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Ryoken hummed, looking out over the ocean.
Yusaku looked at him, raising a questioning eyebrow. “What is it?”
“I was just thinking. We've been dating for a while, but I never properly introduced you to Kyoko and Aso, did I?”
There was a short bout of silence as Yusaku frowned.
Ryoken frowned in turn as he looked at Yusaku. He knew that his older associates were a touchy point for him. They were the ones who ran the Hanoi Project, after all. But he was still serious.
“It's fine if you don't want to.” He said, laying a hand on Yusaku's back. “I know that the incident affected you badly.”
Yusaku shook his head. “It's okay. I'm fine with meeting them. They seem to be sincere about regretting their actions, so I'll give them a chance.”
Ryoken sighed in relief, then smiled, looking back out at the ocean. “Thanks. While my father was gone, they were like parents to me. They still are, sometimes.”
Yusaku stared out over the ocean, giving a hum of his own. “I want you to talk to Shoichi, though, as well. I never told him that we started dating.”
The words made Ryoken start. Shoichi didn't particularly like him. But, he still nodded. It was only fair.
“Alright."
---
He could sense that Yusaku was a little tense as they waited in the mansion's living room for Kyoko and Aso to arrive. He reached out with a hand to grab Yusaku's wrist.
“Would you like me to get you something to drink?” He tried to calm his own nerves, too. He could only hope it would end on a positive note.
“I'm fine.”
“If you change your mind, we can still cancel the meeting. It's entirely up to you.”
Yusaku's fingers curled slightly. “No, I want to meet them. I want to give them a chance.”
Ryoken smiled sadly. This was definitely difficult for Yusaku, and it made him happy that he was still going through with it.
He did regret that the situation was like this.
“Ryoken! Are you here?”
Both their heads snapped up at the call, and Ryoken stood up from the couch. He smiled at Yusaku, trying to ease both their nerves. “I'll go and get them. Wait here, okay?”
He saw Yusaku nod, and then turned on his feet and left the room, heading for the front door where he could see Kyoko and Aso waiting for him.
“Kyoko, Aso, you're here!” He gave a wide smile and stepped forward, arms wide as he embraced the pair.
“Of course we are! We know how important this is for you.” Kyoko smiled back, returning the hug.
“Thanks, you two. It means a lot, really. Come on, we're just through to the living room.” Breaking the hug, Ryoken beckoned them to follow him.
Despite his best efforts, the room immediately became tense once they were all together.
Yusaku stared at the two older adults. Taking a deep breath, he smiled tentatively. “It's nice to finally meet you two in person. I'm Yusaku Fujiki.”
“Likewise. My name is Kyoko.” Kyoko smiled back, laughing lightly.
Aso nodded his head. “I'm Aso. Ryoken has told us a lot.”
Yusaku glanced at Ryoken, and he looked away, not making eye contact.
“I…” Yusaku tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat and his voice trailed off.
Kyoko leaned forward and grasped his hands, speaking in a soothing voice. “I'm sorry. We're both sorry. What we did to you when you were a child was wrong.”
The words jerked Yusaku back to his senses, and he drew back, looking at him warily. “I’ve talked to Ryoken, and I've decided to give you both a chance. You sound sincere.”
Small tears formed at the edges of Kyoko's eyes. “I- Thank you. We were… horrible. There's no way to excuse what we did. I wasn't expecting this.”
Aso closed his eyes, took a breath, and nodded. “For what it's worth, we'd like to try and make it up to you somehow.”
The offer hung in the air for a moment, but Yusaku shook his head. “I don't think there's anything you can do. I'm still not sure if I can forgive you, so I'd like to give it some time.”
Ryoken smiled, then stood and clapped his hands to disrupt the flow of the conversation. No point in letting it go for longer than it needed to. “Would anyone like something to eat or drink?”
Yusaku shot him a grateful look, but shook his head to refuse the offer again.
Kyoko spoke up. “I'll make some tea, actually. Aso, coffee?”
Aso nodded, so Kyoko stood up and walked past Ryoken, whispering in his ear.
“I don't think it would be the best start to leave him alone with us, so I'll handle the refreshments.”
“Thanks.”
Ryoken sat back down, launching into a random topic of conversation in an attempt to keep the tension down. Both of the other occupants quickly picked it up, eager to make the situation less awkward.
Ryoken supposed this was a good start.
---
It was Ryoken's turn to be nervous about the meeting. Given Shoichi's visible dislike of him, he was not expecting the man to be the most civil.
Not that he blamed the man.
Yusaku called out as they neared the hot dog truck in the plaza. “Shoichi!”
Almost as if on cue, the side of the truck opened and the man's head popped out, smiling. “Yusaku! It's good to see you!” His eyes trailed to notice Ryoken following behind, and the smile dropped. “Kogami.”
Ryoken averted his eyes slightly. He was not looking forward to this conversation. But it was neccessary.
His eyes snapped back forward. “Kusanagi.”
In response, Shoichi turned to Yusaku. “Why did you bring him here?”
Yusaku rubbed the back of his neck, looking to the side. “I was actually hoping to tell you something.”
Shoichi stared at Yusaku, then his eyes flickered to look at Ryoken. He shifted his gaze back and forth between the two. “What is it?”
“We're dating.”
Ryoken almost blanched at the abrupt announcement. This was not in any way how he was expecting that to go. Instead, he tried to smile amidst his nervousness.
He had personal experience in knowing that if you made Shoichi Kusanagi angry, he could be very frightening indeed.
Shoichi glared at him in silence, and Ryoken wished he could see what the man was thinking.
The man stepped forward and it took everything Ryoken had not to flinch.
Shoichi turned to Yusaku, giving a small smile. “Sorry, Yusaku, could I talk to him alone for a while?”
Yusaku nodded slowly, walking a short distance away, out of regular earshot.
Shoichi turned back to Ryoken, moving forward again.
Ryoken was surprised to note that the glare, while not completely gone, had significantly lowered in intensity.
Not that it made the man any less intimidating as he stopped in front of Ryoken.
Ryoken waited for him to speak.
It took a minute, Shoichi breathing in and out, clearly thinking over his words. Then he spoke.
“Look. I don't like you. You know that. After everything that happened, everything that Jin had to suffer through, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you. Even if half of it was your father's doing.”
“That's fine. I-” Ryoken's words were cut off as the man's hand landed on his shoulder.
“But. Yusaku trusts you. I’m not in a position to dictate his life, and after everything we've been through, I’d be damned if I wouldn’t walk through hell if it meant that kid could have a happy future. Don't make me regret giving you this single chance.”
Ryoken could only gape. He was being given a chance. “I… Thank you. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this.”
Shoichi looked to the side, over at Yusaku, and nodded, beckoning him over. Ryoken looked, as well, and saw Yusaku smiling.
As Yusaku approached, Shoichi stood back, extending his hand.
“I'm Shoichi Kusanagi, owner of Cafe Nagi. It's nice to meet you.”
Ryoken extended his own hand, slowly, to shake Shoichi's. “Ryoken Kogami. It's nice to meet you, too.”
Then he was thrown for a loop as Yusaku uncharacteristically threw his arm over Ryoken's shoulder. “Looks like it went alright, then.”
Ryoken smiled at his boyfriend. “Somehow.”
“Shoichi, we're going to get going. We've got a movie to catch.”
“Sure, have fun!” Shoichi turned to Ryoken, a half smile on his face. “Stop by the truck, sometime. If you two are going to be dating, I'd like to get to know you better.”
Ryoken nodded. “I will. And… Thanks again. For the chance.”
“Don't mention it.” Shoichi's eyes became slightly serious. “Seriously, don't bring it up again.”
“I understand.”
Yusaku pulled at his arm. “Come on, let's go!”
Ryoken smiled, and the two walked away from the truck, holding hands.
“Don't worry, I’m sure he'll warm up to you eventually.”
“I hope so. That man can be scary.”
Yusaku almost laughed. “You? Scared? I never knew you had the capacity.”
“Be quiet.”