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31_days2008-11-25 11:56 pm
issen4.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2008-11-25 11:56 pm
[Nov 25] [Initial D/Prince of Tennis/Hikago] Slip Roads 25/31
Title: Slip Roads 25/31
Day/Theme: 25 Nov/uninnocent these conversations start
Series: Initial D/Prince of Tennis/Hikago
Character/Pairing: previous Takahashi Ryousuke/Fuji Yuuta
Rating: PG-13, references to incest between brothers
-----------------------
Ryousuke was not surprised to find the lights in the kitchen still on. It seemed that, whenever he came home after the afternoon shift, Shindou would already be in the kitchen, making himself instant ramen. It seemed almost homely, he thought, then told himself that Shindou and Touya were guests and would not stay long--he had already heard plans about how they planned to return to Tokyo together with Ryousuke's grandfather soon.
He slipped into the house, his ears pricked despite himself, listening for Keisuke's presence. No one came around the corner at the end of the hallway, murmuring softly 'Aniki', and Ryousuke paused to give a sigh that mingled relief and despite himself, a tinge of regret. He really hoped Keisuke had thought things out, but the dreamlike scenarios of 'could-have-beens' were--best kept to himself, Ryousuke said to his mind firmly.
"But even if Keisuke-san was involved? We're talking about Ryousuke-san here, Touya. He's not that sort," Shindou's voice came through clearly.
Ryousuke paused, his hand on the closed kitchen door.
"Ryousuke-san may not be that sort, but I can't say the same for Keisuke-san." That was Touya. "He's impulsive and used to getting what he wants. He assumes that Ryousuke-san will be on his side, and he'll make use of it." His pronouncements seemed to have the gravity of a judge's statement.
Ryousuke felt a chill going down his back. He thought Touya had said he would never say anything about him and Keisuke, but what they were discussing sounded very much like it. Maybe Touya had no qualms about confiding in Shindou, given their closeness, but he had thought better of Touya.
Shindou's voice was low, distressed. "But still... that would be dishonorable."
Ryousuke echoed his sentiments to himself.
Shindou went on, "All's fair in love and war, but this... Fujiwara-san, what do you think?"
In his surprise, Ryousuke found that his arm had pushed the kitchen door open, even as his mind went: Fujiwara?
Shindou was the first to look up from where he was showing a cup ramen to Fujiwara Takumi. He was also the first to speak. "Ryousuke-san!" he greeted, then glanced around the room's inhabitants. "I can explain this-" he began.
"We were talking about how Fujiwara-san took over Keisuke-san's position as investigator for Fuji-san," Touya said, his eyes knowing as he looked at Ryousuke.
Shindou nodded fervently, "Right, and I said Ryousuke-san wasn't the type to pressure Fujiwara-san to give it up... huh? I was going to explain why Fujiwara-san is here, Touya. You're confusing me!" he complained.
Ryousuke was glad for Touya's timely explanation, though he didn't say. "It's all right, I was about to ask about that anyway."
Shindou grinned, and launched into a garbled explanation about driving to Maebashi, challenging Go players there and returning in time for dinner, and insisting that Fujiwara stayed. Somehow that segued into a Go teaching session for Fujiwara, and staying until it was so late that Kuwabara ordered him to stay overnight.
Touya, Ryousuke noticed, wore a familiar long-suffering expression, while Fujiwara seemed to be avoiding Ryousuke's gaze, as though he felt embarrassed.
"-and then I said we should have ramen to celebrate!" Shindou ended brightly. "Do you want any, Ryousuke-san?"
Ryousuke studied the label on the cup Shindou was holding out. It was red and orange, and it took a while for his eyes to focus on the mix of English and katakana written in yellow on it. " 'Carrot curry and fish roe'? No, thank you."
"No?" Shindou looked deflated, then perked up again. "Then how about-"
"Shindou!" That was Touya, of course.
"Oh, all right." He made such an exaggerated mournful expression that Touya rolled his eyes.
Fujiwara chuckled, then ducked his head. "Sorry. But that's a terrible flavour, Shindou-san."
"But-"
"Quite right," Touya said. "Let's find if there's anything better in your stash, all right?" he placed a hand on Shindou's shoulder, and propelled him towards the other end of the kitchen, where Shindou's (steadily diminishing) bag was placed.
That left Fujiwara still facing Ryousuke.
"Fujiwa-," Ryousuke started.
"Sorry for the intrusion," Fujiwara said at the same time.
"What?" Ryousuke said, then shook his head. "Please, don't worry about that. You're welcome here." For some reason, he could feel the back of his neck heat up. "Come to think of it, we spent a lot of time on Project D, but I've never even invited you into my home, not even to thank you for your help."
Part of that had to do with the fact that his parents only tolerated his racing activities, but there had been something... decisive, about the idea of seeing Fujiwara inside his home, as though he was really moving on from Keisuke. And that was not a decision he had wanted to make at that time, Ryousuke realised. "You must have been appalled at my bad manners," he continued, hearing his own voice come out soft and apologetic.
"Oh, no, Ryousuke-san!" Fujiwara exclaimed, then looked shocked at himself. "I mean, Takahashi-san. I never thought that," he said earnestly, nodding his head as though to emphasise his words. "I was already very honoured that you asked me to join Project D, and helped me so much when we were challenging other racers."
"That was because you are a good racer," Ryousuke said firmly. "One of the best I've ever seen."
"Ah..."
Fujiwara didn't deny it, Ryousuke noticed, obscurely pleased.
"...then it's all right with you that I take over as consultant in Fuji-san's investigation?"
With a silent apology to Keisuke, Ryousuke nodded. "Yes. But you don't need my permission, and you don't have to worry about what I think." Or what Keisuke thought, his mind added.
"Uh..." Fujiwara hesitated, then nodded. "Thank you for being so understanding, Takahashi-san. I've always admired you for that."
Ryousuke realised that the blush was spreading from his neck to his face.
(tbc)
Day/Theme: 25 Nov/uninnocent these conversations start
Series: Initial D/Prince of Tennis/Hikago
Character/Pairing: previous Takahashi Ryousuke/Fuji Yuuta
Rating: PG-13, references to incest between brothers
-----------------------
Ryousuke was not surprised to find the lights in the kitchen still on. It seemed that, whenever he came home after the afternoon shift, Shindou would already be in the kitchen, making himself instant ramen. It seemed almost homely, he thought, then told himself that Shindou and Touya were guests and would not stay long--he had already heard plans about how they planned to return to Tokyo together with Ryousuke's grandfather soon.
He slipped into the house, his ears pricked despite himself, listening for Keisuke's presence. No one came around the corner at the end of the hallway, murmuring softly 'Aniki', and Ryousuke paused to give a sigh that mingled relief and despite himself, a tinge of regret. He really hoped Keisuke had thought things out, but the dreamlike scenarios of 'could-have-beens' were--best kept to himself, Ryousuke said to his mind firmly.
"But even if Keisuke-san was involved? We're talking about Ryousuke-san here, Touya. He's not that sort," Shindou's voice came through clearly.
Ryousuke paused, his hand on the closed kitchen door.
"Ryousuke-san may not be that sort, but I can't say the same for Keisuke-san." That was Touya. "He's impulsive and used to getting what he wants. He assumes that Ryousuke-san will be on his side, and he'll make use of it." His pronouncements seemed to have the gravity of a judge's statement.
Ryousuke felt a chill going down his back. He thought Touya had said he would never say anything about him and Keisuke, but what they were discussing sounded very much like it. Maybe Touya had no qualms about confiding in Shindou, given their closeness, but he had thought better of Touya.
Shindou's voice was low, distressed. "But still... that would be dishonorable."
Ryousuke echoed his sentiments to himself.
Shindou went on, "All's fair in love and war, but this... Fujiwara-san, what do you think?"
In his surprise, Ryousuke found that his arm had pushed the kitchen door open, even as his mind went: Fujiwara?
Shindou was the first to look up from where he was showing a cup ramen to Fujiwara Takumi. He was also the first to speak. "Ryousuke-san!" he greeted, then glanced around the room's inhabitants. "I can explain this-" he began.
"We were talking about how Fujiwara-san took over Keisuke-san's position as investigator for Fuji-san," Touya said, his eyes knowing as he looked at Ryousuke.
Shindou nodded fervently, "Right, and I said Ryousuke-san wasn't the type to pressure Fujiwara-san to give it up... huh? I was going to explain why Fujiwara-san is here, Touya. You're confusing me!" he complained.
Ryousuke was glad for Touya's timely explanation, though he didn't say. "It's all right, I was about to ask about that anyway."
Shindou grinned, and launched into a garbled explanation about driving to Maebashi, challenging Go players there and returning in time for dinner, and insisting that Fujiwara stayed. Somehow that segued into a Go teaching session for Fujiwara, and staying until it was so late that Kuwabara ordered him to stay overnight.
Touya, Ryousuke noticed, wore a familiar long-suffering expression, while Fujiwara seemed to be avoiding Ryousuke's gaze, as though he felt embarrassed.
"-and then I said we should have ramen to celebrate!" Shindou ended brightly. "Do you want any, Ryousuke-san?"
Ryousuke studied the label on the cup Shindou was holding out. It was red and orange, and it took a while for his eyes to focus on the mix of English and katakana written in yellow on it. " 'Carrot curry and fish roe'? No, thank you."
"No?" Shindou looked deflated, then perked up again. "Then how about-"
"Shindou!" That was Touya, of course.
"Oh, all right." He made such an exaggerated mournful expression that Touya rolled his eyes.
Fujiwara chuckled, then ducked his head. "Sorry. But that's a terrible flavour, Shindou-san."
"But-"
"Quite right," Touya said. "Let's find if there's anything better in your stash, all right?" he placed a hand on Shindou's shoulder, and propelled him towards the other end of the kitchen, where Shindou's (steadily diminishing) bag was placed.
That left Fujiwara still facing Ryousuke.
"Fujiwa-," Ryousuke started.
"Sorry for the intrusion," Fujiwara said at the same time.
"What?" Ryousuke said, then shook his head. "Please, don't worry about that. You're welcome here." For some reason, he could feel the back of his neck heat up. "Come to think of it, we spent a lot of time on Project D, but I've never even invited you into my home, not even to thank you for your help."
Part of that had to do with the fact that his parents only tolerated his racing activities, but there had been something... decisive, about the idea of seeing Fujiwara inside his home, as though he was really moving on from Keisuke. And that was not a decision he had wanted to make at that time, Ryousuke realised. "You must have been appalled at my bad manners," he continued, hearing his own voice come out soft and apologetic.
"Oh, no, Ryousuke-san!" Fujiwara exclaimed, then looked shocked at himself. "I mean, Takahashi-san. I never thought that," he said earnestly, nodding his head as though to emphasise his words. "I was already very honoured that you asked me to join Project D, and helped me so much when we were challenging other racers."
"That was because you are a good racer," Ryousuke said firmly. "One of the best I've ever seen."
"Ah..."
Fujiwara didn't deny it, Ryousuke noticed, obscurely pleased.
"...then it's all right with you that I take over as consultant in Fuji-san's investigation?"
With a silent apology to Keisuke, Ryousuke nodded. "Yes. But you don't need my permission, and you don't have to worry about what I think." Or what Keisuke thought, his mind added.
"Uh..." Fujiwara hesitated, then nodded. "Thank you for being so understanding, Takahashi-san. I've always admired you for that."
Ryousuke realised that the blush was spreading from his neck to his face.
(tbc)