[shoyu]
by lanerose
Grey Sky Elegy
The lights are off in Shindou’s apartment when Touya arrives, but the blinds are up. The windows cast off the dim light of grey skies. He pulls his key from the door, closes it, and places his still damp umbrella neatly on the floor. Then Touya switches into his slippers and shuffles slowly across the room. He does not try to make extra noise, but neither does he try to be quiet. It doesn’t really matter - Shindou knew that he would come as surely as Touya had known that he could not stay away.
He hears Shindou before he sees him. The soft klak of stones hitting the goban rings through the quiet apartment, ripples stretching out in a still pond. The sound is familiar and comforting in a way that most things about Shindou never are. He stands in the doorway of the sunroom, watching as Shindou places stone after stone until at last his hands fall to his sides.
"Are you coming in?" Shindou asks. His voice is as grey as the afternoon it speaks in, drained of his usual vibrant colors.
Touya steps through the door. He stands behind Shindou’s shoulder rather than sitting opposite him. He isn’t sure why until he looks at the board.
"Shindou..." Touya says.
"Yeah, you would recognize his hand." Shindou’s head hangs. His laughter sticks in this throat, too heavy like the air he breathes it into.
Touya studies the game, waits. The moment stretches too long, and so he asks quietly, "What happens next?"
Shindou looks up at him, eyes suspiciously shiny.
"I don’t know, Touya," he says. "I don’t know."
Touya’s hand falls onto Shindou’s shoulder without him realizing that he intends to put it there. Shindou’s hand comes up to grab it like a lifeline without Shindou noticing at all.
The game sits unfinished on the board before them.
Grey Sky Elegy
The lights are off in Shindou’s apartment when Touya arrives, but the blinds are up. The windows cast off the dim light of grey skies. He pulls his key from the door, closes it, and places his still damp umbrella neatly on the floor. Then Touya switches into his slippers and shuffles slowly across the room. He does not try to make extra noise, but neither does he try to be quiet. It doesn’t really matter - Shindou knew that he would come as surely as Touya had known that he could not stay away.
He hears Shindou before he sees him. The soft klak of stones hitting the goban rings through the quiet apartment, ripples stretching out in a still pond. The sound is familiar and comforting in a way that most things about Shindou never are. He stands in the doorway of the sunroom, watching as Shindou places stone after stone until at last his hands fall to his sides.
"Are you coming in?" Shindou asks. His voice is as grey as the afternoon it speaks in, drained of his usual vibrant colors.
Touya steps through the door. He stands behind Shindou’s shoulder rather than sitting opposite him. He isn’t sure why until he looks at the board.
"Shindou..." Touya says.
"Yeah, you would recognize his hand." Shindou’s head hangs. His laughter sticks in this throat, too heavy like the air he breathes it into.
Touya studies the game, waits. The moment stretches too long, and so he asks quietly, "What happens next?"
Shindou looks up at him, eyes suspiciously shiny.
"I don’t know, Touya," he says. "I don’t know."
Touya’s hand falls onto Shindou’s shoulder without him realizing that he intends to put it there. Shindou’s hand comes up to grab it like a lifeline without Shindou noticing at all.
The game sits unfinished on the board before them.