Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru; Haikyuu!! mentions of animal abuse; dragon au word count: 1002
It's exactly three months and two weeks until the dragon racing championships, and Kyoutani Kentarou is standing outside Yahaba's door.
He isn't knocking or anything—he's just standing there, and Yahaba is frozen in place behind the front counter of his dragon rescue centre, because he doesn't really know what to do, and he sure as hell doesn't want to get the door for Kyoutani.
There's a good hour before they open anyway, Yahaba thinks with irritation. Kyoutani would know that, considering the opening hours are right there on the door that he's been standing in front of for way too long.
Yahaba hears Kyoutani clear his throat, and then knock. "Um. Yahaba?"
Without moving from behind the counter, Yahaba replies, "What?"
"I need to talk to you."
"Well. We're definitely talking right now."
"Yahaba—" Kyoutani growls out with frustration. "Why are you such a dick?"
"Watch your language, you—" Yahaba cuts himself off, and thinks that he can hear Kyoutani snickering.
Yababa walks over to the door, unlocking and opening it. He immediately regrets it.
Kyoutani has gotten more attractive in the years that they've been apart. It's one thing knowing it from seeing him on the TV and in articles. It's a completely different thing in person.
"You're good with dragons," Kyoutani says softly, like he's complimenting Yahaba on a deep, personal level.
He kind of is.
"You're better," Yahaba dismissed, without any of his old resentment. After all, it's one of the reasons why Kyoutani is the second fastest dragon racer in the country, while Yahaba doesn't race at all.
"I don't trust just anyone's opinions on dragons," Kyoutani says. "I think that mine might be upset. I want to see if you get the same impression that I do as to why. Can you come and see her?"
Yahaba frowns. "You want a second opinion, is that it? You couldn't get that from anyone else?"
Kyoutani looks away. "I wanted to ask you."
Yahaba feels his face heat, but he refuses to be swayed. "I have work to do, Kyoutani. I can't just drop everything because you need to see if I think the same thing you do."
"I'll wait, then," Kyoutani replies. "When are you free?"
Yahaba sighs heavily. "I finish at five."
"It's not even seven-thirty yet," Kyoutani points out.
"I know that, Kyoutani. And I finish at five. You can come back then."
"Yahaba," Kyoutani scowls. "I just told you. My dragon is—"
"Sad?" Yahaba finishes, raising an eyebrow. "I have sad dragons here to tend to as well, Kyoutani. Dragons that have been neglected, or abused. Maybe yours is bored of all the fancy toys you've bought her and wants something new. If it's the race you're worried about, why don't you just go out and get a new dragon—"
Kyoutani punches him in the face, just as Watari walks through the front door. The three of them stand frozen where they are for a moment, before Watari clears his throat.
"Well, that's a sight I haven't seen for a while. Long time no see, Kyoutani."
"Hey Watari," Kyoutani replies, not taking his eyes off Yahaba. He walks closer, grabbing a tissue from the box on the counter, and holds it to Yahaba's split lip. "I'm sorry for punching you but if you imply that I don't care about my dragon, I swear, I will punch you again."
"Yahaba knows that you care," Watari says incredulously. "Of course he does. Whenever you race, he always makes a point of mentioning how you're still riding Yuki. She's the one you hatched when we were all back at the dragon academy, right? She liked—"
"You knew," Kyoutani frowns at Yahaba. "Then why?"
"I know why you're here," Yahaba sighs, licking absently at the blood on his lip. "I know why it had to be me. She's sad because she misses him. She misses Ren. That's why you came here."
Kyoutani sighs and takes a step back, giving Yahaba more space. Ren is Yahaba's dragon, who hatched at the same time as Yuki.
"He misses her too," Yahaba says quietly.
"I'm going to start setting up," Watari decides. "And as assistant manager here, I'm going to go ahead and give you the rest of the day off, okay?"
Yahaba nods, knowing better than to argue. Kyoutani waits until Watari is gone, then steps closer to Yahaba again. He headbutts Yahaba gently, then leaves their foreheads resting against each other.
"It's been three whole years, you asshole."
"You were too busy for me, with your racing."
"You don't get to decide that for us," Kyoutani tells him firmly. He sighs, his nose skimming across Yahaba's cheek as he turns his face to the side. "I kind of get why you didn't want to see me, after you didn't get picked for the team. But Yuki didn't get why she couldn't see Ren. She—I think she—"
"Our dragons are in love with each other," Yahaba says, admitting what he's always known.
"They reflect their riders," Kyoutani quotes, from every single lesson they've ever had on dragon behaviour.
"I don't race," Yahaba reminds him.
"You used to," Kyoutani tells him, lips brushing against the shell of Yahaba's ear. "You're still his rider. I still—"
"Okay," Yahaba says quickly, bending to rest his forehead on Kyoutani's shoulder. "Me too. I'm sorry. I let our dragons suffer just because I couldn't handle not being good enough."
"Yahaba," Kyoutani sighs, taking him by the arm.
Turning around, Yahaba kisses Kyoutani properly, so he doesn't have to hear the, you're good enough as you are, that he still remembers from years ago.
"And," Yahaba sighs against Kyoutani's lips. "I have to apologise to you, too. I'm sorry I saw your success as my failure."
"I shouldn't have let you," Kyoutani replies. "I'm not going to, from now on. I promise."
With a small smile, Yahaba takes Kyoutani's hand. "Come on. Let's take Ren to see Yuki."
FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, T
mentions of animal abuse; dragon au
word count: 1002
It's exactly three months and two weeks until the dragon racing championships, and Kyoutani Kentarou is standing outside Yahaba's door.
He isn't knocking or anything—he's just standing there, and Yahaba is frozen in place behind the front counter of his dragon rescue centre, because he doesn't really know what to do, and he sure as hell doesn't want to get the door for Kyoutani.
There's a good hour before they open anyway, Yahaba thinks with irritation. Kyoutani would know that, considering the opening hours are right there on the door that he's been standing in front of for way too long.
Yahaba hears Kyoutani clear his throat, and then knock. "Um. Yahaba?"
Without moving from behind the counter, Yahaba replies, "What?"
"I need to talk to you."
"Well. We're definitely talking right now."
"Yahaba—" Kyoutani growls out with frustration. "Why are you such a dick?"
"Watch your language, you—" Yahaba cuts himself off, and thinks that he can hear Kyoutani snickering.
Yababa walks over to the door, unlocking and opening it. He immediately regrets it.
Kyoutani has gotten more attractive in the years that they've been apart. It's one thing knowing it from seeing him on the TV and in articles. It's a completely different thing in person.
"You're good with dragons," Kyoutani says softly, like he's complimenting Yahaba on a deep, personal level.
He kind of is.
"You're better," Yahaba dismissed, without any of his old resentment. After all, it's one of the reasons why Kyoutani is the second fastest dragon racer in the country, while Yahaba doesn't race at all.
"I don't trust just anyone's opinions on dragons," Kyoutani says. "I think that mine might be upset. I want to see if you get the same impression that I do as to why. Can you come and see her?"
Yahaba frowns. "You want a second opinion, is that it? You couldn't get that from anyone else?"
Kyoutani looks away. "I wanted to ask you."
Yahaba feels his face heat, but he refuses to be swayed. "I have work to do, Kyoutani. I can't just drop everything because you need to see if I think the same thing you do."
"I'll wait, then," Kyoutani replies. "When are you free?"
Yahaba sighs heavily. "I finish at five."
"It's not even seven-thirty yet," Kyoutani points out.
"I know that, Kyoutani. And I finish at five. You can come back then."
"Yahaba," Kyoutani scowls. "I just told you. My dragon is—"
"Sad?" Yahaba finishes, raising an eyebrow. "I have sad dragons here to tend to as well, Kyoutani. Dragons that have been neglected, or abused. Maybe yours is bored of all the fancy toys you've bought her and wants something new. If it's the race you're worried about, why don't you just go out and get a new dragon—"
Kyoutani punches him in the face, just as Watari walks through the front door. The three of them stand frozen where they are for a moment, before Watari clears his throat.
"Well, that's a sight I haven't seen for a while. Long time no see, Kyoutani."
"Hey Watari," Kyoutani replies, not taking his eyes off Yahaba. He walks closer, grabbing a tissue from the box on the counter, and holds it to Yahaba's split lip. "I'm sorry for punching you but if you imply that I don't care about my dragon, I swear, I will punch you again."
"Yahaba knows that you care," Watari says incredulously. "Of course he does. Whenever you race, he always makes a point of mentioning how you're still riding Yuki. She's the one you hatched when we were all back at the dragon academy, right? She liked—"
"Watari," Yahaba interrupts, gently pushing Kyoutani away. "Shut up."
"You knew," Kyoutani frowns at Yahaba. "Then why?"
"I know why you're here," Yahaba sighs, licking absently at the blood on his lip. "I know why it had to be me. She's sad because she misses him. She misses Ren. That's why you came here."
Kyoutani sighs and takes a step back, giving Yahaba more space. Ren is Yahaba's dragon, who hatched at the same time as Yuki.
"He misses her too," Yahaba says quietly.
"I'm going to start setting up," Watari decides. "And as assistant manager here, I'm going to go ahead and give you the rest of the day off, okay?"
Yahaba nods, knowing better than to argue. Kyoutani waits until Watari is gone, then steps closer to Yahaba again. He headbutts Yahaba gently, then leaves their foreheads resting against each other.
"It's been three whole years, you asshole."
"You were too busy for me, with your racing."
"You don't get to decide that for us," Kyoutani tells him firmly. He sighs, his nose skimming across Yahaba's cheek as he turns his face to the side. "I kind of get why you didn't want to see me, after you didn't get picked for the team. But Yuki didn't get why she couldn't see Ren. She—I think she—"
"Our dragons are in love with each other," Yahaba says, admitting what he's always known.
"They reflect their riders," Kyoutani quotes, from every single lesson they've ever had on dragon behaviour.
"I don't race," Yahaba reminds him.
"You used to," Kyoutani tells him, lips brushing against the shell of Yahaba's ear. "You're still his rider. I still—"
"Okay," Yahaba says quickly, bending to rest his forehead on Kyoutani's shoulder. "Me too. I'm sorry. I let our dragons suffer just because I couldn't handle not being good enough."
"Yahaba," Kyoutani sighs, taking him by the arm.
Turning around, Yahaba kisses Kyoutani properly, so he doesn't have to hear the, you're good enough as you are, that he still remembers from years ago.
"And," Yahaba sighs against Kyoutani's lips. "I have to apologise to you, too. I'm sorry I saw your success as my failure."
"I shouldn't have let you," Kyoutani replies. "I'm not going to, from now on. I promise."
With a small smile, Yahaba takes Kyoutani's hand. "Come on. Let's take Ren to see Yuki."