Something New - Two of Four. Directly follows Something Old.
Pairings: RyoSaku, KachirohKatsuo, mentioned TomoHorio. Golden Pair in the previous chapter.
A/N: Because these are short and my little outline is very helpful. Plus I'm afraid if I don't finish these by the end of the week (when I head to camp) they'll never get done. I'm afraid this one doesn't quite fit the general concept of the saying, so sorry. It's mainly because I like the thought of their house. So here's the second one, enjoy!
After Tomoka had shooed the Golden Pair out, Sakuno couldn't help but feel disappointed; the anxiety that had been plaguing her all morning – the feeling that had been temporarily pushed back by the two older men – had flooded back almost immediately, nearly overwhelming her. Luckily her panic was staved down by another pair of visitors – the kind she talked to much more frequently.
"Hey," she said smiling as the two men made their way back, and Kachiroh and Katsuo smiled at her.
"Congratulations," Kachiroh told her for about the twelve thousandth time. After high school she and the pair had drifted apart, though they had been relatively good friends during their years together, but a few years back they had reconnected after Ryoma had said something about the tennis courts that Kachiroh's father had come into possession of back in their last year of middle school. It turned out, the younger boy had ended up inheriting them, and he now taught part-time there, along with the successful interior design company both men had started out Though it had been widely suspected all through school that both Kachiroh and Katsuo were in the closet – and that they were together – both had denied the fact until graduation day. Nonetheless everyone had been happy for them, almost more happy about the fact that they had finally admitted it than anything. (Because really, they hadn't been fooling anyone – they were almost worse than the Golden Pair in that department, though that was quite possibly because the Golden Pair had stopped denying it long before.)
"Thanks," she said, still smiling and still relieved.
"It's hectic back here," Katsuo commented, and Sakuno nodded.
"Yeah. Tomo-chan's about to kill some people, too," she commented, adding with a small laugh – "She looked about ready to smite Eiji-kun and Oish-kun." The pair of men laughed, knowing just how like Tomoka that was after going through six years of school with her and keeping in relatively close contact with both her and Horio. (The two had gotten married a few years back, having been high school sweethearts, and already had a strangely adorable 18-month-old daughter.)
"We just wanted to stop by before the actual ceremony," Kachiroh told her. "Wish you congratulations one more time before you actually tied the knot." The mention of actually getting married caused the butterflies to well up again, but the conversation was quickly redirected as Katsuo mentioned the house.
Despite the fact that Ryoma had taken the pro-circuit by storm at the age of twelve, barging in and not leaving until he had gotten everything he wanted, he had told her that he didn't want the usual type of mansion – it reminded him too much of the lifestyle of an old opponent, one whose head he had shaved and who was now the head of the largest corporation in the world. Instead he had wanted something nice; not too large, though definitely somewhat spacious, distinctly Japanese, and very personal. After exhausting all other options they had gone through company after company and list after list of personal architects as well as interior and exterior designers (because money was, thankfully, not an issue in any way, shape, or form) before Kachiroh had mentioned that he and his partner ran an independent designing company and that they had two friends they had met through the business - highly talented architects - who were looking for work at the moment.
"With any luck everything should be finished next month," he informed her, looking almost apologetic. "I wished you two could have had it completed for today, but there was that bizarre shipping incident…"
"It's honestly no problem," she assured him for what she felt like was the umpteenth time. "It's beautiful and when everything is done and finished it will be even more fantastic." Before the pair can respond Tomoka had finally caught sight of them, coming over and shooing them out.
Leaving with a smile and another congratulatory wave over their shoulders (though Tomoka was doing her best to physically push them out) they left. Though the relief she had previously felt dissipated slightly, Sakuno couldn't help but feel more affectionate toward the mixed excitement and nervousness that had flooded back in; she was about to take the first permanent step in her life with Echizen Ryoma, and their – because it really was theirs, unique, and nobody else's, ever – house was soon to follow.