[fic] It Started with a Smile (Part II)
Title: It Started with a Smile (Part II)
Author: puddingfiend
Pairing: SuShi! (Tegoshi/Massu) and one more surprise pairing
Genre: AU, Romance, Fluff, Some angst
Rating: PG-ish
Summary: A continuation of this fic.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Notes: For thixophobia because I love her and I have a feeling she's going to kill me after reading this ^^;; ♥ ♥
“So do you like it?”
Massu received a hug that nearly sent him toppling over to the floor in response.
Tegoshi looked and kissed him. “I love it! I was thinking of buying a new one since I don’t think my old oven wouldn’t be able to make it through another batch of cookies.”
Massu laughed. “That thing’s what…? Twelve- or thirteen-years-old?”
“I’m surprised it made it through all those years. So what’s the plan for today?”
“Oh! I forgot to tell you! I have to work a shift at the mall for a couple of hours in about thirty minutes, but after that, I’m all yours.”
“Working on Christmas? I thought you said that they’d give you a day off.”
“Turns out that one of the guys quit last night. Said was tired of being Santa’s helper and putting up with all those kids.” Massu looked at his watch and got up. “I better get dressed. The costume takes forever for me to put on. Hey, why don’t you stop by for a bit? There’s this great café across the street that we can go to during my break.”
“And get run over by all those little kids wanting to take a picture with Santa? No, thank you. I’ll just wait ‘til you’re done.”
The last time Tegoshi went to visit Massu at the “Take a Picture with Santa” booth, he got caught in the middle of a stampede of kids who were just dying to meet Santa and sit on his lap and have a picture with him.
Tegoshi fingered with a loose thread on his string as Massu disappeared into his bedroom to change into his elf costume. He couldn’t help but to plan the rest of their day together. First, he’d swing by the mall to pick up Massu after his shift was over, not forgetting to comment on how silly and adorable he looked in his costume for the millionth time. Then, the two of them would walk down the sidewalk to the winter carnival, hand-in-hand, admiring all the Christmas decorations and lights around them, and he would snuggle closer towards Massu, making the excuse that it was a little too chilly outside, and rest his head on his shoulder, though they both knew that it they were way past the point in their relationship where they needed excuses to do things like that.
Tegoshi didn’t know what would come after that, but he was sure that whatever happened, it wouldn’t fail to make this Christmas the best one yet.
He had been so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Massu come out, clad in his elf costume. When he heard him chuckle, Tegoshi pulled the loose thread he was playing with too tightly around his finger and yelped in pain.
Tegoshi looked up. It was obvious that Massu had been there for at least half a minute since he was leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed, an amused look on his face.
“Daydreaming about me, again?”
Tegoshi didn’t respond but, instead, laughed and playfully threw a pillow at Massu.
“I’m gonna tell Santa to put you on his naughty list for abusing one of his elves,” Massu joked as picked it up after it hit him on the shoulder.
“Aw… but I’ve been such a good little boy this year,” Tegoshi said innocently, putting on a cute pout.
“Well, with a face like that, I guess it’d be difficult for me to convince him to do so.” Massu made his way over to Tegoshi and bent down to place a kiss on his forehead. “I’ll be done around four o’clock. I’ll wait for you at our usual spot near the toy store, okay?”
Before he turned around to leave, a mischievous smile played on Tegoshi’s lips, and he tugged on the little jingling bell hanging around Massu’s neck, bringing his head down and their two lips in for a kiss.
---
It was the day before Valentine’s Day once again, and Kusano came over for Tegoshi’s “chocolate cookie baking ritual” as usual.
Kusano glanced at the oven as Tegoshi began flattening the dough with his rolling pin. He raised an eyebrow. Something was different about it.
“That’s a new one, isn’t it?” Kusano said finally.
Tegoshi nodded his head.
“It’s about time you got a new one. Your old one looked like it was going to fall apart any minute.” Kusano chuckled. “Let me guess… your mom gave it to you as a Christmas present?”
Tegoshi’s face hardened and he paused in rolling the dough. A moment passed before he took a deep breath and returned as if nothing was wrong, placing the rolling pin off to the side and picking up the cookie cutters. “No… Massu did, actually. He gave it to me last Christmas.”
Kusano’s face immediately turned apologetic. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”
Tegoshi shook his head and forced a smile. “Don’t worry about it. The two of us agreed to just go back to being friends. It’s not as if I’ve erased him from my life or anything. Feel free to say his name as many times as you like. I’ve moved on, anyway.”
Kusano watched Tegoshi stamp the cookie cutter around the dough, separate the heart and star shaped pieces, and place them on the baking-sheet-lined tray. Even though Tegoshi said that he had moved on, Kusano could tell that Tegoshi was still suffering from the break up, that he was still in love with Massu. It was obvious in the way Tegoshi was trying to cover it up with a smile. The pain was still visible in his eyes.
“These cookies are for him, aren’t they?” Kusano said hesitantly after Tegoshi pushed the tray into the miniature oven.
Tegoshi nodded, a sudden grin springing onto his face. “Yup! He said he’s going to take us out to the beach for a date tomorrow. I can hardly wait!”
“Are you still going to give some to…”
Tegoshi bit his lip before continuing. “No… it’d be too awkward.”
“I thought you said you two decided to go back to being friends.”
“I know… but it’s not the same as before. If I gave cookies to him on Valentine’s Day…” A pained expression came onto his face before his continued, and he turned his face away from Kusano in an attempt to hide it, which didn’t do much, since the pain could be heard clearly in his voice. “It’d be like saying, ‘Oh, let’s get back together’ or something like that.”
“But you do want to get back together with him, don’t you?”
“No,” Tegoshi said firmly. “No, I don’t. Besides, I’m with someone new now. I’m moved on, and I’m sure he has, too.”
“I’ll bet you my life savings he hasn’t.”
---
Tegoshi smiled when he spotted Nishikido Ryo waiting by the water fountain in front of the mall, their agreed meeting spot, and made his way over with a light spring in his step, basket of cookies in his hand.
Before he could greet the other “Happy Valentine’s Day” or give him the cookies, he was pulled in for a kiss that made his knees go weak and his hold on the basket loosen. Ryo, Tegoshi had to admit, was one of the best kissers he had ever met. Wait, he was the best, since he had only kissed a total of two people in his lifetime, and the other person hadn’t really been… but Tegoshi pushed that thought aside as they broke the kiss.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, love,” Ryo said, placing his hand tenderly on Tegoshi’s cheek, staring into his eyes with the same caring, romantic charm that had caught Tegoshi the first time they met.
“Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too.”
Lost in Ryo’s gaze, Tegoshi suddenly remembered the basket he was holding. “Oh! I have a present for you! It’s not much, but…”
“I’m sure I’ll love it no matter what it is, Yuya.”
There it was again. One of the many cheesy, romantic lines that Ryo would use on Tegoshi. But cheesy was the last thing Tegoshi would consider it at the moment with the way Ryo had said it to him. He had said it with such charisma and care that Tegoshi really did feel as if giving him a ball of lint would be okay.
“I baked these last night… I hope you like them.”
Ryo took a peek inside the basket. When he looked back at Tegoshi, he grinned and, as if he was saying it out of politeness, he said, “Thank you. They smell wonderful.” Of course, a kiss on the cheek followed.
Tegoshi couldn’t help but to feel a little disappointed. He hated to admit it, but he was expecting Ryo to be more excited, to smile like there was no tomorrow, to pull him in for a hug that would suffocate him, to worship him and tell him that they were the most delicious cookies ever, like Massu had.
The corners of his lips were beginning the tug up to form a dreamy smile as his head filled itself with images of Massu’s big, bright smile, but Ryo’s voice suddenly pulled him back to reality.
“…I know it’s a bit early in the relationship to be giving things like this, since we’ve been together for almost a month and a half now, but I really wanted you to have this.”
Ryo placed the basket next to the fountain, took Tegoshi’s right hand in his, and produced a gold chained bracelet from his coat pocket. Tegoshi’s eyes widened as Ryo fastened it around his wrist.
“Don’t tell me that it’s…” Tegoshi began.
“It’s real gold,” Ryo said, smiling.
Ryo was right, Tegoshi thought. It was way too early in their relationship for him to be receiving gift like this from Ryo. It must’ve cost him more than he himself made at his part time job in the span of a couple months.
Ryo laughed at the expression on Tegoshi’s face. “Don’t worry. I got a good deal on it,” he assured him. “And look.”
He lifted Tegoshi’s wrist and pointed at the small plaque that connected both sides of the bracelet’s chain. On the plaque were four letters, with a heart in between the second and third.
“I had our initials engraved on here,” Ryo told him. “I wasn’t sure if you’d like it or not, or if you’d think it was too girly-”
Tegoshi shook his head and smiled. “No, of course, I love it! It’s just that… you don’t have to go spending that much money on me”
Ryo chuckled. “In case you haven’t noticed, Yuya, I love spoiling you, and that’s exactly what I plan to do today.”
And Ryo did spoil him. Constantly. He treated Tegoshi like a princess, or prince in this case, whenever they went out, always bringing him to expensive restaurants and planning dates that left him with that “Wow, that was the best day ever” feeling after Ryo would give him a good-bye kiss on his doorstep. Ryo was a perfect gentleman to him and showed him nothing but kindness and politeness. …Though Tegoshi had what most people would consider the ideal boyfriend, he couldn’t help but to feel as if something was missing.
Ryo held out his hand and smiled, using his head to gesture towards his car parked off to the side. “C’mon. I have a surprise waiting for you at the beach.”
Tegoshi took his hand and glanced down at the bracelet once more. Giving me this kind of gift for Valentine’s Day could only mean one thing, Tegoshi realized, that he’s serious about this relationship.
---
Massu leaned against his broom as he watched Ryo lead Tegoshi to the car. His hands squeezing the broom’s handle, as if he was trying to snap it in half, as his anger shot up.
No. He wasn’t angry about the fact that Ryo was dating Tegoshi.
Or that Tegoshi had given Ryo a basket.
Or that he hadn’t received on at all.
Though it practically sent him off the edge to learn that Tegoshi had begun to see Ryo a mere week after their break up, he decided to accept it and support them, like a good friend would. Because that was what he was. A friend.
Massu walked over to where Ryo and Tegoshi had been standing, right in front of the fountain, dragging his broom with him. He bent down and picked up the small basket.
He opened the lid and took a sniff. He closed his eyes and allowed the aroma to float into his nose, sighing as he remembered all those Valentine’s Day, all those times that Tegoshi had given him the cookie-filled baskets, all those times he had hugged the little boy to the point of being squished as his way of saying “Thank you”. He knew not to expect cookies from Tegoshi this year. It would’ve been too awkward. Of course, it saddened him to know that somebody else had taken his place, but what angered him the most was that Ryo totally neglected the basket of cookies Tegoshi had given him.
“Hey, Masuda, get back to work! No breaks while on the job!”
---
Part III's coming really, really soon XD
Author: puddingfiend
Pairing: SuShi! (Tegoshi/Massu) and one more surprise pairing
Genre: AU, Romance, Fluff, Some angst
Rating: PG-ish
Summary: A continuation of this fic.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Notes: For thixophobia because I love her and I have a feeling she's going to kill me after reading this ^^;; ♥ ♥
“So do you like it?”
Massu received a hug that nearly sent him toppling over to the floor in response.
Tegoshi looked and kissed him. “I love it! I was thinking of buying a new one since I don’t think my old oven wouldn’t be able to make it through another batch of cookies.”
Massu laughed. “That thing’s what…? Twelve- or thirteen-years-old?”
“I’m surprised it made it through all those years. So what’s the plan for today?”
“Oh! I forgot to tell you! I have to work a shift at the mall for a couple of hours in about thirty minutes, but after that, I’m all yours.”
“Working on Christmas? I thought you said that they’d give you a day off.”
“Turns out that one of the guys quit last night. Said was tired of being Santa’s helper and putting up with all those kids.” Massu looked at his watch and got up. “I better get dressed. The costume takes forever for me to put on. Hey, why don’t you stop by for a bit? There’s this great café across the street that we can go to during my break.”
“And get run over by all those little kids wanting to take a picture with Santa? No, thank you. I’ll just wait ‘til you’re done.”
The last time Tegoshi went to visit Massu at the “Take a Picture with Santa” booth, he got caught in the middle of a stampede of kids who were just dying to meet Santa and sit on his lap and have a picture with him.
Tegoshi fingered with a loose thread on his string as Massu disappeared into his bedroom to change into his elf costume. He couldn’t help but to plan the rest of their day together. First, he’d swing by the mall to pick up Massu after his shift was over, not forgetting to comment on how silly and adorable he looked in his costume for the millionth time. Then, the two of them would walk down the sidewalk to the winter carnival, hand-in-hand, admiring all the Christmas decorations and lights around them, and he would snuggle closer towards Massu, making the excuse that it was a little too chilly outside, and rest his head on his shoulder, though they both knew that it they were way past the point in their relationship where they needed excuses to do things like that.
Tegoshi didn’t know what would come after that, but he was sure that whatever happened, it wouldn’t fail to make this Christmas the best one yet.
He had been so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Massu come out, clad in his elf costume. When he heard him chuckle, Tegoshi pulled the loose thread he was playing with too tightly around his finger and yelped in pain.
Tegoshi looked up. It was obvious that Massu had been there for at least half a minute since he was leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed, an amused look on his face.
“Daydreaming about me, again?”
Tegoshi didn’t respond but, instead, laughed and playfully threw a pillow at Massu.
“I’m gonna tell Santa to put you on his naughty list for abusing one of his elves,” Massu joked as picked it up after it hit him on the shoulder.
“Aw… but I’ve been such a good little boy this year,” Tegoshi said innocently, putting on a cute pout.
“Well, with a face like that, I guess it’d be difficult for me to convince him to do so.” Massu made his way over to Tegoshi and bent down to place a kiss on his forehead. “I’ll be done around four o’clock. I’ll wait for you at our usual spot near the toy store, okay?”
Before he turned around to leave, a mischievous smile played on Tegoshi’s lips, and he tugged on the little jingling bell hanging around Massu’s neck, bringing his head down and their two lips in for a kiss.
---
It was the day before Valentine’s Day once again, and Kusano came over for Tegoshi’s “chocolate cookie baking ritual” as usual.
Kusano glanced at the oven as Tegoshi began flattening the dough with his rolling pin. He raised an eyebrow. Something was different about it.
“That’s a new one, isn’t it?” Kusano said finally.
Tegoshi nodded his head.
“It’s about time you got a new one. Your old one looked like it was going to fall apart any minute.” Kusano chuckled. “Let me guess… your mom gave it to you as a Christmas present?”
Tegoshi’s face hardened and he paused in rolling the dough. A moment passed before he took a deep breath and returned as if nothing was wrong, placing the rolling pin off to the side and picking up the cookie cutters. “No… Massu did, actually. He gave it to me last Christmas.”
Kusano’s face immediately turned apologetic. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”
Tegoshi shook his head and forced a smile. “Don’t worry about it. The two of us agreed to just go back to being friends. It’s not as if I’ve erased him from my life or anything. Feel free to say his name as many times as you like. I’ve moved on, anyway.”
Kusano watched Tegoshi stamp the cookie cutter around the dough, separate the heart and star shaped pieces, and place them on the baking-sheet-lined tray. Even though Tegoshi said that he had moved on, Kusano could tell that Tegoshi was still suffering from the break up, that he was still in love with Massu. It was obvious in the way Tegoshi was trying to cover it up with a smile. The pain was still visible in his eyes.
“These cookies are for him, aren’t they?” Kusano said hesitantly after Tegoshi pushed the tray into the miniature oven.
Tegoshi nodded, a sudden grin springing onto his face. “Yup! He said he’s going to take us out to the beach for a date tomorrow. I can hardly wait!”
“Are you still going to give some to…”
Tegoshi bit his lip before continuing. “No… it’d be too awkward.”
“I thought you said you two decided to go back to being friends.”
“I know… but it’s not the same as before. If I gave cookies to him on Valentine’s Day…” A pained expression came onto his face before his continued, and he turned his face away from Kusano in an attempt to hide it, which didn’t do much, since the pain could be heard clearly in his voice. “It’d be like saying, ‘Oh, let’s get back together’ or something like that.”
“But you do want to get back together with him, don’t you?”
“No,” Tegoshi said firmly. “No, I don’t. Besides, I’m with someone new now. I’m moved on, and I’m sure he has, too.”
“I’ll bet you my life savings he hasn’t.”
---
Tegoshi smiled when he spotted Nishikido Ryo waiting by the water fountain in front of the mall, their agreed meeting spot, and made his way over with a light spring in his step, basket of cookies in his hand.
Before he could greet the other “Happy Valentine’s Day” or give him the cookies, he was pulled in for a kiss that made his knees go weak and his hold on the basket loosen. Ryo, Tegoshi had to admit, was one of the best kissers he had ever met. Wait, he was the best, since he had only kissed a total of two people in his lifetime, and the other person hadn’t really been… but Tegoshi pushed that thought aside as they broke the kiss.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, love,” Ryo said, placing his hand tenderly on Tegoshi’s cheek, staring into his eyes with the same caring, romantic charm that had caught Tegoshi the first time they met.
“Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too.”
Lost in Ryo’s gaze, Tegoshi suddenly remembered the basket he was holding. “Oh! I have a present for you! It’s not much, but…”
“I’m sure I’ll love it no matter what it is, Yuya.”
There it was again. One of the many cheesy, romantic lines that Ryo would use on Tegoshi. But cheesy was the last thing Tegoshi would consider it at the moment with the way Ryo had said it to him. He had said it with such charisma and care that Tegoshi really did feel as if giving him a ball of lint would be okay.
“I baked these last night… I hope you like them.”
Ryo took a peek inside the basket. When he looked back at Tegoshi, he grinned and, as if he was saying it out of politeness, he said, “Thank you. They smell wonderful.” Of course, a kiss on the cheek followed.
Tegoshi couldn’t help but to feel a little disappointed. He hated to admit it, but he was expecting Ryo to be more excited, to smile like there was no tomorrow, to pull him in for a hug that would suffocate him, to worship him and tell him that they were the most delicious cookies ever, like Massu had.
The corners of his lips were beginning the tug up to form a dreamy smile as his head filled itself with images of Massu’s big, bright smile, but Ryo’s voice suddenly pulled him back to reality.
“…I know it’s a bit early in the relationship to be giving things like this, since we’ve been together for almost a month and a half now, but I really wanted you to have this.”
Ryo placed the basket next to the fountain, took Tegoshi’s right hand in his, and produced a gold chained bracelet from his coat pocket. Tegoshi’s eyes widened as Ryo fastened it around his wrist.
“Don’t tell me that it’s…” Tegoshi began.
“It’s real gold,” Ryo said, smiling.
Ryo was right, Tegoshi thought. It was way too early in their relationship for him to be receiving gift like this from Ryo. It must’ve cost him more than he himself made at his part time job in the span of a couple months.
Ryo laughed at the expression on Tegoshi’s face. “Don’t worry. I got a good deal on it,” he assured him. “And look.”
He lifted Tegoshi’s wrist and pointed at the small plaque that connected both sides of the bracelet’s chain. On the plaque were four letters, with a heart in between the second and third.
“I had our initials engraved on here,” Ryo told him. “I wasn’t sure if you’d like it or not, or if you’d think it was too girly-”
Tegoshi shook his head and smiled. “No, of course, I love it! It’s just that… you don’t have to go spending that much money on me”
Ryo chuckled. “In case you haven’t noticed, Yuya, I love spoiling you, and that’s exactly what I plan to do today.”
And Ryo did spoil him. Constantly. He treated Tegoshi like a princess, or prince in this case, whenever they went out, always bringing him to expensive restaurants and planning dates that left him with that “Wow, that was the best day ever” feeling after Ryo would give him a good-bye kiss on his doorstep. Ryo was a perfect gentleman to him and showed him nothing but kindness and politeness. …Though Tegoshi had what most people would consider the ideal boyfriend, he couldn’t help but to feel as if something was missing.
Ryo held out his hand and smiled, using his head to gesture towards his car parked off to the side. “C’mon. I have a surprise waiting for you at the beach.”
Tegoshi took his hand and glanced down at the bracelet once more. Giving me this kind of gift for Valentine’s Day could only mean one thing, Tegoshi realized, that he’s serious about this relationship.
---
Massu leaned against his broom as he watched Ryo lead Tegoshi to the car. His hands squeezing the broom’s handle, as if he was trying to snap it in half, as his anger shot up.
No. He wasn’t angry about the fact that Ryo was dating Tegoshi.
Or that Tegoshi had given Ryo a basket.
Or that he hadn’t received on at all.
Though it practically sent him off the edge to learn that Tegoshi had begun to see Ryo a mere week after their break up, he decided to accept it and support them, like a good friend would. Because that was what he was. A friend.
Massu walked over to where Ryo and Tegoshi had been standing, right in front of the fountain, dragging his broom with him. He bent down and picked up the small basket.
He opened the lid and took a sniff. He closed his eyes and allowed the aroma to float into his nose, sighing as he remembered all those Valentine’s Day, all those times that Tegoshi had given him the cookie-filled baskets, all those times he had hugged the little boy to the point of being squished as his way of saying “Thank you”. He knew not to expect cookies from Tegoshi this year. It would’ve been too awkward. Of course, it saddened him to know that somebody else had taken his place, but what angered him the most was that Ryo totally neglected the basket of cookies Tegoshi had given him.
“Hey, Masuda, get back to work! No breaks while on the job!”
---
Part III's coming really, really soon XD