Wouldn't It Be Nice (A Toradora Soulmate AU)

6: All I Have To Do Is Dream

"The culture festival is coming up. Are you excited?" Ryuuji is sitting on Taiga's couch, talking through bites of lunch. It's the weekend, and Yasuko is at work, so Ryuuji had made food for the both of them and brought it over to Taiga's flat. (She gave him a nasty glare for coming over uninvited. Then she smelled the food and was all too eager to drag him inside.)

She recalls the theme of their class project and pulls a face. "I am not excited for some stinky wrestling show. It's not even real! What's the point." The class (mostly the boys) had decided yesterday that they would put on a play of "a dramatic wrestling story." Taiga and some of the other classmates were much less thrilled about the idea. "At least it isn't a maid cafe, plus you and I get to do backstage instead of throwing ourselves around like maniacs."

Ryuuji chuckles. He doesn't mind the idea, but opted out of acting because Minori said she wanted to set up the stage.

Having exhausted the topic, Taiga remembers something important. "Oh yeah! It's almost Minori's birthday, too. Are you going to get her anything? You'd better if you want to keep your shot with her."

"Get her something?" Ryuuji thinks for a moment.

"Ryuuji-- you're hopeless. Fine. I'll get something for you to give to her, okay?" He nods appreciatively. Suddenly, they both turn their heads because of a rap at the door. "Who could that be? The only two people that come over are you and Minori, and Minori doesn't knock." She gives Ryuuji her best puppy dog eyes. He rolls his before getting up and checking the door.

At the door, Ryuuji is greeted by a man just taller than him, with dark brown hair and eyes like Taiga's. "Hey, is Taiga there?" He says. Ryuuji narrows his eyes at him. "Oh, right. I'm her father. You must be one of her friends? Or.. boyfriend, maybe?"

Ryuuji considers letting the man in, but figures he should check with Taiga first. "Friend," he says to the man,"excuse me for just one second." He walks over to her and says quietly "he says he's your father. He's tall, dark brown hair.."

Taiga cuts him off. "He's my dad. I don't want to see him." She frowns and crosses her arms definitively. Ryuuji walks back over and relays the message to her father.

"Please? I really want to talk to her." He tries to look over Ryuuji's shoulder and get a glance at her. Ryuuji looks back too and sees that she's not going to bend on this one.

"Why don't I talk to you outside, sir." It's more statement than question, and the man sighs. Ryuuji steps out, pulling the door shut behind them. He leans against the doorway and Taiga's father stands across from him. "I know she doesn't want to talk to you, but I could tell her what you came for, at least."

This was all the prompting he needed. "Now, I don't know how much Taiga has told you, but me and her mom got divorced when she was in elementary school. I raised her by myself until last year, when I remarried. Taiga was living with us at first, and everything was fine for a few months, but after that she and her stepmother started fighting a lot. Taiga would come to me with complaints that she was being harassed by my wife. I'm ashamed to admit that I took Taiga's stepmother's side over hers. So Taiga moved here instead, and then she stopped talking to me."

"Anyway, I really miss her, and I split up with her stepmother as soon as I found out Taiga was telling the truth. I came to ask for Taiga's forgiveness, and maybe we could start living together again." He looks sincere... but does this go deeper than a grudge? It doesn't feel right that he would let his daughter move out instead of taking her seriously.

"I'll... go talk to her," Ryuuji reasons. He most definitely wasn't letting him in without Taiga's consent. "You wait here." He opens and shuts the door behind him, catching her attention from the couch. He sits down opposite to her, bent forward with his elbows on his knees. "So, your dad told me what happened, and he says he wants to ask for your forgiveness and start living with you again. Oh yeah, and he isn't living with that other woman anymore."

Taiga scoffs and rolls her eyes. "I don't trust him, Ryuuji. He's come back here before, and if I let him in he always leaves shortly after. Whatever story he told you, it's probably twisted to his advantage. He divorced my stepmother, you said, and he wants to live with me now? Yeah right. All that man has ever cared about is money. So he dresses up in his one suit and pretends to be rich and then marries women who actually are. Here's what probably happened: she found out he doesn't have as much money as he said he did, kicked him out, now he has nowhere to stay. And so he comes crawling back to me. He pays for my apartment and food and stuff, but that's the extent of his interaction with me. I don't want him here. He treats me like I'm disposable."

Her voice cracks a little on the last line and she looks away from Ryuuji. "I.. I'm really sorry, Taiga." He leans towards her and puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's horrible that he's treated you this way. Seriously, look at me." She does, eyes watery. "You aren't disposable." Ryuuji shakes his head while holding eye contact. At that she sniffles up any impending crying and sits upright.

"No, I'm not disposable. I won't let him make me feel that way." She stands and marches to the door, swinging it open when she reaches it. Her father stretches his arms out for a hug, but she backs away first. "I'll hear what you have to say." She says, then leads him to her room.

They talk for the better part of an hour, and Ryuuji sits on the couch waiting for her, doing some homework to pass the time. When they finally emerge, her father comes out first, and gives Ryuuji a head nod. Taiga sees him to the door. Once she's said goodbye, she fills Ryuuji in. "I've agreed to let him back into my life little by little, not all at once like previously. He has to earn my trust back. Also, I'm going to dinner with him tomorrow, so you don't have to make me anything."

Even though she's rightfully reluctant, the corners of her mouth turn up when she mentions she's going to dinner with him, and Ryuuji is glad to see her excited (even if it means they don't get to eat dinner together tomorrow). "What are you smiling about, dummy?" She teases.

"I'm just happy you're looking forward to it. Maybe afterwards I could treat you to dessert? I have enough eggs to make chocolate cake..."

She smiles at him widely. "Deal."