[ Successfully avoided explaining the passage of time to a small child! Rumi, love of his life, he's herding his undergrads and presenting papers all day, he's so tired. ]
[See ya, blanket fort. He's gone. Outtie 4000. Into the kitchen with Rumi again, who's used to his hyperactive shenanigans before the mandatory ramen dinner.
The message is delivered with a hushed whisper about a secret - she leans down, he repeats it, and wraps his arms around her neck because he's so used to being picked up.
A gracious thank you is given for Akechi's noble efforts with a pinch of his nose, a kiss to the forehead and-
He's off again! To Tanaka-san, who lives outside their small patio door, in a planter full of beautiful flowers. It's all that fits on that balcony. It feels like an entire open world to Akechi anyway.
No kissing or hugging Tanaka-san. A lesson learned after being spoken to about it the first four times. Akechi offers the message through the window instead, face pressed against the glass, eyes meeting beady froggy eyes.
Tanaka-san doesn't care, but that's okay. He's a free spirit. A rogue frog. Love is foreign to him, and he'll learn what unconditional adoration is over time.]
[ He's the cutest kid in the whole goddamn world. Maruki WANTS TO BE HOME. He misses his WIFE. He misses his SON. He misses the FROG. Sort of. He misses his BED and his BATH and the CONBINI TWO BLOCKS AWAY. : ( ]
Phew!!! I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you so much!
I might fall asleep soon because I'm old. So when you go to bed, tell your mom good night for me too, okay?
[ A ritual that he'd like to keep up, even when he's away. ]
Rumi did call him that first night, late, to tell him how inconsolable Akechi had been the entire day. Whispering into the phone past midnight because it was only then that he finally conked out in bed with her. No amount of explaining it to Akechi beforehand could have prevented that. Still, it tears holes in his heart. ]
I promise I'm coming back. Nothing could make me leave you two. Nothing at all.
I miss you too. I'm going to bring you back something so cool that you'll forget I was ever gone!
[ What will it be? God knows, but he has an afternoon blocked off just to go shopping for gifts for them, so it WILL be cool. ]
Hey, how about this. Tell Rumi that I want you two to pick me up from the train station when I come back, okay? Then we can all go home together.
[ Joke's on Akechi, Maruki's already texted Rumi to check on him because he's 99.9% sure he's made him cry. Granted, it's sometimes difficult not to make him cry, but certain triggers and tells became very easy to spot very early on.
Akechi is a child. He doesn't have to be strong. He can cry because he misses his parent. He can cry because he misses his mother. They both know. ]
I'll carry you the whole way home. You won't even have to sit on the subway back to the apartment.
We'll talk tomorrow too, okay? I can even call you before you go to school, if you promise to wake up early enough.
[The blankets wrap around him seconds after he presses seems, tight and comforting. Pressure against the cushion, Rumi's arrival to the scene of phone crimes.
She always knows when he's sad. It's her power. Pulled into a lap, blankets and all, without being forced from his fabric shell.
Hand on his back. Quiet words. 'You're okay' kind and soft from her lips.
`I'm okay` and he's no longer bothering to choke back his sadness. She lets him cry, so he does.]
ok ill stay up all night i wont miss it ill wait forever i wont stop dont forget
i really love you be safe dont hurt your legs or get a head ache ill make sure we pay rent and water so you dont have to do that
He takes a screenshot of his own. Saves it in an Akechi specific folder. Endless photos of every combination of the three of them, screenshots of the funniest messages he's sent, pictures of things he's seen in shops that Akechi might like, scribbled notes and drawings, everything he's ever brought home from school, Featherman screenshots to send him, everything.
Something settles in his chest, warm and heavy.
He never hated being gone for conferences before this one. ]
I will.
I've been telling everyone here how wonderful my kid is. If anything, you're helping me make friends!
[ Not untrue at all. Every former professor, every familiar face from grad school, every one of his students: They all get the proudest update of his life, they all see the school photo in his wallet. ]
Go enjoy dinner and get ready for bed. Have fun dreams to tell me about in the morning. Goodnight, little prince.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
i asked her
she said
ask maruki
but that's ok
you can tell me when you r home
i went to school
and then the park
theres a new slide
[PICTURE OF BLURRY NEW SLIDE ATTACHED, including [1] completely out of alignment selfie of Akechi and Rumi.]
i fought a bad guy
and won
[PICTURE OF 'THE BAD GUY' - it's a broccoli stem. He ate the top part. Beheaded the vegetable to victory.]
i miss you
no subject
Just one bad guy, huh?
Maybe tomorrow you can fight two or three of those bad guys...
[ Eating a vegetable is a huge success. Eating a few vegetables? It's the holy grail. ]
no subject
maybe when im stronger
a real hero
im in training
i remember
but i marked the days off so you
would
come home sonner
but rumi says thats not
how time works
and she said to ask you about it
no subject
When I'm back home, we'll team up and beat the bad guys together. ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ
[ He's focusing on that and not on explaining how time works. Hopefully Akechi immediately forgets. ]
no subject
ill do my best
red hawk and black condor
noth ing can stop us
were strong together
well stop every bad guy
even the carrots
no subject
Even the carrots??? Whoa...
Hey, I found a new kaomoji. Are you ready?
no subject
show me
[Delay. Rumi makes a comment. He adds an important note.]
please
no subject
( >˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈(*´꒳`*)
It's a hug!
1/2
OH, OUT OF HIS HOVEL. OVER TO RUMI, who's slaving over a hot cup noodle microwave.
Phone held up, screen tilted towards her - 'It's a hug! Look! He's so smart - how did he find that? Is that Google?'
She says it is 'Google.' Incredible. Bit Coin is amazing. Akechi begs her to screencapture it, since his fingers can't hit both buttons at once.
She does.
He begs her to make it his background.
She does.
Back to his hovel, where he buries himself into the assorted pile of blankets. Secret lair for two Featherman to have a conversation.]
no subject
its cute
i love you
( >˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈(*´꒳`*)
and i love rumi
( >˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈(*´꒳`*)
and i love tanaka san
( >˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈(*´꒳`*)
no subject
_(‸◦°︿°◦‸)_
[ That's a frog... if you squint. ]
Tell them both for me, okay?
It's a secret message only you can deliver.
1/3
right now
dont leave
dont sleep yet
ill be right back
please
no subject
The message is delivered with a hushed whisper about a secret - she leans down, he repeats it, and wraps his arms around her neck because he's so used to being picked up.
A gracious thank you is given for Akechi's noble efforts with a pinch of his nose, a kiss to the forehead and-
He's off again! To Tanaka-san, who lives outside their small patio door, in a planter full of beautiful flowers. It's all that fits on that balcony. It feels like an entire open world to Akechi anyway.
No kissing or hugging Tanaka-san. A lesson learned after being spoken to about it the first four times. Akechi offers the message through the window instead, face pressed against the glass, eyes meeting beady froggy eyes.
Tanaka-san doesn't care, but that's okay. He's a free spirit. A rogue frog. Love is foreign to him, and he'll learn what unconditional adoration is over time.]
no subject
✧⋆٩(ˊᗜˋ )و ♡✧
i told them
mision success
they were happy
and smiled
they love you too
no subject
Phew!!! I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you so much!
I might fall asleep soon because I'm old. So when you go to bed, tell your mom good night for me too, okay?
[ A ritual that he'd like to keep up, even when he's away. ]
no subject
Lots of it.
And then-]
i will
i promise.
ill stay with her too
and protect her while you r gone
when you come back we can all take a nap
[More typing. More hesitation. He smells salt in the distance - his time is almost here.]
you promi se your coming back
do you remem ber our address
i know it
i can help you
and pick you up
ill walk there
i miss you
no subject
Rumi did call him that first night, late, to tell him how inconsolable Akechi had been the entire day. Whispering into the phone past midnight because it was only then that he finally conked out in bed with her. No amount of explaining it to Akechi beforehand could have prevented that. Still, it tears holes in his heart. ]
I promise I'm coming back. Nothing could make me leave you two. Nothing at all.
I miss you too. I'm going to bring you back something so cool that you'll forget I was ever gone!
[ What will it be? God knows, but he has an afternoon blocked off just to go shopping for gifts for them, so it WILL be cool. ]
Hey, how about this. Tell Rumi that I want you two to pick me up from the train station when I come back, okay? Then we can all go home together.
no subject
Mom didn't want to leave either. She did. She promised. She forgot.
Akechi's fingers move across the keyboard - on the verge of tears, hidden under a pile of blankets. Rumi won't see him cry. He's strong. It's okay.
Maruki will be back. Maruki promised. Akechi wants to believe him, so he does.]
ok
৻(≧ᗜ≦৻)
i will
i want you
more than a cool thing
so if you for get its ok
we can find a cool thing here
together
so come home fast
[Attached is a photo of a calendar with every day prior to Maruki's return marked off and squiggled out of existence with a bright blue marker.]
that day
well wait for you all day
(੭˃ᴗ˂)੭
my legs hurt
so you have to carry me home
no subject
Akechi is a child. He doesn't have to be strong. He can cry because he misses his parent. He can cry because he misses his mother. They both know. ]
I'll carry you the whole way home. You won't even have to sit on the subway back to the apartment.
We'll talk tomorrow too, okay? I can even call you before you go to school, if you promise to wake up early enough.
no subject
She always knows when he's sad. It's her power. Pulled into a lap, blankets and all, without being forced from his fabric shell.
Hand on his back. Quiet words. 'You're okay' kind and soft from her lips.
`I'm okay` and he's no longer bothering to choke back his sadness. She lets him cry, so he does.]
ok
ill stay up all night
i wont miss it
ill wait forever
i wont stop
dont forget
i really love you
be safe
dont hurt your legs
or get a head ache
ill make sure we pay rent
and water
so you dont have to do that
no subject
I love you! Don't be sad. I promise we'll talk before you go to school, and then again when I get back to the hotel at night.
(づ˘ ³˘ (´｡• ᴖ •｡`)
no subject
She keeps rubbing his back until his hand shoots out from the blanket pile with the phone gripped in his palm- he needs help doing a screenshot again.
She does it, like always. Presses it back into his hand after. Tickles his sides through the warm fabric until he laughs through sniffs and- ]
(づ˘ ³˘ (´｡• ᴖ •｡`)
ok
they always sleep for 8 hours
heroes have to sleep well
were havi ng ramen and then well sleep
dad
be good
make friends at that place
dont get sc ared of bit coin booms
no subject
He takes a screenshot of his own. Saves it in an Akechi specific folder. Endless photos of every combination of the three of them, screenshots of the funniest messages he's sent, pictures of things he's seen in shops that Akechi might like, scribbled notes and drawings, everything he's ever brought home from school, Featherman screenshots to send him, everything.
Something settles in his chest, warm and heavy.
He never hated being gone for conferences before this one. ]
I will.
I've been telling everyone here how wonderful my kid is. If anything, you're helping me make friends!
[ Not untrue at all. Every former professor, every familiar face from grad school, every one of his students: They all get the proudest update of his life, they all see the school photo in his wallet. ]
Go enjoy dinner and get ready for bed. Have fun dreams to tell me about in the morning. Goodnight, little prince.
(_ _)。゜zｚＺ
no subject
(_ _)。゜zｚＺ
(_ _)。゜zｚＺ
(_ _)。゜zｚＺ
(_ _)。゜zｚＺ
you me mom
and my mom
good night
king dad