Work Text:
~*~*~Within the Genda Law Office in Kamurocho, mid-January 2023....~*~*~
Growing old has its perks. You live long enough to see people change for the better and to make an impact in their lives. After being around for a few decades, you pick up the necessary skills to help others along the way. Befriending yakuza and fighting alongside them tends to do that as does pursuing higher education and receiving his badge to practice law. Both allowed him to hone certain instincts only to turn around and help others. He’s excellent at verifying the veracity of people’s words, sussing out any underlying reason for people’s actions, and unburying truths about them that they may wish to hide.
This means that he may be old, but his eyes work just fine. It’s subtle but it’s there.
Ryuzo Genda perches at the edge of his worn seat, quietly munching on the remains of his dorayaki as he subtly observes the individuals embroiled in conversation. The differences between them could fill a book, but it’s the minute changes surrounding a specific pair that caught his interest almost as soon as they ushered through his door less than ten minutes ago.
The young pair on his right sits with a small yet comfortable space between them, hands folded respectfully in their laps. Issei Hoshino seems slightly awe-struck, failing to conceal how impressed he is as he leans forward in his navy-blue suit. Saori Shirosaki wears a smile that is just a small upturn of the corners of her mouth, but just as her homely appearance camouflages the beauty underneath, so does her expression disguise a secret she’s unmasked.
So. She’s figured something out about them too. She was always a smart woman.
Genda glances at the older couple on his left who is a sharp contrast to the one they lounge across and the pair his peripherals intently focus on. The ex-yakuza slings his arm along the backrest of the couch, feet solidly planted and thighs spread to confidently occupy most of the small space. Genda’s mouth twitches in irritation. The man doesn’t impose exactly—he’s not doing it purposefully—but it’s merely an unconscious manifestation of his bold personality that causes him to physically assume he owns whatever damn room he resides in. Even though it grates him, the kid has a good heart.
All hail King Kaito. Takayuki Yagami once teased him, recycling a joke that he had once told Masamichi Shintani. Genda rolled his eyes at the time, flatly advising that he doesn’t need any further boost to his ego. Now those same wizened orbs center squarely on his lone living son. A spark of pain blossoms at the loss of Shintani and drudged up his whirling sense of shame at his failure of attributing to Yagami’s happiness, but there is something unusual concerning him.
The Kamurocho detective does not seem to mind the lack of remaining space on the sofa and seems comfortable with it by how close he is to the ex-Matsugane member. Usually, there tends to be a friendly gap between them despite the limited space of the couch. Now, Yagami relaxes against the cushions flush against his partner’s side, almost leaning into the curve of his arm. There is no uneasiness to belie especially with that small, content smile he’s worn since the two of them showed up unannounced at his office.
That distracts him and keeps him from participating in the riveting conversation much because he isn’t sure he can stifle the heavy emotions overcoming him. It warms his old heart to see Yagami so…happy.
It’s strange since he’s hardly seen that expression on him and only ever catches quick glimpses, but that genuine vignette of happiness hasn’t slipped off his face once. He remembers a time when he never thought it would be possible again, that damn night his depressed son came to his office during the Mole case and lamented about setting a murderer free and being the indirect cause of Emi Terasawa’s murder. He recalls fiercely grabbing the collar of his leather jacket, angrily shaking him while telling him that he won’t let Yagami blame himself for a death that he can’t foresee and the stubborn bastard refusing to listen. Even after it became clear that Shinpei Okubo was indeed innocent and cleared of the murder charge regarding his girlfriend, Genda could still sense Yagami’s guilt surrounding her death. Genda’s sure it still plagues him to this day but…he never imagined a time that Yagami would come to terms with it and remnants of his past self would shine through. There’s only so much that Genda could personally do to help Yagami reclaim it. His offer of small jobs to collect evidence on their current cases, touching base with him over the phone a couple of times a week, and grabbing lunch a few times a month never seems like enough.
But now...he's slowly coming to terms with his regret of not doing something more. He was incapable of dealing with the monumental task that is Yagami but someone else hoisted that concern from him unseen. Someone else is responsible for the positive change in him, because even though Yagami must be the one to accept it and consciously work towards it, someone had to be his confidante to listen to his intimate secrets, his supporter during periods when his life looks bleak, his partner willing to carry his heavy weight along the expanse of broad shoulders. As his cunning gaze slides from Yagami to the man sitting next to him, he can guess who that is.
What he’s unsure of is to what extent has he helped Yagami.
For as long as he’s known the troublesome duo, he’s never seen them as close as they are now. They’re certainly doing something since Yagami’s hair is slicked back in a way that Genda hasn’t seen since his attorney days and he’s dressed sharply, not in a suit and tie, but in a pearl dress shirt that compliments his ebony slacks, dress shoes polished to a shine. Masaharu Kaito is similarly adorned, his crimson silk shirt not enough to hide bulging muscles but complimented with dark slacks. They appear too well-dressed to be going on a case...or even coming to him for one.
Hoshino voices his inner monologue aloud. “I think it would be pretty difficult to play Dice & Cube in that, Yagami-san.”
“It’s not the ideal place for us to go for today anyway.” Yagami’s smooth voice responds with a hint of fondness.
Huh. Genda muses. What’s so special about today?
“We’ve just never been and wanted to try it.” Hoshino pleasantly smiles at Saori who doesn’t ignore him per se but is more fixated on the gentlemen before her.
“Well, Tak did have a bunch of free passes,” Kaito’s casual gruff timbre reverberates in the room. “But he ended up giving them all to Higashi.”
“Well, don’t you need them to play, Yagami-san?”
“Ah. Don’t worry about it. I have a golden pass which lets me play whenever I want so I don't need them.”
“It’s okay,” Hoshino assures, his mild-mannered and docile temperament rearing to the surface. Genda wonders if it is due to his still being slightly intimidated by Kaito. “I doubt that I’ll be very good.”
“Don’t sell yourself short.” Yagami negates with a single shake of his head. “You have a black belt, don’t you? It’s only for fun anyway. And besides, I tend to come across them all the time. I’ll pass them on to you when I get some.”
“Thanks.” Hoshino self-consciously raises a hand to rub at the back of his neck. “But we’re so busy with work that it’s tough to even go out. I hope we can do something soon.”
“Are you complaining?” Genda grumbles, shrewdly observing an increasingly flustered Hoshino waving his hands in front of him. Yagami has a way of making headlines—and trouble—for his office and they’ve been bogged down in requests for representation. He loves it because of the money flowing in but more importantly, he gives back to his community. It also means an increased workload for the Yagami Detective Agency since one of their sources of revenue--the Matsugane Family--disbanded years ago. Thankfully, that means no more collecting debts for the yakuza.
“Ah! No! I just meant that I would like to take her out more! I feel like I’m not doing my duty as a good boyfriend.”
“You’re doing fine.” Saori pitches in and reassures him with a glance that causes Hoshino to grin broadly.
“That’s actually one of the reasons we’re here.”
That catches him off guard. Genda regards Yagami who adopts a serious pose, elbows on his knees, slender fingers tented, intelligent hazels roaming over his face searching for something before locking onto him. He wants something, a favor no less, and it’s not like Genda would ever refuse him. He wonders, though, what he can do that Kaito would not be able to grant.
“Hm. You got someone in mind that can help?”
“Yeah. Someone who’s still saving for night school and needs a sponsor.”
Now that’s interesting. He hoped that Yagami might return to practicing law especially since he’s recently learned that Yagami keeps up with any new changes or adaptations of the law, but he supposes he should lay that wish to rest. Providing him with someone with potential is beneficial, but if they’re vetted by Yagami, why wouldn’t he consider it?
“Okay. Who do you have in mind?”
“Toru Higashi.”
“Higashi?” Hoshino’s similar stunned inquiry is drowned out by the boisterous exclaim from the ex-Tojo member.
Genda’s eyes widen marginally as he clasps his arms across his chest. He’s just as bewildered as the rest because he didn’t know that the man has any inclination to be a lawyer. Then again, it’s not like he’s drinking buddies with him. He’s met the guy a few times in the office which always coincided with when Yagami was over, but Genda truly knows him through second-hand information.
What’s even more curious is how Kaito seems caught unawares as well. He’s nearly bowled over to match Yagami’s poise, tugging his partner’s attention away from everyone else with his mere presence, inches away from him so that he easily reads everything displayed in his soft expressive browns. A nagging sense of doubt sweeps through Genda at the sight because something’s out of place.
“You don’t know?” Yagami questions perplexed and Genda can imagine his furrowed brows and pursed lips since it is bizarre that the ex-yakuza brothers wouldn’t tell each other this. They’re best friends, right? Then he breathes out in some kind of realization. “Oh. Right. You don’t know.”
“Since when?”
“He told me some time ago.”
Genda picks up on the dulcet timbre that Yagami uses when he’s being vague, attempting not to convey information to others who shouldn’t be privy and he has a niggling sense it’s everyone aside from Kaito. He isn’t sure why it’s important but he’s not going to pry. As a tiny grin grows unbidden, he finds that he’s happy that Yagami’s opened up so much to someone and doesn’t resent it in the slightest.
“He’s not trying to keep secrets, Masaharu. It just…sort of came up in conversation.”
“Some time ago,” Kaito responds flatly, still dazed about the fact that he doesn’t know something about someone he should know everything about.
Genda snorts in amusement. Welcome to the club, kid.
“I’ll tell you everything. I promise.” Yagami coaxes gently, but it sounds….off. It’s a voice he’s never heard from him before--soft, warm, tender as if it’s meant to be only heard by one person in particular, like it will never be directed toward anyone else.
Bushy brows pinch together and eyes narrow. The uptick of his pulse continues the longer Genda observes them in the interim. They’re not speaking now, silently communicating with gazes bordering on affectionate, barely a breadth apart that they could share the same breath.
His gut reaction is that they’re too close for brothers, too familiar as partners. How many friends are perfectly complementary with enough similarities that their relationship burgeoned once they figured it out? How many play off each other like they do, bolstering the other's confidence and ridding them of insecurities? How many are lost in their own world with others around, completely absorbed in the other after a few words? He'd bet his bottom yen not many because what started off as platonic likely grew into something else.
“No.”
Whatever spell they cast over each other remains unbroken when Kaito huffs a resigned sigh. He sways his head from side to side before slumping against the cushions once again. His expression is atypical of his usual wolfish smirk, reminiscent of something that tugs at Genda. That small reverent grin depicts that Yagami is someone he deeply cherishes.
“He should be the one to tell me.”
His mind’s eye helpfully conjures a similar treasured smile from his son and Genda can’t help but match it unseen.
Well, I’ll be damned.
It should have been obvious. They’re always attached at the hip, damn near inseparable and Yagami is almost inconsolable when they have to be apart. Genda knows when Kaito’s out of town because Yagami shows up to “work” at his office for long periods and tends to habitually lose himself in his thoughts or peer sightlessly out at traffic on East Shichifuku Street. He can only conclude Kaito’s the same when he misses him.
Genda blinks back the sting in the corners of his eyes. So. He found someone who loves every bit of him, who treats him like he’s the most precious being in the universe, who's there to bicker and fight with him when he’s being stubborn or embrace him on his darkest days when the tears won’t stop. His heart swells with joy because he now knows why they’re here because he now understands that Yagami will no longer suffer from the epidemic of isolation and loneliness ever again.
Genda shares a knowing look with Saori who responds with an unassuming smile. Hoshino considers them, a little put out and puzzled that he doesn’t understand what’s going on. It will make sense to him eventually. For now...
“It hasn’t been long enough since he’s been out to pursue that path.”
The amorous pall over Yagami and Kaito doesn’t dispel but merely bubbles beneath the surface as tear their focus away from the other and onto him. They gape at him almost like they were unaware that they had company. It doesn’t take long for that glint of awareness to light up sharp ambers and Yagami slowly straightens from his hunch, unconsciously bundling close against his love for his large frame to wash away any unease. Kaito’s arm curls protectively around him almost as if he senses Yagami’s trouble.
Blood drains from his face so fast that it’s painful to see. A quick flicker of panic crosses his features, a dose of fear at possibly being rejected for simply being who he is. Despite Yagami’s plethora of friends and loved ones, there may still be those who humiliate and crush him by abandoning and cutting off contact or spurning his love as tainted, unnatural, disgusting. But the essence of the man still unashamedly shines through--his stark hope against impossible odds, the strong will to fight for justice including his right to devote himself to the man next to him, and his unshakeable devotion to his chosen partner in life.
Yet Yagami waits with bated breath because he considers Genda’s opinion of him, his approval of them as important. There’s a painful stabbing in his chest because it hurts that Yagami’s scared Genda may forever shun him. How can he ever deny him just because of who he loves, how he was born?
Genda rids him of those insecurities immediately.
“It’s okay, son.”
His cheeks hurt from how much he’s grinning. His gentle words are swathed in neverending warmth. He pours inexhaustible amounts of compassion, affection, and love in his gaze to inform his son that he isn’t disappointed—in fact he’s damn proud—why the hell should he be ashamed? Why should anything be different? He’s only heard of Yagami with women but what difference does it matter if it’s with a man? What’s important is Kaito cares for him deeply, helps nurture him, and is willing to sustain their relationship for the long haul. What matters is if Yagami is happy….and by what Genda senses, he is extremely.
Nothing changes. Yagami is still his son.
The effect of his acceptance is almost instantaneous. A heavy gust of air releases from him in a loud rush as if punched free from his lungs. Yagami swallows hard past the thick lump of emotions in his throat, completely at a loss for words. Every ounce of love Genda feels reflects in dark orbs wet with happiness before Yagami gifts him with a sweet smile. His chest blooms with pride because this is all he truly wanted for Yagami: for him to firmly believe that he deserves a life of complete satisfaction just as everyone else.
“I became a detective almost right after I got kicked out,” Kaito recalls their previous conversation but is well-attuned to the swaying moods of his lover. He visibly relaxes when Yagami does and seems keenly aware that it is due to Genda by how he regards them. Maybe that’s why he gratefully nods at him. “I’m sure Higashi can handle it.”
“That’s not legal.” Genda grunts but his face never changes. He knows about Yagami dancing through loopholes of their broken system to pay Kaito cash. It avoids unnecessary tax forms and inadvertent trouble for either. But he certainly isn’t complaining…especially since it brought them together.
“I know.” Yagami raspily breathes out, like it's tough for him to speak. Something about the way he sounds causes Kaito to drop his gaze from Genda to him. “But he’s been studying in the meantime, and I’ve been helping him.”
“Sounds like you’ve already vetted him.”
“I wouldn’t bring him up if I didn’t think he’d be a good fit.”
The more Genda considers it, the more he agrees. From what he gleans, Higashi’s sharp and a quick learner. Not to mention that he’s thankful whenever he appears during the times that Yagami is gloomy in his office because of a lack of Kaito and steals him for a couple of hours. He always thought that it was business related, but it’s more likely that Higashi’s trying to busy Yagami away from his lovelorn thoughts. It tends to work well because Yagami’s mood brightens considerably for a while.
“I know. And it’s not like this office doesn’t have yakuza ties.” Genda raises a brow at the obvious tie (despite himself also being one) and Kaito merely winks at him. “Have him get in touch with me and we’ll work something out.”
“We’ll do that,” Yagami responds just as Kaito leans close to murmur that they have to get going if they want to beat traffic.
“Was that all?” Saori fearlessly ventures in lieu of Genda, who was nearly about to say something similar himself. “I swear I heard you say that Higashi-san was one reason why you’re here.”
“Right,” Yagami replies sheepishly, settling back down in his seat as he nervously glances at Kaito.
“Does it have something to do with why you guys are dressed like that?” Hoshino eagerly pipes up. “You said that you two need to get going, Kaito-san. Oh. I know! Do you have dates?”
“I would say so.” Neither man gets a chance to speak since Saori usurps their chance, her tone teasing yet not malicious. “Yagami-san did say that they were going somewhere today and they are dressed to impress. I’m also curious myself.”
“Are you really interested?” Whatever Kaito parses from Yagami—who has slightly stiffened beside him, his face eerily composed because of the pointed questions—Kaito senses his suddenly quiet demeanor. “Or are you trying to tell your boyfriend that he needs to get a clue about how boring the dates he plans for you are?”
It’s clear that Kaito doesn’t appreciate any purposeful discomfort against Yagami and isn’t above using his abrasive personality as a shield for him. He doesn’t glare at Saori, but he doesn’t flinch either, imparting that he will rush to his defense despite any challenge. To Saori’s credit, she doesn’t either, but her face softens a bit in apology for being so invasive.
“You picked up on that too, did you?” Yagami lessens the tension with a spritz of levity.
“I have to do my job, Tak.” Kaito gapes at him in mock surprise. His rough timbre dips conspiratorially. “My boss is literally right here.”
The comical interlude is not overshadowed by Kaito’s words rendering Hoshino speechless. He soon sputters, cheeks flushing rouge at the unfair accusation.
“Wha-What do you mean?!!” He swivels to his girlfriend, desperately seeking assurance. “The dates that I plan aren’t boring, right?! I mean, you enjoyed fishing at Koi Bride!”
Oh gods.
He heard that Koi Bride reopened under new management and updated décor, but he hasn’t heard anything about the underground casino which was the reason for it being shut down. Yet for the fish to be used as a date….
Genda briefly shutters his eyes close. He can’t believe he heard that. Neither can Yagami who stares at Hoshino with a mixture of sympathy and friendly amusement nor Kaito who lobs a chafed glare at him like he committed the gravest offense imaginable.
Please help this boy.
His prayer is answered by way of a rich husky baritone. “Hoshino? Who the fuck takes their girlfriend fishing on a date?”
“Why not?” comes the indignant huff. “It was quiet. We got to talk and spend time together. Isn’t that more important? B-Besides, it’s not like that’s the only place I took her! We went to get that special mochi she loves!”
“You talking about that limited warabimochi sold by the sweets place that opened up a few years ago?”
“Yeah!”
There’s a significant pause.
“What day?”
“Wh-What does it matter?!”
“Answer the damn question, Hoshino.”
“Masaharu.” Yagami gently chides and Kaito smooths a thumb along his shoulder in apology.
“I-I don’t remember.”
“You can remember specific details about your date but not the day? Huh, that’s fine.” Kaito takes pity on him but his smug grin twinkles with mischief. “Maybe I can jog your memory. It must have been a Monday or Friday because the shop owner has been running a special in which certain few lucky customers win a free dessert of their choice. And I bet your date was on a Monday.”
“How do you know?” Hoshino winces, grunting in embarrassment and worrying the frayed carpet with his glare. “Besides you obviously go there too to try to win it!”
“I go there to treat Tak right.” Twin golden orbs glow deep and heavy, utterly saturated with love for Yagami when he glimpses him. “I don’t only go on those days just to get free shit but because I want to surprise him. Even when I happen to go on those days and end up winning, I still buy another because that means more for him.”
“Wait.” Hoshino’s face pinches in confusion as he hauls his head back to openly stare at the men across from him. It's apparent that he's rewinding the conversation in his head. “What?”
“Hoshino-kun, no one wants to feel like no effort was spent on them.” Yagami fluidly glides into the conversation though a rosy tint airbrushes his cheeks. “If Saori-san wants to go to Dice & Cube, take her even if you don’t have free passes. Buy her favorite desserts just to show that you’re thinking about her first and not just the money.”
“And,” Kaito adds bluntly, jabbing a finger in his direction “for both your sakes, stop being fucking cheap. Don’t take her fishing just because it’s something free to do on Monday nights.”
“H-How did you know?!”
“Inside info. I can also narrow the time for you in case you forgot that too.”
“No! That’s not necessary!” It’s not a screech but a very near thing. Hoshino then reels toward his girlfriend. “You don’t think that, do you Saori-san?”
“Kaito-san’s right.” Saori confirms frankly, slightly turning towards him, “Your dates could use a lot of work.” At Hoshino’s crestfallen face and visibly deflated form as he curls in on himself, she soothes him. “But…I appreciate you trying. If money’s an issue, there are other things that we can do aside from…that.”
Hoshino brightens up like an excitable puppy that’s been praised before huffing a glower at Kaito and Yagami. “Well, now I want to know what type of dates you go out on since you shot down mine. It probably involves a lot of drinking.”
“He’s got us pegged, Masaharu.”
Much to Hoshino's bewilderment, they share a moment of uncontrollable laughter, the kind that leaves them flushed and breathless because this snapshot of their Life is perfect and they’re happy. They probably don’t even recognize the lack of distance between them because they prop each other up, helpfully supporting whether through snippets of hilarity, periods of anguish, and fleeting instances of tranquility.
When they manage to calm themselves, they share a quiet look that speaks volumes. Nothing is verbally conveyed because the storm-tossed ocean of emotions in impassioned orbs murmur all they wish to say. It’s a wonder when Yagami speaks because Genda considers them lost in another transcendental plane, inaccessible to anyone who does not obtain the key to their hearts.
Funny how Love does that.
“Well, we do something that we both enjoy.” He painstakingly navigates through what he wants to say. “He’s taken me to karaoke and bowling, boxing and football games. Sometimes it is a bar while playing a few rounds of darts or cards. If we don’t want to go out, we do a stay-at-home date night where we get dressed up and cook for each other.
“But then…” Dreamy, deep brown eyes adore the man beside him and his dulcet timbre softens. “there are times when he thinks up something that I could never imagine. You know that elevated spot in Hills Garden on Park Boulevard? The one where jazz musicians play at night? He’s the one that paid for them to be their first and set up a picnic for us there.”
“Wait. You set up the first Picnic in the Park?” Saori’s usual monotone raises an octave in obvious shock.
Hoshino, who up until now has been trying to make sense of what he’s been told, appears equally astonished with his mouth slack and eyes blown wide. “That—It’s so popular! It recently came about, right?”
A deep laugh rumbles from Kaito’s chest and he flashes a charming grin at them. “Yeah. I surprised him with it a couple of times, but you know how things go. Once an idea catches on, it spreads like wildfire. The first time it was just us. After that, nosy-ass people started hanging out, interrupting our date.”
“So how come you guys are always in need of money?” Hoshino demands bewildered. “Didn’t you, I don’t know, get credit for coming up with the idea?”
Genda sniffs and does allow himself a small laugh then. Ha. Broke? Yeah right. Maybe a few years ago before the new game came out. Word is that ever since Dice & Cube made their debut and Yagami nabbed his golden ticket, it’s become his own personal chocolate factory. His son won the lottery since now he has a constant supply of free money. That is, of course, assuming that Yagami’s good at it, and one thing that Genda knows his son is good at is fighting. Not to mention Kaito who cleans house at high-stakes poker before he switches up venues so people don’t assume he's cheating.
Nope. He doesn’t believe they’re struggling in the slightest and he thinks it’s about damn time really. It’s why he hasn’t said anything about the lavish desserts they brought with them when he usually would have griped that it feels wrong to take gifts from guys who barely have a yen between them.
Kaito’s smile turns melancholy. “You think this city will give an ex-yakuza credit for anything even if I’m five years out? Especially one that takes his man out on the town? Only if hell freezes over and probably not even then.”
He rolls his shoulders in a hapless shrug. “Besides, we were on public property owned by the city, and it was already a bitch to get the first couple of permits for those musicians to play because of my status. Once the crowd grew big enough and social media got wind of it, it was all over. Suddenly, it was impossible to get what I needed. They figured out what I was doing and just rubbed me out before pretending they came up with the idea.”
“Despicable.” Saori coldly utters with narrowed eyes and pursed lips.
“That’s unfair!” Hoshino bursts out in support.
“I agree,” Genda mutters with a sigh but he’s right. There isn’t anything he could do.
“I don’t see it as a bad thing though.” Kaito never tears his passionate hazels away from Yagami. “It just means I get to come up with new and interesting dates for Tak. And for him to do the same for me.”
“Wow. Those dates are something special. And about them?” Hoshino murmurs, ping-ponging between them. “You’ve referenced Yagami-san a couple of times, Kaito-san, and even said that you’ve been taking a man out so….” He trails off expectantly.
“What do you think, Tak?” Genda senses that Kaito’s riveting stare is mostly admiration but also gauging Yagami's willingness to continue. It’s reassurance either way because though Kaito may not have a problem with admitting it, Yagami may still. “Think it’s time to let them know?”
“Yeah, in case they haven’t guessed already.”
A warm smirk appears although unsure, but strong fingers curling around his hand embolden him. Suddenly Genda is glad that Kaito reclines next to Yagami because he won’t face this alone. For him to do this is certainly tough even if he believes everyone here will support him. He’s guarded because one can never be too sure—sometimes closest friends turn out to be the ones who hurt others the most. To have Kaito’s strong presence beside him gives him the strength to go through what he is about to, to build him up if everything crumbles is everything he needs right now.
“So,” Yagami clears his throat nervously and surveys the other people in the office before finally resting on him. His heart slams against his ribs as Genda gestures encouragingly with a bob of his head. Only then does Yagami continue. “Genda-sensei, Hoshino-kun, Saori-san. I’d like to properly introduce you to my boyfriend, Masaharu Kaito.”
Nothing is said for a few seconds as the revelation sinks in…primarily in Hoshino as comprehension dawns. The welcoming ambiance and supportive glances toward the couple soothe any negative sentiments that pain Yagami, brush away any horrible notion that they would recoil in revulsion or become detached and cold or hold no reaction aside from pure apathy for them.
“I can’t be happier for the both of you.” And Genda swears the pain at his constant grinning is more than worth it. He’s never seen that bashful expression before, not even when Yagami introduced Genda to the first woman he was planning on getting serious with in a while, Sana Mihama.
“Congratulations.” A miniature though genuine smile quirks Saori’s lips. “I always thought you two were good together.”
“Whoa, really?!” Hoshino stands excitedly, palms slapping against the sandalwood coffee table as he beams at them. “That’s great! I’m so happy for you guys! It also means I can learn about cool date ideas to take Saori!”
“Were you even listening?” Kaito squints disbelievingly at Hoshino though it’s coupled with a laugh. “You do something you both like to do or, if you’re trying to do something special, the first step is to ask Saori-san where she likes to go.”
Carefree eyes crinkle as Yagami chuckles at Hoshino’s enthusiastic nature, at his boyfriend trying to drill it into a young lawyer’s skull that planned dates don’t have to be expensive but memorable though there isn’t anything wrong with splurging occasionally. It’s a cheerful face that Genda hasn’t honestly seen in years and he can hardly believe that it’s back, that it stays throughout his emotional murmurs of Thanks for supporting him, for caring about him, for accepting them.
It’s crazy how a few years can change a person. Even before Kaito, Yagami wasn’t too keen on being affectionate in front of others. What he’s doing in front of them shows he’s come a long way since then. More than that, the fact that Kaito put Yagami so at ease that he publicly lounged on a warm blanket and cozied up to him with food, conversation, and mood music serenading in the background is nothing short of amazing. And here his son is, sitting in a dusty old office while contentedly telling them of Kaito and his plans to spend a weekend away for their one-year anniversary in Isezaki Ijincho.
So that's what's so special about today.
Love is a beautiful thing. Genda sees it clear as day between them in the way that Yagami adjusts himself to press closer to Kaito and Kaito’s tentative touches against his shoulder. Even their looks buzz with amorous energy as they lose themselves in their wordless gazes, speaking a secret love language known only to them. Then his eyelids affectionately droop as he angles his head closer to his boyfriend when Kaito bends down and touches his lips against his temple.
Genda cherishes the sight before him because the intense passion emitted tells him that it will never wane, only deepen into an endless state of bliss. Having been around the block himself, he’s seen true love like this only a handful of times and it tends to be the type that endures hardships because Fate favors testing them. His keen insight, though, tells him that these two kids will always be together no matter what adversity they may face because they’re heavily committed to their romantic relationship, willing to nurture their love throughout the embers of time. As Yagami graces him with that rare beatific curl of his lips that can only be brought about by genuine happiness, Genda promises to support them for the rest of his days for many reasons.
But mostly so Yagami can continue to smile.