hello! i've honestly been eyeing this prompt since i saw it go up on the comments, because it's something i've always wondered about myself... (laughs) i'm not sure if this is what you were looking for, but here's a conversation that happens the same day we see mei invite miyuki to inashiro in the anime (except, here we know miyuki accepts!). also, i hope you don't mind me putting in some implied feelings for another ship here.... it sort of. just happened while i was writing, haha, but i thought i'd let you know! (i'm fairly certain it's a ship you're into, though.)
“i didn’t actually think you’d say yes, you know. kazuya.”
“mei. didn’t think i’d run into you here, either.”
he knows mei won’t be able to see it from where he’s sitting, but kazuya smiles anyway. maybe he does it precisely because mei won’t see. mei hums, a dubious sound that doesn’t actually convince kazuya he’s being doubted. mei must realise it, too, because he joins kazuya where he’s sitting on the steps, the very same ones they’d spoken at earlier this afternoon, when mei called kazuya over with carlos and shirakawa and the others, extending an offer to inashiro, to team up together.
“you’re avoiding the question,” mei says, exhaling. arms stretched out behind him, kazuya doesn’t think mei’s complaining, exactly, but he indulges him all the same.
“oh? i wasn’t aware i heard a question to avoid.”
“see,” mei whines, turning to pout at kazuya like he’s proven mei’s point exactly. perhaps he has.
distantly, kazuya wonders about the way things tend to unfold in the end, whether you avoid them or not. he wonders which option he’s committing to here, accepting mei’s invitation.
“i already said yes, mei,” kazuya says. then, teasing: “unless you want me to take it back…”
kazuya can’t see it, but he knows mei is rolling his eyes. “god, i forgot how annoying this side of you is.”
“why, thank you!”
“kazuya,” mei says. kazuya thinks he’s going to say something else and waits for it, but nothing follows. at least, nothing mei’s said out loud. so kazuya says something for him:
“mei. i’m not going to change my mind.”
he doesn’t follow up the statement with about anything, but it’s implied.
“i figured as much,” mei replies. “it’s just, i don’t know, i thought maybe you’d end up chasing after him anyway.”
mei doesn’t follow up his statement with a name, either, but kazuya gets the implication. so that’s what they’re talking about, then. and kazuya laughs, even though he doesn’t find anything particularly funny. mei doesn’t laugh with him, but he doesn’t interrupt kazuya, lets him work through it at his own pace. he’s like that. it’s one of the things kazuya appreciates most about him.
it’s also probably one of the reasons he’d said yes, in the end.
“well,” kazuya draws out the word, transitions from his laughter to his speech with deliberate carelessness. “i did consider it. chasing.”
“okay,” mei says, and kazuya believes him. he continues.
“i considered it, but. well. i don’t know, really. maybe i just hate to lose.”
mei snorts. “that’s a given.”
“i mean, you know what they say — it takes one to know one.” kazuya glances at mei, significantly. then he grins.
“so, what. you’d rather team up with me than lose to him? is that it?”
it’s — not exactly it, and the look on mei’s face right know tells kazuya he’s guessed as much, but it’s close enough. kazuya’s not surprised this is the conclusion mei’s ended up drawing. he pauses, considering just how honest he wants to be with what he says next, before deciding it’s best to answer honesty with honesty. anyway, it’s not like mei’s going to hold this against him.
“nah, it’s more like. if i had to lose, in an official match, then i’d rather…” kazuya lets the thought trail off, then says: “not that i’m planning to lose, though.”
mei doesn’t look at him when he drawls, “obviously. going in with resolve that weak’s unacceptable.” but because he’s mei, he doesn’t let it end there: “i’d never accept anything less than complete victory.”
come to think of it, kazuya’s always liked this part about mei, too.
“then, i guess we’ve got ourselves a team,” kazuya says softly.
mei turns to face him properly again. “like i said: i’d never accept anything less.”
kazuya hums, not quite agreeing, but not rejecting the claim, either. mei doesn’t chase him up on it, and for a while the two of them sit along the steps, unspeaking, but it’s comfortable. kazuya doesn’t mind it. wouldn’t mind doing this more often, with mei.
“i’ll be seeing you at the entrance ceremony, then. kazuya.” mei phrases it as a goodbye but he still hasn’t moved. kazuya turns, his turn now to look at mei.
“yeah. yeah, sure.” he’s still looking at mei, though, sure there’s something he’s missing… and then he finds it. tucked against mei’s side: on top of mei’s bag is a baseball glove, baseball tucked inside. kazuya doesn’t remember mei having either when they saw each other before. an unexpected curl of fondness stirs in kazuya’s chest. he’ll never admit it, but mei’s a lot more honest than people probably give him credit for.
with what he wants, and everything else.
so kazuya stands, considers dusting off any dirt from his jeans before deciding against it. it’d be too dark to see if there was, anyway. mei still hasn’t moved, so kazuya nudges his shoulder with his knee.
“hey. got another glove hiding in your bag?”
“why would i be hiding anything,” mei huffs, more out of instinct than anything else.
kazuya laughs. “well? do you.”
“maybe,” mei allows, glancing from kazuya to his bag then back. picking up his glove, mei stands up, shoulders his bag.
“it’s too dark here,” mei explains, then nods down the steps where the park levels out, lamps providing decent enough lighting even from where kazuya’s standing. “you can see better from down there.”
he’s already walking down the steps two at a time before he’s even finished saying it, taking kazuya’s unspoken offer at face value. and because mei’s also actually a brat, he doesn’t thank kazuya for it either, but that’s alright. kazuya wasn’t looking for gratitude when he made the offer, or even when he accepted mei’s. for any of it, really.
“after you, then,” miyuki calls after mei, already starting down the steps to follow.
FILL: Team Kuramochi Youichi/Miyuki Kazuya, G
hello! i've honestly been eyeing this prompt since i saw it go up on the comments, because it's something i've always wondered about myself... (laughs) i'm not sure if this is what you were looking for, but here's a conversation that happens the same day we see mei invite miyuki to inashiro in the anime (except, here we know miyuki accepts!). also, i hope you don't mind me putting in some implied feelings for another ship here.... it sort of. just happened while i was writing, haha, but i thought i'd let you know! (i'm fairly certain it's a ship you're into, though.)
title taken from jaws' song friend like you: (x)
friend like you
986 words, [AO3]
“i didn’t actually think you’d say yes, you know. kazuya.”
“mei. didn’t think i’d run into you here, either.”
he knows mei won’t be able to see it from where he’s sitting, but kazuya smiles anyway. maybe he does it precisely because mei won’t see. mei hums, a dubious sound that doesn’t actually convince kazuya he’s being doubted. mei must realise it, too, because he joins kazuya where he’s sitting on the steps, the very same ones they’d spoken at earlier this afternoon, when mei called kazuya over with carlos and shirakawa and the others, extending an offer to inashiro, to team up together.
“you’re avoiding the question,” mei says, exhaling. arms stretched out behind him, kazuya doesn’t think mei’s complaining, exactly, but he indulges him all the same.
“oh? i wasn’t aware i heard a question to avoid.”
“see,” mei whines, turning to pout at kazuya like he’s proven mei’s point exactly. perhaps he has.
distantly, kazuya wonders about the way things tend to unfold in the end, whether you avoid them or not. he wonders which option he’s committing to here, accepting mei’s invitation.
“i already said yes, mei,” kazuya says. then, teasing: “unless you want me to take it back…”
kazuya can’t see it, but he knows mei is rolling his eyes. “god, i forgot how annoying this side of you is.”
“why, thank you!”
“kazuya,” mei says. kazuya thinks he’s going to say something else and waits for it, but nothing follows. at least, nothing mei’s said out loud. so kazuya says something for him:
“mei. i’m not going to change my mind.”
he doesn’t follow up the statement with about anything, but it’s implied.
“i figured as much,” mei replies. “it’s just, i don’t know, i thought maybe you’d end up chasing after him anyway.”
mei doesn’t follow up his statement with a name, either, but kazuya gets the implication. so that’s what they’re talking about, then. and kazuya laughs, even though he doesn’t find anything particularly funny. mei doesn’t laugh with him, but he doesn’t interrupt kazuya, lets him work through it at his own pace. he’s like that. it’s one of the things kazuya appreciates most about him.
it’s also probably one of the reasons he’d said yes, in the end.
“well,” kazuya draws out the word, transitions from his laughter to his speech with deliberate carelessness. “i did consider it. chasing.”
“okay,” mei says, and kazuya believes him. he continues.
“i considered it, but. well. i don’t know, really. maybe i just hate to lose.”
mei snorts. “that’s a given.”
“i mean, you know what they say — it takes one to know one.” kazuya glances at mei, significantly. then he grins.
“so, what. you’d rather team up with me than lose to him? is that it?”
it’s — not exactly it, and the look on mei’s face right know tells kazuya he’s guessed as much, but it’s close enough. kazuya’s not surprised this is the conclusion mei’s ended up drawing. he pauses, considering just how honest he wants to be with what he says next, before deciding it’s best to answer honesty with honesty. anyway, it’s not like mei’s going to hold this against him.
“nah, it’s more like. if i had to lose, in an official match, then i’d rather…” kazuya lets the thought trail off, then says: “not that i’m planning to lose, though.”
mei doesn’t look at him when he drawls, “obviously. going in with resolve that weak’s unacceptable.” but because he’s mei, he doesn’t let it end there: “i’d never accept anything less than complete victory.”
come to think of it, kazuya’s always liked this part about mei, too.
“then, i guess we’ve got ourselves a team,” kazuya says softly.
mei turns to face him properly again. “like i said: i’d never accept anything less.”
kazuya hums, not quite agreeing, but not rejecting the claim, either. mei doesn’t chase him up on it, and for a while the two of them sit along the steps, unspeaking, but it’s comfortable. kazuya doesn’t mind it. wouldn’t mind doing this more often, with mei.
“i’ll be seeing you at the entrance ceremony, then. kazuya.” mei phrases it as a goodbye but he still hasn’t moved. kazuya turns, his turn now to look at mei.
“yeah. yeah, sure.” he’s still looking at mei, though, sure there’s something he’s missing… and then he finds it. tucked against mei’s side: on top of mei’s bag is a baseball glove, baseball tucked inside. kazuya doesn’t remember mei having either when they saw each other before. an unexpected curl of fondness stirs in kazuya’s chest. he’ll never admit it, but mei’s a lot more honest than people probably give him credit for.
with what he wants, and everything else.
so kazuya stands, considers dusting off any dirt from his jeans before deciding against it. it’d be too dark to see if there was, anyway. mei still hasn’t moved, so kazuya nudges his shoulder with his knee.
“hey. got another glove hiding in your bag?”
“why would i be hiding anything,” mei huffs, more out of instinct than anything else.
kazuya laughs. “well? do you.”
“maybe,” mei allows, glancing from kazuya to his bag then back. picking up his glove, mei stands up, shoulders his bag.
“it’s too dark here,” mei explains, then nods down the steps where the park levels out, lamps providing decent enough lighting even from where kazuya’s standing. “you can see better from down there.”
he’s already walking down the steps two at a time before he’s even finished saying it, taking kazuya’s unspoken offer at face value. and because mei’s also actually a brat, he doesn’t thank kazuya for it either, but that’s alright. kazuya wasn’t looking for gratitude when he made the offer, or even when he accepted mei’s. for any of it, really.
“after you, then,” miyuki calls after mei, already starting down the steps to follow.