Warnings: Cursing? Dangerous driving, dangerous kids?? idk 1280 words (I cannot belev)
ngl, I had so much fun writing this.
Fukutomi waits until Arakita’s finished two bepsis and half of his food before he asks.
“Arakita.”
“What, Fuku-chan? You’ve barely touched your apple pie, something wrong?”
“Arakita. I have a favor to ask of you.”
Arakita pauses mid-bite and raises an eyebrow at Fukutomi as if to say Okay, go on?
“I have some important cargo that needs transporting and you’re the only one I trust to do the job.”
The word trust startles Arakita and he reaches for his bespi to ground him. Biting on the straw, he take a moment to eye up Fukutomi before he slides the glass back on the table.
“Well, I am the best in the business.” He crosses his arms, smirking. “And since ya trust me so much, who am I to turn down a job from the great Fuku-chan? I’ll take it on, for free too.”
The corners of Fukutomi’s lips twitch in a smile and his shoulders relax.
“Thank you, Arakita. I knew I could count on you.”
-
Usually, when Arakita takes on jobs, it’s simple work.
Transport some important files here. Deliver this piece of art here. Take this hard drive across the country here. Easy simple jobs that let him crank up his favorite music on the radio and enjoy the solitude of driving alone on a long trip.
What he never, ever, has done is escort jobs.
And as he stares at the two kids in front of him, Arakita clearly remembers why.
“Fuku-chan, you fucking owe me.”
“Arakita-san~” The one called Ma- Mana- Mama-something calls out with a smile. “That’s a bad word you just said~ Right, Sakamichi?”
The smaller, quieter boy (Arakita likes him more already) looks over at Mama-something, then at Arakita, then hugs the stuffed lamb he has. Meekly, without looking at anyone, he nods in agreement.
“Arakita-san~ You should watch your language! We’re only kids~ We absorb things fast.”
Mama-something smiles sweetly and Arakita’s left with the desire to destroy something.
Fuku-chan fucking OWES him.
-
Normally, whenever Arakita drives, he prefers to leave the windows down. He likes the breeze of the wind more than the dry air of the AC. Also, last week the controls on his windows broke, so he doesn’t have much of a choice but to keep the windows down and pray it doesn’t rain before he gets them fixed.
However, with two kids in his car and one in particular that seemingly has a death wish, Arakita regrets not getting them fixed before this job.
“MANAMI, I SWEAR TO GOD, YOU STICK YOUR HEAD OUT THE WINDOW ONE MORE TIME, I’LL KILL YOU MYSELF-”
Manami “Little Shit” Sangaku just laughs, his eyes lighting up at the sight of another truck on the highway. He moves closer to the window, curling both hands around the open edge.
“MANAMI SANGAKU-”
With Onoda crying and pressing himself as far away from Manami in fear, Arakita’s left to be the one to save this sorry kid’s ass as his head starts to move out the window.
Somehow, without crashing the car, Arakita manages to reach back and yank Manami back in the car and pull him up to the front seat where it's easier to keep a hold on him. With the few seconds of freedom, he manages to light a cigarette to calm his nerves.
“Fuku-chan, you OWE me so much.” He mutters through the filter crushed between his teeth. “SO MUCH.”
“Oh look, Arakita-san!! A TWELVE-WHEELER!”
“MANAMI, NO!”
-
By the time Arakita drives them into the rest stop, he’s almost about to cry like Onoda.
“Here.” He shoves a bunch of money at both of them. “Go get something to eat, I’m going to go to the bathroom.” He doesn’t really have to go, but when he sits in one of the stalls, the few minutes alone is the best thing to happen to him since Shinkai surprised him with a 30-pack of bepsi for his birthday.
Pulling out his phone, he sees that Fuku-chan hasn’t responded or even read any of the messages he’s sent. But apparently Fuku’s talked to Shinkai because there’s a new message waiting that says How goes babysitting?
Arakita chucks his phone to the floor, smiling at the shattering sound it makes.
Then immediately scrambles and regrets everything.
-
He buys himself a power bar and a bepsi before walking back outside.
Looking in the car, he spots a blue lump and a black lump, then slides into the driver’s seat. Both kids are finally sleeping and the silence is golden.
It takes a few more minutes to fill his car up with gas and they’re back on the highway, less than two hours from their destination. Sadly, Manami wakes up only twenty minutes later, with a loud yawn.
“Ah...A-Arakita-san...Where’s Sakamichi?”
“Huh?” Arakita looks in the rearview mirror. “He’s back there with you, sleeping.”
“No, he’s not.”
“Yes, he is.”
“No. He’s not.”
“Yes, he is. I saw him in the car next to you before we left. I have no time for your games, Manami Sangaku.”
Manami frowns...then holds up a huge, black backpack.
“Is this what you saw, Arakita-san?” He asks innocently and Arakita feels all the blood leave his face.
“Oh...FUCK.”
“Language, Arakita-san~”
-
With no phone to use, Arakita makes a few illegal turns and guns it down the highway.
They make it back to rest stop in record time.
Luckily, Onoda’s barely phased. They find him sitting at one of the tables, alone, singing to a bunch of small toys Arakita figures he got from the little vending machines. When Onoda notices them, he smiles widely at them and waves enthusiastically.
“Manami-kun! Arakita-san! Look! I got a special Hime!!”
When Onoda holds up a little princess toy, Arakita actually does cry.
-
After what turns out to be the most stressful day of his life, Arakita finally pulls up to the Toudou Inn, the place where Fuku-chan said he would meet them.
Both Onoda and Manami are asleep in the backseat, for real this time, when he cuts the engine. His body feels exhausted, but he somehow manages to maneuver Manami to his back and Onoda to his arms. Seeing their sleeping faces, he didn’t have the heart to wake them up...somehow.
He walks into the inn and sees Toudou Jinpachi, a friend of Fuku-chan’s that Arakita had the unpleasure of knowing.
“Ah, Arakita!! You’re finally here! Thank you so much for bringing my nephews. I never thought you would actually do me a favor like this…”
“Hah?”
Toudou carefully takes Onoda out of his arms the same moment Manami snuggles closer to Arakita’s back.
“My nephews, Sangaku and Sakamichi. I was too busy with the inn to pick them up from their summer camp, so when Fukutomi said he couldn't do it, he recommended you! You’re truly the best transporter in all of Japan!”
Arakita opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Toudou Jinpachi’s nephews…
Manami sighs against the nape of his neck.
Well. That certainly explains a lot.
Carefully, Arakita sets Manami down on a nearby chair and turns to leave.
“Ah, Arakita!! You should at least stay the night! Enjoy the hot springs, on the house!”
“Nah, a new job just came up. Maybe next time.”
He waves a hand and gets back into his car. Looking at his broken phone, he chugs the rest of his bepsi, lights his second cigarette of the day, and speeds away from the inn.
FILL: TEAM AOYAGI HAJIME/TESHIMA JUNTA, G
ngl, I had so much fun writing this.
Fukutomi waits until Arakita’s finished two bepsis and half of his food before he asks.
“Arakita.”
“What, Fuku-chan? You’ve barely touched your apple pie, something wrong?”
“Arakita. I have a favor to ask of you.”
Arakita pauses mid-bite and raises an eyebrow at Fukutomi as if to say Okay, go on?
“I have some important cargo that needs transporting and you’re the only one I trust to do the job.”
The word trust startles Arakita and he reaches for his bespi to ground him. Biting on the straw, he take a moment to eye up Fukutomi before he slides the glass back on the table.
“Well, I am the best in the business.” He crosses his arms, smirking. “And since ya trust me so much, who am I to turn down a job from the great Fuku-chan? I’ll take it on, for free too.”
The corners of Fukutomi’s lips twitch in a smile and his shoulders relax.
“Thank you, Arakita. I knew I could count on you.”
-
Usually, when Arakita takes on jobs, it’s simple work.
Transport some important files here. Deliver this piece of art here. Take this hard drive across the country here. Easy simple jobs that let him crank up his favorite music on the radio and enjoy the solitude of driving alone on a long trip.
What he never, ever, has done is escort jobs.
And as he stares at the two kids in front of him, Arakita clearly remembers why.
“Fuku-chan, you fucking owe me.”
“Arakita-san~” The one called Ma- Mana- Mama-something calls out with a smile. “That’s a bad word you just said~ Right, Sakamichi?”
The smaller, quieter boy (Arakita likes him more already) looks over at Mama-something, then at Arakita, then hugs the stuffed lamb he has. Meekly, without looking at anyone, he nods in agreement.
“Arakita-san~ You should watch your language! We’re only kids~ We absorb things fast.”
Mama-something smiles sweetly and Arakita’s left with the desire to destroy something.
Fuku-chan fucking OWES him.
-
Normally, whenever Arakita drives, he prefers to leave the windows down. He likes the breeze of the wind more than the dry air of the AC. Also, last week the controls on his windows broke, so he doesn’t have much of a choice but to keep the windows down and pray it doesn’t rain before he gets them fixed.
However, with two kids in his car and one in particular that seemingly has a death wish, Arakita regrets not getting them fixed before this job.
“MANAMI, I SWEAR TO GOD, YOU STICK YOUR HEAD OUT THE WINDOW ONE MORE TIME, I’LL KILL YOU MYSELF-”
Manami “Little Shit” Sangaku just laughs, his eyes lighting up at the sight of another truck on the highway. He moves closer to the window, curling both hands around the open edge.
“MANAMI SANGAKU-”
With Onoda crying and pressing himself as far away from Manami in fear, Arakita’s left to be the one to save this sorry kid’s ass as his head starts to move out the window.
Somehow, without crashing the car, Arakita manages to reach back and yank Manami back in the car and pull him up to the front seat where it's easier to keep a hold on him. With the few seconds of freedom, he manages to light a cigarette to calm his nerves.
“Fuku-chan, you OWE me so much.” He mutters through the filter crushed between his teeth. “SO MUCH.”
“Oh look, Arakita-san!! A TWELVE-WHEELER!”
“MANAMI, NO!”
-
By the time Arakita drives them into the rest stop, he’s almost about to cry like Onoda.
“Here.” He shoves a bunch of money at both of them. “Go get something to eat, I’m going to go to the bathroom.” He doesn’t really have to go, but when he sits in one of the stalls, the few minutes alone is the best thing to happen to him since Shinkai surprised him with a 30-pack of bepsi for his birthday.
Pulling out his phone, he sees that Fuku-chan hasn’t responded or even read any of the messages he’s sent. But apparently Fuku’s talked to Shinkai because there’s a new message waiting that says How goes babysitting?
Arakita chucks his phone to the floor, smiling at the shattering sound it makes.
Then immediately scrambles and regrets everything.
-
He buys himself a power bar and a bepsi before walking back outside.
Looking in the car, he spots a blue lump and a black lump, then slides into the driver’s seat. Both kids are finally sleeping and the silence is golden.
It takes a few more minutes to fill his car up with gas and they’re back on the highway, less than two hours from their destination. Sadly, Manami wakes up only twenty minutes later, with a loud yawn.
“Ah...A-Arakita-san...Where’s Sakamichi?”
“Huh?” Arakita looks in the rearview mirror. “He’s back there with you, sleeping.”
“No, he’s not.”
“Yes, he is.”
“No. He’s not.”
“Yes, he is. I saw him in the car next to you before we left. I have no time for your games, Manami Sangaku.”
Manami frowns...then holds up a huge, black backpack.
“Is this what you saw, Arakita-san?” He asks innocently and Arakita feels all the blood leave his face.
“Oh...FUCK.”
“Language, Arakita-san~”
-
With no phone to use, Arakita makes a few illegal turns and guns it down the highway.
They make it back to rest stop in record time.
Luckily, Onoda’s barely phased. They find him sitting at one of the tables, alone, singing to a bunch of small toys Arakita figures he got from the little vending machines. When Onoda notices them, he smiles widely at them and waves enthusiastically.
“Manami-kun! Arakita-san! Look! I got a special Hime!!”
When Onoda holds up a little princess toy, Arakita actually does cry.
-
After what turns out to be the most stressful day of his life, Arakita finally pulls up to the Toudou Inn, the place where Fuku-chan said he would meet them.
Both Onoda and Manami are asleep in the backseat, for real this time, when he cuts the engine. His body feels exhausted, but he somehow manages to maneuver Manami to his back and Onoda to his arms. Seeing their sleeping faces, he didn’t have the heart to wake them up...somehow.
He walks into the inn and sees Toudou Jinpachi, a friend of Fuku-chan’s that Arakita had the unpleasure of knowing.
“Ah, Arakita!! You’re finally here! Thank you so much for bringing my nephews. I never thought you would actually do me a favor like this…”
“Hah?”
Toudou carefully takes Onoda out of his arms the same moment Manami snuggles closer to Arakita’s back.
“My nephews, Sangaku and Sakamichi. I was too busy with the inn to pick them up from their summer camp, so when Fukutomi said he couldn't do it, he recommended you! You’re truly the best transporter in all of Japan!”
Arakita opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Toudou Jinpachi’s nephews…
Manami sighs against the nape of his neck.
Well. That certainly explains a lot.
Carefully, Arakita sets Manami down on a nearby chair and turns to leave.
“Ah, Arakita!! You should at least stay the night! Enjoy the hot springs, on the house!”
“Nah, a new job just came up. Maybe next time.”
He waves a hand and gets back into his car. Looking at his broken phone, he chugs the rest of his bepsi, lights his second cigarette of the day, and speeds away from the inn.
Destination: Fukutomi residence.
Job: End Fukutomi Juichi.