takutomaruki | HOME/LAB [maruki family thread tracker]

"Good morning, Da-- Doc!" Oops, almost forgot to correct himself. Hopefully, he didn't notice... "I'm working in the kitchen!"

Indeed, if Maruki were to step into the kitchen, he'd find it completely transformed: every inch scrubbed sparkling clean from top to bottom, all the drawers and cabinets organized, all the tools and implements either in use or neatly tucked away with a few completely new ones besides. Morning happily did this all this morning, and is currently hovering over the stove with a stovetop coffee pot, tending to the freshly-ground beans under its lid.

Maruki, thankfully still disoriented from the drowsiness of his own sleep didn’t catch the little slip up.

He walked past and made his way to the living room. Eyes follow the askew couch as he turns away and offers a slight smile. "So it seems," he makes his way to the kitchen and that's when he sees its tranformed state. The sheer neatness of the places catches him off guard, a man who like his own bumbling clumsy self had a kitchen of his own set up.

Boy, that smell of coffee...

"You have been...busy, huh?" He makes a quiet sound.The countertops gleamed, their surfaces spotless, and every tool, utensil, and gadget seemed to have found a rightful place in this new order. Even the cabinets had been reorganized—doors slightly ajar, revealing impeccably arranged rows of plates and bowls.

His eyes widened as he gave an awkward laugh, raising his hands in a gesture of faint disbelief. “I-I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place look...this clean. Or this organized."

Akira grins, still in his PJs, eyes free from any sadness or pain. "I could tell. Dad was the same way...I got into the habit of cleaning up after getting a job at LeBlanc!"

Humming with happiness at the praise, Akira moves to pour coffee into a mug, then pauses. "You seem like you're in a hurry this morning...want this in a tumbler?"

Maruki’s fingers twitched at his sides, his gaze lingering on Akira as the boy moved around the kitchen. The mention of LeBlanc nestled uncomfortably in the back of his mind. LeBlanc.

his Akira had spent his probation there, hadn’t he? The memory surfaced, sharp and vivid, of another time, another world. He couldn’t help but wonder—was this just a coincidence? Or something else entirely? Better

His thoughts trailed as Akira reached for the coffee pot, the question about the tumbler hanging in the air. Maruki shook his head slightly, raising a hand to wave him off. “Oh, no, no. The last time I tried carrying coffee in a tumbler, I ended up spilling it all over my shirt,” he said, chuckling sheepishly.

“It was... not one of my finer moments.” He glanced down at himself as though reliving the embarrassment. “I think I’ll just drink it here, if you don’t mind. Besides…” He gestured vaguely toward Akira, a lopsided smile forming. “I know that place from my world. Leblanc has one of the best coffees I have ever had sooo I’d like to see if that job of yours has taught you to strike gold.”

With that, Maruki turned his attention to the cabinets. His morning routine always started with his trusty snacks, and he automatically opened the first cabinet where he usually stashed them. His hand paused mid-reach as his eyes scanned the shelves.

The snacks weren’t there.

He blinked, closing the cabinet and opening the one next to it. Still nothing. A slight frown tugged at his lips as he checked another cabinet, only to find it filled with neatly organized jars and spices—none of which belonged to him.
“Don’t tell me you ate my snacks, did you?” he asked, his voice tinged with lighthearted disbelief. He gestured vaguely toward the empty cabinet, his hand lingering in the air as though the missing items might magically reappear. “They were right here yesterday. What happened to them? Did they… get caught up in your cleaning frenzy?”

Akira preens at the compliment, pouring his not-Dad a mug of the finest coffee he could brew on short notice, then rolls his eyes. "No, D-Doc. I didn't eat all your snacks. They're over...here!" He pops open the cabinet just beside him to reveal Maruki's wealth of snacking material. "Didn't touch a single one, I promise!"
A pause. "Dad kept his favorites in his room when I was little. I'd eat through them too fast for him to have any if he left them in the cabinet." He chuckles and hands the mug to Not-Dad. "I'm still working on labelling everything."

Maruki let out a dramatic sigh of relief, stepping over to the newly designated snack drawer with the kind of urgency one might expect from a man reuniting with a long-lost friend. He pulled it open, eyes sweeping over the familiar sight of his collection, and quickly grabbed a few choice packets. Without hesitation, he stuffed some into his pocket before tearing open a pack of mochi, the soft texture giving under his fingers as he pulled one free and took a quick bite of it. Was it unhealthy to just have this as his breakfast? Perhaps but that's why he has leftovers for college and cooks later during the evening or night.

Then, he turned, holding out the piece in offering.

Akira’s nostalgic comment made him pause mid-motion. His gaze flickered to the young man’s face. Maruki’s hand hesitated, his fingers tightening slightly on the snack as he considered it—then, with a quiet chuckle, he extended it again. "I am kidding."

“Guess I’ll have to keep an eye on my stash, then,” he mused.

Maruki exhaled and leaned against the counter, glancing around the spotless kitchen. His fingers tapped idly against the edge of the counter before he waved vaguely at the space around them. “You know, you really don’t have to go through all this effort,” he said, voice dipping just slightly in embarrassment. “I, uh… I like the—”

A pause. His lips pursed slightly.

“..The organized mess?” he finished not sure if he was making the best case for himself. He reached for his coffee, lifting it for a sip. “Gives the place a bit of character. Surely you could spend your time doing something else instead?”

Akira hums, turning to his work. "I'm sure I could simplify things...put things back where they were -- or closer to where they were at least..." with a furrowed brow, he starts taking the carefully-stacked plates out of the once-snack-cabinet and onto the countertop.

"Oh. Thanks." As an afterthought, he takes the piece of mochi with a sideways bow and pops the piece of mochi into his mouth, and heads right back into reorganizing. "I just wanted to show you my appreciation for comforting me last night. Even though I know you're not the same as my dad."

Edited 2025-01-29 19:37 (UTC)

Maruki followed Akira’s movements with feigned interest, unsure of what his play was. Maybe he was just this charitable in general. Or maybe… he still didn’t feel entirely comfortable. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had kept their hands busy to fill the silence while speaking to him, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

He sipped his coffee, watching as Akira carefully moved plates back onto the countertop, his motions fluid, practised—like someone who had done this a thousand times before. It was strange, this feeling creeping up on him. The presence of someone else in his home—especially someone who wore the face of him, of Akira Kurusu, the young man who had once stood before him with unshakable resolve—was unsettling in a way he couldn't quite put into words.

For five, maybe six years, he had lived alone. And now, nearly a week had passed with someone else sharing his space, his kitchen, his mornings.

"That's—" The words barely made it past his lips before Akira’s reason settled in, catching him mid-sip.

"...Akira-kun."

His fingers tightened slightly around the handle of his mug.

"You don’t need to do any of that to show your appreciation," he said slowly, uncertainty threading through his voice.

He used to be a therapist too after all or even did internships and mentorships outside of his own course. While Azathoth's...assistance usually prevented any sort of actual crash out, he's studied enough to know how to comfort the heart.

He hesitated, the unspoken words sitting heavy on his tongue—I’m surprised you haven’t left yet.

Because, truthfully, he was.

It hadn’t been him who put Akira to bed last night—it had been Azathoth. That thing inside of him, the being whose voice still curled around his thoughts when the night was too quiet. It had cradled Akira with the ease of someone who knew exactly how to lull a troubled heart into rest. Not him.

And yet, here Akira was, in his kitchen, saying he had helped him.

Maruki's chest felt tight.

"-Did you sleep alright after all that?"

"I don't need to do anything, Da- Doc," he snorts with teenage humor, lightly, chuckling. "I wanted to. You did something nice for me and I wanted to do something nice for you!"

Akira takes the coffee pot off the stove and flicks the heating element off. "I slept just fine! Thanks for putting me to bed...I was really out of it, huh..." The snacks are piling back into where they once were. "I had great dreams! And uh."

He turns to look at Dr. Maruki. "Not gonna lie...I couldn't find a clean mug when I came in here this morning. I couldn't find a clean anything."

For all his guilt and self-doubt, Maruki couldn't quite suppress the tiny flicker of satisfaction that bloomed in his chest. So, in some way, he had helped. Even if it hadn’t been him entirely—just the mere fact that Akira had woken up looking brighter, feeling better, that alone felt like some small victory. A quiet, guilty pleasure he refused to examine too closely.

Instead, he took another sip of coffee, using it as an excuse to school his expression into something more neutral.

And then—

"Not gonna lie... I couldn't find a clean mug when I came in here this morning. I couldn't find a clean anything."

Maruki stiffened slightly.

"...Ah."

A beat of silence.

He cleared his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, before offering the most dignified excuse he could muster.

"I, uh—well, you see... assignments. Lab reports. That sort of thing." He gestured vaguely in the direction of his study, as if the sheer weight of academia could excuse the state of his kitchen. "Takes up a lot of time."

Edited 2025-01-30 01:33 (UTC)

"Of course!" Akira beams, taking a sip of his own coffee. "You have very important work! But that was my. Other reason. For cleaning up. It wasn't totally out of the goodness of my heart." He grins.

Oh, he just...bought his excuse?

"Yeah, I just didn't find the time to really focus on my place, I guess," he sheepishly rubs the back of his neck as he savours the coffee once more. "Sometimes I just settle down in my lab for a whole week but that point aside-"

"We might have to figure out a way to split chores for the future." Ah, he remembers the joys and the slight pains when he and Rumi moved into their shared Tokyo apartment fresh out of high school- unprepared for just how...'well' they would match each other's patience when they became roommates. They ended up taking a short break because of that too. "Hmm...? Do I even have enough dishes for two of us in the long run...don't think so."

As he starts thinking all too deeply, he sets the mug aside but its dangerously close to the edge.

"Your work is super important," Akira nods, a little too intently; with a sip of his coffee, he goes back to normal. "Well, everything is free here, so we won't have any problem finding more! I'm definitely getting more food today, too...lots to do..."

My work...

Maruki's lips quirk up. Just the slightest bit. For some reason, he was only slightest getting used to Morning's little perks.

"I might look around in Kappabashi then," he hums as he fixes his gaze on the floor as he pops another mochi into his mouth. "Maybe work on more recipes...after finishing the practical. Oh."

The practical.

He looks at his watch then closes his eyes in deep thought. Or something like he was trying to ignore just how late he truly was.

He quickly grabs the coffee, the ceramic clinking against the edge that the coffee sloshes inside but thankfully none of it spills.

"Wait!" Morning calls out, rushing forward and slipping something into Da- Doc's lab pocket. "There. A snack for the road!"

Maruki stops for a moment, looking back as Morning rushes and watches the snack disappear into his coat pocket. His eyes widen for a moment, speechless before he offers a quick smile and finishes the last of the coffee from his mug. "I really appreciate it, Akira-kun. And I also appreciate the coffee by the way, its exactly what I needed this morning," he continues as he places the mug back on the table and adjusts his collar.

"Say...message me what you want for dinner. I will buy some groceries along the way, alright?"

"Gonna cook it with your phD in setting water on fire?" Akira laughs. "I'll take care of it. Promise."

"Wha-"

"Oh that's hilarious," he starts and waves his hand. "I cook rather well actually, thank you." He grabs his bag and throws the strap over the shoulder. He quickly goes to the front to wear his shoes and remembers he should probably give the key to him. He usually just comes home through the window or something-

"No, can't do," he urges. "And if you don't message me I will call you."

"I'll believe it when I see it," he tsks, skeptical. "See you later, Dadctor Maruki! Have a good day at school and work!"

Maruki couldn't suppress his grin at Morning's skepticism but he lets it slide. He will simply prove him wrong.

"Dadctor?" He raises a brow before snorting to himself and waving back—considerably brightening from last night's events. "Anyways, I will see you in a bit. Message me or call me if anything happens and...maybe go out. Find others here. Don't stay cooped here for too long, alright? That's my job."

"I thought your job was ending all pain in the world?" Morning teases, but pushes his Not-Dad towards the door. "Have fun!"

HOME/LAB [maruki family thread tracker]

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