three things (fic)

[oh_darling]

Spontaneous posting of my own work on one of my own themes? Gah. >____>


Neat Information:
Title: three things
Author: bloodred0_4 
Fandom: Ookiku Furikabutte (OOFURI)
Prompt: #86 -- "Kiss Me With Your Eyes Closed"
Pairing: Tajima x Hanai (x Tajima?)
Rating: PG13 for one certain expletive, otherwise G / PG
Disclaimer: I don't own or claim to own Ookiku Furikabutte.

Messy Information:
prompt:
- #86. "Kiss Me with Your Eyes Closed"
LIST HERE.

additional prompt(s) // notes:
- a "serious" tajima ( for pukiban )
[-tajihana, self plz?]
a miniature blend of innumerable oofuri ficlet ideas that failed to stand alone
rated PG13 for one certain expletive (otherwise G / PG)
angst/fluff/romance

--
--
three things

--
--
It’s the bottom of the eighth inning and he’s crouched down low, bent slightly forward at the waist, set up a ways back from the strikezone. There’s a runner on third, and the two of them are breathing hard as one. His eyes are a deep russet colour now, fierce and unflinching and positively dead-center upon the face of the enemy, searching for something he can’t quite name yet. He doesn’t miss a beat as the pitch comes hurtling closer, inhaling steadily and then shoving it all out in one forceful gasp as he moves in to swing—a fastball high and outside that was rather difficult to connect with properly, he later recalls for the victory entourage.

The truth is, all he ever remembers of being on the field is pure exhilaration and the feeling of assurance rushing throughout his body. He hears the adrenaline as it courses through his veins, his heart as it threatens to burst from his ribcage, and especially the blood as it floods past his ears back into his brain when he finally starts breathing again on first base. Every time he goes to grasp the bat, white-knuckled, squatting down in the chalk circle to watch his teammates and then to come through for them, he’s burning up. He’s a little delirious each time but his intuition rarely fails and he’s never had a happier collection of minutes. 

When he comes down from wherever it is he goes on days like this, having been grinning and moving and hugging and congratulating on autopilot, there’s a hand on his shoulder. Its faint chill bleeds through the dusty uniform but he refuses to move away. He knows just who it is and what it all means. That same familiar, honeyed voice is going on and on and on but he isn’t getting any noise save static. So he turns slightly to his right, on the verge of tilting his head and peering up through his lashes like usual, about to crack a joke or maybe even return the affection with a tight squeeze if he’s any bolder today. 

What happens instead is this: "Hanai, kiss me with your eyes closed." 

He’s actually a very cowardly person by nature when it comes down to life outside the diamond, because he likes to brush away his problems and ignore the negatives that go along with a boisterous personality like his. He doesn’t like to be told what to do—even if it’s what’s best and he’ll probably wind up doing it later anyway. He’s lazy. He’s clingy and unapologetic. He’s not as cool or amazing or brave or as anything as anyone thinks he is. And although he’s made it plenty clear enough before, everyone needs a reminder or two every now and then—therefore, on that note, he’s rarely ever serious. 

It’s always said with a smile, or as a joke, or played off lightly when he speaks. He’s never raw with his words—he may be crazy but he isn’t an open book, for sure. Until now. 

The haphazard arm slung across his torso is limp and like ice. 

This is what he’s been waiting for. 

There are three things he loves in this world and will never ever make light of—perhaps he shouldn’t admit to it now, as it’s kind of embarrassing for a guy like him to say—and of those three things, only one really really counts. The first thing is baseball. This is a sport of determination and sweat and hard work and the great outdoors and a place where no man can stand alone. It’s home to him, and he is enamoured with everything about it. 

"Hanai?" He prompts again, still facing forward, face plain and ordinary but not taken over by laughter either. His eyes are glued to the night sky preceding the lot of them for a lingering moment before he screws them shut tightly then opens them again. The jeers and yells and clapping of the team have long since faded away for him, but he won’t turn his head. 

The second thing is companionship. If there’s one thing he can’t stand, it’s being alone, and so he takes this very seriously, whether it’s dragging a flabbergasted Mihashi back into the dugout, screaming out compliments to the batter, or slapping a lonely soul on the back. Things may spew from his lips spontaneously, but everything is meant well and nothing ever goes to waste when he puts his full power into it. 

"I want you," Tajima half-whispers, half-grits through his teeth, "to kiss me…" 

Honestly, this is much more awkward than he expected. So much for rehearsing this in front of his bathroom mirror. It’s a metaphorical bomb he had thought to deliver casually, making sure that Hanai would never know the effect of its shrapnel should he say no. But his voice has already broken twice and his fingers are trembling uncontrollably in fists at his sides. He knows why he’s having so much trouble here and now, and the problem isn’t really a problem but a sickening anticipation of what’s to come. Hanai’s reaction is one thing he can’t predict, no matter how long he thinks about it or studies the person or scripts it out in his head. He’s in the midst of tossing together a few of those handy ‘apology’ phrases in his head—"sorry-my-mistake-won’t-happen-again-fuck-totally-forget-it"—when the feather-soft pressure on the corner of his mouth catches his attention at last. 

"With my eyes closed, right?" 

"Y-Yeah."

And the third thing is Hanai, because Hanai is both of those things and so much more.
--
-- 

Thoughts?
(the more personal style of narration was intentional)

Comments

[yukitsu.livejournal.com]

I liked it! : > I was a little confused at first on who's 'he', but figured it out pretty quick later on. It's nice to read, and the last line made me grin! ♥

[bloodred0-4.livejournal.com]

Thanks~ <3
Yeah, I used a lot of "he"s and only one "Tajima" but it's good that you were able to tell who was who. I thought it added a more intimate touch, as it felt more like it was Tajima's thoughts even though the narration was still third person. :D

[yukitsu.livejournal.com]

Ahaha, to be honest, it was really hard to tell who it was at first. XD When I found out, I just read the top part again, then it was all good.

[bloodred0-4.livejournal.com]

xD
At least you were honest. But hmm, I'll have to work on that more next time. It's a bit hard since Tajima here was so OOC to begin with. :P
(But did you enjoy it any more the second time 'round?)

[yukitsu.livejournal.com]

(Oh, yes! : > )

[bloodred0-4.livejournal.com]

(Whew. :3)
Ah, Mihashi-face~ <3

[pukiban.livejournal.com]

Hahahahah. YES. Wait, wait, no. Wasn't I... Wasn't I just answering a message from you where I thought I was agreeing that serious!Tajima was a freak of nature not meant to roam the realms of mortal man? Only surely I must just be mixed up and thinking about something else, for this isn't even all that much like a morbidly obese cat trying to swim at all. Huh.

"With my eyes closed, right?"

"Y-Yeah."

And the third thing is Hanai, because Hanai is both of those things and so much more.

<3333333333333333333 *squee*

*blush* And now I'm going to be scarred to mention anything else I want to see ever again, for fear you will make it pop up one day and I will be inexplicably embarrassed. (Or...Or, wait, no, no, wait. You know what pairing we don't see enough of? Tajima/Tajima's Penis. For serious. *nudge nudge* ^_______^)

Still.

MYNE BEATS URS CAUSE IT'S LONGER AND HAS MORE INSECT BITES ON IT.

[bloodred0-4.livejournal.com]

ORLY? WELL MINE IS WIDER THEN AND ITCH FREE. xD *laughs*
*Insta-WIN*
SO THEN YOU BETTER SHOW ME YOURS WHEN YOU FINISH.

Serious!Tajima is a deadly weapon to be used in times of crisis for one to two purposes... mainly freaking out Hanai and/or sexually harrassing Hanai. As you can see, a bit of both went down here!

Haha, I got you to squee! *victory dance*

Oh come on, that's such an everyday pairing -- as Tajima will be glad to tell you. <3

Don't fight the flow. Give in, you know you think you want me to not know that you're dying to make me write things you'll regret thinking of knowing not to ask for. But you ask anyway, you know?

(You get a DMHP for that epic comment.)

[pukiban.livejournal.com]

...*BOWS* I CONCEDE TO THE MASTER. ^^

I WILL SHOW YOU AND THEN YOU WILL CRY. TRUST ME, IT'S PAINFUL TO LOOK AT.

Give in, you know you think you want me to not know that you're dying to make me write things you'll regret thinking of knowing not to ask for. I'm going to say yes, just because that's what I say when I'm this confused. (In other words, you win again.)

*googles* DracoMalfoyHaryPotter!?!!?!?!?

[bloodred0-4.livejournal.com]

VICTORY. <3
I WILL DO NO SUCH THING. T-THERE WAS SOMETHING IN MY EYE. HAVE YOU NOT HEARD OF MANLY TEARS? (Even if I'm a woman... xD)

Excellent. *rubs hands together*
You have agreed to feed me ideas. I think. *lost track of it all*

OH JA SISTA. YOU NO SEE OTHER ICON? 8D

[pukiban.livejournal.com]

OF COURSE I'VE HEARD OF THEM. I'M FAIRLY SURE HANAI WILL BE MAKING USE OF HIS OWN BY THE TIME THIS IS DONE.

Oooooooooh. I SEE. And here I thought I'd just found the wrong acronym. All I knew was that you probably weren't talking about dimethylheptylpyran. But that's ok, mansex is much better than dimethylheptylpyran, anyway. Thank you.

[bloodred0-4.livejournal.com]

TAJIMA IS LOVING THE SOUND OF THAT, BABY. xD

LOL WHUT. .___.
Mansex >>>>>>>>>> d..dimethy-thlyjsfdshfheuiwFBJKBFDSLSPEkdo. Asdfghjkl; okay then.
*thumbs up*

[genmitsu.livejournal.com]

This is so. unbelievably. good, you have no idea. The atmosphere's build up so carefully and the ending is... ah, too sweet for words...
*lots of incoherent sqeeing*
Thank you LOTS for writing this beauty. ♥

[bloodred0-4.livejournal.com]

Delighted to hear you enjoyed it so much~
Ah, such lovely praise. <3
*blushes*

[fern-knight2012.livejournal.com]

*Mass of incoherent thoughts* wow

[bloodred0-4.livejournal.com]

Hehe, thanks. :3
*Thinks it's a good thing you're speechless?*

[fern-knight2012.livejournal.com]

*oh it is a very good thing*

[bloodred0-4.livejournal.com]

Haha! <3
xD

[longleggedgit.livejournal.com]

I thought this was really lovely. It was a very believable Tajima for me, actually; I can see him, despite all his carefree self-assuredness, really struggling with something like having a crush on the inside, because he doesn't know how to act when he's being serious about something. Excellent work! :)