It was bound to happen sooner or later.
Madoka's parents had noticed certain things recently. Madoka had been extra chipper and happy to do even those few chores she didn't like doing. She spent a little more time brushing her hair and washing her face. She fretted when she thought she might be breaking out. She had even asked her mother to show her how to put on makeup! Not that she had actually started wearing any.
All these pointed to the fact that there was more than likely a boy in her life. And Tomohisa and Junko were happy for her. They really were. In Junkos opinion it was 'about time' she got a little romantic experience under her belt. Had she gone another year without she might even have told Madoka she should think about going out on dates with boys when it was simple and there was no pressure beyond having fun together. If that still didn't work she'd subtly point out Saotome-sensei.
Madoka getting a healthy interest in boys and probably having a boyfriend was seen as a good thing, and they were content to wait for her to come to them and tell them all about him. And she would have soon, especially now that they had 'officially' decided that they were dating.
But she had been careless one night and had set the necklace Takashi gave her on top her dresser instead of putting inside one night and Junko found it. Not long after Madoka found herself being asked if there was someone special in her life, at which point she'd told them about the wonderful, handsome, intelligent, and highly motivated boy in her class. Such gushing was par for the course when it came to teenage crushes, so they weren't too surprised by her enthusiasm. Naturally they asked to meet him.
And so tonight had been arranged. Takashi had been invited to come over to the Kaname household to meet Madoka's family and have dinner with them. The dinner to be prepared was Madoka's favorite: cream stew, delicious and hearty and served up from a large pot set in the center of the dinner table.
Takashi had been received with nothing but warmth and kindness. Madoka was nervous at first but the fact that her parents were being entirely welcoming to her boyfriend helped put her at ease. The usual questions were asked; about his parents(Madoka winced and gave him an apologetic look; she should have told them about that!), about his schoolwork, what clubs he attended and what he liked doing after school. All the things that would help parents get a feel for who this person was that was now in their daughters life.
Dinner was then served. Despite any nervousness she felt Madoka ate heartily, having three servings of stew. She was a little embarrassed by eating so much in front of Takashi, but it really was her favorite!
"Hweeeeeh," she sighed out happily, looking momentarily sleepy eyed as she slouched a tiny bit in her seat. "Papa's cooking really is the best!" Madoka exclaims, sending a happy look to all those gathered about the table.
"Yummy! Yummy!" Exclaimed Tatsuya in response, raising his spoon and waving it in the air. The young boy, sitting in his high chair, had been mostly content eat without much comment. Even so he had shown a great interest in Takashi, watching him and studying him in the way little boys will do to potential male role models.
"I'm glad you two enjoyed it," Tomohisa replied, offering his soft smile, reminiscent of Madoka's own- or perhaps the other way around, to both of his children.
"I loved it," Madoka replies in a happy and lazily well fed tone. "I'm happy Takashi-kun got to taste the very best!" And it was seriously good. Madoka's father could probably open and run a very successful high class restaurant if he wished, but he always preferred to spend time caring for his children. He'll even say as much to their guest if he inquires about it.
Junko is looking over the whole scene with a look of genuine enjoyment and pleasure, idly swishing around quarter-full glass of white wine before taking a sip. In truth these full family dinners where everyone sits down together are rare on weekdays, and so she's taking the to appreciate it at a leisurely pace- one of the only things she does that way. When she does speak she sends a smile Takashi's way. "So, what's the verdict, Agera-san? Did you enjoy sitting down and having dinner with us?" Not quite a loaded question, but one with few reasonable answers.
Junko sits up a little straighter, "We're all very close. I hope you haven't felt uncomfortable or unwelcome." This is delivered with another smile. It's true, too. There was a lot of family banter all throughout dinner. Takashi certainly wasn't ignored, but everyone seemed interested in keeping each other well up to date on their happenings at work, home, and school. If he actively participated he would have found himself quickly added to the strings of conversation.
Takashi didn't even hide his own appreciation for Madoka's father's cooking, having two bowls himself (and barely resisting following Madoka up for a third.)
"Your cooking really is impressive." Takashi says with a smile. "It probably helps that the vegetables are homegrown, too." he says, inclining his head to the garden outside the sliding door. "But even still, there's so much talent on display here!"
Takashi smiles at Junko, too, as she swishes that wine around. "Well, it was actually very nice. I mean..." he pauses for a moment. "...it's not like it's something I really ever got to experience?" he says, with a much softer smile. "It was nice being a part of it, even if only tangentally. Of a proper family dinner." he says. In his mind, he's deftly avoided any potential minefields laid by Junko's question.
"And Madoka-chan's family is wonderful, just like her." He is wondering if he is stepping over a line by proclaiming that so boldly, but perhaps it'll also be endearing.
He looks over at Madoka - a thing he has done often throughout the dinner - trying to gauge her reaction as much as Junko's and Tomohisa's.
Tomohisa turns his smile to Takashi, "Thank you, Agera-san. I put a lot of effort into making sure my family's meals are healthy and delicious. Growing our own vegetables is the first step into making sure every meal is a memorable one."
Junko interjects to add her own opinion, "Tonight's dinner was wonderful, dear." The soft eyed look she sends her husband speaks volumes more than the comment.
"Takashi-kun really liked the lunches I've shared with him too, Papa," Madoka adds. After a moment she makes a little laugh, "Everyone does! I've never met someone who didn't love your cooking." There's a reason Madoka's lunches are almost always packed with more food than she can eat herself.
There's a look of sympathy from Madoka as her Takashi mentions not having had family dinners. "I don't know what I'd do without Mama and Papa and Tatsuya. They're all so important to me."
"It's commendable you've been able to do so well for yourself without parental guidance, Agera-san," Junko notes in response. "Making top grades in your class is no easy task under the best of circumstances." And at the most prestigious school in Tokyo too, but that goes unsaid. "It's good you've enjoyed your stay with our happy little family so far."
Her tone shifts slightly, becoming a little less serious despite her words, "Family is very important to us. It should be important to you too if you have aspirations for Madoka-chan."
This gets Junko a sudden childish glare from Madoka that screams, 'Moooooom! Don't embarrass me like that!'. She doesn't actually say it though, because it would embarrass her even further. This earns her a rare teasing look from her mother; teasing a child and their date in good nature is one of the joys of parenthood, after all.
Tomohisa adds in a slightly lighter tone, "We'd be happy to have you over again if you'd like. We may not all always be able to make it, but you are welcome here."
Junko catches onto the bit where she's unlikely to make every dinner herself and sighs pleasantly, "Work has been demanding the last few months but our division is finally starting to get back into shape." Things had gotten lax without Junko Kaname to keep things in ship-shape!
Takashi's comment about the family draws a happy smile from Madoka. A brief glance is exchanged between Junko and Tomohisa.
"Madoka, would you help me wash the dishes?" Comes a request from her father, and the pink haired girl nods and eagerly pops up out of her chair and starts clearing the table. A usual thing, it seems.
Junko likewise gets up, freeing Tatsuya from his highchair. Afterwards she looks towards Takashi, "Let's go relax while they take care of that Agera-san." She ruffles Tatsuya's hair and deftly moves a plate he just about pulled off the table further towards the center. "We don't make our guests do chores."
Madoka smiles, "We'll be out in a few minutes." All the dishes used to cook except the serving pot were already cleaned and put away earlier; that's one benefit of a slow cooking stew.
Junko makes towards a large couch in the living room across from a suitably impressive entertainment system. It's large enough to fit the whole family cozily comfortable, and the businesswoman motions easily to a spot near herself in invitation. The house has a mostly open floor plan, with no walls between this room, the dining room, and the kitchen, but it's still notably away from the rest of the activity going on.
Takashi smiles again. "My mother's still very important to me - even if she's not around, she's still on my mind. I still want to make her proud." Or at least, he wants to do what he thinks would make her proud.
"That's one of the things that makes me work so hard... she might not be here to guide me, but she was a brilliant woman, so I can carry that with me too, I think..." he pauses again. "I like to think that my family would've been like this, if everything had gone well." Part of him knows that's wishful thinking - after all, his father has another family. Do they have meals like this, that don't include him? It takes him a moment to compose himself. And to not-entirely-subtly move to wipe a tear from his eye without doing it blatantly.
"Family is very important to me." he says, simply, as Madoka's mother teases her.
Takashi smiles a bit at Junko and Tomohisa's conversation drifting a bit about work. "Yeah... I appreciate the invitation. But I spend a lot of my evenings at work, myself, so the days I can make it aren't that many." Well, he technically works for himself, but experiments don't do themselves. Not most of them, anyways.
Takashi is smart enough to know when there's an excuse being given for him to talk to Madoka's mother without Madoka around, but he remains positive as they shift to the living room and takes the seat offered to him with a bit of a bow. "Thank you." he says.
Junko and Tomohisa both give appreciative looks towards Takashi as he speaks of his mother and wanting to do well by her memory. "It speaks well of you that you try so hard for her sake," Madoka's father comments gently.
When he takes that moment to compose himself Takashi would find Madoka's hand seeking his under the table, resting her own on top of it while turning her kind gaze towards his eyes. "Takashi-kun..." she murmurs quietly.
"I can't speak for what's past, but whomever Madoka chooses will find themselves welcome in our home and in our family," Junko notes in a gentle tone of her own. His honest feelings seems to have gone a ways towards enhancing him in their eyes. The employment, the scholastic achievement, these are all good- but being and emotionally connected family-person is much moreso.
Tomohisa is quick to dismiss any worry that his inability to make functions often would be taken against him, "Even Madoka doesn't make it to dinner on time very often with all the volunteering she does at the hospital." There's a distinct tone of pride in his voice as he speaks, and it draws a happy but partially embarrassed laugh from Madoka.
When they're moving off away from the others Takashi has gauged the situation exactly right. Junko replies to the bow with a polite nod.
The moment he sits down her attitude changes in an instant. Takashi might have heard about Junko Kaname though his work at Eclipse; she works for one of their hands-off corporate acquisitions and is known for being driven, hard working, no-nonsense, and brilliant in her own right. Simply put, a force to be reckoned with.
It isn't hostility that greets him so much as extreme directness, though her eyes do quarter-lid, and she lets her 'delinquent' accent show through.
"Oi." It's no fake; she was a terror in her own school years. She gets straight to the point, "What are your intentions for my daughter?"
Takashi's hand squeezes Madoka's back as she finds it under the table. He doesn't respond, but his eyes flicker to her for that brief moment. He's... unsure himself, internally, if he's using his past as a weapon to clear away unwanted questions, or if he's airing it to Madoka's family as a form of catharsis. The truth is likely a little of both, he reasons.
Madoka's time at Mitakihara General gets another smile. "Yeah, Madoka-chan really puts her heart into her time at the hospital. It's pretty amazing to see her there."
Takashi sits down with Junko. He's only heard a little bit about her - they don't travel in the same circles directly, with Junko having no real awareness of what the company that owns her up the chain is into, so everything comes up the grapevine. Takashi's dismissed a lot of it as rumors.
But the change in demeanor does get a bit of a shock from Takashi - a moment in time where he is off-balance before his mind and logical brain takes over. "What... do you mean, if I may?" he asks, blinking a bit, a hand coming up to brush some of his silver-white hair back.
Off in the kitchen are the sounds of running water, clinking dishes, and the voices of Madoka and her father speaking to each other about something or another. Every once in a while Tatsuya's voice rings out and after a few of these it mixes in more often as the others make a show of letting him help.
Back in the living room, Junko shows no signs that she's pleased at catching him off-balance. All the better when trying to get a straight answer out of him. She backs off the slightest bit of edge after he responds, both in her posture and in her voice.
"I saw the necklace you gave her." She speaks as if that should be all the explanation he should need to answer her question.
There's a short pause as she gauges his reaction to that before speaking further. "That is not the kind of gift a boy gives a girl, a man gives a woman, who is a holiday crush."
All vestiges of smiles are gone from her face now. And yet it isn't hostility she's regarding him with, merely intensity. "How long have you known Madoka? When I asked she said you two had only just started dating."
She leans in closer, not invading his space but clearly imposing herself upon his person. "There are exactly two reasons a gift like that is given to a girl, Agera-san. Because he wants something from her, or because he wants to mark her as his possession. Which is it?"
The noises of the kitchen are very far away to Takashi, and Junko's intensity, the strength of her questions - that is VERY close. It's not hostile, her look. But it could easily become so, he knows that. Takashi has been in a lot of threatening social situations - both in combat and in his work with Eclipse - and he can recognize it all.
This does not mean, of course, he always takes the best plan of action. Sometimes, his emotions get the better of him. And if it was Junko's intent to see a little bit of the real Takashi Agera, she succeeds. He sits up and stares into her eyes. "Did you intend to give this sort of talk to anyone Madoka brought home, or is this your way of telling me that you dislike or disapprove of me?" he asks, his eyes narrowing a moment. Then he sighs.
That sigh is his way of catching himself, of buying himself a moment of time to think, to actually answer the questions. To put his mind to work. "Madoka-chan is... she is very special to me." he says, calmly. Having regained his calm after his momentary outburst. "I wanted to show her just how special, because words are, as they say, cheap. That necklace... it shows her that I mean what I say. It puts tangible force behind those words."
His father always taught him the best way to interact was to give parts of truth along with whatever you wanted someone to understand - and it's a tactic he uses well. "I... of course, I wanted other people to see it. And to know it came from me." There's a hint of pride he tries unsuccessfully to tamp down. "Not exactly a lot of boys in her class that could afford it. But that's not the point. The point is, Madoka-chan means so much to me that a necklace like that is really nothing in comparison." He folds his arms.
"If I want anything from her, it's that I want her to be able to understand that, and I'm not the... best at communicating my emotions, so I figured a gift would do well."
"Only the ones who gave her jewelry more expensive than any I've ever asked my husband for," Junko replies evenly. That's probably saying something, considering the expense it must have taken to get the house they're currently in custom designed and built. As for the other part? "I haven't decided whether or not I disapprove of you yet."
The other thing is that she doesn't seem to take any offense to his retort. It's straight talk. It's intense. Some level of bite back is to be expected, especially when throughout the whole night she hadn't given any indication she intended to confront him in this manner before the moment she did.
Junko regards Takashi carefully as he thinks out his next words. There is pressure, but no rush. The dishes are getting done at an even, slow pace. It's not very likely that's a coincidence. Special to him? The effect of those words aren't nearly so effective on Madoka's mother as they were to Madoka herself. "She's a special girl, even if she doesn't realize it yet." There is no elaboration on what she might mean by that. Not that it's hard to understand for anyone that actually knows the girl.
His next words draw a slight frown, of the 'wrong answer' variety. "If words are cheap, trinkets are cheaper. Even the expensive ones." She shakes her head, "But words aren't cheap. Not to a girl her age. Your age. And especially not to Madoka." This isn't pure rebuke; it's advice. Good advice, even. Junko is trying to be very fair.
Then he speaks of wanting other people to see it, to know it was him, and despite himself the pride slips into his voice. Bingo. Junko sits up straight again, looking vindicated. She waits until he folds his arms and finishes speaking.
"You can't buy my daughter with gifts and jewelry. I would stop you if you could, but I know her. It wouldn't work." She looks at him hard for a moment. "You're lucky. If I thought you could fool her with gifts I would throw you out and tell her you had to leave. But I know her better than that, and she has said you really do care about her."
She finally relents, sitting back and relaxing on the couch. "You're going to have to do better if you want her to stay with you. Jewels lose their luster when you see them every day. It takes something more important to make things last." Junko lets out a sigh. A wistful one- her marriage is a happy one, and it's this she's thinking of now.
"You haven't had a mother to tell you how to treat a girl right, or how to make them happy. I understand if you have a hard time telling her how you feel because of that. But if you want advice from this old lady," Junko looks him in the eye again for a brief moment, "and you should, then just say exactly what you feel. Do that, and spend time with her; that's all a girl her age should really want."
Takashi stops. "Madoka didn't ask me - I wanted her to have it." he says, before Junko continues on. Some of the things she says are accusatory, and though they have every right to be, perhaps, with the way he talks, he still feels the need to defend himself.
"I am not trying to buy Madoka-chan. No girl I would feel this way about could be bought with trinkets, you're right." he says, firmly. This isn't a lie, this isn't dishonesty. The insinuation insults him - he stands too. He looks into the older woman's eyes with a determined glare.
"I am not trying to fool or trick her." His hand almost clenches into a fist, that blackness in his heart almost comes to the fore at the sting of her words. But he holds it back, because this is Madoka's house, and Madoka's family, and he doesn't want to expose her to that part of him.
When she sits back though, so does he. He does take her advice. But he continues, still raw with emotion, and so, more honest than he might be otherwise, had his temper not just flared up so. "It's hard to find the words to tell her how I feel about her." he admits, looking down. And then looking up again - ah, that stubborn pride. "And I know a lot of words. But the way she makes me feel doesn't fit any of them. None of them are enough."
Junko regards Takashi cooly as he reacts to her words. It's hard to get a read on him, which is odd for her. Some things about him seem genuine, but there's a possessiveness he seems to have towards Madoka also. It's a bit troubling. ...but then he and Madoka are both still only fourteen years old. And so long as things don't get dangerous there's actually nothing wrong with that; things will either work out or they wont.
That he gets angry at her prodding isn't a good sign, but she's willing to give the boy the benefit of the doubt. He's an orphaned overachiever; she doubts he's used to having his motivations questioned with such scrutiny. Especially from someone who can match him in willpower; that he has it in spades is easy enough to recognize.
"I never said you were, Agera-san," Junko finally replies. "I said that if you were it wouldn't work. If I didn't think you were sincere you wouldn't still be in this house." For another moment she regards him, still sitting back but briefly appearing all the world like the high power boardroom executive she is at work. "You should be careful. I've needled you, but I haven't accused you. Even so."
She closes her eyes and casually makes a dismissive gesture. "No more expensive jewelry. She doesn't need it, and I won't have Madoka spoiled needlessly. You've more than made your point if you want to express yourself that way." Her tone brooks no argument or discussion. Junko and Tomohisa rarely impose hard rules upon their children, partly because Madoka is obedient enough to hardly require them, but this is a time they will. "I've already talked to Madoka about it. She won't be expecting any more."
And then at the very end she actually smiles. It's not quite a warm one, but it's honest. "Was that so hard? If you want her to understand and that's how you feel, tell her that. 'There aren't words to explain the way I feel about you,'- that's almost poetry."
Takashi, too, regards his verbal sparring partner's words well. "I think you're being somewhat harsh, over a gift... but..." he pauses. "I can understand you want to protect her." he says, finally. It's just obvious he is not someone who takes being 'needled' very well at all.
She sits back, but for a moment yes, there's a flash of that power executive. It's a style, a feeling he knows well. And so, when she makes that dismissive gesture, when she lays down that rule - it's actually taken somewhat better than it would otherwise be. Because Takashi is used to have innane rules and requirements put on him by idiotic 'adult' boardroom executives who know little of the world he works in.
The look he gives her when she lays down her rules is... somewhat dismissive in and of itself, even as he nods. "Alright, if you insist." he says, calmly. "Because I know Madoka-chan would be upset if I went against her Mother's wishes." This is said in the same tone one might say 'you're the boss' - one that makes her aware the request will be abided by, but with tactical dissent.The use of Madoka's name specifically to denote that any authority he gives to her comes from her relationship with her daughter. It's perhaps a tricky road to walk, but one his attitude, pride, and experience walks him down.
He meets her moment of managerial style, captured as she talks, with one of his own, a spirit of self-assurance. It's probably a spirit Junko knows well - but if she'll appreciate it in this circumstance is up for debate.
"...you are probably right. It does sound a bit like poetry. But it also isn't good enough." Takashi says, looking down and to the side a bit. "I don't think those words are good enough for Madoka-chan." It's possible he puts her on a high pedastool in his own way. "So I'll wait until I find the words that are."
"It's my job to be harsh," Junko replies offhand, not explaining further because his own comment about wanting to protect Madoka does it for her. The fact that he's easily needled and angered annoys her somewhat, but it's not an insurmountable flaw. She's not the one dating him, her kind daughter who only looks for the best in people is.
He accepts her 'terms' with a corporate air of his own and she can't help smile just a little. In this way it looks like the two can deal with each other. "I'm glad you understand our positions." He doesn't like the rule but will follow it because that's what his girlfriends parents say? Fine. Not as good as if her accepted her premise, but annoyed acceptance is more than adequate for a boy just starting to date.
It's not like Junko didn't have plenty of boyfriends who barely tolerated her parents. ...or boyfriends parents who barely tolerated her. A wistful look for a moment; those were fun days.
Back to business. "I think we're done here. You have our permission to continue dating Madoka." Our. Yes, she can very well speak for both Tomohisa and herself. She also speaks with extreme self assurance that that permission is necessary. Takashi seemed aware enough that it was by his comment earlier, but she wants to put the point on it.
"I'm glad we had this little discussion, Agera-san. I hope you understand why we it was needed." He doesn't have to agree. She makes a light gesture towards the kitchen, "You can go help if you want, or wait until they're done. It shouldn't be much longer."
Junko then smiles a little once more as he talks about things not being good enough for Madoka. "Maybe not. But when it comes to the words a girl wants to hear it's she that will decide whether they're good enough, not you or me. Sometimes the best way is just to say them and find out." But she doubts he'll take that advice. Which is fine; he needs to make his mistakes and find his own way.
And so does Madoka, she considers to herself, looking to the silver haired boy sitting beside her, and then off to the kitchen beyond where water and laughter can be heard.
Takashi and Junko have, at the least, come to some sort of an understanding. Like any understanding in the world, social or corporate, they've got points they disagree on, but it seems for now there won't be a war over them - though there may be one later.
The idea that he needs their permission ruffles him somewhat - but he does a much better job of not showing that. Not in a particularly grand sense, just in the way that Takashi Agera feels when anyone tries to impose a restriction or requirement for permission on him.
In fact, dealing with her much like any other manager puts their relationship in a light he can understand. He hasn't really had parents, but he has dealt with Eclipse's heirarchy for some time.
He doesn't respond to Junko's last comments, as there's really no need - anything he said would either be irrelevant or dig him into a hole. So he just nods, and he gets up when she does - despite what they said about guests not doing chores, Junko said he could help if he wanted - and he decides it would be rude to, even tacitly, seem as though he didn't want to help. So he'll walk into the kitchen and try to find a space to be useful.