Rating:PG
When: The night of August the 17th
Where: Beach
Summary: Shooting the breeze
Two days after their newest roommate had decided to join them, Yukimura found himself stuck in the odd hours where one actually had nothing to do. He chose to spend them walking on the beach, sand digging in his toes when he happened upon someone who had proved to be quite amusing in the past.
“Ah if it is not the keeper of my heart,” Yukimura said softly, voice littered with laughter. He sat down next Oshitari and smiled. “I simply couldn’t bear to be away from you any longer.”
“Of course.” Looking up Yuushi smiled at the slender young man joining him. “My own heart has been beset by pangs of loss since we last met.” He finished with a flourishing bow - or as much of one as was possible while sitting, propped up against a hand boulder buried half way in the sand. “My token for you is almost ready, if you would care to do me the honour of telling me what you think of it.” He gestured to the cloth spread over his lap, little flecks of soap littering it and the ground around him, a delicate oval resting in the middle.
“Already? You are such a fast worker,” Yukimura commented. He leaned over slightly to stare at Oshitari’s lap and smiled at the soap locket. “It’s absolutely beautiful. I feel so lucky.”
He leaned back in the sand and started to trace an outline with his toes. “I should repay the favor with a portrait I think.”
“I would treasure it until I take my last breath.” Yuushi swore solemnly before picking up the locket and giving it a few last minute finishing touches before handing it over to Yukimura along with the small knife he had been using for carving. “Now...I entrust you to pick the strand that most resonates with my sincere admiration for you and your hair.” He intoned, face completely serious except for a little twitch at the corner of his lips.
Yukimura took his soap locket with a smile along with the knife. “Then I will need to borrow your head.” He stood up, only to settle right behind Oshitari. Combing through the strands with his fingers, he sighed as he thought of which one to cut off. “Such a pretty color.”
Tipping his head back towards Yukimura, Yuushi smiled as he waited patiently for the other teen to make his cut, enjoying the deft fingers sliding through the warm strands in the meantime. “You flatter me so, when it is nothing compared to the deep, calming ocean colour of your own that has touched my heart.”
Finally selecting a pretty strand at the base of his neck, Yukimura quickly cut the hair and tucked it into the soap locket. “You give me too much credit Yuushi,” he hummed as he moved back to his original spot. “Yours is clearly the star as it as such a vibrant, shimmering color I do not even think I could mix together with my paints.”
“Then you clearly haven’t seen your hair shine in the light of the moon that seems to be caressing it the the gentle touch of a father...or a lover.” Slouching a little further Yuushi dusted the soap off of the cloth and carefully wrapped the slender knife in it again before tucking it into his pocket - Ohtori’s earlier crusade to get him back into gender conform clothing a momentary success. “The waves...” He reached up and brushed his fingers over a teal blue strand curling over Yukimura’s hair. “Speak to me of a spirit barely contained. Buoyant and free and a little mischievous.”
Yukimura bit his lip to keep from laughing. “You’re going to make me blush,” he teased, turning to look at his roommate. Yukimura’s first impressions of Hyoutei had been terrible, but he was slowly starting to realize maybe it was just Atobe Keigo that was the problem. The rest of them seemed normal...enough anyways.
None of them appeared to take tennis seriously though. No wonder they had never won nationals.
“Since my hair has missed you so much, would you like to play with it?”
“It would fill my heart with elation the likes of which it has never known before.” Stretching his legs out Yuushi allowed a playful smile to slip free and patted the space in front of him.”Please, please, have a seat.” Honestly, just from what he had known about Yukimura - all tennis related of course - before coming to the tennis boy island and being thrown in with him and two others to room together he would never have envisioned that a moment like this could exist where he was given free reign to play with hair so similar to his own and yet different in small, but important ways. It was certainly ONE way to keep from getting bored.
Idly, Yukimura thought it was a good thing Sanada did not get jealous. Oshitari would be a good candidate to practice swinging his katana at if he was.
He slipped into the empty space and made himself comfortable. His companion was quiet good at styling his hair, and if he played his cards right, maybe Hyoutei’s tensai would let something slip. Hopefully something useful enough to shut Atobe up. Preferably forever.
“What do you feel like tonight. Maybe something romantic and playful?” Bending his legs Yuushi cradled Yukimura between them and gently combed his fingers through the blue curls, echoing the other teen’s earlier search for a fitting strand for the locket. “It’s a good thing I brought a few of my hair ties along.”
“Whatever you want to do is fine. I trust your oh so capable hands.” Yukimura replied, eyes slipping shut. Oshitari’s hands along with the crash of the waves soothed him. Quiet had quickly become a treasure that he coveted whenever he could. “Was this your job at Hyoutei as well?
“My job?” Gathering some hair on either side of Yukimura’s head, Yuushi pulled them back gently, trying out various ideas of what to do with the pliable strands. “You could say it is more of a hobby of mine.” He really would need to see about fashioning some hair pins if they were going to keep doing this - and maybe some ornaments if Yukimura agreed. “Ryou used to have lovely long hair - it was quite a shame that he cut it so drastically, but now he’s going to try growing it long again.”
Yukimura hummed in reply. “I’m thinking about cutting mine,” he admitted. Months on an island with no hair cut tended to render longer hair than one was uncomfortable. “I’ve even toyed with the idea shaving it. What do you think?”
“I think my heart would bleed if you got rid of it.” Giving the thick hair a mournful look Yuushi ducked his head a little to brush a blue strand against his lips. “I would certainly miss it - though I wouldn’t be surprised if you had an exquisitely shaped head.” Twisting a thick strand he deftly interwove it with another, securing it with a thin hairband. “On the other hand I am not sure that this climate would be the best for an experiment like this. You would be at a much greater risk for sunburn, a heat stroke or even skin cancer.”
“You make a good point. I do not wish to be sick again.” Ever. Yukimura could feel Oshitari tying part of his hair and twisting it, and he could only wonder how it would end up. Hopefully, he would not resemble a princess. Titling his head back slightly, he shot Oshitari a smile. “What ever did I do without you in my life?”
“Obviously your life must have been empty and drairy.” Winking at the upturned face Yuushi shot Yukimura a rakish grin before loosening the little tail again and trying something else. “Though it’s a fate far too many people have to suffer so you shouldn’t feel too bad.” Slipping a second hair tie around his wrist he deftly twisted Yukimura’s hair into a number of braids.
“I feel even more luckier now then.” He fingered the locket in his lap and smiled. “After all, I have your heart in the palm of my hand.” Now it felt like Oshitari was braiding his hair much like his sister used to when they were little. “Do I get to see when you’re finished?”
“Of course.” Linking the two upper plaits, Yuushi tied them together for the moment and started on another set starting from the top of Yukimura’s neck upwards to join with the others, forming a frame work of sorts to keep the rest of the curls in check in a way that even if it wasn’t radiating testosterone like a sweaty body builder at least wasn’t particularly feminine either. “How does that feel? I can think of something else if you don’t like it.” He offered, sitting back to give the other teen a moment to make up his mind.
Yukimura reached a hand back and felt the hair style. It reminded him of a hippie. Quite appropriate for his personality when it came to most living things. “It feels good.” He replied. “Not that I am surprised. You have the best hands in the world.”
Technically second best, but Yukimura could not ruin their self-indulgent flattery now.
“Your approval brightens even the darkest day.” Tugging at a few stray locks to loosen up the overall look Yuushi smiled. “I suppose if everything else falls through I could always try opening a hair studio.” Winding a strand of Yukimura’s bangs around his finger he deftly turned it into a delicate ringlet, bouncing cheerfully in the ocean breeze. “Maybe something with a French name.”
“Hmmm you should take your name from a poem.” French poetry and film had always been a favorite of his. Perhaps, he finally had a friend who shared his passion. There was just something so beautiful about the style that made Yukimura a little weak in the knees every time. “Do you have a favorite?”
“I’m quite fond of a number of French writers. Though one of my favourites would have to be Alfred de Vigny, not just because of his work. Have you read Éloa? Maybe I could name my studio that...or La soeur des anges. “Yuushi hummed in thought. “I should ask Keigo if he happened to bring some of his books on the cruise.”
“I adore Éloa. Have you seen any of Jean-Luc Godard’s movies?” The man was an artist, and Yukimura owned his entire collection. He would have to ask for his mother to send it to the island in the next airdrop. “Although I must confess,” Yukimura admitted as he leaned back against Oshitari. He made quite a good back rest. “My most favorite Frenchman is Renoir.”
Once he made his millions playing tennis, one of Yukimura’s first purchases would be one of his paintings.
“Mais oui.” Resting his elbow against his knee, Yuushi smiled at the back of Yukimura’s head, tugging and playing with a random strand of blue hair here and there. “Godard is a master. His works are extraordinary.” He chuckled. “Ah yes, Renoir. One of the great Impressionists.” Tucking a stray lock behind Yukimura’s ear, he nodded. “Somehow I am not surprised that his art would appeal to you. Breaking boundaries and opening it up to the world.”
“Exactly,” Yukimura replied. He owned books upon books of the prints, the techniques, biographies. Suddenly, his mind went to days in a hospital room with nothing to do but pour over those books. Resisting the urge to shudder, he took a deep, calming breath and enjoyed the soothing fingers in his hair. “We should have a movie night sometime.”
“I’m not sure if Godard would win a popular vote but I’m certainly not against it.” Letting his fingers sink deeper into the waves of blue Yuushi started to gently rub at Yukimura’s scalp, not having missed the moment of tension that had passed through the body cradled against his own. “I’m sure Ryou would lend us the use of his man cave for it.”
Yukimura chuckled. “Perhaps not, but then it could simply be a more...intimate affair don’t you agree?” Nobody in Rikkai had ever appreciate his movie nights, and he had never understood why. They were art. “I’ll bring tea.”
“That sounds lovely.” Yuushi chuckled “I haven’t had a good cup of tea since I came here.” Sliding his fingers lower he let them dig into the muscles at the base of Yukimura’s spine, seeking and releasing any tension that was stored there. “I wonder if I could request some to be sent to me on the next air drop.”
Humming, Yukimura reached an arm over Oshitari’s leg to start sketching in the sand. He did not know what he was making yet, just idle lines to give something for his hands to do. “I’m sure you could. Hopefully, you have someone back home who loves you enough to send it.”
“Hm ...I guess my sister will have to do then.” Tipping his head to the side, Yuushi watched Yukimura’s fingers move over the sand, pale skin dark against the ground that seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. “Or I could try ordering it online and have it delivered.” He sighed thoughtfully then reached up to cover his mouth as he felt a yawn coming. “It’s really quite fascinating to see to what level interacting with the outside world is possible.”
“Yet none of them can reach us....” And therefore, he could not reach tennis. For the second time in his life, the thing Yukimura loved most had been taken just out of his reach. Another trial, he supposed. Glancing back at Yuushi, he smiled at his companion. “You should rest.”
Sensing some of the frustrated tension in Yukimura, Yuushi gave the strong arm stretched out next to him a consoling squeeze. “The world is always changing around us and we change with it. Maybe this will be a good opportunity for everybody to look back at and appreciate what has brought us here before we move on again.” Another yawn cut off the rest of his philosophical meandering. “And I suppose you’re right. I can’t convince you to keep a lonely soul company until I fall asleep here, can I?” The tensai chuckled. “I’m glad I could finish your locket before playing your heir apparent tomorrow. I’m sure it will be an interesting game.”
Yukimura chuckled. “I’m sure it will be. I’ll be there to cheer you on with all of my heart and soul.” Willing himself to get up, Yukimura brushed the sand off of his swim shorts. “I can stay with you if you want.” He gave Oshitari a smile and leaned down to run his hands through the hair that looked so much like his. “I’ll even read you a bed time story.”
“Your generous spirit outshines even the moon today.” Catching Yukimura’s hand, Yuushi brought it his lips to breathe a kiss over the back of it before releasing it again. “Alas I feel I would be taking advantage of you should I accept - not to speak of the danger my fragile heart would be in to break with the burst of joy I would experience.” Tipping his head back, the tensai smiled languidly up at the other young man. “And I would not wish to be less than at my very best for your pleasure tomorrow - so I am sad to say we shall have to postpone my acceptance of your offer.” Stretching his legs out in front of him again, he hooked one ankle over the other and crossed his arms loosely over his chest. “I shall be most content to compare the waves to your luscious locks and find them lacking until sleep will claim me. “
With a soft smile, Yukimura shook his head as his hand dropped to his side. “Mmmmm, and I shall do the same from my lofty perch in the sky,” he replied, biting his lip to keep a chuckle from escaping. “Good night Yuushi.”
A wave, and he found himself retracing his steps in the sand. Time to find Sanada and see what he thought of the new hair he supposed.