Fifthmus Fic: Brightest Stars (For aithine, from verloren1983)
TITLE: Brightest Stars
AUTHOR: verloren1983
RECIPIENT: aithine, requests
PAIRING: Kaga/Tsutsui. Sort of. There's also very minor Hikaru/Akira implications. Like you need a microscope. XD
WARNINGS: I fail at writing these days, seriously.
SUMMARY: Kaga and Tsutsui run into Hikaru at an exhibition match.
NOTES: I know I offer some version of this every time, but aithine... if you think this blows and want something else, I won't be insulted, trust me. I'm fully aware. XD Just let me know. Merry Christmas!
It was amazing to Tsutsui how things changed sometimes. When he looked at Shindou, he couldn't help but see the boy he'd known in the Haze Go Club. Small, inexperienced, energetic. Though he had flashes of brilliance, Tsutsui had always thought them flukes... until later. Sometimes he could hardly believe that this was the same little boy all grown up. Shindou was good, amazingly good, almost like the game he'd won against Kaio was a glimpse into the future. He still seemed as energetic as ever, if the few minutes he'd been on stage before the game started was any indication. He still had those ridiculous bleached bangs, too. The biggest thing that hadn't changed, however, was the way his eyes burned when he looked at Touya Akira.
"What are you staring off into space for?" Kaga whispered into his ear.
"Oh," Tsutsui blushed, embarrassed. "Nothing."
Kaga didn't appear to believe him but let it go. The game was heading into yose now, and the audience was collectively holding its breath. Shindou and Touya were famous for their amazing games. They were also famous for their huge fights in the middle of their games, even (especially?) in exhibition matches like this one. There hadn't been a single word exchanged yet, angry or otherwise, and so everyone was on edge as they waited for the inevitable.
It started with "You've got to be kidding me!" and spiraled downward from there. In the end Shindou won by half a moku, but Touya didn't seem upset about that at all. In fact, both of them looked strangely happy.
"I suppose that's a rival thing," Tsutsui murmured to himself.
"Huh?"
"Oh, nothing important," he answered softly. Kaga still held on to his unreasonable hatred of Touya, he wouldn't understand.
"Whatever."
***
Shindou's eyes were wide when he saw them. "Tsutsui-senpai! Kaga! What are you doing here?"
"Watching the 'brightest stars in the new wave', why else?" Kaga answered, quoting an article that had made him sick from laughing so hard a few days previous. Tsutsui rolled his eyes.
"More like he wanted to watch you beat Touya Akira."
"Well he did, didn't he?" Kaga smirked. He ruffed Shindou's hair, even though he wasn't that much shorter than Kaga himself these days. "Knew you'd make it, kid."
"Hey!" Shindou cried out, trying to whap Kaga's hand away. This only served to make Kaga laugh and ruffle more.
"We were going to get something to eat after this, Shindou-kun, if you'd like to join us."
"Sure!"
Kaga smirked. "And since you're the famous Go Pro now, you can pay."
"Aww."
***
They at least were able to talk him out of ramen. There was a sushi place nearby that they could all agree on, and so they headed inside and sat at the counter, waiting for food to come to them.
"So what're you guys doing now?" Shindou asked. "Can't believe you showed up together, I always thought you hated each other."
"No," Tsutsui smiled softly. "We never really hated each other."
"Really? Seemed like it."
"Nah," Kaga smirked, grabbing a plate as it passed him. "He always secretly liked me. Or not so secretly, I guess."
"Kaga!"
Tsutsui felt his cheeks warm up and Kaga laughed. "And I always not so secretly liked watching you do that."
The blush deepened. Shindou frowned.
"Am I... missing something?"
"No, not at all," Tsutsui told him.
They chatted after that, catching up, but nothing incredibly personal. Shindou had more plates of sushi than Tsutsui had thought humanly possible. All too soon it was time for them all to leave.
"We should totally do something soon," Shindou grinned.
"Could be fun," Kaga grinned back, ruffling the younger man's hair again. This time Shindou put up with it.
"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," Tsutsui said. "Here, let me give you my phone number......"
He dug a piece of paper out of the messenger bag he carried and scribbled down his name and phone number. "That's home. Even if we're not there, leave a message and we'll get it."
Shindou blinked at him. "We?"
"Ah, well... Kaga and I... are roommates."
"Oh, really?" Shindou beamed. "Me an' Touya too! So probably sometime next week. It's okay if he comes, right?"
Kaga twitched next to Tsutsui. "Why the hell would we want that--"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Tsutsui interrupted quickly.
"He's not that bad. I mean, he pisses me off and everything, but... I don't think he's as horrible as you think."
"Maybe someday," Tsutsui smiled. Hell would probably freeze over before Kaga consented to do anything with Touya Akira except strangle him, but stranger things had happened.
"Yeah, okay," Shindou smiled back. "Whoops! I'm late, gotta go! See you guys later!"
They watched him sprint out of the shop. It was several seconds before Kaga snorted.
"He left us the bill, you know that, right?"
No, Tsutsui sighed, Shindou really hadn't changed that much at all.
AUTHOR: verloren1983
RECIPIENT: aithine, requests
PAIRING: Kaga/Tsutsui. Sort of. There's also very minor Hikaru/Akira implications. Like you need a microscope. XD
WARNINGS: I fail at writing these days, seriously.
SUMMARY: Kaga and Tsutsui run into Hikaru at an exhibition match.
NOTES: I know I offer some version of this every time, but aithine... if you think this blows and want something else, I won't be insulted, trust me. I'm fully aware. XD Just let me know. Merry Christmas!
It was amazing to Tsutsui how things changed sometimes. When he looked at Shindou, he couldn't help but see the boy he'd known in the Haze Go Club. Small, inexperienced, energetic. Though he had flashes of brilliance, Tsutsui had always thought them flukes... until later. Sometimes he could hardly believe that this was the same little boy all grown up. Shindou was good, amazingly good, almost like the game he'd won against Kaio was a glimpse into the future. He still seemed as energetic as ever, if the few minutes he'd been on stage before the game started was any indication. He still had those ridiculous bleached bangs, too. The biggest thing that hadn't changed, however, was the way his eyes burned when he looked at Touya Akira.
"What are you staring off into space for?" Kaga whispered into his ear.
"Oh," Tsutsui blushed, embarrassed. "Nothing."
Kaga didn't appear to believe him but let it go. The game was heading into yose now, and the audience was collectively holding its breath. Shindou and Touya were famous for their amazing games. They were also famous for their huge fights in the middle of their games, even (especially?) in exhibition matches like this one. There hadn't been a single word exchanged yet, angry or otherwise, and so everyone was on edge as they waited for the inevitable.
It started with "You've got to be kidding me!" and spiraled downward from there. In the end Shindou won by half a moku, but Touya didn't seem upset about that at all. In fact, both of them looked strangely happy.
"I suppose that's a rival thing," Tsutsui murmured to himself.
"Huh?"
"Oh, nothing important," he answered softly. Kaga still held on to his unreasonable hatred of Touya, he wouldn't understand.
"Whatever."
***
Shindou's eyes were wide when he saw them. "Tsutsui-senpai! Kaga! What are you doing here?"
"Watching the 'brightest stars in the new wave', why else?" Kaga answered, quoting an article that had made him sick from laughing so hard a few days previous. Tsutsui rolled his eyes.
"More like he wanted to watch you beat Touya Akira."
"Well he did, didn't he?" Kaga smirked. He ruffed Shindou's hair, even though he wasn't that much shorter than Kaga himself these days. "Knew you'd make it, kid."
"Hey!" Shindou cried out, trying to whap Kaga's hand away. This only served to make Kaga laugh and ruffle more.
"We were going to get something to eat after this, Shindou-kun, if you'd like to join us."
"Sure!"
Kaga smirked. "And since you're the famous Go Pro now, you can pay."
"Aww."
***
They at least were able to talk him out of ramen. There was a sushi place nearby that they could all agree on, and so they headed inside and sat at the counter, waiting for food to come to them.
"So what're you guys doing now?" Shindou asked. "Can't believe you showed up together, I always thought you hated each other."
"No," Tsutsui smiled softly. "We never really hated each other."
"Really? Seemed like it."
"Nah," Kaga smirked, grabbing a plate as it passed him. "He always secretly liked me. Or not so secretly, I guess."
"Kaga!"
Tsutsui felt his cheeks warm up and Kaga laughed. "And I always not so secretly liked watching you do that."
The blush deepened. Shindou frowned.
"Am I... missing something?"
"No, not at all," Tsutsui told him.
They chatted after that, catching up, but nothing incredibly personal. Shindou had more plates of sushi than Tsutsui had thought humanly possible. All too soon it was time for them all to leave.
"We should totally do something soon," Shindou grinned.
"Could be fun," Kaga grinned back, ruffling the younger man's hair again. This time Shindou put up with it.
"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," Tsutsui said. "Here, let me give you my phone number......"
He dug a piece of paper out of the messenger bag he carried and scribbled down his name and phone number. "That's home. Even if we're not there, leave a message and we'll get it."
Shindou blinked at him. "We?"
"Ah, well... Kaga and I... are roommates."
"Oh, really?" Shindou beamed. "Me an' Touya too! So probably sometime next week. It's okay if he comes, right?"
Kaga twitched next to Tsutsui. "Why the hell would we want that--"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Tsutsui interrupted quickly.
"He's not that bad. I mean, he pisses me off and everything, but... I don't think he's as horrible as you think."
"Maybe someday," Tsutsui smiled. Hell would probably freeze over before Kaga consented to do anything with Touya Akira except strangle him, but stranger things had happened.
"Yeah, okay," Shindou smiled back. "Whoops! I'm late, gotta go! See you guys later!"
They watched him sprint out of the shop. It was several seconds before Kaga snorted.
"He left us the bill, you know that, right?"
No, Tsutsui sighed, Shindou really hadn't changed that much at all.