Gift fic for rockthecliche
Gift fic for: rockthecliche
From: newsficcon
Title: Shadow
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: RyoMassu
Warnings: Witchcraft
Summary: After leaving home, Massu is in a new town where he needs to figure out what his calling in life is.
Notes: I hope you like this! I tried very hard to put in what I thought you would enjoy.
“You want me to leave home?” Massu asks with wide and scared eyes. “But why?” He looks from one parent to the other. His hands are shaking, but he ignores it and presses his palms flat against his legs.
“You’ve known since you were little, that this day would come,” his mother begins. She smiles fondly at him momentarily before she takes the seat next to him. “You’re of age now, it’s time for you to leave home and start out in another place.” she says and reaches out to touch his hand. He jumps at the touch. “You’ve got to strengthen your skills, and find your calling in life.”
Massu whines, low in his throat. He’s terrified of being on his own, he knew this would happen at some point. Massu has grown up with the knowledge, that before his twenty sixth birthday he would have to leave home. It was an unspoken rule amongst his bloodline, every witch was to venture out on their own before they were twenty six years old.
Massu’s twenty sixth birthday was only a few weeks away. He was just hoping that he would not be made to leave, that the rules would be changed for him. Massu loves living at home, his meals were always hot and waiting for him when he came in.
“You know you can come back home in a year,” she says. “You can choose then if you want to move back here permanently, or stay wherever you choose.”
“Can’t I just stay home?” he asks quietly. “I’m not good with potions, or fortune telling. I can’t fly properly, there’s nothing I’m good at.”
“That’s why you have to leave home,” she says with a warm smile. “I did it when I was your age, and some leave when they’re even younger.”
“But,” Massu tries to interrupt her. He bites his tongue when she gives him a sharp look.
“As I was saying,” she starts. “The whole point of you leaving home and going off on your own, is to help you figure out what you are good at.” Massu nods, while staring down at his feet. “It’s for your own good, honest. Do you understand why you have to do this?”
“I understand,” he says dejectedly. Even though he still really wanted to stay at home, where he knew everyone and everything.
“Good. Your father will help you pack your things and I shall make you some food to take with you,”
“How soon do I have before I’m expected to leave?” he asks, while looking at his mother.
“Well you have until your birthday,” he sighs in relief. “But the sooner you leave, the better. It’s best to get started on trying to find your calling in life.”
Massu pales when his father moves forward, his hand coming to rest on Massu’s shoulder. “You’ll be heading out tomorrow night,” he says.
“Just take things you can’t live without,”
Massu sighs quietly before he stands and heads towards his room. Now he has to figure out what few items he would take with him. Massu knows he’s only allowed to take on bag full of belongings with him, it was time to put his organization skills to the test and put as much stuff as he could into that one bag.
Massu frowns as he looks around his bedroom, he has to decide what he absolutely will need with him. The first thing he reaches for is his wallet, he can't really get anywhere without money. He wants to take his cellphone, but he knows his parents wouldn't allow that.
With a loud groan, Massu begins putting some clothes into the bag he was going to take, making sure to fold them properly so that he could fit more inside. He grabs his favorite blanket before switching off all the lights in his room. With one last glance around, he heads down the stairs to say goodbye to everyone before he leaves.
---
Massu stands outside of his house staring up at the sky. It’s dark, but the stars are twinkling and the brightness from them makes him smile. He holds a broom in one hand, and has his backpack attached to his back. He held the lunch his mother had packed in his other hand.
He sighs. Massu hates flying the most, he’s uncoordinated and almost always slams into trees before plummeting towards the ground. He shudders at the memories and clutches the wooden stick tighter. His parents are standing near the house watching him.
Massu turns and smiles at his friend. He’d known Tegoshi his entire life, spent a lot of time with him growing up. Tegoshi was another witch, but it wasn’t time for him to leave yet. Tegoshi’s parents weren’t ready for him to leave home yet, even though Tegoshi was anxious to go out into the world.
Massu knew that Tegoshi would probably be one of the greatest witches there were, once he got his chance to leave.
“You’ll write me letters and stuff, right?” Tegoshi asks quietly. “Once you find your new home?”
Massu laughs and reaches out to ruffle Tegoshi’s hair. “Of course I will,”
“When it’s my turn to leave, can I come visit you?”
“If I haven’t come back home by then,” Massu replies before he adjusts the broom between his legs. “Please don’t let me die tonight.” he whispers before the broom shoots off into the air. Massu can’t help the loud shriek that bursts from his mouth the moment he’s in the air.
Massu smiles when he hears Tegoshi’s loud cheer follow after him. He’s going to miss Tegoshi while he’s gone. He clutches the broom handle and stares straight ahead at the dark sky, he wonders where he’ll end up and who he might meet.
Massu keeps his eyes closed as he floats through the sky, each time the broom shakes he yelps and his eyes fly open. He looks down to see the ground moving beneath him, and he feels nauseous suddenly. He isn’t sure how far he’s flown, but he can see the lights of a town down below him and he flies towards it as fast as he can manage.
Massu is anxious to get back on solid ground, he leans forward to speed up the pace. He can see the grass clearer beneath him, he can almost feel the ground beneath his feet. He can’t wait to be able to get off the broom, and just walk. Massu grins and leans forward again, the broom speeds up and he’s soaring towards the ground at a faster pace.
The lights of the town were bright, and Massu could see a few people meandering around in the late night. Massu wonders if the people in this town were as friendly as the ones back home. He whispers for the broom to move faster, so this flight will come to an end. The broom twitches beneath him then, and before he can even shout he’s flipping over the front; and tumbling across the ground. Massu grunts when he lands on his back, the broom lying in pieces next to him.
“Real smooth,” a deep voice says from nearby, it causes Massu to jump. “You should probably get that fixed soon.”
Massu sits up slowly and turns towards where the voice came from. “Uh, who are you?”
“I’ve been waiting for you. My names Koyama,”
Massu stands up and dusts himself off. He frowns at the broken broom, he kicks it once before turning his attention to where Koyama stood. “Why were you waiting for me?”
“Well I could feel you coming, so I wanted to come and greet you!” Koyama says with a warm smile. “I’m the resident witch here, so I can tell when someone else is coming through.”
“Oh,”
“It’s your first night on your own, right?” Koyama asks, and the grin widens when Massu nods. “I knew it, judging by the way you flew in. You’re not very experienced are you?”
Massu stares quietly face heating up at the question. He jumps when Koyama speaks again. “That sounded rude, didn’t it? I’m sorry about that,” Koyama continues to smile. “You must be starving, I can make you something for dinner if you want to come with me.”
Massu wants to decline Koyama’s invitation, but at that exact moment his stomach growls loudly. Koyama laughs quietly. Massu has always been taught that going with someone you’ve only just met, could result in terrible things. He could be robbed, or even killed.
Koyama’s smile is warm and friendly, and Massu feels that he can trust him. His stomach growls again, deciding for him. He quietly picks up what was left of his broom, and silently follows Koyama.
--
Koyama’s apartment was small, but cozy. Massu was happy to see that it was also quite tidy. He slips his shoes off and follows Koyama into the apartment. He looks at the bookshelf in the hallway, and notices a strange array of books. Massu knows that bookshelves are typically meant for books, but these ones had an mixture of titles all ending or beginning with ‘Love Potion’.
“Ah. You found my collection,” Koyama says, and Massu jumps at how close his voice is. “They’re interesting right?”
“Sorry, it just caught my attention as I was walking by,” Massu replies. “I don’t usually see books on love potions lying around someone’s apartment.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Koyama says with a smile and walks past Massu. “I make love potions for people. It’s what I do here.”
Massu stares at Koyama curiously. “What if the person you’ve made the potion for uses it on someone that doesn’t return their feelings?”
“That’s the whole point of love potions,” Koyama replies, a hand on his hip. “It’s not really my business to know their situation. I’m just happy if I can make someone else happy.”
“But what if it doesn’t work out in the end?” Massu asks. “Or what if they use the potion to take someone from another person?”
“My potions never fail,” Koyama replies easily, though Massu thinks he sounds a bit offended. “Now then. Make yourself at home,” Koyama says with a smile. “I’ll go make us some tea.”
Massu nods and walks further into the apartment. He sits down on the couch and looks around, he can hear Koyama moving things around in the kitchen. He glances down to the corner by the t.v and it’s then that Massu notices something move across the floor. Something small, gray and very furry.
He turns to get a better look. Suddenly it opens it’s eyes and stares back at him. Massu can see the tail slowly move across the floor, his heart sinks with each tail twitch. He keeps staring and the furry creature stares back, it’s eyes seem to narrow and Massu suddenly feels unsafe. It was huge, and could probably cause serious damage to Massu if it chose to.
Massu yelps when the furry thing suddenly bolts from the corner. It lunges towards him and he can’t stop himself from flailing off of the couch. He hisses when his elbow bumps into the end table, there’s an unfamiliar weight on his chest. Massu can hear Koyama drop something in the other room and then the sound of running feet reach his ears.
“Oh! Nyanta, no, bad kitty!” Koyama says sharply. “Nyanta get down.”
Massu opens his eyes then, and see’s that a rather large gray cat had taken up residence on his stomach. It wasn’t the monster Massu had assumed he was staring at, it was a cat. An overly fluffy, seemingly friendly, cat.
The cat’s eyes seemed to be glowing and Massu slowly began to panic. He couldn’t stop imagining that the cat was about to bite him, and then he would get rabies. Massu didn’t want rabies, because he imagines that it would be quite painful.
“Nyanta down,” Koyama says again, and Massu sighs happily when the cat immediately moves off of him. Nyanta’s tail swipes him in the face as he moves past and Massu cringes, but he looks up at Koyama and smiles nervously. “Are you allergic to cats? I’m sorry about Nyanta, he just really likes attention.”
“I’m not allergic,” Massu starts quietly, before he pushes himself up off the floor and crawls back onto the couch. “I just don’t really like any animals touching me or my things.”
“But why?” Koyama asks, genuinely confused and slightly concerned.
“I think they’re dirty. They always move across the floor and can’t wash their hands after going into their litter boxes,” Massu says and flinches at the hurt expression on Koyama’s face. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to tell you that your cat is dirty, that came out wrong.”
“I’ll uh. Put him in the bedroom then,” Koyama says and bends down to quietly pick up Nyanta.
Massu watches Koyama walk off down the hall, he can hear the cat meowing and Koyama murmuring softly. Massu catches Koyama saying. ‘He didn’t mean it, you aren’t dirty,’ and Massu feels bad. He thinks he has upset Koyama by insulting his cat.
Massu looks up nervously when Koyama returns, without the cat he notes. Koyama doesn’t look upset, and he smiles at Massu. He smiles back and releases the breath he had been holding. Massu can see the few cat hairs left behind on Koyama’s shirt, and he has to fight the intense urge to reach out and pull each of them off.
“Oh! I promised you dinner,” Koyama says suddenly and Massu nods slowly. “I would cook for you, but I haven’t had time to shop and all I have right now is some cat food and instant noodles.”
“Oh,” Massu says quietly. Massu doesn’t like instant noodles, and he can’t imagine that cat food would be tasty.
He frowns when his stomach growls. Koyama snaps his fingers and grins. “I can take you to my favorite cafe! It’s not far from here, and they have amazing food,”
“That sounds wonderful,” Massu replies as his stomach growls again.
“One of my friends actually works there. I think you’ll like him,” Koyama continues talking as he walks towards the door. Massu slowly follows him, unsure of what else to do. “He’s a great guy, but sometimes he comes off as really rude. He doesn’t mean what he says of course, it’s just how he is.”
“Okay,” Massu murmurs and slips his shoes on. He isn’t really sure what to expect from the person Koyama was talking about, but Massu was friendly enough that he supposes it wouldn’t hurt to go there.
---
The moment they walk through the doors of a place called ‘The Eight’ they are ushered to a table by a short and irritated looking man. Koyama just smiles when the man turns around and drops two menu’s down onto the table.
“I don’t feel like I need to tell you anything about being here, since you’re in here all the time, Koyama,” Ryo says. “I’ll say it anyway just in case you forgot.” Massu watches Koyama’s face, the smile is still in place. “Don’t smoke inside, don’t throw food, if you’re loud I’ll kick you out.”
Massu flinches at the tone in the man’s voice, it sounds angry, but Koyama just kept smiling. “Ryo this is Massu,” Koyama says cheerfully, waving a hand towards Massu. “He’s new in town and he’ll be staying with me for a while.”
“Okay?” Ryo says slowly, and looks directly at Massu. “What happened to Shige? Finally get sick of his conceited ass?”
“Ryo don’t be so mean!” Koyama whines. Massu is confused, and looks from Koyama back to Ryo. “You know Shige’s been busy doing his lawyer stuff.”
“I know that’s code for he hasn’t made the effort to contact you,” Ryo says and Koyama frowns. “It doesn’t take the genius a week to study for something, Koyama.”
“He’s just busy,” Koyama replies quietly. “He has a lot of stuff to do in the office when he isn’t studying.”
Ryo snorts before he walks over to Massu. Massu twitches slightly as Ryo looks him up and down before humming and turning away. “I like him better than Shige, he doesn’t give off the bitch vibe.” Koyama makes a disgruntled noise at the remark. “He’s hotter than Shige too. Keep him around.”
“Excuse me?” Massu asks, he can feel how red his face is.
Ryo smirks and walks away. Massu turns to Koyama, who is staring wide eyed at Ryo’s retreating form. “He’s a great guy, honest.” Koyama says quickly, before he sits down at the table.
“He seems kind of angry,” Massu mutters. “And a little frightening.”
“He’s actually really nice,” Koyama replies and immediately starts looking through his menu. “He’s just from Osaka, and he claims that all Osaka born men are rough speakers.”
“Oh,”
“Shige’s from Osaka too, but he’s much nicer than Ryo,” Koyama continues. “You’ll like him too. I just know it.” Koyama pauses momentarily. “Not that Ryo’s a bad guy, he just isn’t very good with words.”
Massu just nods and lets Koyama talk about his friend Shige. Koyama is still talking about Shige when Ryo comes back minutes later, carrying drinks. Ryo sends Massu a sympathetic look before placing one glass in front of Koyama.
“He talks a lot, it gets annoying if you’re around him all the time,” Ryo says holding out another glass towards Massu. “It’s why Shige takes breaks away from him. He doesn’t think that’s why Shige disappears a lot, but it really is.”
“Shige doesn’t take breaks from me!” Koyama screeches, eyes wide. “He doesn’t!”
“Keep telling yourself that, maybe he’ll come back faster,”
“Stop saying such mean things,” Koyama whines. “You really should get along with Shige.”
Ryo snorts and rolls his eyes. “Whatever, order something or get out, can’t keep coming in here to just to drink.”
Koyama frowns but quietly orders from the menu, Ryo jots it down into his small notebook before he turns to Massu.
“What do you want?” Ryo asks.
Massu looks down at the menu, realizing that he hasn’t even looked through it yet. He can feel Ryo’s eyes on him, his ears begin to burn as he stares over the menu without really registering any of the words.
“I’ll just have whatever Koyama is,” Massu responds, he feels unnerved with the way Ryo stared at him.
Ryo nods and just turns to walk away. Massu watches Ryo disappear behind a door in the back. It’s silent for a few moments, and Massu notices the people around them. He looks up and sees Koyama with his cellphone in hand, possibly trying to get ahold of his friend Shige.
Massu sits in silence, while Koyama continues to message someone on his phone. Finally Koyama looks up, seeming to remember he was not alone. Massu smiles.
“I am being so rude, I’m so sorry,” Koyama flails a bit. “I’ll put my phone away. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”
“It’s okay,” Massu says, he reaches for his drink.
“I wasn’t trying to ignore you, I was just checking in on Shige,” Koyama continues, finger tapping against the table. “He gets really busy, so sometimes he forgets to take a break and eat or sleep.”
Massu smiles and thinks back to Tegoshi, he wonders what Tegoshi is up to that night. Playing soccer, probably. Massu’s heart flips uncomfortably and aches, he’s only been away from home for a few hours. He’s already terribly homesick, and knows that this year away isn’t going to go by quickly at all. He frowns and sighs quietly.
“You look upset, what are you thinking about?” Koyama asks, and Massu looks at him before shaking his head.
“I’m just starting to feel a little homesick already, that’s all.” Massu replies.
Massu can tell that Koyama wants to ask more, but before he can Ryo is back carrying two bowls. One is placed in front of him, and the other in front of Koyama. He notices then that he and Koyama have ramen, pork from the looks of it.
“Enjoy your food.” Ryo says after dropping a few extra napkins onto their table.
Ryo doesn’t say anything more, but just falls into the empty chair at their table. Massu picks up his chopsticks and begins stirring the ramen around in his bowl, he looks up to see Koyama and Ryo talking about something. Deciding it wasn’t really any of his concern what they were discussing, he goes back to his own food.
Massu is surprised at the taste and texture of the ramen the moment it hits his tongue, it’s spicy and flavorful. He frowns as he’s reminded of his mothers food. He’s upset suddenly, at the realization that he won’t get to taste her food again until his year away is up.
“Something wrong with the food?” Ryo asks, and Massu snaps out of his daze. “You’re not touching it, so I assumed it was because something was wrong with it.”
“No it’s really good, I was just thinking about something else,” Massu replies quietly. Satisfied with his answer, Ryo turns back to Koyama to continue their previous conversation.
Massu watches the way Ryo laughs, drawn to the look on his face and the shine in his eyes.
---
Massu walks back into the cafe a few days later. Ryo seems interesting, and Massu wants to learn more about him. He can just feel something there, a strange magnetic pull. He couldn’t help himself from wanting to see more of Ryo, and to talk with him more.
“I definitely like seeing your face more than Shige’s,” Ryo says with a grin. He pushes a menu in front of Massu. “You can come in anytime you want. What can I get for you?”
Massu blinks and turns towards the menu before him. “Uh. Just iced tea.”
“You don’t want anything to eat?” Ryo asks, not bothering to hide the surprise in his voice. “I’m not the one who cooks, but it’s still pretty good food.”
“No. I’m okay,” Massu says and slides the menu back towards the end of the table. “I’ll just have the iced tea.”
“I’ll get you some gyoza,” Ryo says and pulls the menu off the table. Massu tries to protest, but Ryo glares and it stops his words in their tracks. “You look like you’d enjoy some good gyoza. I’ll be back with your drink in just a moment.”
Massu stares after Ryo as he walks away. “But I didn’t ask for that,” he murmurs. “I’m not even hungry.”
His words go unheard as Ryo returns with a plate of freshly cooked Gyoza. Just like before, Ryo sits with Massu at the table.
“You know, I wonder why you moved here out of all the other places to choose from,” Ryo says as Massu picks up the first gyoza with his chopsticks. “I mean this is a small town, and there’s not much to do at all.”
“The town kind of chose me,” Massu replies before popping the first gyoza into his mouth. He hums happily around it. He looks up and see’s Ryo smiling at him, his heart flutters.
“I made those ones, do you like them?” Ryo asks, the grin still in place. “It’s the first time I’ve ever cooked for anyone other than myself before. I hope it’s okay.”
“It’s delicious,” Massu says around a mouthful of hot gyoza. “Really. Thank you for the food.”
“I’m glad,” Ryo looks up when someone taps him on the shoulder. Massu watches this person with blonde hair lean down and say something that has Ryo’s cheeks turning red, he hits the other man before turning back to Massu. “Sorry, nosy co-worker of mine.”
“What did they say?” Massu asks, genuinely curious.
“Nothing important,” Ryo says quickly. “Really, he never says anything worth anyone’s time.”
Massu nods and goes back to his food. He watches Ryo look around the room, his eyes following other customers as they move in and out. Massu likes the look on Ryo’s face when he isn’t concentrating on something so hard, or worrying about what the food tastes like.
Massu feels like he can trust Ryo, and that makes him glad he came to this town after all.
---
"I need to tell you something important," Massu says when Ryo places his usual glass of iced tea in front of him. He has been debating on telling Ryo his secret since that day they were alone in the restaurant.
"Okay,"
“I’m a witch,” Massu says quickly. He stares at Ryo’s face, heart racing as Ryo just stares back at him with a blank expression.
“Yeah that’s very funny,” Ryo says with a snort, and he continues to clear away the dishes from Massu’s table. “I don’t care how much I like seeing you in here everyday, I’m not going to believe that you’re a witch.” Massu bites his lip and continues watching Ryo. “That’s beyond ridiculous.”
Massu stares at Ryo, his gaze unwavering. Ryo laughs nervously and runs a hand through his dark hair. “This isn’t a joke, and you can’t repeat this to anyone else.” Massu says with a frown. “I can show you. Watch.”
Ryo pauses with a plate in his hand. Massu casts a quick glance around the room, satisfied that nobody was staring, he lifts a hand. Massu closes his eyes, and wills the plate in Ryo’s hand to move to the tray on the table. Massu opens his eyes when Ryo gasps, the plate was now on the tray and Ryo’s face was pale.
“Aren’t witches usually girls?” Ryo asks in disbelief, and falls into the seat across from Massu. “Girls who wear dark dresses, and cast spells on people?” Massu sighs. “And all the witches I’ve heard about have black cats, because it’s a sign of a witch, where’s your black cat?”
“That goes for some girls, but not everyone is like that,” Massu replies quietly. “And I don’t like cats, they’re dirty.”
“Witches fly,” Ryo says with a blank look. “You can hardly walk a straight line without falling, so there’s no way you could ever actually fly.”
Massu remains silent, finger tapping against his glass. “I can fly,” he murmurs, and Ryo sighs. “I can, I just don’t because I don’t like heights and the broom is really unstable once it’s in the air.” he frowns at Ryo’s disbelieving gaze. “I an! I flew to this town, but only because I had to.”
“Will you show me?” Ryo asks. “Will you fly for me? I want to see you do it.”
Massu blinks and frowns at Ryo again. “Didn’t I just say I was afraid to do it?”
“You can either fly and prove to me that all this nonsense is true,” Ryo starts, and flicks a napkin towards Massu. “Or we can go back to acting like this conversation never happened, because I won’t believe another word you say until you fly for me.”
“I just moved that plate without touching it, isn’t that proof enough?” Massu asks with a quiet whine.
“No,” Ryo replies and stands. “We’ll talk more about this later, I have to get back to work.”
“I’ll take you flying tonight after your shift!” Massu says suddenly. He wishes he could take it back, but then Ryo is grinning and he can’t bring himself to change his mind.
“Okay,” Ryo replies before walking back towards the kitchen area.
--
“You want to use my broom to fly?” Koyama asks, carefully placing the dishes in the sink. “But why? You said you never wanted to fly again.”
Massu looks down at his feet. “I promised to take Ryo flying tonight after his shift ended,” he starts.
“But he doesn’t know you’re--” Koyama stares wide-eyed at Massu. “You know you aren’t meant to tell anyone!”
“I trust him though,” Massu mutters. “He’s not going to say anything, besides you told Shige about it, didn’t you?”
“Shige’s my best friend,” Koyama replies easily. “I tell Shige everything.”
“Ryo could be my best friend,” Massu murmurs, still slightly curious about why he still hasn’t met Shige. “It’s not like he’s going to run off and tell someone else anyway.”
“Well. That’s true,” Koyama begins. “Ryo’s a really good guy, he won’t tell anyone your secret.”
“So can I borrow your broom tonight?” Massu asks with a bright grin.
“Fine, but don’t break it okay?” Koyama says and walks out of the room to get his broom. Massu follows after him, the grin still on his face. “I mean it. This is the one my mom gave me, so don’t break it when you try to land.”
“I’ll be careful, Koyama,” Massu says and takes the broom gingerly in his hands. “We’re not going up very high or very far. I just want to show him that I really can fly.”
Koyama nods and watches Massu leave with his broom, unsure if he was nervous because his broom might get broken or because Massu had told someone their secret. Koyama hears the front door close, and convinces himself it’s just because he’s afraid for the safety of his broom. He knows that Massu(and hopefully his broom) will come back in one piece.
--
Massu waits for Ryo outside of the restaurant, the broom hangs loosely in his hand. He ignores the confused glances from the people walking past, his eyes trained on the door.
“What are you doing with a broom?” Ryo asks as soon as he steps outside.
“I told you I was going to take you flying.” Massu replies with a grin.
Ryo stares from Massu to the broom, confusion still written all over his face. Massu clutches the broom tighter as his heart sinks.
“I didn’t think you were actually serious, I thought this was a joke,” Ryo replies slowly. “I thought what you did in the restaurant was a magic trick or something.”
Massu frowns. “I was serious. I borrowed this broom and everything,”
Ryo laughs and shakes his head. “Whatever then, let’s do this.” Ryo pulls his coat on and shoves his hands in his pockets. “How is this going to work, am I going to get on the back of the broom right now and have you fly me home?”
“I can’t take off here in the middle of town, we need to go somewhere with less people.” Massu says quietly. “I can’t be seen like this.”
Ryo shrugs, and Massu takes that as his agreement. He begins walking towards the park he first landed in months ago. He turns to look over his shoulder, Ryo is still following him and his heart beats a little faster. They walk in silence, reaching the park quickly.
“Are you sure we’ll both be able to fit?” Ryo asks as he climbs onto the broom.
“Just make sure you hold on, I’m not very good at this so take off will be a bit bumpy,” Massu says quietly, he grips the broom between his hands and leans forward.
“You’re not good at this but you’re taking me?” Ryo asks, alarmed.
Massu doesn’t answer, instead he closes his eyes and slowly feels the ground falling from beneath his feet. He can hear Ryo’s shocked gasp, and feels him grip Massu’s shirt the higher they go. “Please don’t kill me,” Ryo murmurs right before the broom shoots them off into the night sky.
Massu is surprised that the take off has gone as smoothly as it had. Ryo is still clutching his shirt, Massu imagines Ryo’s eyes are closed as they soar through the sky. He hadn’t meant to take them up so high, but sometimes the broom does what it wants.
“It’s so nice up here,” Ryo says quietly and Massu grins. “Can you go any faster?”
“I probably could, but I won’t,” Massu replies quickly as he heads back towards the ground, the broom begins trembling beneath his hands and he knows they need to get back on solid ground, quickly. He shudders at the thought of crashing to the ground and breaking Koyama’s broom, he’s not entirely sure how Koyama would react to that.
“Why not?” Ryo asks. “Why are we going back down?”
“I told you I’m not very good at this yet,” Massu replies slowly, he smiles when the dark green grass comes closer and closer. “The broom was starting to shake and I’ve learned from past experience that means, either land or risk crashing.”
“Oh,”
Massu remains silent as he careful lands, he sighs softly when he can feel the ground beneath him once more. Ryo lets go of his shirt and Massu frowns at the loss of warmth at his back. Once he’s sure Ryo’s gotten off the broom, he gets off of it and holds it out to his side as he turns to stare at Ryo.
“Okay so you’re really a witch,” Ryo says with a quiet laugh. “Now what else are you going to show me?”
Massu smiles at Ryo, and he knows that Ryo will be able to help him figure out just what he can use his powers for in this small town.
From: newsficcon
Title: Shadow
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: RyoMassu
Warnings: Witchcraft
Summary: After leaving home, Massu is in a new town where he needs to figure out what his calling in life is.
Notes: I hope you like this! I tried very hard to put in what I thought you would enjoy.
“You want me to leave home?” Massu asks with wide and scared eyes. “But why?” He looks from one parent to the other. His hands are shaking, but he ignores it and presses his palms flat against his legs.
“You’ve known since you were little, that this day would come,” his mother begins. She smiles fondly at him momentarily before she takes the seat next to him. “You’re of age now, it’s time for you to leave home and start out in another place.” she says and reaches out to touch his hand. He jumps at the touch. “You’ve got to strengthen your skills, and find your calling in life.”
Massu whines, low in his throat. He’s terrified of being on his own, he knew this would happen at some point. Massu has grown up with the knowledge, that before his twenty sixth birthday he would have to leave home. It was an unspoken rule amongst his bloodline, every witch was to venture out on their own before they were twenty six years old.
Massu’s twenty sixth birthday was only a few weeks away. He was just hoping that he would not be made to leave, that the rules would be changed for him. Massu loves living at home, his meals were always hot and waiting for him when he came in.
“You know you can come back home in a year,” she says. “You can choose then if you want to move back here permanently, or stay wherever you choose.”
“Can’t I just stay home?” he asks quietly. “I’m not good with potions, or fortune telling. I can’t fly properly, there’s nothing I’m good at.”
“That’s why you have to leave home,” she says with a warm smile. “I did it when I was your age, and some leave when they’re even younger.”
“But,” Massu tries to interrupt her. He bites his tongue when she gives him a sharp look.
“As I was saying,” she starts. “The whole point of you leaving home and going off on your own, is to help you figure out what you are good at.” Massu nods, while staring down at his feet. “It’s for your own good, honest. Do you understand why you have to do this?”
“I understand,” he says dejectedly. Even though he still really wanted to stay at home, where he knew everyone and everything.
“Good. Your father will help you pack your things and I shall make you some food to take with you,”
“How soon do I have before I’m expected to leave?” he asks, while looking at his mother.
“Well you have until your birthday,” he sighs in relief. “But the sooner you leave, the better. It’s best to get started on trying to find your calling in life.”
Massu pales when his father moves forward, his hand coming to rest on Massu’s shoulder. “You’ll be heading out tomorrow night,” he says.
“Just take things you can’t live without,”
Massu sighs quietly before he stands and heads towards his room. Now he has to figure out what few items he would take with him. Massu knows he’s only allowed to take on bag full of belongings with him, it was time to put his organization skills to the test and put as much stuff as he could into that one bag.
Massu frowns as he looks around his bedroom, he has to decide what he absolutely will need with him. The first thing he reaches for is his wallet, he can't really get anywhere without money. He wants to take his cellphone, but he knows his parents wouldn't allow that.
With a loud groan, Massu begins putting some clothes into the bag he was going to take, making sure to fold them properly so that he could fit more inside. He grabs his favorite blanket before switching off all the lights in his room. With one last glance around, he heads down the stairs to say goodbye to everyone before he leaves.
---
Massu stands outside of his house staring up at the sky. It’s dark, but the stars are twinkling and the brightness from them makes him smile. He holds a broom in one hand, and has his backpack attached to his back. He held the lunch his mother had packed in his other hand.
He sighs. Massu hates flying the most, he’s uncoordinated and almost always slams into trees before plummeting towards the ground. He shudders at the memories and clutches the wooden stick tighter. His parents are standing near the house watching him.
Massu turns and smiles at his friend. He’d known Tegoshi his entire life, spent a lot of time with him growing up. Tegoshi was another witch, but it wasn’t time for him to leave yet. Tegoshi’s parents weren’t ready for him to leave home yet, even though Tegoshi was anxious to go out into the world.
Massu knew that Tegoshi would probably be one of the greatest witches there were, once he got his chance to leave.
“You’ll write me letters and stuff, right?” Tegoshi asks quietly. “Once you find your new home?”
Massu laughs and reaches out to ruffle Tegoshi’s hair. “Of course I will,”
“When it’s my turn to leave, can I come visit you?”
“If I haven’t come back home by then,” Massu replies before he adjusts the broom between his legs. “Please don’t let me die tonight.” he whispers before the broom shoots off into the air. Massu can’t help the loud shriek that bursts from his mouth the moment he’s in the air.
Massu smiles when he hears Tegoshi’s loud cheer follow after him. He’s going to miss Tegoshi while he’s gone. He clutches the broom handle and stares straight ahead at the dark sky, he wonders where he’ll end up and who he might meet.
Massu keeps his eyes closed as he floats through the sky, each time the broom shakes he yelps and his eyes fly open. He looks down to see the ground moving beneath him, and he feels nauseous suddenly. He isn’t sure how far he’s flown, but he can see the lights of a town down below him and he flies towards it as fast as he can manage.
Massu is anxious to get back on solid ground, he leans forward to speed up the pace. He can see the grass clearer beneath him, he can almost feel the ground beneath his feet. He can’t wait to be able to get off the broom, and just walk. Massu grins and leans forward again, the broom speeds up and he’s soaring towards the ground at a faster pace.
The lights of the town were bright, and Massu could see a few people meandering around in the late night. Massu wonders if the people in this town were as friendly as the ones back home. He whispers for the broom to move faster, so this flight will come to an end. The broom twitches beneath him then, and before he can even shout he’s flipping over the front; and tumbling across the ground. Massu grunts when he lands on his back, the broom lying in pieces next to him.
“Real smooth,” a deep voice says from nearby, it causes Massu to jump. “You should probably get that fixed soon.”
Massu sits up slowly and turns towards where the voice came from. “Uh, who are you?”
“I’ve been waiting for you. My names Koyama,”
Massu stands up and dusts himself off. He frowns at the broken broom, he kicks it once before turning his attention to where Koyama stood. “Why were you waiting for me?”
“Well I could feel you coming, so I wanted to come and greet you!” Koyama says with a warm smile. “I’m the resident witch here, so I can tell when someone else is coming through.”
“Oh,”
“It’s your first night on your own, right?” Koyama asks, and the grin widens when Massu nods. “I knew it, judging by the way you flew in. You’re not very experienced are you?”
Massu stares quietly face heating up at the question. He jumps when Koyama speaks again. “That sounded rude, didn’t it? I’m sorry about that,” Koyama continues to smile. “You must be starving, I can make you something for dinner if you want to come with me.”
Massu wants to decline Koyama’s invitation, but at that exact moment his stomach growls loudly. Koyama laughs quietly. Massu has always been taught that going with someone you’ve only just met, could result in terrible things. He could be robbed, or even killed.
Koyama’s smile is warm and friendly, and Massu feels that he can trust him. His stomach growls again, deciding for him. He quietly picks up what was left of his broom, and silently follows Koyama.
--
Koyama’s apartment was small, but cozy. Massu was happy to see that it was also quite tidy. He slips his shoes off and follows Koyama into the apartment. He looks at the bookshelf in the hallway, and notices a strange array of books. Massu knows that bookshelves are typically meant for books, but these ones had an mixture of titles all ending or beginning with ‘Love Potion’.
“Ah. You found my collection,” Koyama says, and Massu jumps at how close his voice is. “They’re interesting right?”
“Sorry, it just caught my attention as I was walking by,” Massu replies. “I don’t usually see books on love potions lying around someone’s apartment.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Koyama says with a smile and walks past Massu. “I make love potions for people. It’s what I do here.”
Massu stares at Koyama curiously. “What if the person you’ve made the potion for uses it on someone that doesn’t return their feelings?”
“That’s the whole point of love potions,” Koyama replies, a hand on his hip. “It’s not really my business to know their situation. I’m just happy if I can make someone else happy.”
“But what if it doesn’t work out in the end?” Massu asks. “Or what if they use the potion to take someone from another person?”
“My potions never fail,” Koyama replies easily, though Massu thinks he sounds a bit offended. “Now then. Make yourself at home,” Koyama says with a smile. “I’ll go make us some tea.”
Massu nods and walks further into the apartment. He sits down on the couch and looks around, he can hear Koyama moving things around in the kitchen. He glances down to the corner by the t.v and it’s then that Massu notices something move across the floor. Something small, gray and very furry.
He turns to get a better look. Suddenly it opens it’s eyes and stares back at him. Massu can see the tail slowly move across the floor, his heart sinks with each tail twitch. He keeps staring and the furry creature stares back, it’s eyes seem to narrow and Massu suddenly feels unsafe. It was huge, and could probably cause serious damage to Massu if it chose to.
Massu yelps when the furry thing suddenly bolts from the corner. It lunges towards him and he can’t stop himself from flailing off of the couch. He hisses when his elbow bumps into the end table, there’s an unfamiliar weight on his chest. Massu can hear Koyama drop something in the other room and then the sound of running feet reach his ears.
“Oh! Nyanta, no, bad kitty!” Koyama says sharply. “Nyanta get down.”
Massu opens his eyes then, and see’s that a rather large gray cat had taken up residence on his stomach. It wasn’t the monster Massu had assumed he was staring at, it was a cat. An overly fluffy, seemingly friendly, cat.
The cat’s eyes seemed to be glowing and Massu slowly began to panic. He couldn’t stop imagining that the cat was about to bite him, and then he would get rabies. Massu didn’t want rabies, because he imagines that it would be quite painful.
“Nyanta down,” Koyama says again, and Massu sighs happily when the cat immediately moves off of him. Nyanta’s tail swipes him in the face as he moves past and Massu cringes, but he looks up at Koyama and smiles nervously. “Are you allergic to cats? I’m sorry about Nyanta, he just really likes attention.”
“I’m not allergic,” Massu starts quietly, before he pushes himself up off the floor and crawls back onto the couch. “I just don’t really like any animals touching me or my things.”
“But why?” Koyama asks, genuinely confused and slightly concerned.
“I think they’re dirty. They always move across the floor and can’t wash their hands after going into their litter boxes,” Massu says and flinches at the hurt expression on Koyama’s face. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to tell you that your cat is dirty, that came out wrong.”
“I’ll uh. Put him in the bedroom then,” Koyama says and bends down to quietly pick up Nyanta.
Massu watches Koyama walk off down the hall, he can hear the cat meowing and Koyama murmuring softly. Massu catches Koyama saying. ‘He didn’t mean it, you aren’t dirty,’ and Massu feels bad. He thinks he has upset Koyama by insulting his cat.
Massu looks up nervously when Koyama returns, without the cat he notes. Koyama doesn’t look upset, and he smiles at Massu. He smiles back and releases the breath he had been holding. Massu can see the few cat hairs left behind on Koyama’s shirt, and he has to fight the intense urge to reach out and pull each of them off.
“Oh! I promised you dinner,” Koyama says suddenly and Massu nods slowly. “I would cook for you, but I haven’t had time to shop and all I have right now is some cat food and instant noodles.”
“Oh,” Massu says quietly. Massu doesn’t like instant noodles, and he can’t imagine that cat food would be tasty.
He frowns when his stomach growls. Koyama snaps his fingers and grins. “I can take you to my favorite cafe! It’s not far from here, and they have amazing food,”
“That sounds wonderful,” Massu replies as his stomach growls again.
“One of my friends actually works there. I think you’ll like him,” Koyama continues talking as he walks towards the door. Massu slowly follows him, unsure of what else to do. “He’s a great guy, but sometimes he comes off as really rude. He doesn’t mean what he says of course, it’s just how he is.”
“Okay,” Massu murmurs and slips his shoes on. He isn’t really sure what to expect from the person Koyama was talking about, but Massu was friendly enough that he supposes it wouldn’t hurt to go there.
---
The moment they walk through the doors of a place called ‘The Eight’ they are ushered to a table by a short and irritated looking man. Koyama just smiles when the man turns around and drops two menu’s down onto the table.
“I don’t feel like I need to tell you anything about being here, since you’re in here all the time, Koyama,” Ryo says. “I’ll say it anyway just in case you forgot.” Massu watches Koyama’s face, the smile is still in place. “Don’t smoke inside, don’t throw food, if you’re loud I’ll kick you out.”
Massu flinches at the tone in the man’s voice, it sounds angry, but Koyama just kept smiling. “Ryo this is Massu,” Koyama says cheerfully, waving a hand towards Massu. “He’s new in town and he’ll be staying with me for a while.”
“Okay?” Ryo says slowly, and looks directly at Massu. “What happened to Shige? Finally get sick of his conceited ass?”
“Ryo don’t be so mean!” Koyama whines. Massu is confused, and looks from Koyama back to Ryo. “You know Shige’s been busy doing his lawyer stuff.”
“I know that’s code for he hasn’t made the effort to contact you,” Ryo says and Koyama frowns. “It doesn’t take the genius a week to study for something, Koyama.”
“He’s just busy,” Koyama replies quietly. “He has a lot of stuff to do in the office when he isn’t studying.”
Ryo snorts before he walks over to Massu. Massu twitches slightly as Ryo looks him up and down before humming and turning away. “I like him better than Shige, he doesn’t give off the bitch vibe.” Koyama makes a disgruntled noise at the remark. “He’s hotter than Shige too. Keep him around.”
“Excuse me?” Massu asks, he can feel how red his face is.
Ryo smirks and walks away. Massu turns to Koyama, who is staring wide eyed at Ryo’s retreating form. “He’s a great guy, honest.” Koyama says quickly, before he sits down at the table.
“He seems kind of angry,” Massu mutters. “And a little frightening.”
“He’s actually really nice,” Koyama replies and immediately starts looking through his menu. “He’s just from Osaka, and he claims that all Osaka born men are rough speakers.”
“Oh,”
“Shige’s from Osaka too, but he’s much nicer than Ryo,” Koyama continues. “You’ll like him too. I just know it.” Koyama pauses momentarily. “Not that Ryo’s a bad guy, he just isn’t very good with words.”
Massu just nods and lets Koyama talk about his friend Shige. Koyama is still talking about Shige when Ryo comes back minutes later, carrying drinks. Ryo sends Massu a sympathetic look before placing one glass in front of Koyama.
“He talks a lot, it gets annoying if you’re around him all the time,” Ryo says holding out another glass towards Massu. “It’s why Shige takes breaks away from him. He doesn’t think that’s why Shige disappears a lot, but it really is.”
“Shige doesn’t take breaks from me!” Koyama screeches, eyes wide. “He doesn’t!”
“Keep telling yourself that, maybe he’ll come back faster,”
“Stop saying such mean things,” Koyama whines. “You really should get along with Shige.”
Ryo snorts and rolls his eyes. “Whatever, order something or get out, can’t keep coming in here to just to drink.”
Koyama frowns but quietly orders from the menu, Ryo jots it down into his small notebook before he turns to Massu.
“What do you want?” Ryo asks.
Massu looks down at the menu, realizing that he hasn’t even looked through it yet. He can feel Ryo’s eyes on him, his ears begin to burn as he stares over the menu without really registering any of the words.
“I’ll just have whatever Koyama is,” Massu responds, he feels unnerved with the way Ryo stared at him.
Ryo nods and just turns to walk away. Massu watches Ryo disappear behind a door in the back. It’s silent for a few moments, and Massu notices the people around them. He looks up and sees Koyama with his cellphone in hand, possibly trying to get ahold of his friend Shige.
Massu sits in silence, while Koyama continues to message someone on his phone. Finally Koyama looks up, seeming to remember he was not alone. Massu smiles.
“I am being so rude, I’m so sorry,” Koyama flails a bit. “I’ll put my phone away. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”
“It’s okay,” Massu says, he reaches for his drink.
“I wasn’t trying to ignore you, I was just checking in on Shige,” Koyama continues, finger tapping against the table. “He gets really busy, so sometimes he forgets to take a break and eat or sleep.”
Massu smiles and thinks back to Tegoshi, he wonders what Tegoshi is up to that night. Playing soccer, probably. Massu’s heart flips uncomfortably and aches, he’s only been away from home for a few hours. He’s already terribly homesick, and knows that this year away isn’t going to go by quickly at all. He frowns and sighs quietly.
“You look upset, what are you thinking about?” Koyama asks, and Massu looks at him before shaking his head.
“I’m just starting to feel a little homesick already, that’s all.” Massu replies.
Massu can tell that Koyama wants to ask more, but before he can Ryo is back carrying two bowls. One is placed in front of him, and the other in front of Koyama. He notices then that he and Koyama have ramen, pork from the looks of it.
“Enjoy your food.” Ryo says after dropping a few extra napkins onto their table.
Ryo doesn’t say anything more, but just falls into the empty chair at their table. Massu picks up his chopsticks and begins stirring the ramen around in his bowl, he looks up to see Koyama and Ryo talking about something. Deciding it wasn’t really any of his concern what they were discussing, he goes back to his own food.
Massu is surprised at the taste and texture of the ramen the moment it hits his tongue, it’s spicy and flavorful. He frowns as he’s reminded of his mothers food. He’s upset suddenly, at the realization that he won’t get to taste her food again until his year away is up.
“Something wrong with the food?” Ryo asks, and Massu snaps out of his daze. “You’re not touching it, so I assumed it was because something was wrong with it.”
“No it’s really good, I was just thinking about something else,” Massu replies quietly. Satisfied with his answer, Ryo turns back to Koyama to continue their previous conversation.
Massu watches the way Ryo laughs, drawn to the look on his face and the shine in his eyes.
---
Massu walks back into the cafe a few days later. Ryo seems interesting, and Massu wants to learn more about him. He can just feel something there, a strange magnetic pull. He couldn’t help himself from wanting to see more of Ryo, and to talk with him more.
“I definitely like seeing your face more than Shige’s,” Ryo says with a grin. He pushes a menu in front of Massu. “You can come in anytime you want. What can I get for you?”
Massu blinks and turns towards the menu before him. “Uh. Just iced tea.”
“You don’t want anything to eat?” Ryo asks, not bothering to hide the surprise in his voice. “I’m not the one who cooks, but it’s still pretty good food.”
“No. I’m okay,” Massu says and slides the menu back towards the end of the table. “I’ll just have the iced tea.”
“I’ll get you some gyoza,” Ryo says and pulls the menu off the table. Massu tries to protest, but Ryo glares and it stops his words in their tracks. “You look like you’d enjoy some good gyoza. I’ll be back with your drink in just a moment.”
Massu stares after Ryo as he walks away. “But I didn’t ask for that,” he murmurs. “I’m not even hungry.”
His words go unheard as Ryo returns with a plate of freshly cooked Gyoza. Just like before, Ryo sits with Massu at the table.
“You know, I wonder why you moved here out of all the other places to choose from,” Ryo says as Massu picks up the first gyoza with his chopsticks. “I mean this is a small town, and there’s not much to do at all.”
“The town kind of chose me,” Massu replies before popping the first gyoza into his mouth. He hums happily around it. He looks up and see’s Ryo smiling at him, his heart flutters.
“I made those ones, do you like them?” Ryo asks, the grin still in place. “It’s the first time I’ve ever cooked for anyone other than myself before. I hope it’s okay.”
“It’s delicious,” Massu says around a mouthful of hot gyoza. “Really. Thank you for the food.”
“I’m glad,” Ryo looks up when someone taps him on the shoulder. Massu watches this person with blonde hair lean down and say something that has Ryo’s cheeks turning red, he hits the other man before turning back to Massu. “Sorry, nosy co-worker of mine.”
“What did they say?” Massu asks, genuinely curious.
“Nothing important,” Ryo says quickly. “Really, he never says anything worth anyone’s time.”
Massu nods and goes back to his food. He watches Ryo look around the room, his eyes following other customers as they move in and out. Massu likes the look on Ryo’s face when he isn’t concentrating on something so hard, or worrying about what the food tastes like.
Massu feels like he can trust Ryo, and that makes him glad he came to this town after all.
---
"I need to tell you something important," Massu says when Ryo places his usual glass of iced tea in front of him. He has been debating on telling Ryo his secret since that day they were alone in the restaurant.
"Okay,"
“I’m a witch,” Massu says quickly. He stares at Ryo’s face, heart racing as Ryo just stares back at him with a blank expression.
“Yeah that’s very funny,” Ryo says with a snort, and he continues to clear away the dishes from Massu’s table. “I don’t care how much I like seeing you in here everyday, I’m not going to believe that you’re a witch.” Massu bites his lip and continues watching Ryo. “That’s beyond ridiculous.”
Massu stares at Ryo, his gaze unwavering. Ryo laughs nervously and runs a hand through his dark hair. “This isn’t a joke, and you can’t repeat this to anyone else.” Massu says with a frown. “I can show you. Watch.”
Ryo pauses with a plate in his hand. Massu casts a quick glance around the room, satisfied that nobody was staring, he lifts a hand. Massu closes his eyes, and wills the plate in Ryo’s hand to move to the tray on the table. Massu opens his eyes when Ryo gasps, the plate was now on the tray and Ryo’s face was pale.
“Aren’t witches usually girls?” Ryo asks in disbelief, and falls into the seat across from Massu. “Girls who wear dark dresses, and cast spells on people?” Massu sighs. “And all the witches I’ve heard about have black cats, because it’s a sign of a witch, where’s your black cat?”
“That goes for some girls, but not everyone is like that,” Massu replies quietly. “And I don’t like cats, they’re dirty.”
“Witches fly,” Ryo says with a blank look. “You can hardly walk a straight line without falling, so there’s no way you could ever actually fly.”
Massu remains silent, finger tapping against his glass. “I can fly,” he murmurs, and Ryo sighs. “I can, I just don’t because I don’t like heights and the broom is really unstable once it’s in the air.” he frowns at Ryo’s disbelieving gaze. “I an! I flew to this town, but only because I had to.”
“Will you show me?” Ryo asks. “Will you fly for me? I want to see you do it.”
Massu blinks and frowns at Ryo again. “Didn’t I just say I was afraid to do it?”
“You can either fly and prove to me that all this nonsense is true,” Ryo starts, and flicks a napkin towards Massu. “Or we can go back to acting like this conversation never happened, because I won’t believe another word you say until you fly for me.”
“I just moved that plate without touching it, isn’t that proof enough?” Massu asks with a quiet whine.
“No,” Ryo replies and stands. “We’ll talk more about this later, I have to get back to work.”
“I’ll take you flying tonight after your shift!” Massu says suddenly. He wishes he could take it back, but then Ryo is grinning and he can’t bring himself to change his mind.
“Okay,” Ryo replies before walking back towards the kitchen area.
--
“You want to use my broom to fly?” Koyama asks, carefully placing the dishes in the sink. “But why? You said you never wanted to fly again.”
Massu looks down at his feet. “I promised to take Ryo flying tonight after his shift ended,” he starts.
“But he doesn’t know you’re--” Koyama stares wide-eyed at Massu. “You know you aren’t meant to tell anyone!”
“I trust him though,” Massu mutters. “He’s not going to say anything, besides you told Shige about it, didn’t you?”
“Shige’s my best friend,” Koyama replies easily. “I tell Shige everything.”
“Ryo could be my best friend,” Massu murmurs, still slightly curious about why he still hasn’t met Shige. “It’s not like he’s going to run off and tell someone else anyway.”
“Well. That’s true,” Koyama begins. “Ryo’s a really good guy, he won’t tell anyone your secret.”
“So can I borrow your broom tonight?” Massu asks with a bright grin.
“Fine, but don’t break it okay?” Koyama says and walks out of the room to get his broom. Massu follows after him, the grin still on his face. “I mean it. This is the one my mom gave me, so don’t break it when you try to land.”
“I’ll be careful, Koyama,” Massu says and takes the broom gingerly in his hands. “We’re not going up very high or very far. I just want to show him that I really can fly.”
Koyama nods and watches Massu leave with his broom, unsure if he was nervous because his broom might get broken or because Massu had told someone their secret. Koyama hears the front door close, and convinces himself it’s just because he’s afraid for the safety of his broom. He knows that Massu(and hopefully his broom) will come back in one piece.
--
Massu waits for Ryo outside of the restaurant, the broom hangs loosely in his hand. He ignores the confused glances from the people walking past, his eyes trained on the door.
“What are you doing with a broom?” Ryo asks as soon as he steps outside.
“I told you I was going to take you flying.” Massu replies with a grin.
Ryo stares from Massu to the broom, confusion still written all over his face. Massu clutches the broom tighter as his heart sinks.
“I didn’t think you were actually serious, I thought this was a joke,” Ryo replies slowly. “I thought what you did in the restaurant was a magic trick or something.”
Massu frowns. “I was serious. I borrowed this broom and everything,”
Ryo laughs and shakes his head. “Whatever then, let’s do this.” Ryo pulls his coat on and shoves his hands in his pockets. “How is this going to work, am I going to get on the back of the broom right now and have you fly me home?”
“I can’t take off here in the middle of town, we need to go somewhere with less people.” Massu says quietly. “I can’t be seen like this.”
Ryo shrugs, and Massu takes that as his agreement. He begins walking towards the park he first landed in months ago. He turns to look over his shoulder, Ryo is still following him and his heart beats a little faster. They walk in silence, reaching the park quickly.
“Are you sure we’ll both be able to fit?” Ryo asks as he climbs onto the broom.
“Just make sure you hold on, I’m not very good at this so take off will be a bit bumpy,” Massu says quietly, he grips the broom between his hands and leans forward.
“You’re not good at this but you’re taking me?” Ryo asks, alarmed.
Massu doesn’t answer, instead he closes his eyes and slowly feels the ground falling from beneath his feet. He can hear Ryo’s shocked gasp, and feels him grip Massu’s shirt the higher they go. “Please don’t kill me,” Ryo murmurs right before the broom shoots them off into the night sky.
Massu is surprised that the take off has gone as smoothly as it had. Ryo is still clutching his shirt, Massu imagines Ryo’s eyes are closed as they soar through the sky. He hadn’t meant to take them up so high, but sometimes the broom does what it wants.
“It’s so nice up here,” Ryo says quietly and Massu grins. “Can you go any faster?”
“I probably could, but I won’t,” Massu replies quickly as he heads back towards the ground, the broom begins trembling beneath his hands and he knows they need to get back on solid ground, quickly. He shudders at the thought of crashing to the ground and breaking Koyama’s broom, he’s not entirely sure how Koyama would react to that.
“Why not?” Ryo asks. “Why are we going back down?”
“I told you I’m not very good at this yet,” Massu replies slowly, he smiles when the dark green grass comes closer and closer. “The broom was starting to shake and I’ve learned from past experience that means, either land or risk crashing.”
“Oh,”
Massu remains silent as he careful lands, he sighs softly when he can feel the ground beneath him once more. Ryo lets go of his shirt and Massu frowns at the loss of warmth at his back. Once he’s sure Ryo’s gotten off the broom, he gets off of it and holds it out to his side as he turns to stare at Ryo.
“Okay so you’re really a witch,” Ryo says with a quiet laugh. “Now what else are you going to show me?”
Massu smiles at Ryo, and he knows that Ryo will be able to help him figure out just what he can use his powers for in this small town.