Today’s HC: Hongo has a lot of nightmares, which I think anyone would expect for someone in his situation. His nightmares are often related to Shocker, but also related to his friends. Like his friends telling him he’s a monster and being scared of him, including Taki and Tachibana. Then at the end there’s Hayaro, who acts very cold unlike the real Hayato and blames Hongo for his suffering, asking why he couldn’t save him? Then Hongo will wake up. Most nights he wakes up alone, but when Hayato happens to be in Japan or he’s traveling with him or something he feels a familiar pair of arms around him and his partner tells him “It’s okay. I’m right here.” And he’ll ask Hongo if he wants to talk about it. Usually Hongo will say no, and Hayato understands. So he’ll continue holding Hongo, stroking his hair soothingly, giving him forehead kisses, etc and they’ll fall asleep like that.
Also Hongo will apologize for “troubling” Hayato and Hayato will say “You’d do the same for me.”
I like that headcanon so much, I decided to write this small bite fic out of inspiration from it:
"Ouch! That hurts!" At the boy exclamation, Hongo quickly removed his hold over him.
The boy came with Ruriko and Hiromi, citing how his older sister got eaten by the ground. In an attempt to cheer the child, they went to his and his older sister's living arrangement to check if the boy's sister had arrived, and hopefully her being eaten was just an overactive imagination that children have. An unfortunate truth was given: the boy's testimony holds true, and Hongo suspects it to be SHOCKER Kaijin's doing.
To observe the surroundings, to hear facts from the child that he has no relatives but his older sister, to give an acknowledgement of the older sister's strength in raising her younger brother, to stand in as his mother and father, to abandon the simple role of an older sister just to raise her only family member right. Hongo swears to bring this child's sister back alive and SHOCKER down, so no more people can suffer at their hands. However...
How can he say these resolves when Hongo should be wary of himself first? Hongo thought to give away his autonomy for the greater good. If he had been irrevocably changed into something he doesn't recognise, but can still do good with it, he'll accept it. But Hongo had forgotten; this body had been made by the hands of SHOCKER. He isn't human any longer; he's a machine made to do deeds unforgivable to any seeing eye. The difference between him and the others would be that his brain modification lacks loyalty to the evil organisation; however, he's still as monstrous as them. He---
"Hongo-san, how could you!" Ruriko shouted indignantly as she held the boy protectively.
"I-no... Ruriko-san--!" Hongo tried to approach but held himself back, afraid that he would hurt her, despite having no intention to do so.
However, Hiromi read Hongo's intentions off and got between him and Ruriko, shielding her best friend and the child away from Hongo's shy gaze.
"Don't come any closer!" Hiromi tremblingly demanded, her stance and glare screaming protectiveness despite how her body trembled in fear.
Hongo's robotic stomach churned unpleasantly. Hongo couldn't really find himself to defend. After all, they're right to be wary of him. He shouldn't be allowed to be near humans, especially fragile children.
"Get away from them!" Came a familiar, protective father voice shouted.
Hongo usually perk up hearing Tachibana's voice since the older man had watched over him after his parents' death. This time, Hongo could only feel undeniable horror hearing his voice, as the older man pushed him away from the girls and the child.
"Ah! Wait, Takeshi?!" Tachibana exclaimed in confused shock.
As the older man was about to spout apologies for misunderstanding the situation and help Hongo up from the ground, Ruriko spat the truth out.
"Don't, Master! He's a monster!" Ruriko held the boy tightly.
Tachibana looked conflicted at his employee’s words, “Ruriko, Takeshi isn’t a monster.”
“Yes, he is! He hurt me!” A boyish voice chimed in, the child in hand showed his bruised arms to Tachibana.
Tachibana's eyes shuttered, hurt at the sight of the bruises before closing them off and opening them to look coldly at Hongo, who had already gotten up from the ground.
“—I should’ve known…” Tachibana interrupted before whatever Hongo could utter anything.
“I should’ve known you’re no longer the Takeshi I have looked over the years,” Hongo felt like his robotic heart beat out of programmed rhythm upon hearing such words from someone he cared for. Someone he looked up to.
Hongo, despite being a cyborg, a being of logic, was acting irrationally as he tried to take a step forward, desperate to explain himself to the older man. If he lose this familial relationship, then he'd be alone. He can't—!
"Get away from them, Shocker!" Hongo stared at the bullets that shot to his feet.
"Taki?" Hongo shakily recognised his long-time friend. However, Taki wasn't wearing a friendly face but a hostile attitude, seeing Hongo as something else.
Everything is too much. Everything...everything was falling. This feels like a dream, but Hongo know this to be reality when everything—everyone reactions is reasonable. When everything holds truth. Hongo isn't safe around anyone. It's better to fight alone.
"Hongo." His name being called out by this person shook Hongo Takeshi's soul.
Takeshi wants to melt or cry at such a gentle and warm call. Takeshi feels terribly selfish to have this man by his side.
"Why did you save me?" It's terrible to be alone. It's terrible that Takeshi is incredibly selfish when he saved Ichimonji Hayato.
It hurts badly when the younger man's tone holds no malice, only a soft curious tone that stabs Takeshi's consciousness.
"I'm sorry..." Takeshi can only say.
"Why did you save me?" Hayato repeated, and Takeshi could only repeat his apology as well.
Takeshi can only apologise for his selfish desire not to be alone on this hellish road. To be sorry for such a thing happened to Hayato and be happy that he is no longer alone.
Apologies ruminated in Hongo's head as he opened his eyes, his breath stilled to see his bedroom's grey ceiling.
A terrible dream that Hongo absently reach out his connection to Hayato. Before Hongo realised it and take it back, Hayato had already noticed his selfish reaching.
"It's nothing, Ichimonji, just startled to accidentally contact you." Hongo uttered no lie; however, he can feel the younger man's concern for him despite his reassurance that nothing was wrong.
Hongo pursed his lips to hold back the truth he hadn't mentioned, but Hayato is a force that, despite not being in the same vicinity, Hongo still feels compelled to tell everything to the younger man. A charming point of Hayato that Hongo had already quickly noted upon their first meeting.
"It's just a dream I had," Hongo managed to say and it honestly felt like Hayato already knew what kind of dreams Hongo meant.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Hayato is tactful. Hongo admires that.
They both know that Hayato had already figured out what made the dream so startling for Hongo to call Hayato absentmindedly. However, Hayato is also great at making people comfortable with him. That includes Hongo.
"No..." Hongo's guilt shrivels to selfishness. It's relieving to be honest, as it's selfish to rely on Hayato's comfort.
It's a painful short silence that Hongo shamefully hugs the connecting presence of Hayato in comfort.
"You know, I had a funny interaction with a kid today," Hayato began, likely picking up Hongo's deprecating thoughts and thought the best course of action would be distraction.
"...what kind of interaction?" Hongo honestly doesn't deserve him. For all of Hayato's patience.
"Well, I wanted to take a picture..."
By the time Hayato shared his adventures in Egypt, Hongo had forgotten about his dream. Typically, this is where Hongo apologises for bothering the other man, and Hayato assures that Hongo would've done the same for him if he had reached out. And frankly, Hongo wants to break that routine, since Hongo is pretty sure Hayato wouldn't appreciate this same song and dance. Which is why Hongo decided to start talking about a platypus to be coloured sea green.
Hongo was glad about his decision, considering he felt Hayato's pleasant surprise and delight at his ramblings. It's nice not to be alone.
tangentwithtanner
dededos
romaincrisis
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