"Even if I can't be anything else," Tatsuya says, "then at least I'm yours."
But that is not how this story ends.
Tatsuya begins his journey, as everyone in life does, with a choice. He is presented with three things; a cage, a bird, a kite, and told that he can only choose one.
The cage is made of made of wrought iron. It looks solid. Heavy. It is empty.
The bird has clipped wings. It sings beautifully. It is not what he needs.
The kite has a beautiful tail and is attached to a long string. It is not how Tatsuya wants to touch the sky.
"My choice," Tatsuya says, "is nothing."
He does not wait to find out whether or not he is allowed to make this choice. He picks out a path, empty-handed, and begins to walk.
Atsushi, too, is given a choice. His three things are different; a book, a locked box, a scarf.
"This is boring," he says, and picks up the locked box, shaking it hard.
It does not make a sound, even though it feels heavy. He hums, tucking it under his arm and walks away. Starts on one path but tires of it quickly, wandering off, until he finds another. It makes no difference to him, in the end.
Tatsuya sees Atsushi from a distance, wandering absently, turning a box over and over in his hands. They pause, watching each other. It is Tatsuya who makes the first move, walking closer.
"What do you have?" Atsushi asks, in the middle of the long and empty path, with nobody else in sight. He does not question the fact that Tatsuya is the first person that he has seen.
"Nothing," Tatsuya replies. "I have nothing."
"Boring," Atsushi tells him.
"What do you have in your box?"
"I don't know."
Tatsuya looks away, his lips curving into a smile. "Boring."
"It's locked," Atsushi says, shaking it in front of Tatsuya to show him.
Tatsuya looks at it. "No it's not."
"I don't care what's inside," Atsushi says. He cannot remember when he and Tatsuya started walking together, but he decides that he will not complain. His hands are still turning the box over and over. It has become an idle habit, by now.
"I'm sure you don't," Tatsuya replies indulgently. "I'm sure it doesn't matter at all."
Atsushi huffs. "It doesn't."
"You said it's not locked," Atsushi says, and his words may not be a question, but his meaning is clear enough in the way he pushes the box over to Tatsuya.
"I don't see a lock," Tatsuya tells him, picking it up.
"There's a trick to opening it. You can't open it unless you know exactly—" Atsushi frowns as Tatsuya takes hold of the lid and eases it open, "—how."
"Well." Tatsuya places the box down. "That's how you do it. After all of that, you don't even find anything inside. It's empty."
"Mm," Atsushi sighs, lying on the ground, looking up at the sky. "I found you."
FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, G
word count: 504
"Even if I can't be anything else," Tatsuya says, "then at least I'm yours."
But that is not how this story ends.
Tatsuya begins his journey, as everyone in life does, with a choice. He is presented with three things; a cage, a bird, a kite, and told that he can only choose one.
The cage is made of made of wrought iron. It looks solid. Heavy. It is empty.
The bird has clipped wings. It sings beautifully. It is not what he needs.
The kite has a beautiful tail and is attached to a long string. It is not how Tatsuya wants to touch the sky.
"My choice," Tatsuya says, "is nothing."
He does not wait to find out whether or not he is allowed to make this choice. He picks out a path, empty-handed, and begins to walk.
Atsushi, too, is given a choice. His three things are different; a book, a locked box, a scarf.
"This is boring," he says, and picks up the locked box, shaking it hard.
It does not make a sound, even though it feels heavy. He hums, tucking it under his arm and walks away. Starts on one path but tires of it quickly, wandering off, until he finds another. It makes no difference to him, in the end.
Tatsuya sees Atsushi from a distance, wandering absently, turning a box over and over in his hands. They pause, watching each other. It is Tatsuya who makes the first move, walking closer.
"What do you have?" Atsushi asks, in the middle of the long and empty path, with nobody else in sight. He does not question the fact that Tatsuya is the first person that he has seen.
"Nothing," Tatsuya replies. "I have nothing."
"Boring," Atsushi tells him.
"What do you have in your box?"
"I don't know."
Tatsuya looks away, his lips curving into a smile. "Boring."
"It's locked," Atsushi says, shaking it in front of Tatsuya to show him.
Tatsuya looks at it. "No it's not."
"I don't care what's inside," Atsushi says. He cannot remember when he and Tatsuya started walking together, but he decides that he will not complain. His hands are still turning the box over and over. It has become an idle habit, by now.
"I'm sure you don't," Tatsuya replies indulgently. "I'm sure it doesn't matter at all."
Atsushi huffs. "It doesn't."
"You said it's not locked," Atsushi says, and his words may not be a question, but his meaning is clear enough in the way he pushes the box over to Tatsuya.
"I don't see a lock," Tatsuya tells him, picking it up.
"There's a trick to opening it. You can't open it unless you know exactly—" Atsushi frowns as Tatsuya takes hold of the lid and eases it open, "—how."
"Well." Tatsuya places the box down. "That's how you do it. After all of that, you don't even find anything inside. It's empty."
"Mm," Atsushi sighs, lying on the ground, looking up at the sky. "I found you."