Chapter 6
Title: Requiem of the Rising Tide (6/?)
Author:
akiryu
Pairing[s]: Aki/Mizuki, other pairings later.
Band[s]: Sadie, Mucc, alice nine, maybe others later on.
Rating: PG-13 this time.
Synopsis: Tsurugi ramblings and band practice.
Disclaimer: Obviously, I own nobody.
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
The smell of coffee woke Aki up. He went into the kitchen slowly, trying to get accustomed to the morning. Standing by Tatsurou, he watched as the other got out some mugs.
“Want anything in your coffee?”
“It’s fine as is..” Aki mumbled quieter than normal as he wasn’t a morning person.
“Darrrrrrrk like your soul??” Tatsurou teased slightly, pouring some for the bassist.
Rolling his eyes, he took his coffee; sipping it. He stayed quiet, trying to wake himself up more.
“Occhi scheduled practice for later today. Mizu said he’d be there today, too.”
Pausing, Aki looked over at Tatsurou. He figured it was a good sign as it meant that things between him and Mizuki would get sorted out soon. And then what? It’d all turn back to normal. Aki couldn’t help the part in himself that felt that Tatsurou only stuck around to make sure it would all work out for Karasu. The bassist still thought that the vocalist would just leave after that. And where would that leave Aki? His friendship with Mizuki would be slightly broken. At least he had the rest of his band. The bassist wasn’t sure about how he’d feel if Tatsurou left. Certainly they’d be friends? The shorter man knew he wouldn’t mind either way, he was alright with being a loner. It was simply another thing that set Tatsurou and Aki apart, yet even though they were different the bassist felt a sort of ‘balance’ with him.
Finishing up his coffee, Aki looked at a newspaper idly; Tatsurou fidgeting with his own cup of coffee. “…let’s go out for lunch…” He murmured, looking over at the taller man.
Grinning, Tatsurou nodded. “Sure, dude..”
Aki went back to his room, changing quickly. He fixed his hair; putting on some sunglasses and making sure he had the things he needed for practice later. Heading back to the kitchen, Tatsurou blinked a few times as he stared at him.
“Gee, Ki-kun; if I had known that we were going on a date, I would’ve dressed better.”
Sighing, he glanced at the vocalist through his dark lenses. “You coming or not?”
“Oh…definitely.” The pair put on their shoes and Tatsurou followed Aki out the door.
They ended up at a fast-food place not far from the studio where practice would be later. It wasn’t that the bassist was particularly fond of such food; it was just more convenient and practical to him to eat there. As it was busy there was a line but luckily it wasn’t too bad.
“Sure you don’t have anything going on today? You’ve been spending a lot of time just dealing with me.”
“I wouldn’t question it. Why not just enjoy my company?” Tatsurou patted Aki’s back lightly.
Ordering, the bassist waited; playing with his lip chain. The vocalist stayed by him, pacing slightly and giving people dirty looks whenever they stared. Facepalming, Aki grumbled a bit to himself about how Tatsurou was acting. A familiar voice caused him to look over at the line and he nodded at Tsurugi.
The guitarist stood by Aki. “Mind if I join you for lunch? Kei-chan was supposed to come but he’s either late or has ditched me.”
“Yo. I’m on a date with Ki-kun!” Aki felt an arm rest around his shoulders and cringed a little.
Quirking an eyebrow, Tsurugi stared at Aki questioningly as the bassist pulled Tatsurou’s arm away. “It’s fine with me..”
Part of Aki wanted Tsurugi around as his ramblings would help him with his nerves. The lighter-haired male started talking about how his dog seemed to be sick and he was worried and thinking of whether or not if he should take him to a vet. The bassist nodded, agreeing with that. Although he wasn’t into pets he thought that it was best that they should be taken care of well, and he knew that the guitarist was good at that. As the food came, the three grabbed a table; Tatsurou giving his own input as well. After all, he had pets of his own and understood.
Tsurugi then expanded more on the topic of pets by explaining why he got a dog and such as Aki ate quietly. He listened as the two rambled on a bit; it wasn’t like he could add much more so he decided not to.
Glancing at Aki, Tatsurou changed the subject. “So, uhh when are you guys going major?”
“None of your business.” The bassist muttered.
The taller man pouted. “So mean. See what I have to put up with, Tsucchi?”
“Y-yeah…but Aki-kun just likes looking out for the band.” The guitarist nodded, sipping some soda.
Tatsurou blinked. “Strict leader-san…” He nudged Aki’s shoulder.
The three finished their meals not long after and headed over to the studio. Kei and Mao were already there. Aki decided to wait in the lobby for Mizuki and told others to go on ahead. He didn’t want things to continue to loom over the band; it would dampen rehearsal. He paced a bit, too jilted to sit still. Tatsurou gave him a warning look as Mao pulled him away. Finally mostly alone, he kept pacing; impatient.
A few moments later he could see the slim figure of Mizuki heading towards the double-glass doors. In addition, he noticed another person by his side. Hiroto. Hiroto smiled at Mizuki and gave a short hug. The pair stood for a few minutes outside the building, talking. Aki didn’t know why, but something about their interactions made him feel uneasy.
Hiroto left and for a short while, Mizuki stood still and watched the other leave. Aki had been staring so intently in one direction that he didn’t notice that the guitarist had come inside until the other poked his shoulder; making him jump slightly.
Grinning, Mizuki laughed. “Got ya. Let’s get going to practice, okay?”
It was as if nothing had happened, as if Mizuki hadn’t been hurt and part of him was somewhat terrified of that fact. The rest of him just brushed it off, thinking it was no big deal. Shaking his head, he knew it’d still be best to simply confront Mizuki about things.
Looking over at Mizuki, he stared into his eyes seriously. Underlying the other’s grin, he could see something out-of-place in those familiar eyes. The guitarist’s grin started to fall apart; bit by bit, piece by piece. He knew what the bassist wanted to talk about without Aki even saying anything. Grabbing the guitarist’s wrist, he wanted to make sure that Mizuki would stay.
“Mizuki..we need to talk. Now.” Aki’s voice wasn’t mumbled or anything of the like, for once; and he had taken his sunglasses earlier.
Mizuki’s gaze stayed dropped for a split second before transforming back into his usual grin. “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m fine, Ki-tan. Let’s go to practice, okay?”
Surprised, Aki let the guitarist go and watched as the other headed out of the lobby. The secretary at the front desk brought him out of it by asking if he was alright and he nodded before heading back to the practice room.
The others were all in various states of getting ready for practice. It felt strange to Aki as he always strived to be early. Tatsurou was talking with Kei, Mao looked like he was vaguely listening to Tsurugi’s ramblings; and Mizuki was grinning at his phone, obviously amused by some text. It felt like everyone in the band had their own ‘place’ and Aki was on the outside, looking in. However; that feeling was dashed as Mao stared at the bassist and called everyone to practice.
It felt like nothing was looming over the band and they practiced like there were no problems between any of them. Tatsurou watched on the couch quietly, grinning or head banging every once and a while. Somehow the fact that everything seemed too normal started to disturb the bassist for a bit. It almost felt as though he was on one of those candid camera shows and someone would just come out soon saying that it was all just a joke, and then everyone would laugh. Part of him was bothered, but then he began to think that maybe Mizuki had actually gotten over everything. It wasn’t entirely out of the question to the bassist; after all the guitarist seemed to laugh things off easily and didn’t dwell too much on bad times. But it felt to Aki that that wasn’t how Mizuki should have reacted in the situation, and that the other was simply pretending to shrug it off. Aki felt that the guitarist was just avoiding the problem, thinking it would just go away or that he would forget. He had seen this type of reaction happen too often in people. Sometimes that result couldn’t be avoided but Aki really wanted to sort it all out. He believed in Mizuki; and knew it’d be healthier for them and the band if they talked it through.
Gaining more determination, he called for a half-an-hour break. After saying so, Mizuki darted out of the room; calling someone on the phone. Sighing, Aki stared at the floor a bit. It was a question of etiquette. If he followed after Mizuki and interrupted his phone call, he would most likely get in trouble. But if he couldn’t confront him during the break; when would be right? After practice? The guitarist would just run off again, perhaps with Hiroto.
“You’re thinking too much. How typical.” Tatsurou pouted, poking Aki’s cheek a few times.
Blinking, Aki looked at the taller man. “What should I do, then?”
Glancing shiftily around the room and realizing that they were alone, Tatsurou hugged the bassist tightly. Aki tilted his head up to stare at the other man’s face, which looked back at him.
“Hah…most people don’t bother looking up. They look down or straight ahead. But you’re the type of person that when you’re serious, you stare right at someone’s face.” He poked Aki’s nose. “Makes me feel special, darling~” The taller man grinned at him, keeping him close.
Slowly, one of Aki’s hands reached to wrap around Tatsurou’s back a bit. The vocalist said nothing and they just stood there like that. Tatsurou hummed quietly, rocking them a little.
After a while, they started hearing some noises heading towards the room and they pulled away; knowing it was probably Aki’s bandmates. Tatsurou sat back down on the couch and for a few seconds Aki stared at him but quickly got back into the swing of practice, getting ready. He didn’t want the others to be suspicious or make assumptions. He figured that would upset Mizuki slightly as the wounds from days ago were still fresh, even though he hid it well. Not wanting thoughts to cloud his mind, he emptied it as they started practice again.
Author:
akiryuPairing[s]: Aki/Mizuki, other pairings later.
Band[s]: Sadie, Mucc, alice nine, maybe others later on.
Rating: PG-13 this time.
Synopsis: Tsurugi ramblings and band practice.
Disclaimer: Obviously, I own nobody.
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
The smell of coffee woke Aki up. He went into the kitchen slowly, trying to get accustomed to the morning. Standing by Tatsurou, he watched as the other got out some mugs.
“Want anything in your coffee?”
“It’s fine as is..” Aki mumbled quieter than normal as he wasn’t a morning person.
“Darrrrrrrk like your soul??” Tatsurou teased slightly, pouring some for the bassist.
Rolling his eyes, he took his coffee; sipping it. He stayed quiet, trying to wake himself up more.
“Occhi scheduled practice for later today. Mizu said he’d be there today, too.”
Pausing, Aki looked over at Tatsurou. He figured it was a good sign as it meant that things between him and Mizuki would get sorted out soon. And then what? It’d all turn back to normal. Aki couldn’t help the part in himself that felt that Tatsurou only stuck around to make sure it would all work out for Karasu. The bassist still thought that the vocalist would just leave after that. And where would that leave Aki? His friendship with Mizuki would be slightly broken. At least he had the rest of his band. The bassist wasn’t sure about how he’d feel if Tatsurou left. Certainly they’d be friends? The shorter man knew he wouldn’t mind either way, he was alright with being a loner. It was simply another thing that set Tatsurou and Aki apart, yet even though they were different the bassist felt a sort of ‘balance’ with him.
Finishing up his coffee, Aki looked at a newspaper idly; Tatsurou fidgeting with his own cup of coffee. “…let’s go out for lunch…” He murmured, looking over at the taller man.
Grinning, Tatsurou nodded. “Sure, dude..”
Aki went back to his room, changing quickly. He fixed his hair; putting on some sunglasses and making sure he had the things he needed for practice later. Heading back to the kitchen, Tatsurou blinked a few times as he stared at him.
“Gee, Ki-kun; if I had known that we were going on a date, I would’ve dressed better.”
Sighing, he glanced at the vocalist through his dark lenses. “You coming or not?”
“Oh…definitely.” The pair put on their shoes and Tatsurou followed Aki out the door.
They ended up at a fast-food place not far from the studio where practice would be later. It wasn’t that the bassist was particularly fond of such food; it was just more convenient and practical to him to eat there. As it was busy there was a line but luckily it wasn’t too bad.
“Sure you don’t have anything going on today? You’ve been spending a lot of time just dealing with me.”
“I wouldn’t question it. Why not just enjoy my company?” Tatsurou patted Aki’s back lightly.
Ordering, the bassist waited; playing with his lip chain. The vocalist stayed by him, pacing slightly and giving people dirty looks whenever they stared. Facepalming, Aki grumbled a bit to himself about how Tatsurou was acting. A familiar voice caused him to look over at the line and he nodded at Tsurugi.
The guitarist stood by Aki. “Mind if I join you for lunch? Kei-chan was supposed to come but he’s either late or has ditched me.”
“Yo. I’m on a date with Ki-kun!” Aki felt an arm rest around his shoulders and cringed a little.
Quirking an eyebrow, Tsurugi stared at Aki questioningly as the bassist pulled Tatsurou’s arm away. “It’s fine with me..”
Part of Aki wanted Tsurugi around as his ramblings would help him with his nerves. The lighter-haired male started talking about how his dog seemed to be sick and he was worried and thinking of whether or not if he should take him to a vet. The bassist nodded, agreeing with that. Although he wasn’t into pets he thought that it was best that they should be taken care of well, and he knew that the guitarist was good at that. As the food came, the three grabbed a table; Tatsurou giving his own input as well. After all, he had pets of his own and understood.
Tsurugi then expanded more on the topic of pets by explaining why he got a dog and such as Aki ate quietly. He listened as the two rambled on a bit; it wasn’t like he could add much more so he decided not to.
Glancing at Aki, Tatsurou changed the subject. “So, uhh when are you guys going major?”
“None of your business.” The bassist muttered.
The taller man pouted. “So mean. See what I have to put up with, Tsucchi?”
“Y-yeah…but Aki-kun just likes looking out for the band.” The guitarist nodded, sipping some soda.
Tatsurou blinked. “Strict leader-san…” He nudged Aki’s shoulder.
The three finished their meals not long after and headed over to the studio. Kei and Mao were already there. Aki decided to wait in the lobby for Mizuki and told others to go on ahead. He didn’t want things to continue to loom over the band; it would dampen rehearsal. He paced a bit, too jilted to sit still. Tatsurou gave him a warning look as Mao pulled him away. Finally mostly alone, he kept pacing; impatient.
A few moments later he could see the slim figure of Mizuki heading towards the double-glass doors. In addition, he noticed another person by his side. Hiroto. Hiroto smiled at Mizuki and gave a short hug. The pair stood for a few minutes outside the building, talking. Aki didn’t know why, but something about their interactions made him feel uneasy.
Hiroto left and for a short while, Mizuki stood still and watched the other leave. Aki had been staring so intently in one direction that he didn’t notice that the guitarist had come inside until the other poked his shoulder; making him jump slightly.
Grinning, Mizuki laughed. “Got ya. Let’s get going to practice, okay?”
It was as if nothing had happened, as if Mizuki hadn’t been hurt and part of him was somewhat terrified of that fact. The rest of him just brushed it off, thinking it was no big deal. Shaking his head, he knew it’d still be best to simply confront Mizuki about things.
Looking over at Mizuki, he stared into his eyes seriously. Underlying the other’s grin, he could see something out-of-place in those familiar eyes. The guitarist’s grin started to fall apart; bit by bit, piece by piece. He knew what the bassist wanted to talk about without Aki even saying anything. Grabbing the guitarist’s wrist, he wanted to make sure that Mizuki would stay.
“Mizuki..we need to talk. Now.” Aki’s voice wasn’t mumbled or anything of the like, for once; and he had taken his sunglasses earlier.
Mizuki’s gaze stayed dropped for a split second before transforming back into his usual grin. “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m fine, Ki-tan. Let’s go to practice, okay?”
Surprised, Aki let the guitarist go and watched as the other headed out of the lobby. The secretary at the front desk brought him out of it by asking if he was alright and he nodded before heading back to the practice room.
The others were all in various states of getting ready for practice. It felt strange to Aki as he always strived to be early. Tatsurou was talking with Kei, Mao looked like he was vaguely listening to Tsurugi’s ramblings; and Mizuki was grinning at his phone, obviously amused by some text. It felt like everyone in the band had their own ‘place’ and Aki was on the outside, looking in. However; that feeling was dashed as Mao stared at the bassist and called everyone to practice.
It felt like nothing was looming over the band and they practiced like there were no problems between any of them. Tatsurou watched on the couch quietly, grinning or head banging every once and a while. Somehow the fact that everything seemed too normal started to disturb the bassist for a bit. It almost felt as though he was on one of those candid camera shows and someone would just come out soon saying that it was all just a joke, and then everyone would laugh. Part of him was bothered, but then he began to think that maybe Mizuki had actually gotten over everything. It wasn’t entirely out of the question to the bassist; after all the guitarist seemed to laugh things off easily and didn’t dwell too much on bad times. But it felt to Aki that that wasn’t how Mizuki should have reacted in the situation, and that the other was simply pretending to shrug it off. Aki felt that the guitarist was just avoiding the problem, thinking it would just go away or that he would forget. He had seen this type of reaction happen too often in people. Sometimes that result couldn’t be avoided but Aki really wanted to sort it all out. He believed in Mizuki; and knew it’d be healthier for them and the band if they talked it through.
Gaining more determination, he called for a half-an-hour break. After saying so, Mizuki darted out of the room; calling someone on the phone. Sighing, Aki stared at the floor a bit. It was a question of etiquette. If he followed after Mizuki and interrupted his phone call, he would most likely get in trouble. But if he couldn’t confront him during the break; when would be right? After practice? The guitarist would just run off again, perhaps with Hiroto.
“You’re thinking too much. How typical.” Tatsurou pouted, poking Aki’s cheek a few times.
Blinking, Aki looked at the taller man. “What should I do, then?”
Glancing shiftily around the room and realizing that they were alone, Tatsurou hugged the bassist tightly. Aki tilted his head up to stare at the other man’s face, which looked back at him.
“Hah…most people don’t bother looking up. They look down or straight ahead. But you’re the type of person that when you’re serious, you stare right at someone’s face.” He poked Aki’s nose. “Makes me feel special, darling~” The taller man grinned at him, keeping him close.
Slowly, one of Aki’s hands reached to wrap around Tatsurou’s back a bit. The vocalist said nothing and they just stood there like that. Tatsurou hummed quietly, rocking them a little.
After a while, they started hearing some noises heading towards the room and they pulled away; knowing it was probably Aki’s bandmates. Tatsurou sat back down on the couch and for a few seconds Aki stared at him but quickly got back into the swing of practice, getting ready. He didn’t want the others to be suspicious or make assumptions. He figured that would upset Mizuki slightly as the wounds from days ago were still fresh, even though he hid it well. Not wanting thoughts to cloud his mind, he emptied it as they started practice again.