Work Text:
A young boy holds up a piece of paper. "Daddy! I made a drawing of you and Mommy!" He smiled.
Ryuji just slaps the paper out of his hands. The kid starts crying, then goes full bawl.
He then gave him a hard slap in the face. "Stop crying, ya damn runt!" The boy cried even harder. And Ryuji was mad beyond belief.
"Daddy, why do you hate me?" he kept sobbing on. "Is it because of my name?"
Ryuji paused. His name? "...What was your name again?" He actually was confused.
"...Goro." The boy answered, then winced. "Don't hurt me again, Daddy! Please!"
Ryuji actually realized what he was doing, but then his hand was already up in the air, ready to slap the Goro kid. 'No, no, NO!' he screamed to himself, but it was too late: his hand was just centimeters away from impact into the kid's face. Ryuji closed his eyes from the terror and heard a big slap.
----
Ryuji got up and gasped. It was only a dream. But it was more like a nightmare. He was looking at his surroundings, still mostly dark due to the night, sweating and still in shock. Tears were forming on his eyes from the nightmare, but then sees Akira, sleeping next to him. The crying Ryuji looked at her, just sleeping soundly, with a long pillow in hand, with her back turned.
He knows why she sleeps like that: She's pregnant. Yeah, they're married and about to start a family, but the problem now is: What will they name their son? For weeks, they looked up, thought about, and ask for suggestions on names for their firstborn. Then one day, Akira suggested Goro as a name; Goro, from Akechi Goro, and she was firm on it. Ryuji was livid that she suggested it, and for the past couple of weeks, they argued about it, to the point of that if anyone asks about names, there's always a strong, tense, and awkward air between the married couple.
"...Goro. Don't hurt me again, Daddy! Please!"
The nightmare he just experienced was still haunting his head. Ryuji got off the bed and was going to head to the bathroom to clean off the tears. He didn't want his wife to see him in this state, at least not so late at night.
----
Ryuji cleansed his face with water and looked at himself in the mirror. He can mentally still see the image of that boy, with a red mark on his cheek, crying.
"Stop crying, ya damn runt!"
He can't believe that he said that, to a little kid. And slapped him, for crying. When the kid asked about his name, he then realized what he was doing in that dream, but couldn't control his actions in it as he slapped his 'son' once more. He teared up again; He was acting like his father in that dream.
"Daddy, why do you hate me? Is it because of my name?"
"...What was your name again?"
"...Goro. Don't hurt me again, Daddy! Please!"
It was all terrifying. He vowed to himself that he'll never be like his old man. But seeing himself, yelling and hurting his son, it hurts him so much. All because of a name.
He remembered from their first argument about the name that he exploded in front of Akira, calling her stupid and saying that she's not going to name his son. His . But the look on her face after he said that took him aback: She got scared. "He's OUR son."
He promised to keep an open mind about the name after, but still they argued. He didn't personally like Akechi nor his actions back then and is so dumbfounded on why his wife insisted on that name. Ryuji thought about it more and more.
Akechi didn't have the best life growing up and his father was a piece of shit, using him like a tool. Eerily similar to his old man.
If only he wasn't, that if he was a good father...Akechi wouldn't be… Goro wouldn't be...
Ryuji also remembered Akira mentioning something about a chance of redemption. It was during their argument and he was too heated at the time to fully comprehend it.
Then it finally hit him: To be a better father.
Akira insisted on the name because she knows that both he and Akechi had monsters of a father. While he himself became a better soul because his mother and friends, Akechi had no one, left cold, even up to his disappearance. And she thinks at least that a Goro will grow up with a good father, that father being: Ryuji himself.
He felt like an idiot for not realizing the connection sooner. His wife was right: He would understand wanting a chance of redemption.
He now understood her logic. Shortly after, Ryuji cleaned up, left the bathroom and then went to bed, with Akira still sleeping. "Thanks." he said softly to her.
----
He woke up, feeling like he needs another hour to be fully awake. Akira wasn't on the bed anymore, as she's up making breakfast like usual. And just like usual, he gets up and begins his morning routine, but with a reminder to talk to her about last night.
--
He sees Akira, already at the table eating, and Morgana nearby. He sighs knowing that the damn cat will tease him about this confession, but whatever, Ryuji needed to do this before leaving for work. He grabbed some cold cereal, poured a bowl, and sat next to his wife.
"Yo!" the husband greeted. Akira was silent, still eating her food. Looks like she's not in the mood to talk, as usual as of late. He took in a deep breath and prepared himself for what he was about to say.
"...Fine."
Both Akira and Morgana stopped and suddenly looked at Ryuji, confused. "...We'll name our kid Goro, a'ight?"
Ryuji gave a look of defeat, but he was actually happy, seeing Akira eyes lit up immediately after. She dropped what she was doing and hugged him.
"You finally understood, Ryuji?"
"Yea, I did." Blushing.
Morgana then interjected. "...And look who caved."
"Shut up." As expected.