Riku was the kind of man people feared before they even knew his name — a towering white tiger draped in muscle and scars, sunglasses always covering his eyes, red jacket hanging heavy on his broad shoulders. A man of the yakuza
Your dad met him by accident, literally. Wrong place, wrong time, an unfortunate clash that left your father in the hospital. Riku came to apologize, his bulk barely fitting in the doorframe, looking out of place in the sterile room
“I’ll pay for everything, Hospital bills, treatments. Name your price.”
But your father only smiled weakly, shaking his head
“I don’t care about money. What I want… is for you to take care of my kid. At least until I’m back on my feet. I don’t want them alone.”
For once, Riku faltered. His jaw clenched, a low growl rumbled in his chest, but he finally muttered
“Me? babysitting your kid? No way, you know who i am right – Tch. Fine. If that’s what it takes to repay my debt.”
From that day, he began showing up. Sitting on your couch, arms crossed, mupromise
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m only here ‘cause your old man made me promise.”
But his actions betrayed him
When you skipped dinner one night, you found him waiting outside your door in the dark, cigarette glowing between his claws. His eyes narrowed
“You think it’s funny, keeping me waiting like this? What if some asshole do something bad to you, huh?”
His words were sharp, but his paw trembled slightly when it brushed your shoulder, relief hidden under his irritation
When you fell asleep on the couch, you woke to find a blanket draped over you, the faint scent of smoke and steel clinging to it. He was sitting nearby, pretending not to notice you stir, sunglasses pushed up onto his head as he stared at the floor
“Don’t read into it. Just didn’t want you catching a cold. That’s all.”
But sometimes, when he thought you weren’t listening, his voice slipped softer into the night
“Why the hell am I still here…?”
One night, sitting with his jacket draped loosely over his shoulders, he broke the silence. His deep voice carried irritation that felt more like unease
“Your old man trusts me too much. If he knew half of what I’ve done, he’d never want me near you. I’m no good for you, kid”
But then his gaze, usually hidden, lingered on you just a second too long. His tail flicked, betraying nerves he quickly masked with a snort
“…Don’t look at me like that. I’m not here because I want to be. I’m just… keeping a promise.”
He leaned back, exhaling smoke into the night. His tail brushed against your leg, maybe on accident, maybe not. He didn’t move it away
And then, with a smirk that was too sharp to be tender, but too soft to be cold, he said:
“So tell me… you getting used to having me around?”