Hajime lay on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head. To the absent Yuuta, he repeated, “Your brother really, really irritates me.”
Fuji’s match against Shiraishi had been magnificent. It had been a good match, unlike the one he’d had with Hajime. Fuji had found, not only determination, but passion. Passion that made him truly look like Yuuta’s brother for the first time Hajime could recall.
Passion Hajime had never played with.
The understanding twisted at him, made him turn on his side and curl in on himself, trying to escape his own thoughts.
Did he need it? Was that really one of the pieces he’d been missing? Did he have to… to expose himself that way, to play at the top?
Yuuta did.
Fuji had.
He would be damned before he’d be less than Fuji Shuusuke.
A quick rap on the door interrupted his brooding, followed by Yuuta’s voice. “Mizuki-san, did you see… Oops.” Yuuta’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Sorry.”
Hajime turned over in time to see Yuuta tiptoeing back out the door and his mouth twitched up at one corner. “I’m not asleep,” he said dryly.
Yuuta looked over his shoulder. “Ah? Oh, good then.” He turned around again and came to bounce down in Hajime’s desk chair. “Did you see the tape Akazawa-senpai got of some of the other matches?” Yuuta’s eyes were a little wide. “Are all Nationals games really like that?”
Hajime turned over the various Nationals matches he had seen, in his head, marking the texture and intensity of them all. “Yes, I’m afraid so,” he murmured.
“Wow.” Yuuta sat back, eyes fixed on something besides the room around them. “That’s amazing,” he said softly. And then his focus snapped back to Hajime. “We can do it, though. Right, Mizuki-san?”
Hajime felt breathless, pinned by the burning-glass of that fierce, grey gaze. He had, in fact, little doubt that Yuuta could do it.
Could he?
Could he refuse?
“Yes.” He closed his eyes. “Yes, Yuuta-kun. We will.”
When he opened his eyes again Yuuta was smiling, brilliant and… somehow already triumphant. Hajime’s mouth quirked. What a spot to put himself in, a sensible, logical person agreeing to go forward alongside this firebrand and push both of them to the edge and beyond.
All because he wanted Yuuta to look only at him, the way he was right now.
He sighed and leaned back on his elbows as Yuuta enthused about some of the shots he’d seen, mind already racing ahead in time, tracing the curve of his conditioning, mapping it steeper. He would climb that curve, and win. That was the important thing.
He would keep Yuuta beside him.
End
*positively bouncing* Oh, Mizuki, don’t you want to know why Yuuta’s already looking triumphant?
*sparkles* Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
*wicked grin* One of these days he’ll actually admit that Yuuta’s heart and head talk to each other a lot better than his do.
I delurk!
And bow at the amazingness of this fic!
And
“When he opened his eyes again Yuuta was smiling, brilliant and… somehow already triumphant. ”
made me laugh, and made people stare at me oddly.
Yay for oblivious!Mizuki
*hearts* Thank you!
I’m really quite fond of oblivious!Mizuki, especially since the silly boy /does/ know, he’s just not admitting it yet. *amused by her characters*
The Mizuki/Fuji rivalry thing going on is so much fun to explore isn’t it?
oh god your Yummi is so adorable, bright and dgkjdshfasdl just totally going on.
Thank you! *laughing* Mizuki is a competitive little cuss, for all he hides most of it under a cool exterior. *evil grin* Yuuta will be good for him.
“He would be damned before he’d be less than Fuji Shuusuke.”
–That line is made of SO MUCH WIN. I love the whole Mizuki/Fuji thing going on in this series (as I’ve said before, but I just have to say it again), even though they aren’t even interacting in person. ♥
Your characterization makes me so happy. ^___^ This is a ridiculously good fic!
*sparkles* Thank you so much!
*grins* I think I’m going to eventually be able to get Fuji and Mizuki in the same place; and watch the fireworks. And probably Yuuta’s bewilderment, wondering what on earth is up with Aniki and Hajime-san, because the dear boy does have his blind spots. *snickers*
I. I. Oh. Oh my.
“All because he wanted Yuuta to look only at him, the way he was right now.”
That? That floored me. And it wasn’t just the fact that Mizuki is FINALLY BEGINNING to admit a bit of his feelings, but because the only at him was so beyond adorable and sweet and tooth rotting and and and now I’m incoherent.
😐
Basically, Mizuki has such a spot it my heart that your Yummi fics make me wibble and sigh and want to RP and/or write fic right now. It makes the Mizuki in my head all wiggly and alive. It’s rather unfortunate, at times, actually. XD;
BUT UH YEAH. I LIKED THIS PART… A LOT. BECAUSE I LOVE MIZUKI AND HIS WARPED MIND. He needs to get a reality check, rofl. ♥ Keep up the amazing work. *____*
*sparkles* Thank you so much!
*sparkles some more at the thought of more happy Mizuki fic* Mizuki never gets enough fandom love. You should definitely give in to this urge. ^_^
*grins* He really is a warped boy; fortunately, he has the astonishingly straightforward Yuuta to pull him back to earth.
And we’re only just halfway through this arc, so there’s plenty more to come. *wry* Never thought it would be these two who managed to drag me away from Rikkai again, but wow.