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Entry tags:
The Chivalrous
Title: The Chivalrous
Fandom: Bungou to Alchemist
Character(s): Tokuda, Kyouka, Kenji
Pairing(s): None
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Word Count: 960
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Shuusei supports Kyouka in getting home. Kyouka supports Shuusei in a different way.
Notes: Title from one of Kyouka's works, "The Righteous and the Chivalrous".
Shuusei finds it difficult to work in gloves. If it’s something like scrubbing, then Kyouka’s advice for him to put on gloves makes sense, but for anything delicate like replacing a lightbulb, Shuusei prefers to have his fingers uncovered.
He’d found arm sleeves that don’t cover the fingers, but that didn’t stop Kyouka’s nagging. If anything, Kyouka yelled at him even more for ‘making a mockery of his advice’. With Kyouka, there’s no way to win.
Kyouka won’t go a minute without his gloves. Even now, when his haori is torn and he can barely stand, his gloves are in their proper place.
“Are you going to be able to get back like that?” Shuusei asks. Just that Kyouka is leaning against a tree is sign enough that he’s in a bad way.
“Of course. I can still walk.” Kyouka pushes himself off the tree - and immediately teeters, threatening to fall.
Shuusei grabs a hold of his side. He doesn’t think about it - it’s just the thing you do when an ally is going to fall over.
“Don’t touch me!” Kyouka pulls away. He wobbles again, and this time Shuusei has to grab him arm before he splats on his face.
“You can’t walk,” Shuusei says. “I know you hate it, but you’re going to need to let me touch you for a while.”
Kyouka scowls. “Doesn’t anyone have gloves?”
Their two companions in this book shake their heads. Kenji holds up his ungloved hands. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I could help you if you fell anyway...”
Yoshikawa shows his bare hands, which are visibly dirty. Kyouka flinches away from them at the sight.
“Looks like I’m your best choice,” Shuusei says.
Kyouka is silent for a moment, before sighing. “Just once. Don’t touch my skin. And I’ll wash everything you touch after we get back.”
“Get fixed up first,” Shuusei says. Kyouka prioritizing cleaning over healing is a common problem. “Then you can clean everything you want.”
They walk slowly back towards where they can retreat. Kenji and Yoshikawa hurry ahead of them, to confirm that they haven’t been blocked off, which leaves Kyouka leaning on Shuusei’s shoulder and Shuusei’s hand on Kyouka’s back to support him as they walk.
Shuusei knows he should be talking, to distract Kyouka from his thoughts, but small talk isn’t his strong point, and Kyouka isn’t someone he gets along with in the best of circumstances. But so close to Kyouka, he can see how pale he is, and every time Shuusei accidentally moves his thumb Kyouka shudders - he has to try something.
“You and Kouyou-sensei dress very similarly.”
It’s an attempt.
“As a student of his, I should never present a slovenly appearance, or I will reflect badly upon my teacher as well as myself.” Kyouka narrows his eyes. “If you intend to suggest that I would not care about getting plainer clothes dirty-”
“I’m not going to say that, don’t make assumptions,” Shuusei interrupts. He knows Kyouka way too well to say something as stupid as that to him. “Plainer clothes are just easier to wash properly.”
Kyouka considers this for a second. “...I know that’s not the reason you wear them.”
“I don’t like putting on airs,” Shuusei replies, keeping his eyes facing forward so that they don’t stumble over anything. “Fancy clothes are for people with a reason to show off.”
“You’re a treasured student of Kouyou-sensei and a famous novelist in your own right,” Kyouka says. Even without looking at him, Shuusei can hear the bewilderment in his voice. “What makes you think you don’t have a reason to take pride in yourself?”
That’s a question Shuusei doesn’t have an answer to. He keeps quiet.
Thankfully, they reach their exit soon after that. Kyouka lets Shuusei help him all the way to the infirmary, insists that the sheets immediately be changed, then collapses face-first into bed.
Shuusei leaves him there to rest. He thinks he hears something like a mumbled “thank you”, but he’s probably just imagining it.
...Pride in himself, huh.
It probably won’t come to anything, but Shuusei thinks he’ll stop by the store today.
Fandom: Bungou to Alchemist
Character(s): Tokuda, Kyouka, Kenji
Pairing(s): None
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Word Count: 960
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Shuusei supports Kyouka in getting home. Kyouka supports Shuusei in a different way.
Notes: Title from one of Kyouka's works, "The Righteous and the Chivalrous".
Shuusei finds it difficult to work in gloves. If it’s something like scrubbing, then Kyouka’s advice for him to put on gloves makes sense, but for anything delicate like replacing a lightbulb, Shuusei prefers to have his fingers uncovered.
He’d found arm sleeves that don’t cover the fingers, but that didn’t stop Kyouka’s nagging. If anything, Kyouka yelled at him even more for ‘making a mockery of his advice’. With Kyouka, there’s no way to win.
Kyouka won’t go a minute without his gloves. Even now, when his haori is torn and he can barely stand, his gloves are in their proper place.
“Are you going to be able to get back like that?” Shuusei asks. Just that Kyouka is leaning against a tree is sign enough that he’s in a bad way.
“Of course. I can still walk.” Kyouka pushes himself off the tree - and immediately teeters, threatening to fall.
Shuusei grabs a hold of his side. He doesn’t think about it - it’s just the thing you do when an ally is going to fall over.
“Don’t touch me!” Kyouka pulls away. He wobbles again, and this time Shuusei has to grab him arm before he splats on his face.
“You can’t walk,” Shuusei says. “I know you hate it, but you’re going to need to let me touch you for a while.”
Kyouka scowls. “Doesn’t anyone have gloves?”
Their two companions in this book shake their heads. Kenji holds up his ungloved hands. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I could help you if you fell anyway...”
Yoshikawa shows his bare hands, which are visibly dirty. Kyouka flinches away from them at the sight.
“Looks like I’m your best choice,” Shuusei says.
Kyouka is silent for a moment, before sighing. “Just once. Don’t touch my skin. And I’ll wash everything you touch after we get back.”
“Get fixed up first,” Shuusei says. Kyouka prioritizing cleaning over healing is a common problem. “Then you can clean everything you want.”
They walk slowly back towards where they can retreat. Kenji and Yoshikawa hurry ahead of them, to confirm that they haven’t been blocked off, which leaves Kyouka leaning on Shuusei’s shoulder and Shuusei’s hand on Kyouka’s back to support him as they walk.
Shuusei knows he should be talking, to distract Kyouka from his thoughts, but small talk isn’t his strong point, and Kyouka isn’t someone he gets along with in the best of circumstances. But so close to Kyouka, he can see how pale he is, and every time Shuusei accidentally moves his thumb Kyouka shudders - he has to try something.
“You and Kouyou-sensei dress very similarly.”
It’s an attempt.
“As a student of his, I should never present a slovenly appearance, or I will reflect badly upon my teacher as well as myself.” Kyouka narrows his eyes. “If you intend to suggest that I would not care about getting plainer clothes dirty-”
“I’m not going to say that, don’t make assumptions,” Shuusei interrupts. He knows Kyouka way too well to say something as stupid as that to him. “Plainer clothes are just easier to wash properly.”
Kyouka considers this for a second. “...I know that’s not the reason you wear them.”
“I don’t like putting on airs,” Shuusei replies, keeping his eyes facing forward so that they don’t stumble over anything. “Fancy clothes are for people with a reason to show off.”
“You’re a treasured student of Kouyou-sensei and a famous novelist in your own right,” Kyouka says. Even without looking at him, Shuusei can hear the bewilderment in his voice. “What makes you think you don’t have a reason to take pride in yourself?”
That’s a question Shuusei doesn’t have an answer to. He keeps quiet.
Thankfully, they reach their exit soon after that. Kyouka lets Shuusei help him all the way to the infirmary, insists that the sheets immediately be changed, then collapses face-first into bed.
Shuusei leaves him there to rest. He thinks he hears something like a mumbled “thank you”, but he’s probably just imagining it.
...Pride in himself, huh.
It probably won’t come to anything, but Shuusei thinks he’ll stop by the store today.