takutomaruki | HOME/LAB [maruki family thread tracker]

Maruki’s breath caught in his throat as Akira leaned into him, the boy’s weight light but grounding, his words softer than the stillness of the night.

"Thank you for helping me."

Words he never thought he would hear again once he stepped foot here.

The corners of Morning's mouth curling slightly made Maruki’s heart twist.

The boy’s gaze...it wasn’t just gratitude. It wasn’t just exhaustion. It was trust. Absolute trust. And it was unbearable.

Maruki’s hand flinched again, this time retreating from Akira’s cheek to rest lightly on his shoulder. He couldn’t hold that gaze any longer. Not when every fiber of his being screamed that he didn’t deserve it.

~~don’t look at me like that don’t trust me I don’t deserve it how could you~~
~~not after what I’ve done after what I couldn’t do not after what another me must’ve done to you I’m worthless I’m nothing I don’t deserve this~~

The words hit him like a punch to the chest, sharp and unrelenting. Two women. Broken glass. Sirens.

Akira’s mother. Rumi.

His grip on the boy’s shoulder tightened just slightly, steadying both of them. The image of Rumi’s face flashed in his mind, her voice lost in a scream that echoed endlessly in the dark corners of his memory.

And yet, despite the turmoil raging inside him, Maruki managed a faint smile—his usual gentle, reassuring expression. It was reflexive, automatic, a mask he had worn so many times it felt second nature.

"You don’t need to thank me," he said softly, his voice tinged with a subtle waver he hoped Akira wouldn’t notice. "I’m just glad I was here to help."

When Akira’s weight fully slumped against him, murmuring about being tired but not wanting to be alone, Maruki’s composure faltered again.

His free hand hovered awkwardly, unsure of what to do. He couldn’t let the boy fall asleep like this. "Akira," he began, his tone gently firm as he fought to steady himself. "You can’t just sleep here in the hallway."

Don't expect me to carry you to your room, damn it.

He gently shifted Akira, helping him sit up straighter.

"Come on," he said, his voice softening again. "How about we...get you some water? You’ve been through a lot tonight, and I need to check for any signs of a concussion because I am not- sure if you fell but its better to be safe." He offered.

"Hnnn...?" Akira blinks, looking up at Dr. Maruki hazily. "I...fell? Ok..." he lets out a big yawn, though, and tries to get up, leaning heavily on Maruki.

"Dad checked me for concussions a lot when I was young..." he mumbles with a smile. "Any little tap and he'd be there, checking my pupil dilation..." a chuckle. "Some things don't change..."

Dad checked me for concussions...

He swallowed hard, his hand steadying Akira by the shoulder as he helped him rise. The boy’s chuckle and fond tone stirred something in Maruki, something that felt both achingly distant and too close for comfort.

Some things don’t change, Akira had said. But Maruki wasn’t his dad. He wasn’t anything like the man Akira was remembering with such affection. The thought made his stomach twist.

Still, he was quietly thankful for the shift in topic. The earlier tension—Akira’s trust, that overwhelming, undeserved gaze—was more than he could handle for another second.

Maruki raised a brow, the faintest hint of a teasing smirk pulling at his lips as he seized the opportunity to lighten the mood. “You sound like you’ve had a lot of practice with bumps and bruises. Should I be concerned about your clumsiness, Akira?” His tone was soft, a teasing edge giving it a gentle warmth.

As Akira leaned heavily against him, Maruki took a careful step back, steadying the boy but subtly encouraging him to stand more on his own. He crouched slightly to catch Akira’s gaze, a playful glint in his tired eyes. “Come on, let’s see you try standing on your own. You don’t want me to bring out the stethoscope out of concern, do you? Because I will. I’ll even grab the full medical kit if I have to.”

Akira lets out a long, dramatic groan through a grin on his face. "Not the stethoscope of concern..." he is, apparently, very well-acquainted with this stethoscope of concern. "He was just a worrywart. 'M not clums--"

Oh. Fffffrick. What's that thing on the floor?? His foot was not supposed to land like that--! He tilts forward before righting himself. "--not clumsy. Normally, anyway..." a sheepish laugh. "The pediatric nurses had to tell him to stop bringing me in every time I "felt a little hot" or something, apparently..."

He toes the object, tired but curious. "What's this for?" He squints, trying to see.

Edited 2025-01-17 02:08 (UTC)

Maruki pales slightly when Akira actually falters for a moment and he is there, almost in a second's haste before realising that it was a minor slip-up. He raises a brow, thoroughly amused as he joins in on the laugh. "Sure, Morning. Whatever you say~"

The little nostalgic tidbits were appreciated, however. They gave him insight into how he handled parenting, and judging from how this Morning's father acted, perhaps he didn't need a blood test after all.

However, his concerns were vanquished when he looked down at the object that Morning skidded on.

He froze this time, looking down to stare at the gun glinting under the light pouring through Maruki's room. Breath catching in his throat, he brought his own foot down- wearing a slipper as he pushed the weapon aside. "Oh, I was just worried someone tried to hurt you-" he stops when he blinks at his question.

"You...don't know what a gun is for?"

"It's a gun?!" Morning yelps, eyes wide, immediately flinching backwards. "I know what guns are! I wasn't expecting to step on one!!"

"Oh."

Maruki moves away slightly to the right as he casually kicks away at the gun as it makes its way past his door's threshold and reveals itself to be in fact- a proper revolver.

One that the doctor would have to pull a lot of strings for. He shuts the door so Akira doesn't get any further glimpses of his room.

"Sorry, I...thought someone might have broken in. I know this isn't America or anything... but I try not to take my chances here."

Edited 2025-01-17 18:36 (UTC)

"How dangerous is it here?!"

"It doesn't have to be real people," Maruki slowly adds. "Let's just say I am starting to realize that a lot of people, especially the ones I have seen do come here for a reason."

"Let's just leave it at that, alright?"

Well, Akira is completely distracted from his nightmare -- unfortunately, he's now worrying about random people trying to kill him on the street. He shuffles closer to Da-- Dr. Maruki.

"Okay-!" -and he's already shifting closer to him. Great job, Maruki. Maybe you should have slept this off.

"I also didn't have a roommate for half a decade so...I am just a little unnerved if I hear someone else in my apartment aside from me in the dead of the night. You are safe, Akira-kun. No one's going to hurt you."

"Mmk. I trust you." He still looks worried, but he nudges forward, heading to the kitchen table. "I get it. I'm sorry."

Maruki levels him a careful look, eyes drawn together as he finds himself growing more taut with those words.

He moves onward, running his fingers across the switches mounted on the wall to illuminate the place a little. "No, I am-" he stops, his apology frozen on his lips as he curls his fist tightly. This is not how he should be dealing with this situation. He needs to get his shit together!

"Again," he starts as he moves past him and gestures ahead at the small dining table. "That was a normal reaction. A world where people have to carry guns to keep themselves safe," he shakes his head and moves onward- grabbing a glass tumbler and turning on the faucet. "...that’s a nightmare I won't wish for anyone."

"We make only good dreams come true," Akira murmurs, nodding, repeating what Dad told him once upon a time. "Right. I...thank you."

He sits down at the kitchen table and another wave of sheer exhaustion breaks over him. Immediately, he's slumping over, resting his head on his arms.

Maruki stood by the sink, watching the water rise steadily in the glass tumbler. The quiet sound of the faucet filled the room, blending with Akira's soft, tired murmuring. "Good dreams... yes," Maruki said gently, his voice carrying a wistful edge. "Even if others can’t accept them at first, we should still do our best to help them." His smile lingered, faint but sincere, as he turned off the faucet and turned back to the kitchen table.

As he set the glass down in front of Akira, Maruki immediately noticed the boy slumped over, his head resting on his folded arms. His eyes softened at the sight, a fond huff following through. He reached out and ruffled Akira's hair lightly, careful not to startle him. "You know," he said quietly, a touch of amusement in his tone, "we should’ve done this back in your room. I don’t know why it didn’t even click for me."

Maruki’s own exhaustion was catching up to him; he stifled a yawn, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. A glance at the clock on the wall confirmed it—2:35 a.m. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I’m not exactly operating at full capacity right now," he admitted with a soft chuckle.

"Occupational hazard when you have an insomniac streak, I guess."

"Only the best dreams for everyone." Akira leans into the head ruffle, just a bit. "Glad I didn' get that from you..." he mumbles. "'M always in bed on time..." He cranes his neck up just enough to take a sip of water. come back to us, dreamer. come back.

Maruki’s smile quirked faintly at the edges as Akira—no, Morning, he reminded himself—leaned into the ruffle. The soft texture of the boy’s black hair beneath his fingers was grounding, though the warmth it stirred was quickly overshadowed by the familiar sting of guilt. He averted his gaze, his hand dropping back to his side

~~Fixing him requires fixing yourself. And you know better than anyone, don’t you, that you are...unworthy of such a task.~~

The exhaustion pressing down on him was relentless, but it was familiar territory, and Maruki moved through it with practiced ease. He pulled out a chair and sank into the seat next to Morning, the creak of the wood sounding loud in the quiet kitchen. As he sat, his gaze softened, watching the boy tilt his head to sip from the glass he’d placed there moments earlier.

The instant should Morning set the glass down, Maruki would leaned forward, an instinct overriding his fatigue. “Hold still a moment, Morning,” he murmured, his tone gentle but insistent. His eyes carefully scanned the boy’s face and movements, noting the droop of his eyelids and the slight flush to his cheeks.

“Hmm...” Maruki tilted his head, his hand hovering briefly as though considering whether to check for fever or something else. "Something's off..."

Morning lets out a yawn. It would've been big, but he doesn't have the energy for that. His words are slow, slurred, and monotone. "I'll stay awake...just a few more moments...just for you, Dad..."

Each little cloudy exhale drags him deeper down into a peaceful, warm bed of a loving embrace, but...Dad needs him. He holds his head up and perfectly still against the pressing weight of the universe and the pulling drag of sleep. His eyes focus nowhere, just as still as the rest of him.

Maruki leaned in, his expression soft with concern as he carefully observed Morning’s face. His eyes tracked the boy’s pupils, the slow blink of his eyelids, and the way his shoulders drooped under the weight of exhaustion. “Just a little longer,” he murmured, almost absently, as though trying to reassure them both.

But then Morning went still. Too still. His head remained upright, his body unnaturally rigid despite the heavy pull of fatigue he’d displayed moments earlier. Maruki frowned, confusion flashing across his face. “Morning?” he called gently, tilting his head to get a better look at the boy’s unfocused eyes.

That’s when the unease crept in.

The faint flush of his cheeks, the listless expression, the way his body didn’t so much as sway or flinch—it all set off alarm bells in Maruki’s mind. His breath hitched, and his hand froze mid-motion before trembling faintly. “Morning,” he said again, louder this time, urgency sharpening his voice.

"I can hear you." He stays still and calm, breathing like a machine. "Just a lil longer, right? I'm tired..."

When Morning broke the silence, Maruki finally backed away and pulled his composure to what he knew best. With a disarming smile, he offered him space again and chuckled lightly- however it sounded far more nervous and jittery then before.

"No, its alright. You're fine," he waves his hand in clear dismissal, lying through his teeth. "Go get some sleep. You really do look like you need it."

And just like that, the last strings of his puppetry cut with razor-sharp scissors, he flops right into his elbows and falls fast asleep, passing out right on the table.

Maruki's face falls.

"What the hell...no, I didn't mean here I-" The doctor fumbled over his own word as he shook his head in disbelief as he shakes him. Gently of course, but regardless of that it is him shaking the other while trying to pretend all of this is normal. "Hey morning, how about you go to sleep in your room? I am sure the bed is far more comfortable than the table-"

Morning doesn't wake up, solidly snoring away under the shakes.

HOME/LAB [maruki family thread tracker]

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end of cr 1 where i try to figure out what will morning be to maruki's confidant list