Fanfiction: Cardboard Cups - Part III
Fanfiction: Cardboard Cups - Part III
Synopsis: Fuji's a barista at a tiny coffee shop. Tezuka is worker at an architectural firm. By chance or misfortune, luck or some chaotic scheme against them both, they meet.
Genre: Slice of Life/Cafe Story
Rating: PG-13 (maybe higher later)
Word Count: 3169
Warnings: None in this chapter
Dedication: cleverlilwill, my dearest beta and friend, of whom without I would have never started writing ZukaFuji. ♥
Part 3
You're something beautiful
A contradiction
I wanna play the game
I want the friction
- Muse, Time Is Running Out
If one traveled five streets away, one avenue east, and three buildings and a sandwich shop down, he or she would find themselves in front of a white stone building with glass doors and silver handles and a revolving door. Walking either nine flights of stairs or using the faux silver elevators would take him or her to what has been nicknamed the "The Tezuka Division". And passing both a set of cubicles and offices alike would place him or her in front of a mahogany door that read Tezuka Kunimitsu, RA in Chief.
The office Tezuka inhibited was small, but even in its minimalism was well-furnished. To the right of the polished cherry wood desk stood a wood bookshelf that housed work related books and binders. A few pictures lined the desk as well, one of his mother and father and a separate one of his grandfather, standing as untouchable as a mountain, two years before he had passed away. In the picture of his parents his father was happily flushed while his mother, in with her calm smiles and pleasant demeanor, had cheekily looped an arm around his waist just before the picture had been taken.
The office wasn't as grand as his boss, the president of the company, whose spacious office took half the floor upstairs (and looked more akin to a living room). But what it lacked in space it made up for in convenience. It both gave him his privacy while still locating him "in reaching distance" to his co-workers. One door went directly to the offices and work stations of his team of fellow architects, interior designers, renovators, contractors, and interns of whom he lead. The other door went to a hallway which, if he passed the glass doors at the end, was a straight shot to the elevators. It he had to leave before any of his team members did, he could without any interruption to their work and vice versa.
Save when they actually did want to interrupt.
Tezuka slowly raised his eyes from the prints on his desk to the soft knock on the door. There were only two reasons anyone would knock so hesitantly. Either Sakuno was at his door to tell him something important about the project she had been assigned or Momoshiro and Kaidoh had toppled each others work stations for the third time that week and.... Sakuno was there to tell him again.
"Tezuka-san?"
Ryuuzaki Sakuno's tiny voice barely proceeded her as she peeked through the door. She had joined a few months ago and either Tezuka's presence or her own meekness had built a wall of formalities between them, even after many of the other workers told her (with a slap on the back and lots of giggles) to just call him 'captain'. It was no more apparent when he raised an eyebrow at her and she paused a few beats before realizing she hadn't said a word.
"Ah! The president would like to see you now."
"Fine. Thank you." He nodded and she took her leave.
If Tezuka was honest with himself, he would admit he was a little worried about this meeting. His boss had been nervous by the company merger for quite some time now and Tezuka's absence from the initial meeting had only worked him up even more. Fortunately, he had managed to schedule an impromptu meet-up in which Tezuka would be properly introduced to the CEO and VP of the engineering firm. He tapped his fingers on the desk before taking a small binder (a fifth of his portfolio, the portion he was most proud of) and made his way to the elevators. Pushing the 30 button, he leaned against the silver railing as it took him to the top floor.
As the doors of the elevator whooshed open and he exited, a familiar laugh woven with his boss' voice wafted to his ears and he quite nearly turned on his heel to get back on the elevator.
"Tezuka."
Tezuka looked up to find that all of his suspicions - all purple, black, and sleekly dressed suspicions - were correct.
"Atobe."
"Oh, I see you know each other." His boss suddenly looked more cheerful than he had been in the last two weeks.
Atobe smirked. "We've met. We were once roommates together, weren't we, Tezuka?"
If by roommates he meant when they were first-years in college and Atobe hid half of Tezuka's clothes and burned his favorite lilac shirt under the pretenses of 'self-renovation', then yes, they had been roommates. “Besties”, even. (An invisible line had been drawn after that by the force of Tezuka's glare behind his textbooks and Atobe's eighteen-year old "I didn't burn it. I had it burned" smugness.)
It had been downhill ever since.
The president of the company ushered them into his office and while Atobe took a seat, he elected to stand. Even Tezuka had to marvel how Atobe could still sit in a chair and look like he belonged there. Like it was his.
The president made his way to his desk and clasped his fingers together. "I suppose we can skip formalities, then. Is your Vice coming?"
"Yuushi's couldn't make it to the meeting today, but he sends his regards." Atobe inclined his head to Tezuka. "You remember Yuushi, yes?"
Tezuka raised an eyebrow. Oshitari Yuushi. Atobe's on-again/off-again lover (of whom he'd found out by seeing a sock hanging on the door knob when coming back to the dorm one night?) Sure, they'd 'met' too. But it had been nearly a decade since. "I didn't know you two were still... close."
Atobe's smirk was priceless. "As close as ever."
He really didn't need to know that. He really, really didn't need to know that. This whole episode was conjuring images he hadn't wanted to relive.
The president, at least, seemed pleased. "Well good!" The stress wrinkles above his brow were ironing out as the moments passed. "As you know the first tier of this merger is just a test run of sorts. Atobe-san has been gracious enough to lend us a few of his workers for a trial period." As his boss explained the changes in his job - additional team members in his division, new sites to be overseen - Atobe's smug smile twitched at the corners of his mouth and Tezuka had a bad, bad feeling of what the future was to hold.
"I know our Tezuka will be the perfect guide in taking you to our sites."
Wait, what? There had to be at least a twenty he'd personally worked on over the last few months. And a hundred "All of the building sites?"
Atobe's hand came up with a flourish. "I'm a business man, Tezuka. I have to see what I'm putting my money into."
"...when?"
"Starting tomorrow morning."
It took all of Tezuka's willpower not to bang his head on the wall.
***
"A portentous sign. An omen." Eiji quipped, reading the third definition of the word prodigy.
Boredom had sunk in at Timeless at about two in the afternoon. Eiji was upside-down on the couch in the lounge, reading the dictionary of all things, while Fuji spent his time re-reading the Le Petit Prince, trying to push out of his mind that Tezuka hadn't shown up the the cafe in six days. And that he had noticed.
The day before had been business as usual. Tezuka had come back even though he'd stunned him only the day before. And he'd even summoned the courage to ask what Fuji liked to do on his days off.
"This is just my day job." Fuji had beamed and capped the lid on the cup. "At night, I'm an assassin."
"I don't think that's what you say to people you're trying to date." Eiji whispered rapidly into Fuji's ear as Tezuka retreated.
Fuji chuckled. "He'll be back." Because Tezuka was his Eight-Thirty. And Tezuka had even chanced a tiny smile as they exchanged money for coffee.
He had been wrong. Either Tezuka really thought he was an assassin or he was avoiding the coffee shop. Or, as Eiji had ribbed on the second day, it was a combination of both.
He highly doubted the joke had scared Tezuka away from the cafe altogether.
Day two passed and Fuji ignored Eiji pointing out that Eight-Thirty hadn't come at eight-thirty. Or nine-thirty. Or ten-thirty. Or any of the other -thirties until, at one-thirty, right after they'd returned from lunch, Fuji's patience finally had run dry and he gave Eiji The Look. Eiji didn't mention it since.
The days progressed in the same fashion and five days later, there was still no sign of the former frequent customer. Life went back to 'before Eight-Thirty', save both Fuji and Eiji and Oishi knew that it was still 'After Eight-Thirty'. Still, some nights Fuji would walk to the train station a little later than usual only to find it oddly stifling and empty at the same time.
"I miss Eight-Thirty."
Fuji looked up from the book, eyes glancing up from the chapter on what the little prince would do if he had quenched his lack of thirst and thus had more time in the day. He snickered. "I think his name was Tezuka."
To his credit, Eiji never asked why or how Fuji knew his name. He just flipped right-side up and gave a long sigh while putting the book on his face as the blood drained out of his head. "It's just weird not seeing him every morning, even if he didn't stay all the time to doodle or something or whatever it was he did when he drew."
"He's an architect. I think those were prints."
"Oh." Eiji sprawled on the couch. "I guess that's why he does math in the margins of his newspapers."
"I guess so." Fuji snickered again. "You're awful attentive toward someone you aren't close to, Eiji."
Eiji opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut again. But the look on his face spoke volumes. "Fuji-"
Fuji had already averted his eyes back to his book. What would the little prince do if he had 43 extra minutes to spend?
Moi, si j'avais cinquante-trois minutes à dépenser, je marcherais tout doucement vers une fontaine... and he'd savor the water too.
***
Giving Atobe and Oshitari a tour around the building sites in Tokyo had been a trip and a half. One that Tezuka did not ever want to take again.
Every morning at 7:45, the driver of Atobe's limo would be on his door and every single morning he wasn't ready for it. He would always grab his briefcase, ready to head to his job and jump six feet in the air seeing a man in a suit asking if he was ready yet.
"Your driver doesn't knock." Tezuka said, climbing into the limo.
Atobe looked disconcerted. "Well, of course not. That would disturb others in your tiny apartment building."
How considerate.
"We've been waiting for fifteen minutes." Atobe frowned. "Don't you get up earlier than this?"
He did. He got up a lot earlier than quarter til eight. He also had a routine that usually didn't involve drivers at his door or a semi-cranky businessman.
Atobe ignored Tezuka's lateness after the fourth day and offered Tezuka "Coffee?" The first two times he'd accepted it, just to get the familiar feel of caffeine in his veins. But after the third day he was starting to get sick of Atobe's rich, expensive roasted mocha blend with cream. His fingers went to his lips as he yearned for a simpler taste.
At least going to the sites was more or less normal. Most of the time it had been strictly business between the three of them, explanations of what the sites were for, who owned it, and what the aim of the finished project was. Sometimes, Atobe asked a question that Tezuka couldn't answer and he would jot it down to ask his boss later. However, any time their was a lull in the limousine, Atobe's questions were less on the site projects and delved into more personal topics.
"No, I'm not with anyone. I'm not married. I'm not dating. No, I'm not hiding anything from you." He'd said to the window for the umpteenth time over the week. It was starting to sound like a mantra that he pulled out every time he needed inner peace from Atobe's prodding questions.
Atobe smiled over his tea cup. "So no one in mind either?"
Tezuka never answered.
The grand tour had officially ended at 2:53pm six days later. He dropped Tezuka off in front of the office building with a "Always good to see you, Tezuka."
"You too." Which was true if he didn't include Atobe's obsession with his love life. He watched the limousine speed away and laughed inwardly when it hit traffic at the next light.
Tezuka checked his watch again and then looked back up at the building. Technically, he still could go in and finish any outstanding work. Not being in the office for six days meant papers were stacked neatly in in his inbox (and anything he could do by e-mail had been done at home). He was almost sure there was something that needed to be fixed waiting for him (either an easel or a broken bone, when it came to his team he was never surprised).
But something held him back from entering the building immediately. He looked down the street to nothing in particular as if expecting something to be there. Nothing came.
Shaking his head, he walked toward the elevators, greeted the guard, and entered his office.
***
What Tezuka had thought would be a few minutes in the office had become a few long, tedious hours. The merger came with the good and the bad, the bad being the stack of paperwork on the edge of his desk that over flooded his inbox and someone (he suspected Sakuno) had organized them into three, even, less-tall stacks. Blue prints needing to be approved, contractors questioning agreements and building violations, and the resumes of the new workers from Atobe's company greeted him as he sank into his chair.
Now it was nearing midnight and Tezuka was still in his office with a crick in his neck. One hand reached up to massage it out while the other held up a building agreement. The words swam in front of him. If there was ever a time he needed a cup of coffee it would be now. But, ironically, the floor's kitchen was locked as soon as the janitors finished cleaning and that was (sadly) hours ago.
He slid off his glasses and massaged his eyes with the heels of his hands. Weariness filled him and whatever second wind he had in him he would need to get home. Wordlessly, he snapped off the desk lamp, grabbed his jacket, and headed out.
Fuji was leaning against the lamp post, hands in his pockets, eyes closed. They fluttered open as Tezuka approached and something hit home in his chest.
Fuji looked up and stood straight, carefully making his way to Tezuka. His playful smile had melted into sincerity.
“Walk to the trains with me?”
Timeless had come to him.
***
Lunchtime had meant free time for Tezuka. The sandwich shop down the street had always been an old standby if he forgot to make his own before bed. So when he had left his office, he thought that was where he was headed, he really did.
His legs, somehow, had made up his mind for him and before he knew it, he was standing outside of Timeless with a semi-irked expression, wondering how he got there.
He squared his jaw. It wasn't early in the morning. He had no logical reason to go into the cafe. But standing outside of the cafe was equally illogical. He should really just leave - or walk in, as that was what his body had decided to do for him yet again.
Something sweet and warm filled his nose and he wasn't the only one who appreciated it. A found a small crowd sitting at the tables, eating pieces of flat, folded dough, savoring the taste.
Fuji and Eiji were behind the counter, as usual, with Fuji's back to him. A large jar holding a dark brown mixture sat between them. Fuji took a little of what was in the jar with a spoon and held it to Eiji.
"Eiji, say 'ah'"
"Ah..." The kitten mouth puckered and opened to welcome the creamy dark chocolate spread before plucking the spoon from Fuji's hand and licking the rest clean. It was in mid-lick that Eiji noticed Tezuka standing there.
"Tezuka?"
Fuji turned and smiled and whatever had made him feel a little warmer last night was creeping into his chest again.
"Where have you been? We're making crepes!" Eiji had said with a little too much enthusiasm, knocking Tezuka out of his reverie.
"And we'll never finish if you're eating the ingredients before we bake them." Oishi appeared from the back room. He waved a little at Tezuka before he grabbed Eiji's hand and marched him behind the 'Employee's Only' door. "Come on, you can help me mix the batter for the next batch."
Tezuka approached the counter just as Fuji spoke "Six days. How'd you live without the coffee?”
“Patience.” was the only answer Tezuka could give, thinking about Atobe and his game of twenty questions based on Tezuka's life. He raised his eyebrow at the thick, gooey brown concoction in the jar.
"This is nutella. Have you ever had it before?" As Fuji spoke, he scooped a little of the spread with a finger and popped it into his mouth. "It's chocolate and hazelnut. We put it in the crepes sometimes... Want some?"
He was offering the same finger, coated with a dab of nutella again. As innocent as he looked, Fuji's eyes told more stories. He was daring him.
A beat passed between them before Fuji chuckled. "I'm kid-"
Something, the same something that had tugged in his chest when he came into the coffee shop six days late, snapped. He furtively glanced left, right, then to the 'Employee's Only' door before grabbing Fuji's wrist and pulling him close (or as close as he could with the wooden and glass counter between them).
And then he heard it; the sound of triumph and the sensation of something else: Fuji's breath hitching as Tezuka tongue glided over the swab of nutella on the tip of his finger, teeth lightly grazing it in the process. And Fuji found himself biting his lips, stopping himself before he gasped again.
It only lasted a second, but the hazy look in Fuji's eyes stayed even after he pulled away.
Tezuka licked his lips until they were devoid of the sticky chocolate. He blinked. “It's sweet.”
After a moment, Fuji had broken into a shoulder shaking laugh that sounded a lot like relief and a little like something else. He capped the nutella with a smirk. "Still want your morning coffee?"
Another beat passed between them before Tezuka shook his head. "No."
Eiji appeared a few minutes later, carrying a tray of warm crepes. He set them down and munched on one only to find Tezuka no where in sight. "Tezuka left?"
"Mmm..."
"Oh, I thought he would want one." He licked his sticky fingers. "Did he order anything?"
"No..."
"...Fuji?
"Hm?"
"Your face is pink..."
***
A/N: They weren't apart for too long, I hope? ^^ Nutella had to make a comeback, Will. u.u
RA: Resident Architect. Tezuka's the head of his floor but not of the whole company, mind. Someone want to come up with a name for Atobe's engineering company?
On another note: We're gonna play a game. It's called "How long will it take for Willow//cleverlilwill to realize I posted this chapter." The rules are simple: Don't tell her and enjoy as she filets me u.u~
Let the games begin!
Games are over. o.o Brb, running for my life.
Interlude I [Eiji's Side//we rule the world together
Synopsis: Fuji's a barista at a tiny coffee shop. Tezuka is worker at an architectural firm. By chance or misfortune, luck or some chaotic scheme against them both, they meet.
Genre: Slice of Life/Cafe Story
Rating: PG-13 (maybe higher later)
Word Count: 3169
Warnings: None in this chapter
Dedication: cleverlilwill, my dearest beta and friend, of whom without I would have never started writing ZukaFuji. ♥
Part 3
You're something beautiful
A contradiction
I wanna play the game
I want the friction
- Muse, Time Is Running Out
If one traveled five streets away, one avenue east, and three buildings and a sandwich shop down, he or she would find themselves in front of a white stone building with glass doors and silver handles and a revolving door. Walking either nine flights of stairs or using the faux silver elevators would take him or her to what has been nicknamed the "The Tezuka Division". And passing both a set of cubicles and offices alike would place him or her in front of a mahogany door that read Tezuka Kunimitsu, RA in Chief.
The office Tezuka inhibited was small, but even in its minimalism was well-furnished. To the right of the polished cherry wood desk stood a wood bookshelf that housed work related books and binders. A few pictures lined the desk as well, one of his mother and father and a separate one of his grandfather, standing as untouchable as a mountain, two years before he had passed away. In the picture of his parents his father was happily flushed while his mother, in with her calm smiles and pleasant demeanor, had cheekily looped an arm around his waist just before the picture had been taken.
The office wasn't as grand as his boss, the president of the company, whose spacious office took half the floor upstairs (and looked more akin to a living room). But what it lacked in space it made up for in convenience. It both gave him his privacy while still locating him "in reaching distance" to his co-workers. One door went directly to the offices and work stations of his team of fellow architects, interior designers, renovators, contractors, and interns of whom he lead. The other door went to a hallway which, if he passed the glass doors at the end, was a straight shot to the elevators. It he had to leave before any of his team members did, he could without any interruption to their work and vice versa.
Save when they actually did want to interrupt.
Tezuka slowly raised his eyes from the prints on his desk to the soft knock on the door. There were only two reasons anyone would knock so hesitantly. Either Sakuno was at his door to tell him something important about the project she had been assigned or Momoshiro and Kaidoh had toppled each others work stations for the third time that week and.... Sakuno was there to tell him again.
"Tezuka-san?"
Ryuuzaki Sakuno's tiny voice barely proceeded her as she peeked through the door. She had joined a few months ago and either Tezuka's presence or her own meekness had built a wall of formalities between them, even after many of the other workers told her (with a slap on the back and lots of giggles) to just call him 'captain'. It was no more apparent when he raised an eyebrow at her and she paused a few beats before realizing she hadn't said a word.
"Ah! The president would like to see you now."
"Fine. Thank you." He nodded and she took her leave.
If Tezuka was honest with himself, he would admit he was a little worried about this meeting. His boss had been nervous by the company merger for quite some time now and Tezuka's absence from the initial meeting had only worked him up even more. Fortunately, he had managed to schedule an impromptu meet-up in which Tezuka would be properly introduced to the CEO and VP of the engineering firm. He tapped his fingers on the desk before taking a small binder (a fifth of his portfolio, the portion he was most proud of) and made his way to the elevators. Pushing the 30 button, he leaned against the silver railing as it took him to the top floor.
As the doors of the elevator whooshed open and he exited, a familiar laugh woven with his boss' voice wafted to his ears and he quite nearly turned on his heel to get back on the elevator.
"Tezuka."
Tezuka looked up to find that all of his suspicions - all purple, black, and sleekly dressed suspicions - were correct.
"Atobe."
"Oh, I see you know each other." His boss suddenly looked more cheerful than he had been in the last two weeks.
Atobe smirked. "We've met. We were once roommates together, weren't we, Tezuka?"
If by roommates he meant when they were first-years in college and Atobe hid half of Tezuka's clothes and burned his favorite lilac shirt under the pretenses of 'self-renovation', then yes, they had been roommates. “Besties”, even. (An invisible line had been drawn after that by the force of Tezuka's glare behind his textbooks and Atobe's eighteen-year old "I didn't burn it. I had it burned" smugness.)
It had been downhill ever since.
The president of the company ushered them into his office and while Atobe took a seat, he elected to stand. Even Tezuka had to marvel how Atobe could still sit in a chair and look like he belonged there. Like it was his.
The president made his way to his desk and clasped his fingers together. "I suppose we can skip formalities, then. Is your Vice coming?"
"Yuushi's couldn't make it to the meeting today, but he sends his regards." Atobe inclined his head to Tezuka. "You remember Yuushi, yes?"
Tezuka raised an eyebrow. Oshitari Yuushi. Atobe's on-again/off-again lover (of whom he'd found out by seeing a sock hanging on the door knob when coming back to the dorm one night?) Sure, they'd 'met' too. But it had been nearly a decade since. "I didn't know you two were still... close."
Atobe's smirk was priceless. "As close as ever."
He really didn't need to know that. He really, really didn't need to know that. This whole episode was conjuring images he hadn't wanted to relive.
The president, at least, seemed pleased. "Well good!" The stress wrinkles above his brow were ironing out as the moments passed. "As you know the first tier of this merger is just a test run of sorts. Atobe-san has been gracious enough to lend us a few of his workers for a trial period." As his boss explained the changes in his job - additional team members in his division, new sites to be overseen - Atobe's smug smile twitched at the corners of his mouth and Tezuka had a bad, bad feeling of what the future was to hold.
"I know our Tezuka will be the perfect guide in taking you to our sites."
Wait, what? There had to be at least a twenty he'd personally worked on over the last few months. And a hundred "All of the building sites?"
Atobe's hand came up with a flourish. "I'm a business man, Tezuka. I have to see what I'm putting my money into."
"...when?"
"Starting tomorrow morning."
It took all of Tezuka's willpower not to bang his head on the wall.
***
"A portentous sign. An omen." Eiji quipped, reading the third definition of the word prodigy.
Boredom had sunk in at Timeless at about two in the afternoon. Eiji was upside-down on the couch in the lounge, reading the dictionary of all things, while Fuji spent his time re-reading the Le Petit Prince, trying to push out of his mind that Tezuka hadn't shown up the the cafe in six days. And that he had noticed.
The day before had been business as usual. Tezuka had come back even though he'd stunned him only the day before. And he'd even summoned the courage to ask what Fuji liked to do on his days off.
"This is just my day job." Fuji had beamed and capped the lid on the cup. "At night, I'm an assassin."
"I don't think that's what you say to people you're trying to date." Eiji whispered rapidly into Fuji's ear as Tezuka retreated.
Fuji chuckled. "He'll be back." Because Tezuka was his Eight-Thirty. And Tezuka had even chanced a tiny smile as they exchanged money for coffee.
He had been wrong. Either Tezuka really thought he was an assassin or he was avoiding the coffee shop. Or, as Eiji had ribbed on the second day, it was a combination of both.
He highly doubted the joke had scared Tezuka away from the cafe altogether.
Day two passed and Fuji ignored Eiji pointing out that Eight-Thirty hadn't come at eight-thirty. Or nine-thirty. Or ten-thirty. Or any of the other -thirties until, at one-thirty, right after they'd returned from lunch, Fuji's patience finally had run dry and he gave Eiji The Look. Eiji didn't mention it since.
The days progressed in the same fashion and five days later, there was still no sign of the former frequent customer. Life went back to 'before Eight-Thirty', save both Fuji and Eiji and Oishi knew that it was still 'After Eight-Thirty'. Still, some nights Fuji would walk to the train station a little later than usual only to find it oddly stifling and empty at the same time.
"I miss Eight-Thirty."
Fuji looked up from the book, eyes glancing up from the chapter on what the little prince would do if he had quenched his lack of thirst and thus had more time in the day. He snickered. "I think his name was Tezuka."
To his credit, Eiji never asked why or how Fuji knew his name. He just flipped right-side up and gave a long sigh while putting the book on his face as the blood drained out of his head. "It's just weird not seeing him every morning, even if he didn't stay all the time to doodle or something or whatever it was he did when he drew."
"He's an architect. I think those were prints."
"Oh." Eiji sprawled on the couch. "I guess that's why he does math in the margins of his newspapers."
"I guess so." Fuji snickered again. "You're awful attentive toward someone you aren't close to, Eiji."
Eiji opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut again. But the look on his face spoke volumes. "Fuji-"
Fuji had already averted his eyes back to his book. What would the little prince do if he had 43 extra minutes to spend?
Moi, si j'avais cinquante-trois minutes à dépenser, je marcherais tout doucement vers une fontaine... and he'd savor the water too.
***
Giving Atobe and Oshitari a tour around the building sites in Tokyo had been a trip and a half. One that Tezuka did not ever want to take again.
Every morning at 7:45, the driver of Atobe's limo would be on his door and every single morning he wasn't ready for it. He would always grab his briefcase, ready to head to his job and jump six feet in the air seeing a man in a suit asking if he was ready yet.
"Your driver doesn't knock." Tezuka said, climbing into the limo.
Atobe looked disconcerted. "Well, of course not. That would disturb others in your tiny apartment building."
How considerate.
"We've been waiting for fifteen minutes." Atobe frowned. "Don't you get up earlier than this?"
He did. He got up a lot earlier than quarter til eight. He also had a routine that usually didn't involve drivers at his door or a semi-cranky businessman.
Atobe ignored Tezuka's lateness after the fourth day and offered Tezuka "Coffee?" The first two times he'd accepted it, just to get the familiar feel of caffeine in his veins. But after the third day he was starting to get sick of Atobe's rich, expensive roasted mocha blend with cream. His fingers went to his lips as he yearned for a simpler taste.
At least going to the sites was more or less normal. Most of the time it had been strictly business between the three of them, explanations of what the sites were for, who owned it, and what the aim of the finished project was. Sometimes, Atobe asked a question that Tezuka couldn't answer and he would jot it down to ask his boss later. However, any time their was a lull in the limousine, Atobe's questions were less on the site projects and delved into more personal topics.
"No, I'm not with anyone. I'm not married. I'm not dating. No, I'm not hiding anything from you." He'd said to the window for the umpteenth time over the week. It was starting to sound like a mantra that he pulled out every time he needed inner peace from Atobe's prodding questions.
Atobe smiled over his tea cup. "So no one in mind either?"
Tezuka never answered.
The grand tour had officially ended at 2:53pm six days later. He dropped Tezuka off in front of the office building with a "Always good to see you, Tezuka."
"You too." Which was true if he didn't include Atobe's obsession with his love life. He watched the limousine speed away and laughed inwardly when it hit traffic at the next light.
Tezuka checked his watch again and then looked back up at the building. Technically, he still could go in and finish any outstanding work. Not being in the office for six days meant papers were stacked neatly in in his inbox (and anything he could do by e-mail had been done at home). He was almost sure there was something that needed to be fixed waiting for him (either an easel or a broken bone, when it came to his team he was never surprised).
But something held him back from entering the building immediately. He looked down the street to nothing in particular as if expecting something to be there. Nothing came.
Shaking his head, he walked toward the elevators, greeted the guard, and entered his office.
***
What Tezuka had thought would be a few minutes in the office had become a few long, tedious hours. The merger came with the good and the bad, the bad being the stack of paperwork on the edge of his desk that over flooded his inbox and someone (he suspected Sakuno) had organized them into three, even, less-tall stacks. Blue prints needing to be approved, contractors questioning agreements and building violations, and the resumes of the new workers from Atobe's company greeted him as he sank into his chair.
Now it was nearing midnight and Tezuka was still in his office with a crick in his neck. One hand reached up to massage it out while the other held up a building agreement. The words swam in front of him. If there was ever a time he needed a cup of coffee it would be now. But, ironically, the floor's kitchen was locked as soon as the janitors finished cleaning and that was (sadly) hours ago.
He slid off his glasses and massaged his eyes with the heels of his hands. Weariness filled him and whatever second wind he had in him he would need to get home. Wordlessly, he snapped off the desk lamp, grabbed his jacket, and headed out.
Fuji was leaning against the lamp post, hands in his pockets, eyes closed. They fluttered open as Tezuka approached and something hit home in his chest.
Fuji looked up and stood straight, carefully making his way to Tezuka. His playful smile had melted into sincerity.
“Walk to the trains with me?”
Timeless had come to him.
***
Lunchtime had meant free time for Tezuka. The sandwich shop down the street had always been an old standby if he forgot to make his own before bed. So when he had left his office, he thought that was where he was headed, he really did.
His legs, somehow, had made up his mind for him and before he knew it, he was standing outside of Timeless with a semi-irked expression, wondering how he got there.
He squared his jaw. It wasn't early in the morning. He had no logical reason to go into the cafe. But standing outside of the cafe was equally illogical. He should really just leave - or walk in, as that was what his body had decided to do for him yet again.
Something sweet and warm filled his nose and he wasn't the only one who appreciated it. A found a small crowd sitting at the tables, eating pieces of flat, folded dough, savoring the taste.
Fuji and Eiji were behind the counter, as usual, with Fuji's back to him. A large jar holding a dark brown mixture sat between them. Fuji took a little of what was in the jar with a spoon and held it to Eiji.
"Eiji, say 'ah'"
"Ah..." The kitten mouth puckered and opened to welcome the creamy dark chocolate spread before plucking the spoon from Fuji's hand and licking the rest clean. It was in mid-lick that Eiji noticed Tezuka standing there.
"Tezuka?"
Fuji turned and smiled and whatever had made him feel a little warmer last night was creeping into his chest again.
"Where have you been? We're making crepes!" Eiji had said with a little too much enthusiasm, knocking Tezuka out of his reverie.
"And we'll never finish if you're eating the ingredients before we bake them." Oishi appeared from the back room. He waved a little at Tezuka before he grabbed Eiji's hand and marched him behind the 'Employee's Only' door. "Come on, you can help me mix the batter for the next batch."
Tezuka approached the counter just as Fuji spoke "Six days. How'd you live without the coffee?”
“Patience.” was the only answer Tezuka could give, thinking about Atobe and his game of twenty questions based on Tezuka's life. He raised his eyebrow at the thick, gooey brown concoction in the jar.
"This is nutella. Have you ever had it before?" As Fuji spoke, he scooped a little of the spread with a finger and popped it into his mouth. "It's chocolate and hazelnut. We put it in the crepes sometimes... Want some?"
He was offering the same finger, coated with a dab of nutella again. As innocent as he looked, Fuji's eyes told more stories. He was daring him.
A beat passed between them before Fuji chuckled. "I'm kid-"
Something, the same something that had tugged in his chest when he came into the coffee shop six days late, snapped. He furtively glanced left, right, then to the 'Employee's Only' door before grabbing Fuji's wrist and pulling him close (or as close as he could with the wooden and glass counter between them).
And then he heard it; the sound of triumph and the sensation of something else: Fuji's breath hitching as Tezuka tongue glided over the swab of nutella on the tip of his finger, teeth lightly grazing it in the process. And Fuji found himself biting his lips, stopping himself before he gasped again.
It only lasted a second, but the hazy look in Fuji's eyes stayed even after he pulled away.
Tezuka licked his lips until they were devoid of the sticky chocolate. He blinked. “It's sweet.”
After a moment, Fuji had broken into a shoulder shaking laugh that sounded a lot like relief and a little like something else. He capped the nutella with a smirk. "Still want your morning coffee?"
Another beat passed between them before Tezuka shook his head. "No."
Eiji appeared a few minutes later, carrying a tray of warm crepes. He set them down and munched on one only to find Tezuka no where in sight. "Tezuka left?"
"Mmm..."
"Oh, I thought he would want one." He licked his sticky fingers. "Did he order anything?"
"No..."
"...Fuji?
"Hm?"
"Your face is pink..."
***
A/N: They weren't apart for too long, I hope? ^^ Nutella had to make a comeback, Will. u.u
RA: Resident Architect. Tezuka's the head of his floor but not of the whole company, mind. Someone want to come up with a name for Atobe's engineering company?
On another note: We're gonna play a game. It's called "How long will it take for Willow//cleverlilwill to realize I posted this chapter." The rules are simple: Don't tell her and enjoy as she filets me u.u~
Let the games begin!
Games are over. o.o Brb, running for my life.
Interlude I [Eiji's Side//we rule the world together