Experience Tumblr like never before
Warnings: single dad! baji, preschool teacher! reader.
Notes: this one right here could be- I mean- maybe…unedited read at your own risk.
Keisuke is panicking.
He keeps glancing in his rear view mirror at his little girl who’s happily humming along to whatever is playing from her iPad.
She doesn’t seem to share the same bone chilling fear as him. His grip on the steering wheel is tight enough that his knuckles have gone white.
They’re fifteen minutes away from his daughter’s official first day of school and Baji is five seconds away from turning this car around and taking her to work with him.
She giggles in the backseat and Baji swallows a lump of emotion and sighs when it settles in the pit of his stomach like lead.
“You excited princess?”
Her little head bobs, her pigtails (and the giant bows tied around each one) sways with the motion.
“Words Kaori, remember to use your words,” he reminds her.
“Yes daddy,” she replies, eyes falling to her iPad once more.
Baji gulps when the gates to the school come into view. He takes a deep breath and pulls into the driveway. The parking lot isn’t full because he’s twenty minutes early. When he finds a spot however his panic mounts.
This is real. This is happening. His daughter is starting school.
“We’re here!” she squeals when she finally looks up from the screen. She wriggles in her car seat, clearly wanting out.
Baji frowns.
“Daddy!” she insists. “Let’s go! Let’s go!”
Baji wants to cry. “Okay, princess. Okay,” he resigns himself to being miserable for the rest of the day. Perhaps for the rest of his existence. This is where it all starts. With school.
He hoists her out of the car seat and grabs her backpack and lunchbox. Keisuke is extremely proud of the fact that he, Keisuke Baji, despite his questionable past, has raised a daughter on his own.
He’d had to learn to comb and take care of hair other than his own (a lot goes into having healthy hair apparently), accept the color pink (of which there were over fifty shades), pretend tea parties didn’t make him uncomfortable (it’s the chairs), wear glitter make up (glitter can never be cleaned correctly), sing and dance (he’s a performer but only for her) and of course, what self respecting father of a girl hadn’t perfect mani/pedis.
His life had taken a dramatic three sixty when Kaori was born. But there wasn’t a single day since then that he regretted. He loves her more than he can actually put into words.
Which explained why he was on the verge of tears as he fit his arm through the strap of her sparkly, pink backpack and wrapped his hand around her much smaller one.
On the steps leading up to the front doors stood Kaori’s teacher. He’d met you previously when he’d registered Kaori and even then, dressed in jeans and a t shirt you’d been beautiful. His panic subsides a little when you give him a small smile.
“Mr. Baji,” you barely spare him a glance and Baji might have been insulted if not for the way your gaze immediately drops to his daughter. “And you must be little Kaori,” you squat to her level and Baji’s heart stutters. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you! Your daddy has told me so much about you.”
“He has?” Kaori asks, and Baji lifts a brow at her when she turns to him with a skeptical look on her face.
“I have,” Baji replies. “This is your teacher Kaori,” he holds his breath as his daughter eyes you. Kaori Baji isn’t shy. In fact she’s one of the most outspoken kids he’s ever met. It’s easy to know when she dislikes someone or something because she has no problem pointing it out. It’s whether she likes someone or not that’s the real issue.
“Do you like tea parties?” Kaori asks, and Baji knows this is the million dollar question. One wrong answer and today could easily turn into a shit show.
“Oh,” you gush. “I love tea parties! Do you wanna see my tea set?”
Baji blinks, eyes widening when Kaori releases his hand and takes a step toward you. She nods and then as though catching herself she responds. “Yes, please.”
“Fantastic! But you’ll have to say goodbye to daddy,” you say carefully. “Is that okay?”
Baji’s breath leaves him in a pained rush. His panic coming back full force. He purses his lips, eyes glued to Kaori as she considers your request.
She turns to Baji motioning for him to come closer. He squats. “You have to go,” she says, and Baji’s heart shrivels.
“I know princess,” his throat burns, as he pulls the backpack from his shoulder and helps Kaori into it. “Will you be okay without me?”
Kaori gives him a look like she’s offended and Baji might have laughed under different circumstances. She frowns, stepping into his arms when he spreads them for her. Her little arms wrap around his neck tightly. Baji’s eyes close briefly, his heart thundering as he squeezes her. When he opens them he finds your eyes on him.
Kaori steps out of his arms. “I’ll be okay,” she confirms.
Keisuke glances from her to you and then back to her. “Okay,” he presses a kiss to her forehead, and stands. You stand with him and Kaori takes your hand.
“First days are always the hardest,” you comment.
Baji can only smile weakly at you as you guide Kaori deeper into the school. His daughter turns and gives him a short dismissive wave before turning her full attention on you.
Baji stands there long enough that the parking lot starts to fill up.
She’ll be fine he tells himself when he finally forced himself to leave. She’s a big girl he repeats as he forced himself not to think about what could be happening to her now.
It’s only a couple of hours, she’ll be fine.