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31_days2008-10-13 11:57 pm
issen4.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2008-10-13 11:57 pm
[13 Oct] [Initial D/Prince of Tennis/Hikago] Slip Roads 13/31
Title: Slip Roads 13/31
Day/Theme: 13 Oct/fool for love
Series: Initial D/Prince of Tennis/Hikago
Character/Pairing: nebulous Akira/Hikaru
Rating: PG-13, references to incest between brothers
------------
"Sorry about that, Ryousuke-san," Shindou said, scratching the back of his head in a gesture that seemed surprisingly young.
"It's all right," Ryousuke said, stowing the shopping bag into the trunk. "It was just a misunderstanding." He went over to the driver's side and got in, waiting as Shindou slid into the seat beside him.
Shindou closed the door firmly and pulled on his seatbelt. "Yeah," he said, still sounding embarrassed. He had been subdued throughout the drive to the city, and had only regained some of his usual cheerfulness when he saw the instant ramen section at Meidi-ya.
"Anything else you need to get?" Ryousuke asked.
Shindou shook his head. "We better get back. Touya has probably discovered by now that I didn't bring my phone out with me."
Ryousuke started the car. The late morning traffic was not very heavy, and navigating it was second nature.
"Well," Shindou said when they were driving up the mountain, "I guess I do strategic retreats after all."
The reference to their late night conversation made Ryousuke chuckle, though as he recalled how Shindou had fended off sly comments from Ryousuke's grandfather before declaring that he and Ryousuke had an appointment to replenish his supplies of ramen and dragging Ryousuke out of the way, he had to dissent. "That was not a strategic retreat," he said to Shindou.
Shindou snorted, his eyes watching the scenery. "What would you call it then?" he asked.
"A turnabout."
Shindou laughed out loud that that. "Ryousuke-san, a turnabout would be when you end up declaring your undying love for me. But sorry for putting you in an awkward spot."
"It's all right," Ryousuke said.
"Touya can get a little intense," Shindou offered after a while. "It scares off a lot of his opponents."
"But are you-" Ryousuke said, then stopped. "Sorry, it's nothing."
"You mean, are Touya and I a couple? We get that a lot. Even the old man teases us about it, and he's probably kinder about it than a few people I've heard."
"But you aren't?" Ryousuke would not have dreamt of prying into the private affairs of someone he did not know that well, especially not the guests of his grandfather, but Shindou didn't sound the least bothered about it.
"Touya and I started out as rivals in Go," Shindou said, sounding relaxed about it. "We still are. Along the way, we became friends, and really good friends at that. As for the rest of it... neither of us know yet."
Ryousuke was surprised by that. "But-"
"Has someone ever changed the world for you?"
Surprised by the question, Ryousuke blinked. Fujiwara's face appeared in his mind for a moment. "Yes," he said.
"Well, for me two people did that. The person who introduced me to Go, and Touya. The first one is... gone. Died, I guess you could say."
There was a sadness in his voice that tugged at Ryousuke's heart. "I'm sorry."
Shindou took in a noisy breath. "It's all right. But you see, Sa- he's gone, but Touya's still around. So I'm still trying to get my head around that."
Hostages to fortune, Ryousuke was reminded.
"Maybe he'll get tired of waiting," Shindou said. "He's foolish, but I'm even more so."
"No." Ryousuke said.
"Huh?"
Ryousuke pushed thoughts of Fujiwara out of his mind. "You are still rivals and friends, no matter what. As long as you have that, it won't be... foolish."
Shindou was quiet after that. "Thank you," he finally said.
---tbc---
Day/Theme: 13 Oct/fool for love
Series: Initial D/Prince of Tennis/Hikago
Character/Pairing: nebulous Akira/Hikaru
Rating: PG-13, references to incest between brothers
------------
"Sorry about that, Ryousuke-san," Shindou said, scratching the back of his head in a gesture that seemed surprisingly young.
"It's all right," Ryousuke said, stowing the shopping bag into the trunk. "It was just a misunderstanding." He went over to the driver's side and got in, waiting as Shindou slid into the seat beside him.
Shindou closed the door firmly and pulled on his seatbelt. "Yeah," he said, still sounding embarrassed. He had been subdued throughout the drive to the city, and had only regained some of his usual cheerfulness when he saw the instant ramen section at Meidi-ya.
"Anything else you need to get?" Ryousuke asked.
Shindou shook his head. "We better get back. Touya has probably discovered by now that I didn't bring my phone out with me."
Ryousuke started the car. The late morning traffic was not very heavy, and navigating it was second nature.
"Well," Shindou said when they were driving up the mountain, "I guess I do strategic retreats after all."
The reference to their late night conversation made Ryousuke chuckle, though as he recalled how Shindou had fended off sly comments from Ryousuke's grandfather before declaring that he and Ryousuke had an appointment to replenish his supplies of ramen and dragging Ryousuke out of the way, he had to dissent. "That was not a strategic retreat," he said to Shindou.
Shindou snorted, his eyes watching the scenery. "What would you call it then?" he asked.
"A turnabout."
Shindou laughed out loud that that. "Ryousuke-san, a turnabout would be when you end up declaring your undying love for me. But sorry for putting you in an awkward spot."
"It's all right," Ryousuke said.
"Touya can get a little intense," Shindou offered after a while. "It scares off a lot of his opponents."
"But are you-" Ryousuke said, then stopped. "Sorry, it's nothing."
"You mean, are Touya and I a couple? We get that a lot. Even the old man teases us about it, and he's probably kinder about it than a few people I've heard."
"But you aren't?" Ryousuke would not have dreamt of prying into the private affairs of someone he did not know that well, especially not the guests of his grandfather, but Shindou didn't sound the least bothered about it.
"Touya and I started out as rivals in Go," Shindou said, sounding relaxed about it. "We still are. Along the way, we became friends, and really good friends at that. As for the rest of it... neither of us know yet."
Ryousuke was surprised by that. "But-"
"Has someone ever changed the world for you?"
Surprised by the question, Ryousuke blinked. Fujiwara's face appeared in his mind for a moment. "Yes," he said.
"Well, for me two people did that. The person who introduced me to Go, and Touya. The first one is... gone. Died, I guess you could say."
There was a sadness in his voice that tugged at Ryousuke's heart. "I'm sorry."
Shindou took in a noisy breath. "It's all right. But you see, Sa- he's gone, but Touya's still around. So I'm still trying to get my head around that."
Hostages to fortune, Ryousuke was reminded.
"Maybe he'll get tired of waiting," Shindou said. "He's foolish, but I'm even more so."
"No." Ryousuke said.
"Huh?"
Ryousuke pushed thoughts of Fujiwara out of his mind. "You are still rivals and friends, no matter what. As long as you have that, it won't be... foolish."
Shindou was quiet after that. "Thank you," he finally said.
---tbc---