Remembering - G [Kusanagi Tsuyoshi/Takeuchi Yuko]
Remembering
tinyangl, 968 words
Kusanagi Tsuyoshi/Takeuchi Yuko. Prompt: omg aNYTHING tbqh I just need these two to be together like burning; preferably awkward on tsuyopon's part and oblivious on yuko's, especially since dude's already admitted to being in love with her in front of her on national tv and it can be based around boku to tsuma era or even earlier during yomigaeri or neither lol <3
A/N: Written for
He falls in love. Again.
It's pretty ridiculous, Tsuyoshi thinks, because what the heck--same situation, same location, and he's the same. The man who has to take care of his dying love. So maybe he should've expected this. Maybe what this really is is a remembering of a love that he was sure he'd buried three years ago.
Yes, that's it. He's just remembering.
Tsuyoshi tells himself that every time he feels his heart squeeze. Every time he loses his breath. Every time his thoughts find their way back to Takeuchi Yuko.
--
The mantra lasts until the last day of filming.
Tsuyoshi's sick of the phrase--as days went by, it had started to sound like Shingo--but he's equally grateful. It's kept him steady and consistent (well, close enough really) and kept him from confessing his undying love. Because, that's not it. He is definitely not that far gone.
Except when he watches her flit through the crowd during the wrap party, he starts to believe in that love and he wonders if he'd really just been lying to himself.
He watches her head go up, and he knows, just knows she's about to see him looking at her--like he's done throughout all of filming, because nobody's eyes could really move from Yuko--but Tsuyoshi doesn't know if he even minds enough to look away.
He doesn't. And so she sees him and her face lights up. Her cheeks are a faint red from the alcohol, but Tsuyoshi knows it hasn't been much. He knows because he can't look away--and shit, he sounds creepy now. He didn't think he was a creepy crusher, but, well.
Tsuyoshi returns her smile, even lifting his beer bottle in her direction--just beer, although right now, he would really really like something stronger--and he hopes that's enough acknowledgement. And maybe it is for other people, but Yuko is making her way towards him. His throat instantly dries up and he swigs down more beer. Then some more, because that one gulp didn't help. The second doesn't either, but she's already in front of him, her palm warm against his arm.
"Kusanagi-kun, don't hide in the corner!" she chastises. It's almost like she's yelling the way the words echo in his ears.
He laughs, maybe a little too loudly, but it's the only way he can figure out how to drown out her voice. "I'm okay," he says.
Yuko's lips purse together and she finally pulls her hand away; the escape of heat he misses instantly. "Do you not like me, Kusanagi-kun?" she asks.
The sputtering of "No" embarrasses him a little, but the question sends his heart racing. Tsuyoshi's not sure how she hasn't noticed his constant stares, his determination to almost always be around her presence, and all the things he's done during filming that he had been sure would've given him away.
The relief in her eyes is palpable and her shoulders sink down with a sigh. "I'm glad. I know we weren't the closest, but I've enjoyed filming with you." She even gives a hint of a bow which embarrasses Tsuyoshi even more.
"I've enjoyed working with you too," he says.
"We should have dinner some time."
The laughter he gives in response is awkward and high-pitched. "Definitely."
Her smile is gentle and her hand again rests on his arm. "I'll get in contact," she says. The words remind Tsuyoshi that, oh yeah, sometime during month two of filming, they'd exchanged numbers. He had stared at his phone for days after, wondering if this day would be the one that he'd either hear from or that he'd finally have the courage to contact himself. Neither happened.
He swallows and smiles. "I look forward to it."
--
She doesn't call, but then again, neither does he. Instead, Tsuyoshi just waits and waits and hopes and hopes that these feelings will disappear. They had for Ryoko so they'll do the same for Yuko.
But they don't. If anything, seeing her on television just makes him pine for her more. It's getting a little scary, he thinks. So of course, he talks to Shingo about it.
Okay, so maybe talking about it over the radio was a bad bad bad idea. But it'd just sprung up in conversation somehow, and maybe Tsuyoshi just really needed someone to talk to about this that he'd forgotten they were on air. Maybe.
"It's just work," Shingo tells him and yes, that's exactly what Tsuyoshi thought.
"Yeah, that's it," Tsuyoshi returns. "I thought so too."
--
He calls her at least a month later. It's enough time, Tsuyoshi reasons, for his feelings to have subsided a little. Maybe not fully, but just enough that he won't embarrass himself around her.
Of course, things don't go as he planned. The sound of Yuko's voice springs back to mind the feeling of her hand on his arm and the smile she'd given him. He stumbles through asking her to dinner, just a casual nice dinner between costars.
She laughs when he says it--exactly like that too--and accepts. Easily, with no hint of a stammer in there at all.
Tsuyoshi's envious of that.
--
They meet up and no, time didn't do anything towards his feelings. He still feels that rush of heat run through his body, his heartbeat picks up and his palms get sweaty. She sits in front of him, beautiful--always just so beautiful no matter what.
"I was really happy to hear from you," Yuko says. Tsuyoshi swears there's hint of shyness in the phrase, but he can't believe that. What reason would she have to be shy with him?
"I'm sorry if--"
Yuko cuts him off. "There's no reason to worry about my busyness, Kusanagi-san," she says. The statement causes him to blush; he might've mentioned it once or twice (or if he's remembering right, five times) during their phone conversation. "I want to be here."
"Then--" he swallows. "I'm glad you're here."
Her smile reaches her eyes. "Thanks for inviting me."
tinyangl, 968 words
Kusanagi Tsuyoshi/Takeuchi Yuko. Prompt: omg aNYTHING tbqh I just need these two to be together like burning; preferably awkward on tsuyopon's part and oblivious on yuko's, especially since dude's already admitted to being in love with her in front of her on national tv and it can be based around boku to tsuma era or even earlier during yomigaeri or neither lol <3
A/N: Written for
He falls in love. Again.
It's pretty ridiculous, Tsuyoshi thinks, because what the heck--same situation, same location, and he's the same. The man who has to take care of his dying love. So maybe he should've expected this. Maybe what this really is is a remembering of a love that he was sure he'd buried three years ago.
Yes, that's it. He's just remembering.
Tsuyoshi tells himself that every time he feels his heart squeeze. Every time he loses his breath. Every time his thoughts find their way back to Takeuchi Yuko.
--
The mantra lasts until the last day of filming.
Tsuyoshi's sick of the phrase--as days went by, it had started to sound like Shingo--but he's equally grateful. It's kept him steady and consistent (well, close enough really) and kept him from confessing his undying love. Because, that's not it. He is definitely not that far gone.
Except when he watches her flit through the crowd during the wrap party, he starts to believe in that love and he wonders if he'd really just been lying to himself.
He watches her head go up, and he knows, just knows she's about to see him looking at her--like he's done throughout all of filming, because nobody's eyes could really move from Yuko--but Tsuyoshi doesn't know if he even minds enough to look away.
He doesn't. And so she sees him and her face lights up. Her cheeks are a faint red from the alcohol, but Tsuyoshi knows it hasn't been much. He knows because he can't look away--and shit, he sounds creepy now. He didn't think he was a creepy crusher, but, well.
Tsuyoshi returns her smile, even lifting his beer bottle in her direction--just beer, although right now, he would really really like something stronger--and he hopes that's enough acknowledgement. And maybe it is for other people, but Yuko is making her way towards him. His throat instantly dries up and he swigs down more beer. Then some more, because that one gulp didn't help. The second doesn't either, but she's already in front of him, her palm warm against his arm.
"Kusanagi-kun, don't hide in the corner!" she chastises. It's almost like she's yelling the way the words echo in his ears.
He laughs, maybe a little too loudly, but it's the only way he can figure out how to drown out her voice. "I'm okay," he says.
Yuko's lips purse together and she finally pulls her hand away; the escape of heat he misses instantly. "Do you not like me, Kusanagi-kun?" she asks.
The sputtering of "No" embarrasses him a little, but the question sends his heart racing. Tsuyoshi's not sure how she hasn't noticed his constant stares, his determination to almost always be around her presence, and all the things he's done during filming that he had been sure would've given him away.
The relief in her eyes is palpable and her shoulders sink down with a sigh. "I'm glad. I know we weren't the closest, but I've enjoyed filming with you." She even gives a hint of a bow which embarrasses Tsuyoshi even more.
"I've enjoyed working with you too," he says.
"We should have dinner some time."
The laughter he gives in response is awkward and high-pitched. "Definitely."
Her smile is gentle and her hand again rests on his arm. "I'll get in contact," she says. The words remind Tsuyoshi that, oh yeah, sometime during month two of filming, they'd exchanged numbers. He had stared at his phone for days after, wondering if this day would be the one that he'd either hear from or that he'd finally have the courage to contact himself. Neither happened.
He swallows and smiles. "I look forward to it."
--
She doesn't call, but then again, neither does he. Instead, Tsuyoshi just waits and waits and hopes and hopes that these feelings will disappear. They had for Ryoko so they'll do the same for Yuko.
But they don't. If anything, seeing her on television just makes him pine for her more. It's getting a little scary, he thinks. So of course, he talks to Shingo about it.
Okay, so maybe talking about it over the radio was a bad bad bad idea. But it'd just sprung up in conversation somehow, and maybe Tsuyoshi just really needed someone to talk to about this that he'd forgotten they were on air. Maybe.
"It's just work," Shingo tells him and yes, that's exactly what Tsuyoshi thought.
"Yeah, that's it," Tsuyoshi returns. "I thought so too."
--
He calls her at least a month later. It's enough time, Tsuyoshi reasons, for his feelings to have subsided a little. Maybe not fully, but just enough that he won't embarrass himself around her.
Of course, things don't go as he planned. The sound of Yuko's voice springs back to mind the feeling of her hand on his arm and the smile she'd given him. He stumbles through asking her to dinner, just a casual nice dinner between costars.
She laughs when he says it--exactly like that too--and accepts. Easily, with no hint of a stammer in there at all.
Tsuyoshi's envious of that.
--
They meet up and no, time didn't do anything towards his feelings. He still feels that rush of heat run through his body, his heartbeat picks up and his palms get sweaty. She sits in front of him, beautiful--always just so beautiful no matter what.
"I was really happy to hear from you," Yuko says. Tsuyoshi swears there's hint of shyness in the phrase, but he can't believe that. What reason would she have to be shy with him?
"I'm sorry if--"
Yuko cuts him off. "There's no reason to worry about my busyness, Kusanagi-san," she says. The statement causes him to blush; he might've mentioned it once or twice (or if he's remembering right, five times) during their phone conversation. "I want to be here."
"Then--" he swallows. "I'm glad you're here."
Her smile reaches her eyes. "Thanks for inviting me."