Homesick, Lovesick (HanaKimi, Izumi/Mizuki, #14)
Title: Homesick, Lovesick
Author: Faewend
Fandom: Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (HanaKimi)
Pairing: Izumi Sano x Mizuki Ashiya
Theme: #14, radio-cassette player
Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Kimi. All rights belong to the original creator, Hisaya Nakajo, and various assorted companies. I just borrow them for my own sad, sick amusement (and because Izumi is entirely too good-looking for a fictional character).
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It was such a small thing, included in Mizuki’s last care package from the states. Nearly buried amidst the snacks and other items her parents had sent, it was a gift from Julia-one that she’d obviously put a lot of time, thought, and care into.
Julia’s present was a radio-cassette player/tape recorder, one of the smaller ones. Big enough to hold a standard-sized tape, but small enough to fit comfortably in Mizuki’s hand. With it were several tapes, carefully labeled with names: Julia, Mom and Dad, Shizuki, Gilbert, school.
The short accompanying note from Julia explained everything.
------
Dear Mickey,
Since you haven’t visited for a while, I thought I’d send us to you! I didn’t know if you were allowed TVs and VCRs or DVD players in the dorm, so I chose this as our safest bet. Besides, you can use it later on to help you take notes. Hope everyone there is taking good care of you! We all miss you, my flat-nosed friend!
Love,
Julia
------
Mizuki squealed over the present, bringing an involuntary echoing grin to Sano’s face. He was always so amused by her antics.
‘Honestly, how did she ever figure to pass as a guy if she acts like such a girl over things?’ Still sitting at his desk though taking a break from studying due to the commotion from his roommate, Sano chuckled to himself as she bounced around the room looking for a pair of earphones so that she could listen to her tapes in private. He knew he had a pair, but he figured she must have forgotten since she didn’t ask to borrow them. He didn’t offer, either. Sano was shameless enough in his curiosity about all things to do with Mizuki that he wanted to eavesdrop.
What had her life been like back in America? What kind of friends had she had? He wanted to know as much as he could about her, but he was reluctant to ask, afraid of somehow giving away his knowledge of her secrets in his questioning. So instead he watched and listened, gleaning what he could from conversations and volunteered tidbits from letters and care packages from home.
Giving up on her search, Mizuki settled on the floor next to his bunk. She listened to the tape from her parents first, full of concern for her grades and health, hopes that she was enjoying herself, updates on neighbors and family friends, and we miss yous. The first tape was in English, and Sano suspected they all would be. Trust Julia to be careful about hiding her friend’s secret as much as possible. He was probably one of the few people in the dorm who could understand most spoken English. Most of the other guys didn’t know anything more than the basic greetings, and couldn’t even say those.
The tape from Shizuki she immediately popped in next was much the same, only with the addition of scoldings not to get into trouble at school and a vague “Be careful.” Sano figured her parents must have been nearby; otherwise Mizuki probably would have been lectured again on her foolishness in coming to an all boy’s school. She seemed to be enjoying her surprise, though, laughing out loud when her father discussed the latest exploits of one of his more troublesome patients and rolling her eyes at Shizuki’s ranting.
So at first, Sano wanted to congratulate Julia on her cleverness at giving Mizuki a little piece of home. At first. Until suddenly Mizuki put the cassette player down after only listening to a minute of the tape from Julia and gave him a trembling smile before promptly announcing that she was going to take Yujiro for a walk.
Sano knew in Mizuki-code this really meant, ‘I don’t like to cry in front of you because then you might think I’m being too girly, even though I occasionally cry in front of you and everybody else without meaning to, so I’m going to go take Yujiro outside and cry in private.’
After she left he took a quick shower, settled down on the floor with a book, and propped himself up against his bed to wait for her to return. Sure enough, when she came back from her walk with Yujiro, her eyes were slightly red-a fact that he tried to ignore.
“Bathroom’s free if you want it. I’ve already taken my shower,” Sano remarked as offhandedly as possible. He hadn’t looked up from his book beyond that initial glance, trying to help her maintain the façade of “everything’s okay.” He wanted to hold her, to soothe her loneliness. He wanted to reassure himself that she was still here and not going to run back to America. To do any of that was to give himself away.
“Thanks.”
He gritted his teeth and waited through her shower, smoothing back on his mask of calm as she walked back in to the room and settled on the floor next to him. She listlessly scrubbed at her hair with a towel while he stared at the pages of his book. She seemed tired-no doubt exhausted by the emotional stress of the evening, he figured.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, keeping his voice as offhand as he could make it. He knew he was edging onto dangerous territory here. One slip and there would be no doubt that he knew her secret. Yet he couldn’t help but to want to comfort her in whatever small way he could.
“I just got a little homesick for a bit.” Mizuki’s naturally cheerful disposition seemed to have mostly reasserted itself. The smile she flashed his way was only slightly tinged with sadness.
“I’ll listen to the rest later. It’s no big deal!”
“That’s good.” Sano relaxed
Out of the corner of his eye, Sano saw a huge yawn split Mizuki’s face as she finished drying her hair and draped the damp towel around her neck. She sighed a little and seemed to settle into the comfortable silence that enveloped them. Because of her relaxed posture and heavy blinking, he knew it wouldn’t be long before she nodded off right there beside him.
He waited quietly at her side, under the guise of being absorbed in his book. He didn’t have to wait much-Mizuki usually nodded off with the suddenness of a toddler, and tonight was no exception.
When he saw her head sink, he tugged the towel off of her neck, tossing it to the side so she wouldn’t get chilled in her sleep. Head drooping, she swayed slightly and then leaned into him, seeking the physical comfort she couldn’t and wouldn’t allow herself while awake. And he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her more securely against him, nestling her head under his chin after softly dropping a kiss onto the crown of her head.
Author: Faewend
Fandom: Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (HanaKimi)
Pairing: Izumi Sano x Mizuki Ashiya
Theme: #14, radio-cassette player
Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Kimi. All rights belong to the original creator, Hisaya Nakajo, and various assorted companies. I just borrow them for my own sad, sick amusement (and because Izumi is entirely too good-looking for a fictional character).
------------------------------------
It was such a small thing, included in Mizuki’s last care package from the states. Nearly buried amidst the snacks and other items her parents had sent, it was a gift from Julia-one that she’d obviously put a lot of time, thought, and care into.
Julia’s present was a radio-cassette player/tape recorder, one of the smaller ones. Big enough to hold a standard-sized tape, but small enough to fit comfortably in Mizuki’s hand. With it were several tapes, carefully labeled with names: Julia, Mom and Dad, Shizuki, Gilbert, school.
The short accompanying note from Julia explained everything.
------
Dear Mickey,
Since you haven’t visited for a while, I thought I’d send us to you! I didn’t know if you were allowed TVs and VCRs or DVD players in the dorm, so I chose this as our safest bet. Besides, you can use it later on to help you take notes. Hope everyone there is taking good care of you! We all miss you, my flat-nosed friend!
Love,
Julia
------
Mizuki squealed over the present, bringing an involuntary echoing grin to Sano’s face. He was always so amused by her antics.
‘Honestly, how did she ever figure to pass as a guy if she acts like such a girl over things?’ Still sitting at his desk though taking a break from studying due to the commotion from his roommate, Sano chuckled to himself as she bounced around the room looking for a pair of earphones so that she could listen to her tapes in private. He knew he had a pair, but he figured she must have forgotten since she didn’t ask to borrow them. He didn’t offer, either. Sano was shameless enough in his curiosity about all things to do with Mizuki that he wanted to eavesdrop.
What had her life been like back in America? What kind of friends had she had? He wanted to know as much as he could about her, but he was reluctant to ask, afraid of somehow giving away his knowledge of her secrets in his questioning. So instead he watched and listened, gleaning what he could from conversations and volunteered tidbits from letters and care packages from home.
Giving up on her search, Mizuki settled on the floor next to his bunk. She listened to the tape from her parents first, full of concern for her grades and health, hopes that she was enjoying herself, updates on neighbors and family friends, and we miss yous. The first tape was in English, and Sano suspected they all would be. Trust Julia to be careful about hiding her friend’s secret as much as possible. He was probably one of the few people in the dorm who could understand most spoken English. Most of the other guys didn’t know anything more than the basic greetings, and couldn’t even say those.
The tape from Shizuki she immediately popped in next was much the same, only with the addition of scoldings not to get into trouble at school and a vague “Be careful.” Sano figured her parents must have been nearby; otherwise Mizuki probably would have been lectured again on her foolishness in coming to an all boy’s school. She seemed to be enjoying her surprise, though, laughing out loud when her father discussed the latest exploits of one of his more troublesome patients and rolling her eyes at Shizuki’s ranting.
So at first, Sano wanted to congratulate Julia on her cleverness at giving Mizuki a little piece of home. At first. Until suddenly Mizuki put the cassette player down after only listening to a minute of the tape from Julia and gave him a trembling smile before promptly announcing that she was going to take Yujiro for a walk.
Sano knew in Mizuki-code this really meant, ‘I don’t like to cry in front of you because then you might think I’m being too girly, even though I occasionally cry in front of you and everybody else without meaning to, so I’m going to go take Yujiro outside and cry in private.’
After she left he took a quick shower, settled down on the floor with a book, and propped himself up against his bed to wait for her to return. Sure enough, when she came back from her walk with Yujiro, her eyes were slightly red-a fact that he tried to ignore.
“Bathroom’s free if you want it. I’ve already taken my shower,” Sano remarked as offhandedly as possible. He hadn’t looked up from his book beyond that initial glance, trying to help her maintain the façade of “everything’s okay.” He wanted to hold her, to soothe her loneliness. He wanted to reassure himself that she was still here and not going to run back to America. To do any of that was to give himself away.
“Thanks.”
He gritted his teeth and waited through her shower, smoothing back on his mask of calm as she walked back in to the room and settled on the floor next to him. She listlessly scrubbed at her hair with a towel while he stared at the pages of his book. She seemed tired-no doubt exhausted by the emotional stress of the evening, he figured.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, keeping his voice as offhand as he could make it. He knew he was edging onto dangerous territory here. One slip and there would be no doubt that he knew her secret. Yet he couldn’t help but to want to comfort her in whatever small way he could.
“I just got a little homesick for a bit.” Mizuki’s naturally cheerful disposition seemed to have mostly reasserted itself. The smile she flashed his way was only slightly tinged with sadness.
“I’ll listen to the rest later. It’s no big deal!”
“That’s good.” Sano relaxed
Out of the corner of his eye, Sano saw a huge yawn split Mizuki’s face as she finished drying her hair and draped the damp towel around her neck. She sighed a little and seemed to settle into the comfortable silence that enveloped them. Because of her relaxed posture and heavy blinking, he knew it wouldn’t be long before she nodded off right there beside him.
He waited quietly at her side, under the guise of being absorbed in his book. He didn’t have to wait much-Mizuki usually nodded off with the suddenness of a toddler, and tonight was no exception.
When he saw her head sink, he tugged the towel off of her neck, tossing it to the side so she wouldn’t get chilled in her sleep. Head drooping, she swayed slightly and then leaned into him, seeking the physical comfort she couldn’t and wouldn’t allow herself while awake. And he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her more securely against him, nestling her head under his chin after softly dropping a kiss onto the crown of her head.