Fic: Hours
Title: Hours
Fandom: Air Gear
Pairing: YoshiSano
Warning(s): Some language and spoilers up into the Gabishi business and... stuff.
Rating: PG/PG-13
Word Length: ~2,151
Summary: After his battle with Gabishi, Sano retreats to his apartment and has a late visitor.
Author Notes: Written for metronome because a) her Yoshitsune rocks hardcore, b) she's the main reason I even ship this pairing, and c) she's just awesome like that. ♥ Many thanks to sweeter for running through this thing for me! ;3
It was midnight, and the key slid into the lock.
The door swung open to Sano’s apartment, and the lights switched on for the first time in weeks. The air conditioning sprang to life at the touch of a button, and still, the place felt the same: hot and stuffy, stale and unmoving.
ATs were taken off and left by the door, as a rather dirtied coat went to rest on the back of the couch. It was ruined, what with the beating it had taken that evening. Long, gray streaks in the material wouldn’t go away like the faint blue and purple patches that were forming on Sano’s skin. No matter. He could always get a new coat, but a face? Mm. Not quite as likely.
Pain pills and alcohol were the first things on his mind, and the kitchen was the first place Sano visited once inside. His head was hammering like nothing else, and the rest of his body was starting to feel the pain that adrenaline had masked earlier that night. Damn. He’d be feeling this later on.
But it had kept Kazu and Emiri in one piece. That’s what counted, right?
The gin wasn’t enough to take away the taste of copper, and Sano gagged slightly, a hand moving to press against his mouth. A disgusted look appeared on his face, and he pushed the bottle of liquor away, letting it slide to a stop on the counter. He stepped out of the kitchen quickly, muscles protesting as he did so.
A minute later, and there was the sounding of running water. It ran and ran for a long time before coming to a final, dripping stop. There was a small sloshing sound followed shortly by a long, tired sigh.
oOo
It was one in the morning, and the time to leave the guest had arrived.
To be called out in the middle of the night wasn’t unusual to Yoshitsune. As a Stormrider, one got used to the idea that anything and everything could happen at any hour of the day. Stuff like this didn’t wait until one had slept enough or eaten one’s lunch. AT ran on its own schedule, and it was up to the individual to keep up with it.
Still. The Rumble King had been called out on more pleasant business in the past.
Gabishi would be stuck at Big Bird for a while, that much was for sure. Sleeping Forest had crossed the line with this attack, and with so much at stake, Genesis wasn’t just going to sit back and let it slide. Oh no~ A nice interrogation session and a bit of torture were all on this fellow’s schedule.
But for now, it was time to watch the faceless ones get some revenge on the Skinface bastard. It was one thing to lose face in a battle, but to lose one’s face literally was another thing altogether. It incited a rage that shame alone couldn’t bring about, and oh, did it cause one to seek out the screams of the one at fault.
However, there were other things to be done that night.
Leaving the vengeful Stormriders to their fun, Yoshitsune settled himself onto the back of Benkei’s bike. He lit a cigarette as he did so and then turned his head slightly to look at his second-in-command. “You can come back later, but I’ve gotta get going for now.” A stream of smoke left his mouth as he exhaled. “I need to pay someone a visit.”
oOo
It was two in the morning, and there was a knock at the door.
Large blotches of black, blue, purple, and green had sprung up by now, and Sano adjusted his bathrobes over as many of them as possible. The one on his face couldn’t be covered though, and he pressed a hand to it gently, eyes narrowing slightly at the pain. By all means, he should’ve been sleeping by now, but certain things made that a bit difficult.
Whoever was calling at this hour had better have a good reason to be doing so.
The door was cracked open, but a second later, the person on the other side pushed against it with a hard shove. Sano quickly stepped backwards to avoid getting hit by the door, and for just a second, he thought that maybe Sleeping Forest wasn’t done with him yet.
“You were a fucking pain to find, you know that? Took me nearly an hour to hunt you down.”
Just like that, that vague sense of fear disappeared, and a lopsided grin appeared on his face. There standing in the doorway was Yoshitsune, an unlit cigarette stuck between his teeth and a smirk on his face. The Rumble King let himself in and grandly settled himself on the couch. “So, I heard that you needed to be saved, Sano~”
A lighter was out in a blink of an eye, and the second after that, a thin column of smoke was spiraling toward the ceiling. Yoshitsune sat in silence for a moment, the only action he took being to drag the lone ashtray on the table closer to him. From the looks of it, the thing hadn’t been moved since his last visit to the apartment. Sano said nothing either before slowly closing the door and settling in the seat next to the other, hand still pressed to his face. “I was perfectly capable of handling the situation.”
“Oh yeah~? From what I heard, you wouldn’t have your goddamn face right now if that AT-less chick didn’t step in,” Yoshitsune answered, cutting the other off. And then again, there was silence. The soft tick, tick, tick of a clock on the wall was all that could be heard. Cigarette smoke continued to drift upwards and dissipate into the air.
“That what you came by to tell me? If that’s it, I’ll ask you to leave.” Sano stood up before shaking his head lightly. The action caused the room to spin, and the hand pressed to his cheek moved to cover his forehead. The newly revealed bruise brought about a soft sound of disapproval from the other. “Go ahead and laugh, Yoshitsune.”
He scowled at the other before disappearing into his bedroom, the door closing with a slam. Alone in the dark, Sano leaned heavily against the door, a shaky sigh slipping past his lips. The other was right. Today had been more of a close call than he cared to admit.
To say that it had been the first time he’d been on the losing side of a battle would be a lie, but tonight had been the first time something this serious had happened. When he had had his head pressed to the ground like that, Sano… Sano really had been afraid that moment.
Not that he would admit that to anyone, except maybe…
oOo
It was three in the morning, and the lights were still on.
The apartment was quiet, save for the occasional flicking sound that came when Yoshitsune used his lighter. Judging by the number of cigarettes he had gone through already and the look on his face, he was anything but happy with the situation. He’d come here to check up on the other, not to sit there and stare at the ceiling for an hour.
Shit. How the hell did stuff like this happen?
Stop. Replay. Yoshitsune went through the first five minutes of his visit again. How many times had he revisited that scene now? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? He ground out his cigarette in the ashtray before pulling out another one, noting that he only had a few left on his person. Yoshitsune cursed softly under his breath and pulled out his lighter.
He knew he was a smart guy, a smart, talented guy. There was a reason why he was the Rumble King, and there was also a reason why he had headed Trident back in Kansai. Skills, brains, attitude - he had everything it took to be a great leader.
Yoshitsune just lacked a bit in the personal department.
Pushing himself up and off the couch, he made his way toward Sano’s bedroom and raised a hand to knock the door. His knuckles were just a hairbreadth away from the wood when he suddenly drew it back, as if the surface burned. His eyes narrowed, and he frowned at the door for a moment.
What did he have to apologize for? Sano had been the one who had overreacted to his comments, and by now, the other should know his teasing ways. Yoshitsune stepped away from the door and leaned against the opposite wall. His fingers closed around his cigarette, holding it for a second before pulling it out and away.
“Damn emotional fag…”
With a heavy sigh, he moved away from the wall and knocked twice on the door. When there was no response, Yoshitsune waited for a second more before turning his back on it. Well, if Sano was going to be like that, there was no point in sticking around any longer. As he took a step away, however, the door cracked open an inch.
“…wait.”
Yoshitsune looked over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised. He slowly turned, spewing out a stream of smoke as he did so. The door opened a fraction more, and Sano sidled out, eyes downcast. From the looks of things, it seemed like the Iron Clock was about to cough up an apology for being so rude earlier on. Well, that certainly spared Yoshitsune’s pride any blows he would’ve taken were he the one asking for forgiveness.
“Could you…” Sano fidgeted for a second, brow furrowing slightly. “Could you stay here for a little while longer?” Yoshitsune stared at the other and didn’t even notice when the ash from his cigarette dropped to the floor. Was this a request for his company after Sano had hid in his room for the past hour trying to avoid him?
…where the hell was his apology? His chance for an ego boost?
Yoshitsune sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Alright, fine.” He paused. If he wasn’t going to get an ego boost through an apology, there was still one way to get it done. “But only because I’m just that great of a guy.”
Sano smiled in reply to the other’s comment. Bingo.
oOo
It was four in the morning, and the television was on.
The bedroom was dark, the images on the screen casting an eerie blue light on everything in the room. There was some mindless action movie playing, and the volume was near muted. Settled against the pillows on his bed, Sano had a bowl of popcorn in his lap and a glass of liquor in his hand.
Seated in a chair close by, Yoshitsune had a giant jar of peppermints next to him, and small stack of wrappers was starting to form at his feet; an empty box of cigarettes could be found in the trashcan in the corner. Occasionally, he would cast a glance over at Sano, noting how the other seemed to have developed a rather glazed look in his eyes.
“So what happened after Nue brought in Gabishi?” Sano asked, voice slow and almost slurred in nature. Exhaustion and alcohol seemed to be finally taking affect. “He’s being held at Big Bird, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. We’ve got him in our nice, little iron maiden.” Yoshitsune sucked on a peppermint, eyes glued on the television. “He wasn’t being too cooperative in regards to answering our questions, but I think he’ll get better after the faceless boys have had their fun with him.
“That isn’t to say that I don’t intend to rough him up a bit more myself, especially…” He stopped mid-sentence at the sound of soft murmur from the bed and turned to look at Sano. What had been a look of slight surprise quickly softened into one of amusement. “You bastard. Falling asleep when I’m talking.”
He rose slowly and moved as quietly as he could to the bed, carefully removing the bowl of popcorn and the glass of gin from the other’s hands. Yoshitsune swirled the latter for a second before finishing the rest of the drink off. “Especially because of what that bastard did to you.”
The Rumble King carefully put the bowl and cup on the nightstand before returning to his spot in the chair. As he did so, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at Sano and chuckled softly. The other was supposed to the guardian character here; the Iron Clock was charged with protecting Kogarasumaru, not him. He looked away from the other’s sleeping figure, eyes settling on the television screen again. His hand went automatically to grab a peppermint out of the jar.
Just tonight, Yoshitsune would play the guard dog. Just this once.
Fandom: Air Gear
Pairing: YoshiSano
Warning(s): Some language and spoilers up into the Gabishi business and... stuff.
Rating: PG/PG-13
Word Length: ~2,151
Summary: After his battle with Gabishi, Sano retreats to his apartment and has a late visitor.
Author Notes: Written for metronome because a) her Yoshitsune rocks hardcore, b) she's the main reason I even ship this pairing, and c) she's just awesome like that. ♥ Many thanks to sweeter for running through this thing for me! ;3
It was midnight, and the key slid into the lock.
The door swung open to Sano’s apartment, and the lights switched on for the first time in weeks. The air conditioning sprang to life at the touch of a button, and still, the place felt the same: hot and stuffy, stale and unmoving.
ATs were taken off and left by the door, as a rather dirtied coat went to rest on the back of the couch. It was ruined, what with the beating it had taken that evening. Long, gray streaks in the material wouldn’t go away like the faint blue and purple patches that were forming on Sano’s skin. No matter. He could always get a new coat, but a face? Mm. Not quite as likely.
Pain pills and alcohol were the first things on his mind, and the kitchen was the first place Sano visited once inside. His head was hammering like nothing else, and the rest of his body was starting to feel the pain that adrenaline had masked earlier that night. Damn. He’d be feeling this later on.
But it had kept Kazu and Emiri in one piece. That’s what counted, right?
The gin wasn’t enough to take away the taste of copper, and Sano gagged slightly, a hand moving to press against his mouth. A disgusted look appeared on his face, and he pushed the bottle of liquor away, letting it slide to a stop on the counter. He stepped out of the kitchen quickly, muscles protesting as he did so.
A minute later, and there was the sounding of running water. It ran and ran for a long time before coming to a final, dripping stop. There was a small sloshing sound followed shortly by a long, tired sigh.
oOo
It was one in the morning, and the time to leave the guest had arrived.
To be called out in the middle of the night wasn’t unusual to Yoshitsune. As a Stormrider, one got used to the idea that anything and everything could happen at any hour of the day. Stuff like this didn’t wait until one had slept enough or eaten one’s lunch. AT ran on its own schedule, and it was up to the individual to keep up with it.
Still. The Rumble King had been called out on more pleasant business in the past.
Gabishi would be stuck at Big Bird for a while, that much was for sure. Sleeping Forest had crossed the line with this attack, and with so much at stake, Genesis wasn’t just going to sit back and let it slide. Oh no~ A nice interrogation session and a bit of torture were all on this fellow’s schedule.
But for now, it was time to watch the faceless ones get some revenge on the Skinface bastard. It was one thing to lose face in a battle, but to lose one’s face literally was another thing altogether. It incited a rage that shame alone couldn’t bring about, and oh, did it cause one to seek out the screams of the one at fault.
However, there were other things to be done that night.
Leaving the vengeful Stormriders to their fun, Yoshitsune settled himself onto the back of Benkei’s bike. He lit a cigarette as he did so and then turned his head slightly to look at his second-in-command. “You can come back later, but I’ve gotta get going for now.” A stream of smoke left his mouth as he exhaled. “I need to pay someone a visit.”
oOo
It was two in the morning, and there was a knock at the door.
Large blotches of black, blue, purple, and green had sprung up by now, and Sano adjusted his bathrobes over as many of them as possible. The one on his face couldn’t be covered though, and he pressed a hand to it gently, eyes narrowing slightly at the pain. By all means, he should’ve been sleeping by now, but certain things made that a bit difficult.
Whoever was calling at this hour had better have a good reason to be doing so.
The door was cracked open, but a second later, the person on the other side pushed against it with a hard shove. Sano quickly stepped backwards to avoid getting hit by the door, and for just a second, he thought that maybe Sleeping Forest wasn’t done with him yet.
“You were a fucking pain to find, you know that? Took me nearly an hour to hunt you down.”
Just like that, that vague sense of fear disappeared, and a lopsided grin appeared on his face. There standing in the doorway was Yoshitsune, an unlit cigarette stuck between his teeth and a smirk on his face. The Rumble King let himself in and grandly settled himself on the couch. “So, I heard that you needed to be saved, Sano~”
A lighter was out in a blink of an eye, and the second after that, a thin column of smoke was spiraling toward the ceiling. Yoshitsune sat in silence for a moment, the only action he took being to drag the lone ashtray on the table closer to him. From the looks of it, the thing hadn’t been moved since his last visit to the apartment. Sano said nothing either before slowly closing the door and settling in the seat next to the other, hand still pressed to his face. “I was perfectly capable of handling the situation.”
“Oh yeah~? From what I heard, you wouldn’t have your goddamn face right now if that AT-less chick didn’t step in,” Yoshitsune answered, cutting the other off. And then again, there was silence. The soft tick, tick, tick of a clock on the wall was all that could be heard. Cigarette smoke continued to drift upwards and dissipate into the air.
“That what you came by to tell me? If that’s it, I’ll ask you to leave.” Sano stood up before shaking his head lightly. The action caused the room to spin, and the hand pressed to his cheek moved to cover his forehead. The newly revealed bruise brought about a soft sound of disapproval from the other. “Go ahead and laugh, Yoshitsune.”
He scowled at the other before disappearing into his bedroom, the door closing with a slam. Alone in the dark, Sano leaned heavily against the door, a shaky sigh slipping past his lips. The other was right. Today had been more of a close call than he cared to admit.
To say that it had been the first time he’d been on the losing side of a battle would be a lie, but tonight had been the first time something this serious had happened. When he had had his head pressed to the ground like that, Sano… Sano really had been afraid that moment.
Not that he would admit that to anyone, except maybe…
oOo
It was three in the morning, and the lights were still on.
The apartment was quiet, save for the occasional flicking sound that came when Yoshitsune used his lighter. Judging by the number of cigarettes he had gone through already and the look on his face, he was anything but happy with the situation. He’d come here to check up on the other, not to sit there and stare at the ceiling for an hour.
Shit. How the hell did stuff like this happen?
Stop. Replay. Yoshitsune went through the first five minutes of his visit again. How many times had he revisited that scene now? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? He ground out his cigarette in the ashtray before pulling out another one, noting that he only had a few left on his person. Yoshitsune cursed softly under his breath and pulled out his lighter.
He knew he was a smart guy, a smart, talented guy. There was a reason why he was the Rumble King, and there was also a reason why he had headed Trident back in Kansai. Skills, brains, attitude - he had everything it took to be a great leader.
Yoshitsune just lacked a bit in the personal department.
Pushing himself up and off the couch, he made his way toward Sano’s bedroom and raised a hand to knock the door. His knuckles were just a hairbreadth away from the wood when he suddenly drew it back, as if the surface burned. His eyes narrowed, and he frowned at the door for a moment.
What did he have to apologize for? Sano had been the one who had overreacted to his comments, and by now, the other should know his teasing ways. Yoshitsune stepped away from the door and leaned against the opposite wall. His fingers closed around his cigarette, holding it for a second before pulling it out and away.
“Damn emotional fag…”
With a heavy sigh, he moved away from the wall and knocked twice on the door. When there was no response, Yoshitsune waited for a second more before turning his back on it. Well, if Sano was going to be like that, there was no point in sticking around any longer. As he took a step away, however, the door cracked open an inch.
“…wait.”
Yoshitsune looked over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised. He slowly turned, spewing out a stream of smoke as he did so. The door opened a fraction more, and Sano sidled out, eyes downcast. From the looks of things, it seemed like the Iron Clock was about to cough up an apology for being so rude earlier on. Well, that certainly spared Yoshitsune’s pride any blows he would’ve taken were he the one asking for forgiveness.
“Could you…” Sano fidgeted for a second, brow furrowing slightly. “Could you stay here for a little while longer?” Yoshitsune stared at the other and didn’t even notice when the ash from his cigarette dropped to the floor. Was this a request for his company after Sano had hid in his room for the past hour trying to avoid him?
…where the hell was his apology? His chance for an ego boost?
Yoshitsune sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Alright, fine.” He paused. If he wasn’t going to get an ego boost through an apology, there was still one way to get it done. “But only because I’m just that great of a guy.”
Sano smiled in reply to the other’s comment. Bingo.
oOo
It was four in the morning, and the television was on.
The bedroom was dark, the images on the screen casting an eerie blue light on everything in the room. There was some mindless action movie playing, and the volume was near muted. Settled against the pillows on his bed, Sano had a bowl of popcorn in his lap and a glass of liquor in his hand.
Seated in a chair close by, Yoshitsune had a giant jar of peppermints next to him, and small stack of wrappers was starting to form at his feet; an empty box of cigarettes could be found in the trashcan in the corner. Occasionally, he would cast a glance over at Sano, noting how the other seemed to have developed a rather glazed look in his eyes.
“So what happened after Nue brought in Gabishi?” Sano asked, voice slow and almost slurred in nature. Exhaustion and alcohol seemed to be finally taking affect. “He’s being held at Big Bird, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. We’ve got him in our nice, little iron maiden.” Yoshitsune sucked on a peppermint, eyes glued on the television. “He wasn’t being too cooperative in regards to answering our questions, but I think he’ll get better after the faceless boys have had their fun with him.
“That isn’t to say that I don’t intend to rough him up a bit more myself, especially…” He stopped mid-sentence at the sound of soft murmur from the bed and turned to look at Sano. What had been a look of slight surprise quickly softened into one of amusement. “You bastard. Falling asleep when I’m talking.”
He rose slowly and moved as quietly as he could to the bed, carefully removing the bowl of popcorn and the glass of gin from the other’s hands. Yoshitsune swirled the latter for a second before finishing the rest of the drink off. “Especially because of what that bastard did to you.”
The Rumble King carefully put the bowl and cup on the nightstand before returning to his spot in the chair. As he did so, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at Sano and chuckled softly. The other was supposed to the guardian character here; the Iron Clock was charged with protecting Kogarasumaru, not him. He looked away from the other’s sleeping figure, eyes settling on the television screen again. His hand went automatically to grab a peppermint out of the jar.
Just tonight, Yoshitsune would play the guard dog. Just this once.