Sloom
Title: Sloom
Series: Gate 7
Characters: Tachibana, Sakura, mentions of others
Pairing: Sakura/Tachibana
Rating: PG
Warning: None
Summary: FROM: Sakura / SUBJECT: You looked really pretty today. Tachibana stares at the text in abject horror.
Notes: This is so bad omfg.
When Sakura answers the phone, his voice is soft, almost breathless, and for one horrifying moment Tachibana’s afraid he really did wake him up, despite convincing himself that wouldn’t be the case. He hates to wake the poor guy up, considering how little sleep he’s able to get ever since - well. It’s in another horrifying moment, when Sakura breathes out a quiet what’s up?, his voice breathy and low, and he can hear the smile canted against his phone as he speaks, and Tachibana realizes he wasn’t sleeping but that he’s, instead, actually with a woman.
Tachibana feels a spark of annoyance - what the hell, if you’re going to be sleeping with someone, at least have the decency to silence your phone! But then again, he knows he’d be just as angry if Sakura didn’t pick up because, fuck you he’s-well, the job’s more important than getting off.
“There’s a job waiting for us,” Tachibana snaps into the phone.
“Hmm,” Sakura hums out softly and Tachibana feels himself flush with anger - holy fuck he better not be sleeping with someone while he’s talking on the phone but the soft hum sounds more thoughtful than sexy, but then again what the fuck would he know? (And he doesn’t want to know!)
“You’ll need to make the weapon,” Tachibana continues on valiantly, telling himself that he doesn’t care if Sakura’s sleeping with a woman at that particular moment and he wills himself, almost successfully, not to imagine the snap of his hips or the way his hair would fall in his face because that’s fucking weird and they’re co-workers slash whatever-the-fuck you call someone you’ve known for centuries in various different lifetimes. He feels gross mentioning this last part knowing that there’s probably a woman lying right next to Sakura (or under him… or above him? Fuck, he needed to stop thinking about it!) but he says it all the same, “I’m sending Hana and that damn freeloader in your direction. You won’t need me.”
“Whatever you want,” Sakura says and Tachibana has a gross moment where he wonders if the bastard is even paying attention to him or he’s talking to the girl he’s with. But he knows that’s ridiculous. His stupid, perverted tendencies aside, Sakura does take the job seriously - he picked up his phone, after all, interrupting… whatever it was he was doing.
Tachibana berates himself for not texting the bastard instead. Not that he particularly wants to spell it all out for Sakura, just in case someone else could see it. Then again, what if she was hearing it, too? Sakura had told him before that the geisha were particularly skilled at keeping secrets, since, you know… geisha. But that didn’t mean that Tachibana had to like it!
“Just get it done,” he snaps and then immediately feels bad and mumbles, “Were you able to get any sleep?”
“Mmm,” Sakura says, and his voice is softer again and Tachibana can practically feel the smile through the phone, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”
Which isn’t exactly an answer, but Tachibana isn’t about to press him, especially when he feels like he’s being dismissed. He hangs up the phone with a snap and glares at the floor, arms crossed, waiting.
---
The lecture today is boring but mostly because this particular subject he actually lived through, so he already knows the necessary information - not that he’s about to advertise this fact. So he’s keeping up the appearances of paying attention, but really he’s lounging in his seat and glancing repeatedly at the clock, waiting for the time to tick down so he can just go home. He dislikes being away from home for too long, especially if that freeloader is at school and Sakura’s with the geisha, that means Hana’s left to her own devices for about half an hour before Sakura gets home. He glances at the clock on the wall and knows that he’s either on his way home or about to set out.
He takes out his phone without really thinking about it and sends a text.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: I want yakitori tonight.
He sends it off with a sigh, figuring he’ll get to it when he gets to it. He’s either actually sleeping, sleeping with someone, or on his way home. He’s surprised, then, when his phone buzzes in his pocket.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: Whatever you want ^_^
Tachibana stares at the text message in obvious disgust for far too long. He almost forgets he’s in class and should be at least pretending to pay attention. He glares at the text message, then glares at the clock, and then glares at his phone again.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Don’t ever make those stupid faces again. Ever.
He closes his phone but a moment later it’s buzzing again.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: (o^3^)-o <3
Tachibana wishes there was a way to yell over text message but writing something with multiple exclamation points was out of the question. Also, he had no idea what that face was supposed to be. Instead, he settles for staring at the emoticon in abject horror.
He goes in and changes his contacts list.
TO: That Fucking Idiot
SUBJECT: You’re such an idiot. Are you home yet?
FROM: That Fucking Idiot
SUBJECT: On my way.
Tachibana sighs out. Well, at least Hana’ll have company. His class is almost over so he can head over soon. He licks his lips absently and breathes out, trying to think of anything else he needs to say to Sakura. But there isn’t anything.
So he snaps his phone shut and shoves it back into his pocket and attempts to pay attention to the last ten minutes of the lecture.
---
FROM: That Fucking Idiot
SUBJECT: I’ll be late tonight.
Tachibana stares down at the text message. He’s been staring at it for several minutes now and it still annoys him. It isn’t unusual for Sakura to send him text messages or to call him when he knows he’ll be waylaid. But he’s with the geisha. And if he’s going to be late, that only means one thing. And it pisses Tachibana off. They have all these things they need to be doing! They have a job to do, work to do! Well, not at this particular moment but there could always be something that comes up unexpectedly. Sakura had no right to be doing something like sleeping with women when they could be working!
Before he can second-guess it, Tachibana dials Sakura’s number. It rings a few times and then Sakura picks up. He can hear him breathing on the other end, sighing out, and then whispering, his voice sleep-heavy, “What’s up?”
Tachibana feels instantly guilty, his hand shaking - he didn’t actually have anything to say. He didn’t actually have a reason to call him beyond his own annoyance. And Sakura had been sleeping, too!
“… I’m sorry,” Tachibana says after a moment, and hears Sakura sigh, a shifting as he sits up from the bed he was sleeping in (whose bed? He thinks it before he can stop it and feels annoyed with himself for being so stupid). “I didn’t mean to wake you…”
“Is something wrong?” Sakura asks through a yawn.
Tachibana feels worse and worse by the moment. He clutches his phone tightly to try to steady the shaking hand.
“If you’re… staying there until morning, bring back tofu when you do. That freeloader’s running out,” Tachibana mutters and knows it’s a shitty excuse and knows that Sakura knows that, too.
Sakura breathes out, and Tachibana’s chest tightens when the sigh becomes a soft laugh. “Sure… I’ll do that. Anything else?”
“No,” Tachibana says, voice weak.
“Goodnight, then.” Sakura’s voice is soft, gentle - he doesn’t sound angry, and he so rarely ever is angry with any of them so that shouldn’t be surprising. “Pleasant dreams.”
“… Sleep well,” Tachibana mutters and hangs up the phone before Sakura can answer.
---
TO: That Fucking Idiot
SUBJECT:
Tachibana stares down at his phone, thumb pressing against the keyboard to the cell, but unable to think of a reason to text Sakura. He frowns at the phone, then changes the contact information back to “Sakura”. There’s that, at least.
He looks up as Sakura enters in that moment, greeting that freeloader and Hana with his typical warm, pleasant smiles, patting both their heads as he plops down into a spot beside Tachibana at the table. He smiles at him, still looking sleepy - but he always looks sleepy no matter how often he sleeps, those heavy bags under his eyes always present. But his smile is warm when he turns to Tachibana, resting his elbow on the table and placing his chin to his palm.
“Morning,” he says.
Tachibana nods a little in greeting. He’s had his tea, so he feels less like shit, but still not overly pleasant, either. That freeloader doesn’t make tea as well as Sakura does. Sakura knows exactly what he likes and how to make it.
---
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: I’m bored.
He glances up towards the front of the lecture hall to make sure he isn’t spotted, but then again, it isn’t as if it’d matter, either. He’s far back enough that no one would pay attention to him anyway.
The phone buzzes its reply almost instantly and Tachibana almost smiles.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: School isn’t doing it for you?
Usually, Tachibana would feel annoyed at the phrasing, but for whatever reason, the text makes him smile.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Not even a little bit.
The returning text is almost immediate:
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: Poor baby. You almost done?
From anyone else, Tachibana would feel like he was being patronized. From Sakura, it was still annoying but at least Tachibana knows he’s just being teased, that this is Sakura’s stupid way of distracting him. And he can appreciate it. Maybe.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Not even close. About an hour left.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: u_u
Tachibana stares at the face.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: What the hell is that?
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: A sad face, I think.
He only thinks it is? Tachibana rolls his eyes before remembering himself and glancing around quickly to make sure he wasn’t noticed. He wasn’t. His classmates are ignoring him about as much as he’s ignoring them. So it works out.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: You’re an idiot.
He feels satisfied with his comeback and waits for the responding text, which doesn’t take long.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: ^_^ <3
---
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: You looked really pretty today.
Tachibana stares at the text in abject horror. His first thought is horrible denial - what the fuck he did not look pretty. His second thought is what the hell did Sakura know, he just saw him before his tea and shortly after his tea, before he had to head off to “work” (he had no idea if he was actually working or if he was sleeping with someone, the bastard). His third thought is the most logical: clearly this was a text meant for someone else.
(He tells himself he is not disappointed. Why would he be?)
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Pay attention to who you’re sending your texts to, moron.
He hits send and feels unspeakably moody as he pushes his phone back into his pocket and sighs, continuing his walk with Hana (and that damn freeloader), trying to steer clear of noodles but knowing it was just a countdown until he got topped into going into a noodle shop with her (and that damn freeloader).
His phone buzzes in his pocket, though, and Tachibana pulls it out with a sigh, curiosity winning over with his disappointment - no, his frustration. Not disappointment.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: I did. You looked really pretty today.
Now Tachibana doesn’t know what to do. His face heats up with a blush that, thankfully, neither Hana nor that damn freeloader notice, but he’s bitterly aware of the effect such a stupid, benign compliment has on him. Is Sakura making fun of him? Or, heaven forbid, is Sakura flirting with him?
Tachibana dismisses the possibility almost immediately. No. Not possible.
“Tachibana-san, do you think that we-”
“I don’t care - leave me alone,” Tachibana snaps quickly, interrupting that damn freeloader and bristling up.
That damn freeloader stares at him in surprise and then quickly goes back over to Hana, to ask her whatever inane question he was going to ask, undoubtedly. Tachibana almost feels guilty, but his face is bright red, he’s angry and irritable, and there’s a knot at the base of his neck from too much tension.
Fuck everything.
---
He’s still staring at the text message hours later - you looked really pretty today - and can only summon up mild irritation but, at the heart of it, just complete and abject terror and embarrassment.
Sakura was making fun of him. That had to be the case. That fucking bastard!
What was he supposed to do? Answer back that he looked like an idiot today? Maybe. Actually complimenting the bastard - Tachibana actually did like the shirt he had on today - would just result on Sakura laughing straight in his face and making fun of him forever. Not that Sakura was malicious or anything… he was just a bastard who liked to tease him, and any excuse to do so would be met as such.
Then again, saying anything after such a long time would just look weird, wouldn’t it?
He presses his thumbs over the phone’s keys, torn. He swallows thickly, staring down at the text message - it’s mocking him, completely mocking him damn it - and ultimately moving his thumb to select the option for deletion instead.
---
When Tachibana stumbles downstairs the next morning, muttering curses and unpleasantries as he slumps his way into the kitchen. Sakura is there to greet him, with that dam freeloader cowering behind him, and Sakura looks downright, disgustingly pleasant and composed. He’s wearing clothes, his hair isn’t mushed up, and there are large bags under his eyes: no sleep for him the night before.
If he didn’t feel like hell and/or the walking dead, he might have felt sympathy for him. Instead, he just growls out dangerously that he needs his tea.
But before he can even finish the sentence, Sakura is already handing the tea over to him with a warm smile. Up close, he looks much sleepier than usual.
Tachibana mutters darkly to himself, drinking his tea until he feels less like hell.
“Hana is taking Chikahito to school now,” Hana announces from around the last bite of her noodles, standing up and taking that damn freeloader’s hand before the damn freeloader can say anything.
Tachibana is in much too dark a mood to answer, but his expression does soften when Hana waves to him. He even manages to wave back.
Sakura beams after them. “You kids have fun.”
They’re alone at the table now and Tachibana is hyper aware of Sakura’s presence. He tells himself that the text message wasn’t anything, it was just Sakura being a dumbass. It doesn’t mean anything to Sakura, either. The dumbass probably already completely forgot about it.
He glances at Sakura, but Sakura’s concentrating on eating.
“… Did you sleep?” he mutters into his teacup.
Sakura shakes his head. “Nah. Not really.”
Tachibana stews in his silence, feeling unreasonably awkward. Clearly Sakura is just fine, the stupid bastard that he is. He gulps down the rest of his tea, slamming the teacup down on the table.
Sakura’s looking at him now, one eyebrow raised curiously. Tachibana doesn’t quite meet his eye.
“… You need to take better care of yourself.”
Sakura cracks a small smile, and it reaches his eyes - soft and warm. Tachibana hates it.
“I know.”
“If you know that, then do what I say. Idiot.”
Sakura shrugs, reaching out to pour Tachibana another cup of tea from the teapot at the center of the table. Tachibana watches the movement of his hands if only so he can avoid looking him in the eye.
---
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: I’m not pretty.
He sends it out, days later, before he can second-guess it - and he instantly regrets it as soon as he sends it. It’s been days. Sakura doesn’t remember. Sakura doesn’t care. Sakura will just laugh at him.
But the response comes almost immediately:
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: Yes you are.
Tachibana feels himself bristling up, despite himself. And, with pure horror, realizes he’s blushing.
Goddamn it.
Before he can respond, Sakura sends another message.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: The prettiest.
“Goddamn it,” Tachibana mutters.
---
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Are you just hanging around waiting for texts? You answer way too fast.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: There could be something important. Whatever you have to say is important.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Bullshit.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: It’s true.
---
There’s a break between classes and Tachibana reaches into his pocket, expecting and hoping for a text from Sakura. When there isn’t one, he flips his phone open and hits the speed dial for Sakura’s number, pressing the phone to his ear.
Sakura picks up after only a few rings. “What’s up?”
Tachibana closes his eyes, marveling at the sound of his voice - at that breathless, gravely voice that greets him, his breathing controlled but uneven. There’s a small thrill in knowing that, no matter what he’s doing, Sakura will stop whatever he’s doing and pick up to talk to Tachibana. The fact that he’s probably lying there with a woman as they speak doesn’t necessarily delight him - in fact, it annoys him - but at least he knows that Sakura has his priorities straight.
“Another job came in,” he says. He’d known for a while now, but he’d held onto the information until he could call him later in the day, when he knew Sakura would be busy. “It isn’t a drop-everything-and-go kind of job. We can take care of it tonight, once Hana’s back with that damn freeloader.”
“Right,” Sakura hums out, and he can hear shifting, presumably as Sakura rolls off whoever he’s with and lie on his back.
“… Am I interrupting?” he mutters, not really caring - not really wanting to hear the answer.
“Nope,” Sakura says cheerfully, but he still sounds breathless, his voice is still light and airy. Tachibana wishes the damn idiot would keep talking - there’s something comforting in hearing his voice like that.
“… Did I wake you up?”
“Nope,” Sakura answers again, and hums out. “Just hanging out.”
“Right,” Tachibana says with a roll of his eyes.
“Did you need anything else?”
Tachibana searches his mind for anything else he can talk to Sakura about. But he’s never been good with idle chit-chat, and what’s there to say to a man you’ve known for centuries?
“… I need more tea.”
“Got it. I’ll bring some home. You still have classes today?”
“Two more, then I’m done,” Tachibana says.
“Kay,” Sakura says, cheerful, his voice velvet-smooth and sending a shiver down Tachibana’s spine. “I’ll see you later, then.”
---
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: I can see you! You look really cute in profile.
Tachibana stares at his phone and then whips his head up to look out the window of the library. Sakura is standing by the gate, grinning like a dipshit, and waving at him.
Tachibana throws his things back into his bag and literally stomps his way out of the library. He marches straight up to Sakura, blushing to his ears.
“What are you doing here?”
Sakura shrugs, hands in his pockets, smiling at him cheerfully. “I was passing by, and figured you might as well go with me to get the tea. I don’t know, in case you want to be exciting and try something different. We can find Hana and Chika-chan afterwards, right?”
Tachibana isn’t sure why he’s blushing so damn much, but he nods a bit, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder properly and starting to walk with Sakura, heading in the direction of the little convenience store a few blocks down from the university.
“… How was class?” Sakura asks politely and Tachibana shrugs.
“Boring.”
Sakura laughs. “I always wonder if I should go back to school or something. Kind of miss learning new things.”
“As if you could ever get in anywhere, you lazy fuck.”
Sakura laughs again, thoroughly NOT insulted by Tachibana. Which only makes Tachibana a little annoyed, really. It’d be worse if he actually was offended, though, so maybe it’s a blessing in disguise that Sakura is so aggressively chipper and laidback all the goddamn time.
“It’s this one you like, right?” Sakura asks a few minutes later once they’re wandering the aisles of the little grocery store. Tachibana turns to look at what Sakura’s holding - one of the many teas available - and nods his head stiffly. Sakura nods. “I thought so… You and your tea. The most epic of romances.”
Tachibana watches him as Sakura wanders down the aisle, wondering why, even now, he’s still blushing.
---
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: You’re texting me a lot more lately.
Tachibana stares at the text.
He blushes.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: So I don’t have to listen to your dumb voice.
---
“Hello?” Sakura’s voice is groggy but pleasant.
Tachibana stills. “… I woke you up.”
“No, actually,” Sakura says around a yawn. “I’m at home.”
No one with him.
Tachibana looks at the clock and sighs. “I got held up at the library. Dunno if I’m going to make the last train.”
“Hmmm,” Sakura hums out.
“So just talk to me. To pass the time…” Tachibana mutters, already walking down the darkening streets.
“What about?”
“Anything.”
“You look pretty when you walk underneath streetlights.”
Tachibana narrows his eyes, wondering if Sakura is somewhere around because he’d just happened to walk under a street light. Probably not, though.
He growls darkly. “Shut the hell up. That isn’t what I meant and you know it.”
Sakura laughs, and it’s rich and soft, but restrained - not the booming laugh he’s used to hearing from Sakura.
“Stop laughing, idiot.”
---
There’s a certain reassurance, a certain smugness, that comes with knowing that if he calls Sakura or sends him a text, Sakura will drop everything and respond to him.
The days are filled with food requests and insults.
The nights are filled with nothing but Sakura’s insistent flirting.
And Tachibana isn’t about to complain. Maybe.
---
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: You’re so annoying.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: Could be worse, right?
Tachibana pauses for a long moment and then looks up, staring at Sakura who sits from him across the table. Others are at the table with them today, and the room is full of chatter. Sakura raises his eyebrows at him, smiling that soft, knowing smile of his. Tachibana feels himself blush.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Maybe.
He glances up at Sakura, watches him read the text, watches the smile soften with a soft snort of a laugh. Then he looks up and smiles at Tachibana. Only at Tachibana.
Tachibana snorts back, and texts him again:
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: But don’t let it go to your head, bastard.
Series: Gate 7
Characters: Tachibana, Sakura, mentions of others
Pairing: Sakura/Tachibana
Rating: PG
Warning: None
Summary: FROM: Sakura / SUBJECT: You looked really pretty today. Tachibana stares at the text in abject horror.
Notes: This is so bad omfg.
When Sakura answers the phone, his voice is soft, almost breathless, and for one horrifying moment Tachibana’s afraid he really did wake him up, despite convincing himself that wouldn’t be the case. He hates to wake the poor guy up, considering how little sleep he’s able to get ever since - well. It’s in another horrifying moment, when Sakura breathes out a quiet what’s up?, his voice breathy and low, and he can hear the smile canted against his phone as he speaks, and Tachibana realizes he wasn’t sleeping but that he’s, instead, actually with a woman.
Tachibana feels a spark of annoyance - what the hell, if you’re going to be sleeping with someone, at least have the decency to silence your phone! But then again, he knows he’d be just as angry if Sakura didn’t pick up because, fuck you he’s-well, the job’s more important than getting off.
“There’s a job waiting for us,” Tachibana snaps into the phone.
“Hmm,” Sakura hums out softly and Tachibana feels himself flush with anger - holy fuck he better not be sleeping with someone while he’s talking on the phone but the soft hum sounds more thoughtful than sexy, but then again what the fuck would he know? (And he doesn’t want to know!)
“You’ll need to make the weapon,” Tachibana continues on valiantly, telling himself that he doesn’t care if Sakura’s sleeping with a woman at that particular moment and he wills himself, almost successfully, not to imagine the snap of his hips or the way his hair would fall in his face because that’s fucking weird and they’re co-workers slash whatever-the-fuck you call someone you’ve known for centuries in various different lifetimes. He feels gross mentioning this last part knowing that there’s probably a woman lying right next to Sakura (or under him… or above him? Fuck, he needed to stop thinking about it!) but he says it all the same, “I’m sending Hana and that damn freeloader in your direction. You won’t need me.”
“Whatever you want,” Sakura says and Tachibana has a gross moment where he wonders if the bastard is even paying attention to him or he’s talking to the girl he’s with. But he knows that’s ridiculous. His stupid, perverted tendencies aside, Sakura does take the job seriously - he picked up his phone, after all, interrupting… whatever it was he was doing.
Tachibana berates himself for not texting the bastard instead. Not that he particularly wants to spell it all out for Sakura, just in case someone else could see it. Then again, what if she was hearing it, too? Sakura had told him before that the geisha were particularly skilled at keeping secrets, since, you know… geisha. But that didn’t mean that Tachibana had to like it!
“Just get it done,” he snaps and then immediately feels bad and mumbles, “Were you able to get any sleep?”
“Mmm,” Sakura says, and his voice is softer again and Tachibana can practically feel the smile through the phone, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”
Which isn’t exactly an answer, but Tachibana isn’t about to press him, especially when he feels like he’s being dismissed. He hangs up the phone with a snap and glares at the floor, arms crossed, waiting.
---
The lecture today is boring but mostly because this particular subject he actually lived through, so he already knows the necessary information - not that he’s about to advertise this fact. So he’s keeping up the appearances of paying attention, but really he’s lounging in his seat and glancing repeatedly at the clock, waiting for the time to tick down so he can just go home. He dislikes being away from home for too long, especially if that freeloader is at school and Sakura’s with the geisha, that means Hana’s left to her own devices for about half an hour before Sakura gets home. He glances at the clock on the wall and knows that he’s either on his way home or about to set out.
He takes out his phone without really thinking about it and sends a text.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: I want yakitori tonight.
He sends it off with a sigh, figuring he’ll get to it when he gets to it. He’s either actually sleeping, sleeping with someone, or on his way home. He’s surprised, then, when his phone buzzes in his pocket.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: Whatever you want ^_^
Tachibana stares at the text message in obvious disgust for far too long. He almost forgets he’s in class and should be at least pretending to pay attention. He glares at the text message, then glares at the clock, and then glares at his phone again.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Don’t ever make those stupid faces again. Ever.
He closes his phone but a moment later it’s buzzing again.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: (o^3^)-o <3
Tachibana wishes there was a way to yell over text message but writing something with multiple exclamation points was out of the question. Also, he had no idea what that face was supposed to be. Instead, he settles for staring at the emoticon in abject horror.
He goes in and changes his contacts list.
TO: That Fucking Idiot
SUBJECT: You’re such an idiot. Are you home yet?
FROM: That Fucking Idiot
SUBJECT: On my way.
Tachibana sighs out. Well, at least Hana’ll have company. His class is almost over so he can head over soon. He licks his lips absently and breathes out, trying to think of anything else he needs to say to Sakura. But there isn’t anything.
So he snaps his phone shut and shoves it back into his pocket and attempts to pay attention to the last ten minutes of the lecture.
---
FROM: That Fucking Idiot
SUBJECT: I’ll be late tonight.
Tachibana stares down at the text message. He’s been staring at it for several minutes now and it still annoys him. It isn’t unusual for Sakura to send him text messages or to call him when he knows he’ll be waylaid. But he’s with the geisha. And if he’s going to be late, that only means one thing. And it pisses Tachibana off. They have all these things they need to be doing! They have a job to do, work to do! Well, not at this particular moment but there could always be something that comes up unexpectedly. Sakura had no right to be doing something like sleeping with women when they could be working!
Before he can second-guess it, Tachibana dials Sakura’s number. It rings a few times and then Sakura picks up. He can hear him breathing on the other end, sighing out, and then whispering, his voice sleep-heavy, “What’s up?”
Tachibana feels instantly guilty, his hand shaking - he didn’t actually have anything to say. He didn’t actually have a reason to call him beyond his own annoyance. And Sakura had been sleeping, too!
“… I’m sorry,” Tachibana says after a moment, and hears Sakura sigh, a shifting as he sits up from the bed he was sleeping in (whose bed? He thinks it before he can stop it and feels annoyed with himself for being so stupid). “I didn’t mean to wake you…”
“Is something wrong?” Sakura asks through a yawn.
Tachibana feels worse and worse by the moment. He clutches his phone tightly to try to steady the shaking hand.
“If you’re… staying there until morning, bring back tofu when you do. That freeloader’s running out,” Tachibana mutters and knows it’s a shitty excuse and knows that Sakura knows that, too.
Sakura breathes out, and Tachibana’s chest tightens when the sigh becomes a soft laugh. “Sure… I’ll do that. Anything else?”
“No,” Tachibana says, voice weak.
“Goodnight, then.” Sakura’s voice is soft, gentle - he doesn’t sound angry, and he so rarely ever is angry with any of them so that shouldn’t be surprising. “Pleasant dreams.”
“… Sleep well,” Tachibana mutters and hangs up the phone before Sakura can answer.
---
TO: That Fucking Idiot
SUBJECT:
Tachibana stares down at his phone, thumb pressing against the keyboard to the cell, but unable to think of a reason to text Sakura. He frowns at the phone, then changes the contact information back to “Sakura”. There’s that, at least.
He looks up as Sakura enters in that moment, greeting that freeloader and Hana with his typical warm, pleasant smiles, patting both their heads as he plops down into a spot beside Tachibana at the table. He smiles at him, still looking sleepy - but he always looks sleepy no matter how often he sleeps, those heavy bags under his eyes always present. But his smile is warm when he turns to Tachibana, resting his elbow on the table and placing his chin to his palm.
“Morning,” he says.
Tachibana nods a little in greeting. He’s had his tea, so he feels less like shit, but still not overly pleasant, either. That freeloader doesn’t make tea as well as Sakura does. Sakura knows exactly what he likes and how to make it.
---
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: I’m bored.
He glances up towards the front of the lecture hall to make sure he isn’t spotted, but then again, it isn’t as if it’d matter, either. He’s far back enough that no one would pay attention to him anyway.
The phone buzzes its reply almost instantly and Tachibana almost smiles.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: School isn’t doing it for you?
Usually, Tachibana would feel annoyed at the phrasing, but for whatever reason, the text makes him smile.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Not even a little bit.
The returning text is almost immediate:
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: Poor baby. You almost done?
From anyone else, Tachibana would feel like he was being patronized. From Sakura, it was still annoying but at least Tachibana knows he’s just being teased, that this is Sakura’s stupid way of distracting him. And he can appreciate it. Maybe.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Not even close. About an hour left.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: u_u
Tachibana stares at the face.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: What the hell is that?
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: A sad face, I think.
He only thinks it is? Tachibana rolls his eyes before remembering himself and glancing around quickly to make sure he wasn’t noticed. He wasn’t. His classmates are ignoring him about as much as he’s ignoring them. So it works out.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: You’re an idiot.
He feels satisfied with his comeback and waits for the responding text, which doesn’t take long.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: ^_^ <3
---
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: You looked really pretty today.
Tachibana stares at the text in abject horror. His first thought is horrible denial - what the fuck he did not look pretty. His second thought is what the hell did Sakura know, he just saw him before his tea and shortly after his tea, before he had to head off to “work” (he had no idea if he was actually working or if he was sleeping with someone, the bastard). His third thought is the most logical: clearly this was a text meant for someone else.
(He tells himself he is not disappointed. Why would he be?)
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Pay attention to who you’re sending your texts to, moron.
He hits send and feels unspeakably moody as he pushes his phone back into his pocket and sighs, continuing his walk with Hana (and that damn freeloader), trying to steer clear of noodles but knowing it was just a countdown until he got topped into going into a noodle shop with her (and that damn freeloader).
His phone buzzes in his pocket, though, and Tachibana pulls it out with a sigh, curiosity winning over with his disappointment - no, his frustration. Not disappointment.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: I did. You looked really pretty today.
Now Tachibana doesn’t know what to do. His face heats up with a blush that, thankfully, neither Hana nor that damn freeloader notice, but he’s bitterly aware of the effect such a stupid, benign compliment has on him. Is Sakura making fun of him? Or, heaven forbid, is Sakura flirting with him?
Tachibana dismisses the possibility almost immediately. No. Not possible.
“Tachibana-san, do you think that we-”
“I don’t care - leave me alone,” Tachibana snaps quickly, interrupting that damn freeloader and bristling up.
That damn freeloader stares at him in surprise and then quickly goes back over to Hana, to ask her whatever inane question he was going to ask, undoubtedly. Tachibana almost feels guilty, but his face is bright red, he’s angry and irritable, and there’s a knot at the base of his neck from too much tension.
Fuck everything.
---
He’s still staring at the text message hours later - you looked really pretty today - and can only summon up mild irritation but, at the heart of it, just complete and abject terror and embarrassment.
Sakura was making fun of him. That had to be the case. That fucking bastard!
What was he supposed to do? Answer back that he looked like an idiot today? Maybe. Actually complimenting the bastard - Tachibana actually did like the shirt he had on today - would just result on Sakura laughing straight in his face and making fun of him forever. Not that Sakura was malicious or anything… he was just a bastard who liked to tease him, and any excuse to do so would be met as such.
Then again, saying anything after such a long time would just look weird, wouldn’t it?
He presses his thumbs over the phone’s keys, torn. He swallows thickly, staring down at the text message - it’s mocking him, completely mocking him damn it - and ultimately moving his thumb to select the option for deletion instead.
---
When Tachibana stumbles downstairs the next morning, muttering curses and unpleasantries as he slumps his way into the kitchen. Sakura is there to greet him, with that dam freeloader cowering behind him, and Sakura looks downright, disgustingly pleasant and composed. He’s wearing clothes, his hair isn’t mushed up, and there are large bags under his eyes: no sleep for him the night before.
If he didn’t feel like hell and/or the walking dead, he might have felt sympathy for him. Instead, he just growls out dangerously that he needs his tea.
But before he can even finish the sentence, Sakura is already handing the tea over to him with a warm smile. Up close, he looks much sleepier than usual.
Tachibana mutters darkly to himself, drinking his tea until he feels less like hell.
“Hana is taking Chikahito to school now,” Hana announces from around the last bite of her noodles, standing up and taking that damn freeloader’s hand before the damn freeloader can say anything.
Tachibana is in much too dark a mood to answer, but his expression does soften when Hana waves to him. He even manages to wave back.
Sakura beams after them. “You kids have fun.”
They’re alone at the table now and Tachibana is hyper aware of Sakura’s presence. He tells himself that the text message wasn’t anything, it was just Sakura being a dumbass. It doesn’t mean anything to Sakura, either. The dumbass probably already completely forgot about it.
He glances at Sakura, but Sakura’s concentrating on eating.
“… Did you sleep?” he mutters into his teacup.
Sakura shakes his head. “Nah. Not really.”
Tachibana stews in his silence, feeling unreasonably awkward. Clearly Sakura is just fine, the stupid bastard that he is. He gulps down the rest of his tea, slamming the teacup down on the table.
Sakura’s looking at him now, one eyebrow raised curiously. Tachibana doesn’t quite meet his eye.
“… You need to take better care of yourself.”
Sakura cracks a small smile, and it reaches his eyes - soft and warm. Tachibana hates it.
“I know.”
“If you know that, then do what I say. Idiot.”
Sakura shrugs, reaching out to pour Tachibana another cup of tea from the teapot at the center of the table. Tachibana watches the movement of his hands if only so he can avoid looking him in the eye.
---
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: I’m not pretty.
He sends it out, days later, before he can second-guess it - and he instantly regrets it as soon as he sends it. It’s been days. Sakura doesn’t remember. Sakura doesn’t care. Sakura will just laugh at him.
But the response comes almost immediately:
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: Yes you are.
Tachibana feels himself bristling up, despite himself. And, with pure horror, realizes he’s blushing.
Goddamn it.
Before he can respond, Sakura sends another message.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: The prettiest.
“Goddamn it,” Tachibana mutters.
---
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Are you just hanging around waiting for texts? You answer way too fast.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: There could be something important. Whatever you have to say is important.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Bullshit.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: It’s true.
---
There’s a break between classes and Tachibana reaches into his pocket, expecting and hoping for a text from Sakura. When there isn’t one, he flips his phone open and hits the speed dial for Sakura’s number, pressing the phone to his ear.
Sakura picks up after only a few rings. “What’s up?”
Tachibana closes his eyes, marveling at the sound of his voice - at that breathless, gravely voice that greets him, his breathing controlled but uneven. There’s a small thrill in knowing that, no matter what he’s doing, Sakura will stop whatever he’s doing and pick up to talk to Tachibana. The fact that he’s probably lying there with a woman as they speak doesn’t necessarily delight him - in fact, it annoys him - but at least he knows that Sakura has his priorities straight.
“Another job came in,” he says. He’d known for a while now, but he’d held onto the information until he could call him later in the day, when he knew Sakura would be busy. “It isn’t a drop-everything-and-go kind of job. We can take care of it tonight, once Hana’s back with that damn freeloader.”
“Right,” Sakura hums out, and he can hear shifting, presumably as Sakura rolls off whoever he’s with and lie on his back.
“… Am I interrupting?” he mutters, not really caring - not really wanting to hear the answer.
“Nope,” Sakura says cheerfully, but he still sounds breathless, his voice is still light and airy. Tachibana wishes the damn idiot would keep talking - there’s something comforting in hearing his voice like that.
“… Did I wake you up?”
“Nope,” Sakura answers again, and hums out. “Just hanging out.”
“Right,” Tachibana says with a roll of his eyes.
“Did you need anything else?”
Tachibana searches his mind for anything else he can talk to Sakura about. But he’s never been good with idle chit-chat, and what’s there to say to a man you’ve known for centuries?
“… I need more tea.”
“Got it. I’ll bring some home. You still have classes today?”
“Two more, then I’m done,” Tachibana says.
“Kay,” Sakura says, cheerful, his voice velvet-smooth and sending a shiver down Tachibana’s spine. “I’ll see you later, then.”
---
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: I can see you! You look really cute in profile.
Tachibana stares at his phone and then whips his head up to look out the window of the library. Sakura is standing by the gate, grinning like a dipshit, and waving at him.
Tachibana throws his things back into his bag and literally stomps his way out of the library. He marches straight up to Sakura, blushing to his ears.
“What are you doing here?”
Sakura shrugs, hands in his pockets, smiling at him cheerfully. “I was passing by, and figured you might as well go with me to get the tea. I don’t know, in case you want to be exciting and try something different. We can find Hana and Chika-chan afterwards, right?”
Tachibana isn’t sure why he’s blushing so damn much, but he nods a bit, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder properly and starting to walk with Sakura, heading in the direction of the little convenience store a few blocks down from the university.
“… How was class?” Sakura asks politely and Tachibana shrugs.
“Boring.”
Sakura laughs. “I always wonder if I should go back to school or something. Kind of miss learning new things.”
“As if you could ever get in anywhere, you lazy fuck.”
Sakura laughs again, thoroughly NOT insulted by Tachibana. Which only makes Tachibana a little annoyed, really. It’d be worse if he actually was offended, though, so maybe it’s a blessing in disguise that Sakura is so aggressively chipper and laidback all the goddamn time.
“It’s this one you like, right?” Sakura asks a few minutes later once they’re wandering the aisles of the little grocery store. Tachibana turns to look at what Sakura’s holding - one of the many teas available - and nods his head stiffly. Sakura nods. “I thought so… You and your tea. The most epic of romances.”
Tachibana watches him as Sakura wanders down the aisle, wondering why, even now, he’s still blushing.
---
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: You’re texting me a lot more lately.
Tachibana stares at the text.
He blushes.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: So I don’t have to listen to your dumb voice.
---
“Hello?” Sakura’s voice is groggy but pleasant.
Tachibana stills. “… I woke you up.”
“No, actually,” Sakura says around a yawn. “I’m at home.”
No one with him.
Tachibana looks at the clock and sighs. “I got held up at the library. Dunno if I’m going to make the last train.”
“Hmmm,” Sakura hums out.
“So just talk to me. To pass the time…” Tachibana mutters, already walking down the darkening streets.
“What about?”
“Anything.”
“You look pretty when you walk underneath streetlights.”
Tachibana narrows his eyes, wondering if Sakura is somewhere around because he’d just happened to walk under a street light. Probably not, though.
He growls darkly. “Shut the hell up. That isn’t what I meant and you know it.”
Sakura laughs, and it’s rich and soft, but restrained - not the booming laugh he’s used to hearing from Sakura.
“Stop laughing, idiot.”
---
There’s a certain reassurance, a certain smugness, that comes with knowing that if he calls Sakura or sends him a text, Sakura will drop everything and respond to him.
The days are filled with food requests and insults.
The nights are filled with nothing but Sakura’s insistent flirting.
And Tachibana isn’t about to complain. Maybe.
---
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: You’re so annoying.
FROM: Sakura
SUBJECT: Could be worse, right?
Tachibana pauses for a long moment and then looks up, staring at Sakura who sits from him across the table. Others are at the table with them today, and the room is full of chatter. Sakura raises his eyebrows at him, smiling that soft, knowing smile of his. Tachibana feels himself blush.
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: Maybe.
He glances up at Sakura, watches him read the text, watches the smile soften with a soft snort of a laugh. Then he looks up and smiles at Tachibana. Only at Tachibana.
Tachibana snorts back, and texts him again:
TO: Sakura
SUBJECT: But don’t let it go to your head, bastard.