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[Tsurugi remains tight-lipped as always, both about his words and about his expressions, but Shindou doesn't miss the way his face moves, how he seems to suck his lip between his teeth, holding something back. His eyes soften like melted honey rather than a predator's sharpness. He can't recall when he started seeing Tsurugi so clearly, but he does now, and every small change and motion from him is so endearing. His senses are on alert, ready to pick up every detail.
He steps a little closer, still not enough to touch, but enough that he picks up the faint scent of the detergent and soap Tsurugi must use. That too sends his heart fluttering. He smiles, his own expressions unhidden.]
You too. Where Raimon -- where soccer is now, it couldn't have been done without you. That I'm able to stand here like this, feeling this lighthearted, that's thanks to you too.
I know I've said some meanspirited things to you... but I'm glad I met you, Tsurugi.
[Shindou was always so sincere in what he said. It was one of the traits that made him so incredibly endearing. It's impossible to hold back that smile not, eyes closing just to listen to the maestro's voice. Call it a teenage crush, but he fell face first for the boy the moment his feelings came to realization, and now...every time Shindou spoke, it was music.
Your favourite song that you'd never get tired of.
And despite his eyes now shut, he can hear the smile in Shindou's words, answering back with the same adoration.]
Raimon saved me from doing something unforgivable. I was in the darkest part of my life, and Raimon's--your--light has given me new reason to keep going. Someone to fight with, and something to fight for.
[Had Yuuichi found out later down the line, figured out just what he had sacrificed to get that surgery, he would have probably lost the most important person in his life. Tenma, Shindou, Raimon...they'd all taken him back when he was at his weakest, played to his heart's fullest. Rescued him from the Fifth Sector's clutches, where he honestly should have never belonged.]
[It's his way of saying the thanks was unnecessary, but that it was known. He really did see it -- in the way Tsurugi's kicks were not as rough but stronger, in the confidence in his steps that no longer had the same desperation, in the way he no longer looked at Tenma with any signs of impatience.
It spoke loudly, and Shindou never missed a single moment.
His hand reaches out, fingertips brushing lightly against Tsurugi's wrist above the pocket. A silent request to hold his hand.]
[He can't stop his smile from forming. It was natural that Shindou would pick up on those things. A genius on the playing field...even when Tsurugi had been a Seed, he'd recognized Shindou's talents. Kami no Takuto was nothing to sneeze at.
A truly one of a kind hissatsu that assisted, gave guidance.
It was only natural that he would do that for Kyousuke himself, in a way. Tenma had been the catalyst, but in the end, it was Shindou siding alongside him to let him onto Raimon to prove himself to them. To Yuuichi.
He feels those fingertips brush against his skin, hand reaching out of his pocket to wrap his own around them, fingers slipping through the spaces to lock and interlace.]
Then it's good to know my feelings reach you loud and clear. About soccer...about a lot of things.
Of course it did. They were feelings I'd hoped for, even if I doubted my chances.
[Who would have thought the Seed member from Fifth Sector and the captain who opposed him would wind up together like this, closer than anybody else on the team, walking home hand in hand? Shindou certainly hadn't, and he remembers how when he first came to realize his feelings, he'd been immediately heartbroken assuming that these feelings will never be returned. Yet here he was.
His fingers squeeze around the hand that returned that touch, almost overwhelmed. A happiness he thought was out of his reach, right here in his hand.]
Do you think mine do, Tsurugi? [Does his voice reach him? Has he been able to communicate his feelings as well as Tsurugi had to him?]
[No one would've thought it, honestly. It was a surprise even to them, the way that rivalry turned to friendship, and then to something more. Mutual feelings of inadequacy rang through them both--Tsurugi feeling like his past would haunt him from ever receiving the same love and affection in return.
He'd, after all, nearly ruined the one chance soccer had to be free once more.]
...
[Shindou's question causes him to smile, eyes closed as he rounds a familiar corner on their way.]
Like a symphony.
[The only applicable term he can compare it to, honestly.]
[Tsurugi had a knack for finding the exact words to apply to him. Every word he spoke directed toward him felt special, selected with care, displaying a complete understanding of him. Of his feelings. Tsurugi Kyousuke watched him more closely than anybody he knew.
It made him feel safe. They'd truly come a long way.]
Usually, when I play music it's either alone on the piano, or I'm the conductor of the orchestra you all make up. Being able to play this duet with you fills me with happiness.
[But there it is, a moment. A singular pause that nobody else on the team would notice -- except Kirino, perhaps, from how long they'd known each other -- a brief, brief hesitation as he looked for the courage to continue. His fingers twitch around Tsurugi's.]
Tsurugi... I want to add another note to this duet with you. Will you hear me out?
[It was easy when it was Shindou. He noticed all the small little tics and habits, the way his voice sounded, and the way his hair was always brushed behind his ear whenever he concentrated a little too hard on the game clipboard. Every twitch of his lips felt like a full smile, and Tsurugi would be lying if he said he didn't watch for it, hoping that Shindou was thinking of him at that moment.]
A duet.
[He'd never considered himself a musical person--he loved it, but you'd be hard-pressed to get him to sing. But when Shindou refers to them as that, it sounded perfect.
He notices that slight hitch in his voice, the way he hesitates for half a breath, and the slight touch of his fingers as they take his hand.]
Another note...? [Shindou's tone piques his curiosity...
His eyes close softly, lips parting ever so slightly as he speaks.] In a song I never want to end, the next note is more than welcome.
Another note, [Shindou echoes back, the repetition partially to give himself the courage to keep speaking.]
I want to keep playing this song forever. But I don't want it to be static. We've changed from when we first met, and as we grow older, we'll keep changing. I want us to have changes together, too.
Tsurugi, I-- [his hand squeezes again. He lowers his head, his hair falling to curtain his face and hiding how it flushes red all the way to the tips of his ears. Say it, Shindou Takuto. Take the lead. Guide it. You're older. You're his elder!]
Tsurugi, would you... would you allow me to kiss you?
[Tsurugi's eyes soften as he listens, lips pursed and letting Shindou get all of what he wants to say out before he answers anything. It was true, he wanted to keep playing this song forever with him. It resonated with his heart unlike anyone else he'd ever connected with. Yuuichi was a different kind of love, as was Tenma. But Shindou's was special all it's own, and as he speaks, he can feel the boy's fingers pluck at his heart strings like a harp.
Stirring it up and reverberating against his ribs.
Shindou speaks his name, and his heart practically leaps up into his throat. There's a certain finality to it now, and those bright yellow eyes fixate on Shindou, his attention full and undivided.
The question's asked, and those pupils dilate in surprise--not out of shock, but...excitement, nervousness, an awkward mix of both. Shindou Takuto wanted to kiss him. And as obvious as it may be since they were, in fact, dating...
He's never kissed anyone before in his life.
What if he's no good at it? What if he leans too far and pokes Shindou in the eye with his nose? Trust me, SOMEONE out there's probably smacked heads the first time and ruined the moment. His mouth stumbles to find words, but at least his expression is a dead giveaway. He's flustered, not disgusted.]
[Tsurugi's nervousness, while nothing like his usual collected coolness, the smooth way he would helps Shindou find his calm. Large brown eyes open wide as he snaps his head up in surprise surprise at a reaction he didn't see coming, eyelashes fluttering as he blinks once, twice, thrice, quickly. His mouth is opened slightly in a silent "oh."
Tsurugi Kyousuke, flustered.
His heart beats once, loudly. Then it swells, making his chest feel so tight. It feels so warm where their hands are linked, and he squeezes his longer, softer fingers around Tsurugi's calloused ones. He can't stop it; the corners of his lips curl up, his eyes crinkle, and his voice is soft like melted caramel.]
Thank you.
Ah, would you like to come over to my house, then? My father's friend just returned from a trip Europe, and he brought us some cookies and tea. But we have coffee or juice, too, if you'd like those more...
[It was at that moment that Tsurugi knew he'd given the right answer. The way Shindou's eyes seem to warm like chocolate, the way his lips part ever so slightly and breathe out the airiest sigh of relief. The way his face lights up like a lantern on a cold winter's night.
He can feel his own heart beating against his ribcage, shaking him to his core and making the blood rush to his cheeks. A shame (or if you're Shindou, a blessing)--it's so easy to see against his pale skin.]
Ah..
[His hands enclose around Shindou's now, calloused fingertips brushing against that soft skin, committing the feeling to memory. His original plan was to visit Yuuichi, and he thought about going to at least let him know where he was going to be, but his brother had started getting on his case about visiting when he clearly had a boyfriend he could be spending time with. He's pretty sure if he showed up, even to let him know his plans to go with Shindou, he would have gotten a look of 'What are you doing here.'
So it's with complete confidence that he tilts his head, voice flowing like a river seamlessly between them--]
[While Shindou would never have minded a quick visit to Yuuichi, the brother himself would definitely give Kyousuke a look. But the only look Tsurugi Kyousuke receives now is Shindou's absolutely delighted one, usually dark eyes sparkling with hardly contained excitement as he nods and starts to step forward, to lead the way.]
That's great. Then it's this way -- ah, it might be startling, at first. People are usually surprised the first time they come by, but you don't have to worry. Just be yourself.
[If Tsurugi experiences any confusion about that, he will receive any answers within the first minute of being on the Shindou property. The front gates open after a brief conversation with a butler through the intercom, and after crossing through an expansive front yard (with a fountain and a bridge over a pool, no less) toward the blue-roofed mansion, they'll be greeted at the door by that same butler and a small team of maids, ready to take any requests for tea or snacks.]
Tsurugi stops dead in his tracks at the Shindou Manor gate, eyes as wide as saucers and dilated like a startled cat at the sheer size of the house. Sure, he knew Shindou was rich--anyone with working eyes could see that. What he didn't factor in was that when there's money, there's usually a house. A house staffed with butlers and maids and all sorts of servants running around and tending to the daily needs of the house. It was so...big. The Tsurugi Household wasn't tiny by any means...their father and mother had work around the clock to keep their house in working condition, but this was...
He's breathless.
Just be yourself.
Yeah, that's easy for Shindou Takuto to say, who's 'yourself' fits perfectly into this lifestyle. In his purple and red attire, his cape flowing behind his back and his spiked arm wrap on his wrist, he felt more like a lost stray dog in a mansion. The butler greets them with a bow, to which Tsurugi gave a slight one back (to the staff's surprise), and offered to take his cape/jacket should he want his arms more free to move around.
With a soft 'thank you', he relinquishes it, hands nearly shoving themselvs in his pockets before he thinks that over.]
It's quite an old one that's been passed down through a few generations, now. I heard it started off smaller, but was added on to over the years.
["Old" isn't a word that most people will apply to it, with how perfectly maintained it is, not a singly unsightly stain on the stones outside or the wood inside, but it definitely has a dated look to it, like it might show up in a period drama at some point. The same butler who took Tsurugi's jacket take Shindou's schoolbag off his hands as well, turning with another bow to start leading them down the hallway.
Shindou, noting that Tsurugi's hands had not found their home in his pockets as they usually do, smiles secretly to himself and allows their pinkies to brush together. Nothing more, while they're out in the open, but the smile he gives him tells that it was a purposeful gesture.]
[It's Shindou's touch that jolts him back to reality, their pinkies brushing just slightly enough for him to notice as his eyes focus back on the boy. So the Shindou family was a group of accumulated wealth, inherited over the years and building their home as well as their name. That seemed all too fitting for someone like Shindou, who had never once used his wealth to show off or really ask for anything that was overly flashy.
It's endearing, really, and one of the reasons why he'd fallen for the boy without even realizing it. He truly was someone who followed his heart.
That smile is proof of it, as he loops his thumbs around his pockets to let his hands hang out, the chain on his belt giving a soft jingle as he follows Shindou towards his room.]
It's beautiful.
[A pause, before he asks, almost to the point of a whisper as he pulls next to him.]
Do they all know...? [The staff, he means. And maybe Shindou's parents. It may be a stupid question, but if one of them drops in to say hello, he doesn't want to make a bad first impression...or mess things up.]
[Tsurugi doesn't have to elaborate. Shindou understands what he means immediately, eyes flickering to the boy beside him and to the tall back of the elderly butler walking ahead of them.]
My... mother, I believe. At least, I think she knows I'm seeing someone.
[It had been something that happened a week or so ago, when she sat and listened to him play the piano. Sipping her tea in that dainty way she always did, she listened as she usually did until he was finished with the song. When she looked up, there was a sparkle in her eyes.]
She said she could hear it in the way I played recently, but I haven't had the chance to speak with anybody about it.
[There's no weight to that response. He's not offended in the slightest at the lack of being mentioned--hell, he was still trying to think of a way to tell his parents. There's really no good Hallmark card for 'I'm dating the richest kid in Inazuma-cho'. If anything, he now has a clearer understanding of what he should and shouldn't mention to the helpstaff, or even more, Shindou's parents should he meet him here.
He's a good friend until Shindou lets them know, and vice versa.]
The way you play...?
[That catches his attention. Shindou's skill at the piano was unmatched, and he often heard it as he walked through the halls of the school, when he would take breaks in the music room, Kirino in tow. He often would catch himself listening, noticing little intricacies in his notes that he didn't notice before. Was it because he had other priorities at the time? Or was he seeing more colours now that his eyes were opened a little wider?
Maybe that's what Shindou's mother was talking about, but then again, Tsurugi's no musician.]
So she can tell just from that...
[But with that being said,something seeps into his brain, rounding the corner of the hall with Shindou as he makes his way down the corridor. It dawns on him at that moment just as his heel made the pivot.
That if this woman he's never met walks in and meets him...they are going to be found out quicker than a rabbit can get to its hole.
She and Kirino have always said the same thing. That my music is especially expressive...
[Especially in the last couple of years, he's been told, which he'd come to realize was because that was around the time he really started to play the piano as stress relief. Back when he was more tired and conflicted under the pressure of captaincy, he used to hit the keys with so much more force than the lighter touch he has now. Apparently nowadays, his fingers "danced" across the keys.
Shindou's thoughts are starting to stray to that recent conversation with his mother, but soon they'll be arriving at his room, located at the end of a hallway. The door is opened by the butler, who waits until they've both entered to step in after them so he could set down the jacket and bag. The house itself was majestic yet elegant, and Shindou's room carries a similar atmosphere.
It isn't a very personalized room. Unlike that of many boys their age, Shindou's room does not have any posters on the walls. In fact, there is hardly anything on the walls; a single framed painting hangs over a couch, but it isn't one that was chosen by Shindou himself. The curtains on his windows match those that they passed by on their walk down the hallway. The furniture are all painted in matching whites, and the blue of the couch matches that of the blankets of the bed, made so perfectly it looks hardly used. The only thing in the room that truly stands out -- and only because of its color, really -- is the black grand piano sitting in a corner of its own, at a location most visible from the doorway.
Shindou, who doesn't seem to be -- and probably really isn't -- at all bothered by the look of his room, turns to the butler and thanks him, exchanging a few words with him before the man bows and excuses himself. Once the door is closed, Shindou's attention returns to his new guest.]
You don't have to worry about it with my parents, or the people who work here. It's only that my father has been busy, and I had most of my attention taken up by Holy Road and physical therapy...
Why don't you take a seat? I'm going to change out of my uniform before I get it too wrinkled.
[He could believe it. Back in his days when he'd only come to Raimon as a Seed to make sure he could bring the soccer team's downfall, he'd known Shindou had worn his heart on his sleeve. What didn't show through his tears was often shown in his eyes, his voice, and from what he can gather from Kirino and Shindou's mother's agreement...his music. A part of him wondered if those keys were ever pushed in anger at him. Maybe...he certainly hadn't made the best impression to Shindou Takuto on day 1 of middle school. But now, they seemed to be playing with nothing but affection for him, something Tsurugi can only imagine what that sounds like. A symphony made with one instrument, one person.
Shindou could pull something like that off.
He follows Shindou into his room, and his eyes immediately glance around to the surroundings of the room. It was beautifully decorated, with matching furniture (actual furniture and not just a dresser and a bed!) and piano, a giant bed off to the side. White seemed to be most of the theme, the black piano contrasting starkly against it that Tsurugi could joke to himself that he had to adjust his eyes to. It was so very Shindou, he thinks to himself with a smile, as his red shirt and purple pants practically splash against the white canvas of the room like fingerpaints. He often was the only one in his grade that didn't wear the uniform, but he'd never felt more like a sore thumb than right now.
He smiles, hands removing themselves from his pockets as he looks for a place to sit. The couch seemed like the best option, seating himself gently and resting his chin on one of those hands.]
Take your time, I'm not going to try and escape just yet.
[A joke, the low tones of his voice curling into amusement as he speaks, eyes closing.]
Haha. [The laughter, unlike his usual, almost regal chuckles, sounds more like a giggle.] That was a possibility I didn't even think about. I appreciate the reassurance.
[With that said, and his guest now seated (hopefully comfortably) on the couch, Shindou moves to do as he said: changing. His school uniform got washed regularly anyway, but he didn't like to wear it for too long after school; it would only get dirtier faster that way, and if it got wrinkled, he would have to ask somebody to iron it. He knew how to do it himself from Home Ec classes, but even he and his desire to be more independent couldn't argue against the maids' insistence that he shouldn't do things that risked him hurting his hands.
The uniform is shed and carefully put away, replaced instead by a grey fine-knit sweater and a pair of brown pants. He doesn't make a show of it but the changing is still done without any shame or embarrassment about having Tsurugi there. That is, although he took care of himself and his surroundings mostly independently nowadays, when he was younger he was taken care of by servants for this and that; he didn't think anything of undressing in the presence of somebody else at this point, and Tsurugi was a member of the same soccer team, besides. With their lockers close to each other's, it's not like this was anything new.
Little does he know that not everybody is so nonchalant about things like this.]
[Let's make one thing clear: Tsurugi is not someone who flinches at the sight of people undressing. He was an athlete, and he'd been in countless locker rooms with a bunch of boys switching out their clothes, and group baths where it was practically necessary. It does not phase him in the slightest seeing a boy take off his shirt.
This completely changes when it's your boyfriend, and that's something Tsurugi finds out the minute he opens his eyes. Suddenly, he didn't see Shindou as the athlete friend he knew. He sees him as his boyfriend, and those amber eyes shockingly freeze at the sight of the boy's bare back, turned away from him and reaching for that sweater.
It's amazing how every muscle suddenly becomes neon highlighted, how every movement is enough to bring flush to your cheeks. Tsurugi's palm presses itself hard against his lips, fingers wrapping around his cheek as he both wants to fixate his gaze on something else (that piano was looking VERY INTERESTING RIGHT NOW) and yet unable to turn away. The way his hair brushes against his neck, leaving just enough space between his back and his head...
Focus, Kyousuke.
His own conscience snaps him out of it pupils contracting back to their slit-like appearance. He couldn't stare too long--boyfriend or not that would be pretty creepy... So instead, he goes back to how Shindou had seen him before turning around: eyes closed and gripping his face with every intent of squeezing the embarrassment out of him. With his eyes closed again, he takes this time to compose himself, letting both the image of his boyfriend sear into his brain and yet try and erase it from his eyelids in hopes of being able to handle this situation maturely. Because he's pretty sure that if he were to speak right now, incomprehensible babble was all that was going to come out.
He does know one thing, though. He was crazy for Shindou Takuto, and this proved it in more ways than he ever wants to explain.]
[When Shindou does turns around, changed and utterly unaware of Tsurugi's inner turmoil, he's a little confused by the way he's clutching at his face. Tsurugi seems to be lost in thought... but it could be about -- well, what they came here to do in the first place. Though not as tightly, Shindou's hand rises to touch his own lips, and his cheek flushes, embarrassment hitting him in a way that didn't even occur to him until now.
That's right. They were here to --
It was at his request, and his invitation, but now that it's about to happen, butterflies are suddenly fluttering up a storm in his stomach. What would it be like? He hopes it will go well, or all right at least. Anything he does with Tsurugi will be amazing, he knows, but what if he misses? What if Tsurugi thinks his breath smells strange? Should he have asked for something minty for tea?
Nervous, giddy, full of anticipation and hope, Shindou shuffles back to the couch and plops down beside him, bouncing a little on the cushion; it's enough that even with his eyes closed, Tsurugi will be able to feel him move. ]
[When he feels Shindou's weight bounce next to him, his eyes open. There's no mistake that the clothes hide almost nothing now--he's always going to remember the way Shindou looks without them, and while that's something he may have to kind of learn to deal with, it's nothing he doesn't WANT, and those amber eyes seem to have a fleck of light in them they just didn't have before.
Shindou Takuto, from his voice to his eyes to the rest of him...was beautiful.
And he was going to share his first kiss ever with him. A kiss he'd desperately hoped he could pull off his first time without anything embarrassing happening to him. His cheeks flush a little more, and he hopes that his hands can at least hide that until he can get it under control.]
Mm.
[That doesn't seem likely, though, with them so close.]
[He really doesn't understand what Tsurugi is doing. Those fingers seem to almost be digging into his cheeks with how hard he's gripping them, and more than that, Shindou's eyes don't miss the flush that peeks out from behind them and he wants to see more of it. A hand that is smaller than Tsurugi's reaches up to lay over it, thin fingers pressing into the space between the other's.
It brings Shindou and Tsurugi even closer, the ends of his brown hair brushing up against a red-clad shoulder. From here, it's easy to see everything -- he can make out each and every elegant eyelash on Tsurugi's sharp, angled eyes, the exact slope of his handsome nose. And here, he's almost tempted to bury his own nose into the fabric of Tsurugi's shirt. Press against it and breathe in his scent, to memorize it. He wants to know everything.
Reaching for Tsurugi with the hand that was opposite to him, the hand that is closer slides up and hooks onto the curve of Tsurugi's side. Allowing that arm he snakes around the boy's back to pull them even closer together, Shindou peers through his bangs at him with a smile.]
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uwu
He steps a little closer, still not enough to touch, but enough that he picks up the faint scent of the detergent and soap Tsurugi must use. That too sends his heart fluttering. He smiles, his own expressions unhidden.]
You too. Where Raimon -- where soccer is now, it couldn't have been done without you. That I'm able to stand here like this, feeling this lighthearted, that's thanks to you too.
I know I've said some meanspirited things to you... but I'm glad I met you, Tsurugi.
no subject
Your favourite song that you'd never get tired of.
And despite his eyes now shut, he can hear the smile in Shindou's words, answering back with the same adoration.]
Raimon saved me from doing something unforgivable. I was in the darkest part of my life, and Raimon's--your--light has given me new reason to keep going. Someone to fight with, and something to fight for.
[Had Yuuichi found out later down the line, figured out just what he had sacrificed to get that surgery, he would have probably lost the most important person in his life. Tenma, Shindou, Raimon...they'd all taken him back when he was at his weakest, played to his heart's fullest. Rescued him from the Fifth Sector's clutches, where he honestly should have never belonged.]
I don't think I've thanked you for that.
no subject
[It's his way of saying the thanks was unnecessary, but that it was known. He really did see it -- in the way Tsurugi's kicks were not as rough but stronger, in the confidence in his steps that no longer had the same desperation, in the way he no longer looked at Tenma with any signs of impatience.
It spoke loudly, and Shindou never missed a single moment.
His hand reaches out, fingertips brushing lightly against Tsurugi's wrist above the pocket. A silent request to hold his hand.]
no subject
[He can't stop his smile from forming. It was natural that Shindou would pick up on those things. A genius on the playing field...even when Tsurugi had been a Seed, he'd recognized Shindou's talents. Kami no Takuto was nothing to sneeze at.
A truly one of a kind hissatsu that assisted, gave guidance.
It was only natural that he would do that for Kyousuke himself, in a way. Tenma had been the catalyst, but in the end, it was Shindou siding alongside him to let him onto Raimon to prove himself to them. To Yuuichi.
He feels those fingertips brush against his skin, hand reaching out of his pocket to wrap his own around them, fingers slipping through the spaces to lock and interlace.]
Then it's good to know my feelings reach you loud and clear. About soccer...about a lot of things.
no subject
[Who would have thought the Seed member from Fifth Sector and the captain who opposed him would wind up together like this, closer than anybody else on the team, walking home hand in hand? Shindou certainly hadn't, and he remembers how when he first came to realize his feelings, he'd been immediately heartbroken assuming that these feelings will never be returned. Yet here he was.
His fingers squeeze around the hand that returned that touch, almost overwhelmed. A happiness he thought was out of his reach, right here in his hand.]
Do you think mine do, Tsurugi? [Does his voice reach him? Has he been able to communicate his feelings as well as Tsurugi had to him?]
no subject
He'd, after all, nearly ruined the one chance soccer had to be free once more.]
...
[Shindou's question causes him to smile, eyes closed as he rounds a familiar corner on their way.]
Like a symphony.
[The only applicable term he can compare it to, honestly.]
no subject
[Tsurugi had a knack for finding the exact words to apply to him. Every word he spoke directed toward him felt special, selected with care, displaying a complete understanding of him. Of his feelings. Tsurugi Kyousuke watched him more closely than anybody he knew.
It made him feel safe. They'd truly come a long way.]
Usually, when I play music it's either alone on the piano, or I'm the conductor of the orchestra you all make up. Being able to play this duet with you fills me with happiness.
[But there it is, a moment. A singular pause that nobody else on the team would notice -- except Kirino, perhaps, from how long they'd known each other -- a brief, brief hesitation as he looked for the courage to continue. His fingers twitch around Tsurugi's.]
Tsurugi... I want to add another note to this duet with you. Will you hear me out?
no subject
A duet.
[He'd never considered himself a musical person--he loved it, but you'd be hard-pressed to get him to sing. But when Shindou refers to them as that, it sounded perfect.
He notices that slight hitch in his voice, the way he hesitates for half a breath, and the slight touch of his fingers as they take his hand.]
Another note...? [Shindou's tone piques his curiosity...
His eyes close softly, lips parting ever so slightly as he speaks.] In a song I never want to end, the next note is more than welcome.
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I want to keep playing this song forever. But I don't want it to be static. We've changed from when we first met, and as we grow older, we'll keep changing. I want us to have changes together, too.
Tsurugi, I-- [his hand squeezes again. He lowers his head, his hair falling to curtain his face and hiding how it flushes red all the way to the tips of his ears. Say it, Shindou Takuto. Take the lead. Guide it. You're older. You're his elder!]
Tsurugi, would you... would you allow me to kiss you?
no subject
Stirring it up and reverberating against his ribs.
Shindou speaks his name, and his heart practically leaps up into his throat. There's a certain finality to it now, and those bright yellow eyes fixate on Shindou, his attention full and undivided.
The question's asked, and those pupils dilate in surprise--not out of shock, but...excitement, nervousness, an awkward mix of both. Shindou Takuto wanted to kiss him. And as obvious as it may be since they were, in fact, dating...
He's never kissed anyone before in his life.
What if he's no good at it? What if he leans too far and pokes Shindou in the eye with his nose? Trust me, SOMEONE out there's probably smacked heads the first time and ruined the moment. His mouth stumbles to find words, but at least his expression is a dead giveaway. He's flustered, not disgusted.]
I--!! [Words, Kyousuke, find WORDS.] I mean--
Yes.
[NAILED IT.]
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Tsurugi Kyousuke, flustered.
His heart beats once, loudly. Then it swells, making his chest feel so tight. It feels so warm where their hands are linked, and he squeezes his longer, softer fingers around Tsurugi's calloused ones. He can't stop it; the corners of his lips curl up, his eyes crinkle, and his voice is soft like melted caramel.]
Thank you.
Ah, would you like to come over to my house, then? My father's friend just returned from a trip Europe, and he brought us some cookies and tea. But we have coffee or juice, too, if you'd like those more...
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He can feel his own heart beating against his ribcage, shaking him to his core and making the blood rush to his cheeks. A shame (or if you're Shindou, a blessing)--it's so easy to see against his pale skin.]
Ah..
[His hands enclose around Shindou's now, calloused fingertips brushing against that soft skin, committing the feeling to memory. His original plan was to visit Yuuichi, and he thought about going to at least let him know where he was going to be, but his brother had started getting on his case about visiting when he clearly had a boyfriend he could be spending time with. He's pretty sure if he showed up, even to let him know his plans to go with Shindou, he would have gotten a look of 'What are you doing here.'
So it's with complete confidence that he tilts his head, voice flowing like a river seamlessly between them--]
I would like that.
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That's great. Then it's this way -- ah, it might be startling, at first. People are usually surprised the first time they come by, but you don't have to worry. Just be yourself.
[If Tsurugi experiences any confusion about that, he will receive any answers within the first minute of being on the Shindou property. The front gates open after a brief conversation with a butler through the intercom, and after crossing through an expansive front yard (with a fountain and a bridge over a pool, no less) toward the blue-roofed mansion, they'll be greeted at the door by that same butler and a small team of maids, ready to take any requests for tea or snacks.]
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Tsurugi stops dead in his tracks at the Shindou Manor gate, eyes as wide as saucers and dilated like a startled cat at the sheer size of the house. Sure, he knew Shindou was rich--anyone with working eyes could see that. What he didn't factor in was that when there's money, there's usually a house. A house staffed with butlers and maids and all sorts of servants running around and tending to the daily needs of the house. It was so...big. The Tsurugi Household wasn't tiny by any means...their father and mother had work around the clock to keep their house in working condition, but this was...
He's breathless.
Just be yourself.
Yeah, that's easy for Shindou Takuto to say, who's 'yourself' fits perfectly into this lifestyle. In his purple and red attire, his cape flowing behind his back and his spiked arm wrap on his wrist, he felt more like a lost stray dog in a mansion. The butler greets them with a bow, to which Tsurugi gave a slight one back (to the staff's surprise), and offered to take his cape/jacket should he want his arms more free to move around.
With a soft 'thank you', he relinquishes it, hands nearly shoving themselvs in his pockets before he thinks that over.]
I've never seen a house this big...
[Are you sure he's allowed here, Shindou.]
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["Old" isn't a word that most people will apply to it, with how perfectly maintained it is, not a singly unsightly stain on the stones outside or the wood inside, but it definitely has a dated look to it, like it might show up in a period drama at some point. The same butler who took Tsurugi's jacket take Shindou's schoolbag off his hands as well, turning with another bow to start leading them down the hallway.
Shindou, noting that Tsurugi's hands had not found their home in his pockets as they usually do, smiles secretly to himself and allows their pinkies to brush together. Nothing more, while they're out in the open, but the smile he gives him tells that it was a purposeful gesture.]
My room is this way.
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It's endearing, really, and one of the reasons why he'd fallen for the boy without even realizing it. He truly was someone who followed his heart.
That smile is proof of it, as he loops his thumbs around his pockets to let his hands hang out, the chain on his belt giving a soft jingle as he follows Shindou towards his room.]
It's beautiful.
[A pause, before he asks, almost to the point of a whisper as he pulls next to him.]
Do they all know...? [The staff, he means. And maybe Shindou's parents. It may be a stupid question, but if one of them drops in to say hello, he doesn't want to make a bad first impression...or mess things up.]
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My... mother, I believe. At least, I think she knows I'm seeing someone.
[It had been something that happened a week or so ago, when she sat and listened to him play the piano. Sipping her tea in that dainty way she always did, she listened as she usually did until he was finished with the song. When she looked up, there was a sparkle in her eyes.]
She said she could hear it in the way I played recently, but I haven't had the chance to speak with anybody about it.
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[There's no weight to that response. He's not offended in the slightest at the lack of being mentioned--hell, he was still trying to think of a way to tell his parents. There's really no good Hallmark card for 'I'm dating the richest kid in Inazuma-cho'. If anything, he now has a clearer understanding of what he should and shouldn't mention to the helpstaff, or even more, Shindou's parents should he meet him here.
He's a good friend until Shindou lets them know, and vice versa.]
The way you play...?
[That catches his attention. Shindou's skill at the piano was unmatched, and he often heard it as he walked through the halls of the school, when he would take breaks in the music room, Kirino in tow. He often would catch himself listening, noticing little intricacies in his notes that he didn't notice before. Was it because he had other priorities at the time? Or was he seeing more colours now that his eyes were opened a little wider?
Maybe that's what Shindou's mother was talking about, but then again, Tsurugi's no musician.]
So she can tell just from that...
[But with that being said,something seeps into his brain, rounding the corner of the hall with Shindou as he makes his way down the corridor. It dawns on him at that moment just as his heel made the pivot.
That if this woman he's never met walks in and meets him...they are going to be found out quicker than a rabbit can get to its hole.
They're not all that subtle.]
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[Especially in the last couple of years, he's been told, which he'd come to realize was because that was around the time he really started to play the piano as stress relief. Back when he was more tired and conflicted under the pressure of captaincy, he used to hit the keys with so much more force than the lighter touch he has now. Apparently nowadays, his fingers "danced" across the keys.
Shindou's thoughts are starting to stray to that recent conversation with his mother, but soon they'll be arriving at his room, located at the end of a hallway. The door is opened by the butler, who waits until they've both entered to step in after them so he could set down the jacket and bag. The house itself was majestic yet elegant, and Shindou's room carries a similar atmosphere.
It isn't a very personalized room. Unlike that of many boys their age, Shindou's room does not have any posters on the walls. In fact, there is hardly anything on the walls; a single framed painting hangs over a couch, but it isn't one that was chosen by Shindou himself. The curtains on his windows match those that they passed by on their walk down the hallway. The furniture are all painted in matching whites, and the blue of the couch matches that of the blankets of the bed, made so perfectly it looks hardly used. The only thing in the room that truly stands out -- and only because of its color, really -- is the black grand piano sitting in a corner of its own, at a location most visible from the doorway.
Shindou, who doesn't seem to be -- and probably really isn't -- at all bothered by the look of his room, turns to the butler and thanks him, exchanging a few words with him before the man bows and excuses himself. Once the door is closed, Shindou's attention returns to his new guest.]
You don't have to worry about it with my parents, or the people who work here. It's only that my father has been busy, and I had most of my attention taken up by Holy Road and physical therapy...
Why don't you take a seat? I'm going to change out of my uniform before I get it too wrinkled.
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Shindou could pull something like that off.
He follows Shindou into his room, and his eyes immediately glance around to the surroundings of the room. It was beautifully decorated, with matching furniture (actual furniture and not just a dresser and a bed!) and piano, a giant bed off to the side. White seemed to be most of the theme, the black piano contrasting starkly against it that Tsurugi could joke to himself that he had to adjust his eyes to. It was so very Shindou, he thinks to himself with a smile, as his red shirt and purple pants practically splash against the white canvas of the room like fingerpaints. He often was the only one in his grade that didn't wear the uniform, but he'd never felt more like a sore thumb than right now.
He smiles, hands removing themselves from his pockets as he looks for a place to sit. The couch seemed like the best option, seating himself gently and resting his chin on one of those hands.]
Take your time, I'm not going to try and escape just yet.
[A joke, the low tones of his voice curling into amusement as he speaks, eyes closing.]
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[With that said, and his guest now seated (hopefully comfortably) on the couch, Shindou moves to do as he said: changing. His school uniform got washed regularly anyway, but he didn't like to wear it for too long after school; it would only get dirtier faster that way, and if it got wrinkled, he would have to ask somebody to iron it. He knew how to do it himself from Home Ec classes, but even he and his desire to be more independent couldn't argue against the maids' insistence that he shouldn't do things that risked him hurting his hands.
The uniform is shed and carefully put away, replaced instead by a grey fine-knit sweater and a pair of brown pants. He doesn't make a show of it but the changing is still done without any shame or embarrassment about having Tsurugi there. That is, although he took care of himself and his surroundings mostly independently nowadays, when he was younger he was taken care of by servants for this and that; he didn't think anything of undressing in the presence of somebody else at this point, and Tsurugi was a member of the same soccer team, besides. With their lockers close to each other's, it's not like this was anything new.
Little does he know that not everybody is so nonchalant about things like this.]
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This completely changes when it's your boyfriend, and that's something Tsurugi finds out the minute he opens his eyes. Suddenly, he didn't see Shindou as the athlete friend he knew. He sees him as his boyfriend, and those amber eyes shockingly freeze at the sight of the boy's bare back, turned away from him and reaching for that sweater.
It's amazing how every muscle suddenly becomes neon highlighted, how every movement is enough to bring flush to your cheeks. Tsurugi's palm presses itself hard against his lips, fingers wrapping around his cheek as he both wants to fixate his gaze on something else (that piano was looking VERY INTERESTING RIGHT NOW) and yet unable to turn away. The way his hair brushes against his neck, leaving just enough space between his back and his head...
Focus, Kyousuke.
His own conscience snaps him out of it pupils contracting back to their slit-like appearance. He couldn't stare too long--boyfriend or not that would be pretty creepy... So instead, he goes back to how Shindou had seen him before turning around: eyes closed and gripping his face with every intent of squeezing the embarrassment out of him. With his eyes closed again, he takes this time to compose himself, letting both the image of his boyfriend sear into his brain and yet try and erase it from his eyelids in hopes of being able to handle this situation maturely. Because he's pretty sure that if he were to speak right now, incomprehensible babble was all that was going to come out.
He does know one thing, though. He was crazy for Shindou Takuto, and this proved it in more ways than he ever wants to explain.]
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That's right. They were here to --
It was at his request, and his invitation, but now that it's about to happen, butterflies are suddenly fluttering up a storm in his stomach. What would it be like? He hopes it will go well, or all right at least. Anything he does with Tsurugi will be amazing, he knows, but what if he misses? What if Tsurugi thinks his breath smells strange? Should he have asked for something minty for tea?
Nervous, giddy, full of anticipation and hope, Shindou shuffles back to the couch and plops down beside him, bouncing a little on the cushion; it's enough that even with his eyes closed, Tsurugi will be able to feel him move. ]
Tsurugi?
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Shindou Takuto, from his voice to his eyes to the rest of him...was beautiful.
And he was going to share his first kiss ever with him. A kiss he'd desperately hoped he could pull off his first time without anything embarrassing happening to him. His cheeks flush a little more, and he hopes that his hands can at least hide that until he can get it under control.]
Mm.
[That doesn't seem likely, though, with them so close.]
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It brings Shindou and Tsurugi even closer, the ends of his brown hair brushing up against a red-clad shoulder. From here, it's easy to see everything -- he can make out each and every elegant eyelash on Tsurugi's sharp, angled eyes, the exact slope of his handsome nose. And here, he's almost tempted to bury his own nose into the fabric of Tsurugi's shirt. Press against it and breathe in his scent, to memorize it. He wants to know everything.
Reaching for Tsurugi with the hand that was opposite to him, the hand that is closer slides up and hooks onto the curve of Tsurugi's side. Allowing that arm he snakes around the boy's back to pull them even closer together, Shindou peers through his bangs at him with a smile.]
... Let me see your face?
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