"Hey, uh, my name's Akanishi, and this is my daughter, Ai, we live opposite you?"
"Oh, hi! I'm Yamashita." He's still smiling, a little wider now, and bows politely before offering a hand to Ai, which she shakes with all the firm, awkward exuberance of a child, "Did you want to come in?"
Jin struggles to bow in return, and Yamashita's hands shoot out to catch the precarious stack of DVDs under Jin's arm.
"Thanks," Jin flushes awkwardly. "Um, no, but I was wondering if I could ask you a really huge favour..."
"Babysitter?" Yamashita asks, taking Ai's things from under Jin's arm and watching with eyes that sparkle knowingly.
Jin's cheeks burn a little redder, "Yeah, actually, I... I'm really sorry to ask it of you and I wouldn't do it if I had another choice and I hate leaving her with someone I don't know but-but if I get fired then I can't take care of her and then we'll be out on the streets because my parents don't have room and-"
"It's fine," Yamashita silences him, "No problem at all. Ai-chan can stay here with me and we can eat lots of yummy things while she tells me all your deepest, darkest secrets until you get back. Are you allergic to anything, Ai-chan?" He's looking at Ai when he speaks, and Jin can't help but like him, especially when she giggles excitedly and shakes her head. She's always been a quiet little thing, much like her mother; far more prone to hiding her face in his neck when presented with new people than even looking at them, so this, Jin thinks, is already a good start.
-
When he comes home that night, having spent the whole afternoon distracted and hating himself for leaving his baby girl with a stranger, Jin's heart starts to race when Yamashita doesn't answer the door the moment he rings the bell. What if he'd run off with her, what if he'd taken her away and Jin would never see her again? What if he was really some part of a drug ring, and they were going to bring her up as an addict while she's too young to know better? What if-
There's a laugh from inside, high and sweet and melodic, followed by a war cry that may or may not have come from a man before the door is flung open. Yamashita is rather more dishevelled than he had been earlier, hair sticking up around his head in disarray, and Jin feels a smile tugging at his lips.
"Daddy!" Ai cries, flying down the corridor to throw her arms around Jin's legs, and he picks her up with a grin.
"Having a good time?" She nods, eyes alight in a way Jin's not used to seeing when other people are around, but then Yamashita's letting out another cry of success and diving behind a pile of cushions and blankets in one corner of the living room.
"Victory!" He declares triumphantly, and Ai shrieks and wriggles until Jin puts her down.
"Nooo!" She wails, all but flying across the room to leap on top of the other man, and Yamashita laughs loudly, launching a tickle-war on the loser.
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branchandroot
Ai for You [PG, part 2/5]
Date: 2010-04-02 08:52 pm (UTC)"Oh, hi! I'm Yamashita." He's still smiling, a little wider now, and bows politely before offering a hand to Ai, which she shakes with all the firm, awkward exuberance of a child, "Did you want to come in?"
Jin struggles to bow in return, and Yamashita's hands shoot out to catch the precarious stack of DVDs under Jin's arm.
"Thanks," Jin flushes awkwardly. "Um, no, but I was wondering if I could ask you a really huge favour..."
"Babysitter?" Yamashita asks, taking Ai's things from under Jin's arm and watching with eyes that sparkle knowingly.
Jin's cheeks burn a little redder, "Yeah, actually, I... I'm really sorry to ask it of you and I wouldn't do it if I had another choice and I hate leaving her with someone I don't know but-but if I get fired then I can't take care of her and then we'll be out on the streets because my parents don't have room and-"
"It's fine," Yamashita silences him, "No problem at all. Ai-chan can stay here with me and we can eat lots of yummy things while she tells me all your deepest, darkest secrets until you get back. Are you allergic to anything, Ai-chan?" He's looking at Ai when he speaks, and Jin can't help but like him, especially when she giggles excitedly and shakes her head. She's always been a quiet little thing, much like her mother; far more prone to hiding her face in his neck when presented with new people than even looking at them, so this, Jin thinks, is already a good start.
-
When he comes home that night, having spent the whole afternoon distracted and hating himself for leaving his baby girl with a stranger, Jin's heart starts to race when Yamashita doesn't answer the door the moment he rings the bell. What if he'd run off with her, what if he'd taken her away and Jin would never see her again? What if he was really some part of a drug ring, and they were going to bring her up as an addict while she's too young to know better? What if-
There's a laugh from inside, high and sweet and melodic, followed by a war cry that may or may not have come from a man before the door is flung open. Yamashita is rather more dishevelled than he had been earlier, hair sticking up around his head in disarray, and Jin feels a smile tugging at his lips.
"Daddy!" Ai cries, flying down the corridor to throw her arms around Jin's legs, and he picks her up with a grin.
"Having a good time?" She nods, eyes alight in a way Jin's not used to seeing when other people are around, but then Yamashita's letting out another cry of success and diving behind a pile of cushions and blankets in one corner of the living room.
"Victory!" He declares triumphantly, and Ai shrieks and wriggles until Jin puts her down.
"Nooo!" She wails, all but flying across the room to leap on top of the other man, and Yamashita laughs loudly, launching a tickle-war on the loser.