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Chapter Text

As Enji walks to the front door, he can hear loud yelling coming from the other side. He opens the door to see Shoto’s friends, who he is only meeting for the first time today. He notes that there are only five of them. They are incredibly nosy. He sees two of them, the main perpetrators of the noise, yelling at each other. One of them is blond and apparently has some sort of grudge against the shorter, green-haired teen. The blond has the other’s collars in his hands, shaking him back and forth.

Behind them is a blue haired boy with glasses, trying to get them to calm down, claiming it’s “disrespectful to cause such a ruckus in someone’s home”. There is also a brunette girl and an “emo” looking boy (Shoto had chosen that word to describe this friend, but Enji is not sure what that meant). Those two were simply observing the chaos of the other three. 

The moment they all noticed Enji had opened the door, it seemed like a switch had flipped. They had quieted down and stood up straight. They were all intently staring at Enji before introducing themselves. 

“Hello sir, I am Tenya Iida, and I am in the process of applying for med school!!”

“I’m Izuku Midoriya, and I’m going to be a high school teacher!”

“Katsuki Bakugo, I’m gonna be a lawyer.”

“Hi I’m Ochako Uraraka and I’m gonna go trade school!”

“I am Fumikage Tokoyami, and I am planning to become an English major.”

Enji perked up one eyebrow in confusion. He’s sure that Shoto had trained them to introduce themselves this way. He sighs. He found this introduction to be quite unnecessary. He used to care about what kinds of people Shoto would surround himself with, even controlling who he could and couldn’t see; but nowadays, he’s just glad Shoto has a reliable friend group. 

Enji motioned for them to come inside. “Go sit in the living room,” he purposefully says softly. “I’ll tell Shoto you’re here.”

He can see them immediately loosen up from his softer tone of voice and he is relieved. 

He knows that the only reason Shoto’s friends are here at the residence is so that Shoto doesn’t have to spend more time with his father than he needs to. The private school Shoto and his friends attend has dorms, but they do allow students to leave for the weekends. If he had the choice, he would either stay at the dorms or go to his mom and sister’s apartment, but he is forced to visit Enji at least once a month.

Enji is trying to be a better father for his family, more understanding. But, obviously, they won’t immediately be comfortable with him. He doesn’t expect Shoto will be for a long time. But he’s willing to wait and keep showing that he can be trusted again. 

Despite all of this, Enji is glad that Shoto at least feels comfortable bringing his friends home.

He gives Shoto privacy by going to his bedroom to work on some documents on his computer. From there, he can still hear their yelling. They are quite.. unique. He’s not sure if he’s actually heard any talk relating to their academics yet. They are continuing to argue over mundane and pointless things. Enji can’t remember if he’s ever had such unprofessional friends, or friends at all. 

His work is boring and mindless and repetitive. He’s being forced to look through documents and agreements. Giving his virtual signature on almost every page, he prays to a god that he doesn’t believe in that his work will end soon. It’s the weekend, he shouldn’t be doing such busy work. 

But, being the police chief of his city, he must do all of this work. He chose to climb the career ladder, he must take on the responsibilities that come with it. 

A notification pops up on his computer. 

“Come here.” it reads. It’s from Shoto. His prayer is answered.

Immediately, Enji stands up and goes to the living room, not wanting to disappoint his son. They’re sitting on the floor around the coffee table, papers sprawled all over it. Enji was correct: not a single pencil was being held. Before they silenced themselves at Enji’s arrival, he swore he heard something about goats? 

“We’re hungry.” Shoto says plainly. 

Okay, so he’s being used as a wallet. That’s fine. Better than Shoto not talking to him at all. 

“Where do you want me to order food from?”

Everyone pauses. Did they..not decide on where to eat beforehand?

“There is a new pizza place, about 10 minutes from here. It is rather delicious.” The emo one claims after a moment (Tokoyami was his name?). 

Everyone immediately nods in agreement. Huh. Enji didn’t realize it was that easy for them to come to an agreement. Choosing food to order in the Todoroki household was usually a nightmare, so this was a nice change of pace. Didn’t know Shoto could be so agreeable though..

Tokoyami gives him the number of the pizza place as he finds those “delivery apps” to be too confusing. Enji calls dials the number given.

“Hey, this is UA Pizza, what can I get for ya?” A young voice says. His tone is rather carefree, as if he was talking to a friend rather than being on shift. 

“I’d like to place an order.”

“For delivery or pick up?”

“Delivery.”

“Alrighty, I’ll need your name and address!”

Enji ignores the demanding tone. Enji also ignores the way he said it. The way he confidently spoke, you could’ve guessed that he had asked out Enji on a date and needed his number. 

Ignoring many things about the voice on the phone, he mindlessly lists off his name and their address.

“Perfect, what do you wanna order?”

Enji blanks. He didn’t think to ask the kids what they wanted. 

“Did you forget your order? Aww, am I making you nervous?” There was no more debate. 

He was flirting with Enji. 

This younger man is working, and yet he had the audacity to flirt with a customer. A much older one at that. It pisses off Enji. How dare he be flirted with? He is the police chief of the city, no one, let alone some twenty year old pizza place worker, should be talking to him like that. He is to be spoken with respect. Enji earned that respect.

He furrows his eyebrows and for a moment, blush appears on his cheeks (He’ll never acknowledge that, he himself doesn’t even notice it).

“What? No.” he says rather sharply. He sees Shoto immediately turn at Enji’s harsh tone. He needs to be doing better. He takes a second to control himself. “Just..give me a moment.” 

Enji lowered his phone to ask everyone what they wanted. These greedy teenagers wanted wildly different orders, so Shoto insisted that everyone gets their own personal pizza. He knew Shoto was testing him, seeing if Enji would yell at his own son in front of his friends. He’s been testing Enji a lot, making sure he truly commits to changing as a father. He reluctantly agreed. They also wanted desserts. Some of them could agree on which ones to get, which is a relief.

He lifts the phone back up to his ear and rattles off the six 14-inch pizzas, a cookie cake, and a pan of brownies that he’s forced to order. Enji can see the intense stares from all the teenagers, as if they’re worried that he’ll forget their order. He doesn’t. He’s forty five, not some senile old man.

“Okay! Your total’s gonna be $121.68! It should take like 40 minutes!”

Enji hangs up the phone without saying anything. He retreats back to his room, somehow exhausted from interacting with these rambunctious teenagers and that other one for less than five minutes. 

Forty minutes later, he receives a call from a random number. He almost denied it but remembers that he did order food. He answers. 

“Hey big guy! I’m here with your order, can you open the gate?” The same voice from earlier was delivering his food. How bothersome. From the limited interactions he had with the younger-sounding man, Enji could tell that he was cocky, overzealous, and hedonistic. He was already mentally preparing himself for a headache. 

He grunts in agreement and hangs up the phone as he walks towards the front of the house. For safety reasons, the Todoroki residence is guarded by a large wall, with a gate entrance. His job constantly creates enemies for Enji. He doesn’t want his job affecting his family anymore than it already has. 

He could’ve opened the gate with an app, but he always felt more secure personally opening the door. Enji simply enjoys knowing every single person who enters his premise. He keeps his family safe with his caution. They’ll never know that, but he does know.

Enji opens the gate. The person delivering his pizza was this admittedly gorgeous man. His hair was blond and cut to his ears. It looked like he grabbed a pair of scissors and did it himself. Despite being so short, it was wildly disorganized. His golden eyes stood out from his pale skin. A faded scar covered a portion of the lower left side of his face and his neck, but it doesn’t distract from his blatant beauty. Enji towered over the blond man, with the top of his head only barely reaching Enji’s collarbone. It seems that he has to strain his neck in order to maintain eye contact with Enji. The height difference really accentuated his boyish charm.

“Wow, you’re way taller than you sound.” the man flirts, but Enji disregards it as such. 

“What does that even mean..?”

“It means you’re super intimidating, Enji.” Enji furrowed his eyebrows, unsure how he felt about the younger man addressing him by name. It seems that the other man noticed his uncomfortability.

“I’m Keigo by the way. You ordered a ton of pizzas. Family in town?”

“No, my son and his friends are here and for some reason, none of them could agree on a single topping.” 

Enji froze. 

What am I saying?  Enji thought. Why am I giving out my life story to this stranger? He doesn’t need to know any of this.

Keigo chuckles. “Hey, it gives me more money so I don’t mind delivering all these boxes. Plus it’s a workout!” 

Enji lifts an eyebrow. “A workout? Delivering pizzas? How unathletic are you, boy?”

“Nah man, these pizzas are way heavier than you’d think!” Keigo finally begins to give the pizzas and desserts to Enji. He can’t see what’s the issue. These eight boxes feel like absolutely nothing to him.

Enji walks back inside to give the food to Shoto and his friends. They begin cheering loudly. He only brought them food for their “study session”, if they could even call it that. They’re acting as if he’s the messiah. Enji is no messiah.

He goes to his bedroom to grab his wallet. Opening it, he realizes he only has 100-dollar bills and sighs. He’s been sighing a lot today. Some days are just like that. 

He decides to give Keigo $200 and just let him keep the change. He has a lot of disposable income, what’s an extra $80 gone anyways? Enji comes back with the money and hands it to Keigo. 

“Hey, uh, I don’t have that much money in chang-”

“Keep the change, it’s your tip.”

Keigo’s eyes immediately light up and Enji is about to find out if he regrets his decision or not. He was expecting an annoying ramble of gratitude from the blonde man, like he’s heard many times before. When you’re as mean-looking as Enji, many people are very surprised when he commits random acts of kindness. The amount of times he’s made people cry from his tips after he acted fairly cold is not a number he can count on his hands.

Instead, he’s met with:

“Thank you, sir. Next time you order from us, I’ll make sure that your order is extra delicious.” and Keigo winks . His boyish charm is especially noticeable in this moment, as his cheeks flush a slight red.

This time, Enji cannot deny the flirting. Not like he did at the beginning. 

Has..Keigo flirting the whole time..? Not just that one line during their call, but the whole time ?

He waves bye to Enji and walks back to his car. It seems to be a dark red 2019 Toyota Corolla. Keigo turns on his car and immediately loud music begins blasting from the speakers. He’s quick to make a U-turn and leave slight tread marks on the road. Enji observes as Keigo’s car speeds through the neighborhood, soon disappearing from his field of vision.

In the silence, Enji closes the gate and stares at the ground for a moment. He immediately replays the entire conversation in his head, trying to wrap his head around what the fuck just happened . 

He’s not talkative. He’s authoritative , refusing to add unnecessary comments to conversations. He’s a stern, no-nonsense man who is trying to get his life back together after he let it fall apart. 

So..why did it feel like he just saw a side of himself that he’s never seen before? An Enji that playfully banters? And volunteers information about his personal life to mere strangers? And this wasn’t just any stranger, this was a delivery driver who looked like he was in early twenties . What is going on? What is so different about Keigo that Enji became someone he never even recognised? He can’t even begin to process the flirting remarks Keigo made his way.

As he stares at the ground, he doesn’t hear the front door open nor does he hear footsteps coming up behind him. 

“Is there a bug on the gate or something?” Shoto inquiries. Enji flinches, but Shoto doesn’t know his father that well to realise that. 

“No. Tell your friends they need to focus on studying instead of slacking off.”

Enji heads to his room. He feels like he’s running there, but no one else thinks that. 

He collapses to his bed. Laying down on his back, he continues to work on the documents from before. But it’s so hard to focus. Especially after interacting with someone who seemed so genuinely interested in talking to him. Keigo could’ve handed the pizza and left, but no, he continued the conversation!

He’s not used to that. His children, aside from Fuyumi, have to be forced to engage in long conversations with him. With his ex-wife, their relationship is now amicable, but they still feel awkward within each other’s presence. His subordinates are hesitant around him, afraid of making a mistake. They think he’ll yell at them and berate them. Which is fair, because he used to be short tempered. But he’s not like that anymore. 

That man, Keigo, looked straight into his eyes and didn’t feel an ounce of fear. Keigo was treating himself as an equal to Enji. He wasn’t afraid to push the older man’s buttons, but also seemed to know when to reel it in. 

This is the first time, Enji realizes, that someone is seeing Enji for who he is now, and isn’t just stuck in the past. 

He feels guilty for feeling happy. He needs to be constantly reminded of his past, so that he doesn’t forget it. He needs to remain disciplined and aware of his actions. He needs to be doing better. 

But still, it’s nice to feel like there’s a chance for a do-over. 

Enji catches himself being too happy. It was a one time interaction, he berates himself. He grumbles, giving up on the work documents. Placing the computer on the night stand, he lays on his side. It’s probably not a good idea to leave the rest of those documents for tomorrow.

Enji wonders what’s the deal with this Keigo. Why is he so cocky? Why does he feel like he can stand on equal ground with Enji Todoroki ? Who…is he? Who is Keigo?

Chapter Text

One Friday a month, dinner is held at the Todoroki residence.

Fuyumi and Rei insisted upon it, saying it’s important for the kids to rebuild their relationship with their father who is finally trying to be better for them. It’s the women’s stubbornness (and the love they have for their mom and sister) that the three brothers go to that house on a monthly basis. If it weren’t, Natsuo and Touya would have never stepped foot in there again. Shoto..might show up from time to time. But only if he needed something. He’s an opportunist, just like his dear old dad.

Enji is always preparing dinner for them. He does not let anyone lift a finger when they’re under his roof to eat. He uses it as an opportunity to show that he loves his family. Putting in the effort to buy all the necessary ingredients, create all the dishes, side dishes, and desserts, and being the sole cleaner of dishes; all of these, in his mind, is a demonstration of genuine love for his children and ex-wife.

He has always struggled with demonstrating affection, especially through words. He has always thought that words were rather shallow. That changed when Fuyumi introduced him to the concept of love languages. Realizing that it’s about meeting people in the middle, he’s been trying more to be openly affectionate. It’s hard and awkward. But…acts of service comes the easiest to him. He can do that. He’s always been a man of action. Enji can work hard to make the lives of his family easier.

Unfortunately, his job sometimes holds him behind. He’s forced to stay back for meetings and signing paperwork. The workload is drowning him. But he must complete it all. By the time he finishes everything, he checks his watch and realizes he only has time to drive home and clean the house up. With the meal he had planned today, there was absolutely no way he could get it done unless his family was okay with eating later than usual. Enji’s sons (especially Touya) would not be okay with that. 

Sighing, he pulls out his phone to send a message to the group chat he has with his kids. His fat fingers force him to type slowly. Even then, he makes spelling mistakes. Phones and Enji are not a good match. Can’t they make a bigger phone for men like him?

Enji: Hello my children,

Work has kept me behind. I am only leaving now, so I. do not have time to prepare food. I will need to ordet food. What does everyone want?

-Your father

He immediately gets a flood of responses from his children. Aside from Fuyumi, the others never respond quickly unless Enji has made some sort of mistake.

Fuyumi: Hi daddy that’s okay!!

Fuyumi: I’m ok w/ anything!!

Fuyumi: What do you guys want?

Touya: damn how u a workholic AND lazy LMAOO

Well…he did make a mistake. What was he expecting?

Fuyumi: Touya!!

Touya: wat

Fuyumi: Be nice to dad!

Natsuo: Oh hell nah

Fuyumi: Natsuo! :(

Fuyumi keeps attempting to defend her father, meanwhile her brothers keep poking fun at Enji. They have completely forgotten the original intent of his message. Enji is tempted to put his phone away. Amidst all the chaos, there is a savior in Shoto.

Shoto: Can we order from that pizza place I got last time? It was good.

Touya: oh hell yea gimme a meats pizza

Natsuo: ^

Fuyumi: Mommy says she wants a cheese pizza!

Shoto: I want stuffed crust.

Enji doesn’t want pizza, but he won’t argue against a rare request from Shouto. And he definitely won’t argue his children’s rare unanimous decision. The sacrifices a father must make. Especially one who is trying to make up years of problems. He dials the number of the pizza place. He doesn’t call a lot of people, so it was pretty easy to find the number again. As the phone rings, a part of Enji hopes that Keigo isn’t the one to pick up the phone. Another part of him is praying for it. 

“Heyo! This is UA Pizza! How can I help?”

“Hello."

“Oh, what’s up, old man? Miss me??” He can hear the shit-eating grin through the phone and Enji clenches his fist. He’s surprised Keigo can recognise his voice from one word.

“No, I will be ordering food for my family.” He takes out his reading glasses to read off their orders from his phone. He feels stupid every time he wears those damned glasses, but he can’t help that the text is too tiny! He doesn’t know how to fix it! Perhaps he’ll ask Fuyumi for help one day.

Keigo tells him the total and Enji hangs up almost immediately.

He’s almost relieved that their interaction was limited. It would be hard to ignore the warmness in his chest if he talked to Keigo for a longer period of time. Luckily, he was able to push away any unnecessary emotions, as he always does.

He packs up his stuff and finally leaves the office, preparing himself to clean his house before his family arrives.

He’s in the middle of sweeping the kitchen when he hears a knock on the door. How strange. His family shouldn’t be here for another thirty minutes. He pauses his old rock music and goes to open the door.

Everyone is here. Early. What a nice surprise.

“Hi daddy! We all ended up getting ready earlier than usual, so we decided to surprise you!” Fuyumi beams.

His family looks beautiful. Everyone got dressed up, except for Touya. Shoto and Natsuo are wearing matching polo shirts and khaki pants, as if their outfits weren’t chosen for them. Fuyumi is wearing a grey summer dress that reaches her knees and black heeled shoes. Rei opted for a more modest look (despite it being summer) and was wearing a long sleeved turtle-neck with jeans. Touya…was wearing a t-shirt of some metal band Enji doesn’t recognise and ripped jeans. And sandals. It seems Touya also has a new piercing. It’s always something with Touya.

Enji softly smiles but he looks rather awkward doing it. His teeth are slightly showing, and it seems as if he’s trying to mask pain rather than be happy. Judging by his family’s reaction, they don’t realize that he’s happy they’re here. He’s gotta work on that. Making sure they know he loves them. 

“I’m glad you’re here early, but I am in the middle of cleaning the kitchen. Just relax on the couch until I’m finished.” He checks his watch. “Our food should be here soon as well.” 

With that, he lets his family in. They all plop onto the couch together, creating a cuddle pile that Enji wasn’t allowed to join.

He continues sweeping, but without his music. His kids would make fun of him for his “old man” music. Enji uses his family as background noise, hearing them catch up on each other’s lives. 

Natsuo is currently taking anatomy and physiology. He vents to his mother, begging her to let him drop out of school so he never has to take another exam again. It’s too much for him, he’s so busy all the time. His hands are clasped in prayer. “MOM PLEASE! I’LL BE A STAY-AT-HOME SON FOR YOU!” 

She only chuckles at his distress and tells him, “You choose this career, baby.” She strokes his hair softly as he dramatically fake-cries into her arms.

Fuyumi and Shouto are talking about his classmates. As a public school teacher, she’s interested to see how private schools differ in curriculum and teaching style. She keeps trying to bring the conversation back to academics. Shouto is really only interested in talking about his new friends. 

Touya is laying lazily across everyone’s lap, scrolling on his phone. It is incredibly apparent that he doesn’t want to be here. As always. His phone is loudly playing audio from some dumb social media app and it’s bothering Enji. He doesn’t say anything. He knows that making any sort of “attack” against Touya will immediately sour the night. 

Regardless, Enji is glad his eldest son is here. He’s glad his entire family is here. Most of his days and nights are spent alone, so these dinners break his lonely routine. Even though they aren’t talking directly to him, Enji mentally takes notes on everyone’s situation so he can ask about it in the future. 

The door bell rings.

Enji grabs his wallet as he walks to the door, preparing himself for who he’s expecting. He knows who it is. It’s that arrogant, unrestrained (incredibly attractive) delivery driver. The one who, within one interaction, has been ingrained within Enji’s memory due to his blatant disrespect. The one who had the upper hand in this war so far.

But not anymore.

Enji is going to be victorious this time. He’ll leave Keigo speechless. He won’t give any opening for Keigo to strike. He refuses to show any weakness.

In the short time it takes to walk to the gate, Enji plans to use it as a “strategy period”. That didn’t work out for him. 

The moment Enji walks out the door, his chest bumps into something. He looks down.

Why the fuck is Keigo right here ? He’s holding the stack of pizzas with both hands, looking up at the older man all smug-like. Keigo pushes himself away from Enji’s personal space.

“How did you get over the gate?”

Did Enji forget to close the gate? Did his family forget? How did he get in without Enji personally opening the gate? Was the door glitching out? Did he need to get it fixed?

“Relax big guy, I just jumped over the fence.” 

…What? 

Keigo got over a twenty foot fence? How? He’s unremarkable in the athletic department. He doesn’t have any noticeable muscles. Keigo didn’t even break a sweat. He still appears as his charming, collected self… How??

Many questions and exclamations run around Enji’s mind. Yet, nothing comes out immediately. He’s usually not pushed to speechlessness, but this twenty year old does it successfully within five seconds. Enji takes a moment to plan out his next words (and eventually win this interaction). 

“Why?” He says rather sternly. Good one, Enji. Keigo will definitely be intimidated. 

“So your pizza won’t get all cold!”

“How did you get over the fence?”

“Don’t worry about it!” Keigo hands Enji the stack of pizzas. “Just be glad you don’t have to walk all that way to open the door for me!”

Enji pinches the bridge of his eyebrow as he holds the stack of pizzas with one hand. “Ah, yes, thank you for not making me walk twenty feet.”

This is his poor attempt at making a joke. Luckily for him, anyone else in the world wouldn’t notice. He’s too serious for jokes. Enji Todoroki wouldn’t make a joke..would he? Especially not one as subpar as that.

Keigo knew this was a joke somehow. He broke out into insane cackling, holding his chest as he bent over. His other hand is forced to hold his knee so he doesn’t fall over. He’s heaving and screaming. Tears are forming around the corner of his eyes. He looks stupid but he can’t stop laughing. God, this has made Keigo’s day. Within their second interaction, he got Enji Todoroki to make a joke.

Enji’s mouth twitches and he flushes an impossibly dark shade of red. He wasn’t expecting that reaction at all, let alone any reaction. 

Most times he attempts to crack a joke in front of his family, they take his words at face value. Not a peep comes from them. They can’t comprehend that Enji would want to be viewed as humorous from time-to-time. He always feels ridiculous. He’s not sure why he keeps trying to make jokes.

So, it does feel nice for someone to have finally found him humorous. But seriously? Did Keigo really need to laugh so loudly and obnoxiously? His family is within earshot of Keigo’s laughter. Enji will be forced to explain that he, a forty-five year old man, made a joke to the twenty year-old delivering their pizza. It wasn’t even that funny. 

“Stop that!” Enji hush-yells, not wanting his family to hear his anger. Keigo looks up at Enji’s restrained and embarrassed face and only breaks out in laughter more.

Enji carelessly shoves money into Keigo’s hands and shuts the door in his face. He didn’t even count how many extra dollar bills he handed the blond man. Enji just wanted him out of his face. From the other side, he can still hear Keigo attempting to recover from his giggles as he walks away. He sighs. He almost forgets that his family is right behind him and could hear the last part of their conversation.

Almost. 

Enji freezes. He can feel them staring at his back.

“Do not say a word.” He said as calmly as possible. He attempts to hide his embarrassment without appearing angry, but it still puts his family on edge. Everyone was silent. They were sure they were observing a kettle that was about to explode. Prepared to see Enji revert back into his previous ways.

The ambience immediately transformed the moment Touya started cackly devilishly. Touya was the only one who was not affected by Enji’s “outburst” at all. He rather lavished in any moment of Enji’s weakness. Touya had put his phone on his chest, the first time this evening that he wasn’t glued to his phone. 

“How much money did you pay the poor guy to laugh in front of us?!” 

Everyone else joined Touya’s laughter. Why wouldn’t they? His tall, bulky frame clashed with his blushing face. He looked like a shy school girl with a crush, except this school girl had body hair all over. 

He could see Fuyumi removing her glasses, wiping away her tears as she attempted to force away the laughter. She couldn’t. Anytime anyone laughed, she too bursted into giggles. 

Natsuo had an obnoxious laugh. He wanted to make it incredibly clear to Enji that he also relished in Enji’s misfortunes. He leaned onto his mother’s shoulder, who had her hand over her mouth, quietly laughing. 

Shouto wasn’t laughing. Shouto doesn’t laugh. But Shouto did have a very soft smile plastered onto his face, and his very soft huffs could be seen as a laugh if you tried hard enough. 

As embarrassed as he was, he was glad that his family was “involving” him. Yeah they were basically bullying him, but it’s better than him being an outsider. 

Still holding the pizzas in his hand, he walked to the dining table. “Come eat.”

Dinner was a lot more lively that day. Touya was actually starting to answer Enji’s questions instead of ignoring them like he usually does. Okay, he was throwing in insults and accusatory jabs, but a response is better than none. Natsuo seemed to have a genuine smile looking his father’s way, but he’s sure that Natsuo is just recalling the embarrassed and vulnerable look he had.

He also was the target of everyone’s teasing for the rest of dinner. They refused to let him live that down. Even Rei joined in on the fun.

“Did any of y’all notice he literally had steam comin’ out of his ears?” Touya points at Enji’s ears with the pizza he’s currently finishing up.

“It was like a cartoon.” Shouto commented. Fuyumi giggled once again.

“You know, I’ve never seen your father so red before.” 

They were an actual family for a moment. Yes, a family hellbent on lightly humiliating their father as payback, but a family nonetheless. They all weren’t afraid to make jabs his way anymore. This is excellent progress.

For a moment, Enji wanted to attribute Keigo for this amazing family dinner, but quickly realized that would mean Keigo would have won. He’s not letting Keigo win.

“I did not have steam coming out of my ears.” Enji is able to successfully push away thoughts of Keigo as he enjoys himself with his family. He’s able to successfully convey in his tone that he is not actually mad, and that he is accepting this light teasing from his children. Observing their grinning faces, Enji continues to eat as he is filled with a sense of relief and peace.

In this moment, Enji believes he has won in more ways than one.

Chapter Text

Enji spent a lot of nights alone. This was one of them.

He knew for a fact that the rest of the family was busy hanging out without him. Enji knew he didn’t deserve to join the intimacy of the actual family. He knows that he’ll likely be an outsider to the Todoroki family, unable to truly connect with his sons or his ex-wife again. Yes, there are moments where he’s included, but he feels he’ll never be consistently involved in their lives like he used to be.

As he reflects on his situation and his past mistakes, he takes another swig of beer from his couch. A couple of cans were already on the floor and he was blasting some rock band from his youth. He looked rather pathetic. It was just one of those nights.

Guilt corrupted Enji’s heart. He wasn’t the victim. He was the furthest thing from one. Yet here he was, drinking his sorrows away at almost midnight. Who does he think he is? Why is he giving himself a pity party he doesn’t deserve? He doesn’t deserve this moment of weakness. He needs to get over himself and continue to work on being better for his family, instead of complaining of the consequences he put himself through.

He can’t stop himself though. He’s not sober enough to get over himself. Enji continues to berate himself in his head, drowning within his thoughts. The beer can in Enji’s hand is very quickly finished and he takes a heaving breath, one that is caused both by the pit in his stomach and by how fast he had drunk it.

Enji’s head begins to pound and he’s realizing he needs to sober up. Perhaps with some food. Now that he’s thinking about it, he’s starving . When was the last time he ate? His lunch break maybe? He can’t recall. It doesn’t matter. He needs to eat a lot of anything right now.

But..he doesn’t have the number of any food places. He can’t see well enough to google it.

“Oh wait,” Enji slurs. “There’s…there’s tha’ one place…”

Keigo is alone in the store with his coworker and best friend Rumi. 

“YOU ARE FUCKING WRONG!” Keigo gets into her face and makes sure to enunciate every single word.

“NO I’M NOT! FUCK YOU!” Rumi growls back, pushing his chest. Keigo stumbles and almost trips. He’s able to recover.

“Don’t you fucking touch me.”

“What are you gonna do? You’re a fucking twig.”

They stare at each other in silence. Rumi hit a nerve. Keigo’s eyebrows furrow and he clenches his fist. Rumi only smirks, knowing she’s won.

….

They break out into giggles.

It’s almost midnight. No one is ordering at this time. They’re the only people in the store. What are they supposed to do? They have spent countless hours enacting weird roleplay scenarios to pass the time and it’s rare that they get interrupted.

Keigo is about to hit her with a come back, one he’s sure will destroy her confidence, when the phone rings. They both run to the phone. Rumi is victorious and she holds the phone up to her ear.

“UA Pizza here! I’m Rumi!”

Being the nosy man he is, Keigo attempts to listen to their conversation from behind. She doesn’t offer a lot of context to what the voice on the other line is saying. He knows it’s a delivery, but that’s it.

“Oh?” She turns to face Keigo, with a shit-eating grin. Keigo looks at her confused.

“Got it. I’ll make sure to pass the message.” She hangs up the phone and grabs his shoulders. Her gaze is serious, as if the news she’s about to hang Keigo is life changing.

“A certain customer of yours just ordered. And guess who he asked for?”

Never mind, that is life changing.

“No. You’re lying.”

“I’m not! He said, and I quote “Have the blond man with the piercings deliver my food.”” She did a near-perfect imitation of Enji’s grumpy attitude. 

Keigo rushed over to the kitchen line to work on his order. He wondered what Enji ordered and why he was ordering so late at night. Perhaps he was having a late family night? Keigo understands that, he does that a lot with his own family.

Looking at the screen that displays orders to be made, his suspicion is confirmed. Four pizzas. All of them topped with beef. A little strange for his family to order, since last time they ordered different things, but he didn’t question it all too much. He was way more excited that he was given another opportunity from the universe to push Enji’s buttons, which was slowly becoming his new favorite hobby. 

Keigo’s car quickly pulls in front of the gate. He wants to impress Enji again, so he decides to climb over the fence. It takes some coordination, carrying the pizzas all that way up. But he does it. 

He arrives at the front door and he notices..music playing. Very loudly. Is that…rock music? Why is Enji blasting music if his family is home? That doesn’t make any sense. 

Regardless, he rings the doorbells and puts on a confident smile, ready to overwhelm Enji with his youthful charm.

Instead, Keigo is completely destroyed at the scene in front of him. 

Enji is wearing a dark, tight tank top, a shirt that accentuates his muscles perfectly. You can see every little bump and crevice that Enji has spent years honing to perfection. He also has loose sweatpants on, slightly exposing his v-line and the vast amount of hair he has around his stomach. 

His hair is disorganized, as if he just got out of bed. His face is also slightly flushing red and his eyes appear almost..faded. It’s clear to Keigo that Enji’s not very aware of his surroundings. His eye bags are also incredibly dark. Has he been..crying?

Ah, Keigo realized. Poor guy had too much to drink. 

Enji was still on the couch. He's not sure how much time has passed, but he knows he needs to put an end to this humiliating act. It’s pathetic. A man in his forties, consumed with guilt, drinking until he blacks out while his family enjoys their life without him. 

He pulls out his phone to see if any of his children have posted any pictures onto social media.

They have. Natsuo posted a selfie of him with his siblings and mom. They went to get dinner at a Korean Barbeque restaurant, and there was so much food that Enji’s mouth was watering. He was insanely jealous for two reasons: one, he wished he could eat all of that. And two, all he yearned for was to be a part of their family. It’s very apparent to Enji that there is a distinction between his family and their family. Those two schemas will never become one.

His drunken state renders him more emotionally weak than he usually would. Enji sniffles uncontrollably as he holds his phone close to his chest, as if he’s hugging his children. He nears a moment of catharsis, unable to hold back any of his overwhelming feelings, when he hears the door bell ring again. 

His tears immediately retreat back into his eyes and he stands up, entering a defensive position. Enji’s entire body has tensed up.

Who is at the door? He didn’t order food. His family definitely wouldn’t come visit him at this time. The only possibility is that someone is trying to get into his house and murder him. That’s definitely it. He’s prepared to fight back. This intruder chose the wrong fucking residence.

Being drunk, he didn’t think to grab a weapon. He believes his pure strength is enough (and he wouldn’t be wrong). 

Enji pauses the music. It may alert the intruder that someone is there, but Enji needs the music off to concentrate on the intense stand off that’s about to occur. He approaches the door and quickly opens it, preparing for the worse.

“Geik-..Keigo…? What’re you doin’ here, boy..?” Enji trips over his words as rubs his eyes, struggling to process Keigo’s sudden presence. What was he about to call Keigo?

“Are you drunk?”

Keigo obviously knew the answer to that. He’s not an idiot. He’s also way more observant than many would give him credit for. His question is a way to test the waters, gauge what kind of drunk Enji is.

“No…” Enji grumbles. It’s like he’s regressed into a toddler, refusing to admit weakness. Enji goes to grab the pizza when he stumbles.

Keigo immediately reacts, catching Enji’s chest with one hand. Given Enji’s large stature, this is an issue. They almost fall. Enji is able to take some of the weight off of Keigo and stabilize himself before both of them fall on their asses.

“You’re definitely drunk man..”

“No I’m not!”

“Yes you are , you forgot you ordered FOUR fucking pizzas and you almost tripped on nothing!”

Enji mumbles something under his breath and looks away bashfully. Keigo sighs.

When Keigo had received the news from Rumi, he was expecting that Enji and him would have some sort of banter about it being too late at night; he wasn’t expecting to become a babysitter to a forty five year old. It’s not all bad. He’s learning more about the Enji Todoroki.

“Here, let me help you inside, Enji.” Keigo places one of Enji’s arms over his shoulders and walks him back inside.

With this, he’s given the intimacy of seeing Enji’s empty house, and what happens when Enji isn’t surrounded by family. The beer cans on the floor, the depressing rock music blasting, the singular lamp lighting up the room. You’d think this is the space of a man who has given up all hope for his future.

Anyone else would think this is pathetic for Enji. But, Keigo gets it. He can’t blame Enji.

He helps Enji back onto the couch and he sits right next to him, pizzas on his lap. Enji takes a box off of his lap and starts devouring the pizza. He’s an incredibly messy eater when drunk, Keigo notes.

“Man, you must be really hungry, huh?” Keigo begins. “I mean, I get it, when I drink with my friends, I always end up having a mukbang of sorts. Like once, I had a bunch of soju shots and next thing you know I was eating like 40-”

“Shouldn’t you be getting back to work?” Enji hesitantly asks, having spoken with food in his mouth. Keigo is a bit surprised with Enji’s soft tone.

Keigo chuckles. “I’m not sure if you’re aware big guy, but it’s midnight. You’re the only order I’ve had in like an hour. Rumi will survive if I’m gone for five more minutes than normal.”

“Whatever.” Enji blushes.

Perfect. He basically got permission from Enji to laze around his house for longer. He takes a moment to observe. 

Not a lot of decorations. 

The only decorations seem to be the photos he has of his children. Strange. In all these family pictures, Enji is not in a single one. Was he taking the picture? Was he too busy with work to even be there? Did he not like being in pictures?

The house seemed..so much more depressing than Keigo was expecting. Everything was so plain and lacking color. It didn’t seem like Enji cared to curate a space for himself. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would outwardly express himself like that, so Keigo isn’t too surprised.

He turns to Enji. As he eats, Keigo notices a sort of lamenting look within his eyes. As if he’s not even in this moment. More so..remembering past moments that happened within this same room. He looked so defeated. His eyebrows had softened, jaw lowered. This was not the man Keigo had previously delivered pizza to. No, that man before was an illusion, a powerful image used to push people away.

This Enji..this weak, pathetic, regretful Enji was the real Enji. How many people have seen Enji like this? Did they stop respecting Enji once they saw him in this vulnerable state? 

Keigo knew exactly what Enji was thinking.

“You know, seeing you..like this doesn’t really change the way I see you. Shit happens. I get it. Rough night.” He places his hand on Enji’s shoulder, testing to see how Enji would react.

Enji doesn’t move an inch. If Keigo was a fool, he wouldn’t have noticed how Enji in fact moved slightly closer to Keigo’s touch. But he notices. 

They stay still like that for way too long. Keigo attempts to offer conversational topics. He quickly realizes that Enji doesn’t need someone to listen to, but instead he just needs someone by his side . 

Rumi will understand if he stays here for a while longer. He’s simply providing excellent customer service…yeah..customer service. Plus, she can handle the store by herself, no one is ordering right now. Keigo has been consistently repeating that phrase to himself tonight, wanting to give himself reassurance to stay by Enji’s side.

Keigo follows Enji’s face closely, observing as Enji slowly drifts off into sleep. It’s..rather peaceful. His face and body are no longer tense. His chest is slowly moving up and down.

Once he’s sure that Enji has fallen asleep, he slowly gets up. He grabs the unfinished pizza boxes and places them in the fridge.

In the middle of the fridge is a bento box with a note on it.

It reads:

“Hi daddy! Good luck with work! Hope you enjoy your food :) -your favorite daughter”

Keigo softly smiles. Enji’s genius daughter gives him an idea.

He scours the kitchen drawers for a sticky note and a permanent marker. Once he does, he writes slowly, wanting his note to be as legible as possible. Keigo places the note on top of the pizza boxes. Enji won’t be able to ignore it.

Finally, Keigo exits the Todoroki residence. He enters his car and slowly drives away, not wanting to wake up Enji’s peaceful slumber. Keigo is in shock the entire ride back. He drives in silence. Only looking at the beautiful night sky, he replays the memories of Enji’s sexy physique. How his muscles were too tight within his clothes. Keigo pondered how hard he had to work to achieve the stature Enji had.

Keigo almost crashed his car on the back to work, but he’ll never tell anyone that.

Keigo pushes through the door of the restaurant. Rumi was standing by the counter and she slammed her hands on it when she realized her best friend had returned.

“Finally! Why were you gone for so long?” Rumi questioned, her tone implying she believes something happened between the two.

“Nah, he was just drunk when I delivered the pizzas. I helped him get back on the couch and just waited for him to fall asleep.”

Rumi lifted an eyebrow.

“Honest! Nothing happened. It was nice, though. His couch was super comfy.”

“So…you didn’t make a move? After he ordered pizza at like midnight and specifically asked for you to deliver it ?” Rumi face-palmed, unable to believe in the cowardice of someone who is typically so confident. He normally would’ve taken advantage of that situation and would’ve made a move. 

“Okay, well, I did make a move, but like not..physically.”

“Huh?”

Enji’s back is sore as he wakes up. His head is still pounding, so he stumbles around to get some water in the kitchen.

The digital clock inside the fridge reads 3:23 AM, and the fridge light is the only thing illuminating the room. Enji squints to avoid the harsh lights when he notices something odd.

Four boxes of pizza. 

He didn’t order food…did he? He can’t remember. He can barely remember how he got to the kitchen in the first place.

It doesn’t matter. He’s hungry and there’s a huge stack of food in front of him. He takes the boxes out of the fridge.

There’s a note on top of it. Enji struggles to read it as he walks back to the couch with his food. Once he sits down again, he’s finally able to comprehend this note, who he thought was from his daughter.

Enji blushes like never before. The alcohol made the redness even more intense.

Keigo had given Enji his fucking number. 

Under his number simply read: text me the next time you need another pizza lol -you know who

His handwriting was surprisingly neat and legible, as if he took his time to make sure Enji could read every single little number. How thoughtful.

Enji’s jaw clenches. Who does Keigo think he is with all this confidence? Shamelessly giving away his number to people twice his age? Having the confidence to even believe Enji would be interested in getting Keigo’s number? How dare he?

But still..Enji is tempted to text Keigo and learn more about this man. He wants to learn about him so he can finally shut him up. Give him a taste of his own medicine.

No.

He will not give into his impulses. He is supposed to be the responsible adult, he will not drunkenly text Keigo. He shouldn’t even be considering texting a man as young as Keigo. Enji fell asleep with his phone in one hand, pizza slice in the other, having successfully not texted Keigo.

Chapter Text

Without fail, Enji always wakes up at 6:30 AM. No matter what time he went to bed the previous night, no matter if he was sick or hungover, or even if he had the day off. His body always woke him up at 6:30. He doesn’t even need an alarm anymore. He was born a punctual man and he will die the same way.

Despite his hangover, he began his morning ritual immediately. Enji got out of bed and headed to his bathroom. His bathroom was a plain, traditional white. It was rather small, only containing a large shower that took up most of the left side, a toilet in the back wall, and a counter when you look to your right. The counters contained only the essentials: deodorant, toothpaste, shaving products, and moisturizer (Fuyumi bought it for him, encouraging him to also take care of his skin).

He splashed warm water all over his stubble and lathered it in shaving cream. He looked like a mess, he might as well start his day by cleaning himself up. As he meticulously shaved, he began remembering bits and pieces of the previous night. 

Keigo’s soft gaze looking at a drunken and lonely Enji. Keigo putting his hand on Enji’s shoulder, trying to save Enji’s ego. Keigo slipping his phone number into Enji’s order.

He nicked himself when he remembered that last part. Enji cursed under his breath. His perfect shave had been ruined by that man…

He barely even knows the boy. Why would he let himself be seen in such a compromising state? Why did his drunk self even come up with that idea? How humiliating. And why on earth did Keigo think it was a good idea to give Enji his number? In what world would he message Keigo? What do they even have in common? Absolutely nothing. Being in his early twenties, Keigo likely partied and drank every single weekend, meanwhile Enji dedicated himself to his family and work. They lived in two different worlds.

Still, Enji is curious as to what Keigo would have to say if he did send a message. What’s the next button that Keigo would exploit?

… What am I thinking? Have some discipline , Enji tells himself.

Once Enji had finished shaving and brushing his teeth, he returned to his bedroom to grab his phone off the nightstand. Another part of his morning routine was sending two messages: one to all of his children in the group chat he has with them, and one to his ex-wife.

To his children, he wrote:

Hello all,

I hope you all have an excellent Sundat. I will be home all day if any of you need to come home. For the day. I love you all . I am so proud of you all…

-Your fathet

A simple yet effective text. He knows that his boys will only give the message a thumbs up and that Fuyumi won’t respond to his message until around 9 am, but he still enjoys sending it as a reminder to his children that they are his first thought in the morning. They always will be.

Now to message Rei. This message is more difficult for him to articulate, however, he always tries for her. Guilt rattles him when he comes to talking to Rei, but it’s not like he can just ignore her. She is the mother of their children. 

Good morning Rei,

Last night, a mistake occurred at the pizza place we last ordered at and they sent me 4 boxes of pizza... If you would like me to bring any to you for you and the kids to have, let me know. They are all topped with beef. I know Touya and Natsuo prefer their pizza to have meatt on it, so if you need me to order something else for you and Fuyumi, also let me know.

I hope your Sunday is relaxing and if you need anything from me, I am completely available.  today.

-Enji

Having sent the messages, he breathes a sigh of relief. He can now continue on with his day properly. Enji almost puts his phone down again.

Hold on.

There’s a chat with a number he doesn’t recognise. He rarely receives texts from unknown numbers. Confusedly, he clicks on it to see what it entailed.

Oh fuck.

It seems that at some point last night (despite Enji’s best efforts to not text Keigo), drunken Enji had correctly typed in Keigo’s number and texted him. And it wasn’t just a singular message..

Hhey its Enji Torodorki

Why didsougive me your number?

Im old andbdisvorded and my kidshate eme

Didyourpiercigns hurtt

????

My son has oericihns but he beveebtold me if they hurted

Youre soyoung I donr get why youre flirtign with an old man likenme

Were you flirtign with me i think younwere you gave me your phone number

Wair Areyou gay

Oh, Enji is so fucked. He sent a whole barrage of drunken and unfiltered messages. It’s way too late to delete them. Apparently he sent them at around 4 AM…after Enji had supposedly gone to sleep. Was he so drunk that he didn’t even remember waking up again? Keigo hadn’t responded either, so he can only assume that Keigo was asleep too and doesn’t know about the texts.

But he will soon.

How did this even happen? This is Enji’s absolute nightmare.

Enji begins to panic. He’s strategizing on the best way to save face. He could send another text and apologize for his drunken behavior. He could pretend like he never sent those messages. 

He chooses to block Keigo and delete the chat. Can’t deal with the consequences if Keigo can’t reach him. An excellent idea, truly.

With this, he feels a bit relieved. He decides to take his mind off this whole situation by deep cleaning the entire house. Not that it was messy and needed to be cleaned (nor was he expecting guests)..but what else could Enji do to distract himself?

Around two, after spending hours tidying up the garden in the center of the residence, Enji receives a call from Shoto.

He immediately stops what he’s doing to answer. Shoto never calls him. Shoto rarely even texts, only sending messages when it’s absolutely necessary. It must be something incredibly urgent. Is he in danger? Is he stranded on the side of the road? Does he need to be taken to the hospital?

“Shoto? What happened?” Enji attempts to mask his worry, but he finds it appears more as frustration. 

Shoto releases a heavy sigh from the other side. “I didn’t want to ask you this, but can my friends and I come to the house today? We have to work on an essay.”

“Why not..work at the dorms?”

“The dorms are under construction right now and it’s too much noise..”

Enji softly smiles. He’s glad he gets to see his son. There’s definitely some other force at play that caused Shoto to ask, but he’ll take any interaction with his son.

“Okay. Do you need me to pick you and your friends up?”

“No. We'll be there in an hour, old man.”

Shoto ruthlessly hung up immediately after. Enji paused for a moment, and immediately rushed inside towards the kitchen and living room to clean it. It was always the last room he would focus on when he deep cleaned. He hated cleaning the kitchen and would always try to push back doing it as much as rationally possible. And now he only had an hour to clean both areas. At least he stress-cleaned earlier, it could’ve been worse.

“Why do you want to order from there again? We ate that last time you were here.”

“Yeah, we did .” Shoto points down at his friends, who for some reason, have put on an exaggerated pleading face. Did they rehearse this? “My friends haven’t eaten from that place in weeks. They want pizza. Order us some pizza, old man.”

“Sir, our dorm food is nice,” the young Midoriya adds, “But it’s always nice to order some take out!”

All of Shoto’s friends add in similar sentiments. These stubborn teenagers are going to be the end of him. What’s the point in paying for Shoto’s lunch card if he’s only gonna end up craving non-school food?

Enji sighs. He knows this is a battle he cannot win. He feels he’s painted himself as the “relaxed” father type to Shoto’s friends; he cannot switch it up suddenly by acting stubborn and overly authoritarian. 

“Ugh, fine. Is everyone’s order the same as last time?” They all nod.

He dials UA Pizza’s number yet again, genuinely praying that Keigo doesn’t pick up the phone. His prayers are answered. 

“Hello, you are calling UA Pizza. My name is Tsunagu, how may I help you?”

Finally, someone at that restaurant who can be professional. He sounds older than Keigo, perhaps in his thirties. His calm tone impresses Enji and soothes his nerves. 

They both go through the script of ordering pizzas, something they are both adept in. The maturity and professionalism of the entire situation is incredibly refreshing. 

Enji hangs up and heads back into his room. He’s completed all of his errands for the day, so all he can do is wait for that damned pizza to come. Is it going to be Keigo? Maybe, maybe not. He is praying that it’s not. He pulls out his reading glasses and a paper he needed to finish while he waited. Enji has never hated waiting more in his life. At least the literature is a difficult read, a research paper, and takes all of his mental effort to understand the work. It’s weirdly frustrating yet calming.

Enji’s serenity is destroyed when he hears that doorbell ring. He doesn’t move, thinking Shoto will get it. He’s closer to the front door anyways.

Shoto barges into Enji's bedroom. No knock. Just swings the door wide open. It would’ve enraged Enji in his earlier days, but now it just slightly annoys him. Albeit inconvenient, this just demonstrates Enji is growing on Shoto again. Small steps, but it’s steps Enji will always appreciate.

“Get the pizza, old man.”

“Can you do it? I’m busy.” He gestures to the research paper in his hands that he hasn’t finished.

“No you’re not. We have to finish this essay. You have money. Go do it.”

Enji sighs as he slowly gets out of bed. His bed makes a very large creaking sound, one that makes Shoto chuckle. 

“What?” Enji apparently has less of a grasp of his anger today than he thought. He can’t help it. 

What if Keigo is the delivery driver again? Enji can’t stop worrying about it. He doesn’t want to open that door. He’s likely going to experience the most embarrassing moment of his life and his son doesn’t even realise it. 

He’s terrified for a moment that his moment will start an argument and ruin all progress that Enji had worked so hard for. He holds his breath.

“You’re fat.” Shoto walks away to sit back with his friends. 

Enji takes a minute to process what his son just said before chuckling to himself. He has to admit, that was a good one. Grabbing his wallet, he heads out to deal with whoever is delivering his pizza. Ideally not Keigo. Anybody but Keigo . He takes a deep breath before opening the gate.

It’s Keigo. God fucking dammit.

Keigo’s eyebrows are raised, with a smile that reaches his eyes. He looks too smug. Enji feels humiliated. He definitely saw Enji’s messages and absolutely was going to take advantage of this. Enji has nowhere to run.

“Oh, I didn’t know you were blind, Enji! Nice glasses, not a bad look on you.” 

…What? 

Enji forgot he was wearing his glasses still..but…Keigo isn’t immediately going for the lowest hanging fruit? The man whose whole personality is messing with others? Especially pushing Enji’s buttons? Weird. Enji was not expecting the interaction to start this way.

Keigo begins taking the pizzas out of the bag he uses to deliver them and hands them to Enji, who holds them all with one palm effortlessly. With his other hand, he takes his glasses off and tucks them in his tank top’s collar.

“I’m not blind. I simply need them for reading.”

“Ohhhh, so old man glasses?” Enji’s eye involuntarily twitches.

“No, they are not “old man” glasses. Plenty of people use reading glasses.”

“Nah, not any of my friends. I only see older folks with that shit. It’s fine to admit you’re old!” Keigo gives him an innocent smile, tilting his head. He also adds in a soft wink.

With every word Keigo throws in Enji’s direction, Enji finds himself getting more and more frustrated. He knows Keigo is baiting him, wanting a reaction out of him, and he hates that it works .

“Anyways,” Keigo’s smile drops into a more serious gaze. His eyes become more lidded and his eyebrows slightly furrow. “I saw your texts from last night.”

Enji freezes. This was the moment he had been mentally preparing himself for, yet it wasn’t enough. Shame consumed him. He had no rational explanation for those texts. Humiliation from Keigo was soon to follow. Enji steps outside and shuts the gate behind him.

“Let me expl-” Keigo holds a hand up to Enji’s chest and Enji shuts up. 

(Who even is Enji anymore? Letting a twenty year old interrupt and silence him without consequences? Where is the headstrong and stubborn Enji Todoroki the rest of the world knows?)

“Listen man, I get it. Drunk texts happen. I’ll pretend it never happened. I gave you my number because I don’t really relate to people my age. You seem..like you get it.”

Enji takes a moment to gather his thoughts. Keigo’s vague wording confuses Enjj yet provides much clarity. It quickly clicks what Keigo is pressing for. His eyebrows furrow and he squints.

“You..want to be friends..?”

“Bingo, big guy.”

“..Why..?” Enji hesitates.

“As I said, you seem like someone who gets it. Whether or not you take up my offer is your choice.” 

Enji doesn’t remember the last time he’s been friends with someone. The past twenty five years of his life have been consumed by his family and work. He refuses to mingle work life with his personal life, and his relationship with his family has always been…rather delicate. Enji isn’t even sure if he’s ever had friends. He doesn’t let people in like that. Even if he did, his large build, rather angry face, and very visible facial scar deters many.

He thinks about his youngest son, and how different he seems when he’s surrounded by his friends. With that group of his, albeit disruptive, they bring out different emotions in Shoto. He’s been more expressive recently. With those friends, you can actually kinda tell what Shoto is thinking and feeling. And it’s definitely because his little friends lead such different lives to each other. They push Shoto to argue for his ideas and to actually express himself, rather than hold in all his emotions like he’d been doing for the majority of his life.

It’s because of them that Shoto even smiles in this household again. A place that is riddled with traumatic memories.

Perhaps it is about time Enji has someone like that. He needs more variety in his life, he can’t just focus on atonement and work. Walking that tightrope will kill him. He needs a social outlet where he doesn’t need to worry about his own issues. Keigo seems like the kind of man who could get Enji’s mind off anything.

Despite the age difference, he makes up his mind.

“Okay.”

“..Okay what?”

“I’ll take up your offer. To be friends.”

For once, Keigo is the one left speechless. But only for a moment. His shocked expression disappears as quickly as it came. It transformed into a calm smile. 

“Alright, just unblock me and we can get a beer or something! See ya!” Keigo turns on his heel and quickly walks back to his car. As he leaves, Enji can recognise the band that’s blasting from his car.

Enji opens and closes the gate, entering his property once more. Shoto is in his face, staring at him blankly. Has he been waiting for him the whole time?

“What took so long? What happened?” Okay, good, Shoto hasn’t been there the entire time. He didn’t hear any of Enji’s vulnerability.

“Nothing.” Enji attempts to channel a stricter persona to end Shoto’s curiosity.

“It didn’t seem like nothing.” 

Fuck, Shoto was listening. 

“It seems like you’re now friends with the only person who you’ve ever made laugh.”

Enji sighs. “We’re not friends. I’m trying to get you and your friends a discount since you won’t stop ordering.” He hands Shoto the stack of pizzas, who also holds it with ease. They stare at each other awkwardly as Shoto tries to figure out what he should say (if he even ends up saying anything at all).

With his free hand, he gives a light punch in Enji’s left arm.

“Whatever. Just don’t mess it up…dad.”

Shoto immediately turns around and runs back inside to the living room. Enji can hear the sound of cheers and excited yelling as all those rowdy teenagers get their own fourteen inch pizzas.

Enji is left outside by himself and he finds himself feeling hopeful. His son called him dad . Enji cannot recall the last time Shoto referred to him as dad. Maybe when he was eleven? Right before he entered his rebellious phase?

He’s tempted to text Rei and tell her of the amazing news, but he stops himself. He doesn’t want to bother her. Plus, if anyone else knew what he did, Shoto may never do it again. Enji believes his son is like a cat. You can’t praise him for eating food, you have to leave the food out and ignore him when he eats so he doesn’t get embarrassed.

So, the only thing Enji can do is retreat to his room and wait for Shoto and his friends to leave. They said they would only stay for a couple hours longer. 

He attempts to finish up the research paper from earlier, but he just can’t. Enji can only think of his interaction with Keigo. One thing Keigo said in particular stuck with Enji. 

I don’t really relate to people my age.

How odd. The man seems like he can connect with anyone. As long as they can listen to what he has to say, he’ll find a way to coax them into an interesting conversation. That’s how he is with Enji, at least. Is this overly sociable and open Keigo a mask? What is the real Keigo like? Will Keigo let his guard down with Enji, or Enji going to be just another person he performs to?

He doesn’t know. He doesn’t want to think about it. But it’s all he can think about.

Chapter Text

Enji is at his lunch break the next day when he decides it’s appropriate to finally unblock and message Keigo. He didn’t want to immediately message Keigo after he had left yesterday, in fear of seeming desperate.

He has his own personal office (the pros of climbing the corporate ladder), with no windows looking in at him. It allows him some needed privacy from when he inevitably loses his temper because of Keigo. On his desk are pictures of his family all together (he’s not in the pictures), his work computer, a stack of paper work, and the bento box his daughter had made for him a couple days back.

Pulling out his phone, he ponders what he should send as the first text. Keigo didn’t let him comment about the drunk texts, perhaps he should apologize for that first? It would let him clear his consciousness, starting their friendship with a new start. Yeah. He’ll do that.

He battles with the phone as he tries to type out a coherent message. It’s a combination of his fat fingers and his struggle to articulate himself that he almost loses this fight.

Hello Keigo,

It is Enji Todoroki. For starters, I’d like to properly apologize for the drunken texts I had sent on Saturday night. I am not like that. You should not have..see n that side of me. It will not happen again .

-Enji Todorokii

Enji takes a deep sigh as he sends the message. It’s nerve wracking. Not knowing how or when Keigo is going to respond. He puts his phone down to begin eating.

He’s immediately interrupted by a notification. It’s Keigo. That was quick. Is he one of those people who is glued to their phones? That’s gonna be a pain if Keigo decides to constantly bother Enji while he is at work.

oh i don’t care 

when do u wanna meet up ?

Enji pulls up his calendar on his computer. He’s embarrassed to admit that he has..absolutely no plans this whole week. He only has to go to work, and his kids didn’t make any plans to see him this weekend. Enji refuses to admit that to Keigo. He would get made fun of.

Keigo,

I’m not sure. I’ll have to check.

-Enji

lame

just put me in for sunday k?

Keigo,

Fine.

-Enji

k

The conversation ended there. For some odd reason, that bothered Enji. He was half-expecting Keigo to be the kind of texter who sends multiple messages before receiving a reply. But, no, he’s a worse texter than Enji. He’s not even trying to continue the conversation.

Keigo literally gave Enji his number, literally started their friendship, and now he’s feigning disinterest? Who does he think he is?

Enji gives Keigo a moment to send another response, he’s sure he’ll send one again. It’ll just be another minute until Keigo comes up with some other magic way to get on Enji’s nerves. 

But he doesn’t. Enji goes the rest of his lunch break and shift without a single text from Keigo. He’s humiliated that he was half-waiting for a text from a twenty year old like some desperate teenager.

Surprisingly, Enji’s shift ended at a decent time. Perfect. He can actually do what he wanted to today: go to his local mall’s book store.

Enji Todoroki was recently encouraged by his ex-wife to have a hobby outside of work. Determining what this hobby was going to be incredibly difficult. He never considered going to the gym as a hobby because it was something that contributed to his work. It was more like…more work. It was something he established into his routine to become a better police chief and father. It was stress-relieving and beneficial, but not genuinely relaxing like hobbies are supposed to be like (at least, according to Rei).

So he decided to try out bird watching. The garden he had been cultivating in his home is a very open space with a variety of fauna and flowers, constantly attracting many species of animals and bugs, but especially birds. It makes the view of the area so much more relaxing, and Enji has found himself observing them for long periods of time when he gets off work. It’s the perfect hobby. 

The only issue is that he doesn’t know a single thing about birds in his area. Or birds in general. 

So a trip to the book store it is. He enjoys reading and he believes that a book on the subject will be the best way for him to start.

He enters the mall. He doesn’t have a change of clothes, so he’s stuck with his work outfit: navy blue pants that hug his legs, a white dress shirt that lacks any creases, a black tie and shoes, and his reading glasses (he always needs those when he’s in the office). Enji has to admit that he does stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone else is in extremely casual clothes. As always, he ignores their stares.

After some wandering, he did eventually find the bookstore. It was a new addition and the mall was rather large with a more complex-than-needed layout. It bothered him to no end.

The book store he entered was homier compared to the corporate stores that surrounded it. Despite the smaller space, the book shelves reached the ceiling and they were all tightly packed together. Enough to have people fit comfortably, but it was clear they were determined to get in as many books as possible.

The store was manned by three teenagers, who clearly just came in from school. Perhaps only slightly younger than Natsuo? All three of them were behind the register working on homework and conversing between each other.

The most extroverted one, a blond teenager with very light blue eyes, immediately stopped his school work and jumped over the counter to approach Enji. For being a teenager he was very tall. He was almost Enji’s height. The worker used his height in order to maintain strong yet cheerful eye contact.

“Looking for anything in particular, sir!” His bright attitude was a little too much for a tired Enji. It reminded him of a certain new friend of his. Not that Enji was thinking about him right now.

“No need, I know what I am looking for. Thank you.”

“Okay! The name is Mirio if you need me!” The teen began walking back to his coworkers.

Enji easily found the section he was looking for. Scanning through all the different books, he was very picky about what kind of book he was going to select for his new endeavor.

He didn’t like those thick encyclopedia-type books, but he didn’t want a book that would be too small for his large fingers. Enji didn’t want too many pictures per page. Perhaps a picture of two of each bird would suffice to him. He also needed to ensure that the text size wasn’t too small.

A guide to bird watching (and you only can recognise pigeons), by Koji Koda .

This perfectly fit his standards. He was rather pleased with this Koji Koda gentleman. Enji held the guide in his right hand and began exploring the store a bit more. Having more literature in his house wouldn’t hurt. He needs something to do with his spare time when his family isn’t home.

The books he ended up buying were the bird watching guide, a dessert recipe book (for his children, he insists to himself), and some self help book that he recognised from the news.

His checking-out experience was rather mundane. It wasn’t the Mirio kid who was at the register but rather his quieter, dark-haired “friend”. This one (who had a name badge that read “Tamaki”) refused to engage in eye contact with Enji and only spoke when necessary. Enji was fine with that, he was too tired from his day to want to engage in small talk with strangers anyway.

Next to Tamaki was the third one, a girl with dyed light purple hair. She seemed more cheery than Tamaki, almost smug. Perhaps she made him ring up Enji so he could practice his social skills?

“Have a good day!” she waved as Enji walked out the store, bag of books in his right hand.

Enji’s stomach grumbled. He ate not even two hours ago.. It’s what happens when you work out daily. Your metabolism is incredibly fast and next thing you know, you’re having 4 meals a day to compensate.

Begrudgingly, he walks to the food court located in the middle of the mall. He could at least recall where that was.

He wasn’t sure if there would be healthy food options, as food courts usually serve “greasy” foods, but Enji was proven wrong today. Apparently a new restaurant had opened that served salad bowls with a protein option. It was perfect, because it was exactly what he was craving.

Enji approached the cashier and began looking up at the menu. There were many options, but Enji is a decisive man. He opts for a bowl containing caramelized garlic steak, spicy broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and white rice. 

After receiving his order and finding a place to sit, he feels rather pleased with himself. He’s glad he was able to find the perfect books. The perfect order. The universe was on his side today. Enji began peacefully enjoying his meal, finally able to decompress after his long day.

“Enji?”

Enji looks up from his food, frowning at whoever thought it was a good idea to interrupt his alone time.

It was..Keigo. Not at work. Here. In the mall. Not working.

For a moment, Enji’s brain hotwires. He’s not sure why seeing Keigo in public is such a shocking experience for him. Keigo luckily cannot read his shock, rather seeing it as annoyance and exhaustion.

Keigo is wearing a black jean jacket with a white tank top underneath it. His pants are the exact same color as the jacket, and they appear to have various pockets on both sides. As Keigo spoke, he removed his headphones and placed them around his neck. He’s looking down at Enji with a mix of excitement and smugness. As he always does.

“Ah I was right! You just got off work? Almost didn’t recognise you in that suit and those glasses of yours-”

“What are you doing here?” Enji breaks eye contact as he takes a bite of the steak. 

“Same as you big guy, I’m about to fuck up some food.” Keigo gestures to his plate of takiyaki. “Mind if I sit here?” 

Without waiting for an answer from Enji, Keigo slides into the table, sitting on his right side. A little too close, in Enji’s personal opinion. 

“Don’t you usually work in the evenings?”

“Aww, can’t believe you noticed! Okay, so I usually do, in case my parents need me for anything since I don’t live with them, but someone called out today so-” Keigo goes on an overly long ramble, attempting to fill up the silence. He’s stuffing his takoyaki in his face while he does so. His face is an absolute mess but Keigo doesn’t care. Enji’s listening to him, but in the same way that you listen to a video in the background while you’re working on something (in this case: his meal).

Enji does eventually come to when Keigo finally asks him a question.

“Do you have other kids? I know you have your son, whatever his name is, but is he the only one? You seem like the kind of dad who has a lot of kids.”

Enji fully turns to look at him, lifting an eyebrow. He stopped chewing his food as well. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s not supposed to mean anything, I just think you have more than one kid. I’m right, aren’t I?”

The dark-haired man rubs his left eyebrow (and in turn his scar) as he sighs and nods. Keigo shrugs his shoulders, not surprised that his observation was spot on.

“Show me them.”

“...Why?”

“Because friends tell friends about their lives? Have you ever had friends before?”

Enji mutters “whatever” under his breath, before hesitantly pulling out his phone. He attempts to scroll through his camera roll, to find a good picture that contains all his kids, but he struggles due to the size of his phone. He’s glad he at least still has his reading glasses on.

Pulling up a recent picture, he only refers to them by who is the youngest, oldest, middle, etc. He doesn’t volunteer any more information. Keigo lets out a dramatic sigh as his head falls back.

“C’mon man, you’re killing me. Tell me about them!”

“Just ask questions about them instead of expecting me to read your mind.”

“Okay, for starters: their names??”

Enji goes through the picture again, first starting with Shoto. He expects to be able to just identify them and be done, but with every child he introduces, Keigo has a follow up question.

“How old is Shoto?” 

“Sixteen.”

“What does he want to do in college?”

“He doesn’t know yet.”

“Sooo…you mentioned your kids hate you, it’s Touya isn’t it? I can tell from the piercings. And the shitty dye job.”

“...Not just Touya. Natsuo too. Shoto is starting to warm up to me, though.”

More and more questions come to Keigo’s mind as Enji explains his sons more in depth. More than Enji would be comfortable with sharing. He allows this interrogation to continue because this is excellent practice for getting close to people. It’s embarrassing, being so open, but he can hear the voices of his ex-wife, youngest son, and daughter nagging him for wanting to put up walls towards people who want to talk to him. He’s trying very hard to not push himself away from his first friend.

He’s finally able to talk about Fuyumi, and at this point, he sort of can predict what Keigo will ask.

“This is Fuyumi, she just graduated college with a degree in childhood education, and is working at a daycare for now. She lives with her mother. Out of all of my children, I see her the most. No, you may not get her number. She’s not interested in dating.”

Enji doesn’t notice it, because he enjoys his daughter-centric ramble, but Keigo is silent. He doesn’t interrupt Enji once after he was shown Fuyumi. The moment Enji finishes talking of his lovely daughter, Keigo resumes to his cheery and loud persona.

“Who knows? Maybe I can change her mind.” Enji frowns and gets up to throw away his food. Keigo doesn’t realise this. He thinks that Enji is leaving. Keigo immediately follows him, refusing to let his conversation with Enji to end.

“Man, I was joking, I won’t try to get with your daughter!” 

Enji turns around to sit back down where they were sitting immediately. It clicks with Keigo that the older man was messing with him. He punches Enji’s shoulder and chuckles.

“It’s your turn.”

“Huh?”

“Tell me about your family. You do have one, no?”

Enji earns himself another chuckle from Keigo. He is on fire today with his jokes. He’s sort of impressed with himself.

“Okay, fair. Fire away, Enji.”

The older man holds his fingers up to his chin, trying to think if there’s anything he’s genuinely interested in knowing about Keigo’s family.

“You mentioned you don’t live with them…? What do they need help with?”

“Oh, yeah! I moved out last year into my own apartment because I prefer having my own space. My parents are on the older side, and have their own medical issues, so in the mornings before work, I stop by to help them occasionally. I have a younger brother, but he lives at his school’s dorms.”

Oh, like Shoto. How interesting.

Enji nods and doesn’t ask anymore questions. He’s not one of many questions. Checking his watch, he realises they’ve been talking for a little too long and he needs to get home. He needs to water his plants and start his laundry.

“I have to go home.”

Keigo frowns. “Man, really? We were just getting to the juicy details!”

“Another time,” Enji jokes. “I’ll see you around.” He stands up and begins walking away, now needing to figure out where his car was. Or at least where Enji thinks his car is. He’s sort of lost. Not that Keigo knows that. He’s walking away with too much confidence to be lost.

He’s left at that table by himself. Is Enji..really implying that he's okay with seeing Keigo again in the future?? Does he enjoy being Keigo’s friend?? Oh my god??

He quickly remembers an earlier part of his conversation, when Enji was talking about his beautiful daughter Fuyumi. Keigo grabs his phone quickly and creates a group chat between two of his friends. He’s frantically typing, trying to process what just went down.

Keigo: hey guys

Keigo: just ran into my guy at the mall

Keigo: he just got off work and was in a suit and his glasses

Keigo: he looked gooood

Rumi: how did it go

Keigo: i didn’t piss him off too much LOL

Keigo: he just left

Keigo: anyways

Keigo: yk how he has kids right

Rumi: what abt them

Keigo: so i asked him abt his kids right

Keigo: and he pulls up a picture

Keigo: and he’s like telling me shit abt them

Keigo: and his daughter is u

Rumi: ?????

Fuyumi: what

Fuyumi: WHAT

Fuyumi: YOURE MY DADS NEW FRIEND???

Fuyumi: YOUR CRUSH IS MY DAD???????

Keigo: I GUESS??

Rumi: LMAO NO FUCKING WAY

Rumi: small world

Fuyumi: Shoto told me that my dad was friends with a younger man but….

Fuyumi: No!!

Fuyumi: You can’t!!

Fuyumi: I don’t think I’d be able to handle you thirsting over your crush now that I know it’s my dad who you’re talking about…!!

Keigo: no can do ;) 

Keigo: if anything im just gonna bring him up more now

Keigo: i saw your bento box note in his fridge btw

Rumi: LMAOO BABE UR THE REASON KEIGO IS FRIENDS WITH YOUR DADDD

Keigo: really excited to b your step dad in the future btw

Fuyumi: Keigo shut up PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

Fuyumi: And Rumi you’re supposed to be on my side!!!

Keigo: hey don’t tell your step father what to do

Chapter Text

It was almost eleven PM and Keigo was working a closing shift at the pizza place alongside Rumi and his manager Tsunagu. It had been a rather slow Sunday, with long periods of time in between deliveries. He hates these nights sometimes. Not being able to do any deliveries. But the occasional interesting conversation will make up for it.

Those three were discussing clothing stores in the area, and where the best places to thrift are, when Keigo receives a call on his phone. Oh, it’s from his brother. What could he want at this hour? Money?

“Hey, what’s up, Fumi?”

“When are you going to pick me up?” 

“What do you mean..?” Keigo attempts to retain his charismatic smile, but he is incredibly confused.

“Mom and dad said they told you to pick me up tonight. I have to go back to the dorms tonight, I have to take an exam tomorrow.”

“Mom and dad never-” Keigo sighs and pinches the bridge of his eyebrows. He knows his parents are already asleep at this hour, he needs to be the one to do it. “Hey, Tsunagu, I need to go pick up my brother, do you mind if I leave early?”

Tsunagu nods and walks over to clock out Keigo. He is so incredibly thankful Tsunagu is an accommodating boss. His manager is a little strange at times, opting for denim puns often, but he’ll take it. He’s dealt with weirder. He mouths a Thank you as he heads out the store.

“Okay, just send me the address and I’ll be there.”

With that, Fumikage hangs up the phone and immediately sends the address. Not that Keigo reads the text all that closely. He’s too preoccupied with getting to his brother as soon as possible. He runs to his Toyota Corolla and rapidly types in the address given. He speeds off as soon as his car turns on.

How could his parents forget to communicate something as important as this?? Fumikage is still a teenager, he can’t drive! Keigo understands that they’re getting older and they don’t always remember everything, but you’d think they would when it comes to their son . As he drives, he attempts to burrow his frustration so Fumikage doesn’t feel guilty for forcing Keigo out of work. It’s a struggle. He’s been up since the crack of dawn. Working at a food place means you deal with a lot of difficult people.  He can handle it, but being alone in his car causes all the tiredness to hit him at once. Luckily the drive isn’t too long.

As Keigo pulls up to the neighborhood, he begins to recognize it..a little too well. Why is he struggling to recall it? It doesn’t matter, he needs to get to his brother as soon as-

Oh.

Oh. 

This isn’t good. He’d recognize that large gate anywhere, no matter how exhausted he was.

Why is Fumikage at Enji’s house?? That doesn’t make any sense. Fumikage hasn’t mentioned any new friends from his new school he’s attending..

Just to be sure, Keigo whips out his phone to confirm that he’s at the right place. Maybe Fumi was at the house next door?

Nope. Keigo is at the right address. He even double-checked Fumikage’s location. He’s right in the middle of that house. There’s no denying it.

Keigo sighs. It’s not that he doesn’t want to see Enji, but he doubts Enji would want to see him. They just became “friends” like barely two weeks ago. Yeah, they do text almost daily, but it would be weird if he showed up unannounced. Especially at this hour. They’re not there yet. He’s unprepared for Enji’s annoyance. 

To not piss off Enji further, he rings the gate’s bell. He doesn’t hop over the wall like he normally does (he’s too tired to do so anyways). He waits patiently. After a minute Enji answers.

This time Enji is wearing a brown long sleeved shirt and black sweatpants, with his reading glasses. He had also quickly put on some sandals. An inappropriate outfit for the middle of summer, but Keigo can’t judge.

“...What are you doing here? I didn’t order a pizza.” Objectively, Enji’s statement is harsh. But his expression is soft. He’s barely furrowing his eyebrows and his eyebags are pretty noticeable. He’s tired. Was he about to go to bed? (Keigo notes that Enji doesn’t seem necessarily bothered by his unexpected late-night appearance, moreso confused. Worried?)

Fumikage and Shoto pop up from behind Enji, wearing backpacks. Compared to Enji, they look tiny. It’s rather hilarious. Like a toddler hiding behind their parent’s legs.

“Small world, am I right? I gotta take this guy to his dorm.”

“Since Tokoyami’s brother is already taking him to the dorms,” Shoto began, “Can I go with them? I need to go back too.”

Enji sighs and rubs his temples. “I could’ve taken you to your dorms, Shoto.”

“You were fine with me driving with a stranger before you knew it was Tokoyami’s brother taking us.”

“I don’t trust his driving.”

“Why not?” Shoto challenges.

“He’s a reckl-”

Keigo spins his keys around his fingers. “Why don’t you just join us, big guy? My car can fit us all.”

The son-father pair look at Keigo, almost in shock at his suggestion. Shoto hasn’t been in a car with his father in a long time, he refuses to do so until he is more comfortable with his father. Enji doesn’t want to go out this late at night, especially because he has work the next day.

Enji is not sure how he was convinced of Keigo’s scheme. He barely knows the guy and yet here he is, tagging along in the passenger seat as Keigo drives his own son and Fumikage back to their school. 

My car can fit us all. 

What a load of shit. He barely fits in Keigo’s car. His knees are closer to each other than he would like, and his head is touching the ceiling of the car. His neck is strained. It’s incredibly uncomfortable. He doesn’t say anything to Keigo. No one else seems to have this problem anyways. 

The two in the front are mainly silent. They’re both tired. It’s fine anyways. Fumikage and Shoto are chatting up a storm in the back, a departure from their usual attitudes. Keigo does ask some questions every once in a while, wanting to catch up with his brother and his brother’s new friend. 

From what Keigo was able to gather from them, they’re playing some fantasy mobile game that Midoriya had gotten them into. It’s apparently some sort of open world RPG? Whatever that means. They usually play as a group with their class, but since they’re here, they’re doing a quest as a duo. 

Fumikage urges Shoto to dodge the monster about to attack them. Shoto is relatively new to the game, so he struggles to dodge immediately. His character gets stabbed in the stomach and is now lying on the floor, relying on Fumikage to save him. 

“Help.”

“I’m working on it, Todoroki.”

“Help. Help. Tokoyami, I’m going to die.”

Is Shoto…messing with Fumikge? It’s quite hilarious. Enji and Keigo exchange knowing glances, knowing Fumikage is the only one frustrated.

(Okay, not glances. Enji has to turn his entire head in order to see Keigo. It’s incredibly noticeable. The two teen boys ignore it in favor of trying to beat their game.)

Who would’ve thought , Enji thinks. It truly is a small world. Despite just meeting the man rather recently, he keeps having chance encounters with Keigo and now he’s finding out that his son is friends with Keigo’s younger brother.

It’s not like he could’ve easily come to that conclusion. Tokoyami and Keigo are worlds apart. In both personality and appearance. Enji will have to bring that up later. Likely not when Shoto is in the car. It seems like a question that Shoto would berate him for asking.

Later. 

Who is he becoming? Planning out future conversations? For some twenty year old? This man is starting to grow on him, but Enji refuses to admit that to himself. He’s too frustrating at times. Keigo seems to know exactly where Enji’s buttons are and how many times he can safely press them. He absolutely enjoys teasing Enji. It’s almost his guilty pleasure. 

Despite this frustration, he’s starting to enjoy the consistency that is Keigo. Their occasional conversations distract him from the responsibilities he bares.

After forty minutes of Enji having to listen to his son and Fumikage struggle in their game, they finally approach the dorms and all four men exit the car. Shoto is expecting a lecture. Fumikage isn’t sure why Keigo exited the car. 

“You can't expect Keigo to drive you two this late at night. This is not going to happen again. ” Enji takes off his glasses and rubs his temples. He’s not reprimanding his son, he’s just…tired. He was literally about to go to bed right before Keigo rang the doorbell. Now, his sleep schedule is going to be all messed up. If it had been someone Enji trusted driving, he wouldn't be in this situation.

Shoto surprisingly agrees. Him and Fumikage begin to walk away, continuing their video game banter.

The two men walk back to Keigo’s tiny Toyota Corolla. Enji slowly fits himself in the seat, struggling even more this time to be comfortable. He turned his entire torso to face Keigo, who seemed to be remarkably enjoying Enji's struggle.

“I’m never getting in your car again. Your car is too small.” Enji states bluntly. 

“Not my fault your mother fed you protein shakes instead of breast milk.”

Enji couldn’t take it. He couldn’t think all too properly and felt rather uninhibited. He lets out a hefty laugh from his chest. He’s bent over the seat, holding his left hand over his stomach. His other fist is slamming against the door repeatedly, a movement that makes Keigo’s small car shake intensely.

Keigo is taken aback by Enji’s reaction. It wasn't that funny. It was supposed to be a dumb joke that made Enji rolls his eyes. It was definitely not meant to have Enji erupt into laughter and make his car shake. It at least woke him up. Enji laughs very loudly. Keigo didn’t think Enji could be so loud.

After a very long minute, Enji finally calmed himself down and Keigo began driving. The older man feels incredibly embarrassed. He coughs and changes the conversation. 

“You’re still in your work uniform.”

“Yeah..my parents forgot to tell me I needed to pick him up, so I had to come here straight from work..” Keigo sighs.

“I see..I apologize..If Shoto had let me take him home earlier, you wouldn't have needed to left work.”

"It's okay, I got to catch up with my brother!"

Silence. They’re both exhausted. 

“Your brother..you don’t look alike..” Enji lets the implications speak for itself.

“Ah, yeah. We get that a lot. I’m adopted.” Keigo seems hesitant to step into this territory. How out of character for him.

“I don’t care for the details.”

“No! I, uh, feel like I should tell you this. It would be kinda weird if I just kept this to myself.”

Enji lifted his right eyebrow. He’s half expecting Keigo to somehow come up with a bit. But Keigo never does.

“My parents, my dad mainly, were criminals. Low life thieves, so even if they tried, we were still broke. Every time that they..failed to get a good deal out of their heists or whatever..they took it out on me.”

Enji breathes in to try and accept Keigo’s vulnerability. “Okay.” 

He’s staring intensely at Keigo, almost to tell him that he’s listening very openly and that it’s okay. It is hard having to listen to this, now knowing Keigo spent his childhood suffering. He’s always seemed..so unfazed by everything.

“It happened up until I was like..eight?” Keigo pauses. It seems like he doesn’t want to continue. As if Enji is going to react very poorly.

“Yeah eight. My parents finally got arrested, and I was sent to the foster care system, and somehow I got adopted pretty quickly by my now-parents. They thought they couldn’t have kids, so they adopted me, but they ended up conceiving Fumikage. Now I’m sort of living the life, y’know? Got a job, my own apartment, a good fami-”

“So why do you feel you need to tell me this?”

Keigo takes a nervous breath. He refuses to make eye contact with Enji at this point. He grips the wheel tightly. What is he about to reveal? What is so difficult to talk about that Keigo, confident, unbothered Keigo, is struggling to get on with it?

“The name Takami ring any bells?”

Oh.

Oh.

Enji remembers Takami. He was a low-life criminal. He wasn’t arrested during some grand heist. Takami had attempted to steal some food at a gas station and threatened the worker. Enji was  outside the store, getting gas, when he heard the commotion. He went inside and promptly arrested him. He’s surprised that he remembers this at all, being that it was so..uneventful. It was so long ago. 

He does recall that after being debriefed on the case later that day being told that Takami left behind a wife and child. The wife had also been arrested because investigating Takami led to them discovering she was involved with his crimes. He remembers being worried about the child’s future, but soon being told the child had found a new home. 

Since then, Enji hadn’t thought of that case at all. Until now.

Enji grapples with the implications. Keigo…knew who Enji was before they became friends. Keigo essentially owes his new life to Enji…Enji’s actions changed someone’s life for the better .

He’s been met with many thanks from random citizens after he handled a criminal case excellently, preventing any excessive injuries or deaths. He’s been offered rewards and recognition for his work in the police force. He’s had countless news articles written about his achievements. He thought he'd seen every possible appraisal.

He never thought that the impacts he had on people would ever..become so personal. His friend . The only reason Keigo is here and his friend today is because of Enji. The only reason they’re in this car right now is because of Enji. It makes him shudder. Enji doesn’t want to think about what would have become of Keigo if not for Enji.

It’s such a contrast to the impact he had on his family. He..destroyed multiple promising futures for his own short-sighted goals. His two older sons don’t hesitate to remind him of his failures, but it’s not like he forgets it. Enji doesn’t let himself forget. He holds the burden close to his heart every single day. A reminder that no matter how hard he tries to escape from it..Enji, at his core, destroys, not saves.

This single statement changes everything.

He can’t even begin to fathom that he helped someone he cared about (Enji ignores the fact that he assigns Keigo as a person he cares about). No..it’s not possible. Yes, he saves people’s lives on a near-daily basis, but it’s not like he saves people. Not in the way that Keigo is suggesting.

Enji is stuck in his own head when he realises that Keigo is still waiting for a response.

“It was..nothing. It’s my job.”

“It wasn’t just nothing to me, Enji.”

“Give yourself some credit, boy. I didn’t hold your hand. You did that yourself.”

Both of them are stumbling over their words. It’s an awkward tight rope of vulnerability. Both afraid to say too much. Enji, struggling to articulate the right words yet wanting to help his friend . And Keigo, the man who Enji thought was impenetrable, feeling so small as he drives them in the dead of night. 

Luckily both men are incredibly perceptive. They have to be. What they didn’t expect, however, was their observations of the other man to feel…so intimate. With anyone else, their observations felt rather logical, and was only used to determine the next step. This...is about helping each other. And even though the exact words aren’t spoken, they understand the undertones of it all. It’s almost as if they are attuned with the other’s emotions, and they don’t necessarily need the words to communicate everything. They just..know. 

How odd. They’ve only known each other for almost two months. Is this what it’s like to meet someone who truly understands you? Is this what friendship is supposed to feel like? 

The two men feel rather pleased with their heart-to-heart. They spent the drive in silence (though Keigo began softly playing some music that Enji could recognize). Under the night sky, both of them reflect on their conversation. 

Enji is still trying to process his own impact and how knowing this may change their dynamic. He doesn’t want there to be some sort of power dynamic, where Keigo finds himself to respect Enji too much and see him too highly. Enji doesn’t deserve that sort of perception. 

Keigo is worrying whether or not Enji will start to avoid him, finding Keigo’s admission to be weird. Is it weird to basically admit that you became friends with a man because he changed the course of your life when you were a child?

Keigo pulls up to the Todoroki residence. As Enji exits the car, the blond man notes that Enji seems like he wants to say something. He’s never seen Enji so unsure of himself. He’s usually so headstrong and blunt. 

“...Good night, Keigo. Don’t crash your car.”

“Didn’t know you worried about me that much, big guy!” Keigo had a smug smile but it quickly transformed into a softer one. “Good night, Enji.”

Chapter Text

After that car drive, Enji finds that he and Keigo are texting a lot.

Okay, it’s not like they didn’t text at all. Before, Keigo would send a text checking up on Enji every couple of days, and Enji would have some short reply. He’s preoccupied with work. He doesn’t have the time to constantly be texting the other man.

But, now, things feel very different. Keigo starts a conversation every single day, and occasionally Enji will be the first to initiate, asking how he’s doing. Enji has been more receptive to texting the younger man since that night. Not out of pity, but out of curiosity. A selfish curiosity, wondering how his actions transformed this man.

Enji..enjoys their conversations. His family doesn’t text him often, other than Fuyumi. His phone is usually barren. Keigo, being the man he is, completely changes this for Enji.

Enji finds himself even getting behind on some work just to send some messages to Keigo. Not that he’ll actually admit that to anyone. His subordinates do notice how he takes a longer time to put down his phone, but they attribute it to him getting closer to his family.

Keigo had also been encouraging Enji to text like “a normal human being” and not like he’s sending a business email. It is odd, not needing to be so formal. He still does message his family formally, but with Keigo, he types the same way he talks. 

This weekend was going to be one he’s never experienced before. He has absolutely nothing to do this weekend. No errands. No family visits (He tried. They were “busy”). No work to catch up on (He was even allowed the Friday off). 

Now he’s stuck with..a day.. a weekend of..relaxing? 

It feels weird, but he uses it as practice to learn how to relax properly. 

He was also responding to Keigo’s texts, who coincidentally had the weekend off as well. They had been messaging back and forth for a bit about what the other had been doing that day. Enji finished all of his errands before noon, and so was just reading up on the bird watching guide that he recently bought. He finally had time to actually sit down and read it.

Keigo had been out, picking up his parent’s medical supplies, so his responses were rather scattered. Not that Enji noticed. Or minded. Or anything.

He was waiting for a response from the blond man, when he suddenly received a call from him.

“Hey! Are you free this weekend? I was gonna go to the beach with some friends, but they all bailed on me.”

Keigo hadn’t mentioned going to the beach this weekend. How strange.

“No, I’m busy.”

“No you’re not.”

“How would you know my schedule?” He hadn’t told Keigo of his free weekend, there’s no way he could’ve known..

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” Enji can hear the smirk in Keigo’s voice. Keigo knows he’s won.

Enji sighs. He doesn’t really want to go to the beach. He’s not a big fan of the beach. He doesn’t even know what he would do there with the younger man. But..what excuse does he have?

There’s only two possible options at this point: either Enji agrees and they go, or Keigo keeps pestering him until Enji agrees and they go.

He recalls he owns a beach house. One that his family does use occasionally, but they often leave him out whenever they want to go. It definitely has enough space for the both of them, and would allow them privacy. He knows for a fact that his family isn’t going to the beach this weekend. After much consideration, Enji offers up his vacation home for them to use.

“Are you serious??” Keigo doesn’t give Enji a moment to reply. “This is way better than what I had in mind! I’ll pick you up at like two, ‘kay?”

“Is there anything you need me to bring?”

“Umm, just some snacks and water? I have everything else!”

“Okay.” Enji hangs up the phone and gets up from the couch. He needs to get ready. Luckily, he is a very prepared man, so he already had loads of water bottles and snacks for them to take. He finds a cooler and some ice. 

Next course of action: what will he be wearing to the beach? A change of clothes is simple enough, but…what about swim wear? Does he even have any? It’s been so long, it’s possible he threw them out…

Nope. After scouring the depths of his closet, he was able to find the only swimsuit in there: black swim trunks, and on the border of the shorts, a very visible flame pattern. 

Fuyumi and Touya had bought it for him a long time ago, as a birthday gift. He’s only worn it once after they essentially manipulated him into wearing it out (their innocent smile was not one he could deny at the time). Never again. He looked absolutely ridiculous. They were too drastic and he found them to be rather corny.

Enji swore he had other pairs of swimsuits. Did Touya sneak into his room and throw them all away the last time he had visited? It absolutely seems like something his son would do…And it’s not like he would notice immediately. It’s such a petty and tiny act of revenge that Enji can’t even get mad.

It’s not like he has a choice. Swimsuits that fit him are rare to come by, and it doesn’t make sense to buy a swimsuit for this one occasion. He’ll take the..rather embarrassing design. Keigo will absolutely make fun of him..He sighs.

As Enji begins packing his other things into a bag, he reflects on the last time he’s been to the beach. It’s been years. They’d been to the beach a lot before Natsuo was born. He does have a lot of fond memories of his eldest son and daughter learning to swim at that very beach, whilst he and Rei sat in the shade, discussing the future of their family. But after Shoto was born, they’d stop going to the beach. That was all Enji’s fault. He didn’t see a reason for it anymore.

But, now that his children and ex-wife have rebuilt their relationship, they have been going to the beach every couple of months. Without him. He always felt so incredibly left out, but it’s not like they trust him enough for him to come along. 

Nowadays, when the beach house is vacant, he rents it out to college students (like a certain friend of his) to use for when they impulsively go to the beach for the weekend (like a certain friend of his and himself are currently doing). 

Enji..feels so immature for doing this. He doesn’t do impulse. He especially doesn’t do impulse trips. Keigo..is a bad influence on him. Keigo sways him too easily..Enji needs to pull himself together. Before he ends up losing control of himself. 

Regardless, Enji feels a strange sense of excitement to go to the beach. He doesn’t even like going to the beach all that much, but it’s a different feeling when you’re going with a..friend. He’s sure it will be a very different experience compared to bringing your family and needing to be the one to handle everything.

Enji will give Keigo credit: he stays true to his word. Keigo shows up to the Todoroki residence at exactly two PM. No earlier. No less. Enji had even checked his phone the moment Keigo had rung the gate. 

He opens the gate door for the younger man.

He’s wearing a gray skin tight tank top with a loose pair of black swim trunks. He also has on red sandals and sunglasses. Sunglasses indoors, mind you, how idiotic. To top it all off, his sunscreen wasn’t completely blended in, especially around his eyebrow and jaw scar. Keigo looks rather ridiculous. Like some sort of gag character in a comedy movie.

Keigo is holding a large duffel bag. He’s leaning one leg, trying to handle the weight of the bag. What on Earth is in there? Enji didn’t bring too much for this weekend. Don’t tell him that Keigo is the kind to overpack. How annoying.

He drops it and you can hear a very large rattle coming from it. Enji looks down at the bag and lifts his left eyebrow cautiously.

The blond man puts his sunglasses on top of his head and crouches to show off to Enji what’s in the duffel bag. It’s filled to the brim with alcohol. Beers, light beers, Vodka, and anything else Keigo could get his hands on. The bag was a college student’s fantasy. How much money did he spend on all that? Where did Keigo get the money for that?

“How much drinking are you planning on doing, boy?” Enji rubs the bridge of his eyebrow. “I’m not going to babysit you.”

“It’s for both of us, big guy! You gotta let loose sometimes! Also do you mind if we go in your truck?”

Enji sighs and grabs Keigo’s duffel bag with ease. He walks over to his white truck, one that he typically takes to work. It used to be a family car where he’d fit all of his kids into the back, but he doesn’t use it for them anymore. It’s just his own car now.

Keigo walks back to his own car to grab the rest of the things he had brought. He had also packed an umbrella and chairs for them to sit under whilst out in the sun (Enji applauds him mentally for being prepared) and another duffel bag that contained his other personal belongings.

Once they had loaded everything into Enji’s truck, they got in and prepared for the long drive ahead. It’s about a three hour drive, so they should arrive around five PM. 

Enji puts on his own music. He’s not used to other people being in his car, so he’s very accustomed to putting on whatever music he wants. It’s older rock music, songs that were released when he was a teenager and in his college years. He just…doesn’t see the appeal of the more modern songs. They’re so focused on being viral rather than telling a genuine story. It’s so soulless.

It also reminds him of simpler times. Times when he was a young man, filled with a beautiful passion for his future. A time when his goals were pure. Before his rage began consuming him and led him to ruin the lives of those he loved. When..he still had a light in his eyes. Of course, when he was younger, he wished to be older, in order to achieve his goals, but now that he’s there, he regrets the means to the ends. He wishes to go back, when…things weren’t so complicated.

After several songs that sounded remarkably similar had played, Keigo let out a soft chuckle.

“Man, you are old.”

Enji turns to face him and frowns. “It’s music from my youth. Don’t tell me you don’t do the same.”

“No, no! I like it!” Keigo offers a soft smile Enji’s way as an apology.

“Whatever.”

Keigo grabs Enji’s phone and begins queuing up songs that he had liked. Enji notes that these songs didn’t have much in common. Some were by artists he would listen to, meanwhile others had such an energetic vibe to them and had names he couldn’t even fathom creating. Enji did not hesitate to add his opinion about these songs. Keigo lightheartedly defended every single one.

A few hours had passed and they were finally driving by the beach. Keigo looked out the window, admiring the singular turtle he could see at the coast. The water was incredibly clear and contrasted with the high mountains that almost guarded the sea creatures.

Him and Enji had not had a moment of silence since they had gotten into that car. Keigo kept offering conversational topics, and somehow, Enji had not shot down any of his attempts to continue their talk. He had never seen Enji willing to talk.

Speaking of their talks, Keigo noticed something…very peculiar about the way Enji acted during their conversations. He never really processed it before, but when Enji goes to look at Keigo, he turns his head to completely face him. That’s not really a smart idea when you’re driving. You need to look at the road. Enji should be looking at Keigo with only his right eye and using his left eye to keep track of the road. So why isn’t he doing that? Why is he inconveniencing himself and forcing the road to enter his blind spot?

Then it occurs to him. Enji’s facial scar. Is it just a habit he had developed when his eye was healing? It was a rather recent injury.

“Can you see out of that scarred eye?”

Enji looks at the younger man like he’s an idiot. “No?”

“Why are you driving??”

“I have another eye?”

Keigo looks at Enji speechless before breaking out in laughter.

Enji appreciates that about Keigo. It seems like Keigo is the only person in the world who understands when Enji is making a joke. It’s very confusing that no one else does. He thinks he makes his jokes pretty obvious..he thinks he’s funny at least..Enji has a subtle smile plastered on his face while Keigo works through his giggles.

After he had finally calmed himself down, Keigo puts his arm on the armrest and sits his head on his palm, looking up at Enji. 

“So…how did you get that scar? You just kinda showed up to a press conference with it and literally never addressed it.”

“How do you know that?”

This time Keigo looks at Enji like he’s an idiot. “Did you forget you’re a very public figure? My parents watch the news a lot..and you’re on there a lot .”

This is a half-lie. Enji obviously is a public figure, but Keigo’s parents don’t watch the news. Keigo will not admit to Enji that he’s practically followed his career for as long as he can remember, and is acquainted with every case Enji has publicly worked on and every media appearance the man has made. Enji already knows about the way he changed Keigo’s life..he does not need to know that other part. 

Enji furrows his eyebrows, wondering if he should offer this story. It’s a stupid story. But..Keigo has seen Enji in worse situations.

“Well, it was..a weeaboo..? Is that the word?”

Keigo’s back straightens out and he screams in utter confusion. In what world is this forty five year old man familiar with the phrase weeaboo???

Enji tells the convoluted yet simple story of how a weeaboo was committing acts of public indecency. Unfortunately, he was in the area and had to arrest him. When the man was cornered, he pulled out a rather large sword that was engulfed in flames. He slashed Enji’s left eye without hesitation.

Not only did his eye and face get cut open violently, it got burnt. So, of course he can’t see out of that eye at all. He’s fortunate that he was even able to keep the eye in the first place. 

Keigo was in awe that, as a secret fan of the man, he was able to get first account details of a situation the general public had no idea of. His chest felt warm and he could his cheeks burn as Enji ranted about this idiot of a criminal, how ashamed he felt that someone as pathetic as that weeaboo gave him such a prominent scar.

Keigo loved seeing him like this. So restrained, so authentically Enji. He couldn’t stop staring at the older man.

The two arrived at the beach house by 5:30. It was reminiscent of the other beach houses next to it, having two stories and loads of windows on the walls. It had a more modern look to it. The back had a patio, a perfect space to look out onto the beach and enjoy the quietness of the world. 

Keigo had begged Enji for them to already swim, but Enji was too tired from the drive. 

“If you want to swim so badly, go without me.” 

Enji went inside the beach house and Keigo quickly followed. Going to the beach would not be as fun without Enji to bother.

The inside of the residence was even more impressive. When you walk inside, you are immediately met with the living room and kitchen, which takes up the entire first floor. There were three large couches, arranged in a U-shape, facing a singular flat-screened TV that was mounted against the wall.

The kitchen contained an island counter that took over most of the space. But that doesn’t mean the space to walk around was tiny. No, many people could comfortably work there. There were plenty of cabinets, almost an excess. 

“I’m going to order food, what do you want?” Enji said as he went to open the fridge.

“Anything with chicken works with me!” Keigo began grabbing a change of clothes (and what he needed for his shower) from his duffel bag. A simple oversized shirt and sweatpants should suffice for tonight.

“I’m gonna go shower, I’m super sweaty. Where’s your bathroom?”

Enji directed him to the master bedroom upstairs. It was an empty room except for a king sized bed in the back of the room and a large drawer with a mirror on top of it. The room was connected to a large bathroom, which contained both a shower and hot tub.

“You’ll stay here.” 

“Are you gonna be sleeping on the floor, big guy?”

“Nonsense, I’m going to sleep in my kids’ room.” Enji swiftly left to prepare their dinner, leaving Keigo alone with his thoughts.

He forced himself to stay composed until he turned on the shower. The shower would be able to conceal the noise he was about to make.

Keigo could not believe he was here. He was in the beach house of the man he adored (and crushed on) for literal years! Yes, he’s been in Enji’s actual house before, but this is different! The only people who have been to this house was his family (and the random college students who would rent this place out, but Keigo didn’t care about them).

He opted for the quiet approach of fist bumping the air. He could barely contain his excitement. Why would he be able to in the first place?

Shedding his clothes off, he went to take a quick shower. Keigo wanted to get back to Enji as soon as possible. He also wanted to eat something.

By the time Keigo had gotten out of the shower, the food had already arrived and Enji was reading that bird-watching guide on the couch in the middle. Keigo could’ve sworn he took a quick shower…

Enji took off his glasses to look at Keigo and signaled for him to start eating. In front of the couches was a wooden, rectangular coffee table, which had all of their food.

The older man had ordered some fried chicken for Keigo and a simple Caesar salad for himself. The salad hadn’t been touched. Enji was waiting for Keigo to come in and eat with him.

Keigo sat down on the couch next to him and Enji handed him the remote, not taking his eyes off the book. He must’ve really been interested in bird-watching. His glasses were slightly falling off the bridge of his nose.

“Pick whatever you want. I’ll be reading.”

Keigo smirks, knowing he was going to make Enji regret that decision.

He chooses a rather grotesque horror movie. One filled with terrified screams, intense gore, and very disturbing dialogue. It was a film he had always enjoyed watching because he actually found the film to be rather corny. It was hard to be genuinely scared of the film when he could see through all the CGI and practical effects. Keigo was so consumed in the contents of the film that he didn’t even notice Enji's reaction, how he had stopped reading his book and how his eyebrows were intensely furrowed.

Enji kept glancing at the younger man, wondering how on Earth he could watch this..repulsive movie as easily as some childrens’ film. The gore was too realistic to the older man, even questioning if it was real. There was a gleam in Keigo’s eyes as he quoted some of the lines. What is wrong with him?

Enji wasn’t scared..no, he was disturbed. Sort of impressed. He never really watched movies, even less horror movies, so this was a completely new situation for him. Enji wonders how many times Keigo had seen this movie, to get to this point of complete neutrality towards the film.

When the movie ended, Keigo turned to face Enji, with that same damned smirk he always has when he knows he’s bested Enji.

“So, what did you think?”

“What is wrong with you?”

Keigo burst out in laughter again, holding his stomach. Enji gets up with his book from the couch. He began walking towards one of the rooms where his kids would stay.

“I’m going to bed.”

“C’mon man, one more movie! I promise it won’t be horror!”

Enji clenches his teeth. “I’m not afraid of that damned movie.”

“There’s no shame in admitting it, big guy! We can watch some Disney movie, if you want-”

He wants to stop himself, give himself space from Keigo, but he is not a man to step down from a direct challenge. The taller man sat back down on the couch and stole the remote. He goes to play the sequel of the movie, crossing his arms and looking at Keigo with a prideful look. Keigo is looking back at him, mirroring that same look.

Enji realises this was a trap set by Keigo so Enji would watch another movie with him, but he acted before it was too late. He can’t back out now. 

While the sequel plays, Keigo receives a text on his phone.

Rumi: hey srry we had to cancel on u my parents needed our help

Fuyumi: Yeah I’m sorry Keigo!! Do you think we can try next weekend?

Keigo: nah im good

Rumi: ??
Rumi: why not asshole

Keigo: im alr at the beach w someone :)

Fuyumi: …

Fuyumi: Don’t tell me you’re with my dad.

Keigo: :)

Rumi: LMAOOOO

Fuyumi: Don’t tell me you’re at the beach house.

Keigo: we’re at the beach house

Keigo: im making him watch my fav horror movie w me rn

Keigo: he’s not showing it but ik he’s scared

Keigo: its very cute

When the movie finally ends, they both get off the couch and head out to their separate rooms. Keigo wishes him and Enji could’ve been sharing a room. Even better yet, sharing a bed. He just wants to be close to the redhead, and talk about their boring days. Would Enji indulge him in that?

Instead, he called his friends while he laid on the bed and shared how his day with Enji had gone. Rumi pried for as many details as possible, meanwhile Fuyumi was begging for him to spare the details. Not that there were many juicy details to share, other than Keigo’s personal fantasies.

Enji, needing to sleep in his kids’ rooms, was struggling. He felt..too guilty to enter their rooms without permission. Yes, it wasn’t technically their rooms, but he just couldn’t do it. All four of them always chose to share that room, loving the sleepover vibe it provided them. Enji felt that his presence would..taint the sanctity of that room. If his kids, if his sons, knew that Enji had slept in their room, their space, he fears that they would never want to go there again. Enji doesn’t want to restrict their happiness. Not anymore.

He ended up sleeping on the couch. It will make his back sore, but it’s better than him sleeping in his children’s room and them hating him for it. He couldn’t risk it.

The clock read ten AM. The sun’s rays climbed onto Keigo’s bed, before petting his face lightly. He grumbled due to the light, before coming to.

Keigo woke up well-rested in that king sized bed. He stretched his back out the moment he was aware of himself. It cracked, and he left out a soft sigh. How amazing. He doesn’t remember the last time he slept in a bed that comfy . The blond man spent about ten minutes on his phone before heading to the bathroom.

He had gotten a text from Enji that simply read: I’m already awake. Hurry up and get dressed. So he had to start getting ready for the long beach day ahead of them.

Looking through his duffel bag, he opted for a red pair of swimtrunks, one that only reached to his midthigh. Keigo enjoyed the way they accentuated his legs. He couldn’t help but check himself out in the mirror for a minute.

Keigo needed to focus.

His morning routine consisted of brushing his teeth, facial cleanser, moisturizer, and sun screen. It was a rather simple routine, but it cleared his face up rather spectacularly. He also didn’t have time for an extensive regime like Fuyumi had.

Once he went out of the bedroom, he was expecting Enji to just be in the living room, reading that same book again. He would look at Keigo and say, “What took so long boy?”

But nope. Enji wasn’t anywhere to be seen within the house. That confused the fuck out of Keigo. Until he took a moment to look out the window.

Enji was on a morning jog. He seemed to have been returning from it, approaching the umbrella and chairs he had set up (When did he set those up?).

Keigo reveled in seeing the last moments of Enji running. He couldn’t see him perfectly, being so far away, but what he could see was how large the older man was. He’s always seen and adored his biceps, but with Enji missing his shirt, he was able to admire the man’s chest.

God, did he have a big chest. They were likely larger than Keigo’s head. How do you even get them to that size? It must’ve taken years to get to that stature. Another reminder of Enji’s sexy determinations. God he’s sexy.

His thighs are also incredibly massive. Keigo wants to get a closer look, a closer feel. He’s sure Enji could easily crush him with only his thighs. He doesn’t seem to have an excess of leg hair, but it’s enough where it visibly contrasts against his rather pale skin.

Snapping out of his fangirling, he notes that Enji finally sits down and picks up his bird-watching guide to enjoy as he’s surrounded by the peaceful sound of the waves. He had put his glasses on too. No one else seems to be in the area, Keigo is sure he’s taking advantage of it. A moment for only Enji.

Keigo quickly heads back to his room to snatch his sunglasses off the bedside table, and heads out to interrupt the peaceful man’s serenity.

The blond man quietly walked up to him before settling into the seat on his left side. Enji didn’t notice him. Keigo was also in his blind spot.

He noticed Enji’s swim trunks. Their flaming design. His kids definitely bought it for him. He smirked. 

“Nice swim trunks.” Keigo chuckled. He could see Enji stiffen up from surprise.

Enji sighed, taking his glasses off him and placing his book onto his lap, before turning to face Keigo. “What took so long boy?”

“I had to get ready! I don’t wake up looking this gorgeous. Plus I didn’t even take that long.”

Enji let out an indignant hmph. He doesn’t know when Keigo woke up, but can assume his “morning routine” was way longer than necessary. 

“Are you gonna get in?”

“Only if you do too, Enji.” 

“I’m not getting in the water.”

“That’s lame.” Keigo gets up to take off his shirt. “What’s the point of coming to the beach with me if you’re not gonna swim?”

Enji notes his rather muscular build. Despite being so small compared to Enji, he has a decent amount of muscles layered onto him. It seems like he doesn’t push himself like the older man does, but still prioritizes going to the gym, especially focusing on his legs and chest. Enji also notes a light scarring around Keigo’s nipples. He’s obviously not going to ask Keigo what is the deal with that, but he is confused.

The scars are very symmetrical, as if from a surgery rather than an injury. Enji doesn’t know what surgery would require scars around your nipples. Perhaps he has an issue with his lungs? Enji wouldn’t know. He’s sure it’s a sensitive subject for Keigo.

Enji won’t bring this up. 

Keigo also notes how Enji’s attention is drawn to his nipples for only a second, but he won’t say anything either.

The shorter man takes off his sunglasses and pulls on Enji’s wrists, urging him to get up and into the water. Enji will give him credit for trying. He is strong. Not strong enough to get Enji completely out of the chair, but enough he slightly lifted him. Enji will play along. He has a plan. He takes off his glasses as well to prepare.

Keigo brings Enji to the water before going to tackle Enji. He can barely wrap his arms around Enji’s waist and his chest is pushing against Enji’s stomach. It was a sad attempt to move an immoveable object.

Enji looks down at Keigo. He knew Keigo was going to pull some shit like this, trying to force the larger man into the water completely. 

“You look ridiculous, boy.”

Keigo looks up at Enji with a characteristic smirk and gleam in his eyes..and Enji feels weird in his chest. He’s suddenly aware of how Keigo is touching him and how close he is. Enji gets consumed with anger for a solid second, before picking Keigo off of him and throwing him into the water.

Enji takes that second to recuperate.

What just happened? Why did he feel..so weird having Keigo so close? What is wrong with Keigo, thinking he can just do whatever he wants with no consequences? What a cocky, immature boy.

Keigo resurfaces, laughing even harder than he usually does. He definitely wasn’t expecting to be manhandled by Enji. He gets up and goes to tackle Enji again, aiming for a wrestling match.

The two men began pushing up against each other, throwing lighthearted banter the other person’s way. It was an excellent way to release steam for the both of them. Both of them knew the other wouldn’t hold back, but wouldn’t try to intentionally hurt them. They were having fun.

Enji was obviously stronger than Keigo, so he won the majority of these matches. The few that Keigo won was because he prioritized speed in a moment of importance. Enji’s balance was off due to the unstable sand and there were few times where he needed to readjust. 

“That all you got? Don’t hold back, old man.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

By the end of their matches, they were exhausted (mainly Keigo). They sat in the water, letting the water brush through them. Keigo took deep breaths while complimenting Enji’s utter strength. Enji gave his own comments, believing Keigo’s quick thinking was an excellent weapon against brute force. Enji wasn’t afraid to point out Keigo’s failures, however, but the exhausted man didn’t care all too much. He was having fun.

Surprisingly, they stayed sitting and didn’t stop talking for hours. The conversation had seamlessly moved on to their work and families, and before they knew it, it was already two PM. They were so caught up in their chatting that they didn’t even notice the group of girls that was slowly coming up to Keigo.

“Hi! We were wondering if y-you wanted to play volleyball with us! We’re missing one person..!”

Keigo looked at Enji, wanting to say no. He didn’t want to leave Enji by himself.

Enji got up and started going towards their umbrella. “I’ll continue reading my book.”

Keigo frowned, but immediately covered it up with a smile as he followed the girls to their volleyball net. They were in the beach house right next to them. It was perfect for these girls. They thought Keigo was incredibly attractive and athletic.

The older man sat in his chair, trying to find interest in his book. But..he couldn’t. His only focus was on the way Keigo interacted with people his own age. He seemed so in his element. Confident, loud, laughing excessively. He was..having fun.

Enji didn’t admit it, but he felt off seeing Keigo enjoying himself with someone else other than him. Keigo could make friends with anyone he wanted. He could’ve gone to the beach with anyone else on Earth and he would enjoy himself, so why did he choose to invite Enji?

The only conclusion Enji could come to is that Keigo asked him out of pity. Pity for the old man whose family feels forced to spend time with him. Pity for the old man who doesn’t have any friends and only lives to work. Pity for the old man who doesn’t experience true happiness and will likely die young. Pity for the idiotic, ugly, stubborn old man who has nothing to share for his work other than a shattered family and a disgusting facial scar, two things that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

He can’t control his frustration. How dare Keigo feel pity for him? He doesn’t need it nor does he deserve it. He slams his book closed and heads back inside to drown himself in all the alcohol that Keigo had bought. It wasn’t a good idea, Enji knew that, but when it comes to Keigo, he tends to act more irrationally. 

Keigo noticed him go inside, but assumed he was just going back inside to grab something. So he continues playing with these girls. He doesn’t really want to, but who is he to say no to such an innocent request? 

He ends up playing for way longer than he expected. For over two hours. And Enji is still inside.

“Hey, I’m seriously sorry ladies, but I really gotta go back inside and check up on my friend.” He tries to say it as submissively as possible, wanting them to easily accept it and let him leave. They had denied him leaving before but he eventually wore them down.

Keigo runs back inside to the beach house, trying to find Enji.

He was in the exact spot Keigo had expected him to be: laying on the couch, surrounded by beers. The sun hasn’t even fully set yet. Keigo sighs and grabs a bottle too.

“You can’t just drink all of these without me, man..”

Enji mutters “Don’t care” under his breath before taking another swig.

Keigo sat down next to Enji.

“Those girls kept me longer than I wanted to, sorry about that!”

“I don’t care..” Keigo frowns, and continued drinking. 

Wanting to calm the mood, he put on a nature documentary on the TV, knowing it would likely relieve Enji’s grumpiness. Why is he so mad in the first place?

I guess Keigo would be mad too if Enji left him alone for over two hours, but Enji doesn’t really seem to care all too much about Keigo’s presence. Yeah, they’re friends, but the older man seems perfectly content being without the younger man. He prefers his solitude.

Quietly, whilst watching the show, they went through cans and cans of beer. Keigo slowly inched closer, until he was leaning against Enji. He wasn’t pushed off.

After all these beers, the burning started to hit him. He doesn’t know how he didn’t notice it until now. Keigo’s entire chest and back had gotten sunburnt. He did apply sunscreen in the morning, but his talk with Enji and then playing with those girls had him distracted, forgetting to apply it again.

It was unbearable. His skin is more prone to sunburns than the average person’s. He’s glad he was drunk when the burning sensation started to really kick in, or else he would be an absolute mess.

“Enji..Enji..” he did not care how annoying he seemed. He needed relief.

“What?!”

“Can..can you get me some aloe vera? I sunburned really bad…” he whined.

Enji grumbled, before stumbling up to find some aloe vera in the kitchen. He came back with what Keigo needed and a towel. Enji had Keigo get up for a moment so he could lay down the towel. The blond man went to lay on his stomach, taking up the entire couch.

“Enji..can you rub the aloe vera on me..I can't reach everything…”

The alcohol made it harder for Enji to push away his flushed face. Keigo..asking him for a massage? 

Despite a tiny voice in the back of the older man’s brain telling him to not do it, drunk Enji agreed. He opened the bottle of aloe vera and lathered it on his hands. Enji moved himself to sit over Keigo’s butt. He was mindful to not put any weight on Keigo, rather having his legs spread open on Keigo’s legs. Enji was so large that Keigo’s legs were forced to be pressed against each other. As he looked down at the blond man’s back, his breathing shallowed, terrified to touch Keigo. Terrified to injure him.

The moment Enji’s coarse hands (along with the cold aloe vera) brushed against Keigo’s burning shoulders, Keigo moaned softly. The relief they felt in that moment was incomparable. He pushed his shoulders into Enji’s palms, almost begging him to continue.

“Keep going..It feels nice, Enji..”

Who is Enji to deny someone’s relief?

Enji continued to work the aloe vera into Keigo’s shoulder blades softly, while simultaneously feeling out all the small grooves of Keigo’s body. He pushed his fingers into his muscles. The older man observed all the small scars on the younger man’s body. Enji was unfazed by the peeling of his skin, only wanting to see past it. He slowly moved down Keigo’s spine, determined to provide relief to every part that was burnt.

He seemed consumed in his duty to help Keigo. He could barely even hear Keigo’s soft moans and pleas of relief. Enji’s heart was pounding within his ears and he could barely think straight, the only thing calming him down was the rhythmic movement of his hands.

This went on for way longer than it needed to be. Sober Enji knew that. You only need one simple layer for aloe vera to be effective. Drunk Enji wanted to continue massaging Keigo’s back until he was putty in Enji’s hands.

Keigo stopped Enji for only a moment, to turn around. His chest was burning as well. He needed the aloe vera. He needed Enji.

Enji began with Keigo’s collar bones, where the burning began. He is nothing but a meticulous man, going incredibly slowly in order to ensure no part of Keigo was left untouched. He moved in slow, circular motions. Motions that had the other man twitching more and more uncontrollably.

Next was his pecs. As he pressed down into Keigo’s chest, he could slightly feel his rib cage. Enji was sort of surprised with the malleability of the younger man’s chest, but didn’t think much of it.

When Enji nears his nipples, Keigo’s whines get louder. He didn’t expect Keigo to be so sensitive around there. But he ignores the whines to continue his quest.

He moved on to the last part of the massage: Keigo’s stomach. If he thought Keigo was sensitive in his nipples, the stomach was even worse. The blond man couldn’t stop thrashing around, giggling and moaning from the coldness of the aloe vera. Enji had to restrain him with one hand on Keigo’s waist in order to finish the job.

Enji finished. He lifted himself up from Keigo’s lap and pushed himself to the other side of the couch. The couch was small, so Enji’s body was forced to still make contact with Keigo. He even had to push Keigo’s legs further away from him just so he could be more comfortable.

He could finally make eye contact with Keigo. Keigo’s eyes were half-closed, filled to the brim with hunger. He was biting his lips and was looking down at his pants.

Enji could only watch helplessly as Keigo grabbed one of Enji’s hands and put it on his waistband, gesturing for the older man to remove his pants.

In any other moment, Enji would’ve pushed Keigo away and scolded him, saying that he is too young for Enji and that they are just friends. He would’ve had an iron resolve, ensuring that nothing like this would ever occur between them.

In this moment, Enji stares down at Keigo’s crotch as he slowly removes his pants. Where he was expecting to see a dick, he saw a vagina. One that was already slick. Enji was too drunk to even question this, he knows what he has to do.

He was aware enough to know that one finger would suffice being inside of Keigo. One of Enji's fingers was the same size as two of Keigo’s fingers. Enji slowly pressed it inside of Keigo, observing his reactions. The younger man let out of soft, encouraging moans, wanting him to go deeper, wanting him to go harder.

Enji is not going to listen to Keigo. He knows he can easily hurt Keigo, and he refuses to do that. Instead, he will take his time opening up the smaller man, letting him become weaker and weaker under Enji’s singular finger. He very slowly inserted the finger in and out, only having half of his finger inside of Keigo at its deepest.

This was a lot for Keigo, although he is already accustomed to fingering himself. Enji’s thick and warm finger was such a contrasting experience to his thinner fingers. Keigo felt like he was going to burn up, from both blushing and from the warmness that the older man had provided.

Enji curled a finger inside, wanting to see his reaction. Keigo moaned even louder and wrapped his arms around Enji, bringing him in for a sloppy kiss. Enji felt like his heart was going to explode. The younger man’s lips were so incredibly soft, his tongue so warm. Their lips perfectly fit each other. Kissing used to feel monotonous for him, something that was simply used as a precursor to sex. It felt so unnecessary before. It…felt so right to kiss Keigo.

Was it right?

Enji was too drunk to care. He was too consumed in the pleasure of it all, making him fall apart with only one finger.

The larger man became more and more comfortable, wanting to be as close as possible to Keigo. He pushed the younger man’s legs over his shoulders, wanting him to be as open as possible for him.

“Enji..I want you inside..” Keigo whispered into Enji’s ear, struggling to get the words out.

“You’re not ready, it’s going to hurt..”

“Please…I need you…”

Enji added a second finger inside Keigo, an important addition that forced out a moan. He was sending a calculated message: he needs to be properly prepared if he wants to actually take Enji. The older man was rather well-endowed. He knew his cock was about the same width as Keigo's wrist. Rushing into something like this would injure Keigo severely.

As he continued working another finger into Keigo, he could feel his head start to pound intensely. Enji felt rather dizzy and nauseous. The beers were finally catching up to him. He pulled his fingers out of Keigo and collapsed onto his chest. 

Enji woke up on the floor, his back resting against the couch. His head was hurting immensely, and he could deduce he did some insane drinking the night previously based on the sole number of beer cans that were surrounding him. His neck was also sore. It was a nightmare.

He rubbed his temples.

He turned to realize Keigo was behind him, sleeping on the couch. The younger man’s eyebrows are relaxed and he’s sleeping on his side, facing directly towards Enji. A towel was covering his lap. His chest was a light shade of pink, with some peeling around his shoulders.

Ah yes..he remembered that Keigo was complaining about his sun burns and so he asked Enji to help him massage the aloe vera into his body. But..after that..Enji has no recollection. 

He doesn’t think much of it. He’s sure they just fell asleep immediately after the massage.

Enji needed to get himself together. Getting up slowly, he walked into the kitchen. He knew there was some alka-seltzer in one of the cabinets. Just having some of those should push him and Keigo through their hangovers. He also thought it a perfect time to make a small breakfast to have before taking it.

Keigo woke up as Enji was in the middle of preparing eggs over the stove. He could barely speak, only mumbling under his breath as he got up from the couch. He sat on the kitchen counter.

Keigo was avoiding eye contact with Enji. Not that Enji immediately noticed that or anything. But it was evident. Keigo doesn’t hesitate to look at Enji.

“I’m..almost done.” Enji offers. “After this, we’ll head back home, so pack your things.”

The blond man nods and jumps off the counter, retreating to his bedroom to pack all his things.

Enji was right. Not a single quip or comment from him. Something is off. Or is he overthinking it? Keigo did drink a lot. And he’s a smaller man. He’s sure Keigo can’t handle his liquor as well as Enji. He likely is having an even worse hangover than Enji. Just be patient, and help him sober up. Stop being so selfish, Enji.

As Keigo comes back and has breakfast with Enji, nothing about his behavior changes. He’s still reserved, avoiding eye contact with Enji. It’s making the older man nervous. Not that it shows on his face.

Enji attempts to start a conversation, asking Keigo how he’s feeling, but the other man simply grumbles a response while he shoves food into his mouth. He doesn’t push further. He’ll only embarrass himself.

Even the car ride back is the same. Keigo opts to take a nap the entire car ride. He must’ve been very hungover. Enji would’ve felt bad, but he did leave Enji alone with his music and thoughts for three fucking hours . Enji’s only saving grace is that Keigo is leaning his head against the center console of his car, the top of Keigo’s hair brushing against Enji’s arm. The touch somewhat soothed him, before quickly reminding him of his own anxieties.

Did they get into an argument? Did Enji say something harsh when he was drunk? Did Enji reveal something about his family? What did Enji do?

He didn’t want to wake Keigo to ask, so all he could do was drive in silence, also battling a hangover. It was the worst car ride of his entire life.

They finally arrived at the empty Todoroki residence. Enji helped unload Keigo’s things in silence, following him to his car. He was determined to get an answer out of the younger man. He needed to know what had happened the night before.

Before Keigo enters his car to drive off, Enji steps in front of his car door. He uses his large stature to his advantage. Blocking out Keigo’s exits, forcing him to focus on Enji. He crosses his arms.

“What happened last night?”

Keigo slightly flushed while avoiding eye contact with the older man. He wouldn’t respond to Enji’s question. It was really pissing off Enji.

“Just tell me what happened. I don’t care what the hell happened, I just need to know what I di-”

“After the massage we made out and you fingered me. We didn’t fuck or anything, you passed out on top of me.” Keigo blurted out, finally having the courage to look up at him.

Huh?

Enji didn’t believe what he was hearing. It had to have been a joke..right? Keigo loves messing with Enji. This was just a really long bit he had planned and now he’s gonna reveal it..right?

Keigo doesn’t laugh. If anything, he looks away in shame. Almost worried about Enji's reactions. Terrified of punishment.

“..Oh.”

This was Enji’s moment. He finally got what he was looking for from Keigo. He needs to say something now. Anything, any sort of response to soothe Keigo. Surprisingly, he wasn’t mad at all like Keigo assumed. He was..conflicted. Confused. Unsure of how this would impact them. Unsure about what this means for Enji.

Enji fails to be decisive. He’s too terrified. He walks back inside his residence, leaving Keigo alone outside.

Keigo drives away.

Throughout the day, memories of last night flood back vividly. They make him uncontrollably hard. He attempts to distract himself with busy work. It works for a bit, before the memories overcome him and he needs to move onto the next thing.

From what he can remember, Keigo..seemed to have really been enjoying himself when they were..doing that. Was he…gay? Was he attracted to Enji? Was this a drunken mistake? Did Keigo regret the previous night?

It seemed like he did. He could barely look or talk at Enji the entirety of today. 

What an idiot Enji is. In what world would Keigo genuinely want a sexual encounter with an old man like him? Why would he even enjoy that? Getting touched by a stubborn, ugly, undeserving old man..Keigo was clearly too drunk. He likely thought Enji was someone else. Or was too horny to even care who touched him.

Why didn’t he stop Keigo? Why did he fail to put up boundaries? Why did he..weirdly enjoy it? Enji isn’t gay. Nope. He was married and in love with a beautiful woman for many years, there’s no way in hell he could be attracted to men, especially not a man half his age.

Enji has many more questions left unanswered. All he can do is lay in bed and look up at the ceiling, unsure if he should even make a move. He’s never felt more paralyzed in his life.

Chapter Text

It had been over a week since the two went to the beach. Communication between them had come to a complete halt. Keigo believed that Enji needed space to sort himself out. Keigo isn’t wrong. The older man would absolutely freak out if Keigo forced him to have a conversation about what had happened. He’s not ready. He doesn’t know what to make of this situation at all.

How is he supposed to come to terms with anything he experienced that night? His whole life, it’s been engrained in his head that he needs to work hard, get into a good school, marry a woman, have kids, and become the protector of them all. He can’t rely on anyone else and show his true colors.

It wasn’t supposed to end up like this. Getting a divorce, his kids basically hating him, becoming friends with a man half his age, taking advantage of said man and fingering him…He lacked any self control to stop himself from ruining those who he thought dear. Keigo barely made eye contact with him the day after. Enji felt disgusted with himself.

Here he is again, completely alone. His own stupid indulgences. He’s the only person to blame for this mess. Enji thought he was doing better, that he was finally making progress, but it’s abundantly clear to him that he will never be able to escape the monster that he is.

He refuses to talk to himself about what that..night with Keigo means for his sexuality.

He’s never really felt a strong attraction to anyone before. Enji always thought love was an immature feeling and always prioritized his ambitions. He’d never even felt a strong urge to be friends with anyone. He was perfectly okay with spending his life alone. 

This changed when he had his children. He found himself loving them more than life itself. Wanting to protect them and watch them grow. But he failed spectacularly.

He did care for his ex-wife..but he didn’t marry her for love. Yes, he loves and cares about her, but definitely not in a romantic sense. There were more..companions, being forced to work together after getting married. They were only united by their love for their children.

What Enji feels for Keigo is more intense than any love he’s ever felt. It surpasses a platonic love. He finds himself yearning for Keigo’s presence. A part of him is missing now that Keigo has stepped out of his way. He finds himself wanting to share the rest of his life with Keigo, experiencing each step of the way together. Wanting to protect Keigo. Wanting to..kiss him again. But he can’t do that.

In his dreams, Keigo is back in his arms cuddling the older man. He’s smiling at him as if they are the only people in the world. Enji is able to forget all the issues of his past. Keigo continues to ask Enji questions about himself, one that he himself doesn’t even know the answer to. Both of them are uncharacteristically giggling like middle schoolers with a puppy crush. Enji places a soft kiss on Keigo’s lips. He can still feel how Keigo’s lips felt that night, how smooth they were..

Enji always wakes up alone.

He always gets out of bed and sighs, holding his head in his hands. He’s overwhelmed by the pit in his stomach, screaming at him to fix what was broken. He’s used to spending most of his free time alone, but..Keigo’s absence seems irreplaceable. The man offered him too much of his time, more time than Enji deserved. He had gotten accustomed to Keigo’s random texts and calls, wondering about Enji’s input.

The lonely man wants to cry, but he can’t find his tears.

He’s forced to reoccupy his time with his hobbies and errands, like he had done before Keigo interrupted his solitary life. But none of it was good enough. None of it filled the hole that was Keigo. That sweet, daring, overenthusiastic man. Whose bones were filled with hedonistic tendencies. Who only wanted to enjoy every possible moment he could with Enji.

And he ruined it, by taking advantage of a younger man when he was drunk. 

Enji was at his desk, looking over last minute paper work before he could clock out for the day. His head was pounding. His jaw tense; he felt incredibly irritable, for seemingly no reason. He could barely focus on any of his work anymore, despite him being at the finish line. Enji was incredibly frustrated with himself. Why is he unable to do this? He’s done work like this before, why is today any different? What is going on-

His stomach grumbled. Never mind, he figures out exactly what is causing his sour mood (other than Keigo).

He didn’t have the appetite to eat breakfast or lunch, not with the pit in his stomach. And now it’s biting him in the ass at the end of the day. The water bottle on his desk did provide him some solace, but it wasn’t enough. He needed a meal. And not just any meal. A meal that gave him excess portions. One that was so incredibly delicious that he could temporarily forget his troubles. An indulgent meal. He’s never had that before.

He’d never thought he’d be here, but he decided to get fried chicken at the nearby mall’s food court. After the meal, Enji would regret it, but he doesn’t care. He needs to just stuff his face with junk food.

He drove to the mall in silence. He didn’t listen to music anymore. The songs that once were his own comfort were now a reminder of the man he shared it with. How Keigo had enjoyed those songs wholly, despite his teasing. Everything reminded him of Keigo.

It was humiliating that Enji felt this way. So weak, so vulnerable, all because of one person. His father had always warned him to never rely on someone else’s presence. Until now, he had listened. He doesn’t know when this change suddenly happened. When he went from annoyed by this younger man to craving his presence.

As he was approaching the food court, he wondered what Keigo was doing. How was he faring without Enji? Was he acting the same? Was he unable to concentrate on his work and personal life? Did..Keigo miss him? He’s sure Keigo is completely okay without him. Part of him wishes he got a sign that he wasn’t. A sign that Keigo was struggling with Enji’s absence as much as Enji had been in the past week.

Unfortunately, Enji got his sign. A lot sooner than he wanted.

Keigo hadn’t seen him yet, the younger man was too preoccupied with chatting up a storm with his friends. There were four of them in total, but the two whose backs were facing Enji didn’t matter to him at all.

His focus was on Keigo and the woman next to him. She looked to be around Keigo’s age. Her hair was dyed a snow white, a stark contrast to her tan skin. Enji cannot deny that she is rather attractive. She also had some very noticeable eyeliner. It usually wouldn’t look that good, but she is beautiful enough where she can make it look good.

Keigo’s arms were around her shoulders as he spoke to the group. He could see them face each other and giggle, engaging in a banter.

Enji tensed up in rage. His jaw immediately clenched up and he could feel every single muscle in his body tighten, trying to hold himself back. Steam came out of Enji’s now-red ears.

How dare Keigo immediately move on from him? 

Had he always been with her, and Enji was just the secret side piece? Was Enji just a sexual conquest? Was Enji nothing to him? Of course Enji was nothing to him.

How dare Keigo so easily put his arms around someone else? After being so vulnerable with the older man?

He tries to slap himself out of it. Enji was the one who initiated that entire…thing. Keigo wasn’t the one who had put the moves on him. No. It was Enji. He cannot fault Keigo for “moving on” when Keigo didn’t even want it in the first place.

But still..it hurts. Knowing what Keigo and him had (Get over yourself Enji, there was nothing there to begin with) was nothing special to Keigo. Just another relationship. Just another way to pass the time. How he could easily do this with someone else and forget about Enji. It..pained Enji to see.

Enji lost his appetite. He forgot he was there for fried chicken. He left as soon as he came, running (He felt like he was running) back to his car to go back to his empty home.

“I’m serious, you should just call him,” Rumi says in between bites of her burger. “It’s been like what, a week? Or even just call him! Just say something .”

Keigo’s other friends nod in agreement. They’ve all heard him ramble about his crush on Enji way before the two had met. And then Keigo had delivered to the Todoroki residence. And he’s only gotten worse since the two became friends, thirsting over Enji’s every action.

Now that they’re in no contact, it seems like the only thing Keigo talks about when he opens his mouth is Enji. It’s starting to annoy everyone else. Either do something about it or shut up! Keigo is better than this!

They took him out to eat, hoping it would get his mind off the older man. Nope. He somehow tied their hilarious conversation back to his dilemma.

“I- I just can’t… I don’t think he wants to talk to me.”

“Dude, who cares?! If he doesn’t want to talk things out with you,” Rumi argues, “then he wouldn’t be a good match for you-” 

“But I want him to be a good match for me.”

“If you want him to be a good match with you, then fucking talk things out, oh my god!” She turns to grab his shoulders (as best as you can when you’re sitting next to someone) and shakes him hard.

“You won’t get to fuck him if you don’t fucking talk to him. If he doesn’t respond well, whatever, just move on. You’ll find someone else!”

When Rumi lets go of him, Keigo sighs and tosses his head back. 

“It’s not that simple.. He’s so emotionally repressed! If I suddenly cornered him, it wouldn’t go well. Not gonna risk it.”

The blond man continues to ramble about that night again, and how perfect he and Enji could be together, but how Keigo had ruined it. It felt almost rehearsed with how often they had heard him complaining. Rumi and the other two look at each other, exasperated. 

As Keigo’s best friend, she knew exactly what she had to do.

In Rumi’s apartment later that night, she held his phone above her head. He attempted to snatch it out of her hands, but he wasn’t tall enough.

“Rumi, give my fucking phone back!” 

“Either you talk to him, or I’ll do it.”

Keigo knows it isn’t an empty threat. Rumi isn’t afraid of any consequences, especially when it involves Keigo. She’ll push him to do things he doesn’t want to do as easily as she’ll stand up for him. He loves and hates that about her. How stubborn, how impulsive she can be. Even more than him. At least his impulsive decisions are calculated and only seem impulsive.

He sighs, lowering his arms. He’s admitted defeat. Keigo plops onto the floor criss-crossed and Rumi joins him. She hands him his phone slowly. She’s sure to watch him as he goes to Enji’s number.

“Should I call or text him?”

“Stop stalling - just pick one.”

Keigo hesitantly goes to call Enji. He’s not really sure why; texting is the safer option. He thinks he just wants to hear Enji’s comforting, low voice again.

They wait a minute. The call doesn’t go through. Weird. Sighing, Keigo doesn’t want to go through the humiliation any longer.

“Happy?”

Rumi shakes her head and steals Keigo’s phone back. She calls Enji again. “Tell him you need to talk. I’m not getting off your ass until you do that”

Keigo groans. The call doesn’t go through again.

They both look at each other strangely, and with worry. Rumi continues to call him one more time, before going to send him a message.

“Wait,” Keigo grabs his phone back. “Let me write it.”

She lets him get his phone back. She can hear it in his voice that he will do it and not pussy out at the last minute.

He takes his time to type the message. It’s an amalgamation of his yearning that’s lasted years, and his recent urge to fix their broken situation. His eyebrows furrow a lot and she can see his eyes water as he recalls the pain of it all. After a minute, Keigo turns the phone to show his friend his work.

Hey Enji, sorry to bother you, but I really think that we should talk about what happened at the beach. It’s been bothering me. Can you please give me a call? 

Rumi likes it. To her, it is a bit short yet desperate and people-pleasing, but this is Keigo’s crush they’re talking about. Someone he was close to. Someone who he was afraid of coming off as too strong to. She’ll give him a pass.

He hesitantly presses the send button and…it doesn’t deliver. Immediately, Keigo’s moment of semi-confidence is lost. He looks at the ground, even more defeated. His grip on the phone loosens.

“Maybe his phone is dead?” Rumi attempts to console him. Keigo shakes his head.

“He doesn’t let his phone die.”

Keigo is lucky he’s with his best friend. He doesn’t know how hard he would’ve crashed if he had to deal with this realization alone. Until now, he could have some sort of delusion, all he has to do is wait for Enji to contact him. Yeah, all he has to do is wait. Enji will come around…right?

But he’s blocked. He doesn’t know when, but Enji intentionally took the time to block him. It’s confirmation that what they had is over, and there is no more could have been.

Chapter Text

Something happened in Enji’s personal life, his assistants can tell. Hell, anyone who comes into contact with him at work can tell that he is different.

His arms are permanently crossed. His whole body is tense. He’s less patient, not hesitating to raise his voice even at the slightest mistake. He’s harsh, rude. His subordinates are hesitant to engage with him. It’s the same way things were before he started working on himself.

Enji is ashamed of himself for reverting back into his old ways. 

He spends most of his days at the office, so he has no choice but to repress his feelings. Anger becomes his only outlet. An old friend. It helps a little. Helps him let off steam, the anger he feels at Keigo for moving on before Enji was even ready to discuss what happened between them. He can’t help it.

Being awake is a nightmare for Enji. At work, he’s forced to transform his overwhelming feelings into an uncontrollable rage and take it out on people who don’t deserve it. At home, he’s left alone to lay with his thoughts. In an empty house and no one there to help him through it. Life has become a numbing and unbearable loop.

He misses Keigo more than anything. He finally found the strength (and vulnerability) to admit that to himself when he is alone. It’s hard to admit it all. 

He misses Keigo’s smug smile. He misses the way Keigo manipulates his tone perfectly to piss off Enji. He misses the way Keigo laughs at his jokes and seamlessly understands him better than people who have spent years with him.

He misses Keigo’s beautifully short blond hair, and he misses their matching facial scars. He misses getting to know Keigo. He didn’t even get the opportunity to ask about Keigo’s scar, he realises. Enji is ashamed of himself. 

That door is closed now.

He will never be able to have Keigo the way he did ever again. He will never be able to have Keigo the way he wants.

Enji rehearses an argument against their “relationship” a lot.

It wouldn’t have worked, he’s the same age as my children.

I’m too busy with work and fixing my relationship with my family to enter a relationship.

I barely knew him.

It’s variations of these talking points, but something in the back of his mind always tells him otherwise. That they could have made a relationship between the two work.

Yes, they had only been friends for a short while, but with Keigo, Enji found himself sharing things to the younger man that he wouldn’t so easily volunteer to anyone else. Their conversations flowed seamlessly and Keigo wasn’t deterred by Enji’s rough exterior and awkwardness.

That man thought Enji as his utter equal, even despite the fact that Keigo practically owed his life to Enji. He liked feeling like a regular man. Not just a powerful man who will burn you if you touch him. He was just..Enji Todoroki to Keigo. A man with a past and a future. 

A ridiculously stubborn, awkwardly hilarious, passionate man. It was clear Keigo preferred this version of the man, rather than the untouchable force he was portrayed as on the TV.

They also picked each other up where the other left off. Enji was an immoveable force of a man, relying on his brute strength to get through his life. He didn’t need quick thinking as much as Keigo did. Keigo could manipulate a social situation to get any outcome he required. Together, they were an unstoppable team that could deal with any problem.

Not that they had a problem that they handled together yet, but it was an odd fantasy of Enji’s (if it could even be called a fantasy).

He can’t avoid remembering the way Keigo looked at him when they were at the beach. Yes, Keigo had occasionally given him that look, but at the beach? Every single time he looked at Enji, there was a youthful gleam in his eyes, and a soft smile. He looked so alive and so at peace just looking at Enji. There was no denying its existence on Keigo’s face. 

No matter how hard Enji tries to shake the memory off, he can’t erase it. He couldn’t understand what he did to deserve to be looked at like that. 

Enji realises he’s at his desk, still at work. He sighs, putting his head in his hands. He wants to forget the piles and piles of documents that need to be signed. He can’t. They become a temporary distraction until he inevitably remembers Keigo again. Which happens a lot. It really slows down his work flow.

The end of the day could not have come sooner. 

He’s ready to head home and be alone. Today was a particularly rough day at work. The inherent stress of his job paired with the fantasy and yearning of the younger man unable to escape his mind was too much for him.

He needs to destress. Make some food. Take a nap. Work out to exhaustion. 

Enji opens the garage door into his house, walking into the darkness of the kitchen. Before he could process anything, the lights turned on.

Right across the kitchen was his whole family. 

His daughter. His sons. His ex-wife. All huddled up next to each other. All in their Sunday’s finest. Even Touya looked presentable.

..What are they doing here? They didn’t plan anything with him, they weren’t supposed to have dinner together until next week. Why didn’t they tell him they were showing up?

Then he sees the small vanilla birthday cake, with kuzomochi and candles on top.

“It’s my birthday,” Enji mutters, unable to keep the thought in his head. He looks to the ground in shock. How could he have forgotten?

It’s not that he doesn’t want to celebrate his birthday with his family. He loves seeing his family. He's especially astonished that Fuyumi (he assumes it was Fuyumi) was able to convince her brothers to come celebrate him .

But..

Did his birthday have to be today? 

Why did his family need to feel the urge to be so loving today?

The one day he wanted to be alone to process his overwhelming feelings. The one day he felt his anger was genuinely unmanageable, and was afraid he was going to hurt himself. The one day that everything was too much was also the day his family wanted to barge in.

(Barge in sounds too rude to Enji, but what other words are there? They surprised him with his presence, without asking when he would get off work. He had no idea they were gonna be here. No way of mentally preparing on his way home.)

He attributes it as a sign from the universe. He’s not alone on his birthday. His family decided to come together to celebrate their father, the man who had once broken their family.

Enji prays that he is able to put Keigo in the back of his mind, something he’s been struggling to do for the past two weeks. He can’t.

He offers a soft, forced smile. They can tell it’s forced. They know their old man wears his emotions on his sleeves, as hard as he tries to deny it. 

They ignore it as they sing happy birthday to him. It’s a very awkward rendition of happy birthday. It’s been years since they last celebrated his birthday with him, and even longer since they sang for him. Sort of like gathering a group of kindergarteners and forcing them to sing a song none of them like.

Rei slices the cake evenly, but makes sure that Enji gets the kuzomochi. “It’s his favorite,” she remarks kindly as Touya tries to steal it away. He groans and crosses his arms, looking away. 

His family begins to engage in conversation without him. Their usual dynamic. That’s okay. It’s for the best. He’s used to listening to them. It doesn’t matter that it’s his birthday and his sons are ignoring him. Enji doesn’t believe he would fare well being forced to talk about his life anyways.

Shoto has been busy with his summer classes, so he hasn’t been able to see much of his family recently. He shares more details on what the dorms are like. He really likes having his own space and being closer to his new friends. They all exercise and study together. They make him a better student and person, both of his parents can tell.

“Okay, I’m fucking done with this,” Natsuo interrupts his younger brother angrily. “We did all this shit for your birthday and you can’t even pretend to be happy?” He gets up to leave the table. 

Fuyumi stands up defensively, trying to stop him. It is her job to hold the family together. She refuses for this night to be ruined before it’s barely started.

“Dad just got home from work! Give him a break!”

Enji sighs, too exhausted to defend himself or even stop them from arguing. He drops his head to be held by his hands.

Touya stands up with Natsuo, feeling like Enji is ungrateful for them. The three go back and forth, arguing with an emotional intensity that they haven’t in a while. Without even trying, their father just brings out the worst in them.

Rei is unphased by the arguing. She knew that this was going to happen. It took a lot of convincing to get her two eldest sons here. It is better than them not being here.

Natsuo is still arguing with Fuyumi, and Touya is about to leave the kitchen when Shoto finally speaks up.

“No it’s because,” Shoto says in between bites. “He broke up with his boyfriend.”

Everyone in the room glares at Shoto in silence. They were in disbelief with what he had just revealed. Their old man..has a boyfriend? The man who lacks a single romantic bone in his body? Hold on, their father is gay?

Enji slams his hands on the table, unable to control himself. “HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!”

He cringes mentally at himself. He told himself he’d never show physical aggression or raise his voice in front of his family again. And here he is, having a tantrum in front of all of them on his birthday. How disgraceful.

He said he would do better. But he has completely failed his family. Yet again.

Shoto simply takes another bite of his cake. As if his father never even screamed. He spins the fork around, leftover cake on it. “But you know who I’m referring to.”

Enji freezes. Shoto got him there. He immediately got defensive and it’s biting him in the ass. He doesn’t even know what he is, and now his youngest son essentially outed him to his family.

Enji’s embarrassment manifests physically. His face flushes red and his jaw slightly drops. They can see the light escape his eyes. He scooches out his chair (which is a little difficult given his size) and goes to head to his room. Touya, still standing by the kitchen exit, purposefully bumps into his father as he leaves. 

Once he closes his bedroom door, he can immediately hear the eruption of laughter and frantic whispering. Touya and Natsuo are definitely the ones losing their minds. They’re trying to pry more details from Shoto. Fuyumi is trying to get them to shut up, not wanting for her father to feel more embarrassed.

Enji can’t even reach his bed, he sits down on the floor, leaning against it. He’s frozen, staring into the dark of his room. 

Why is he like this? Why did he put himself in this situation? Who is he?

All these feelings that he’s been dealing with in these past few weeks have been too much for him. He doesn’t recognise himself anymore. Yes, he feels happiness with Keigo, but with it comes guilt, unsureness, confusion. It’s as if his entire world has been flipped upside down. He didn’t even know someone could make him feel this way.

He doesn’t know how much time passed before he heard a soft knock on his door. He recognises it as Fuyumi’s. She opens it hesitantly, evaluating the state of her dad.

She sits down next to him and Enji is forced to gather his thoughts.

“Fuyumi..I apologize for ruining dinner.”

His daughter silently puts her hand over his and looks up at him, telling it’s okay. He’s sure she’s used this technique to calm down her students. But he doesn’t care. It weirdly helps.

“You see..you know my friend..”

She nods. She stays silent in order to slowly let him talk through his own emotions. She can see him stumbling over his own thoughts.

“Him and I..became close, I’ll admit. It was odd, I felt like..I could trust him. I’m not sure. Him and I even went out for a weekend getaway.. But..things happened. And I don’t know if he wants to see me anymore…I thought he had feelings for me, but I was wrong.”

“Have you talked to your friend about this?”

“No, I assumed he moved on from me.”

Not that her father noticed, but Fuyumi lifted an eyebrow in confusion. She’s been forced to hear Keigo complain for two weeks about her father. Last week was because he wanted to talk things out with Enji but “couldn’t”, and this week was because her father had blocked him. There’s no way he moved on that quickly. 

“What makes you think that, dad?” Fuyumi asks, not wanting to seem suspicious.

“I saw him on a date with someone else.” 

Her teeth clench. She’s gonna get on Keigo’s ass later. He can’t just ignore his feelings for her dad and try to move onto the next person to cope. They didn’t even talk things out! There’s no way she heard all of his ramblings, every single detail of every single interaction they had, just for him to move on immediately? Hell no.

“Well, dad, I think that you deserve better.” 

He looks at her, confused. There is no good thing in the world that he thinks he deserves.

“I do not deserve him.”

“You deserve to be happy too, even.. after everything. And if your..friend wasn’t even willing to wait a week for you, then he’s clearly not the one for you. You need someone who’s patient, willing to stick with you through thick and thin!” She grins at her father, as if the past never existed. 

For a moment, he can see six year-old Fuyumi giving him this pep talk. He can see the gap in the middle of her mouth from when she lost her two front teeth. He can see how round her face used to be, and how he used to squeeze it so mochi would come out. She hated when he did that.

He wonders when her face stopped being so round.

“And you’ll get that one day, dad! It might take a while, but just keep doing what you’re doing. You’re making great progress.”

He never thought he would have this conversation with his daughter. He always expected that Rei would handle the more vulnerable conversations about dating. But here he is, getting the talk from her . Having his own pieces be picked up by his daughter.

Enji realizes he needs to address the elephant in the room.

“I’m not sure if I'm gay. I have never really felt romantic feelings for anyone.”

(Fuyumi realises that this likely means her father never loved her mother like she thought he did. That her fantasy of them falling in love and them being a normal family again will never become a reality. She doesn’t even know why she’s still holding onto that delusion; her parents have been divorced for the past two years. She knows both of them have been happier since the divorce, everyone has. Even her father is now moving on.

She was surprised that her father had let Keigo into his life. She always assumed that he would be alone for the rest of his life, forcing himself to atone for his family. She is glad he made a friend, but did it have to turn into something more? She never expected for her father to reciprocate Keigo’s feelings. Fuyumi thought it would just be a silly crush her friend would have, and that the two men would eventually distance themselves. Never would she have expected that her father would feel the same way, shattering her delusion even further. Enji may not have ever loved her mother, but he could’ve learned.

Now, it’s too late to go back.

She ignores her own heartbreak to help her father process his feelings. She knows he never does this.)

“You don’t need to be anything. You can just love him, and that’s okay.”

Enji absorbs this like this is life-changing knowledge. Because to him, it is. He doesn’t need to know who he is now.

“I see..I just think it’s too late.”

“I’m sure it isn’t. Just talk to him. There’s been a lot of times where I thought I couldn’t fix my relationship with someone, but in reality we were both too scared to talk to each other. It doesn’t hurt to try.” Her father nods, but it doesn’t seem like he’s going to follow her advice. He was the one who blocked Keigo, there’s no way he can just unblock him now and try to talk things out. He doesn’t think the younger man wants to hear from him.

“How is work?”

Fuyumi knows he can’t handle talking about this anymore. That’s fine. She begins to ramble about the job she had recently started - at a day care. At first, she thought she would struggle since it’s her first full time job, but she’s managing pretty well. 

Rei and her had been sharing an apartment since the divorce. Their daughter had become Rei’s caretaker, making sure that she was stable after everything. Enji paid for everything, so neither of them needed to worry about expenses; but Fuyumi still wanted to get a job once Rei was able to take care of herself. 

Her job has her all over the place. Depending on the time of day, she’s either caring for elementary schoolers or toddlers. Both have their own challenges. But both of them have temperamental issues. Kids these days seem to not respect authority anymore, so she’s forced to be stricter. She doesn’t like it.

Enji is attentive, asking occasionally questions. He even asks her if she has any friends. She’s been so busy taking care of Rei that she’s only been able to have her own life starting these past few months. He feels guilty for putting her in that position, but she was the only one who could have done it at the time.

Shoto was too young, Natsuo needed to focus on getting into pre med, and Touya often disappeared for several days. Fuyumi was the only one who could’ve stepped up.

Fortunately, Fuyumi does have friends! Enji is relieved. She met them all at a gym that’s near her apartment, and she says they push her to be better. She’s never been happier. She begins pulling up pictures of her new friend group, explaining everyone in detail. 

She’s swiping through pictures when her father recognises one of the people in the picture.

That tan woman. The one with the white hair. The one who Keigo moved on with. His stomach drops.

“How do you know her?” He fails to hide his anxiety.

“Rumi’s my..friend! Do you know her?”

“She’s…that woman.”

Fuyumi begins giggling uncontrollably. She can’t help it! 

She did not expect this, but she’s not surprised. Rumi and Keigo are incredibly close. They’ve known each other longer than Fuyumi has. They tend to be a bit touchy with each other, not hesitating to put their arm around the other. They have been mistaken for a couple in the past, especially before her and Rumi got together.

Steam comes out of Enji's ears. He felt rather vulnerable confessing that, and his daughter starts laughing at him? 

"What's so funny, Fuyumi?" His eyebrows furrowed.

She’s holding her stomach, attempting to recuperate herself. She can see her father’s face of confusion and embarrassment and knows she needs to immediately explain everything.

As she’s thinking about it more, it’s okay to tell him the truth. She knows in intimate detail what her father did to Keigo, unfortunately. He did not hold back on the details. It was a nightmare. She did not need to know about what her father was like as a sexual partner..That paired with him confessing his struggle with his sexuality, surely it’s okay for her to be honest? Why would he be mad at her for her telling him when he himself is in the same situation?

“Rumi’s my girlfriend!!” She blurted out.

Enji freezes. Fuyumi believes that he didn’t take it well. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

He’s ignoring the fact that his daughter came out to him. And that she’s been dating someone for God knows how long. That part doesn’t matter right now. No, the more important part is that it means Keigo and that woman aren’t together . 

Oh no.

Enji has made a terrible mistake.

He stands up rather quickly, startling Fuyumi.

“I need to..resolve some personal matters. Could you go out and tell your brothers I'll be back?”

Enji swiftly makes his way out of the house. From the bedroom, Fuyumi can hear her brothers yell at him from the couch in confusion. She runs to the living room to stop them before they leave. Her mother and brothers are all sharing the largest couch, having created a cuddle pile of sorts while those two were gone.

“What the hell is he doing?” Touya angrily asks.

“He’ll be back, why don’t I put on a movie for us until then?”

“Can I leave?” Natsuo groans.

“I’ll order us some dessert.” That shuts them up easily and she goes to play a movie.

Enji is making his way to his truck. He wished his legs would be any faster. Once he gets inside, he starts his car and pulls out his phone. Keigo, although blocked, is still in his messages. He unblocks Keigo’s number, and goes to call him.

Chapter Text

These past two weeks have been hell for Keigo. Forcing himself to give Enji space was difficult to begin with. He always wondered what the older man was doing, how work was. All he wanted to do was ask him about his day. About his feelings for Keigo.

His hesitation was his downfall. When he finally had gained the confidence to talk to the man, he was blocked. Enji was sending a brutal message: I regret that night and I never want to see you again.

Perhaps if he had forced them to talk sooner, maybe things would’ve been better?

No. It wouldn’t have changed the fact that Enji has no interest in a friendship with Keigo going forward.

It was hard to force a smile on his face, not wanting his parents to worry about him, but he could do it. They need to focus on their own health. Not his feelings. He’s always been able to handle himself, one “break up” (if it could even be called that) won’t destroy him. So they won’t have a single inkling of knowledge about this situation.

His only solace was when he would vent his concerns to his friends or his brother. His rants were excessive and dramatic, but it was never enough to stop the itch. He never truly addressed how terrible it made him feel. 

Keigo wasn’t one to let others affect him so much. He was detached, independent. People believed him to be an open book, but in reality, he feigned openness and foolishness to ensure people didn’t come any closer. A lot of the emotions he talked about with people were ones he was detached from. Ones that didn’t actually hurt like he said they did. Those “vulnerabilities” were to just get people off his back and satisfy their curiosity.

His true, devastating emotions that had him curl up into a ball would come to him in moments of solitude. He was very careful to not let anyone see him in that state. The depth of his pain was not something his friends knew the extent of. They had guesses, but assumed he’d be okay in the end.

He was incredibly frustrated how easily Enji had walked into his heart and wreaked havoc. Was it because he changed Keigo’s life that Keigo was weak to him?

After Keigo had to leave work abruptly to pick up his brother, his manager Tsunagu had decided to schedule him to work weekday mornings. 

“You need to be able to ensure your brother’s safety,” he would say, leaving no room for argument (then he would strike a pose). 

He’s not wrong though. 

The new schedule isn’t terrible. Other than the fact that he gets less tips than if he were to work on the busier days, it allowed him to spend more time with his family on the weekend. He was able to talk to Fumikage more too. Keigo’s brother had always been more closed off, but in these past few months, he’s been opening up more. The schedule change also helped the two become even closer.

The times his family was busy, however, was a struggle. Most of his friends were not free on the weekends, leaving him alone in his apartment. He can’t blame them for being busy. Everyone has their own lives to deal with. He can handle himself. He’s always been able to.

This was one of those weekends. A Friday. His parents went out of town for their anniversary, Fumikage had to stay at school to study for an exam, and almost all of his friends were working. 

Keigo started his day the same way he had been for the past two weeks: indulging himself in self-sabotage. He woke up at 11 am and planned for an entire day of bedrot. He hadn’t cleaned up his apartment this week and had no intentions to do it.

Instead of making breakfast, he laid shirtless and sweaty, pathetically rereading his messages with Enji, trying to go back to a time when things were better between them. Keigo was in denial that it was actually over. He couldn’t believe it. Yes, they hadn’t gotten together (yet), but their friendship was..something different. 

Keigo never really connected with other people his age. Most people he was surrounded with had happy family lives and didn’t have many responsibilities. He, however, had to deal with his abusive parents, being separated from them, and then suddenly getting thrown into a new family, living with parents who needed his help more than they would like to have admitted. 

Fumikage had the luxury of being raised by his parents and his older brother, Keigo did not.

He had to grow up so much quicker compared to his peers. How could he relate to those who didn’t even feel like the same age as him?

He felt so isolated. Then he saw the way Enji carried himself in front of the press. 

Stubborn and refusing to let anyone see his weakness. A strong hold in his community. Keigo understood that. He knew that if he ever met the man, they would get along way better than anyone would expect.

And he was right. Both men had a form of unspoken communication between each other, able to read the implications the other had placed in conversation. They understood each other, despite their apparent differences.

Keigo also heavily enjoyed teasing Enji. The older man pretended like he hated it, but in reality, it was evident to Keigo that he liked being treated like a normal person. And not like someone who would blow up in your face at any minor inconvenience. Enji could take a joke. How did nobody else understand him the way the younger man did?

The blond sighed. He knew that door was closed. It was useless. After years and years of watching and waiting, he let it all go to waste because of his inappropriate, drunken actions. If only he had remained patient..

No, patience wouldn’t have granted him a relationship with Enji. The man with four children is not gay. Keigo is a fool to think he even had a chance.

Rumi began calling him. He begrudgingly picked up. He really didn’t want to talk to anyone, but he knew she wouldn’t stop until he answered. She’s annoying like that.

“You look like shit!” She exclaimed, but her tone was not insulting.

“Yeah, I know..” 

“Oh you’re worse than I thought… Let’s get brunch!”

Keigo threw his head back against the pillow. He made sure to groan dramatically.  “Lemme guess: Fuyumi is busy?”

“She was the one who actually told me to call you so..You just look stupid!”

“Can’t believe Fuyumi is a better friend to me than you are..”

Rumi laughs. “I’ll meet you in thirty minutes at Sato's. My treat!”

Keigo’s eyes lit up. He loves eating, even more so when he doesn’t need to pay.

“Well, if you insist..” 

They got carried away at brunch. 

The pair had no plans for that day, what else could they do? Between them, they had hedonistically downed thirteen cocktails in under an hour. Their plates had already been emptied, only now enjoying each other’s company.

Rumi and Keigo were unabashedly loud, forcing the other customers to listen to their obnoxious laughter. They didn’t care what others thought of them. They were having the time of their lives. It was actually what Keigo needed. Rumi is the perfect person to let loose with. He was so tipsy he actually forgot about Enji for a bit.

“Hey, hey, you-you know what we should do?” Keigo finished up his mimosa. “I wanna get a tattoo..”

She stared at him stunned for a moment. Her face soon evolved into a very large smile, nodding very quickly. “Let’s go right now!” 

Rumi signals for the check. They stumbled out of the restaurant as soon as they finished paying.

Luckily for the two, this restaurant was located in an outdoor strip mall, and there happened to be a tattoo shop nearby. Rumi had been to the place before, where she had gotten her first ever tattoo. She knew that place was rather clean and friendly, one of her friends actually owned the place. It would be a perfect spot for Keigo’s first ever tattoo.

Keigo had been talking about wanting to get a tattoo for the past couple of months. He just could not come up with a design to save his life. There’s just too many possibilities. A lot of possibilities he shut down though. He was picky.

His drunken state, however, was making him feel even more bold and impulsive than usual. He had the money. Nothing could stop him from permanently altering his body.

Walking in the heat had sobered up Rumi, but not Keigo. He was still relying on her to maintain his balance.

They entered the tattoo shop, Edgeshot Tattoos . Her friend and the owner, Shinya, was sitting behind the counter, pleased to see the pair. 

Shinya had his hair pulled up in a ponytail and dyed a snow white. He was covered in tattoos all over his arms and legs, but they were often covered in favor of his ninja-esque aesthetic. It was an odd choice, but everyone around him agreed he was the only person who could pull it off. His eyes were colored like the stars, ones you could get lost in. His smooth skin and apparent beauty was enough to distract all of his friends from his quirks.

He was soft-spoken and patient, explaining the entire process to Keigo and having him sign waivers. Keigo struggled to pay attention. That made Shinya give Rumi a look. He was concerned, unsure if it was a good idea to give a drunk man a tattoo, but she reassured him that he would be okay.

After he paid, she turned to look at the blond. “So, what do you think you’re gonna get?” 

“Don’ worry..you’ll see!” he giggles. Keigo walked to the back of the shop, leaving Rumi to wait for him.

She sat in a chair near the front. The shop was a sea of monochrome tiles, separated by several jars of plants that sat comfortably on the floor. The walls were decorated in flash tattoo sheets and photos of their customers throughout the years. Rumi even had her picture up there from when she was 19, her and Shinya having their arms around each other after he had tattooed her luchador mask onto her inner thigh. 

Pulling up her phone, she went to call Fuyumi. Her girlfriend had sent her a message earlier telling her to call whenever she’s free. And who is Rumi to deny herself of talking to her beautiful girlfriend?

“Hey babe what’s up?”

“Hi baby! How was brunch?” In the background, sizzling can be heard. Fuyumi was likely cooking food for her and her mother.

“Good, we drank like a bunch, and now Keigo is getting a tattoo and so-”

“HE’S WHAT?!”

Rumi rubbed her temples. Fuyumi’s sudden change in volume hurt her head. “Baby, you’re loud, I’m still kinda drunk..but trust me : he won’t regret it!”

“I’m sorry, what is he getting?”

“No clue!”

From the other line, a fork could be heard dropping. Rumi chuckled. Fuyumi frantically picked it up.

“Baby, seriously, don’t worry! Shinya’s the owner, remember? And he hasn’t given me a shitty drunken tattoo yet!”

Her girlfriend sighed, knowing this to be the case. Rumi quickly changed the conversation to her family in order to soothe Fuyumi. Apparently, it was her father’s birthday today, so she and her mother were gonna go out shopping to prepare to surprise him. 

The tan woman made a mental note to not tell Keigo this, in fear he might do something stupid while still drunk.

Their call didn’t last too long, since Fuyumi had to leave. Which left Rumi in the waiting room. An empty room. 

She could not sit still for hours, so she decided to go on a quick jog around the city. If his appointment finished sooner than expected, he could just text her. No big deal.

Four hours later, Keigo had finally waltzed back into the front of the shop. Rumi had returned to the shop about an hour earlier and was lazily scrolling on social media. It was agony having to wait so long. The moment she saw her friend she jumped to her feet.

“Take me home, I’m tired Rumi..”

She chuckles, putting his arm over her shoulders. He weighed nothing to her. She basically was dragging a ragdoll all the way back to his apartment.

When they finally reached his apartment, Keigo took off his shirt and immediately collapsed onto his couch. That session really did a number on him. All he wanted to do was rest. 

Rumi sat next to him on the couch. She wanted to see what tattoo he had gotten.

On his upper back was a seven-inch tattoo of a pair of red wings, each wing covering his shoulder blades. It looked reminiscent of an angel's wings save for the bold color. For a four hour session, each individual feather was remarkably detailed. Shinya did not take any short cuts. It was as-if he painstakingly attached every single feather to Keigo’s back. That’s why he’s one of the best.

She knew it was a perfect tattoo for him. Keigo had always painted himself as a man who wanted to be free to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He didn’t talk in detail of his struggles, but she knew he disliked being held back by his responsibilities. Not that he would abandon his duties, but he just wanted to live in a world where he didn’t have to worry about others. That he could be just another care-free, hedonistic college student.

“Man, I thought you chose something shitty! Shinya did good!”

Keigo nods tiredly. The session had really sobered him up, and by the middle of it, he felt every painful sensation of the tattoo. He obviously didn’t ask for breaks or any numbing cream. He just dealt with it.

“Can you just order us food or somethin’...”

“I already paid for brunch!” she argued, while pulling out her phone to doordash them some fried chicken. His favorite. Keigo really appreciated her as a friend sometimes.

As soon as he finished his food, Keigo passed out on that couch. Rumi decided to stay to help him through the first few hours of pain. She passed the time watching dumb shows on his TV and scrolling on her phone. She also obviously stole some food from his fridge (it was a “friend tax”, she called it).

After a while, she knew he would be okay by himself. He clearly wasn’t in so much pain that he couldn’t sleep. She left him on his couch and retreated back to her apartment.

Around seven, his deep sleep was broken by a phone call. Keigo was too exhausted to see who was calling him and immediately picked up.

“Hellooo..?” His voice came out rather soft, but he didn’t care. It was probably Rumi or Fuyumi.

“Keigo?” A hesitant, deep voice came from the other line.

The blond man’s stomach dropped and his heart pounded in disbelief. He began sweating uncontrollably. He immediately sat up, which caused him to wince. He couldn’t believe who was calling him. No..

“Keigo, I’m sorry..” Enji began reluctantly. It sounded like he was in his car? “There was a misunderstanding..and instead of asking you, I blocked you. I hope you can forgive me. We also..need to talk about what happened.”

This was way too much information for Keigo to process. He had just woken up! He was in pain! How is he supposed to handle Enji coming out of nowhere and suddenly apologizing for what happened? And wanting to talk about what happened that weekend?

Wait, Enji didn’t regret what they did? What misunderstanding?

Keigo needed to compose himself. Enji wanted to talk. He couldn’t immediately agree to Enji’s terms. No, he wanted to make Enji work for it. (Though he wanted to accept the older man’s apology as soon as the words left his mouth). He needed to gain some leverage in this situation, in a moment where he was incredibly vulnerable.

“Only if we can talk in person. I’m not talking about this over the phone.”

“Okay.” Enji seemed so..submissive. So determined to comply with Keigo’s terms, so eager to make it up to him.

“I’m not driving either.” 

“Okay, send me your address.”

Keigo coldly hung up and sent his address Enji’s way. The older man sent a text in response, but Keigo didn’t read it. No, he turned his attention to texting his friends.

Keigo: GUYSS

Keigo: HE CALLED ME

Keigo: HE WNATS TO TLAK THINGS OUT

Rumi: Oh hell yeah!

Fuyumi: You’re welcome, Keigo!

Keigo: what did you do…

Fuyumi: He sort of..exploded on us during dinner. I talked with him privately and it turns out, he thought a certain someone had moved on with my girlfriend!

Rumi: LMAOOO HE THOUGHT I WAS STRAIGHT?

Fuyumi: Yes! I had to come out to him!

Keigo: what

Keigo: how did he even come to that conclusion???

Fuyumi: He didn’t tell me specifics, but he said he saw you two on a date! You need to stop being so touchy with each other or else people are gonna get the wrong idea!

Rumi: aww baby u jealous? dw id rather kms than date him >:D

Keigo: what the hell rumi..after everything..

Keigo: anyways I HAVE TO GET READY HE’S ON HIS WAY

Keigo: do you think he likes me

Fuyumi: Are we just going to brush over the fact I came out to my father??

Rumi: SORRY BABY IM PROUD OF YOU!!

Keigo had never cleaned his apartment so quickly. He was in pain, yes, but he wanted to impress Enji during his first time in his home. It was honestly how pathetic how dirty his place was and how fast he had tidied it all up.

Despite the fact he was feigning nonchalance towards Enji, he was over the moon. He was anxious about what Enji would tell him, but just the fact he was able to talk to him again was enough to lift his spirits. Through the few words they spoke on the phone, it seemed like it wasn’t going to be as terrible as he thought.

He’s not sure how he’ll explain his very new tattoo though..

The blond man was finishing up sweeping when he heard a knock on his door. He dashed to the door. He took an incredibly deep breath and opened it for the man who he had been waiting for.

Chapter Text

Rain began banging against Enji’s truck as he drove to Keigo’s apartment. That didn’t slow him down. He continued to cut corners, trying to reach the younger man as soon as possible. There were times that his vehicle almost lost control, but his truck persevered. He had been gripping his wheel tightly, injuring himself, unable to push away his nerves. There’s no realistically no situation where this conversation would turn out good for Enji.

Why would it be okay? 

Why would Keigo ever accept him back, in any capacity? 

He pushed away Keigo so coldly, not allowing them any opportunity to talk until now. The most likely outcome was that the younger man didn't forgive him and only wanted to get his hopes up by inviting him over.

So of course he needed to prepare himself for the inevitable grief he’d have to deal with. His life has been defined with waiting for grief that was creeping around the corner.

He finally arrived at the location given. A cream colored apartment complex, with open access to the lobby. It took a while for him to find parking, and when he finally did, it was further from the entrance than he wanted. He ran to the apartment. It didn’t matter how soaked he got, he needed to get to Keigo as soon as possible.

He ran up the stairs, almost stumbling over. The stairs were uneven, worn down from years of residents. Enji continued on with his endeavor. Nothing was going to stop him.

Finally reaching the floor Keigo was on, the highest floor, he found his apartment number. He rang the door bell. 

Keigo opened the door and saw Enji heaving. He rested his left arm against the door frame once it opened. Still in his navy work suit, which had gotten completely soaked in the rain, outlined his sculpted frame. His eyebrows had finally loosened after being so tightly knit together. His eyes were gleaming with a newfounded strength and determination, with a tiny pang of guilt.

His face had always given away his emotions. Keigo could tell that doing this was..a lot, both physically and mentally. His heart was likely pounding, and Enji probably was forcing his breathing to lessen. 

What happened today to turn Enji into this..mess? Wanting to fix a situation he seemingly wanted to escape from? This was so bold. Was he okay?

The older man looked down at him, taking him all in. Keigo looked like a mess, clearly not putting in any effort towards taking care of himself as of recently. His hair was typically uncombed, but he did not even attempt to calm his bed head. In the two weeks that Enji was gone, Keigo had also developed very noticeable eye bags, almost a deep purple. He was shirtless, some ribs pressing against his skin softly, and had some sort of clear wrap around his torso. 

The moment he saw Keigo’s state, all the worries he had earlier completely vanished. Only one question remained in his mind: Was he okay?

“Did you..take the stairs all the way here?” He pointed to the elevator. “You did not need to do all that, man.”

Keigo turned around on his heel and went back to sit on the couch. It was a slow walk there, wanting to let Enji soak in the view. For a moment, he hesitated to look at the man’s bare back, before a flash of red caught his eye. He couldn’t help but stare.

Keigo had gotten a back tattoo. He thought tattoos to be unprofessional and useless, something that held you back from climbing the corporate ladder, but the younger man had him changing his opinion in that instant.

His back was already beautifully shaped to begin with. Each and every curve complementing the other, a testament to his strength and appearance. But, this tattoo only made it better. The red color popped out against his paler skin, but the lines that detailed each individual feather made it feel so natural. As if it was meant to be on his body. It was a sight to see.

He didn’t realize tattoos could look so beautiful on a person. Was it because of the artist’s talent, or was it because Keigo was the canvas?

Enji was frozen, enamored with Keigo’s form. Keigo didn’t notice. 

“Come in and close the door behind y-“

“When did you get a tattoo?”

Keigo turned around and chucked. He can note the harsh worry in Enji’s voice, providing him relief.

“Didn’t know you cared so much, I got it earlier today. You like it?”

He gives no response and goes to sit down next to him. Enji is careful to not sit too close to the man, but Keigo inches so that their thighs are only slightly touching.

Keigo is clearly trying to feign nonchalance, that this conversation is nothing important, but Enji can see past him. He can see how nervous he is that Enji is in his apartment. That his messy , personal space is on full display for the older man to see and judge. 

Something the redhead notes is that Keigo is very careful to sit in Enji’s blind spot; he doesn’t want to be seen. He doesn’t want Enji to see how he’s been neglecting himself. 

Enji turns his torso to face the younger man, ensuring his working eye can see Keigo entirely. He rested his right arm against the back of the couch. He was tense. There was no indication as to which direction their conversation would eventually lead. 

It didn’t help that Keigo was waiting for Enji to begin talking. 

The older man wasn’t often struck by indecision, but here he was. He just didn’t know where to start. There were too many things he wanted to address, to confess. It felt so terrifying. Would Keigo immediately reject all of the redhead’s feelings? Make fun of them? Refuse his apology because he was a shitty communicator? He would do that. Enji didn’t deserve forgiveness, but he still wanted to apologize to the man. 

He ruined the only relationship he’d ever wanted only because of fear. How could Enji be deserving of what he wanted?

Before Enji could even begin, Keigo had crossed his arms.

“So why did you block me?”

(He already knew why, yeah, but he really wanted to hear it from Enji. A proper apology from Enji. Another chance to tease Enji about his jealousy. A possible love confession. That last part was the least likely.)

“I had assumed..you had moved onto someone else.” He gritted his teeth as he forced out his confession.

“Oh, and you got jealous even though she’s actually dating your daughter?” 

Enji froze. What?

“Well I guess you didn’t know that since Fuyumi hadn’t told you, but Rumi and I are actua-”

“HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS?” He raised his voice, but his face flushed a cute shade of red that it was impossible to take his anger seriously. He had no way of explaining himself.

He did get jealous. Over a man he wasn’t even dating. How embarrassing.

“You do realize that me being friends with your daughter’s girlfriend means I’m also friends with your daughter? And that said daughter texted me before you came?”

Enji continues to get bested by his own family today. First, Shoto outing him to his family, and now Fuyumi giving Keigo the details on the situation before he himself could. 

He could see Natsuo and Touya doing that, but Shouto had been warming up to his father. But Fuyumi? That was a harsh betrayal.

He wasn’t one to feel embarrassment, yet being around Keigo seems to activate those emotions so seamlessly. Enji’s tolerance hasn’t increased either. It keeps getting worse as time goes on.

Sighing, he drops his shoulders, and then looks up at the younger man, his resolve hardening. 

He will be honest with the man he has fallen for. It doesn’t matter if Keigo doesn’t reciprocate, he needs to at least try . If Fuyumi encouraged him to talk to Keigo, and she’s his friend, then that must be a sign she knows something. 

Maybe Keigo does like him back. 

Keigo didn’t let him begin his train of thought and started his own nervous ramble. He couldn’t remain in silence any longer.

“Well, to be honest, it’s not like we were dating or anything, so I don’t really understand why you’d get jealous over me having my arm around someone else! I didn’t peg you as the jealous type..I know you don’t have any interest in being in a relationship, so maybe you were just jealous because I… moved on too quickly? I dunno, that doesn’t make-”

Enji sighed again. He began tuning out Keigo’s ramble in favor of figuring out exactly how to word his feelings, after being so rudely interrupted. It took a while to gather his thoughts. By the time he came to, Keigo was on a very different subject. It astonished the older man how all over the place the other man was.

“And if you want to just continue this friends-with-benefit thing, no strings attached, that’s perfectly okay with me-”

Enji grabbed Keigo’s shoulder and stared at him intensely. He noticed Keigo’s lightly colored eyes, and how they shined against the light of his apartment. He can see himself in the reflection of the younger man’s eyes, and Enji can notice how…enamored he appears. His face is softer than it usually is. His eyebrows aren’t furrowed like they usually are. He was no longer tense, despite his nerves for what’s about to come. It is as if he’s aged backwards, to a time where he wasn’t burdened by a world of responsibilities.

He swallows, trying to push away the embarrassment of indulging in romantic feelings. The embarrassment of throwing himself out there and praying he doesn’t get destroyed.

“Keigo, let me be as clear as I can: I have romantic feelings for you. I want to have a relationship with you. I am not interested in anything less.”

The blond man was stunned by his straightforwardness. His mouth slightly agape, unable to truly process what the older man had so honestly admitted. Enji felt a moment of pride for being able to shut him up.

Knowing Keigo was frozen, Enji took the chance to move his right hand to touch Keigo’s cheek, over his scar. He rubs the scar using his thumb. Enji can feel each individual groove and how heavily it contrasts against the younger man’s softer skin. 

He needs to be closer.

He leans in closer to softly plant his lips over Keigo’s.

Their unshaven facial hair and healed scars rub against one another as they adjust themselves, but they aren’t bothered by these tickling sensations. Their focus is on the feelings of the other man’s lips.

Enji’s lips are slightly rough, clear that he hasn’t drank water in the past couple of hours. Poor guy needs to take care of himself. His bottom lip is larger than the top and it rubs against Keigo’s top lip. It tickles him. His lips are more relaxed, wanting to feel as much of the younger man as physically possible.

Keigo’s lips, in contrast, are soft like his skin. They were plump and he had been pursing his lips in order to feel more pressure against Enji’s lips. The older man could feel the other’s heartbeat through his lips, and it was pounding . It was so exhilarating, euphoric, knowing he could make someone feel so much pleasure. Enji could tell the other was losing air in his lungs, air blowing into Enji’s nostrils.

They don’t want to part, but Enji wants his love to breathe. He pulls away and Keigo immediately begins heaving as blush overrides his entire face. 

“Can- Can you do that again? Please…?” 

Keigo’s pupils had dilated and he couldn’t breathe properly. His whole body felt like it was on fire. He needed Enji again.

Enji placed another kiss on the blond man for only a moment. He wanted to get back on track with their conversation.

“Are you..interested in being in a relationship with me?”

Keigo nods rapidly.

“You do know that I am divorced and I am working on rebuilding a relationship with my children? I am not sure why you would want to be with me of all people.”

Keigo shakes his head. “Don’t care. I want you.”

“Okay..”

“Can we get together now?”

Enji was surprised that it was..relatively easy to convince Keigo to start dating him. He thought he would have to explain himself more in depth, argue as to why they’d be a good match, something..more humiliating. He did not think Keigo would be this flexible with this entire situation.

The older man hums at the younger man’s request and easily pulls Keigo onto his lap. Keigo’s legs are spread and he wraps his arms around Enji’s shoulders. His arms remain seated at Keigo’s thin waist. He tilts his head and leans down to kiss Enji again, this time with more passion. 

He pushes his tongue into the redhead’s mouth, exploring the inside. Keigo licks the bottom of Enji’s teeth and feels around the other man’s tongues. The wet sensation of his mouth arouses Keigo. 

As embarrassing as it is, Enji throws himself to the passion of their kissing. He feels like a high schooler again with how primal they’re touching each other. He allows himself to surrender to the softness of Keigo’s lips and tongue, feeling every single part of him, when he remembers.

He pulls away from Keigo.

“You okay, big guy?”

“I just remembered I need to get home. My family is waiting for me.”

“Oh?” Keigo didn’t realize he had been interrupting his family time. He feels almost guilty. Almost. “You having dinner with them?”

“Yes, it’s my birthday.”

Keigo frowns. He feels guilty now. He indirectly ruined and interrupted his birthday dinner…Why didn’t Fuyumi tell him it was her father’s birthday?? What the hell? 

He doesn’t want Enji to leave. He wants to celebrate Enji’s birthday with him. 

An idea comes to mind.

“Can I meet them? Your family? I’ve already met Fuyumi and Shoto but I’d…like to meet everyone else, if that’s okay.” A pause. “I know it’s super early so I’d get if you’d want to wa-”

Enji had already pulled out his phone and was dialing his ex-wife. Despite his quick action, he was incredibly nervous to call her. He rarely does so. Keigo doesn’t need to know that. 

After a couple of rings, the call finally went through.

“Hello- Yes, I’ll be back soon. May I bring someone back to the kids?” 

He waits for her response. Keigo is admiring his rather stern face when he realises his legs are completely open over Enji’s lap. His shorts tug tightly against his thighs and they’re lifted even more than usual to reveal the edge of his underwear. Keigo notices his crotch is perfectly lined up with Enji’s crotch, almost rubbing against one another.

He blushes. It is..a sight to behold. He’s shocked that Enji can ignore this fact and casually have a conversation with his ex-wife. It’s rather attractive, his cognitive dissonance.

“Okay, are you sure?” Another pause. “Thank you, Rei.” He hangs up.

“Well?”

“She wants you to pack a bag and stay the night.”

Chapter Text

Keigo was uncharacteristically meticulous in packing his things. He froze often, pondering if it was important to bring this shirt, or maybe this sweater. His hands moved at a snail’s pace, not wanting to place his clothes in his backpack. Finishing packing meant they would have to leave.

Not that he didn’t want to go to the Todoroki residence, but he was terrified . He had met Fuyumi and Shouto, but he was meeting everyone else . All together. 

Touya and Natsuo, from what Enji had briefly mentioned, had their..”reservations” towards him. 

Reservations were too soft a word to describe their feelings. They hated him. They always told their father that the only reason they were ever near him was because their mother and sister forced them to. Every moment the boys had with Enji was tense, their father needing to walk on eggshells around them. He was careful, he always was, but his sons always found a way to misconstrue his words. A way to start an argument and bring up his many mistakes. It was frustrating at times, but there are things that you do for love. 

Keigo isn’t sure how those two would react to their father dating someone half his age.

Would they not care about their father’s love life? They don’t seem to care about any part of his personal life, they don’t want anything to do with him. Keigo wonders if they would be relatively relaxed about his romantic preferences or if they’re the judgemental type.

…

Keigo comes to the conclusion that they would use him as ammunition against their father. 

He’s worried the most about meeting the mother of his children, Enji’s ex-wife. She was the only one he had no information on. Enji never spoke of her in depth, only that she existed. And Fuyumi had mentioned spending time with her mother, but he never got a detailed account of her. Keigo needed to impress her, to gain her approval. He couldn’t do that as well as he wanted with no frame of reference. 

He finally planned out all of the clothes he would bring for the night. A grey tank top and black, loose basketball shorts. He also placed his dental and skincare products in his backpack. And lube. And some condoms.

“What are those for?” Enji lifted a single eyebrow amusingly, sitting on the bed as he watched Keigo pack.

“..What? I’m an optimistic guy!”

As they drove back to Enji’s place, Keigo was talking out loud. As he always does. 

He was sharing every single detail about his tattoo experience: the shop itself, the conversations he had with the artist Shinya, and how painful it started to feel at the end. He spoke with such radiant energy that it was hard to believe that just an hour or two prior he was rampantly depressed.

Enji could tell he was running his mouth because he was nervous. With his right hand, he placed it over Keigo’s hand silently, reminding him that he’s by the other man’s side. That they’re both feeling nervous about this introduction.

Keigo knew this, yet didn’t calm down. He just enjoys talking. Enji thinks that Keigo didn’t actually care if he was listening or not. 

He moved onto talking about food he had been trying recently and it somehow reminded him of when he got ears pierced when he was in high school. Apparently it’s less painful than Enji thought. 

They arrived at the Todoroki residence. The rain had calmed down by then, by some miracle.

Enji opened the gate and parked in the garage. He gave Keigo a moment to recuperate before they had to go inside; but instead, Keigo quickly left the car. Strolling in as if he lived there. He stops before the garage door that leads to the kitchen. Enji stood next to him, their shoulders almost touching.

“Go on, open the door.” Enji said.

“No, no, I gotta have a dramatic reveal! You open the door.”  

Keigo slams his palm against Enji’s back and inches him closer. Enji doesn’t budge.

“You’re nervous, aren’t you?”

“I am no-” Enji silences him by opening the door and walking inside. Keigo followed behind him, making sure to conceal himself. 

“I’m back.”

As he walks closer to the living room, he can see them. His family is all cuddling on the middle couch together, absorbed in a movie they had put on after Enji had left. From the sounds of it, it appeared to be a children’s movie, one from their childhood. Rei was in the middle. On her left was Natsuo and then Shouto at the edge, and on the right was Touya and Fuyumi leaning on him. They had all been sharing a rather large bowl of popcorn.

“Where the fuck were you?!” Touya snapped.

Everyone had turned to stare at Enji, all of his children unaware that Keigo was going to join them for the night. Unaware of the horror that was about to reveal itself.

“I had..some personal stuff to handle. Speaking of, there is someone who I would like you to meet.”

Keigo popped up from behind the older man and waved. He wanted Enji’s kids to make the first move.

He had a shit eating grin towards Fuyumi. She clearly didn’t expect his appearance and it was apparent on her face. Her jaw had dropped and it seemed like she had so many things she wanted to say. She refrained, however, wanting her brothers to comment before she got onto Keigo’s ass.

“This is my..boyfriend, Keigo. Introduce yourself.”

Having everyone’s silver, judgemental eyes focused on him had him panicking, but this was an emotion he could easily repress. 

“Hi, I’m your father’s boyfriend as of..” he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Like thirty minutes ago! Ask me anything!”

Silence.

Chaos broke out between the siblings. Three of them stood up and rushed to crowd the pair. The two brothers towered over Keigo, almost at eye-level with their father.

“KEIGO WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE COMING?!”

“ARE YOU PAYING HIM TO FUCK YOU?”

“WHAT THE FUCK DAD?!”

“What is your favorite food?”

This panic had missed Shoto, who was still sitting on the couch with his mom. He opted to begin cuddling with her. He rested against her shoulder while she wrapped both arms around him, pulling him closer. For meeting a parent’s partner for the first time, he was incredibly relaxed about the situation. More than anyone could’ve expected.

As an added bonus, the youngest son was the only one to truly understand Keigo’s request.

Enji pinches the bridge of his nose. Why on earth did Keigo think it was a good idea to open up the floor like that? The younger man knows exactly how his children are when it comes to things relating to Enji; he clearly did this for the fun of it all. To stir chaos the moment he arrived. He is relieved that Shouto is at least calm.

Oddly enough, it is their mother who silences them, not their father. They turn to face her as she speaks softly.

“I was the one who asked for him to come and stay the night. Your father is trying to better himself, and I believe Keigo is helping him. Please stop ambushing him.”

Touya and Natsuo grumbled, looking away from the couple. They didn’t want to listen to their mom, but they are weak when it comes to her. Their love for her will always overcome their hatred for their father. They just don’t understand why she’s defending their relationship. Why she continues to defend him .

“What is your favorite food?” Shoto repeats. “I like cold soba.”

“I gotta say anything with chicken in it! It’s the best! Right now though, takoyaki’s pretty high up there!”

Shoto nodded, pleased with his answer. His other siblings were not.

“Did my dad actually pay you to be with him? Is this his way of fucking with us?” Natsuo questioned harshly.

Keigo is tempted to make a joke. Enji can see the cogs turning, the way his eyebrows lift in thought. He wants to stop him, he knows Keigo is going to embarrass him somehow. But he’s too slow for the younger man’s silver tongue.

“Yes! It’s actually helping me pay for col-” Enji jams his shoulder into Keigo’s side. “I’m joking, of course. Doin’ all of this for free!”

Natsuo doesn’t believe him. It’s hard to believe that someone as attractive and charismatic as Keigo would go for such an angry, unattractive failure of a father.

“Do you hate yourself or somethin’?” Touya barks. He crossed his arms.

“Nope! Not at all.”

“He ruined my family! Why him of all people?!”

Enji averts his gaze in guilt. There is no explaining that away. He can’t. Keigo doesn’t know the whole story. He’s sure the younger man would leave once he knows the truth.

“Isn’t it obvious he’s trying to work on himself?”

Crossing his arms, Keigo entered in intense eye contact with the eldest son, not determined to lose. Touya was trying to intimidate him. Get him to leave and avoid this family. Keigo has no right to just barge in and defend their father, as if he was there all those years ago. Keigo isn’t going to give up so easily though.

Fuyumi interrupted their stare-off. She pushed her brother out of the way and had her hands on her hips.

“Keigo! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming over?”

“Everything just happened so quickly! I wasn’t really on my phone either..”

“It doesn’t matter! You should tell me when you’re about to meet my whole family??” She grabs his shoulders and shakes him aggressively.

“Well, you know now!”

Fuyumi groaned loudly. She had always known her friend drove others to annoyance, but she never thought it would be so effective against her. Surely it’s because it involves her father.

“Wait, you knew him and you didn’t stop him?”

Touya and Natsuo began ambushing Fuyumi. They demanded to know how long she had known that Keigo was interested in their old man, and why she didn’t stop him. 

Rei raises her hand and interrupts the sibling dispute. “What do you like about Enji?”

Keigo pauses. 

He had entered a rhythm with the impassioned children, which had slowed down when they began ignoring him. He was glad to be given a break, but he wasn’t expecting to be dragged into the spotlight again, especially by the woman who had only spoken once.

“Well, Enji is super passionate. When he wants something, he doesn’t stop. Yeah it made him fuck up in the past, but he’s making it work for him now. Y’know, I’ve actually seen him on TV before. With the previous chiefs or whatever, they always focused on calming everyone down with their words, all insincere shit. But Enji? He’s not good with his words, like at all, but he’s a man of action! He won’t tell you he’ll save the day, but you’ll hear it from someone else, y’know?”

Enji looked away, grumbling. A small pout appears on his face as his eyebrows furrow intensely. He never thought his stubborn nature would be something someone could admire. He had always perceived it as something that destroyed both his past and future. It also feels odd that someone is so easily appraising him in front of his family. It flusters him.

“Oh, yeah, he’s also really fun to piss off!”

With his response, the Todoroki family began to realize who they were dealing with. Unfortunately, in front of them was a self-assured, charismatic young man who knew exactly what he was getting into by dating their father. 

The three oldest gave up on their ambush and retreated to the couch with the mother. The arrangement changes, as Shouto selfishly rested his legs over his mother’s lap, but the other three work around it. 

Enji and Keigo took the couch on the left. Keigo is resting his back against the armrest of the couch, having his legs over Enji’s lap (Shoto did it, so it should be okay if he did it, right?). The older man has his arms around the back of the couch. He’s trying to relax. Both of them are. They both feel embarrassed to be “cuddling” in front of Enji’s family, but they push through it. They’re a couple. They can be affectionate.

Keigo grabs Enji’s hand and interlocks fingers with him, clasping them tightly. The younger man enjoys the sensation of his rough palm, and how his hand practically overtakes Keigo’s relatively smaller hand. The older man’s palms are also obscenely warm, and he isn’t sure if that is his natural state or due to his nerves. Regardless, it’s endearing. 

Neither man particularly cares for the movie the kids had put on. Neither are familiar with it. They demonstrate their opinions in different ways.

Enji, not a man of many words, simply watches the movie in silence. In his head, he’s critiquing the film, as if it is one to be taken seriously rather than a children’s movie. It’s terribly paced and corny. He can’t handle it. He just wants it to end. He knows he has to deal with it because his kids chose it and they would get incredibly mad if he requested to change it. 

Keigo, on the other hand, is an expert at feigning interest in the movie. He’s having all his comments come to fruition, asking many questions as well, determined to have Enji’s children respond to him. Despite his neutrality for the film, he sees it as an opportunity to get closer. 

Enji can’t stand watching the film. It’s a kid’s movie for god’s sake. It’s ridiculous.He needs a break. He stands up to go to the bathroom. It’s a rather far walk as he opts to go to his own personal restroom rather than the bathroom by the kitchen. 

Keigo notices that Rei is watching Enji as he leaves. When he’s out of sight, she’s closing her eyes, listening for when he closes the door. Once he does, she softly pushes Shoto’s legs off her lap and stands up. Shouto looks up at her, betrayed. He says nothing.

“Keigo, could we talk in the garden?”

Oh, he’s fucked. He’s so fucked.

Keigo nods, and he stands up. He silently follows her to the outdoor garden, located in the middle of the estate. 

Compared to the living room, the outside was completely silent. The only sounds that could be heard was the soft chirping of insects and the crunching of the grass as they stepped over it.

The garden is carefully tended by Enji Todoroki. There are a variety of colorful flowers, a mosaic of reds, blues, whites, and purples. They surround the borders of the garden itself and the middle, throwing your attention all over the place. It is intriguing knowing that such a strong man could be the creator of something so detailed and delicate. 

“Is something wrong, Mrs. Todoroki?”

“Please, call me Rei. I wanted to talk to you because it’s clear that you’re very dear to Enji.”

Keigo blushes. He wasn’t expecting that. He was expecting to be interrogated so harshly that he couldn’t breathe. He was able to release a sigh of relief, one that Rei noted he was very dramatic about. 

“I also wanted to tell you I have access to the ring cameras in the beach house. There’s one in every room. I’m sure Enji forgot, he hasn’t been in so long.”

Huh? What?

Did she just say there’s ring cameras in the beach house? In the beach house where Enji massaged his back and stomach? In the beach house where Enji drunkenly fingered him on the couch? That beach house? Ring cameras?

“Did you-”

She holds up a hand, silencing him. “Yes, I saw everything. It was very shocking, to say the least. I knew Enji wasn’t the most interested in sex or romance, but I didn’t expect him to be gay.” She spoke with a layer of sadness, one that she had to push down even further in order to continue. 

“I knew that he would eventually tell me and the kids...Keigo, he was not always the man you see now. He can tell you about our past when he’s ready, but there is something I will tell you. I saw the way you two interacted: you are something incredibly special.”

Keigo feels in awe at her praise. It was still so surreal to him that the man he had admired and been in love with for years reciprocated his feelings. And now, even weirder, he’s in his now-lover’s home, having a heart-to-heart with his ex-wife. 

Life is really weird like that. 

“I’m sure he hasn’t told you yet, but I can tell that he is in love with you. I saw the way he looked at you. He may not love me the same way he loves you, but he has such a deep level of care for both me and our children that I know you’ll be okay. You won’t find anyone else like him.”

She pauses, tears starting to come out. 

“All I ask..is that you stick by his side. He is incredibly stubborn, the most stubborn man I’ve ever met. He gets blinded by his own ambition. I’m sure you can be the one to pull in the reins when he himself can’t do it. He’s a work in progress, yes, but I know he’s trying harder than anyone else in the world to be better.”

Keigo pulls her in for a warm embrace and nods. She lays her head onto his left shoulder, her soft hair brushing against his scar. He can hear her scattered breathing. Memories she’s probably forcing down at this moment. He holds her tighter.

Rei is the first to pull away. She suggests that they get back inside, and that Enji is likely waiting for them both. He agrees. 

They walked back inside and she was correct. Enji was sitting on the couch alone, nervously waiting for his lover. No one but Keigo (and perhaps Rei) could be able to tell that the older man was worried about what they had spoken about.

Rei sat in between her children again, Fuyumi finally being the one to cuddle the closest to her. Keigo sat back down with Enji and interlocked their fingers again. 

The kids are yelling at the movie, angry at the characters’ actions, when Enji leans over to Keigo. 

“What did she tell you?” He whispered into his ear, his deep voice vibrating against his skin. 

Keigo flashes a look that accentuates the deep intensity of his golden eyes. He lifts one eyebrow in amusement. 

“She just made me promise that I wouldn’t steal you away from your kids.” He replied back. “No promises though.”

Enji huffs and pulls away. He knows that Keigo will tell him the truth later tonight. 

Later tonight. 

Keigo will be staying the night. Keigo, his lover, will be staying in his home, in his bed, in his arms. 

The movie eventually ended, and his family left. They were starting to enjoy Keigo’s colorful commentary, yes, but they had already spent too much time with their father for the day. Even if it was his birthday, they wanted to go home.

The new couple walked everyone out the door, saying their goodbyes, before they were left standing in the large hallway by themselves. 

“So…” Keigo speaks out into the open.

“So…?”

“Where do you want me sleeping? On the floor? A little harsh since we just started dating, but I’ll make an exception cause you’re super hot-”

“You will be sleeping in my bed.”

“..With you?”

“With me.”

Both of them knew this was going to be the arrangement. Why would it be any other way? Keigo was messing with him, wanting to hear him say it. There’s a slight pink tint that covers Enji’s cheeks. He was forcing himself to say it as calmly as possible. It’s adorable, Keigo thinks.

“You forgot your stuff in my car,” Enji says. “Go get it.”

Enji shows Keigo to his master bedroom. The wooden floor is a deep shade of brown, kept expertly polished. Its white walls are void of decoration. The only furniture seen in this room is his king-sized bed and two night stands. The bed frame is parallel to the entrance wall, the back of the bedframe being the only part of the bed touching a wall. The two night stands are on both sides of the bed, reflecting on a time when Rei used to live here with him.

Keigo throws his bag onto the bed and jumps along with it. He lays on his back, stretching his arms out, Enji sits down next to him and begins unpacking his clothes and other items.

“You know, my house is cold. You’re going to freeze in these shorts.” He holds up the shorts Keigo had brought with two fingers. They’re shorts that would cut off at his inner thighs, yet he’s holding them as if they’re panties. 

“I’ll be fine, you’re like a human heater I’m sure!” Keigo throws his hand to lightly squeeze Enji’s thigh. “See? Super warm.”

The older man had rolled his eyes as he continued to take everything out. He took his time to examine all of Keigo’s personal belongings. Items that belonged to his night routine, the socks he enjoyed, and..the other thing he brought. The last thing he took out was the lube and condoms, which he put on the night stand closest to them.

He stood up and walked to the bathroom that was connected to his room, and turned on the shower. Keigo immediately sat up hearing the water. He went to see his lover. He missed him so much. No other reason.

Enji had already taken off his shirt and pants, leaving him only in his underwear. He wore tight black briefs, ones that accentuated his beefy and hairy thighs. Keigo noted unshaven pubes that peaked out of his underwear. He wanted to see the rest. It took his breath away.

Now that Keigo had entered the bathroom with him, he slowly removed his underwear and placed it gently onto the sink. Keigo eyed his dick like he was candy, not looking away as Enji had entered the shower. 

His dick was remarkably large, and thick. Keigo could’ve sworn that his dick was almost the same size as his thigh. Veins circled around his cock, slowly pulsing in the cold air. The base was covered in messy dark hairs, though the edges seemed properly cleaned up. It rested against his thigh almost invitingly.

Fuck, Keigo was drooling.

“Well? Are you going to come in? Or are you going to continue ogling me like some sort of pervert?”

Keigo was quick to shed his clothes and the wrap and join him.

The marble-tiled shower was incredibly large, clearly custom-made to accommodate Enji’s large stature. Both walls had showerheads which allowed both men to have their own water shoot against their backs. On Enji’s side was a two foot high block, created to act as a seat.

The water felt incredibly warm as it slid down Keigo’s body. Goosebumps formed at his shoulders. He hummed in relaxation.

Not paying attention to Keigo enjoying the moment, Enji grabbed the shampoo bottle and poured some into his hands. He then massaged the liquid into his scalp. He moved his fingers in circles. It was calming, an excellent way to end such a chaotic day.

His birthday.

Today was his birthday.

The past couple of hours had been such a whirlwind that he had simply forgotten why everything had occurred in the first place.

“You know,” Enji softly began to get his lover’s attention. “I actually forgot today was my birthday.”

Keigo looked up at him surprised. He smiled softly and went closer to embrace Enji, hands around his large waist. His face snuggled up against the older man’s chest. He wasn’t getting hit with water, but it was okay, Enji’s warmth was plenty enough.

“You know what would make today unforgettable?”

Enji lifted an eyebrow. No, he doesn’t know. Enlighten him.

“Some insane birthday sex.” Keigo’s soft, angelic smile changed into a shit-eating grin. His cheeks were touching the bottom of his eyes, clearly amused by his own genius request. Enji simply rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance, but both men knew that he wasn’t feeling that way.

Keigo was about to grab the base of Enji’s cock when he unfortunately remembered his earlier talk with Rei. His smile and hand dropped. The older man was confused as to why his lover had stopped himself.

“Your ex-wife told me there were, uh, cameras at the beach house.”

He froze. “Do you mean she-”

“Yes. How could you forget?

Enji stammered, his eyebrows knitting tightly together. Keigo watched as he slowly began undoing himself, considering all the implications of Rei’s statement. She likely saw Enji…doing that to Keigo. Why else would she mention it unless she saw that ? What was she even doing watching them? Why didn’t she say anything until now?

The older man had it easier. He was not in front of the person who had confronted Keigo. He was in the presence of his beautifully patient lover as he was told this profoundly embarrassing information. Enji lightly pushed away Keigo, wanting to wash out the shampoo from his hair.

“I’m..not sure. Is that the only reason she called you out to the garden?”

Keigo shook his head.

“She, uh, also told me that she saw the way you looked at me. And that I’m special to you. And that you’re insanely stubborn but I’ll like rein you in or whatever! Man, it could’ve been way worse, I thought she was gonna kill me out there!”

“I see…I am glad we got her approval. I think my kids feel the same.” 

Enji began applying conditioner to his hair and in-turn offered to massage shampoo into Keigo’s hair, which Keigo graciously agreed to. The blond man turned to have his back facing his lover. Before he began applying the shampoo, he was admiring Keigo’s fresh back tattoo. Wow. It really framed his shoulder blades excellently. The red ink stood out so immensely it was hypnotizing. He could stare for hours.

(Was it okay to shower the day of getting the tattoo? Enji worried it would destroy the beautiful art piece on his back. But he didn’t say anything. He’s sure Keigo knew proper tattoo care, and it was safe for him to shower at this point. He trusts his lover.)

“Well, I’m already friends with Fuyumi and Shouto knows I exist, so I only needed to get those two knuckleheads to love me. And it wasn’t that hard, y’know! I’m easy to love!”

The redhead squirted some shampoo into his palms and slowly applied the product into his scalp. He circled mainly around the center of his skull, ensuring his lover would be perfectly cleaned. Keigo melted under Enji’s meticulous work. 

“Yeah, I’m sure. But that is only because you force yourself into people’s lives.”

“Butttt, they eventually love me! I’m not forcing any of that! They get annoyed at first, but then they fall in love with me.”

“Oh yeah? Like who?”

“Like you.”

Enji chuckled, not denying it. It was too early to say, at least for his tastes, but that doesn’t mean it was too early to feel. 

He scooted back and pulled Keigo with him, putting the younger man under the shower head to wash out the shampoo. He assisted with making the process faster with his hands. Enji then applied the conditioner to the ends of Keigo’s already-beautifully soft hair. He examined the blond strands that he had held with his finger, impressed with the level of care Keigo had put into his hair in the past.

In the two weeks where Keigo was feeling terribly depressed, he hadn’t managed his hair at all. He seldom washed his hair at that time. He did force himself to shower, but shampoo and conditioner? That was too much. However, Enji was glad that this was easily fixable with a relaxing massage. The blond man’s hair was already returning to its previous state, what Enji was familiar with.

“Y’know, Keigo, you can back out of..this any time you want.” Enji spoke solemnly.

“The shower? Not a chance - it’s so warm and big and shit and-”

“I mean this relationship.”

Enji looked away, shyly. Both men knew why he was addressing this.

He ruined my family , the eldest son had barked at Keigo early. Touya was so insistent on kicking Keigo out, ensuring his father would never feel an inch of happiness. He didn’t feel bad. Why would his father, who put them through years of suffering, deserve to move on with his life as if the past died? The past never dies. And Touya was going to live out the rest of his days ensuring this.

Enji also felt a similar sentiment. He didn’t feel he deserved this happiness. For someone to look at him so tenderly. To choose him after he acted stubbornly and cold. To still be loved despite the hardships the older man had put them through. It felt so utterly humiliating to be given this love, for his family to see him be softly loved. He doesn’t deserve it.

Keigo turned around, wanting to look at his handsome man. He held his hand up against his cheek and stroked the other man’s stubble softly.

“Enji, you’re an idiot if you think I’m going to leave after waiting for so long..”

“It was only two weeks, what are you talking about?”

“Don’t worry about it…!” Keigo got up on the tips of his toes to place a kiss on Enji. “I’m not going to leave you. Not now, not ever, big guy, ‘kay?”

The older man huffed out of his nose. He just..couldn’t believe it.

Enji took a moment to admire his now-boyfriend. Looking down, he sees the plump yet firm definition of his chest, a man who enjoys staying in shape. His waist is slim. His beefy thighs contrast his smaller frame. It’s incredibly mesmerizing. Enji admires his crotch hair. An odd place to be enamored with, but he sees how cleanly shaven it is. How much time Keigo puts into maintaining it, he wonders.

Enji finished applying the shampoo and conditioner to them both. Keigo this time was the one to offer to lather soap on them both.

Keigo was surprisingly patient with his lathering. He ensured that Enji was completely covered in soap. He made it a point to squeeze Enji’s butt when he neared. It was a tax, he joked. It made the older man chuckle.

Both men finished their shower together. With the water turned out, they each grabbed their towels and dried off. Keigo wasn’t fully dried off when he laid down on the bed again fully naked. His legs lazily hung off the edge of the bed and threw his hands upwards, completely spread out like a starfish. He looked ridiculously comfortable.

“You like what you see?”

Enji sits down next to him. He can see the wet spots Keigo had created from not drying himself off properly. “You’re still wet.”

“Who cares? You like what you see~?”

“I care,” he lies, placing his large hand on the other man’s rather small (in comparison) thigh. He can feel the soft hairs that are sparse around his legs. Perhaps he shaves there too. He’ll learn one day.

“You know you’re stuck with me forever, right?” Keigo chuckles, tossing himself over to lay over Enji’s lap. 

“I know, this must be my punishment for sins I committed in a past life.”

The blond man scoffs, before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

As Enji looks down at his boyfriend (he can’t believe that’s his boyfriend) lovingly. Keigo’s smile is reaching his eyes, making those golden eyes of his less visible. Most of his teeth are showing, slightly crooked. He tosses his head back against the older man’s thigh. 

He looks so beautiful. He is an angel sent down from heaven. He clearly wasn’t meant to be Enji’s guardian angel, he thinks, but he’s glad Keigo had chosen him in the end. 

Enji lowers himself down. It does strain his neck slightly, but he doesn’t mind. He places a soft kiss onto Keigo’s lips. The older man sighs softly. 

His heart feels so incredibly warm, overwhelmed with all the love that he feels for Keigo. This feeling vibrates all over his body. He can’t seem to do anything to express these emotions other than kiss Keigo. 

Kissing Keigo is the easiest thing in the world for him.