Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Bungo Stray Dogs, its characters, or the franchise. This is fanfiction after all.
Story: Atsushi continues to bond and connect with her newfound father, and slowly begins to be introduced and meet her new family. Francis just continues to support and be a good signficant other, while being dragged into the family matters himself. Agency and Guild antics included in that. In other words, moments where Atsushi and her families develop together and their relationships grow.
Set as a slice of life, future-ish fic, set somewhere after season 3 of the anime.
Spoilers: Maybe.
Warnings: Age disparity. Mild implied sexual situations.
Pairings: Francis Fitzgerald/Fem!Atsushi
Family
Chapter One: Lunch Dates
"You've had how many lunches with her by now?" his wife asked in amusement.
Hirohito frowned at her before straightening his cuffs again and then his tie. "Three. This will be our fourth."
"So things seem to be going well?" Kikuyo said and he grimaced, which made her raise her eyebrows.
"It's…" he started out. "Not bad. But not as well developed as I'd hope it'd be by now."
"How so?" she asked, sitting down by him and looking at him curiously.
He sighed and sat down as well, straightening his cuffs again. "We're talking and getting to know each other, but I do not believe the ice has been broken. She's…still pretty wary around me and I also have trouble talking to her."
Kikuyo took his hand and patted it comfortingly. "Ah, but dear, you've always had trouble not being stiff. You were raised that way."
"So were you," he grumbled but she just laughed.
"No, I was raised to be gentle and soft-spoken. I'm a woman after all —can't be allowed to speak over my husband," she said, fully amused now.
Hirohito rolled his eyes. "She wasn't raised like that at all."
"Good for her," Kikuyo said firmly. "At least she's able to speak freely and of her own mind. Now let me see your picture of her again!"
She took his phone from him before he could say anything, searching up Atsushi's picture. Kikuyo cooed at her.
"She's so pretty," she sighed dreamily. "Oh, I've always wanted a daughter! When do you think she'd be ready to meet me and your sons?"
Hirohito was unsure. "Probably not soon. The two of us have barely started speaking after all and I don't want to push her yet."
Kikuyo actually pouted. "Well, make sure you let her know about us and show her a picture of us soon then! You have to start somewhere after all."
"Hai, hai," he stood up with her following.
He kissed her on the cheek and bid her farewell, and then headed out towards his daughter's workplace, where a café was conveniently placed underneath it. It was even more convenient and lucky that her place of work was near to his as well, which meant he could drop by and have lunch with her frequently. It would most definitely help the two of them bond and see each other more at least.
To Hirohito's surprise, he saw Fitzgerald walking towards the café's entrance, focused on typing on his phone at the same time. By the time he reached the door, so did the tall American. The two of them glanced at each other, hands on the door. Hirohito would like to think he was tall for a Japanese, but Fitzgerald was still much taller than him.
"Fujiwara," Fitzgerald greeted nonchalantly, face indifferent.
"Fitzgerald-san," he nodded towards the other and he pushed the door open first. Fitzgerald stepped aside and let him through first and he walked in, already searching out his daughter.
The sunlight baring down on her, Atsushi was beautiful and serene in its light, making him inwardly soften and wish again that he'd known about her sooner.
Fitzgerald walked passed him and he also started walking, heading towards her and trying not to look as stern as he usually was. To his surprise and consternation, Fitzgerald also stopped before his daughter and the two men paused and stared at each other unsurely.
"Are you…having lunch with Atsushi?"
"Are you?" he found himself blurting out and a light blush raised on his cheeks.
"Are you two going to sit down? My lunch break will end up ending soon," they heard Atsushi complain and after one last look at each other, both men sat down at the booth, with Fitzgerald next to her and Hirohito opposite them.
"You didn't tell me you were having lunch with your father, Atsushi," Fitzgerald said stiffly, eying Hirohito. Hirohito stared back.
"Hm? I didn't think it was a big deal," Atsushi said, browsing the menu. "I've been having lunch with him so we can get to know each other and you and I usually have our breaks together, even if we haven't in awhile. I figure having lunch with both of you will break a stone with two birds."
"Ah, that's not quite the expression," Fitzgerald said while Hirohito blinked. Atsushi looked at them curiously. "It's 'kill two birds with one stone.'"
"Oh," she laughed and scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Right. You get what I mean. I can spend time with Otou-san and keep getting to know him, and I get to have lunch with you again, Francis."
Hirohito caught that. So the two were close enough to even be on first name basis with each other. It was one thing for Fitzgerald to keep calling on Atsushi so familiarly; he was American and seemed the overly familiar type. On the other hand, Atsushi was Japanese and had learned her proper manners, so that she also called on Fitzgerald familiarly and seemed used to doing so said a lot about their relationship.
Knowing the two were seeing each other was one thing. It was another to see the two like so. Even dating though, Japanese were prone to still being formal, so these two must be very close.
A barista came around and took their order, and it was surprisingly Fitzgerald who got the ball rolling on conversation.
"So, you two have been having lunches, yes? How have those been? Learned lots about each other?" he asked idly, clear blue eyes watching father and daughter.
"They've been really nice," Atsushi smiled widely, though it shocked Hirohito. He hadn't thought she'd been enjoying them. "It's still awkward a bit, but we've been trying really hard and talked lots already so far."
Hirohito couldn't check the smile on his own face, even if it was small. "I've also enjoyed our talks. I was worried you would be put off by the awkwardness."
The two of them, like father like daughter, both found themselves ducking their heads a bit and awkwardly smiling at that. They heard Fitzgerald chuckle, watching them both, though this time contently.
"So sounds like it's all good then," he murmured and Hirohito just realized that Fitzgerald had been prodding for problems and making sure things were okay between them. A bit of wariness entered him, but he was also glad that Fitzgerald was seemingly devoted to Hirohito's daughter's happiness and well-being.
"So how long have you two known each other?" he asked, curious despite also feeling prudent of their relationship.
He also felt wistful and regret that he'd been out of her life so long, that he didn't really have the right to interfere with the relationship and be as openly protective as he'd like. Even if Fitzgerald was already protective enough on Atsushi's behalf (more than Hirohito could ever be) and clearly didn't need to be protected against, Hirohito would've liked to have acted like a proper father should in regards to having his daughter dating someone (much less an obviously older man, who was not even Japanese).
The two of them looked at each other. "A little over a year, maybe?" she said uncertainly.
"Closer to maybe a year and a half," Fitzgerald mused. "And seeing each other for at least a few months. Not that long really, but we'd known each other longer and were friends longer than that."
"We were enemies and then allies, before we were anything else," she smirked and Fitzgerald shrugged good-naturedly. "Not my fault you were being difficult in being captured."
"And somehow we still became friends after you put that bounty on me!" she teased
"You mean more like after I beat the crap out of you," he snarked back.
Hirohito froze and stared at the two. "Wait…what?"
The two blinked and then glanced at each other. Atsushi giggled nervously while Fitzgerald coughed awkwardly.
"It's a long story?" she said while Fitzgerald rolled his eyes.
"Atsushi, as much as it amuses you and it's become an inside joke to introduce how we 'became' friends, I think it's best to refrain on saying so in front of unwitting strangers, especially newly found fathers," Fitzgerald deadpanned and Hirohito was still trying to quickly process all this.
Fitzgerald sighed deeply. "Well, it all started like this —myself finding out about something called The Book and searching for it…"
Hirohito couldn't help the muted horror and fascination he felt, as he listened to them talk about their meeting and the whole thing with the fall of that giant airship awhile ago, or the lead up to their current relationship.
In the end, he couldn't help but watch Fitzgerald in a whole other light, and a lot more wariness and caution than he'd had before, knowing a lot more of what this man was capable of. Just to think, if things had gone wrong between him and Atsushi (even if he couldn't help it or didn't want it so), this man would've probably made sure that he was utterly destroyed in some way…
Still, as he started to leave when he realized his lunch break would be over, he glanced back at the couple.
"Your lunch break will be over too!"
"I'm the boss! I can have however long a break I want!"
"My break is going to be over!"
"Fukuzawa won't give a shit if you hold out on a few more minutes!"
"Francis!"
Fitzgerald grinned, nothing he'd yet seen on the younger man (carefree and more genuinely relaxed and happy), and leaned forward to kiss Atsushi several times. Atsushi, who blushed and smiled shyly, and kissed back so, so happy with that man.
Ah, their past might've been a bleak one, but they'll have a happier future together.
When work was over and he'd headed home, he was pleased to find a texted greeting of 'good night' from his daughter, and was relieved that things were definitely progressing well between them after all. Heading home in time for a late supper, he greeted his three sons and his wife contently and cleaned up.
He also, at that moment, realized what Fitzgerald had meant about Atsushi having 'high expectations' because of the American. Hearing about the man's love and care for his family, to the point where he'd insanely was willing to burn down an entire city…
It's not like Atsushi would want exactly that, but Hirohito could understand that maybe she'd wanted that same kind of intensity and level of devotion, especially if he could hear the unhappy tones in regards to his daughter's past. He was glad that the man could show that same passion for his daughter, even if it was a different kind of love.
Holding onto his phone in debate, he then pushed through his uncertainty and called her up.
"H-hello?"
"Hello," he said. There was a weird pause between them then, but he again pushed through. "I just finished work and was about to have supper. I thought…I thought I should call you first and ask about your day…?"
For a moment, she was silent and he waited anxiously.
"I-it was really good!" she then said, excitement echoing her tone. "I had to work with Ranpo-san today and we worked with the police…"
He listened as she talked happily about her day, and felt pretty relieved and grateful to the American that had become so devoted to Hirohito's daughter that he'd wanted to make her happy by finding her father and reuniting them.
Hirohito did apparently have big shoes to fill and 'unrealistic, high expectations' to do his best to live up to because of Fitzgerald though.
Started 7/11/21 — Completed 7/11/21
A/n: Ack! It's been a while, huh? I'll be doing my best to update today and this week, so hopefully I can push through and get things done :)
