Contrast (Yokoo, Fujigaya, Kitayama; Elemental AU)
Title: Contrast
Characters/pairings: Yokoo, Fujigaya, Kitayama
Rating/Genre: PG; Elemental AU
Summary: Fujigaya doesn't want to fight with the new guy so he goes to complain with Yokoo.
A/N: I wrote the prequel to this story here for fic shiritori. Elemental AU is one of the most complete AU I have, but I haven't written much of it yet and posted even less. Thanks a lot to shadow_fictions for beta!♥
Wataru was leaning on his books, almost dozing off as encouraged by the feeble light of the candle, when he heard gentle drops of rain tapping on his window. The rhythm they suggested was that of a lullaby, but Wataru raised his head and turned to the door finally winning against the drowsiness he felt.
“Taisuke is that you?”
The rain splashed on his window like a lively spring shower.
“I know you are outside. Come in.”
The door opened and Taisuke faltered before moving his feet to enter the room.
“You could knock like normal people usually do.” observed Wataru sprawling his arm on the back of his chair. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not normal people.”
“You don’t look very well, sit down and tell me what happened.”
Taisuke sulked and as he reached the chair next to Wataru’s he stopped, refusing to bend his knees to sit.
“Sit down I said!”
The floor under Taisuke’s feet shook abruptly and he fell backwards onto the seat. He opened his mouth to voice words of protest, but Wataru held a hand up right in front of his face.
“Don’t start. You are the one who used his powers because it was too much hassle to knock on a door so why should it be a problem if I use mine to win against your stubbornness? Now, what are you doing here? You should be sleeping, you’ll have a long day of training ahead.”
Taisuke pouted, crossing his arms as he leaned on the back of the chair “I don’t want to do my training with him ever again.”
Wataru raised an eyebrow then looked at him from above his glasses.
“Very unusual for you to come and complain about your partners. You usually stress them so much they come to beg me to change.”
“Well, I’ve had enough. I have better things to do than waste time with that douchebag.”
“Taisuke... why won’t you give him a chance, at least? After all, before, you thought Tamamori was a useless brat and look at him now!”
“That’s different. I made him what he is now. There’s no way this guy will ever...”
“It’s because his level is already high isn’t it? You’re scared it’s even higher than yours.”
“Bullshit. It’s not that.”
“Can you two find a way of getting along please? We really need you to function!”
“But... why can’t I just fight with you?!”
“Taisuke... we know each other like the back of our hands. We could fight together blindfolded. But unfortunately this won’t bring our powers to the next level.”
“We could still find something that we don’t know...”
“Not if we stay like this. Not if we don’t progress individually and experience different fighting styles.”
“Not if we stay like this, right?” Fujigaya stared at his hands clenched on his knees. “Then we should just change.”
“Taisuke. You know this is impossible. We don’t have time to waste. You must learn how to fight with him.”
Taisuke raised his head and looked at Wataru’s committed face. “He’s a fire elemental. How can I deal with a fire elemental? Fire elementals are my enemies.”
“You know what your... our real enemy really is.”
Taisuke closed his eyes and grabbed his own shoulder with a shiver. He knew what Wataru was talking about. ‘Something’ he met many years before that made him feel so weak he could only cry in the darkness until he found the power to fight inside of him. The thing that devoured his parents and was starting to lay its weight on him as well. Luckily they had found him before it was too late. People just like him found him and rescued him. These people taught him how to use his power and how to fight the shadows still clinging to his heart. And he was proud he could call those people his friends now.
Wataru was one of them. He remembered his crooked smile when he open that door and found him curled up on the floor, when he showed no desire to continue living in his eyes.
“OK, I’ll give him another chance.” Taisuke agreed, “But I want you to supervise us tomorrow. Just to make sure he doesn’t burn my hair with his stupid sparks again.”
Wataru rolled his eyes. “I’ll come. You should make sure you won’t pour water on him then, OK?”
Taisuke pouted. “How do you know that...? Wait! Did he come here to talk to you!?” he shouted, outrage clear.
“He’s actually sleeping in my bed now... oh he’s not sleeping anymore!” stated Wataru, voice flat and steady, not rising to Taisuke’s anger.
Taisuke turned around slowly to check the bed against the wall behind his shoulders. A figure was sitting there, among a fort of covers, scratching his head nonchalantly.
“Yo!”
Taisuke turned again to Wataru, all his rage showing in his red cheeks and cranky look. Wataru half grinned and shrugged. Taisuke stood up and crossed the room to reach the bed, only stopping when he could look the other guy straight in the eye.
“Kitayama.”
“What?”
Taisuke sighed. “Nothing.”
“Listen, I know you don’t like me...”
“I think everyone knows now.” muttered Wataru.
“You guys have no idea.” replied Taisuke.
“... but can we at least try to cooperate? Come on! Besides it doesn’t seem we have much choice. The war will not stop just because you don’t want to fight with me.”
Taisuke sulked thinking about how annoying it all was. He was sure Kitayama thought his arguments were irrelevant because he just wanted to swirl his silly fire around and show off. Taisuke couldn’t accept the fact he was stuck with him because their levels were too similar. He wished someone else could hurry up and reach his level, so he wouldn’t have to team up with him. Sometimes being the best didn’t exactly pay off.
“It’s not only that. This thing isn’t working at all. We can barely use our own powers when we are together, I can’t even imagine combining them! I’m a water elemental, you’re fire! Whatever we do will just turn into smoke!”
Kitayama seemed upset for a second then stood up and looked into Taisuke’s eyes.
“So what? Are you telling me you want to give up? Since I arrived every person in this house told me that water elementals and fire elementals worked together in the past and reached a fighting level which is mentioned only in legends. Don’t you even want to try and imagine what could happen if we do combine our powers together?”
As he was talking, Kitayama’s skin fizzed with little sparks which flickered, burning themselves fast in the air.
Taisuke walked away and as he reached the door, he put a hand on the frame and started talking without turning his face to look at the others in the room.
“See you tomorrow in the training area. Don’t be late.”
Wataru’s lips bended in a light smile and he exchanged looks with Kitayama who was smirking proud that his effort worked.
“Ah another thing.” Taisuke turned his profile in Kitayama’s direction. “Stop sneaking into Wataru’s bed. That’s my place.”
Characters/pairings: Yokoo, Fujigaya, Kitayama
Rating/Genre: PG; Elemental AU
Summary: Fujigaya doesn't want to fight with the new guy so he goes to complain with Yokoo.
A/N: I wrote the prequel to this story here for fic shiritori. Elemental AU is one of the most complete AU I have, but I haven't written much of it yet and posted even less. Thanks a lot to shadow_fictions for beta!♥
Wataru was leaning on his books, almost dozing off as encouraged by the feeble light of the candle, when he heard gentle drops of rain tapping on his window. The rhythm they suggested was that of a lullaby, but Wataru raised his head and turned to the door finally winning against the drowsiness he felt.
“Taisuke is that you?”
The rain splashed on his window like a lively spring shower.
“I know you are outside. Come in.”
The door opened and Taisuke faltered before moving his feet to enter the room.
“You could knock like normal people usually do.” observed Wataru sprawling his arm on the back of his chair. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not normal people.”
“You don’t look very well, sit down and tell me what happened.”
Taisuke sulked and as he reached the chair next to Wataru’s he stopped, refusing to bend his knees to sit.
“Sit down I said!”
The floor under Taisuke’s feet shook abruptly and he fell backwards onto the seat. He opened his mouth to voice words of protest, but Wataru held a hand up right in front of his face.
“Don’t start. You are the one who used his powers because it was too much hassle to knock on a door so why should it be a problem if I use mine to win against your stubbornness? Now, what are you doing here? You should be sleeping, you’ll have a long day of training ahead.”
Taisuke pouted, crossing his arms as he leaned on the back of the chair “I don’t want to do my training with him ever again.”
Wataru raised an eyebrow then looked at him from above his glasses.
“Very unusual for you to come and complain about your partners. You usually stress them so much they come to beg me to change.”
“Well, I’ve had enough. I have better things to do than waste time with that douchebag.”
“Taisuke... why won’t you give him a chance, at least? After all, before, you thought Tamamori was a useless brat and look at him now!”
“That’s different. I made him what he is now. There’s no way this guy will ever...”
“It’s because his level is already high isn’t it? You’re scared it’s even higher than yours.”
“Bullshit. It’s not that.”
“Can you two find a way of getting along please? We really need you to function!”
“But... why can’t I just fight with you?!”
“Taisuke... we know each other like the back of our hands. We could fight together blindfolded. But unfortunately this won’t bring our powers to the next level.”
“We could still find something that we don’t know...”
“Not if we stay like this. Not if we don’t progress individually and experience different fighting styles.”
“Not if we stay like this, right?” Fujigaya stared at his hands clenched on his knees. “Then we should just change.”
“Taisuke. You know this is impossible. We don’t have time to waste. You must learn how to fight with him.”
Taisuke raised his head and looked at Wataru’s committed face. “He’s a fire elemental. How can I deal with a fire elemental? Fire elementals are my enemies.”
“You know what your... our real enemy really is.”
Taisuke closed his eyes and grabbed his own shoulder with a shiver. He knew what Wataru was talking about. ‘Something’ he met many years before that made him feel so weak he could only cry in the darkness until he found the power to fight inside of him. The thing that devoured his parents and was starting to lay its weight on him as well. Luckily they had found him before it was too late. People just like him found him and rescued him. These people taught him how to use his power and how to fight the shadows still clinging to his heart. And he was proud he could call those people his friends now.
Wataru was one of them. He remembered his crooked smile when he open that door and found him curled up on the floor, when he showed no desire to continue living in his eyes.
“OK, I’ll give him another chance.” Taisuke agreed, “But I want you to supervise us tomorrow. Just to make sure he doesn’t burn my hair with his stupid sparks again.”
Wataru rolled his eyes. “I’ll come. You should make sure you won’t pour water on him then, OK?”
Taisuke pouted. “How do you know that...? Wait! Did he come here to talk to you!?” he shouted, outrage clear.
“He’s actually sleeping in my bed now... oh he’s not sleeping anymore!” stated Wataru, voice flat and steady, not rising to Taisuke’s anger.
Taisuke turned around slowly to check the bed against the wall behind his shoulders. A figure was sitting there, among a fort of covers, scratching his head nonchalantly.
“Yo!”
Taisuke turned again to Wataru, all his rage showing in his red cheeks and cranky look. Wataru half grinned and shrugged. Taisuke stood up and crossed the room to reach the bed, only stopping when he could look the other guy straight in the eye.
“Kitayama.”
“What?”
Taisuke sighed. “Nothing.”
“Listen, I know you don’t like me...”
“I think everyone knows now.” muttered Wataru.
“You guys have no idea.” replied Taisuke.
“... but can we at least try to cooperate? Come on! Besides it doesn’t seem we have much choice. The war will not stop just because you don’t want to fight with me.”
Taisuke sulked thinking about how annoying it all was. He was sure Kitayama thought his arguments were irrelevant because he just wanted to swirl his silly fire around and show off. Taisuke couldn’t accept the fact he was stuck with him because their levels were too similar. He wished someone else could hurry up and reach his level, so he wouldn’t have to team up with him. Sometimes being the best didn’t exactly pay off.
“It’s not only that. This thing isn’t working at all. We can barely use our own powers when we are together, I can’t even imagine combining them! I’m a water elemental, you’re fire! Whatever we do will just turn into smoke!”
Kitayama seemed upset for a second then stood up and looked into Taisuke’s eyes.
“So what? Are you telling me you want to give up? Since I arrived every person in this house told me that water elementals and fire elementals worked together in the past and reached a fighting level which is mentioned only in legends. Don’t you even want to try and imagine what could happen if we do combine our powers together?”
As he was talking, Kitayama’s skin fizzed with little sparks which flickered, burning themselves fast in the air.
Taisuke walked away and as he reached the door, he put a hand on the frame and started talking without turning his face to look at the others in the room.
“See you tomorrow in the training area. Don’t be late.”
Wataru’s lips bended in a light smile and he exchanged looks with Kitayama who was smirking proud that his effort worked.
“Ah another thing.” Taisuke turned his profile in Kitayama’s direction. “Stop sneaking into Wataru’s bed. That’s my place.”