"Teacups" (Koi Cha no Osahou, 1/1, R, Tokumaru/Hasune)

[mjules.livejournal.com]

Title: Teacups
Author: m.jules
Summary: Fifty one-sentence stories about Tokumaru and Hasune from Koi Cha no Osahou.
Rating: No more than the manga itself...
Disclaimer: These beautiful characters belong to Sakuragi Yaya and I'd never dream of asking anyone to pay me.
Author's Notes: These were written for the 1sentence challenge community, (the Beta theme set) though I haven't officially been approved there yet... *dodgy* Some of the sentences refer to situations in the manga, some refer to situations I made up for the characters, and some refer to situations implied or inspired by pieces in the official art book. <3

---

1. It's not until they're walking home that night, Tokumaru blushing and clinging to his hand, repeating loudly how drunk he is, that Hasune truly believes for the first time that he isn't alone in this overwhelming, uncharted emotion.
Walk

2. As he obediently watches the couples figure skating competition beside his sister, Tokumaru counts the triple-beat of the waltz in his head and thinks about Hasune's obligation to follow the steps of another dance with a partner who can become his wife -- a partner who isn't Tokumaru.
Waltz

3. It's not that he wishes things were different, not really, but sometimes Tokumaru thinks how much easier things would have been if he were just friends with Hasune and not so madly -- and maddeningly -- in love with him.
Wishes

4. Tokumaru wonders aloud what Nagomi and Goh-san must think about his relationship with Hasune; Hasune wonders under his breath (or not) if Tokumaru is ever going to learn to keep his mouth shut.
Wonder

5. When Goh-san tells him that Tokumaru has been worrying himself to distraction over whether Hasune will really forfeit his future just for a high school romance, Hasune is taken aback with the realization that he hasn't really taken his boyfriend as seriously as Tokumaru deserves and resolves to deserve that kind of concern.
Worry

6. "It's like a fairytale," Tokumaru murmurs, still dreaming; Hasune can only smile and kiss his forehead, thinking that a magic spell would certainly explain a lot when it comes to his helplessness against this boy... and that at least now he has blackmail material to last him several years.
Whimsy

7. It's not that Hasune has ever seen his set-in-stone future as bleak; it's just that Tokumaru has been the first thing to ever make him question whether it's really what he wants.
Waste/Wasteland

8. When Goh-san asks if he ever goes drinking with Tokumaru, all Hasune can think is how drunk he always feels at the first inhale of the scent of Tokumaru's skin, like summer and blind, white heat.
Whiskey & rum

9. Hasune tells himself that it's not part of his character to fight dirty, but he has a hard time believing it when his conscience reminds him that he'll gladly bribe Tokumaru with promises of free porn just to keep him away from Goh-san for an afternoon.
War

10. Tokumaru feels a weird little twinge in the pit of his stomach when he sees pictures of Hasune's parents at their wedding; he already knows they expect their son to marry in a similar fashion, and he worries about what that might mean for him... until he realizes that if Hasune catches him staring at the picture, he's going to have a lot more to worry about -- like how to keep his boyfriend from asking him to wear a dress like that.
Weddings

11. It's his first birthday since he and Hasune started going out, but Tokumaru really doesn't think anything will be that different... except it is, because the smoky scent of extinguished candles burns right through him in a way it didn't before and the icing on his cake tastes very different when he licks it from Hasune's lips.
Birthday

12. They don't go together to the temple at New Year's; Hasune has to be with his family, the young master of the tea ceremony again, and Tokumaru's parents are home for once and want to see their children... even still, when Tokumaru bows his head to pray for blessings on the coming year, his mind is a blank except to wonder what Hasune is praying for.
Blessing

13. Kotoko does karate and Hasune has seen more than a few of her matches -- it's one of the many occupational hazards of being an older brother -- so he thinks he knows enough of what he's talking about to say that it's not personal bias talking when he thinks Tokumaru is one of the most stunning fighters he's ever seen... not that he'll tell Tokumaru any such thing, at least not while there are children present.
Bias

14. Before Tokumaru can even finish saying, "I smell something burning," he knows Hasune is going to take the opportunity to be a smartass... or he would, were it not for the yellow flames licking up the edge of the blanket; it's the last time Hasune tries to use candles or anything else besides his natural charm to set the mood.
Burning

15. Tokumaru almost always puts up a fight when Hasune is "in the mood" (but then again, when is Hasune ever out of the mood?) but he's never admitted that sacrificing his male pride is worth it just to see Hasune relaxed and defenseless, breathing softly into Tokumaru's skin, especially since it's the only time Hasune lets his guard down... ever.
Breathing

16. It was Tokumaru's natural ability to break things that brought them together in the first place and that same talent that took him from a mere interest to a near obsession; it's a talent he seems to have passed on to Hasune, who never had any reason to learn to break the rules before the rules tried to keep him away from the one person he really wanted.
Breaking

17. Tokumaru has never thought twice about refusing Hasune's advances, despite the fact that Hasune nearly always wins in the end, but when Hasune pauses a half inch away, all Tokumaru can hear is the memory of that smooth, rich voice saying "I... believe in him," and the only choice he has is to lean forward and close the gap between them.
Belief

18. Hasune is the last person Tokumaru expected to see on his trip to the beach -- after all, hadn't Hasune used their impending week-long separation as an excuse for making even sitting uncomfortable? -- and the only thing he can think is that he's wildly, insanely glad that Nagomi already knows about them because there's no innocent way to explain Hasune's leering comment about how much he likes watching Tokumaru blow up that beach ball.
Balloon

19. Hasune has always thought that Romeo and Juliet is the most overused play in high school drama productions and he could care less about whether he ever has to see it again or not, but Tokumaru mentioned casually that he's never seen it and he might like to, so Hasune finds himself sitting in the auditorium staring at Tokumaru's profile instead of the stage and thinking that, for the first time, he might understand Romeo's desire to be a glove on a certain hand.
Balcony

20. When Nagomi tells him that the only karate rival she's never been able to beat is Hasune's little sister, Tokumaru thinks ruefully that it must just run in the family.
Bane

21. Tokumaru's never been good at keeping his voice down, which makes Hasune's penchant for making out at school a dangerous habit, but he's never tried so hard to be quiet as he is now, with Hasune pinning his struggling form to the door and kissing him so hard he can feel his lips bruising, the voices in the hallway getting louder by the minute as the club members wonder why Hasune, the club president, hasn't shown up to unlock the door yet.
Quiet

22. "But it's all my little quirks that make you love me," Hasune cajoles, looking up with mischievous eyes from where he's nibbling on the waistband of Tokumaru's jeans; he almost laughs when Tokumaru flushes bright red and pushes feebly at his shoulder, muttering, "That's not what I meant by 'quirks,' you horny bastard!"
Quirks

23. Tokumaru's never had to think so hard so much in his life as he has since the first day he realized how dead sexy Hasune is, but the one thing he's never had to question is whether he made the right choice when he pursued the attraction rather than ignoring it and hoping it would go away; as far as he's concern, there was nothing else he could have done.
Question

24. The first time they almost fought was when Tokumaru answered Goh-san's phone call in the middle of Hasune nipping at his inner thigh, and while he'd never admit it, Tokumaru liked Hasune's resulting vulnerability enough that he thought the occasional argument wouldn't be such a bad thing; now, walking away and leaving a hurt, baffled Hasune behind him, Tokumaru thinks what an idiot he was for ever thinking that making up is worth the fight.
Quarrel

25. Hasune has only said "I love you" one time, but Tokumaru thinks he hears it in subtler ways every time Hasune won't let him quit studying for his college entrance exams just to have sex, even though Tokumaru can clearly read restrained lust and desire in every line of Hasune's body on the other side of the table.
Quitting

26. He's never done anything like this before, never confessed to a girl, let alone a guy, and never, ever felt his heart in his throat like he does at this moment, but lately he can't think about anything but Hasune so he figures the only thing to do is to just close his eyes and jump.
Jump

27. Tokumaru's an easy target for friendly jokes and affectionate teasing, what with that earnest, wide-eyed enthusiasm and guileless manner, but Hasune rarely laughs at him; instead, he just pulls him close and thinks about how loving someone this much is sure to make him the butt of the joke someday.
Jester

28. Talking during sex embarrasses Tokumaru -- hell, thinking during sex embarrasses him -- but it doesn't stop Hasune from using his words as much as his hands to knock away all of Tokumaru's defenses and descend on him like a conquering knight; but then again, all's fair in love and war, especially when Hasune leaves his shields behind, too.
Jousting

29. Sometimes Hasune is especially grateful that he fell in love with a boy instead of a girl -- Tokumaru never expects him to buy anything like flowers or jewelry -- but every now and then, he does wish that Tokumaru would let him at least pay for both their meals when they go out.
Jewel

30. Even in the beginning, baffled by the way he was so eager to attend the tea ceremony club meetings when it wasn't h is scene at all, Tokumaru never thought that his feelings for Hasune were just a crush or just a passing whim, and if he thought about it long enough, he might find it odd that not even Goh-san or Nagomi had assumed, even for a moment, that it was "just" anything but love.
Just

31. "That's something you do to a woman, not a man!" Tokumaru had yelled, covering the ear Hasune had just licked; even now, Tokumaru can feel the echo of that icy, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he got when Hasune just smirked at him in response.
Smirk

32. Aside from his parents when he was small, Hasune is the only person Tokumaru has ever cried in front of; he thinks that says something, but he's not sure what yet.
Sorrow

33. He knows he's not all that smart -- he's having to study hard just to get into a sports university, after all -- but Hasune's faith in him (along with some well-placed sadism and a lot of heavy sighing) is what keeps him trying when he'd just rather forget that he has to think about what happens after high school.
Stupidity

34. The morning after the first night they spend together, in a hotel that didn't give them any more than a wink when Hasune asked for a room with Tokumaru standing a few feet away obviously trying to look invisible, Tokumaru is getting dressed when he hears Hasune singing softly in the shower; he doesn't know why he assumed that Hasune wouldn't be as good at singing as he is at everything else, but the soothing baritone makes him feel suddenly insecure about what his lover must've thought about Tokumaru's own enthusiastic, off-key warbling just ten minutes earlier.
Serenade

35. It's rare that Hasune will use edgeless words or any tone but sarcasm, but Tokumaru remembers the first time Hasune made his pulse skip, thumb wiping the mud from his cheek and a simple, quiet, "Thank you."
Sarcasm

36. Tokumaru has heard from other guys at school who have sisters that a lot of girls are really into boys having sex with each other -- it has something to do with some weird kind of manga that Tokumaru hopes he never stumbles across -- and he remembers what it felt like to find Nagomi flipping through his stash of (very heterosexual) porn; it makes him thank his lucky stars that she's never asked for the sordid details of his sex life.
Sordid

37. Hasune is nothing if not an opportunist and he can admit he was hoping that Romeo & Juliet might put Tokumaru in a mind for a little romance of their own; it is with this aim that he invites Tokumaru up to his room, listening to the boy chatter on and on about the play, and tunes in just in time to answer Tokumaru's question, "Hey, what's a soliloquy anyway?" with a pouting, "What you're doing right now instead of kissing me."
Soliloquy

38. "Let's take a trip," Hasune said, and even though they never did get around to a real, honest-to-God trip, Tokumaru still thinks that they've come so far he can barely see where they started.
Sojourn

39. Hasune hates the heat of summer and doesn't understand how Tokumaru seems to thrive on it; but there are times he thinks that even summer has its advantages -- mostly when Tokumaru makes shaved ice and shares it with him from his own spoon.
Share

40. Tokumaru remembers when he and Hasune were in the same class, how Hasune was always by himself, staring off into space; it isn't until later that Tokumaru realizes how alone Hasune has been all this time.
Solitary

41. Hasune isn't the type to answer questions he doesn't think deserve an answer, so when he comes home late one night after spending more time than normal locked away in the tea club room with Tokumaru, and Kotoko asks him where he's been, he just says, "Nowhere," and cringes at the knowing curve of her smile.
Nowhere

42. Hasune once overheard a classmate describe Tokumaru as "kind of plain" and he still wonders, to this day, who the hell the kid could have been talking about; nothing about Tokumaru is anything less than vibrant.
Neutral

43. There's a certain intensity to the nuance of Hasune's posture when he's making tea; an angle of the wrist and a curve of the neck, dark hair sliding down into his darker eyes, that has always made Tokumaru forget to breathe.
Nuance

44. As reluctant as he was to agree to the plan at first, Tokumaru finds himself looking forward to the time they'll spend alone in Hasune's family villa, ostensibly for the purpose of helping Tokumaru study for those pesky entrance exams; something in him likes the idea of waking up every morning with Hasune less than an arm's length away.
Near

45. Tokumaru has heard plenty of people say it isn't natural for two men to make love, but every time Hasune kisses him (and more, since Hasune rarely stops at just kissing), he wonders where the hell they got their information.
Natural

46. Hasune has never understood why Tokumaru likes going up to the roof of their school; in the winter it's cold, in the summer it's so blazing hot Hasune can't breathe, and even though it's nice to know they won't be disturbed if they get a little amorous, he doesn't see why they can't go somewhere else just as private and a little more enclosed -- but when he asks, Tokumaru just smiles and waves his hand toward the blue expanse of sky and says, "The horizon doesn't exist up here. There's no boundaries."
Horizon

47. Despite everything, all the bitching and moaning that goes along with having Tokumaru for a boyfriend, Hasune knows that the young man has never honestly rejected his touch; not until now, when he flinches away from Hasune's gentlest caress, and it is a testament to his valiant restraint that Hasune doesn't put a fist through the wall or burst into tears -- and then Tokumaru is in his arms, apology in his kiss, and Hasune puts that self-control to use yet again when he keeps his hands by his side while he rasps, "...May I touch you?"
Valiant

48. Hasune thinks he remembers hearing an old proverb about waking with the sun being a virtue, but when he's spent his entire night in debauchery, he figures it's too late to start being virtuous now -- unless the sun decides to rise at noon today, which is the earliest Hasune will consider doing the same.
Virtuous

49. Tokumaru has always loved the thrill of winning a karate match, the adrenaline that flushes through his veins and the burst of endorphins making him feel like he's the king of the world, but he never knew exactly how sweet victory is until the day Hasune watches him from the sidelines, eyes wide and lips parted with admiration, and Tokumaru feels a little like a god.
Victory

50. One day, out on one of their inconspicuous dates, Tokumaru laughs about how Nagomi just can't win against Kotoko and says that it must be a hereditary thing; he isn't expecting Hasune to smile gently across the formica table at him and say, "What are you talking about? You conquer me every day."
Defeat

Comments

[nozomi-no-da.livejournal.com]

These are all adorable! They're like little, sweet tasting bites of candy or something, just right. They made me smile the same way the manga does, which makes them, and you, absolutely fabulous.

Thank you!

[mjules.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! That's such a compliment. I'm so glad you enjoyed them.

Yeah, I'm so desperate for this storyline to be continued it's pushed me into fic. *laugh* I can't wait until the real volumes start getting published in English.

[rachecho.livejournal.com]

oh wow. this was just so incredibly sweet, that when i finished i just gave a soft sigh.

i actually teared up a bit at certain sentences because they were too beautiful. this is a great insight into their characters, and into their relationship. incredibly well done.

[mjules.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! I just can't get enough of these boys (as I'm sure you can tell by the fact that my entire LJ is themed after them). I'm so excited the series got licensed by Blu, and I would LOVE for her to ever write a sequel for them.

[leftapple.livejournal.com]

I heart this so much >3 Each one of them rings so true, they are like little little windows into Hasune and Tokumaru's lives. Thank you for writing this.

[mjules.livejournal.com]

I'm always thrilled when someone finds this. :) I'm glad you liked it.

[highboys.livejournal.com]

I loved all of these sentences ♥