako wasn’t usually one for sarcasm, but, gosh, her dad could really, really be thick-headed sometimes. “I reminded you to fix it multiple times, but then you conveniently forgot.”

“I didn’t conveniently forget,” Dojima spat. “It’s not like I did it on purpose.”

“It’s been broken for over a month! And I’ve told you, time and time again.” Nanako said, pointing at him accusingly. “Even Maruki-san offered to fix it, but you told him not to so that you could keep coming here to see his face!”

“His face?” Dojima grimaced, fidgeting in his seat. “What’s with his--? No, I don’t come here to see Maruki, why would I do something like that?”

“Because you like him?” Nanako said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Why else would you always come here, to this coffee shop, at times that coincide with Maruki-san’s schedule, instead of just having instant coffee or going to some other coffee shop?”

“I don’t feel anything towards Maruki! He makes good coffee, okay?” Dojima was getting more altered by the second. “And getting it to go isn’t the same.”

“Oh, yes, of course, sure.” Nanako nodded mockingly. “The coffee just tastes better when he’s around!”

“Don’t get sassy with me.” Dojima said, gesturing with his hand sternly. “I’m your father and you have to treat me with respect.”

“Hey.” Maruki called from where he was standing. “Is… everything okay over there?”

Nanako and Dojima whipped their heads towards him and unanimously replied, “yes!” before the latter added, “don’t worry about it.”

“Alright, then.” Maruki said. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

Nanako and Dojima’s eyes returned to the cups in front of them, avoiding each other’s gaze. Their table then fell into a tense silence, as neither of them wanted to pick the discussion back up, while, at the same time, neither was willing to yield or admit defeat.

Nanako sighed at her cup of coffee, vaguely listening to the background music flowing across the coffee shop. She didn’t feel like drinking anymore… But it would’ve been more awkward to quietly sit there, with her hands stiffly folded over her lap, so she continued to take small sips of the coffee, which was now lukewarm. A bit of anxiety simmered inside her due to the knowledge that it had been made by a mad scientist, but she tried to ignore that fact as much as possible while she slurped the last drop of coffee.

By the time she looked up, Dojima had finished his cup as well and was placing it aside. He seemed apologetic as he rubbed at his face with one hand and let out another sigh.

“I’m sorry, Nanako.” He said. “I really didn’t think this through.”

“It’s alright.” Nanako pushed her own empty cup towards Dojima’s and propped her head up on her hands. “I’m sorry for pressuring you like that. I should’ve stopped pushing when I realized I was upsetting you.”

“It’s fine. You’re my daughter and you’re allowed to ask questions.” Dojima leaned back on his seat, bracing himself for a difficult conversation. “It’s just that… I still don’t know what I want. And I’m not completely sure of how I feel about Maruki. Do you really think…?”

Dojima caught a glimpse of Maruki, who was now talking to one of his coworkers while he served some coffee. Apparently, the coworker said something funny, because Maruki stopped what he was doing to let out a sweet laugh that made Dojima’s breath visibly catch in his throat.

Dojima teared his eyes away from Maruki as he hung his head with a groan, burying his reddened face into his hands. “Goddammit, I’m too old for this crap.”

Nanako giggled, while Maruki’s coworker discreetly gestured towards Dojima. The barista’s reaction was a poem in its own right, as his eyes widened and his cheeks turned pink. He stuttered something to his coworker, who gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder, and then headed towards the table.

“I-I see you two are, uh, finished with your coffee?” He said, with an awkward smile on his face.

“Yeah.” Dojima said, his tone raspy, before he cleared his throat. “We’re -- We’re done here, bring the check.”

Maruki’s eyes never left Dojima as he absently picked up the empty cups. “Uh… Is everything okay, Dojima? You look sick... Can I get you some tea?”

Dojima cleared his throat yet again, avoiding Maruki’s gaze with a frown. “Ah, no, I’m… I’m fine.”

“I-I’ll pay for it, if you’re worried about the price.”

“No, no, I’m fine.” Dojima shook his head in an attempt to pull himself together. “The coffee was great, by the way.”

“Is that so?” Maruki’s smile widened, but he turned his head away in embarrassment. “Thanks. I’m really glad that you enjoyed it.”

He was gone as quickly as he had arrived. It seemed like Dojima’s mind was still in overdrive, though, as he had turned halfway around on his seat, like he was ready to bolt out of this place, and he kept his hand firmly sprawled over the table, sneaking glances towards Maruki. He was clearly struggling to come to terms with the sudden realization that he had caught feelings for his favorite barista, before he even had the chance to get completely settled in his new home.

Eventually, Dojima took in a deep breath, and looked at Nanako with tired eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

She tilted her head. “Huh?”

“You seem way too calm about this…” He straightened his back and began gesturing with his hand. “You know, I get it if you’re upset. It’s normal to feel that way. Hell, I don’t even know how I feel, so, if any of this bothers you, just tell me. Okay?”

“Why would it bother me?” Nanako said. “It’s your private life, I can’t tell you what to do.”

“Nanako, you are my daughter.” Dojima repeated, slowly, staring at her intently. “My private life affects you. I know I make a lot of mistakes and it’s hard for me to talk about this kind of stuff, but I always try to do what’s best for our family. So, if anything makes you uncomfortable, I want you to tell me, okay?”

Uncomfortable…?

Was she uncomfortable?

Sure, being a witness to Dojima and Maruki’s awkward pining like some kind of third wheel was a bit painful, but… did the whole idea of her dad having feelings for some random barista in Tokyo make her feel uncomfortable?

Nanako slumped in her chair, suddenly unsure of herself. She had been so focused on getting Dojima to admit his feelings that she hadn’t stopped to think about the part she played in this little love story...

She had just been playing along, going with the flow. But now that Dojima was asking her to weigh in with her opinion, it made everything feel much more real. This was truly happening, this wasn’t a dream or some dumb game with no consequences. She wasn’t just some sort of bystander who could play matchmaker without any strings attached, and this wasn’t anything like classmates teasing each other over having a crush. This was her dad she was talking about. And whatever he did directly affected her own life -- her whole future.

She hadn’t fully processed what it meant for her that her dad… well, that her dad had a crush on someone. That her dad might begin dating again. That her dad might, in time, fall in love with someone who wasn’t her mom.

Did that make her uncomfortable…?

Nanako nodded blandly, her thousand yard stare fixed on the table in front of her. “... huh.”

Dojima let out a sigh, before choosing to tackle the conversation from a different angle. “Look, If this bothers you, we can just leave. Heck, just say the word and I’ll never come by this place ever again.”

“Really?” Nanako blinked. “You would do that for me?”

Dojima smiled. “Of course. Your feelings always come first.”

Well, it wasn’t like she wanted to veto Dojima from coming here, especially not when this cafe brought him so much joy and helped him relax both before heading to work and during his lunch breaks. He might’ve been willing to do anything for her, but she had no right to ask him to give up something that meant so much to him. It wasn’t hurting anyone, after all.

However, even though she knew for sure that she didn’t want to go to the extremes and force Dojima to either make a move or to stop seeing Maruki altogether, she didn’t know how she felt about this whole ordeal. She hadn’t even formed an opinion on Maruki yet, much less on whether or not she’d be comfortable with the idea of her dad dating him, or dating anyone at all. Hell, Dojima had never shown interest in returning to the dating scene, so she had never even thought about the possibility before and had no idea how to react or what to do next.

To be honest, she felt kinda… numb. As if her brain hadn’t yet caught up to the reality of the situation.

Maruki brought the check, left it on the table politely, and walked away as quickly as he had arrived. While Dojima grabbed his wallet and searched through it, he spoke up again.

“So, what do you make of him?” He said, without making eye contact, as he placed the notes inside the checkbook. “Does he make you uncomfortable?”

“Huh? No. No, of course not!” Nanako shook her head. “He doesn’t. I’m… no… I’m happy for you, actually! I mean, it’s unexpected, and it’s a bit shocking, a-and it’s a big change, but moving here was a big change too and I handled it well, so.” Nanako shrugged. “I can handle this too.”

“Big change?” Dojima grimaced, as if that idea hadn’t occurred to him yet. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. It’s not like I’m thinking of… doing anything.”

“No, no, that’s not what I was implying!” Nanako said. “Well, maybe a little. But sure, take your time. You said you still need to sort out your feelings, right?”

“Yeah.” Dojima nodded, more to himself than to Nanako. “I need to sort out my feelings, what I want, and… what’s best for our family…”

Maybe it was a good idea for Dojima to make a move on Maruki. Maybe it wasn’t. There was no way to know for sure, especially not when Nanako had no clue about what romance was like, other than what she’d seen on TV and the few things she’d heard from Yu. This was unexplored territory and it was honestly kinda scary… But, as long as their small but tight-knit family stuck together, Nanako had faith that everything would turn out fine, as it always had.

“It’s okay, dad.” She smiled. “We’ll figure it out.”

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