Chapter Text
Furihata was shocked to receive a response so quickly, considering he only placed the ad three days ago.
Posting ads in the paper for babysitting wasn’t what Furihata had planned on doing at the age of twenty six, but here he was. After graduating from college a few years ago, he’d tried multiple times to find a job in his field with no success. As it turned out, biology majors weren’t in high demand.
After bouncing around from a few part-time jobs, one of his friends from high school got him a position working at a grade school as a teaching assistant. Kuroko had always been great with kids, so it didn’t surprise anyone when he became a kindergarten teacher. When Furihata heard that Kuroko was looking for help in the classroom, he offered to help out.
The pay was enough to get him by, but more than that, Furihata discovered that he enjoyed working with kids. And that, according to Kuroko, he was good at it. It was enough to make him wish that he’d majored in education instead. He liked helping them learn things, and listening to them talk. Kids always had a weird sort of confidence, in that they didn’t care what they said, or who might be around to hear it. They simply talked, and absorbed new information like sponges. It was a freedom that Furihata wished he could have.
Unfortunately, after two years, Kuroko moved. Kagami, another high school friend and Kuroko’s long-time boyfriend, had finally gotten a spot in the NBA. Being the supportive person Kuroko was, he quit his job and followed Kagami to America to live his dream.
Furihata was happy for them, obviously, even if it left him with a few setbacks. The teacher who replaced Kuroko quickly decided that a teaching assistant wasn’t necessary, and had all but booted Furihata out the door.
He picked up where he left off, working two part-time jobs that barely covered the rent for his one bedroom apartment. He still kept an eye out for any positions in his field, but it was a dream that was fading fast.
About a week ago, he met with his parents for dinner. His mom had sensed his dejected mood right away, and had pulled him aside before he left. He ended up breaking down, and explaining the whole thing. He told her how useless he felt, and how it hurt to put so much effort into something with so little response.
“You know,” she began, after Furihata had calmed himself down. “Maybe you’re looking in the wrong direction. I’ve never seen you happier than when you were working with those kids.”
Furihata had been happy at the school, but without an education degree, it was next to impossible that he’d ever find another job there. When he told his mom as much, her response had almost made him laugh.
“Who says you have to be at a school to work with kids? I hear babysitters make pretty decent money nowadays.” She tapped a finger to her chin. “ Oh ! Or maybe a nanny? That could be even better.”
Furihata the nanny , he thought with chagrin. He honestly didn’t know if his mom was trying to help him at this point. He knew she meant well, but the thought was so embarrassing he dismissed it immediately.
But the thought kept bouncing around his head. He really did miss working with kids. Maybe he could even help out a family in need or something. And if the pay was decent…
It couldn’t hurt to try, right? It wasn’t like his situation could get much worse.
So he put an ad out, not expecting much. He had a good recommendation from the school and Kuroko, but he wondered if two years working as a teaching assistant would really be enough to catch anyone’s eye.
After getting a response three days later, apparently it was.
Furihata read the email with wide eyes. The sender was from a man named Akashi, who was searching for a nanny to look after his five year old son. He didn’t go into a lot of detail, instead asking to meet Furihata in person to go over everything.
Furihata responded, agreeing to meet at Akashi’s house that weekend. The situation seemed a little odd, but he figured if Akashi was willing to meet his price, it couldn’t hurt to go check it out.
On his way to Akashi’s, however, Furihata wondered what exactly he’d gotten himself into. The houses got bigger and further apart as he drove to Akashi’s address, and he checked and double checked that he was reading the numbers right.
When he finally pulled into the long driveway with the address posted outside, Furihata considered turning around. He expected to be watching some average businessman's kid, not...not this . The house loomed on the horizon, massive, with a wide green lawn.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and drove forward. The least he could do was talk to the guy, even though he had a sense he would be rejected immediately. Someone with this kind of money could certainly do better than him.
Gathering his determination, he made his way up the clean front steps. He stared at the huge front door and, taking a deep breath, rapped his knuckles on the wood.
He heard someone’s voice, but he couldn’t make out what they said. A moment later and the door pulled open, and Furihata desperately hoped his jaw wasn’t on the floor.
The man who opened the door was not at all what Furihata expected. He planned on meeting a generic Japanese businessman, with premature grey around the temples and a worn, tired face.
Akashi had none of those features. His hair was a bright, unnatural shade of red, with crimson eyes to match. His pupils were an odd shape, vertical and almost cat-like, with thin eyebrows above them. His skin was pale and flawless, with slim, angular features.
All in all, it was the most attractive face Furihata had ever seen.
“You must be Furihata-san,” Akashi said. It took Furihata five whole second to register the words, his thoughts in a frenzy.
“Ah, y-yes,” he stuttered, feeling an embarrassed blush spread across his cheeks. Hopefully Akashi wouldn’t notice.
Akashi stepped aside, holding the door open. “Please, come in.”
Furihata walked in, noticing that the inside of the house looked even nicer than the outside. He tried to subtle about his gawking as he slipped his shoes off, taking in his surroundings. Every surface was sparkling clean and polished, without a trace of a child to be seen.
Akashi led the way to a formal sitting room, where a servant immediately brought out two cups of tea. Furihata took a seat on the expensive-looking couch while Akashi sat across from him in an armchair.
Furihata hoped his trembling hands weren’t noticeable as he took a sip of his tea. Honestly, he had no idea why Akashi was even going to humor him with an interview. Someone like him could clearly do much better than some nobody like Furihata.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Akashi began, interrupting Furihata’s thoughts.
Furihata tried not to stutter with his response. “Um, it w-was no trouble, really.” He hesitated a moment before adding sheepishly, “Honestly, I was surprised to get a response so fast, since, you know… I don’t have any experience with this.”
Furihata cursed his rambling. Good job, Kouki. That’ll convince him to hire you for sure.
Much to his surprise, Akashi laughed. It was a soft sound, and Furihata found himself staring again. Akashi was even more good looking when he smiled, which wasn’t fair at all. Furihata tried to snap himself out of it as Akashi spoke again.
“What if I said that was the very reason I choose you?” Akashi asked, titling his head to the side slightly.
Furihata blinked a few times, trying to clear his head. That wasn’t the answer he expected. “Well, uh… then I guess you made a good choice?” Furihata resisted the urge to smack himself the forehead. Could he sound any more unsure?
Akashi chuckled again before his expression turned serious. “I’m sure you have questions, so allow me to explain,” he said, taking a drink. He placed the cup back on the saucer before fixing his crimson gaze on Furihata again. “I have been through four nannies in the past two months.”
Furihata fought back a wince. Was Akashi’s child that bad? Or worse, was Akashi that picky over his nannies? Either way, Furihata was probably screwed…
“They were all professionals, you see. The very best in the business, with high recommendations. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the problem.” Akashi frowned slightly, his eyebrows pinching in the middle.
Akashi continued, his brows furrowing further. “As a child of a single parent for the better part of my childhood, I know what it’s like, to be raised by professionals. They view you as a paycheck, a job to be dealt with until it’s time to return home.”
Despite the soft tone, Akashi’s words were heavy. Furihata was surprised to hear such personal information, and it made his heart ache a little. He’d been raised by two loving parents, who were always there, whether it be for sporting events or help with homework, or even just someone to sit and listen to him on bad days. He couldn’t imagine growing up without that.
“The one’s I hired for my son were much the same. While they did their part in watching him, or cleaning up after him, they were also cold towards him. It’s a feeling I remember myself. And…”
Akashi paused, looking at Furihata with a pained expression. “I don’t want him growing up in same environment I did. Which is what led me to contacting you.”
Furihata’s head buzzed with all the information he’d just been given. He wasn’t expecting to hear something so heartbreaking from someone he just met, let alone someone as refined as Akashi.
But it explained everything. Furihata relaxed slightly, now fully understanding the situation.
And he wanted to help.
“That’s…” Furihata began, and then started over. “Thank you. For telling me all that, I mean. That’s really awful, that you were treated like that. Both of you. No one should have to go through that.”
Furihata hoped that he sounded sincere, rather than like the rambling idiot he thought he came off as. Apparently he did, because Akashi smiled at him again, with something like relief.
“Thank you, and I’m happy to hear that you understand,” Akashi said warmly. “Is it safe more me to assume that you are still interested in the position?”
Furihata nodded firmly. “Yes, definitely.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Akashi said. “As for the finer details, I work late into the evenings during the week, unfortunately, so I would need you to be available full-time during the weekdays. Is that alright?”
Furihata bit his lip. He’d been hoping for a weekend thing, or maybe late afternoon hours, since he planned on keeping his two part-time jobs during the week. He hesitated, not sure how to answer.
“Is there a problem?” Akashi asked, when the silence dragged on.
“Well…” Furihata began apprehensively. “It’s just that… I work during the week. I have two part-time jobs, but… I guess I could try to reschedule for night shift hours if I need too.”
Furihata tried to imagine working here all day, and then still having to go to work until the morning hours. He repressed a shudder.
“I don’t believe that will be an issue,” Akashi said confidently. “He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out an envelope. “I realize it’s a much bigger job than what you planned for, so this was going to be my offer in terms of payment. If it’s not enough, I’m sure we can work something out.”
He slid the envelope across the table. Furihata picked it up, confused. When he posted the ad, he’d included a price per hour that he was willing to accept, but even after posting it, he felt he might be asking too much.
Furihata opened the envelope and unfolded the piece of paper that was inside. He read the numbers, and then read them again. And again.
“Are you…” he tried to choke out. “Are you serious?”
Akashi gave him a firm look. “I am one hundred percent serious, Furihata-san.”
The number written was nearly double what he made at both his current jobs combined.
“Is it enough?” Akashi asked. “If not, I can--”
“No!” Furihata blurted. “I mean… this is a lot of money. I don’t know if I’m comfortable accepting all this.”
Akashi leaned forward in his chair, a new level of intensity radiating off of him. “This is very important to me, Furihata-san. I will meet any price if it means the best for my son.”
Furihata looked at the numbers again, and then up at Akashi, with the burning fire in his red eyes and stern expression. He thought about his jobs, and how hard it would be to get them back if he quit and this nanny thing fell through. He thought about the money, and he thought about Akashi, a determined father trying to protect his son from a cold childhood.
Finally, after a long internal debate, he folded the piece of paper back up and slid it into the envelope.
“I accept,” he said confidently.
Akashi, who had gone stiff when Furihata resealed the envelope, smiled. He sat up in his chair, and stretched a hand out to Furihata, who took it with a sweaty palm.
“Then, Furihata-san, I believe we have a deal.” They released their hands, and Akashi had the decency to not wipe his off on his pants as he stood up. He nodded towards the east wing of the house, the relieved smile still on his face.
“Would you like to meet him?” Akashi asked.
Furihata nodded, not having a single clue as to what was lying ahead of him.
----------------------
Akashi led the way to a bedroom at the far end of the hallway in the east wing. He stopped at the second door on the left, knocking twice on the wooden door.
“Come in,” a small voice called from inside.
Furihata found it a little strange that Akashi had knocked on the door, considering that the kid was only five, but he didn’t comment. Instead he followed quietly as Akashi pushed the door open and headed inside.
“Katsuo,” he announced. “There’s someone here I’d like you to meet.”
Katsou looked up from the small table he was sitting at, a crayon between his fingers, and Furihata stifled a gasp. It was like looking at much smaller, much blonder version of Akashi.
The child’s hair wasn’t exactly blond, but almost a honey-golden color. His large eyes were the exact same shade, almost glittering in the afternoon sunlight streaming in from the windows. And while the color was surely a product of his mother, his eyes, which were an exact replica of Akashi’s, were his dominating feature.
Katsuo’s cat-like eyes flickered between himself and Akashi, before his lower lip jutted out in a pout. “Is this another one, dad?”
Furihata looked to Akashi in confusion before the realization hit him - four other people had probably been introduced to him in much the same way. Even a child was bound to catch on eventually.
“He is,” Akashi said carefully. “But Furihata-san--”
“-- is here to be your friend,” Furihata finished. He stepped further into the room, walking up to Katsuo before squatting down in front of him. “It’s nice to meet you, Akashi-kun. My name is Furihata Kouki.” He stretched his hand out towards him.
Katsuo stared at his hand for a moment before taking it in his much smaller one. “It’s nice to meet you too, Furihata-san.”
Furihata laughed. “You don’t have to be so formal with me, Akashi-kun. Just Furihata is fine. Or Furi, if you want. That’s what most of my friends call me.”
Golden eyes blinked at him a few times, looking far more contemplative than a child of five should be able too. “Okay,” he said after a moment. “But that means you can’t call me Akashi-kun.”
Furihata gaped for a moment before playfully tapping a finger to his chin. “Hmm… then how about Katsu-kun?”
Katsuo beamed at him. “I like that.”
“Well then, Katsu-kun, it looks like we have a deal.” Furihata smiled and extended his hand again. They shook on it, and Katsuo turned his attention back to the paper in front of him.
“What are you drawing?” Furihata asked, leaning over. “Can I see?”
Katsuo slid the paper over. Scrawled on the sheet was what appeared to be a horse, with green fields in the background and red barn, all underneath a bright yellow sun in the upper right of the page.
“Wow!” Furihata exclaimed. “This is really good. Do you like horses?”
Golden hair bobbled as Katsuo nodded quickly. “Daddy has three of them.” He held up his fingers. “A white one, a brown and white one, and spotted one.”
Furihata turned to look at Akashi, who was silently observing from the doorway. His arms were folded across his chest, but there was a soft smile on his face, almost one of awe.
“I had a horse growing up,” Akashi explained, pushing away from the doorframe. He made his way over and knelt on the other side of the table. “I thought Katsuo might like to learn to ride as well.” He shot a smile to his son.
Katsuo pouted again, his lower lip jutting out a little. He crossed his arms. “I can’t ride by myself yet. Dad says I’m too small.”
Furihata fought the urge smile as he responded. “Well, horses are reallllly big. You wouldn’t want to fall off and get hurt, would you?”
Katsuo raised his chin, almost defiantly. “I wouldn’t fall off.”
Akashi reached over and ruffled Katsuo’s hair affectionately. “I promise you’ll be able ride alone soon. You’ve been doing very well with the trainer.”
“Okay,” Katsuo admitted in defeat. A half second later and his expression brightened again. “Can I show Furi the horses?”
Furihata and Akashi exchanged a glance before turning back to Katsuo.
“How about next time?” Furihata offered. “It’s almost dinner time, and I’ve gotta get home soon.”
Katsuo frowned a little. “When’s next time?”
Furihata looked to Akashi for an answer, since they hadn’t actually discussed when he would start.
“Does this Monday work for you?” Akashi asked, sounding hopeful.
Furihata smiled before turning back to Katsuo. “I’ll see you on Monday,” he promised.