Another year, another place to corral stray fic and fragments. Some of them may make it to AO3 eventually, some of them may not. Series, pairing, rating, and any relevant warnings in the subject of each comment.
Maeryu wanted to scream as another flat note (or was it a missed step this time) from across the room had them starting the encore song again from the beginning. He was so close to freedom, and yet as they started over for the umpteenth time, freedom had never felt so far away.
It took another three runs before the director was finally satisfied, but the minute they were released, Maeryu bolted for the changing space and showers as quickly as he could without arousing suspicion. As soon as he was presentable, he shoved all of his things into his bag and walked out the door before anyone else could come up with a reason to stop him.
"Oi, Ryuu! Are you leaving already?"
He turned; he had been so close to making it out of the building too.
"Want to grab dinner with us?" Taka asked, jogging up beside him. "I asked Yuusaku, and he agreed, but then he invited Toshiki, and, well.....you know. So I'm asking you. Consider it a trade for that time last year you still haven't paid me back for."
"Sorry, I can't. I already made plans."
Taka stared at him. "Other plans, huh? Fine, I guess. God, who else can I bring?"
"Shougo?"
"Absolutely not. A rock would be a less awkward dinner companion; you know how he gets around those two."
"Dai?"
"Maybe! I don't think he's left yet. Quick, what gossip can I use to bait him?"
"Toshi-kun was looking at camping gear on his phone during break yesterday," Maeryu said with a smirk. "I saw it in the mirror."
"Perfect. Wish me luck. Oh, and by the way, your other plans's charger is about to make a run for it."
Maeryu fumbled with his bag, shoving the offending cord back inside and wrestling the zipper shut the rest of the way. Maybe someday he'd finally return the charger Fuuma had accidentally left in the Rikkai dressing room during the last run. He kept meaning to, but then it inevitably slipped his mind, and this many months later, would it be weird to admit to still be carrying the thing?
He'd deal with the charger later, he decided. Right now, he had ten minutes exactly to make it to his destination. He slipped out the side of the building, sparing a quick glance around for anyone else who could try to waylay him. Satisfied the coast was clear, he turned down a side street. The chain stores and glass-walled restaurants of the main road gave way to market stalls, used bookstores, and cramped cafes in the labyrinth of side streets and back alleys.
He waved off a fishmonger, skirted around a couple of tourists blocking the street with their suitcases, and ducked into his goal. The cafe was tiny, but the bold, Ghibli-inspired fabric hanging from every surface had a certain charm, and it afforded privacy that could be hard to find elsewhere.
"Maeda-sama?" the woman behind the counter asked.
He nodded.
"Your friend is at the table in the back corner."
"Thanks." He hoped the massive grin threatening to split his face wasn't too obvious to everyone else. He sauntered casually to the table. "Hey," he said as he dropped into the open chair, "sorry I'm late. You know how rehearsals get near the end."
Fuuma looked up from his book and cocked an eyebrow. In Fuuma-speak, that was pretty much the same as a smile. "So who was it this time?" he asked.
"Who wasn't it might be the better question. Toshi-kun belted out a beautifully flat note the first time. Then Aoki tripped over his feet. Then Shou-chan got flustered by Toshiki being Toshiki and mixed up his rights and lefts. Then Shitenhouji came in a half-measure early for their verse. And then we were finally free. I'm pretty sure the encore is now permanently seared into my brain."
"It's a new song this time, right?"
"Yep. " He made a heart out of his hands. "I like you, Fuuma Fuuma. I need you, Fuuma Fuuma. I wanna meet agaaaaiiiin." He extended a hand toward Fuuma on the last note.
Fuuma raised his napkin to his mouth, but he wasn't quite quick enough to hide the smile sneaking out from the corners of his lips, and he'd need a much bigger napkin to hide the way the tips of his ears turned pink. "You're joking," Fuuma said once he recovered.
"Dead serious."
Fuuma still looked skeptical.
"Promise, but if you don't believe me, you'll just have to come see for yourself."
"Maybe I will."
"I bet everyone would like that." I'd like that could remain unsaid. "Anyway, how have you been?"
Fuuma shrugged. "Same as usual. Rehearsals are ramping up now. I know we weren't together for that long, but it's still weird being with a different cast."
"You'll get used to it. Trust me. Plus, after awhile, you start knowing everyone anyway; it's bigger than one team, but it's not that big a world."
"It feels big," Fuuma said softly, "and now we're the newcomers again."
"Hey," Maeryu tapped him on the forehead. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're a Tenimyu alum now; I'm sure you'll do great."
"That's one person at least," Fuuma said. "I'll do my best."
"Yuuya-san doesn't believe in you?"
That startled a silent laugh out of Fuuma before he caught himself. "That doesn't count, and you know it."
Maeryu raised his hands in surrender. "So, will rehearsals free you this Saturday?"
"Movement practice in the morning, but I'll be free in the afternoon. Why?"
"I thought we could go somewhere."
"The Ghibli Museum again?"
"No, but close. Well, sort of close. There's this museum I heard about; it's not really Ghibli, but it's that same sort of style, and they have a new exhibit opening this weekend, and they're doing a special event for it." He cut himself off. "Anyway, it seemed like something you'd like."
He handed over his phone with the website open and watched for the little twitch of a smile as Fuuma scrolled through the page.
"I'd love to," Fuuma said.
"Cool!" He smiled. "But there's one condition."
"Oh?"
"None of this face," he said, reaching over to tap Fuuma's lips. "I'm not saying it's not a charm point, but you're allowed to smile once in awhile you know."
"It's part of my image."
Maeryu raised his hands. "I know; I'm just saying you can let it go sometimes. So, condition: we go to the exhibit opening, and while we're there, none of this. Deal?"
Fuuma seemed to contemplate the idea for a minute as he continued to look through the site. Then, he leaned in with a quick, startling kiss. "Deal," he said as he broke away with one of the wide, genuine smiles that made Maeryu giddy. "I can't wait."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Surprises: Tenimyu RPF, Maeryu/Fuuma, T
Maeryu wanted to scream as another flat note (or was it a missed step this time) from across the room had them starting the encore song again from the beginning. He was so close to freedom, and yet as they started over for the umpteenth time, freedom had never felt so far away.
It took another three runs before the director was finally satisfied, but the minute they were released, Maeryu bolted for the changing space and showers as quickly as he could without arousing suspicion. As soon as he was presentable, he shoved all of his things into his bag and walked out the door before anyone else could come up with a reason to stop him.
"Oi, Ryuu! Are you leaving already?"
He turned; he had been so close to making it out of the building too.
"Want to grab dinner with us?" Taka asked, jogging up beside him. "I asked Yuusaku, and he agreed, but then he invited Toshiki, and, well.....you know. So I'm asking you. Consider it a trade for that time last year you still haven't paid me back for."
"Sorry, I can't. I already made plans."
Taka stared at him. "Other plans, huh? Fine, I guess. God, who else can I bring?"
"Shougo?"
"Absolutely not. A rock would be a less awkward dinner companion; you know how he gets around those two."
"Dai?"
"Maybe! I don't think he's left yet. Quick, what gossip can I use to bait him?"
"Toshi-kun was looking at camping gear on his phone during break yesterday," Maeryu said with a smirk. "I saw it in the mirror."
"Perfect. Wish me luck. Oh, and by the way, your other plans's charger is about to make a run for it."
Maeryu fumbled with his bag, shoving the offending cord back inside and wrestling the zipper shut the rest of the way. Maybe someday he'd finally return the charger Fuuma had accidentally left in the Rikkai dressing room during the last run. He kept meaning to, but then it inevitably slipped his mind, and this many months later, would it be weird to admit to still be carrying the thing?
He'd deal with the charger later, he decided. Right now, he had ten minutes exactly to make it to his destination. He slipped out the side of the building, sparing a quick glance around for anyone else who could try to waylay him. Satisfied the coast was clear, he turned down a side street. The chain stores and glass-walled restaurants of the main road gave way to market stalls, used bookstores, and cramped cafes in the labyrinth of side streets and back alleys.
He waved off a fishmonger, skirted around a couple of tourists blocking the street with their suitcases, and ducked into his goal. The cafe was tiny, but the bold, Ghibli-inspired fabric hanging from every surface had a certain charm, and it afforded privacy that could be hard to find elsewhere.
"Maeda-sama?" the woman behind the counter asked.
He nodded.
"Your friend is at the table in the back corner."
"Thanks." He hoped the massive grin threatening to split his face wasn't too obvious to everyone else. He sauntered casually to the table. "Hey," he said as he dropped into the open chair, "sorry I'm late. You know how rehearsals get near the end."
Fuuma looked up from his book and cocked an eyebrow. In Fuuma-speak, that was pretty much the same as a smile. "So who was it this time?" he asked.
"Who wasn't it might be the better question. Toshi-kun belted out a beautifully flat note the first time. Then Aoki tripped over his feet. Then Shou-chan got flustered by Toshiki being Toshiki and mixed up his rights and lefts. Then Shitenhouji came in a half-measure early for their verse. And then we were finally free. I'm pretty sure the encore is now permanently seared into my brain."
"It's a new song this time, right?"
"Yep. " He made a heart out of his hands. "I like you, Fuuma Fuuma. I need you, Fuuma Fuuma. I wanna meet agaaaaiiiin." He extended a hand toward Fuuma on the last note.
Fuuma raised his napkin to his mouth, but he wasn't quite quick enough to hide the smile sneaking out from the corners of his lips, and he'd need a much bigger napkin to hide the way the tips of his ears turned pink. "You're joking," Fuuma said once he recovered.
"Dead serious."
Fuuma still looked skeptical.
"Promise, but if you don't believe me, you'll just have to come see for yourself."
"Maybe I will."
"I bet everyone would like that." I'd like that could remain unsaid. "Anyway, how have you been?"
Fuuma shrugged. "Same as usual. Rehearsals are ramping up now. I know we weren't together for that long, but it's still weird being with a different cast."
"You'll get used to it. Trust me. Plus, after awhile, you start knowing everyone anyway; it's bigger than one team, but it's not that big a world."
"It feels big," Fuuma said softly, "and now we're the newcomers again."
"Hey," Maeryu tapped him on the forehead. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're a Tenimyu alum now; I'm sure you'll do great."
"That's one person at least," Fuuma said. "I'll do my best."
"Yuuya-san doesn't believe in you?"
That startled a silent laugh out of Fuuma before he caught himself. "That doesn't count, and you know it."
Maeryu raised his hands in surrender. "So, will rehearsals free you this Saturday?"
"Movement practice in the morning, but I'll be free in the afternoon. Why?"
"I thought we could go somewhere."
"The Ghibli Museum again?"
"No, but close. Well, sort of close. There's this museum I heard about; it's not really Ghibli, but it's that same sort of style, and they have a new exhibit opening this weekend, and they're doing a special event for it." He cut himself off. "Anyway, it seemed like something you'd like."
He handed over his phone with the website open and watched for the little twitch of a smile as Fuuma scrolled through the page.
"I'd love to," Fuuma said.
"Cool!" He smiled. "But there's one condition."
"Oh?"
"None of this face," he said, reaching over to tap Fuuma's lips. "I'm not saying it's not a charm point, but you're allowed to smile once in awhile you know."
"It's part of my image."
Maeryu raised his hands. "I know; I'm just saying you can let it go sometimes. So, condition: we go to the exhibit opening, and while we're there, none of this. Deal?"
Fuuma seemed to contemplate the idea for a minute as he continued to look through the site. Then, he leaned in with a quick, startling kiss. "Deal," he said as he broke away with one of the wide, genuine smiles that made Maeryu giddy. "I can't wait."