Title: Manners
Series: Bakuman
Pairing: Fukuda Shinta x Hattori Yuujirou (and vice versa, because they're so reversi)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Humor, Romance
Length: 2075 words, one-shot
Summary: A desperately drunk mangaka and a mistrustful editor deal with the consequences of a serialization meeting.

Warnings: Doesn't revolve around Shujin/Saiko | Slash | Weird pairing and even weirder humor
Notes: Spoilers up to chapter 34. Takes place directly after the serialization meeting. First posted 18th April 2009. Also, I don't own Bakuman.

Manners

Fukuda Shinta's 'Kiyoshi Knight' didn't make it.

Yuujirou wasn't sure how he was going to confront Fukuda, but breaking such news to the aspiring mangaka was his responsibility as the editor in charge after all. He had already convinced himself that it wouldn't be a big deal telling Fukuda about this unfortunate outcome - if it weren't for the fact 'Gitantei Trap' was chosen for serialization.

Just imagining Fukuda's outbursts of disappointment and anger sent him shivers down the spine, but he didn't have any other choice but to call now. What's worse than bearing the burden of delivering bad news is to let the other person wait in hope longer than necessary; better sooner than later, right?

Also, calling was nowhere near as irritating as facing him directly, Yuujirou nodded to himself, as he remembered how another Jump editor was sent to hospital after he was snatched by the collar and thrown against the door by a rather unskilled artist who failed to get serialized. Although, if Nakai didn't jump in when Fukuda was enraged about the whole Koogy incident, he would have met the same destiny.

Without further ado, the editor pressed number six on his speed dial, not surprised to hear that the other party had answered his call in a blink of an eye.

"Fukuda? It's m-"

"I've been sitting tight for hours, what took you so long to call? Do you even know what time it is?"

"… Have you forgotten already what I told you about manners?" Yuujirou sighed, holding his cell phone a few millimeters away from his ear.

"Whatever! You wouldn't have called, if you didn't know the results, right? Which issue am I going to start serialization? … Hey, are you even listening?"

"Sure I am. Anyway, I'm sorry, but the editor-in-chief and his assistants decided against "Kiyoshi Knight" since they found a few other names more fitting", he explained while he was ruffling through his chestnut hair. Now he had to hope that Fukuda was mature enough not to flip out, "don't take it personal, alright?" the young man added hesitantly.

"…"

Surprised by the lack of audible tantrum from the mangaka, Yuujirou continued: "It's not like your work was worse than Ashirogi's name. Next time, we'll ju-"

"That's impossible!" he heard Fukuda yelling. There was a short pause, quickly followed by the sound of glass breaking and a voice screaming 'Fukuda-sensei!'. Even if you removed the "sensei", there was no doubt that this dreadful scream, unrivaled in shrillness, belonged to Niizuma.

"Is everything alright?" the editor hollered, shoving back the chair, but the only answer gotten was beep beep beep. Just a few weeks ago, he proudly regarded himself the next group captain in case Fukuda managed to succeed like Niizuma. However, if the incident he just listened to transpired into his worst-case scenario, he'd have two mangaka less to manage. If one ended up in hospital (or even worse) and the other one in jail, obviously, he could bid farewell to his wishful position. But maybe it was just him going paranoid again; it wasn't like Fukuda would be bad at coping with this "defeat" or would get overemotional and end up beating up Niizuma out of frustration, right?

RIGHT?

After what seemed like an eternity of anxious lip-chewing and countless desperate attempts to reach Niizuma and Fukuda, the only thing Yuujirou learned was that "the dialed number is currently unavailable". Despite the fact that he was always goaded by the young artist's lack of manners, this time he was sure to have preferred having heard something from Fukuda instead of a polite computer voice.

When he was about to jam himself into the chair, he felt his cell phone vibrating in his jeans' pocket. "Fukuda?" he shouted into the phone, only to notice that it wasn't a call but a new message - from Fukuda Shinta.

"u2ro, gotta talk to you. meet me at train station U enzrance. its *very* urgen.
- fuckuda (10:23 PM)"

Yuujirou's mouth dropped wide open as his eyes glanced over the message; he wasn't sure what was supposed to startle him the most: The fact that the mangaka wanted to meet him right now, at this late hour, after having ignored every single attempted call (in order to confess his crimes, duh?) or the fact that Fukuda couldn't even spell his own name (and what's up with "u2ro"). This was definitely too fishy for his taste.

It was 10:45, but apart from a bum who exuded the intrusive smell of alcohol, there was no one else around train station U's entrance.

He felt dumped.

Sure, the genius high school mangaka could be irksome with his "CRA CRA CROW" or his random requests, but Yuujirou wasn't such a cold fish to allow Niizuma getting killed by the assistant and fellow mangaka. Albeit, the message he had received was more than just peculiar, he couldn't help but jump into the first cab, in order to prevent the worst from happening. The worst as in someone (and that someone being crow boy) getting murdered, that is.

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Yuujirou let out a long breath and hit speed dial 6 – only to find out that Fukuda was nearer than he thought, when he realized that the "bum's" cell phone was ringing

"Fukuda, what are you doing there?" Yuujirou turned and ventured toward the mangaka, who seemed to be half-asleep. In the back of his mind, he felt slightly sorry for mistaking Fukuda as a juvenile homeless, since the bleached hair and bandana became really unmistakable from a shorter distance, but so did the amount of consumed alcohol which assaulted his nose.

"Hey, wake up! You shouldn't sleep here, it's mid-December, you know?" Annoyed by his non-responsivenesshe put his hands on Fukuda's shoulder shook him in hope to evoke a reply from the younger man. "Come on", Yuujirou shook him with more fortitude and Fukuda finally opened his mouth… to his dismay.

"Are you finally awa-"Before Yuujirou could even finish the sentence, his favorite pair of jeans was covered in what seems like Fukuda's half-digested dinner.

"I take back to have regretted calling you a bum."

Just mere hours beforehand, Yuujirou could hardly anticipate coming home after such a long day at work, but now with the younger bum mangaka in tow, not even his apartment could provide the safety calm he longed for. Nevertheless, he felt obliged to bring Fukuda home with him. The thing that was worse than a mangaka in jail, was a puking mangaka frozen to death after losing his mind, due to a failed attempt at getting serialized.

"You wait here until I finish getting changed, got that? You can turn on the TV if you want, but don't touch anything unnecessary!" And don't dare throw up on my belongings, he was about to add, but decided not to. You just didn't mess with drunk mangakas, who are on the verge of despair, did you?

"Aaaaaye, aye, captain…" Yuujirou rolled his eyes to the ceiling, thanks to Fukuda he was now further away from being group captain than he had ever been, if something were to happen to Niizuma.

"So, what was the urgent thing you wanted to talk to me about? And where's Niizuma? I demand an explanation" Yuujirou straightened the crease from his changed pants when he squatted down next to Fukuda, who had rested his head on the glass table.

He cleared his throat theatrically for the second attempt at starting conversation, after hearing no response from the mangaka.

"Just to jog your memory, you were the one that sent me a message to discuss urgent matters, Fukuda."

"Ohh, right… Crow boy passed out, you know? After his beloved mug slipped out of my hand and shattered on the floor or something. Let's talk about manga… My Kiyoshi… and other manga" Fukuda looked up with a wide-eyed expression on his face only to meet Yuujirou's face twisting in doubt.

"How much can you remember from our last call? Anyway, I was telling you that Ashirogi Muto were chosen for serialization, right?"

"Whaaaat, you must be joking. Yuujirou … No effing way!" The younger man shook his head vehemently, his hair whipping around like a little kid's. "I can't believe that Kiyoshi lost against that… that l-lame detective story. WHYY? Tell me, what did I do wrong, Yuujirou-sama!" Sama? Yuujirouu felt his eye twitch from this sudden acknowledgement.

"Say so from the very beginning… Anyway, according to the results of the Jump's Golden Future Cup, "Kiyoshi Knight's" readership age was 17.5, which is definitely too old for shounen manga. If you compare it to, for example, "Gitantei Trap", the story was probably too violent for the normal Jump audience. Remember that I've told you dozens of times to tone it down?"

"Yeah… Stupid middle school boys don't understand that Kiyoshi's so damn baaaaadass!"

"At any rate, this might not be as important, but "Gigantei Trap" had a higher amount of female voters. So you might-"

"Damn, I knew it!"

"Knew what?"

"Ashirogi Muto… these guys they didn't play fair… IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW!", Fukuda exclaimed when he unsteadily climbed on the table.

"You said the same thing about Koogy, as well. And get down from the table"

"No no no no, they weren't as stupidly obvious as Koogy, you know? THEY USED FAAANSERVICE!"

"The more you say, the less sense you make". Sure, fanservice was a common device to garner popularity, Yuujirou couldn't recall any flashing pants or immense boobs in 'Gitantei Trap' nevertheless.

"Whaaat? You don't believe me? Don't make me call me big brother Kiyoshi; he'd be delighted to kick your fine ass. No exception to you, captain" Fukuda was clearly less sober than he thought he was, but telling him now that Kiyoshi wasn't his non-existent brother but the protagonist he created, would only baffle him.

"Come on, any chicks voting for them and fanservice… if you know what I mean… ?"

"You don't want to insinuate that Ashirogi especially catered towards that kind of audience, do you? That's completely ridiculous. Also, you shouldn't regard fanservice as the meat and potatoes in shounen manga, most artists ca-"

"I'm sure you've read Naruto, riiight? What was his name again…? Well, that guy kissed that emo guy 3 pages after his appearance… You think I'd be more popular if I tried that?"

"Two males kissing? Well, if you can convince me with your name, go ahead and try." Yuujirou's eyes drifted half closed as he finished the sentence. It was really no use trying to talk Fukuda out of his drunken "fanservice" ideas.

"So, it's a yes?" An odd half-smile curved on the younger man's lips as he eased himself up.

"Yeah, whatever."

Yuujirou was about to heave another sigh, but the next moment he found himself firmly pushed against the table, Fukuda thrusting the length of his solid body against him. Their faces were just a few centimeters apart and their bodies in spitting distance, so close, he could feel the other man's hot breath tingling across the neck.

Fierce eyes looked down on Yuujirou - uncomfortable under this intense gaze, he tried to look away but his eyes kept slipping back to Fukuda's face, crimson spots flaring on his cheeks.
Frantically, he tried to push the other man away, however, Fukuda's hands wrapped around his shoulders into a firm grip, at which instant Fukuda leaned forward and planted a kiss on Yuujirou's lips, who, surprised by the fierceness, let out a hushed whimper.

This couldn't be happening, he just didn't believe it, but the cold table underneath and Fukuda's fingers in his hair, not to mention those luscious, alcohol-flavored lips pressed against his own, reminded him that this was indeed reality. That was just so prepost e r o u s- - - l y sexy…

"Convinced now?" When Fukuda released him from the kiss, a self-satisfied look crossed his face while fixing flushed Yuujirou. Never in his life did he have to deal with such a troublesome mangaka. His temple throbbed with every heartbeat of his own.

"As far as you are concerned, you still have lots more to work on… apart from your manners, names and spelling" Yuujirou looked sourly, even so, his hand tacked around Fukuda's neck, whose eyes widened in astonishment, to engulf in another awkward, nonetheless, downright sensual kiss.

The End

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