{FANFICTION} If Elephants Could Smile
TITLE: If Elephants Could Smile.
PAIRING: TegoMasu
RATING: PG
GENRE: Fluff, romance
PROMPT: Massu is an elephant trainer at a zoo who has a crush on the cute cashier at the gift shop. Bonus points for Massu going to his elephants for love advice.
DISCLAIMER: Don't own.
A/N: Written for the jejustforlaughs meme
Masuda laughed as the elephant wound her trunk around his arm, tugging slightly and watching him with a cheeky glint in her eye. She was beautiful, his Tukta. She had deep, intelligent eyes, framed by long eyelashes. She had only one tusk, and even then it was broken, reminders of her harsh past, before she came to Masuda. Her skin was greyish brown, with tiny, thin hairs upon her massive head. She trumpeted lightly at Masuda, shaking her head at him and flapping her small ears.
He leant up as far as he could to scratch her behind the ears, a smile still on his face. His elephants always made him happier, no matter what.
Masuda had worked at this zoo for four years now, and although there had been a few hardships, he loved it. The zoo was nothing spectacular, with its peeling paint and steadily growing weeds, but it was home. And even though there were other carers for the elephants, he was sure they favoured him the most.
But it wasn’t just the elephants that saw him looking forward to coming into work each day.
Every day, nine o’clock sharp, Masuda would leave his elephants and make his way up the hill, just so he could greet him. Tegoshi Yuya.
Tegoshi had wide brown eyes, with a smile that lit up his entire face. It wasn’t an exaggeration; it really did. His hair used to be ginger and curled, but lately it was a rich chocolate colour, which suited him more, Masuda thought.
Masuda had always liked chocolate most.
Tegoshi had only been working there for six months or so, but settled in straight away, immediately bestowing a nickname to Masuda.
“Massu!” he called, and Masuda turned away from Tukta. Tegoshi was at the fence, holding up two bento boxes that he had most likely bought from that store around the corner.
“Coming,” he said, and gave Tukta a last pat before walking over to him. “Is it lunchtime already?”
“Yup,” Tegoshi said, laughing. “But we better hurry; you know how much Subaru hates it when I’m late back.” Masuda laughed lightly. Tegoshi worked not as an animal carer, but as the gift store attendant and loved his job. He was constantly telling Masuda about the different people he had met that day; the nice ones, the horrible ones, the ones who couldn’t understand his Japanese and the couples who he just thought were adorable together.
And Masuda listened. To every word. He sat there next to Tegoshi, on a bench just outside of the petting zoo, listening to the other rattle on about his morning. He watched as Tegoshi finished with a soft laugh, and concentrated back on his food. Tegoshi frowned, picking up a piece of carrot and placing it into Masuda’s own bento.
“I don’t like those,” he said simply, even though Masuda had seen him eat carrots before. But Masuda just smiled, shaking his head. “You’re so quiet, aren’t you?” Tegoshi said, less like a question and more like a statement.
“Sorry,” was all Masuda could say, feeling his stomach flip a little at the gentle way Tegoshi was regarding him.
“Don’t be sorry,” Tegoshi smiled, “That’s why I like you.”
Masuda’s heart leapt into his throat. He barely choked out a “What?” before TEgoshi was packing up. Tegoshi paused, and continued talking without looking at him.
“You’re not trying to be someone you’re not,” he said, a small smile upon his face. “You’re Massu,” he continued, voice soft and affectionate. “You’re Massu, who talks to elephants more than he talks to people.” Tegoshi gave him a wide smile, before waving. “See you tomorrow!”
And so, Masuda was left with half a sushi roll and a tingling feeling in the pit of his stomach.
>>><<<
It was his turn to bring the animals in for the night, and they followed his calls happily. Tukta led the herd of five, each of them holding onto the tail infront of them. Masuda and the rest of the crew herded the elephants into their pens, making sure they had enough food for the night.
Tukta made a noise deep in her throat as he passed her, and he stopped. She was watching him with those intense eyes, her trunk idly playing with the straw on the floor.
“What?” he asked, but she only blinked at him, sighing heavily. “What’s wrong?”
He knew nothing was really wrong, with the way she flapped her ears and pawed at the straw. She knew something was wrong with him, though.
Masuda sighed, and she moved to watch him again. He made sure none of the other workers were there before he sat down outside her pen, closing his eyes and just listening to the sounds around him for a while.
The gentle sweep of a trunk as it dragged across the ground. The shuffle of feet. The odd grunt and grumble. The squeal of a calf as it rushed around, not yet tired.
“I just want to be able to tell him how I feel.”
And when he opened his eyes again, Tukta had moved to the side of her pen and was holding her trunk out to him. Masuda smiled, taking the tip of her trunk in his hand, and gaining strength from the way she squeezed his hand back, almost reassuringly.
Sometimes, Masuda thought. Sometimes, he thought these elephants were almost human.
>>><<<
And again, the next morning, Masuda made his excuses to trudge up the hill, waiting for Tegoshi to arrive, coffee in-hand.
“Hey, Massu,” Tegoshi said, before he had even rounded the corner, hand out and ready for his coffee. “How’re you?”
There were many possible answers to that question, one of them being, “Fine thanks. I love you,” but that was not to be voiced.
“Okay,” he shrugged, and Tegoshi hummed, warming his hands around the coffee cup.
“You know I like it when you meet me in the mornings, right?” Tegoshi suddenly said, turning to look at Masuda. “I don’t think I’ve said it before.”
Masuda was taken aback. “Uuh… no.”
“Oh,” Tegoshi chirped, “Well, now you know. Oh, gotta go!”
As Tegoshi ran off, shouting his goodbyes over his shoulder and more promises for lunch, Masuda just stood there, coffee slowly burning his hands through the cup.
He knew Tegoshi was giving him hints. He knew he was trying to prod him into a confession. But the trouble was, Masuda didn’t know what to do with these hints. He couldn’t hit back with something as cheeky as what Tegoshi said; it just wasn’t him.
And what if he waited too long, and Tegoshi gave up? He didn’t know if he wold be able to stand seeing Tegoshi with someone else. Someone else waiting for him in the mornings, handing him coffee and laughing over the many ways he managed to trip over that morning.
He had to find a way to confess.
>>><<<
Masuda was once again putting the animals to bed when he next saw Tegoshi.
“Hey, what happened to lunch?” Tegoshi asked, wandering into the stables and sitting upon one of the bales of hay which were lying about the place.
Masuda paused. “Uh… nothing. I was just…busy.”
“That’s a lie,” Tegoshi laughed, holding up a sandwich. “You always have time for lunch.”
Masuda turned away from Tegoshi, pretending to be busy by throwing more hay into the pens. “Well…yes…but today I was busy-“
“Doing what?”
Masuda flinched. He couldn’t exactly say that he had been avoiding him. But Tegoshi didn’t sound angry; his eyes were shining with mirth as his fingers plucked out stray pieces of hay.
Tukta sneezed, shaking her head and flapping her ears. Masuda welcomed the distraction, tapping upon the bars of her stall. She ambled over, making a sweet noise deep in her throat and stretched her trunk through the bars.
“She’s pretty,” Tegoshi murmured, and Masuda jumped. Tegoshi was right behind him. “What’s her name?”
“Tukta,” Masuda smiled, stroking her trunk.
“Can I…touch her?” Tegoshi asked, looking apprehensively at the massive animal in front of him. Tukta turned, blinking at Tegoshi curiously.
“Sure,” Masuda said, moving aside. Tegoshi’s eyes were locked onto Tukta’s as he stepped forward nervously. “She won’t hurt you.”
Tukta drew her trunk back, and Tegoshi shot Masuda a slightly panicked look. “She doesn’t like me,” he said, upset.
“She does,” Masuda comforted, “Look at her stance.” Tegoshi glanced from Masuda to Tukta and back again. “Her ears are flat against her head. Her tail is down; her eyes are soft,” he murmured, feeling his stomach flutter as Tegoshi watched Tukta with respect within those eyes of his.
“I see,” he whispered. “Hello, girl.” Tegoshi extended his hand out once again, most confident now. Masuda watched on as Tukta walked forward, pressing her head against the bars. Tegoshi gently lay a hand between her eyes, a soft smile adorning his face as the elephant allowed him to pat her. “She’s gorgeous.”
“She is,” Masuda agreed, watching as Tukta moved away first, grunting as she twisted her trunk around the straw lining the floor, bored with the newcomer.
Tegoshi was watching her, that strange smile still on his face. “Massu?” he called softly.
“Mm?” Masuda took a step forward, heart pounding in his chest. Tegoshi was never this quiet. “Is something wrong?”
Tegoshi paused before speaking again. “It’s just… do you not like me?” he asked, and Masuda’s heart almost broke at the sadness in Tegoshi’s eyes.
“What? W-why would you think that?” Masuda stammered, but Tegoshi was shaking his head.
“I just-“
But Tegoshi was cut off by Tukta, who reached through the bars to push at Tegoshi’s back. Tegoshi gasped, stumbling forward, and Masuda only just caught him before he fell to the ground, holding him tight to his own body. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Tukta, I don’t know what you-“
“Mm. I’m fine,” Tegoshi answered, fingers clutching Masuda’s shirt, his breath ghosting across Masuda’s neck. “Just let me stay like this.”
Masuda hugged him closer, and surely by now Tegoshi could feel his rapid heartbeat; hear the ragged breaths he was taking. Masuda moved a hand up to Tegoshi’s hair, stroking it gently and revelling in the little sigh Tegoshi uttered.
Masuda looked up at Tukta, who was peering through the bars of her pen with amused eyes. He shot her a glare, but she only stomped a foot and turned her back on him.
It was then that Masuda realised. She was giving him a chance.
“Tegoshi?” he asked, and Tegoshi looked up at him.
“Yes?”
Masuda drew a blank. What should he say; what should he do? Tegoshi was gazing at him with such hope, he didn’t want to disappoint him.
But then he felt a gentle nudge at his back, pushing him forward, and suddenly he was kissing Tegoshi.
He was kissing Tegoshi.
Tegoshi seemed as shocked as he was, but he sighed in content and kissed him back. “Took you long enough,” he whispered against his lips, his fingers reaching up to play with the ends of Masuda’s hair.
Masuda’s mind was spinning, but he managed to murmur, “I’ve loved you from the moment you walked into this zoo.”
The kiss Tegoshi gave him was deeper, stronger, beautiful. “I love you, too,” he whispered, before Masuda kissed him again, a smile making it’s way onto his face.
And so they stood there, in the middle of the stables, the scent of manure and feed thick in the air; the sound of elephants shuffling their massive bodies the only sound. Far away, the sounds of trucks reversing over asphalt could be heard; the distant sounds of people shouting and laughing and shrieking happily drifting in from the main street.
It was the most imperfect confession ever, but to Tegoshi and Masuda, it was perfect in every way.
Behind them, Tukta raised her trunk, eyes twinkling.
END.
A/N: I got bored being anon.
I wrote this on the planes to Disney World. XD Also, Tukta means 'doll'... I stole it from the name of one of the elephant calves at Taronga Zoo >.>