Getting to the Truth
Jul. 25th, 2021 11:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamer(pretty much as soon as I watched the ending I had this note just sitting in my fanfic document: Psychic dead zone tak)
Main Points:
Judgment/Judge Eyes, follow-up to concern, this one is a bit more friend!ship but you could still see it as pre-relationship
Chapter Summary: As usual, Kaito is worried about Tak.
Word Count: 1056
Rating: Teen
Spoilers for the ending section.
Kaito waits until he’ll explode, because everyone’s acting like Tak is being normal, and it’s very, very clear that either they’re all being oblivious or he’s living in an alternate universe. He waits, uncharacteristically quiet, caught up in his own thoughts and barely aware of what’s going on. That goes on until Tak finishes charming the clients even as he’s informing them that their contractor is actually scamming them, and gives them the goods they need to get their money back (and recommends the Genda Law Office). The rest clamor about a victory dinner, but Tak says they’re going to be right there and they should go on ahead. He keeps up the cheerful, easygoing tone long enough Kaito doesn’t realize he’s being set up for an interrogation until his friend doesn’t head toward the door but instead settles down into the chair opposite him.
“Hang on, won’t they be waiting on us?” True, this is probably a good time for him to ask about what’s been on his mind, but he still hasn’t worked out a good approach yet. Words have never been his strong suit.
“They can go ahead and wait,” Tak states firmly. He laces his fingers together, stalling for time because he’s not comfortable with what he’s going to say, but he just bites the bullet and goes ahead and says it. “I’m worried about you, man.”
Kaito’s brain stalls, because he hadn’t been expecting that at all. “The hell you talking about, Tak?” He nearly blurts something about the fact that he should be the one asking that, but doesn’t. He wants Yagami to put his cards on the table first.
His friend’s smile is worried but fond. “Don’t bullshit a detective—or a former lawyer, Kaito. You’ve been really quiet. You’ve been thinking really hard about something, and it’s not like you.”
“Screw you,” he responds instinctively, but Tak isn’t wrong. It’s not like he spends much of his time worrying about things. He’s an action guy. If there’s something wrong, he tries to fix it, not just sit around thinking about it.
“I figure—maybe it’s not my business, but I can try to help, if you want.” It’s only because they’re good friends that the detective is even offering. Anyone else, and he’d just stick his nose in, no matter what. But he’s offering a really good opening and Kaito should grab onto it.
“Funny enough you should ask, because I’ve been worrying about you.” It does sound a little awkward, but he’s not the first one to say something, so it’s less weird.
“Huh?” Yagami’s turn to be confused.
“Well, the things you’d said. You’ve been quiet, you’ve been spacing out, and most of the time you’re there but sometimes you’re not, and they said they didn’t find anything but you’ve been acting like you know something’s wrong.” More than anything, that’s what was worrying Kaito, because Yagami’s better at noticing these things and if he’s worried…
And, what’s worse, it looks like he realizes something, and he’s nervous, which doesn’t help.
“Okay, first things first I need you to keep breathing. You’re holding your breath.” That explains why his vision’s weird. “I’m fine. I’m not dying. But what I’m going to say is going to sound really weird, so just hear me out.”
Kaito crosses his arms. “I’m listening.”
Yagami fidgets, then starts. “I’ve been trying to work out how I can tell any of you without you thinking I’m crazy, but…did they tell you about what happened with the concussion at the ADDC?”
“They said you were seeing things,” the ex-yakuza answers, frowning. Because this isn’t a promising start.
“I…I saw Okubo. Shintani. Even my past self. And Emi-chan. They were just…things I thought I was just hallucinating. I was seeing the past, things where I wasn’t there, but I could have easily just…pieced them together. Okubo finding Waku-san’s body. Just…you know, small things. I would’ve just written it off, but…” He trails off.
“But?” Kaito’s getting worried again.
“But Fumiya heard Emi-chan, too. Which, if she’d just been a hallucination, he shouldn’t have heard anything. It should’ve been all in my head.” That is the kind of little detail that would bother him until he figured it out. Wait. The way he’d look at the air where nobody was…
“…That wasn’t the last time, was it?” he asks flatly and sees Tak startle. Pretty clear evidence proving it, there.
“…No. Even after the docs cleared me. They keep telling me things I shouldn’t know. If it’s something minor, retracing a cat’s footsteps or something, it’s just…a shift in how I see the world, but that case with the hostess…” He trails off, because it’s pretty obvious. He doesn’t need to elaborate. That’s when Kaito had first started worrying in earnest, seeing Yagami puke his guts out. Migraine, he’d said. The docs had said that was normal after a concussion like that, he’d said. And all this time, he’d been…he’d been needing help, someone who knew and could just grab him painkillers or whatever, and Kaito hadn’t been there for him. Arguably—okay, yeah, he’d brought the painkillers then, dragged hm to the hospital over his protests, but after all the hints Yagami hadn’t been himself before then he wasn’t willing to risk it.
“All right. What can I do?” The evidence had to be pretty persuasive if Tak was taking this all seriously. Just like everyone in the Yakuza, he’s heard a story or two, and he’s heard some of the big names take it all seriously. Plus, it’s pretty funny to see Yagami’s wide-eyed, speechless expression. “Sure, conspiracy theories are one thing, but that’s pretty out there. If you believe it, I’ve gotta believe it.”
“…I thought convincing you would be the hardest part.” Tak finally, finally looks his age, years of worry sliding off him.
“I figured you’re hard enough to convince.” It’s nice seeing him smile again.
“As for what you can do…” Tak trails off, then shrugs. “Not sure, but I’ll think of something. Just you knowing is a big weight off my mind. For now, we shouldn’t make them wait too long or they’ll make us pay for drinks.”
Kaito matches his smile. “Nah, we wouldn’t make you pay. You’re broke as shit.”
Yagami protests all the way there.
Main Points:
Judgment/Judge Eyes, follow-up to concern, this one is a bit more friend!ship but you could still see it as pre-relationship
Chapter Summary: As usual, Kaito is worried about Tak.
Word Count: 1056
Rating: Teen
Spoilers for the ending section.
Kaito waits until he’ll explode, because everyone’s acting like Tak is being normal, and it’s very, very clear that either they’re all being oblivious or he’s living in an alternate universe. He waits, uncharacteristically quiet, caught up in his own thoughts and barely aware of what’s going on. That goes on until Tak finishes charming the clients even as he’s informing them that their contractor is actually scamming them, and gives them the goods they need to get their money back (and recommends the Genda Law Office). The rest clamor about a victory dinner, but Tak says they’re going to be right there and they should go on ahead. He keeps up the cheerful, easygoing tone long enough Kaito doesn’t realize he’s being set up for an interrogation until his friend doesn’t head toward the door but instead settles down into the chair opposite him.
“Hang on, won’t they be waiting on us?” True, this is probably a good time for him to ask about what’s been on his mind, but he still hasn’t worked out a good approach yet. Words have never been his strong suit.
“They can go ahead and wait,” Tak states firmly. He laces his fingers together, stalling for time because he’s not comfortable with what he’s going to say, but he just bites the bullet and goes ahead and says it. “I’m worried about you, man.”
Kaito’s brain stalls, because he hadn’t been expecting that at all. “The hell you talking about, Tak?” He nearly blurts something about the fact that he should be the one asking that, but doesn’t. He wants Yagami to put his cards on the table first.
His friend’s smile is worried but fond. “Don’t bullshit a detective—or a former lawyer, Kaito. You’ve been really quiet. You’ve been thinking really hard about something, and it’s not like you.”
“Screw you,” he responds instinctively, but Tak isn’t wrong. It’s not like he spends much of his time worrying about things. He’s an action guy. If there’s something wrong, he tries to fix it, not just sit around thinking about it.
“I figure—maybe it’s not my business, but I can try to help, if you want.” It’s only because they’re good friends that the detective is even offering. Anyone else, and he’d just stick his nose in, no matter what. But he’s offering a really good opening and Kaito should grab onto it.
“Funny enough you should ask, because I’ve been worrying about you.” It does sound a little awkward, but he’s not the first one to say something, so it’s less weird.
“Huh?” Yagami’s turn to be confused.
“Well, the things you’d said. You’ve been quiet, you’ve been spacing out, and most of the time you’re there but sometimes you’re not, and they said they didn’t find anything but you’ve been acting like you know something’s wrong.” More than anything, that’s what was worrying Kaito, because Yagami’s better at noticing these things and if he’s worried…
And, what’s worse, it looks like he realizes something, and he’s nervous, which doesn’t help.
“Okay, first things first I need you to keep breathing. You’re holding your breath.” That explains why his vision’s weird. “I’m fine. I’m not dying. But what I’m going to say is going to sound really weird, so just hear me out.”
Kaito crosses his arms. “I’m listening.”
Yagami fidgets, then starts. “I’ve been trying to work out how I can tell any of you without you thinking I’m crazy, but…did they tell you about what happened with the concussion at the ADDC?”
“They said you were seeing things,” the ex-yakuza answers, frowning. Because this isn’t a promising start.
“I…I saw Okubo. Shintani. Even my past self. And Emi-chan. They were just…things I thought I was just hallucinating. I was seeing the past, things where I wasn’t there, but I could have easily just…pieced them together. Okubo finding Waku-san’s body. Just…you know, small things. I would’ve just written it off, but…” He trails off.
“But?” Kaito’s getting worried again.
“But Fumiya heard Emi-chan, too. Which, if she’d just been a hallucination, he shouldn’t have heard anything. It should’ve been all in my head.” That is the kind of little detail that would bother him until he figured it out. Wait. The way he’d look at the air where nobody was…
“…That wasn’t the last time, was it?” he asks flatly and sees Tak startle. Pretty clear evidence proving it, there.
“…No. Even after the docs cleared me. They keep telling me things I shouldn’t know. If it’s something minor, retracing a cat’s footsteps or something, it’s just…a shift in how I see the world, but that case with the hostess…” He trails off, because it’s pretty obvious. He doesn’t need to elaborate. That’s when Kaito had first started worrying in earnest, seeing Yagami puke his guts out. Migraine, he’d said. The docs had said that was normal after a concussion like that, he’d said. And all this time, he’d been…he’d been needing help, someone who knew and could just grab him painkillers or whatever, and Kaito hadn’t been there for him. Arguably—okay, yeah, he’d brought the painkillers then, dragged hm to the hospital over his protests, but after all the hints Yagami hadn’t been himself before then he wasn’t willing to risk it.
“All right. What can I do?” The evidence had to be pretty persuasive if Tak was taking this all seriously. Just like everyone in the Yakuza, he’s heard a story or two, and he’s heard some of the big names take it all seriously. Plus, it’s pretty funny to see Yagami’s wide-eyed, speechless expression. “Sure, conspiracy theories are one thing, but that’s pretty out there. If you believe it, I’ve gotta believe it.”
“…I thought convincing you would be the hardest part.” Tak finally, finally looks his age, years of worry sliding off him.
“I figured you’re hard enough to convince.” It’s nice seeing him smile again.
“As for what you can do…” Tak trails off, then shrugs. “Not sure, but I’ll think of something. Just you knowing is a big weight off my mind. For now, we shouldn’t make them wait too long or they’ll make us pay for drinks.”
Kaito matches his smile. “Nah, we wouldn’t make you pay. You’re broke as shit.”
Yagami protests all the way there.
