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Byakuya Ishigami, 47 years old, currently relaxing with his wife of 5 years, Lillian Weinberg, at their home. It was one of the few rare days both were free and could just relax together. Byakuya had no interviews to go to and Lillian had just come back from tour. The two both agreed to just relax all day and have a lazy day.
Nothing to worry about. Just Byukuya and Lillian enjoying their stress free day cuddled up on the couch. Away from any kind of stress-
Buzz buzz.
Byakuya and Lillian turned to look at Byakuya’s vibrating phone on the other side of the couch. Byakuya was ready to ignore the call and deal with whatever consequences later but…
“Oi old man, pick up the phone,”
That was definitely his son’s voice.
“Senkuu’s calling?” Lillian questioned. “It’s it like 10 pm back in Japan?”
“Should be…,” Byakuya followed his wife's logic.
“Oh my god, what if he blew something up again?!” They said together.
“Oi old man, pick up the phone,”
By the third ring, Byakuya had already got his phone. Yup, that was his son’s face up on the screen.
My son is calling
Byakuya hastily pushed the answer button and put the phone on speaker so Lillian, who was curiously looking over her his husband’s shoulder, could also hear.
“Oh my god are you ok Senkuu?!” Byakuya panicked. “Did something blow up?”
“Good to hear from you, too old man,” Senkuu sighed. “And why is that the first thing you think of?”
“Well, you do have a habit of accidentally blowing things up,” Lillian added.
“Can’t I just call my father and stepmom?”
Lillian and Byakuya both gave each other concerned looks. Senkuu rarely, if ever called them that. “Ok, what happened Senkuu?” Byakuya questioned with a hint of worry.
“Really, nothing,” Senkuu paused but it sounded like he wanted to say something more.
“You wouldn’t have called if it was nothing,” Lillian pointed out.
“You two know me too well,” Senkuu playfully sighed. “While it’s nothing as big ‘exploding’ something… I guess it- could be considered important,”
“Well out with it Senkuu,” Byakuya lightheartedly jeered.
It was almost like you could hear the gears in Senkuu’s head turning. “Well you know the whole, tell your parents when you meet someone, romantically that is,” Senkuu corrected himself.
“Awww, oh my god did you go on a date?” Lillian awwed. “How was it? Were they nice?”
“Was it your first date with this person?”Byakuya joined in on the questioning.
“Geez calm down,” Senkuu groaned. “This isn’t my first date with him,”
“Oh, who is he? What is he like?” Lillian questioned more.
“Did you hear the part about ‘calming down?” Senkuu sighed.
“Right, sorry,” both said together.
“As I was saying,” Senkuu took a breath. “His name is Asagiri Gen and-,” Byakuya and Lillian both gasped at the name. “What now?” Senkuu grumbled.
“You mean the Asagiri Gen?” Lillian questioned.
“The?” Senkuu repeated back in a quizzical tone.
“You know, the host of that Mentalist show back home,” Byakuya added. “That Asagiri Gen?!”
“Yeah, that mentalist,” Senkuu breathed out his words.
“You're dating a celebrity?!” Byakuya asked, dumbfounded.
“You marry the world’s biggest pop idol dad?!” Senkuu replied like he was stating such an obvious fact. “You didn’t see me making a big fuss over it,”
“That’s completely different,” Byakuya scoffed.
“Your father is right,” Lillian hummed.
“Ok how is it any diff-,” Senkuu stopped himself. “Anyway, yes, I’m dating Gen Asagiri,”
“Dating? How many dates have you two gone on?” Lillian blinked a few times.
“Proper or just meeting up? Kind of hard to have ‘proper’ dates when you’re dating an ever so popular celebrity ,” Senkuu sarcastically sang.
“You can say that again,” Byakuya lightly laughed.
“But going by the definition of ‘a social or romantic appointment or engagement’... I’d say 21,” That was enough for Byakuya and Lillian to keep quiet for a second. “Uhhh guys..?”
“I thought you said you were just dating?” Byakuya tried to keep calm.
“Yeah, because we are not engaged,” Senkuu explained. “Plus I think 21 is a good amount. He is my boyfriend after all,”
And that was enough to give Byakuya an early death.
“Senkuu, normally you use ‘dating’ for when you're still just dating. Not official,”
“If you say so but yeah, he’s my boyfriend. Official and all. Thought I should call and tell you two that,”
“Well you might have shortcuritted Byakuya but that’s great Senkuu,” Lillian smiled. “I assume everything is going well then? How is he?”
“Ughh,” The eyeroll was so audible. “He’s ten billion percent the worst,”
“Huh…?” Byakuya snapped out of the confused trace he was in.
“Oh hold up a sec,” Senkuu quickly put himself on mute. Byakuya and Lillian looked at each other with even more worried looks than when they started. Senkuu was only on mute for a few seconds but the dread was eating at the two. “Ok back,” Senkuu took himself off mute.
“What did you mean ‘he’s ten billion percent the worst’?” Byakuya slightly hestanted.
“He’s the worstttt,” Senkuu repeated. “Damn mentalist, knows exactly now to get on my nerves too. Always ‘Senkuu chan’ this or ‘Senku chan’ that. Like he’s trying to purposely tick me off,” Senkuu kept going. Lillian and Byakuya were already getting ready for the worst. Sure, they had heard rumors about Gen’s playboy nature but- “Like how he always listens to my explanations to my experiments and acts like he understands nothing I’m saying but will work what I told him in his shows,” Senkuu ranted about it like he was annoyed but the act he was describing was pretty kind. “Or that time he asked me how many days I had been alive so he could sneakily see when my birthday was to make me a handmade telescope,” The more Senkuu talked, his tone shifted to something more like he was recalling happy memories. His words were light and even partially sung. “The damn thing was so halfass too,” Now Senkuu was even laughing. “Kuku,”
The two were able to relax hearing Senkuu sounding so happy. They should have known how Senkuu talked about people he loved. Like how nicknames like “big oaf, old man, Gorilla and ect” were all thinly veiled affection.
Lillian and Byakuya let out the breath they were holding on to.
“Awww Senkuu chan that’s a bit too cruel don’t you think?” A voice that was definitely not Senkuu's.
The realization hit the two like a bus. A bus going full speed with no ease off the acceleration. The thing about Senkuu was that while yes he did use rather rash nicknames he only used them around the people he was addressing or if the people he was talking to knew the person. And since Lillian and Byakuya didn’t know Gen-
Following that logic and how Senkuu is thinly veiling his affection again…
The boyfriend had been listening.
“I can barely see out of it,” Senkuu teased.
“And yet you use it all the time~,” Gen hummed. “Plus this coming from the same man who tired to make cola,”
“Trial and error ,”
“Doesn’t mean you give me the error to try,”
They kinda continued like that for a bit. Bouncing off each other like they’d known each other all their lives. Every tease Senkuu would give, Gen would so effortlessly challenge. It wouldn’t be adorable as all hell if the two on the other end had literally no idea what to say.
“Anyway don’t you think you should introduce me Senkuu chan?” Gen said as if reading their minds. “Their first impression of me was you calling me the orst way,”
“An efficient description,”
“Ughh give me that,” The sound muffled for a second before the screen changed to a facetime request.
“Mentalist!” Senkuu playfully groaned.
Byakuya pushed the answer button and was met with a moving camera with the sound of shuffling in the background.
“Give me back my phone Gen!”
“You were taking too long~,” The camera focused on Gen’s face as he stuck out his tongue at Senkuu. “Hey there Mr. Ishigami, Mrs. Weinberg,” Gen smiled.
“Ughh mentalist!” Senkuu’s arms showed up in the frame trying to get the phone back.
“Get over here,” Gen pulled Senkuu into the frame with him. Gen leaned his head on Senkuu’s shoulder as Gen waved.
Senkuu sighed with a smile. “Yeah yeah, this is my boyfriend, Gen,”
“Hi~,”
“Nice to meet you, Gen,” and there was Lillian’s social butterfly spirit.
“Sorry it took so long for a proper introduction,” Gen apologizes. “Work and all,”
“Trust me I get it,” Lillian giggled. “How long have you two been together?”
“Five months…?” Gen tried to recall.
“Five months, two weeks, six days,” Senkuu gave a more detailed response.
“Dang, so almost six months?” Byakuya added in,
“Yup,” Gen hummed.
“I’m just surprised I didn’t hear anything about this before,” Byakuya looked at Senkuu.
“Well…,” Senkuu looked hesitant.
“That’s my fault,” Gen’s tone became more serious “We both agreed we didn’t want to put Senkuu in the spotlight. I was worried that if word got out, the gossip rags would be all over Senkuu,” Byakuya knew the feeling all too well. “I swear we weren’t trying to hide anything, but we’ve only told Taiju and Yuzuriha and my manager Nikki so far,”
“We know that situation,” Lillian sighed.
“Did you wait to tell Senkuu chan you two were dating?” Gen lightly yawned into his hand.
“Oh no, Byakuya told him the moment he got back to the mainland,” Lillian lightly jabbed Byakuya.
“Ohhhh sounds like how you told Taiju chan and Yuzuriha chan right after Senkuu chan,” Gen grinned.
“They were the ones who pushed me to ask you out. I couldn’t just not say anything,”
“Awww really?!” Both Lillian and Gen awwed together.
“Wait you didn’t tell me that,” Gen got off Senkuu’s shoulder to look at Senkuu.
“Ohhh I want to hear this now too,” Byakuya grinned along too.
All eyes on Senkuu and Senkuu just sighed. “Couldn’t we just leave this story for like the half year anniversary?”
“Nope,” All three said.
Senkuu’s face grew more red but he tried to play it off like it was nothing. “After that gala we met at…,” Senkuu breathed out his nose. “I told Yuzuriha and Taiju afterwards about the small crush I had on you. But they were so gung ho that I had to ask you out, they helped me plan out the date,” Senkuu stopped when he realized what he said.
“Ohhh now you got to tell us about your first date Senkuu,” Lillian’s eyes shined.
“This was just supposed to be a quick meet the parents, not a storytime,” Senkuu pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Are you embarrassed by me Senkuu chan?” Gen looked at him with doey eyes.
“Alright alright,” Senkuu let go of his nose. “It was a simple coffee date really,”
“Except you didn’t say it was a date until afterwards,” Gen pointed out.
“You’re the mentalist,” Senkuu shrugged it off.
“You’re lucky I had ‘small’ crush on you too,” Gen added a sarcastic tone to “small”. “But either way,” Gen yawned into his arm. “I did enjoy spending time with him,” Gen went back to leaning on Senkuu's shoulder. “His history lesson of coffee was pretty interesting too,” Gen was clearly getting more tired. Even all the camera angle was falling from Gen’s arm presumably getting tired.
Senkuu looked at Gen resting on his shoulder with such a warm smile. Senkuu’s words could sound harsh and would turn people away a lot of times, but his actions always showed someone with a caring heart. Seeing his son with someone who made him smile like that, it would warm any fathers heart.
“Or how tea was an accident,” Gen hummed. “He’s such a smart ass,”
“That’s enough mentalist, before you start giving them your life story,” Senkuu took the phone from Gen.
“hmhhhh but your folks are so sweet,”
“Go to bed. I’m going to say bye to my folks.
“Bye Mr. Ishigami, Mrs. Weinberg,” They heard Gen yawn once more. “Don’t stay up too late Senkuuu,” The voice got farther and farther away.
Senkuu refocused the phone back on himself. “See what I mean? The ten billion percent worst,”
“Sureeeeee Senkuu,” Byakuya sarcastically sang.
“For someone you built up as ‘the worst’, you look so happy with him,” Lillian pointed out.
“Because I love him of course,” Senkuu said so calmly.
Maybe any other time Byakuya would have a dramatic reaction but he could already tell, from the small amount of time he saw Gen and Senkuu together, his son was in love.
“We’re happy for you Senkuu,”
“Thanks guys,” It looked like he let out a breath he was holding on to. “Call you guys later. It’s getting pretty late,” Senkuu started to yawn as well.
“Senkuu wait-,”
“Yeah?”
“Did you take him to the ramen place yet?”
Senkuu snickered a bit. “Where do you think I’m taking him for our six month anniversavry ?”
“I raised you so well,” Byakuya put his hand over his chest.
“They grow up so fast,” Lillian sniffled a bit.
“Ok enough with the sappy shit,” Senkuu paused for a sec. “If you're going to start with that, at least be here in person so I can tell you to shut up to your face,”
“Just give us a date,” Lillian challenged.
“Let’s let him rest first dear,” Byakuya reminded Lillian.
“Oh yeah- Good night Senkuu!”
“Night guys,” And with that Senkuu ended the call.
Byakuya lowered his arm and put his phone back in his pocket.
“You ok dear?” Lilllian asked.
“Nope,” Byakuya’s voice cracked.
“Awww dear,” Lillian pulled her husband in.
“They grow up so fast,” Byakuya was tearing up a bit. “I didn’t think this day would come so soon,”
“Honey, he’s 23,” Lillian patted Byakua on the back.
“I know I know,” Byakuya whipped the remaining tears. “I still remember him bringing Taiju over. I was so happy he made a friend and now he has a boyfriend,”
“You did a good job raising the kid,” Lillian hummed. “You can really tell he’s your son too,”
“”Hmh how so?”
“Dating an extrovert celebrity while being an introvert, love for ramen, smart as hell,” Lillian lighting flicked Byakuya’s forehead. “Witty banter, hearts of gold no matter how much a jerk you act like,”
“Geez, really just calling us out there huh?” Byakuya snickered.
“Just pointing things out,” Lillian shrugged playfully. Now let’s get something to eat before we’re stuck cuddling on the couch the whole day,”
“Aww that sounds nice though,” Byakuya pretended to be upset.
“I’d rather not starve on my day off,” Lillian lightly kissed Byakuya. “Come on, I’ll make some grilled cheese ,”
“Oh ok that does sound good,” Byakuya let go of Lillian’s waist.
“See,” Lillian grinned. “Also that was definitely not Senkuu’s apartment was it?”
“Oh hell nah,”
“Did you take him to the ramen place yet?” Byakuya asked.
Senkuu snickered a bit. He knew the exact place Byakuya was talking about. A childhood ramen joint they used to go to a bunch when Senkuu was younger. “Where do you think I’m taking him for our six month anniversavry ?”
“I raised you so well,” Byakuya put his hand over his chest.
“They grow up so fast,” Lillian sniffled a bit.
Really guys?
“Ok enough with the sappy shit. If your going to start with that, at least be here in person so I can tell you t shut up to your face,”
“Just give us a date,” Lillian challenged.
“Let’s let him rest first dear,” Byakuya reminded Lillian.
“Oh yeah- Good night Senkuu!” Lillian waved.
“Night guys,” And with that Senkuu ended the call. Senkuu threw his phone to the side and let his shoulders fall and leaned his head back on the couch. “Come on guys,” Senkuu sighed but he kept a smile on his face. “They can be so much sometimes. Right Mentalist?”
“Noticing I was faking huh?” Gen hummed coming out of the bathroom.
“No way you’d go to sleep without your facial routine,” Senkuu noted. “No matter how tired you are,” Senkuu looked at his boyfriend as he sat down next to him again. “You didn’t need to do that mentalist,” Senkuu swallowed a bit of his pride. “But thanks,”
“You caught me,” Gen sang. “But, I was being honest about your folks being sweet,” Gen hummed. “If not a bit overbearing,”
“The old man and Lillian are just happy I found someone,” Senkuu replied. “Byakuya’s always been worried because I only had Taiju and Yuzuriha growing up. I kept telling him I’d be fine,”
“You know you always have this smile when you talk about them,” Gen pointed out.
“They’re my parents. It’s normal to get a bit sentimental isn’t it?” Senkuu asked.
Gen gasped over dramatically. “Did the Dr. Senkuu Ishigami just admit to being sentimental?”
“Did the playboy mentalist actually get a serious boyfriend?” Senkuu scoffed.
“You know that was just an image my manager made up for me,” Gen rolled his eyes.
“Could have fooled m-Mhph,” Gen threw one of couch pillows at Senkuu.
“Oh yeah, and your image as a smartass know it all?” Gen challenged back. “Even though, you got a heart of gold- mphm!” Senkuu threw the same pillow right back at Gen.
“Alright enough,” Senkuu groaned. “You’re almost just as bad as them,” Senkuu yawned.
“Oh you're actually tired Senkuu chan?” Gen asked.
“Been a long week,” Senkuu stretched up. “Just turned in my report and already getting shit about it,”
“I was rather surprised you asked me to hang out at my place,’ Gen thought out loud.
“I just really don’t want to spend any more time in my office at my place,” Senkuu let his arms drop.
“Want to cuddle after I’m done with my routine?”
“Sounds good,” Senkuu rumbed his neck. “But I’ll probably be asleep by the time you're done,” Senkuu teased.
“I’ll be quick,” Gen put his hand on the back of Senkuu’s neck.
“Liar,” Senkuu clicked his tongue with a grin.
Gen moved closer until their lips touched “You know me so well,”
Senkuu closed the distance between their lips. A nice passionate kiss to end the night.
“I’ll try to hurry,” Gen pulled back. “It’s been a while since we had time to cuddle too,”
“Yeah yeah, I love you too, now stop wasting time,”
“Ahhh but I want to hear about this ramen place,”
“Go,” Senkuu laughed, swaying the other away.