Chapter Text
Finally, the day of the meeting had arrived. Byakuya was nervous; there were only a couple of hours left before landing at the Tokyo airport. He hadn’t been able to sleep at all during the entire trip because of his nerves. He knew this day would come… or did he? Well, he hadn’t psychologically prepared himself for the day Senku would introduce him to a girlfriend—or in this case, a boyfriend. In general, he wasn’t prepared for any of it. His son always avoided the topic of romance as if it were the Black Plague itself, so Byakuya had simply stopped insisting.
He felt somewhat worried. In the event that he didn’t end up approving of Nanami Ryusui, he had to make sure Senku understood that it had nothing to do with his sexual orientation, but simply that he hadn’t liked the boy. Byakuya considered himself an open-minded person and didn’t care about the gender people were attracted to. He believed everyone deserved to be with whoever they wanted, as long as no one was being harmed.
He was so absorbed in his thoughts that before he realized it, they had already landed. He grabbed his carry-on luggage and headed to the baggage claim area, since he had brought several scientific gifts for his son. Whenever Senku wasn’t wasting his money, he asked him to bring scientific gadgets that could only be obtained at NASA; and Byakuya gladly indulged every whim of his spoiled child.
After leaving the airport, he took a taxi to get home as quickly as possible. He was far too exhausted to take the subway.
On the other side of the city was the Ishigami residence, where a young scientist felt slightly uneasy, though he didn’t show it. He knew Byakuya must have already arrived and was most likely on his way to their long-awaited meeting.
“Senku, relax. Everything will be fine,” Ryusui said beside him.
“Relax? I am relaxed,” he replied sarcastically.
“You’ve been doing calculations on that kitchen paper for half an hour. You only do that when something’s bothering you.”
Senku, who was sitting on the kitchen island, stared in astonishment at the paper, which indeed had several mathematical operations scribbled erratically across it. The young scientist smirked in amusement; he found it funny that the blond noticed those kinds of details about him.
“Look who’s talking,” he replied, entertained. “You’ve been pacing around the living room for almost the same amount of time as me.”
Maybe he was a little nervous. Not for himself, but for Ryusui. At first, Senku had actually been pretty unconcerned, but then Ryusui had shown up very early in the morning, waking him from his sleep to tell him all about the itinerary he had prepared for the big day. Senku told him he was exaggerating a bit, that it wasn’t such a huge deal—it was just Byakuya. The blond insisted that everything had to go exceptionally well because he was a Nanami and needed to leave a splendid second impression.
The scientist noticed that his boyfriend was somewhat anxious, considering Byakuya hadn’t had a very good first impression of him. Senku tried to downplay it by telling him that Byakuya had only been worried about his safety because Ryusui had been irresponsible and kept things from him, and that he had probably already gotten over it. Ryusui replied that he had no idea what he was talking about, that he was as calm as the breeze over the Sargasso Sea, all while laughing boisterously. The younger man rolled his eyes.
“Whatever. All we can do now is wait.”
Right after he said those last words, the front door burst open, startling the couple.
“SENKU!” an ecstatic Byakuya shouted with his arms spread wide. “I’m here!”
Senku grimaced, as his father’s shout had nearly damaged his eardrums. It only took moments before his father dropped the suitcases at the entrance of the house and ran over to hug him tightly. The younger man struggled to breathe under the crushing force of his father’s embrace. He laughed and patted the older man on the back; Byakuya always hugged him this tightly whenever they saw each other after being apart for a long time.
“Yeah, yeah. I missed you too,” he said while holding his breath.
The older man let him go, finally allowing the younger one to breathe normally again.
“Senku, stand up, let me look at you.” The younger man didn’t have to do anything because his father lifted him straight out of the chair he was sitting in and placed him on his feet in front of him. “Have you grown a couple of centimeters while I was away?”
“Kukuku,” the younger one laughed. “Maybe. I couldn’t say for sure. I haven’t done the calculations.”
Byakuya was pulled out of his dreamy haze when he sensed an unfamiliar presence in the room. That was when he suddenly remembered the purpose of his trip. He turned his head about forty-five degrees, and that was when he saw the protagonist of the evening. Nanami Ryusui truly was not like other young men—everything about him was different. His appearance, his posture, his clothes, even the way he stood seemed to overflow with natural confidence.
Byakuya cleared his throat and, in a somewhat more formal tone, extended his hand toward the boy. “You must be Ryusui.”
“The one and only,” the blond said with a cheerful smile as he took the older man’s hand and shook it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. Senku has told me a lot about you.”
“For God’s sake. Can you two stop being so formal? It’s giving me the creeps.”
The man in question broke the atmosphere with one of the frivolous comments so characteristic of him. Ryusui let go of Byakuya’s hand with a grin stretching from ear to ear. Byakuya thought this boy smiled far too much. It was really striking that his son surrounded himself with such flashy people, considering Senku himself was relatively calm.
“So then, what should we do?” Byakuya asked. “Should we order karaage chicken for dinner?”
A sharp snap echoed through the room. It was Ryusui, snapping his fingers to get everyone’s attention.
“No need to worry about that. In fact, I already have the perfect dinner prepared.”
“Master Ryusui, the vehicle is ready.”
Byakuya jumped, startled by the sudden voice. He turned toward the entrance, where a person stood. A girl? A boy? He didn’t know! But what he did know was that this person had appeared out of nowhere! Before he could even ask anything, Senku explained that it was Ryusui’s butler.
“Butler?” he repeated incredulously.
“Francois, perfect timing!” the blond exclaimed. “Come on, they’re waiting for us at the restaurant I reserved.”
Ryusui extended his arms, encouraging everyone to move along. Byakuya walked somewhat reluctantly, but continued forward anyway. Francois opened the limousine door, and Byakuya stepped inside the vehicle hesitantly, followed by Senku and finally Ryusui.
At first, the ride was silent. Senku sat between them, far too focused on his phone screen to pay attention to the somewhat awkward atmosphere—at least on Byakuya’s side.
“So tell me, Ryusui, how did you and Senku meet?” he asked with an awkward smile. He needed to break the ice somehow.
“Hm. I’m glad you asked!” The blond seemed excited by the question. Senku rolled his eyes and sighed. If you asked him, that information wasn’t relevant at all. “There was this huge science fair where promising young scientists could present their projects. I attended as a representative of the Ryusui conglomerate, but nothing caught my attention enough. Then I arrived at Senku’s booth, and I was quite surprised.”
Two years earlier.
The young white-haired scientist presented his project to the investors with near boredom. Ryusui thought he looked far too uninterested for someone who supposedly wanted to be part of all this.
“Hey kid, at least put some effort into it, would you?” one of the investors said irritably. “Do you think we’re a joke?”
“No, sir,” the young scientist replied.
“Then why do you have such a terrible attitude?”
“I don’t think there’s any need to put on a better face.”
“What did you say?!”
“My ideas are good. Isn’t that enough?” He left the audience speechless, especially Ryusui. Who was this boy? “I don’t see the need to put on some theatrical act where I kiss your feet just so you’ll even look at my work. What truly matters is science.”
The investors were furious with the boy’s arrogant attitude. The man who had confronted him was practically trembling with rage. Just who did this brat think he was?! He was nobody, yet he dared speak to them so haughtily!
Ryusui smiled. His chest felt strangely tight because of the sudden wave of excitement that had struck him. A pair of crimson eyes landed on him, and the shorter boy smirked as he stared directly into his eyes.
“Hey, you. You like my project, don’t you?” Ryusui was caught off guard. “You have a lot of money, right?” The older man nodded. “Then fund me.”
The others present cried out in shock at the younger man’s audacity. They shouted about how he could dare disrespect the Nanami heir himself, claiming he was insane. The boy had his hands tucked into his lab coat pockets in a completely carefree posture. His teacher looked nervous; apparently, this kind of behavior was nothing unusual for the young scientist. That overflowing confidence made Ryusui’s heart race, and a grin spread across his face from ear to ear.
“I want him,” he thought. “I need to have him!”
The uproar was cut short when the blond snapped his fingers, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Ha, ha! You certainly have confidence in yourself. I like that.”
He smiled.
“Alright. I’ll fund you, but on one condition.” He looked directly into the younger man’s eyes, though the other showed no sign of intimidation.
“What condition?” he asked curiously, wearing a challenging smile.
“I want to get to know you better. I want to know what’s inside that brilliant mind of yours that I desire so much.”
The young scientist widened his eyes slightly in surprise, but soon returned to his relaxed expression and laughed at the sudden request. This young master didn’t seem like the stereotypical pompous millionaire he had expected to meet at this science fair. This man was genuinely interested in science—he could see it reflected in his eyes.
“Alright. Deal.” He extended his hand, which the other shook with a model-like smile.
“It’s a pleasure doing business with you…”
“Ishigami Senku,” he said with a confidence-filled grin.
“Nanami Ryusui. I hope we’ll get along well, Ishigami Senku.”
“And that’s how we met. We had several meetings to discuss Senku’s future projects with the Nanami conglomerate. Time passed, and things simply escalated until we ended up where we are today.”
Byakuya was surprised. Well, that certainly explained how Senku had managed to end up in the same social circle as someone ridiculously wealthy like Nanami. The vehicle came to a stop, and he realized they had already arrived at the restaurant. Ryusui opened the limousine door and extended a hand to help Senku out of the vehicle. Byakuya found it somewhat amusing to see his son in a situation that looked straight out of one of those cheap romance movies aired on Sunday television.
They entered the restaurant, one known for being among the most expensive in the city—a place Byakuya had never even imagined stepping foot in. The host guided them through the elegant establishment to a beautiful spot with a small fountain and a lovely chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It was a round table for three—not too small, but not too large either. Just enough to create a sense of closeness between the diners. Once they sat down, three waiters approached and served each of them a glass of wine before quietly leaving.
“What do you think of the place, Mr. Ishigami?” the blond asked while swirling the wine in his glass.
“It’s very beautiful,” he said before taking a sip of the most delicious wine he had ever tasted in his life. “But… isn’t it a little quiet?”
“Well, obviously. I reserved the entire restaurant so no one would bother us.”
Byakuya nearly choked. That explained why he hadn’t seen anyone besides the waiters and the host upon arriving. Reserving one of the most expensive restaurants in the country entirely for themselves—this boy was absurdly rich!
“Ryusui, stop acting like some corporate villain,” Senku complained.
“Ha, ha. I suppose I overdid it a little.” He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry, my love.”
Senku smiled with his eyes closed while taking a sip of his wine.
“My love.”
It was the first time Byakuya had ever heard someone call Senku that.
“So tell me, Ryusui. What kind of music do you like?” he asked, trying to keep the conversation casual.
“Music?” The question caught him slightly off guard. “Well, I like jazz. Although Senku says it’s gramps music.”
“Because it is,” said the man in question.
“Seriously?!” Byakuya exclaimed excitedly. “I love jazz! Tell me which bands are your favorites.”
And just like that, they started talking about music and their favorite groups, surprisingly discovering they had several in common.
“I have several signed records. I had to bid a ridiculous amount at auctions to get them.”
“Seriously? I’m so jealous!” Byakuya said enthusiastically. The wine made conversation come much more easily.
“If you’d like, I can give them to you,” the blond offered eagerly.
“You mean it?!” His eyes sparkled with excitement. “What a thoughtful young man. My Senku is lucky to have you.”
Ryusui blushed at the older man’s comment. Senku noticed that his boyfriend seemed genuinely touched by Byakuya’s approval. Senku smiled quietly while eating his salad appetizer. He looked somewhat uninterested on the surface, but in reality, he was happy that the two most important people in his life were getting along so well.
The conversation continued flowing as they moved from one topic to another. To their surprise, they realized they had many things in common, such as their passion for collecting. In Ryusui’s case, ship models; in Byakuya’s, antique coins. They also shared an appreciation for art. Ryusui had filled his mansion with paintings he had acquired using mountains of money, while Byakuya preferred visiting museums in his free time, being merely a normal mortal.
“Yes! When Senku was little, he loved Doraemon, so he was always asking me to take him to the Doraemon museum,” Byakuya commented excitedly while Ryusui listened attentively. “Senku looked so adorable wearing Doraemon merch.” Imaginary tears streamed from Byakuya’s eyes.
“Do you have pictures of Senku from that time?”
“There’s no way he would…” the younger man replied.
“Of course I do!” his father interrupted abruptly. “I keep them in my wallet.” He pulled it out of his pocket to show the photos to the young Nanami.
“Wait. Since when do you carry those around?!” the crimson-eyed scientist exclaimed in embarrassment.
“I always carry them with me. What are you talking about?”
Ryusui burst into loud laughter when he saw the pictures. Senku was striking an exaggerated pose while holding a notebook with Doraemon’s face printed on it. He looked so adorable that Ryusui thought he might actually die from how cute it was. Even the calm and extraordinarily gifted scientist had the same childish interests as any ordinary kid.
“Stop showing Ryusui embarrassing things,” Senku complained.
“Why?” the blond protested. “You look really cute in these photos.”
Senku muttered under his breath and sat back to patiently wait for his food.
The night continued until the main course finally arrived. Senku had been craving Italian food, so he decided to order pasta. The meal was undeniably delicious, and he ate enthusiastically. Byakuya found it adorable how happy Senku looked while eating.
The young scientist had two rather long strands of hair framing his face, dangerously close to getting stained with pasta sauce as he leaned slightly forward while slurping the noodles. Byakuya was about to comment that he should be careful, but then something happened.
He watched as Ryusui gently brushed the two strands away from Senku’s face and tucked them behind his ear. Senku blushed faintly at such an openly affectionate gesture and simply continued eating in silence. Ryusui let out a small restrained chuckle, quiet enough that Byakuya barely heard it. Then he rested his elbow on the table, propped his cheek against the palm of his hand, and simply looked at the young Ishigami.
Ryusui had a smile drawn across his face, and his eyes reflected so many emotions—something so complex that the older man couldn’t even begin to describe it with words. He swallowed hard. He had never imagined someone could look at Senku with as much adoration as he himself felt for his son.
Dinner had been a success, and now they were heading back home. Well, Ryusui was taking father and son back to their house, after which he would return to his mansion with Francois. He had already taken the liberty of staying at Senku’s house while his father wasn’t around, but he wouldn’t do that this time. He wasn’t shameless enough to even suggest staying over.
Senku had eaten a lot and was completely full, so it was inevitable that he ended up falling asleep in the backseat of the car. Byakuya watched as his son rested his face against Nanami Ryusui’s shoulder, seemingly searching for a way to curl up even closer to him. Ryusui’s arm was wrapped protectively around his son’s torso, and Byakuya could only quietly observe the peculiar interaction.
“Mr. Ishigami, may I ask you something?”
The sudden formality caught him off guard.
“What is it?”
“Will you allow me to stay by Senku’s side?”
“What do you mean by ‘allow’?” he asked, confused.
“Senku is important to me. I want his family to accept me,” he admitted honestly. “I know I may not seem like a very trustworthy person, but I truly want to stay by his side. Please, give me a chance.”
Byakuya found the genuine concern in the boy’s eyes adorable. It felt as though he would completely fall apart if he chose the wrong answer. But even if that happened, Ryusui would surely stand back up and fight until Byakuya’s answer became the one he wished to hear.
When he first found out Senku had a boyfriend, he didn’t know why, but he imagined someone completely different from Ryusui. Byakuya had expected Senku to end up with someone similar to himself: serious, logical, and not very affectionate. But instead, he had fallen for Nanami Ryusui, who, after observing him throughout dinner, Byakuya realized was loud, theatrical, extremely sociable, impulsive, and VERY greedy. A boy with an overflowing, sparkling personality that drew the attention of everyone around him.
“Ah. Ryusui is exactly the kind of person Senku needs,” he thought as he gave the blond a fond smile.
“You know, I’ve never seen Senku this relaxed around anyone before. The only person who has that privilege is his childhood best friend, Taiju, who’s practically his brother,” he commented. “But you, Ryusui, are important to Senku. I can tell just by the way he looks for you with his eyes and how he orbits around you, even though he’s someone who doesn’t particularly like physical contact.”
Ryusui’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Senku may not be very expressive, but I’m sure he loves you very much.”
Nanami’s face immediately began turning red—including his ears. Hearing those words made him unbelievably happy.
“You’ve passed my test.”
The younger man’s eyes lit up, and a smile spread across his face. He was about to say something, but the older man interrupted him.
“I only ask that you please take care of Senku when I’m not around. I trust you. You’re a good boy.”
“I will!”
They arrived at the Ishigami house, and a sleepy Senku stepped out of the limousine and said goodbye to Ryusui with a drowsy hug, while Ryusui pressed a gentle goodnight kiss to his forehead. Senku walked into the house with the sole mission of reaching his comfortable bed.
Byakuya stepped out of the vehicle as well, but before closing the door, he leaned toward Ryusui and looked at him with eyes full of appreciation.
“Thank you for staying by my son’s side.”
And Ryusui, with a gaze full of determination, replied:
“If he accepts me, I’ll stay by his side forever. That’s a promise.”
Byakuya simply smiled in satisfaction, wished the boy goodnight, and closed the limousine door as the vehicle pulled away. He stood there watching it disappear into the distance until it was completely out of sight. It had been a successful night.