[Fanfiction] Role Reversal
Title: Role Reversal
Pairings: Miyata/Tamamori
Rating: PG (for a kiss)
Summary: Miyata’s tired of confessing, time for Tamamori to pick up the slack.
Written for the je100 Halloween Trick or Drabble! Requested by miquilis. Hope you enjoy!
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Tamamori drops his chopsticks, hearing them hit the ground he just stares. “He said what?”
Senga shrugged. “He said he’s done trying to get your attention and that if you want his, you’re going to have to work for it.”
Tamamori looked between the two. Senga was looking unconcerned and Nikaido was almost to the point of laughing. Tamamori chasing after anyone was humorous in itself, but chasing after Miyata… after all, the pushing away Tamamori has done already, was outright hilarious. Tamamori glances to the side where he sees Fujigaya helping Miyata with a skate trick up on stage. Well, at least now Tamamori knows why Miyata didn’t come running when he announced he was taking his lunch break. It was a bit lonely before Senga and Nikaido showed up, but still Miyata wasn’t there. Realizing that he had been silent for a long time processing this information, he rolled his eyes and casually picked his chopsticks back up. “Hmm. We’ll see.”
He wasn’t expecting Miyata to be serious. However, after a week passed, no sleepover invites came, and inviting himself along for meals stopped, he realized he probably should take it more seriously. They weren’t together, per se, but Tamamori could tell how people might get the wrong idea. The love confessions, the good night mails, all of it was a ploy to get Tamamori’s attention. And it worked, for the most part. Tamamori just couldn’t take the next step and reciprocate. He never felt he had to. Then he realized how selfish he’s been. Allowing Miyata’s overflowing feelings to take place of his own and thinking it was okay. That he never had to tell Miyata is feelings.
With determination, he skates over to Miyata and grabs his hand to finish the skate trick he had been working on for a week. Miyata lets out a small sound of surprise when he realizes the partner switch, while Fujigaya shouts out a “Hey!” for being pushed out of the way. “What’re you doing after this?” he asks.
Miyata looks surprised. “Going shopping with Senga.”
Pulling a page out of Miyata’s book, Tamamori invites himself along. “I’ve wanted to get a new jacket before the cold weather really starts. Besides I thought the two of you weren’t allowed to go shopping by yourselves anymore.”
Miyata’s surprise slowly fades and he nods. Understanding fills his eyes and while it’s not enough, it’s still a start.
After practice, Tamamori meets the two outside the studio and they make the small trip to the closest mall. On the way there, he mentally goes over the things Miyata does during their shopping trips. First: try to stay as close as he can. He looked ahead and saw Senga and Miyata walking side by side. There wasn’t enough sidewalk for him to do that and it would just be plain obvious if he just rushed forward, pushing Senga out of the way. He scratched that idea of the list.
Second thing Miyata did was always tell him how good he looks regardless if he looks good or not. That would be simple enough. Even though Tamamori’s inner fashion diva will break out in hives, he knows it will be worth it. He can fix Miyata’s style later. Once things are back to normal. He watches as Senga and Miyata flip through racks of clothes and idly looks through a nearby rack. Nothing really stands out too much and so he separates a bit from the two to find something suitable for Miyata.
It doesn’t take long after he gets past the clearance sections, to find a decent outfit for Miyata to try on. He looks in the direction of where he left Miyata and Senga and noticed they had their hands full and headed towards the changing rooms. He heads in the same direction and ends up waiting outside with Senga while Miyata tries his stuff on first.
“So, how does it feel?”
“How does what feel?”
Senga grinned. “Not having Miyata worship the ground you walk on?”
Tamamori answered with a glare. Luckily, he didn’t have to respond as Miyata made a show out of leaving the changing room. Tamamori did his best to hide his cringe and noted aloud Miyata picked out a great shirt. He saw Miyata’s grin spread across his face and something inside him responded. He was happy to make Miyata happy? Miyata turned back into the dressing room before Tamamori could give him the clothes to try on.
When he came back out again, the outfit wasn’t nearly as bad. “Those pants fit you well.” Again, Miyata smiled and he couldn’t help the smile from forming on his face. “Here, try these on.” He held out the clothes he picked out for Miyata to take. Their fingers brushed and Tamamori had to fight back the urge to follow him into the changing room and- He broke off there. And do what? Apologize for acting selfishly? Confess? He watched as Miyata went back into the changing room and once he was out of sight, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
Is this what Miyata felt? He understood why Miyata had given up, but he couldn’t understand how he dealt with this feeling for so long. Unrequited love sucked.
He pulled out his phone and sent a quick mail to his mom to see if she could be conned into making tonkatsu. Just as Miyata-san’s seafood miso was his weakness, Miyata’s was Tamamori-san’s tonkatsu. A mail came back a moment later, saying yes she can and if that meant Miyata was coming by. He sent back an affirmative and a thank you just as Miyata was walking back out.
“What do you think, Kenpi?”
He shrugged. “Looks good. They all did.”
Miyata looked expectedly at Tamamori and Tamamori recognized that look. He used it a lot on Miyata in the past for various reasons. Mainly to fish for compliments. “They all looked great, Miyacchi.”
“But I can’t get them all,” he complained. “I only wanted to get one outfit.”
“You should get the one I picked out.” The words left his mouth before he could stop them and he felt his cheeks heat up. Well, if he said as much already, he might as well keep going. “I like Miyata the most after all.”
“Hm…” Miyata contemplates, looking down at the outfit. “I guess it will do.” He retreats to the changing room.
Tamamori’s heart was racing. Even after Senga had left them to make his own way home, Tamamori was still on edge. “S-so… my mom’s making tonkatsu. She’s making enough for you, too.”
Miyata looked surprised and smiled. “I love your mom’s tonkatsu.”
Hearing Miyata say “love” was a relief. Even if it wasn’t directed at him, he still missed hearing it. “Maybe we can watch that new anime movie after.”
Miyata pulled out his phone and sent a quick mail. “Just need to let the parental units know.”
They boarded the train to go to Tamamori’s house. Usually the train ride is full of chatter, but Miyata was silent. He brought out a manga from his bag, opened it and just started reading. Tamamori wasn’t built for small talk, unless by small they meant small inanimate objects. “You learned that move pretty quickly.” Tamamori finally broke the silence, despite how desperate an attempt that was. “You’re getting so much better.” And it was the truth. Miyata improved, he just never said anything.
Miyata just looked up from his book, surprised Tamamori was still handing him compliments. “Thank you, Tama-chan.”
“I could help you, too,” he offered.
Miyata grinned and nodded his head. He wondered if Senga mentioned their conversation to him. It would make sense. Their conversation wasn’t long, but he was able to come to terms with the fact that he wanted some acknowledgement of his feelings from Tamamori. “That would be awesome. Fujigaya is a little rough with the harder tricks. He lets me fall on purpose.”
Tamamori nodded and played with the strings on his sweatshirt. This was so awkward. “I won’t let you fall.” The words escape his mouth before he could stop himself. He prayed Miyata didn’t hear him, but with the bright smile forming on the other’s face, there was little chance of that. He went back to wrapping the strings around his fingers and did his best to ignore the glances Miyata sent his way every so often.
They make it to Tamamori’s house without any further conversation and his mom welcomes both with smiles and hugs. Before he sits down to eat, he makes an excuse of needing to feed his squirrel and races to his room to collect himself. Dinner itself was uneventful. Tamamori-san was caught up on all of the new things Miyata is doing and Tamamori just picked at his food. His mother tsked when she saw the food still left on her son’s plate after he said he was finished. “You need to eat more, Yuta. You can’t get sick while practicing.”
He shrugs it off with the usual “I'm busy.” She sighed and cleared off the table, excusing herself to clean the dishes and offering that Miyata could stay over if he wanted to.
Tamamori stood from the table and started to make his way towards his bedroom. Miyata quickly followed, concern showing on his face. He wondered if maybe he was pushing Tamamori too far. He knew not everyone wore their emotions on their sleeves as he did, but he figured Tamamori could at least show he is interested sometimes. Because he knew, despite all of Tamamori’s denials, he was interested. He just had to make him see. Now he wonders if he pushed too far.
He barely had the bedroom door closed when Tamamori grabbed his wrist and pushed him up against it. Miyata’s heart stuttered when Tamamori moved his head lower until it rested on Miyata’s shoulder, his breath tickling his ear. “Miyacchi?” Miyata could only reply with a vague sound. “Toshiya…” Miyata couldn’t suppress the shiver that went through his body at the sound of his name. “You’re my favorite person in the whole world.”
Miyata recognized those words for his own and was mildly surprised to hear Tamamori say them, too. “Tama-”
He wasn’t able to finish when Tamamori’s lips covered his own.
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“Tama-chan is my favorite person in the whole world!” Miyata yells in their break room and grasping onto Tamamori’s arm as they walk in. Tamamori just rolled his eyes, but instead of pushing him away as he normally did, a small smile lifts the corner of his mouth.