mentions of injury, post fall tournament 536 words
"Don't do something so stupid next time," Kuramochi says, quiet from the foot of Miyuki's bed.
"Aw, you care about me?"
"Don't be stupid." It'd be easy to play this off, to say that he weren't concerned about Miyuki and let that be that. But now's not the time for that. He doesn't want it to be that way right now. "You know I do."
"You're kind of obvious," Miyuki replies after a few moments of silence that leaves Kuramochi wondering if that was the right route to take.
"Am I?" He sits down now, not too close, but close enough that Miyuki's feet, stretched out in the bed, are pressed against Kuramochi's thigh. He doesn't mind it, and Miyuki doesn't pull back, so it's fine. They stay like that. "Why'd you have to ask if I did, then?"
"I like to keep you on your toes."
Understatement, he thinks quickly, mind sifting through the last 24 hours' events. Miyuki's injury and subsequently hiding it, Kuramochi putting the pieces together, Miyuki playing through it. Miyuki's kept him on his toes a lot. And that's all just in one day, not even including all the other times.
Well, it's not like he minds it. Miyuki's a pain in the ass sometimes, but Kuramochi wouldn't change this, wouldn't trade what they've gained and the steps they've made for anything.
"You're too good at it."
"Wouldn't have to be if you weren't so perceptive."
He snorts. "Quit trying to one up me."
"Sorry. No can do."
"Pain in the ass," he mutters, but he doesn't mean it. The quick back and forth makes everything a bit easier, and he can only imagine how Miyuki feels right now, after being told he'll have to sit out for a while until he recovers. That'd be unbelievably frustrating. Kuramochi knows he'd hate it. So if this what he can give Miyuki for now, he will.
Maybe that's not enough, maybe that doesn't make it alright, but it doesn't hurt to try.
"You'd better put your whole focus on recovering," he continues, after a moment, straying away from the line of easy banter to something more serious. "We're gonna need you, captain."
When he looks up at Miyuki this time, Kuramochi sees him smiling. A real smile. Not that grin that everyone gets to see. This is different, more reserved, more private. A lot softer than the usual. More genuine. "You know I will."
Yeah. Yeah, he does.
Maybe this smile isn't a sign that it's completely okay yet. Time still needs to pass, damage needs to be healed, but Miyuki's not down on himself, and that's good enough for Kuramochi for now. A start.
"Your face might freeze if you keep looking at me like that." Miyuki's laughing again, and the moment from before settles back into normalcy. Usual teasing grin back in place, mischievous glint in his eyes. But they're still bright from before, like things haven't completely faded.
And well, Kuramochi definitely wouldn't mind if those moments became more rather than less, present rather than nonexistent.
He thinks he wouldn't mind seeing more of Miyuki like that around him, when they're together. When everything's back to normal, fully right again.
FILL: TEAM KURAMOCHI YOUICHI/MIYUKI KAZUYA, T
536 words
"Don't do something so stupid next time," Kuramochi says, quiet from the foot of Miyuki's bed.
"Aw, you care about me?"
"Don't be stupid." It'd be easy to play this off, to say that he weren't concerned about Miyuki and let that be that. But now's not the time for that. He doesn't want it to be that way right now. "You know I do."
"You're kind of obvious," Miyuki replies after a few moments of silence that leaves Kuramochi wondering if that was the right route to take.
"Am I?" He sits down now, not too close, but close enough that Miyuki's feet, stretched out in the bed, are pressed against Kuramochi's thigh. He doesn't mind it, and Miyuki doesn't pull back, so it's fine. They stay like that. "Why'd you have to ask if I did, then?"
"I like to keep you on your toes."
Understatement, he thinks quickly, mind sifting through the last 24 hours' events. Miyuki's injury and subsequently hiding it, Kuramochi putting the pieces together, Miyuki playing through it. Miyuki's kept him on his toes a lot. And that's all just in one day, not even including all the other times.
Well, it's not like he minds it. Miyuki's a pain in the ass sometimes, but Kuramochi wouldn't change this, wouldn't trade what they've gained and the steps they've made for anything.
"You're too good at it."
"Wouldn't have to be if you weren't so perceptive."
He snorts. "Quit trying to one up me."
"Sorry. No can do."
"Pain in the ass," he mutters, but he doesn't mean it. The quick back and forth makes everything a bit easier, and he can only imagine how Miyuki feels right now, after being told he'll have to sit out for a while until he recovers. That'd be unbelievably frustrating. Kuramochi knows he'd hate it. So if this what he can give Miyuki for now, he will.
Maybe that's not enough, maybe that doesn't make it alright, but it doesn't hurt to try.
"You'd better put your whole focus on recovering," he continues, after a moment, straying away from the line of easy banter to something more serious. "We're gonna need you, captain."
When he looks up at Miyuki this time, Kuramochi sees him smiling. A real smile. Not that grin that everyone gets to see. This is different, more reserved, more private. A lot softer than the usual. More genuine. "You know I will."
Yeah. Yeah, he does.
Maybe this smile isn't a sign that it's completely okay yet. Time still needs to pass, damage needs to be healed, but Miyuki's not down on himself, and that's good enough for Kuramochi for now. A start.
"Your face might freeze if you keep looking at me like that." Miyuki's laughing again, and the moment from before settles back into normalcy. Usual teasing grin back in place, mischievous glint in his eyes. But they're still bright from before, like things haven't completely faded.
And well, Kuramochi definitely wouldn't mind if those moments became more rather than less, present rather than nonexistent.
He thinks he wouldn't mind seeing more of Miyuki like that around him, when they're together. When everything's back to normal, fully right again.