(no subject)
Feb. 14th, 2008 03:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kat8chaTitle: Rain
Author: Me
Rating: PG
Pairing: Tezuka/Fuji
Summary: Rain brings many changes, and sometimes it brings people together.
A/N: I wanted to write Fuji with an old book shop, this is set around a decade after the events of the anime and assumes that after Nationals Tezuka and Fuji go separate ways.
Rain is the personification of change. It is the change from evaporated water back to water’s liquid state. Rain encouraged plants to thrive, but it could also flood rivers and destroy lives. Rain needed certain environmental conditions to be created, if it was too cold rain became snow, if it was too dry the rain would never fall. Rain was very fickle.
Fuji disliked rain.
Rain caused the old wood of his floors to creak, and his bookstore smelled strongly of paper beginning to rot. Dusty old books were a fascinating scent, Fuji had seen scholars come in and nearly orgasm on their first deep breath. Old books smelled like knowledge, and mystery, and adventure. It took a special person to enjoy the scent of dusty books.
No one enjoyed the smell of mildew.
Propping his elbows on the chest-high wooden counter that held the bookstore’s only cash register Fuji sighed. Give him strong winds over rain any day. Fuji rather liked strong winds.
The bell above the door jingled and Fuji turned to glance at the door. His view of the new customer was partially obscured by the customer’s umbrella. Unlike most of the people Fuji saw scurrying around on the street outside this man, and it was obviously a man, did not carry a clear umbrella. The man was tall, and his umbrella was black with a sharp point at the top, like the umbrella’s Fuji had seen clustered over heads on his trip to England. Fuji bet the umbrella even had a curved wooden handle.
“I apologize.” The entrant to Fuji’s shop closed up his umbrella and slid it into the umbrella stand by the door. Fuji knew that it was a dangerous thing to do with umbrellas, Fuji had lost more then one stylish umbrella while browsing a shop, but the customer seemed more worried about the water dripping onto the floor.
“There’s a mat there for a reason.” Fuji said, his mouth curving into a secretive smile. “Escaping the rain?”
The smell of old books did not excite this man, but Fuji could tell that he was going to like him anyway. There was something about him that seemed bizarrely familiar as well. Something that made Fuji’s shoulders relax, stress rolling off of them like water off a window pain. The stranger, or perhaps not a stranger, felt like coming home.
“Ah… no.” It was the truth, but also a lie, Fuji could tell. So the man was running from something, but it was not the rain. Slipping from behind the counter Fuji gestured towards his backroom.
“If you’d like, we could have a cup of tea.” Fuji had never offered this to someone he had just met. Occasionally to good friends, or very old acquaintances, or to those few rare buyers who wished to purchase several of Fuji’s more expensive books…
The man looked at Fuji with mild surprise, his nostrils flaring and his eyes widening briefly before his face settled back into what Fuji could only name as a ‘stoic’ expression. “I would not be disrupting your business?” No silly questions about Fuji’s boss, or how inappropriate it would be.
Fuji liked a man who could read people. “In this type weather I get very few customers.” Walking towards the back room Fuji pushed the creaky door open and motioned to a small table. “Only those seeking a haven.” And generally those wishing to escape the rain took refuge in the chain bookstore down the street, the chain bookstore that came complete with attached reading room and coffee shop. “Have a seat.”
Propping the door open so that he could still see the entrance to the store Fuji motioned to the two wooden chairs pulled up to the table. Turning on the small stove Fuji set a pot of water on to boil. The stranger had chosen the seat that would be out of view to anyone else in the shop. The wood seemed to wrap around his body, not in a bad way, but in a way that said the chair had been made for him. Fuji smiled and took his seat in the other chair. “I’m Fuji Syuuske.”
The stranger paused briefly before inclining his head just the slightest. “Tezuka Kunimitsu.” There was an expectant pause after that, as if Tezuka expected Fuji to recognize it. When Fuji merely continued to smile Tezuka sighed, his body language relaxing a fraction. “You have a very nice shop.”
“I have a very eccentric shop.” Fuji corrected. He knew there was hardly a market for old books such as his. If someone needed a book of that sort their family’s generally had generations old libraries. Sometimes Fuji got collectors, rich patrons searching to complete their own libraries, or family’s whose books had been destroyed for some reason or another, occasionally Fuji got people who just found the books interesting, it was enough to keep Fuji afloat at least. “You have a very nice umbrella.”
Tezuka’s lips twitched and Fuji got the feeling that Tezuka rarely smiled. That was a shame; Tezuka probably had a nice smile. “I have a very eccentric umbrella.” Tezuka paused and Fuji chuckled a little. “Or so I am told.”
“I think it’s very nice.” Fuji heard the tea kettle whistle and pushed his chair back. The wooden chair slid silently across the floor while other chairs would have rattled or even screeched. Fuji had a way with wood. “Did you get it from a specialty store?” Fuji added tea leaves to his tea pot before pouring the hot water over them. The tea pot with a metal strainer in the spout had been a gift from Yuuta, and Fuji had been grateful. Especially since his last tea pot had been broken during the fight before Yuuta moved out. Fuji added some cool water to the pot and set the lid on top.
“No.” Tezuka’s voice was curt, as if he expected the question to be dropped. Fuji set the teapot on a hotplate and fetched two cups. Retaking his seat Fuji raised an eyebrow.
A silent battle of wills commenced between the two, stubborn silence versus quiet amusement. Silence broke first, quiet amusement was generally unbeatable.
“I got it in England.” Tezuka said quietly. Tezuka picked up the teacup, his fingers tracing the image on the enamel. “These are fascinating.”
Fuji chuckled, and poured some of the tea into his own cup before motioning for Tezuka’s. “My sister made them.” Yumiko had crafted a whole set of cups, thirteen in total, with depictions of zodiac animals. The cups had originally been twelve in number but then Fuji’s sister had read Fruits Basket and Fuji had found himself with a year of the cat cup.
“She is very skillful.” Tezuka held the cup while Fuji poured. Tezuka took his first sip of tea and Fuji noticed the slight widening of his eyes again. “This is very good.”
“I’m a mediocre tea maker at best.” Fuji began to drink his own tea. “But thank you.”
Tezuka’s brows came together, and Fuji found himself enjoying the slightly frustrated look on his face. “I have just come back from England.” The words seemed to be forced, at least in part. “Green tea there is… different.”
“Ah.” Fuji leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking slightly under his back, “So any cup of Japanese made tea would taste good then.” Tezuka frowned, but for some reason did not counter what Fuji said. Fuji had a feeling it was because Tezuka could read the amused twinkle in Fuji’s eyes. “Well then, let me say this.” Fuji’s smile widened enough for him to flash white teeth at Tezuka. “Welcome home.”
Tezuka took a deep breath, the steam from his tea cup no doubt wafting invitingly. Tezuka relaxed even more, subtext to the slight shift of Tezuka’s body. “I’m back.”
They finished their tea in silence, Fuji refilling Tezuka’s cup without a word. The rain gradually came to a halt, the sun appearing and shining through Fuji’s large shop window to illuminate the small cactus collection crowding the window ledge. Tezuka finished his second cup of tea and set it down.
“The rain has cleared up.” Fuji said with a nod towards the front of the store. “It looks like a beautiful day.”
Tezuka nodded. “I was not escaping the rain.” Tezuka said again, and Fuji nodded as well, standing and motioning for Tezuka to walk in front of him. Tezuka did so, picking his black umbrella out of the umbrella stand.
Fuji made sure to hand over one of his business cards. “I believe the press have disappeared as well, Tezuka Kunimitsu.”
Tezuka arched one eyebrow. “I never mentioned anything about the press.”
Fuji opened the door. “Stop by anytime. I always enjoy speaking to Wimbeldon champions.” Tezuka nodded at Fuji, his face appearing slightly troubled. Fuji assumed that it was rare for people to recognize him and pretend they did not.
Fuji closed the door, the bell jingling merrily over it again. Tezuka had not changed the slightest bit from middle school, though it was obvious that Tezuka’s memory of that time was a little foggy. Well, 11 years would do that to anyone.
Fuji slid back behind his counter, slightly surprised when the shop phone rang seconds after he had. Picking it up Fuji supposed he should not have been all that surprised. “Fuji.”
“Tezuka.”
A brief pause. Fuji supposed from the background noise that Tezuka was by now at the end of the street.
“Do you still play?”
Fuji’s smile widened. “Of course I do.”
“Let’s have a match.”
Fuji supposed that rain was a necessary evil. Even cacti needed a little rain now and again.
Author: Me
Rating: PG
Pairing: Tezuka/Fuji
Summary: Rain brings many changes, and sometimes it brings people together.
A/N: I wanted to write Fuji with an old book shop, this is set around a decade after the events of the anime and assumes that after Nationals Tezuka and Fuji go separate ways.
Rain is the personification of change. It is the change from evaporated water back to water’s liquid state. Rain encouraged plants to thrive, but it could also flood rivers and destroy lives. Rain needed certain environmental conditions to be created, if it was too cold rain became snow, if it was too dry the rain would never fall. Rain was very fickle.
Fuji disliked rain.
Rain caused the old wood of his floors to creak, and his bookstore smelled strongly of paper beginning to rot. Dusty old books were a fascinating scent, Fuji had seen scholars come in and nearly orgasm on their first deep breath. Old books smelled like knowledge, and mystery, and adventure. It took a special person to enjoy the scent of dusty books.
No one enjoyed the smell of mildew.
Propping his elbows on the chest-high wooden counter that held the bookstore’s only cash register Fuji sighed. Give him strong winds over rain any day. Fuji rather liked strong winds.
The bell above the door jingled and Fuji turned to glance at the door. His view of the new customer was partially obscured by the customer’s umbrella. Unlike most of the people Fuji saw scurrying around on the street outside this man, and it was obviously a man, did not carry a clear umbrella. The man was tall, and his umbrella was black with a sharp point at the top, like the umbrella’s Fuji had seen clustered over heads on his trip to England. Fuji bet the umbrella even had a curved wooden handle.
“I apologize.” The entrant to Fuji’s shop closed up his umbrella and slid it into the umbrella stand by the door. Fuji knew that it was a dangerous thing to do with umbrellas, Fuji had lost more then one stylish umbrella while browsing a shop, but the customer seemed more worried about the water dripping onto the floor.
“There’s a mat there for a reason.” Fuji said, his mouth curving into a secretive smile. “Escaping the rain?”
The smell of old books did not excite this man, but Fuji could tell that he was going to like him anyway. There was something about him that seemed bizarrely familiar as well. Something that made Fuji’s shoulders relax, stress rolling off of them like water off a window pain. The stranger, or perhaps not a stranger, felt like coming home.
“Ah… no.” It was the truth, but also a lie, Fuji could tell. So the man was running from something, but it was not the rain. Slipping from behind the counter Fuji gestured towards his backroom.
“If you’d like, we could have a cup of tea.” Fuji had never offered this to someone he had just met. Occasionally to good friends, or very old acquaintances, or to those few rare buyers who wished to purchase several of Fuji’s more expensive books…
The man looked at Fuji with mild surprise, his nostrils flaring and his eyes widening briefly before his face settled back into what Fuji could only name as a ‘stoic’ expression. “I would not be disrupting your business?” No silly questions about Fuji’s boss, or how inappropriate it would be.
Fuji liked a man who could read people. “In this type weather I get very few customers.” Walking towards the back room Fuji pushed the creaky door open and motioned to a small table. “Only those seeking a haven.” And generally those wishing to escape the rain took refuge in the chain bookstore down the street, the chain bookstore that came complete with attached reading room and coffee shop. “Have a seat.”
Propping the door open so that he could still see the entrance to the store Fuji motioned to the two wooden chairs pulled up to the table. Turning on the small stove Fuji set a pot of water on to boil. The stranger had chosen the seat that would be out of view to anyone else in the shop. The wood seemed to wrap around his body, not in a bad way, but in a way that said the chair had been made for him. Fuji smiled and took his seat in the other chair. “I’m Fuji Syuuske.”
The stranger paused briefly before inclining his head just the slightest. “Tezuka Kunimitsu.” There was an expectant pause after that, as if Tezuka expected Fuji to recognize it. When Fuji merely continued to smile Tezuka sighed, his body language relaxing a fraction. “You have a very nice shop.”
“I have a very eccentric shop.” Fuji corrected. He knew there was hardly a market for old books such as his. If someone needed a book of that sort their family’s generally had generations old libraries. Sometimes Fuji got collectors, rich patrons searching to complete their own libraries, or family’s whose books had been destroyed for some reason or another, occasionally Fuji got people who just found the books interesting, it was enough to keep Fuji afloat at least. “You have a very nice umbrella.”
Tezuka’s lips twitched and Fuji got the feeling that Tezuka rarely smiled. That was a shame; Tezuka probably had a nice smile. “I have a very eccentric umbrella.” Tezuka paused and Fuji chuckled a little. “Or so I am told.”
“I think it’s very nice.” Fuji heard the tea kettle whistle and pushed his chair back. The wooden chair slid silently across the floor while other chairs would have rattled or even screeched. Fuji had a way with wood. “Did you get it from a specialty store?” Fuji added tea leaves to his tea pot before pouring the hot water over them. The tea pot with a metal strainer in the spout had been a gift from Yuuta, and Fuji had been grateful. Especially since his last tea pot had been broken during the fight before Yuuta moved out. Fuji added some cool water to the pot and set the lid on top.
“No.” Tezuka’s voice was curt, as if he expected the question to be dropped. Fuji set the teapot on a hotplate and fetched two cups. Retaking his seat Fuji raised an eyebrow.
A silent battle of wills commenced between the two, stubborn silence versus quiet amusement. Silence broke first, quiet amusement was generally unbeatable.
“I got it in England.” Tezuka said quietly. Tezuka picked up the teacup, his fingers tracing the image on the enamel. “These are fascinating.”
Fuji chuckled, and poured some of the tea into his own cup before motioning for Tezuka’s. “My sister made them.” Yumiko had crafted a whole set of cups, thirteen in total, with depictions of zodiac animals. The cups had originally been twelve in number but then Fuji’s sister had read Fruits Basket and Fuji had found himself with a year of the cat cup.
“She is very skillful.” Tezuka held the cup while Fuji poured. Tezuka took his first sip of tea and Fuji noticed the slight widening of his eyes again. “This is very good.”
“I’m a mediocre tea maker at best.” Fuji began to drink his own tea. “But thank you.”
Tezuka’s brows came together, and Fuji found himself enjoying the slightly frustrated look on his face. “I have just come back from England.” The words seemed to be forced, at least in part. “Green tea there is… different.”
“Ah.” Fuji leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking slightly under his back, “So any cup of Japanese made tea would taste good then.” Tezuka frowned, but for some reason did not counter what Fuji said. Fuji had a feeling it was because Tezuka could read the amused twinkle in Fuji’s eyes. “Well then, let me say this.” Fuji’s smile widened enough for him to flash white teeth at Tezuka. “Welcome home.”
Tezuka took a deep breath, the steam from his tea cup no doubt wafting invitingly. Tezuka relaxed even more, subtext to the slight shift of Tezuka’s body. “I’m back.”
They finished their tea in silence, Fuji refilling Tezuka’s cup without a word. The rain gradually came to a halt, the sun appearing and shining through Fuji’s large shop window to illuminate the small cactus collection crowding the window ledge. Tezuka finished his second cup of tea and set it down.
“The rain has cleared up.” Fuji said with a nod towards the front of the store. “It looks like a beautiful day.”
Tezuka nodded. “I was not escaping the rain.” Tezuka said again, and Fuji nodded as well, standing and motioning for Tezuka to walk in front of him. Tezuka did so, picking his black umbrella out of the umbrella stand.
Fuji made sure to hand over one of his business cards. “I believe the press have disappeared as well, Tezuka Kunimitsu.”
Tezuka arched one eyebrow. “I never mentioned anything about the press.”
Fuji opened the door. “Stop by anytime. I always enjoy speaking to Wimbeldon champions.” Tezuka nodded at Fuji, his face appearing slightly troubled. Fuji assumed that it was rare for people to recognize him and pretend they did not.
Fuji closed the door, the bell jingling merrily over it again. Tezuka had not changed the slightest bit from middle school, though it was obvious that Tezuka’s memory of that time was a little foggy. Well, 11 years would do that to anyone.
Fuji slid back behind his counter, slightly surprised when the shop phone rang seconds after he had. Picking it up Fuji supposed he should not have been all that surprised. “Fuji.”
“Tezuka.”
A brief pause. Fuji supposed from the background noise that Tezuka was by now at the end of the street.
“Do you still play?”
Fuji’s smile widened. “Of course I do.”
“Let’s have a match.”
Fuji supposed that rain was a necessary evil. Even cacti needed a little rain now and again.
