Work Text:
Kirishima is hunkered down at his desk, neck-deep in late manuscripts. Ijuuin-sensei has once again managed to make his life a living hell, this time conveniently on Kirishima’s birthday. If things had worked in his favor, Kirishima would be at his favorite restaurant with his folks, partner, and daughter right now, indulging in his favorite dish that seems to get better every time he orders it. Then, they would come home and eat Hiyori’s specialty: Black Forest gâteau. Kirishima would force Yokozawa to stay the night.
Instead, Kirishima is stuck at the office thanks to his author’s poor work ethic and his own stupidity for thinking that he would get out early. The pile of other author’s work that he had to triple check wasn't helping his nerves either.
Kirishima flits his eyes up to the clock after realizing he wasn’t making much progress. 10:39. Fuck. Well, at least now he definitely wasn’t going home tonight. He clicks his tongue and gets up to go make a call.
He dials the number while walking away from the cesspool of half-dead editors. It picks up in one ring.
“Hey.” Yokozawa’s voice should be enough to brighten his mood, but the news Kirishima had to deliver dampened that joy.
“Hi. I miss you.” Kirishima digs his fist into his cheek. He can hear Hiyori’s indiscernible chatter in the background.
“...Shut up. Do you think you’ll come home anytime soon? Hiyori at least wanted to eat cake with you.”
Heartstrings thoroughly plucked, he replies, “Yeah, I want to eat with you guys too… I don’t think I’ll make it home, though. Shit has really hit the fan down here. I probably won’t be back home until the morning.”
“...Okay. It’s alright. We can always just do something tomorrow.” Kirishima can hear Hiyori’s voice go from excited to upset. Yokozawa’s too.
“...Yeah. I should’ve just stayed here yesterday instead.”
“It’s not your fault that your authors are lazy. Don’t worry about it.”
He guffaws, rubbing his eyes, “I don’t know. I wish I could just be home with you guys right now. It’s such shitty timing.”
“Yeah—” There’s some static on the other end. “I have to go.” Yokozawa hangs up abruptly.
Kirishima takes the phone away from his ear, confused. Hopefully Hiyori isn’t crying or something, his worst-case scenario brain thinks. Meloncholically, he returns to his desk, picking up his red pen once again. After drinking his umpteenth coffee of the day, he prays that he’ll finish his corrections before the third and final extension deadline.
Right before Kirishima finishes his check of some new comic for Japun, he feels something fly into his side. Fearing more work to come, he turns and sees… his daughter? He blinks a few times before reacting. I better not have fallen asleep at my desk… He pinches his arm and realizes he’s not in some hyper-realistic dream. “Hiyo..?”
“Happy birthday Papa!!!” Hiyori gleams with a bright smile. She proudly presents a huge piece of cake.
Yokozawa stands a bit behind her, stone-faced as always. But, his eyes are clearly happy that they at least get a little bit of a birthday celebration.
The rest of Kirishima’s editing team was either half asleep or just so focused that none of them were paying attention to them. Kirishima takes advantage of this, being a bit more laid back with his family then he would typically be at work. He pushes some documents to make room for his cake, “Thank you so much, Hiyo. I’m sorry that I’m so busy with work today. I’m sure Onii-chan told you how much I was missing you,” he shoots up a look at Yokozawa, who’s already lost his pleasant demeanor from just that.
Kirishima pulls Hiyori up into his lap after placing down the slice of cake, “It’s been a while since you’ve been to Papa’s work, huh?” He spins her around in the chair. “Me and Onii-chan should take you in more often.”
“It looks boring,” she says in her painfully honest and sweet voice, looking up at her father as they spin around.
Kirishima laughs, “You’re right!” Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Yokozawa smiling amusedly too. “And I don’t get a ‘happy birthday’ from my sweetheart?”
“If you say anything else on this matter I will kill you.”
Kirishima shoots him the saddest pleading eyes he’s ever produced. That seems to do Yokozawa in.
Yokozawa grimaces and pulls out his phone. He types quickly and with rage before turning it off and putting it away.
When Kirishima’s phone vibrates in his pocket, he gets a stupid smile on his face. “Excuse me, Hiyo. I have to check my phone,” he taps her back lightly.
Hiyo jumps off, running to Yokozawa. “Show me where you work, Onii-chan!”
Yokozawa seems glad that she suggested doing so, “Okay,” Yokozawa looks back at, “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Really? No ‘goodbye?’”
“You have work to do! Go!”
“Geez…” Kirishima watches as the pair disappears down the corridor, hand in hand. Kirishima turns back to his work, taking a bite of his daughter’s cake. Delicious as always. Oh, right. He pulls his phone, eager to see whatever passive-aggressive message his lover left.
> Happy birthday.
> I love you.
> Jackass.
Kirishima sets his phone down, suddenly filled with energy. He takes another bite of cake, giggling like a schoolgirl. Maybe this birthday isn’t so bad after all.