Yukio's graduation isn't the happy affair that Ryouta expects it to be. The entire way through the ceremony, Ryouta sits there with his heart in his throat, feeling as if he's about to burst.
It's fear, he realises, as he watches Yukio stand there on the stage, receiving his graduation certificate and his medal for graduating at the top of his class. He's a ranger now. This is it. From now on, he'll be out there, piloting a Jaeger and fighting Kaiju. Ryouta will still be here, held back by the fact that he joined later.
"I should be your co-pilot," Ryouta murmurs, soft and unhappy against Yukio's mouth later that night, when they've ditched the party being thrown for the graduating students. "We're drift compatible, Yukio. It should be me."
"I know," Yukio murmurs, his lips warm against Ryouta's neck. "Just give them a few months. They'll graduate you with the next batch."
That's too long, Ryouta thinks to himself. There's no way to predict what will happen in that time, or how many Kaiju will come through the Breach before Ryouta becomes a ranger. There's no way of predicting what will happen to Yukio.
"I'll join you," Ryouta promises. "As soon as I can."
"Good," Yukio smiles, and kisses him hard. "You're my right hand."
"And you're my left," Ryouta replies. "The next time I see you, it'll be across the floor of a Kwoon Room."
"Yeah." Yukio grins. "I look forward to it. Don't leave me waiting, Kise."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Senpai."
The next time Ryouta sees Yukio is a week later, on a TV screen, announcing him and Moriyama Yoshitaka as pilots of the Blue Elite. Ryouta knows Yoshitaka from ranger academy, knows that he and Yukio will work together well.
Ryouta tries not to feel jealous, redoubling his efforts at his assignments. He's always been quick at picking things up and he knows that he's breezed through the training much quicker than other classmates. Before, he just wanted to see how quickly he could graduate but now, he's doing everything at a frantic pace. Everything is taking too long, every second that he spends here in the classroom instead of at the Tokyo shatterdome is a moment wasted.
He feels his heart stop every time a new Kaiju appears and he watches Blue Elite get dispatched. He has faith in Yukio, but he knows that faith isn't going to be enough.
Ryouta graduates with the next batch, with a certificate and a medal that matches Yukio's. He doesn't hang around for any longer than he needs to, already on his way to the shatterdome when the sirens go off, alerting everyone to new activity at the breach site.
In the distance, Ryouta thinks he sees Blue Elite being carried towards the sea. He knows Yukio can't see him, but he presses his nose to the window of the taxi anyway, watching the blue metal of the Jaeger until it disappears out of sight.
By the time Yukio returns to the shatterdome, victorious and alive, Ryouta's going to be there to greet him.
He takes a deep breath and sits back in his seat, staring up at the worn material of the taxi's ceiling.
FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, G
word count: 545
Yukio's graduation isn't the happy affair that Ryouta expects it to be. The entire way through the ceremony, Ryouta sits there with his heart in his throat, feeling as if he's about to burst.
It's fear, he realises, as he watches Yukio stand there on the stage, receiving his graduation certificate and his medal for graduating at the top of his class. He's a ranger now. This is it. From now on, he'll be out there, piloting a Jaeger and fighting Kaiju. Ryouta will still be here, held back by the fact that he joined later.
"I should be your co-pilot," Ryouta murmurs, soft and unhappy against Yukio's mouth later that night, when they've ditched the party being thrown for the graduating students. "We're drift compatible, Yukio. It should be me."
"I know," Yukio murmurs, his lips warm against Ryouta's neck. "Just give them a few months. They'll graduate you with the next batch."
That's too long, Ryouta thinks to himself. There's no way to predict what will happen in that time, or how many Kaiju will come through the Breach before Ryouta becomes a ranger. There's no way of predicting what will happen to Yukio.
"I'll join you," Ryouta promises. "As soon as I can."
"Good," Yukio smiles, and kisses him hard. "You're my right hand."
"And you're my left," Ryouta replies. "The next time I see you, it'll be across the floor of a Kwoon Room."
"Yeah." Yukio grins. "I look forward to it. Don't leave me waiting, Kise."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Senpai."
The next time Ryouta sees Yukio is a week later, on a TV screen, announcing him and Moriyama Yoshitaka as pilots of the Blue Elite. Ryouta knows Yoshitaka from ranger academy, knows that he and Yukio will work together well.
Ryouta tries not to feel jealous, redoubling his efforts at his assignments. He's always been quick at picking things up and he knows that he's breezed through the training much quicker than other classmates. Before, he just wanted to see how quickly he could graduate but now, he's doing everything at a frantic pace. Everything is taking too long, every second that he spends here in the classroom instead of at the Tokyo shatterdome is a moment wasted.
He feels his heart stop every time a new Kaiju appears and he watches Blue Elite get dispatched. He has faith in Yukio, but he knows that faith isn't going to be enough.
Ryouta graduates with the next batch, with a certificate and a medal that matches Yukio's. He doesn't hang around for any longer than he needs to, already on his way to the shatterdome when the sirens go off, alerting everyone to new activity at the breach site.
In the distance, Ryouta thinks he sees Blue Elite being carried towards the sea. He knows Yukio can't see him, but he presses his nose to the window of the taxi anyway, watching the blue metal of the Jaeger until it disappears out of sight.
By the time Yukio returns to the shatterdome, victorious and alive, Ryouta's going to be there to greet him.
He takes a deep breath and sits back in his seat, staring up at the worn material of the taxi's ceiling.
Yukio better make it back.