Coming to you live from a very steamy journal post~
Why, hello there, kittens! I'm Kanji, esteemed reporter of all things fabulous and ever so delightfully naughty, and I'm here with a most special update for a fandom just beginning its long, hard... journey into adulthood~!
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: PERSONA 4 KINK MEME
In this scintillating post of mine, you can comment anonymously with any pairing ( Read more... )
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: PERSONA 4 KINK MEME
In this scintillating post of mine, you can comment anonymously with any pairing ( Read more... )
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“D-dojima-san!” Hanamura’s voice is cracking on the other side of the line. “Souji-H-he’s-”
He exhales, watching the smoke from his cigarette spiral toward the dark heavens above. The stars are bright, unobstructed by fog or clouds, and Dojima has to admit that the weather is pretty damn nice tonight. It’s still cool, but the worst of the winter has come and gone.
Dojima presses a hand to his forehead and sighs heavily. He finds it ironic that something should happen like this, on a night when the stars seem to be twinkling brighter than usual.
“Calm down! I can’t understand a word you’re saying!” he yells, standing up at his desk. His coworkers are giving him concerned looks now, but he doesn’t care. His family’s gone through enough shit the past few months; he doesn’t want any more tragedy.
The yelling on the other end of the line seems to die down a little, but he hears another voice shouting in the background.
“-ot makin’ any fuckin’ sense, senpai! Gimme the damn phone!” There’s muffled noises before it suddenly becomes quieter on the phone. “H-hey, Dojima-san. S-sorry ‘bout that. Yosuke’s… havin’ some issues right now.”
“The hell is going on, Tatsumi? What’s wrong with my nephew?”
Dojima can tell that the guy, while calmer than Hanamura had been, is still badly shaken. He’s heard Tatsumi on the phone before, listened to him talk at the station on numerous occasions, too, and never before has he picked up on that note of fear in his voice. It’s this faint tremble, like he’s trying to hold back tears, and this only tightens the growing knot in his stomach.
“Senpai’s…” Tatsumi pauses, like he’s trying to figure out how to say what’s on his mind. “Senpai’s been in accident.”
Dojima’s hand settles on the door, and he tries running through his script one more time. He pastes a smile on his face and starts speaking, trying his best to keep his voice steady. “Hey, Nanako. Where’s big bro? Well, he’s… Big bro’s…” His words falter, and then his smile follows suit; he bangs his fist against the doorframe. “Goddammit.”
He sighs and shakes his head. The chill is definitely starting to settle in, and Dojima’s been out here so long that he can feel it under his skin now. The number of cigarette butts on the ground gives proof to how much time has already passed since he had taken to standing a foot outside his own home; it’s been too long, that much he knows. Jaw clenched, his hand latches onto the door, and he pulls it open before he has any more misgivings, letting the light and warmth of the house wash over him.
“Welcome home!”
It’s the sound of his precious daughter, and she’s running toward him as he shuts the door. There’s a smile on her lips, but it wavers when she sees the expression on his face. “Dad?”
Dojima toes off his shoes and draws Nanako into the living room. He drops to his knees then, pulls her into a fierce hug; she tenses for a moment out of surprise before circling her little arms around his neck. He’s quietly thankful that she doesn’t start asking questions straight away, but Dojima knows there’s a limit to how long he can keep silent about this.
“Nanako, there’s something I need to tell you,” he murmurs, still clutching her to his chest. “It’s… it’s about your big bro.”
“I was going to ask you about that, too!” she replies. “He’s usually home by now, so… I was just wondering why he hasn’t come back yet.” Nanako leans back a little, just enough to look her father in the eye. “Did you two get into a fight again?”
There’s a small frown on her lips, and Dojima laughs quietly, despite himself. He ruffles her hair before shaking his head. “No, we’re not fighting again.” When he sees the still disbelieving look on her face, he gives her a quick kiss on the forehead. “Promise.”
“So… Where is he?”
“He’s…” Dojima’s gaze drops to the floor, as his voice dies in his throat.
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“A… a hit-and-run accident?” Dojima knows his voice is breaking, and he can feel the corners of his eyes prickle. He slows to a walk and then to a complete stop, his entire body growing heavy. Shirogane comes to a halt a few feet further down the hallway, looks at him over her shoulder.
“Dojima-san, the emergency room is further down,” she says, brow creased, but he doesn’t even hear her. His mouth moves on words lost to him, and suddenly, everything is like déjà vu, a rerun of memories he’d thought he had finally gotten over. The color drains from his face, as he slowly shakes his head.
They were finally a family again.
It wasn’t just Ryotaro and Nanako anymore; it was Ryotaro, Nanako, and Souji. To have this fragile normality torn apart again was what he had been afraid of. It was the reason why he had stayed at work late, avoided spending too much time with Nanako, and got drunk on the weekends for so long after Chisato’s death. It was his arrival that had changed things, that had brought them together once more, but now it was happening all over again.
Sirens wail in his ears, and white sheets dance before his eyes. Pale faces, red blood, tear-stained cheeks-
“Dojima-san!” Hands are shaking him now, and he snaps out of it, eyes growing wide before focusing on Shirogane, who is standing before him. The look on her face is strained and angry, and he mutters something that he hopes seems apologetic.
“Big bro’s been in an accident like Mommy?”
Nanako’s lower lip is quivering, and Dojima feels his chest tighten, as his jaw clenches. He dips his head once and finds himself unable to look his daughter in the eye. His arms are still circled around her, and his gaze falls on one of her hands, tightly curled around the fabric of his shirt.
“B-but he’s gonna be okay, right? The doctors can… can save him, right?” Nanako’s voice rises with each question, and they’re followed with little sniffs. Dojima knows that there are tears rolling down her cheeks now, and he just pulls her close, let’s her cry onto his shoulder.
“It’s going to be okay, Nanako. The doctor’s are going to do everything they can for him,” he whispers, giving her an extra squeeze. Dojima knows that everything’s still in the air right now, but he needs to say this, needs to hear these words himself, even if they may be a lie.
Because above all else, he needs hope right now.
“Do you promise, Dad?” Nanako asks, voice muffled in his shirt. Dojima tenses, not exactly sure how to answer that. When he remains silent, his daughter ends up pulling away a little and looking at him with teary eyes; it’s painfully reminiscent of what had happened when Chisato died. “C-can we go see big bro? I…. I wanna see him!”
Everything is the same, and it makes his heart sink.
“What the hell do you mean I can’t see him!? He’s my nephew, dammit!” Dojima yells, struggling against Kanji and Yosuke, who are holding him back. “He’s part of my goddamn family!”
The nurse standing before him is adamant, and she just fixes him with a steely stare. “He is in critical condition as I just told you, Dojima-san,” she answers briskly, lips drawn into a thin line. “So unless you want to disrupt our current operation and risk his life in the process, I suggest you wait here patiently with his friends.
“We shall update you as his condition changes.”
Dojima sags as the woman turns and walks away, and when he pulls his arms away, there’s no resistance from Souji’s friends. A long, rattling sigh slips past his lips, and he leans against the wall, running a hand through his hair. He chances a glance over to his side, finds the rest of his nephew’s friends seated or standing around.
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“You guys should head back home,” he finally says, but there’s no conviction in his words. A few of the girls look up, but their gaze drops a second later; no one moves. Dojima tries again; he can’t even look at them this time. “It’s… getting late. Your parents are probably worried.”
“They know we’re here, Dojima-san.”
He turns, finds the Amagi girl looking at him. Her eyes are still wet and watery, but he can see a quiet sort of resolution there; she’s not going anywhere tonight. A few nods seem to circulate around the room, and Dojima knows he’s the lost this battle. He shrugs his shoulders weakly in defeat and folds his arms across his chest.
“Does Nanako-chan know yet?” Satonaka asks, rubbing at her eyes with her sleeves. Dojima’s gaze drops to the ground again, and he silently shakes his head. He’d gotten Hanamura’s call at the office, after all, and since then, he hadn’t had a chance to call his daughter, let alone go home to tell her in person.
His hand is already reaching for his cell phone, when another voice jars him out of his thoughts; this time it’s Kujikawa. She’s shaking her head, pigtails swaying slightly with her movement. “She deserves to be told in person. This is her big bro in here after all.”
“But I can’t leave him here alone. I’m family and-”
“He’s not alone.” It’s the kid with the fair hair and blue eyes. “He never will be.” Dojima can’t put his finger on it as to why he thinks so immediately, but there’s something incredibly profound about Teddie’s words. He can only stare for a moment before a wry smile creeps onto his features.
The kid’s got good friends.
Pushing himself off the wall, he gives the group of teenagers another look and dips his head, as if in thanks. “Gimme a call the second the situation changes. I’m… I’m going home to Nanako.”
He’s not sure how both of them had ended up passing out on the couch. Nanako’s curled up against him, a fluffy blanket pulled up to her chin, and he’s got an arm wrapped around her, holding her close. She shifts slightly when his phone goes off, but he answers it quickly enough to keep her from waking.
“Dojima speaking,” he murmurs, trying to get the haze of sleep out of his head.
“Souji’s stabilized. The docs say he’ll pull through.” Hanamura’s on the other line, and from the sound of his voice, he’s just woken up, too. Dojima glances at his watch; it’s 4:06 in the morning. On any other day, he would’ve growled at any asshole who called him at this hour, but right now, he can’t help but grin.
The grin turns into laughter, and his shoulders are shaking, rousing Nanako from her sleep. She looks at him through sleepy eyes, and Dojima can’t help but pull her into a bear hug. “Dad?”
“Your big bro’s going to be okay,” he says. What she says in response, what Hanamura’s still saying on the phone, Dojima doesn’t know. All he knows is that his nephew’s alright, and that’s good enough for him right now.
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You made me cry and I loved every minute of it, anon. Thank you so, so much.
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Thank so much for reading! I'm glad you liked it. ♥
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I have to admit that this idea didn't come to me straightaway, but the more I looked at it (especially the Dojima angst bit orz), the more I uh... wanted to write it. 8D;;
But um. I'm glad you enjoyed it! ♥
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