Projection (Male reader x Female OC)

040

She parked in the garage and I was already not in the mood for getting off of the bike. I was scared shitless because I hadn't seen or talked with the man since the last time I raised my voice at him.

I am surprised he even allowed Rin to talk to me.

I mean he won't do that. I know he wouldn't because of our relationship with each other. And now? I have sat down awkwardly at the table with Rin right next to me, her finger interlaced with mine as our joined hands are hanging between her legs.

He lowers his gaze to our hands and then settles back onto me.

"Afternoon."

"Afternoon, sir."

He scoffs, "Sir, huh? You've come to my house ever since you two were friends in kindergarten. Please don't call me sir, it makes me feel like you weren't one of my own."

Rin then remarks, "So in a way, this is incestuous for you, isn't it Dad?"

He sighs. "Rin. Could you let the two of us talk this through?"

She nods. "I'll shut up."

I glance at her, "Rin-"

"I am not going anywhere," she breathes out. "Whatever you have to say to him Dad, I deserve to hear it just as much."

"I'll be fine," she shoots me a side-eyed glare.

Twisting her lips to the sides she finally lifts herself after placing a kiss on my cheek. "I'll go fuck myself then."

He waits for her to leave before speaking again.

"Sorry. It's harder to get my point across when she's making remarks through the whole thing trying to get rid of the tension that's obviously there," he rests his arms on his legs as he narrows his eyes at me as if trying to choose his next words.

I wait for him to continue.

"Let me start off by expressing my gratitude," he lowers his head into a bow. "Without you... I fear that Rin would have been in an entirely different scenario and I'd not have seen what I should be seeing."

I shake my head. "I wasn't going to leave her to dry, known her since she started annoying me every single day."

He lifts his head with a slight smile. "You two have been together for a long time."

I then slide in the joke Rin so badly wanted me to voice, "It's actually better that way, I think." He lifts his gaze to me with an arched brow. "Known each other for long and you too, so it is like I've been part of the family and now a little more."

"Excuse me?"

"Uhh," I clear my throat. "Like an adoptive son to... son-in-law?"

He blinks twice, clearly not super excited about the way I phrased it.

"I apologise," I clear my throat.

He shakes his head at me. "I have my own gripes with your relationship with my daughter but I am only overlooking it because you've done more for her than I did. That alone..." he finally smiles, "that alone makes me approve of you over anyone else."

Not like she gave a fuck about the blessing but I don't mind having it anyway.

"That... thank you."

He nods. "I will also overlook what happened between us, and move on like nothing happened. I was wrong, and you were trying your best to look out for someone you cared about deeply and I both respect that and am incredibly thankful as her father."

I crack a smile. "I'll keep on giving her my best. Even if she doesn't want it from me anymore."

He nods. "Don't you dare disappoint me, son, I haven't warmed up to the idea but I guess that's because I am trying to settle into it a bit more. I wouldn't want anyone else to be the one being by her side."

With a firm nod. "I am sorry about what I said back then."

"Don't be," he lifts himself. "We all make mistakes and I know when I have to look at my own mistakes and admit that they are there. But you are always welcome here as you always were, I just need to get used to it all over again."

"I have faith that you will," I hold my smile.

He doesn't say anything else, giving me a firm nod he then glances at the hallway. "Rin."

She steps out from the hallway, "Couldn't have said all that with me there?"

"I did," he states. "You were hiding around the corner expecting that I wouldn't know."

"Now how do I know that you weren't just saying all of that because I was there?"

"If that's the case why would you want to be there?"

She twists her lips to the side. "Okay got me there but-"

He walks up to her to give her a hug. "Don't stress about it so much."

"Why is everyone hugging me today?" I hear her ask as if anybody has an answer for her. "Yeah. I am not stressing... just being a pain in the ass as usual."

"I'll survive," he then pulls away. "I'll make something for lunch," he turns to face me, "Please stay for a while."

"Gladly," I return the smile and he heads for the kitchen.

Rin digs her hands in her pockets as she steps closer to me, "Dumbass. Can't believe you actually said that to him."

I roll my eyes at her. "You wanted to hear it so badly so I just said it anyway."

She steps closer to me, swinging her head from side to side as her smile widens with each sway. I grab her arms to keep her still and she only widens my eyes at me while holding a silly little smile.

"What?"

She shakes her head. "Thanks for talking with him. He... actually asked that I bring you here and I didn't want to tell you that. Thanks for giving him a chance even-"

I stop her. "I'm not the one that should be giving anyone a chance."

"But still. Thanks for doing this even though I could tell that you really didn't want to."

I express, "I yelled at the man. I didn't think he was going to be this easy to talk to after what happened."

"Well... good news."

I shut my eyes tightly with a heavy sigh. "Man."

She chuckles. "Stay for lunch?"

I open my eyes, and then whisper to her with a smile, "I wasn't going to go anywhere without you."