Chapter Text
Six months later
Choso swung the axe down with a grunt, successfully splitting the stubborn log he had been trying to cut in half. It was a new skill he hadn’t quite mastered yet, but he was starting to get the hang of it. Of course, he wouldn’t need it for much longer, because the cold bite of winter had given way to crisp spring air, which would soon enough turn into a pleasantly warm summer. The wood was mostly just for nights now, the house heating itself plenty during the day as the sun rose.
Choso wiped the sweat off his brow, grabbing one of the halves and bringing the axe down again to split it into quarters. He gently stacked the quarters in his wood pile, which was dwindling in size as the season went on. He heard a courageous yell from behind him, turning around just in time to catch Yuuji lifting a hefty log. He chuckled as his brother waddled over to the stump Choso used as a chopping block, dropping the log onto its smooth surface.
“Thanks, kid,” he said, resisting the urge to ruffle Yuuji’s hair with his grubby gloves, covered in splinters and sweat from heavy use.
“We’re almost done!” Yuuji exclaimed, gesturing to the two logs they had remaining. Choso smiled.
“Thank goodness. When we’re done I’ll make hot chocolate for us.” Choso smiled as Yuuji pumped his fist in excitement, running back to the logs to begin to wrestle the next one into his arms. He dutifully quartered the log in front of him, then the next, and finally, the last log was chopped and stacked on the pile. Choso high fived Yuuji, then covered the pile with a tarp, following Yuuji’s eager skip back into the house. They removed their boots at the back door, leaving the dirt caked soled to dry out during the night. Choso set the kettle on to boil, grabbing two hot chocolate packets from the pantry. He opened the cabinet to pull down two mugs, a chipped and stained spiderman mug for Yuuji and a mug that said “World’s Best Grandma” for himself. Yuuji had picked both of them out at the thrift store, giggling with glee as he showed his finds to his older brother.
Choso’s new job paid okay, but not good enough to splurge on new dishes or good hot chocolate. Yet. Choso hoped that his boss would give him a raise for the summer season, when business would pick up as tourists flooded the country. He had secured a position as a security guard at one of the more popular tourist attractions, something he was eternally grateful for. He heard the sounds of whatever cartoon Yuuji had picked to watch from the living room as he pulled two mugs down from the cabinet. Their kitchen was small, but not cramped, leaving Choso with just enough space to comfortably move around while he cooked.
He hummed as he puttered around the kitchen. He opened the fridge, scanning its contents as he thought about what he would make for dinner.
It was all incredibly… domestic. Choso’s life had slowed down, but he wasn’t mad about it. Quite the opposite, really. He was so glad to be done with high speed chases and gunshot wounds, running from the police and getting paid in blood money. Choso sighed, closing his eyes and taking it all in.
The kettle whistled, and Choso removed it from the stove, pouring its contents into each mug, stirring in the hot chocolate powder. He brought the mugs into the living room, where Yuuji eagerly grabbed his mug.
“Hot.” Choso warned. “Careful.”
Yuuji nodded, carefully holding his mug before him, blowing gently into it. Choso settled on the couch next to him, pulling Yuuji into his side as the cartoon played. He heard the birds chirping outside, very different from the hustle and bustle of the city. Yuuji snuggled further into his side, and Choso smiled.
Yeah, he could get used to this.
…oooOOOooo…
The next day, Choso waved as Yuuji took off on his bike for school. It had been rough at first, moving away from his friends and his old life, but Yuuji had managed to make friends at his new school, which Choso was grateful for. Fushiguro and Kugisaki visited as often as they could, always begging Yuuji to come back to Tokyo, even just for a visit.
Choso’s heart broke a little more every time he had to watch Yuuji’s expression fall as he explained that they couldn’t go into the city.
He watched Yuuji disappear over the hill, then turned to head back inside. He noticed that one of the planks that made up the stair treads wiggled when he stepped on it. Sighing, he gently wiggled it again with his foot, noticing that two of the nails were missing. Choso rerouted towards the shed, rummaging around in the musty air for a hammer and some nails. He nailed the board back into place, but noticed that the grass was looking a bit long, and the hedges needed to be trimmed, and the garden was full of weeds…
Choso hadn’t planned for it to be an outdoor work day, but the sun was out, Yuuji was at school, and he was off work. Sighing again, he dove into his tasks, starting with the hedges. He threw the cuttings onto a random tarp he had lying around. Then the weeds. He never wanted to look at another dandelion ever again, their cheerful yellow color taunting him as he attempted to rip the stubborn root from his garden.
If there was one thing he missed from the city, it was the lack of yard work.
Finally, he started mowing the lawn. It was a tremendous task, as the lawn probably had more square footage than the house. Halfway through he was already stripped down to his tank top, still sweating his ass off even in the cool breeze.
Just when he finished the last strip of lawn, he heard a motor approach from the distance. He was used to cars passing by, but this sounded different from a car, which immediately put Choso on edge.
Who was driving towards his house?
They lived on a dead end street, so it wasn’t someone just passing through. Maybe someone that had to turn around? He didn’t know, there were too many questions and not enough answers. He looked around, then quickly pushed the lawnmower back into the shed, then grabbed the axe from his wood chopping stump. There were a few more logs Choso had found hidden behind the shed under a tarp, so it was a perfect cover. Also, he had an axe in his hand, which would do nothing against bullets but it made him feel better.
His heart pounded as he heard the motor get closer and closer. He hoped and prayed that it was just someone who was lost, or a relative visiting one of his neighbors. But just his luck, he heard the telltale crunch of gravel under tires as the vehicle pulled into his driveway.
Choso stopped chopping wood and turned around, axe in hand and ready to start swinging. A shiny black motorcycle now sat in his driveway, the rider in the middle of taking off their helmet. Familiar blonde hair fell from the helmet, her warm honey-brown eyes meeting his.
“Well look at you, mountain man! How’s country life treating you?” She called out to him.
Choso dropped his axe and ran towards Yuki as she dismounted from her bike, crushing her in a massive hug as soon as she was within reach. When they pulled back, Choso gently brought a hand up to her face, thumb gently brushing her cheek. He needed to convince himself she was real. Yuki was actually there, in front of him, in his arms.
“How- why-“ he stuttered.
“Got a phone call one day from a mysterious man who told me your new address, said his name was Geto and I recognized it from when you came to Nanami after you were shot. I usually don’t take orders from men but I made an exception because it sounded like I’d get a chance to see you.”
Choso pushed down his surprise at Geto knowing Yuki’s phone number. It made sense. The man could probably find anyone in the greater Tokyo area if he really wanted to.
“I’m so glad you came,” he breathed. “Come inside, I’ll make tea.”
Yuki grinned excitedly. “Is this an invitation to stay?”
“Maybe, if you want it to be. If you don’t have any other plans,” Choso climbed the front steps to his porch. “Like traveling the world or becoming rich and famous.”
Yuki laughed, the force of it shaking her shoulders. Choso smiled softly at her. She looked radiant. When her laughs finally died down, she gently took his hand. “Don’t worry, this was my plan for the day. And the week. By the way, can I crash on your couch?”
Choso laughed, opening the door to his house. His home. “Of course, Yuki. You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like.”
“I hope you mean that, mountain man,” Yuki’s eyes glinted with mischief. “Because I plan on taking advantage of your kindness.”
Choso chuckled, turning to her and tugging her closer by her belt loops. His lips turned up into a gentle smile when she threw her arms around his shoulders. His eyes didn’t leave hers as he leaned in, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Four years later
Choso watched fondly as Yuuji, Fushiguro, and Kugisaki argued over Mario Kart in his living room. Kugisaki was in the lead, but Yuuji was trying his hardest to hit her with a green shell so he could claim the title for himself. Even Fushiguro had leaned into his competitive side, zapping the other two with lightning as he sailed over the finish line before both of them.
Everyone started yelling at each other, and Choso just shook his head as he returned to the kitchen to check how dinner was going. He leaned against the counter and watched Yuki stir a pot on the stove, her blonde hair pulled away from her face in a loose bun, a few strands falling free to rest around her cheeks. Choso liked to just admire Yuki. His eyes wandered to her nose, her lips, her hands. He reveled in the fact that she was cooking in their kitchen, in their house. She turned to the counter to grab a bag of noodles, pausing when she caught him staring at her. She smiled and shook her head, leaning against the other side of the counter.
“What are you looking at?” She asked. Choso met her gaze easily. He was sure he had the sappiest look ever on his face but he couldn’t bring himself to care.
“You,” he answered. She laughed, leaning in. Choso leaned in as well, his eyes flicking down to her lips. With a crinkle of plastic, she pulled back, grinning and waving the package of noodles.
“Just grabbing the noodles,” she said. The ring on her finger glinted in the light of the kitchen, a matching gold band resting on Choso’s left ring finger.
“Of course,” he chuckled. He walked over to where she was at the stove, wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. She rested her head against his. Choso smiled, squeezing just a bit tighter. He’d never let go again.
A loud gag interrupted the moment, and Choso straightened to find Kugisaki, Yuuji, and Fushiguro in the doorway to the kitchen. Kugisaki had wrinkled her nose, making another fake barf noise.
“Stop being gross, I’m hungry,” she announced.
“I think it’s romantic!” Yuuji jumped in, defending his brother and sister-in-law. Choso laughed, pulling away from his wife and opening the cabinet to pull plates out.
“Set the table. All of you,” he looked pointedly at Yuuji, who smiled sheepishly. His little brother loved getting out of setting the table by disappearing into the bathroom for ten minutes. Kugisaki saluted him, grabbing the plates and napkins.
“Sir yes sir!” She shouted, marching over to the table. Fushiguro followed dutifully, not carrying anything but doing more than Yuuji, who was still standing in the doorway. Choso waved him away, and Yuuji groaned before turning on his heel and trudging over to the table with the rest of his friends.
Choso sighed, but a smile wormed its way onto his lips.
Dinner was filled with loud voices and even louder laughter, the sound filling their home, bouncing off the walls and making the dim interior seem brighter. After dinner was cleaned up and put away, Kugisaki and Fushiguro thanked Choso and Yuki for their hospitality, then gave an enthusiastic goodbye to Yuuji before making their way to the black car parked in Choso’s driveway. Choso gave a halfhearted wave to the blob of white sitting in the driver's seat but turned back into his house before Gojo could respond.
“Ah! I forgot to get the mail!” Yuuji suddenly exclaimed, before leaping out the door and sprinting to the end of the driveway. Choso blinked, then decided to not question it. He knew Yuuji well enough to know this was fairly tame for him.
Choso flopped onto the couch with a grunt, listening as Yuki showered in the next room over, distantly picking up on the sound of gravel crunching under tires. It reminded him of the day that Yuki first showed up at his house years ago. He smiled at the memory, absently spinning his wedding band around his finger. Initially, he had been worried that Yuki wouldn’t stay. She had always had a wanderer’s heart, itching to explore wherever her feet (or her bike) brought her. When the first month passed, Choso had held his breath every day waiting for the other shoe to drop, for her to tell him that she was going away only to ride off and never come back.
But she never did.
Of course, she went on short trips, back to the mainland, sometimes to Taiwan, or South Korea, but she always came back. Eventually she got a job as a travel agent, which she liked a lot because she could do it from her laptop at home or from a hotel in China.
Footsteps crunched in the gravel outside, and Yuuji came through the door again, looking suspiciously nervous. Choso immediately sat up straighter, brow furrowing slightly.
“Anything interesting?” He commented. Yuuji flinched, startled by his brother’s presence.
“Uh- not really, I mean- yean, no, nothing of interest,” Yuuji shoved a stack of junk mail at Choso then rushed towards his room, but not before Choso could lunge and grab his wrist, which held a large white envelope that he attempted to hide with his body.
“What’s this?” Choso tried to wrestle the mail from Yuuji’s hand but was caught off guard when Yuuji ripped away from him in a surprising show of strength.
“Nothing! Don’t worry about it!” He shouted over his shoulder as he sprinted to his room. Choso’s mind flipped over to battle mode as he ran after his younger brother, catching his door as he attempted to close it, then throwing it open and wrestling Yuuji to the floor before his little brother could even blink, holding the wrist that belonged to the hand holding the envelope victoriously behind Yuuji’s back. Yuuji grunted when he slammed into his beanbag chair, shock rendering him frozen as Choso plucked the envelope from his fingers.
“Wha- when’d you learn how to do that?!” He exclaimed, his words slightly muffled from the bean bag pressing into his cheek.
“A long time ago,” Choso answered, reading the sender on the envelope. The University of Tokyo .
“It’s really nothing- I mean- I was probably gonna say no anyways- it’s not that important- Choso please,” Yuuji babbled, interrupting himself in his panic. Choso released his wrist and got off his back, allowing Yuuji to get back up on his feet. He excitedly shoved the letter into his little brother’s chest, grinning wildly.
“Well, open it!” He said. Yuuji raised an eyebrow.
“You’re not mad?”
“No- what? Of course not, why would I be mad?” Choso answered. “Did I do anything to make you feel like I’d be mad at you for applying to university? Because if I did I promise that wasn’t the intention-”
“No! No nothing like that! It’s just- never mind, it’s fine.” Yuuji ripped the envelope open and pulled out the paper inside, his eyes scanning each line with increased speed. He froze, his eyes locked on one word.
“I got in,” Yuuji breathed. Pride and joy and love burst in Choso’s chest, igniting his veins with fire.
“You got in!” Choso exclaimed. Yuuji’s face began to split into a grin as he finally tore his eyes away from the letter, absolute elation flooding every feature on his face.
“I got in!” He exclaimed, then laughed. Choso couldn’t help but laugh as well, grabbing Yuuji’s shoulders and jumping up and down, Yuuji repeating “I got in!” like he wouldn’t believe it unless he spoke it into existence. They jumped in excitement together like they were kids again, laughing as they spun around Yuuji’s bedroom. When they finally got too tired to keep jumping, Choso pulled Yuuji into a bear hug, nearly crushing his little brother with the force of it. He placed a hand on the back of Yuuji’s head, holding him even tighter. He ignored the way his eyes stung.
“I am so proud of you,” he whispered. Yuuji’s grip on his shirt tightened. Choso pulled back to find that both of them were crying, and he laughed, Yuuji chuckling in response.
“What’s going on in here? It sounds like a herd of elephants just made their way through your room, Yuuji,” Yuki commented from where she was leaning against the door frame.
“I got in,” Yuuji said. Yuki’s eyes widened and she squealed, pulling Yuuji into a hug of her own.
“You knew?!” Choso exclaimed. Yuuji jerked away from Yuki, not meeting Choso’s eyes and scratching the back of his head. Choso frowned as Yuki elbowed Yuuji in the arm.
“You didn’t tell him?” She hissed. Yuuji blanched.
“I meant to! The letter came in too fast,” Yuuji mumbled, rubbing his arm. Yuki let out a deep breath through her nose.
“You two figure out your shit, I’ll be watching reality TV in the living room when you’re done,” She spun on her heel and closed the door behind her, but not before giving a pointed look to Choso. Still as stubborn as ever. They both watched as the door clicked closed.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Choso asked gently. Yuuji opened his mouth, then closed it, sighing through his nose.
“It’s just, well, Tokyo is a touchy subject for you, and I didn’t know how you’d react to me going to uni there,” Yuuji mumbled. Choso’s heart ached. He sat down on Yuuji’s bed, patting the space next to him. Yuuji sat down, his head bowed and eyes securely on the ground. Choso took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling. He clasped his hands in his lap, if only to hide how much they were shaking.
“You know we didn’t have it easy when you were growing up. I mean, you probably don’t remember much of it, you were too young for the worst of it.” He heard Yuuji shift next to him but didn’t risk looking over. “Money was tight, and we were in and out of the foster system for a while because people wanted to separate us. I wanted to get out as soon as possible, but to do that I needed a stable flow of money to support us. Nobody hires ratty twelve year olds to work at a grocery store, so I-” his voice caught. He closed his eyes and cleared his throat, pushing on. Yuuji needed to hear this. He needed to know. “I joined the yakuza.”
He heard Yuuji gasp quietly from beside him, could feel how the dots began connecting in his mind.
“I was a part of the yakuza for eight years, starting as a drug runner and working my way up to a sniper. It- it sucked, but it was either that or lose you in the foster system, and I couldn’t do that. I would’ve rather died than lose you. You were all I had left.” He took a breath as his throat clogged with tears, taking a shaky breath. He let his head drop from the ceiling, eyes locked on his clasped hands resting on his knees. He paused for a second before continuing, gathering his thoughts. “Eventually, it got to be too much, I fell in too deep. My bio family found out that I was alive and a threat to their carefully crafted image, so they put a bounty on my head and I had to hide for a bit. That was when-”
“When I went to live with Fushiguro. I remember that,” Yuuji chimed in softly.
“Yeah, yeah exactly. That was when I decided that I needed to leave, so at the first opportunity to get out of there I took it, and we moved to Hokkaido, and I didn’t show my face in Tokyo again.”
Yuuji was silent. Choso let him be. It was a lot to take in, and Choso was glad for the silence. He didn’t know if he trusted his voice not to shake yet. He finally looked over to his little brother, whose eyes were locked on the floor.
“Did-” Yuuji cut himself off, shaking his head. “Never mind.”
“Please ask questions. I want you to know everything.”
Yuuji pursed his lips. “Does Yuki know?”
“Yes. She’s known for a while now.” Yuuji nodded. He remained silent, and Choso almost stood up to leave before another whispered question fell from Yuuji’s lips.
“Did you kill people?”
Choso froze. He hadn’t been expecting that question. Well, he had been, he was just hoping that Yuuji wouldn’t ask it. He took a deep breath and felt Yuuji stiffen next to him. He knew the answer already.
“Yes.” Choso’s voice was barely above a whisper. He didn’t try to justify it by saying he killed ‘bad’ people, because he had been a bad person, and he had Yuuji to take care of, and he knew that every person he shot had a family too. Bad or not.
“Do you regret it?”
“Killing people? Every day.”
“No, no not that, but that’s- that’s good to know.” A small smile tugged at Choso’s lips and he let out a breathy chuckle. Yuuji finally met his gaze, his brown eyes wide. “Do you regret joining the yakuza?”
Choso had to think for a second, turning the question over in his mind. “Yes and no. I regret doing the things that I did, but I would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant that I got to keep you.” He slung an arm around his little brother’s shoulders, giving him a tight squeeze. Yuuji returned the half-hug, resting his head on Choso’s shoulder.
“So… university in Tokyo,” Yuuji prodded. Choso laughed lightly, ruffling Yuuji’s hair much to his dismay.
“Yes, absolutely, 100 percent. Please, if you don’t I’ll go myself and make them reject your rejection.”
Yuuji laughed, pulling away. Choso stood to walk to the door, but Yuuji caught his wrist. When Choso turned around, Yuuji released his wrist and bowed his head, then slid onto the floor and bowed fully, knees tucked under his body as his forehead thunk ed against the hardwood. Choso startled, taking a step back as shock worked its way through his system.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, Choso,” Yuuji said. His voice was firm and final, a tone he rarely took. Once the shock wore off, Choso dropped to his knees and pulled Yuuji off of the floor, bringing him into another crushing embrace. Yuuji responded in kind, squeezing Choso just as tight as his shoulders shook from tears. Choso felt his own tears begin to collect on his lash line.
“Always,” he responded fiercely, voice steadier than he thought it would be. “Always for you, Yuuji.”