I Carry It In
CappuccettoRosso
Beta: None
Universe: Manga
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Sawada Shin / Yamaguchi Kumiko
Genre(s): Romance; Fluff; Domestic
Warning(s): Mild Adult Language
Disclaimer: Gokusen is the intellectual property of Kozueko Morimoto, and its publisher, Shueisha. I am only borrowing its characters for my own amusement. No profit is being made in the publishing of this story. The lyrics mentioned herein are not mine either. They belong to ONE OK ROCK, and their label, A-Sketch, a subsidiary of Amuse, Inc.
Author's Note #1: Written for the LJ Dove_Drabbles October prompt: "whisper in the dark."
Author's Note #2: The title was taken from e.e. cummings "i keep you heart with me(i carry it in." The story, itself, was inspired by the song, "Wherever You Are" by ONE OK ROCK.
Summary: You have good days, you have bad days. But the thing is: the bad days make you realize what, or who, makes the good days good and the bad days bearable.
The evening news was playing softly on the television, the volume turned down low. Leftover takeout was warming in the microwave. A slight breeze meandered into the apartment through the open balcony.
Somewhere down the street, a car alarm began blaring incessantly.
Sawada Shin listened to the car horn for a few moments, making sure the alarm wasn't coming from his own car. It had been too long a day, with too much bullshit to deal with for one person. He did not need for this day to end with him chasing after whoever was messing with his car. Luckily, the alarm had a stupid thrill there at the end, which his car did not have.
He stretched his arms over his head, twisting a little until his spine cracked pleasantly. Shin sighed and relaxed back into his seat. He swiped sharply on the computer's mouse pad and read over what he had written so far. The research paper was simply not coming out right; it sounded all wrong and just missing the freaking point. Shin ran a hand roughly through his hair. He had been working on it for the last three days and he was getting tired of reading the same paragraph without making any progress. It was seriously getting under his skin; stupid, shitty paper, son of a...
Shin saved the document and then closed the computer, pushing it away with a growl
As if on cue, the microwave dinged. He got up, taking the opportunity to distract himself. If he looked at his computer for one second longer, he felt he might end up throwing it against the wall and there went ¥250,000. Shin was halfway across the room when the lights flickered and then died, plunging the whole apartment into darkness.
Shin blinked owlishly, the sudden lack of light leaving him blind.
A large splash sounded from the bathroom.
"What the...! What happened to the lights...!"
His vision slowly adjusted to the gloom. Shin made his way carefully to the kitchen, cursing when he tripped over one of Kumiko's discarded shoes. He kept telling her to put them neatly by the door, not just kicked them off and let them fly. He reached the kitchen area and played with the wall-switch; the lights didn't come back on.
"Damn," he cursed under his breath. He tried to remember if he had possibly forgotten to pay the electric bill. No, he was certain he had...
"Shin!"
Of course, what with school and all; it could have slipped his mind. Stupid assignments with their ridiculous requirements. Who the hell wrote a ten page paper on ethics...? Well, apparently this retarded monkey did...
"Shin, you mother...! Turn the lights back on!"
"The power is off!" he shouted back. He headed for the front door. A quick glanced out in the hall told him that he wasn't the only one in the dark, literally. Some of the neighbors were out, and from the snatches of conversation he could overhear, they were all wondering what had happened to the electricity. He looked over the railing and realized: the blackout had encompassed the surrounding area, too.
"Did you forget the pay the bill, or something!"
Shin stepped back inside and bolted the door. He wasn't going to chance leaving the front door unlocked, just for some crazy ass to come in and try to rob him. Of course, if that really did happen, Shin had no qualms of throwing them at his girlfriend's not so tender mercy. "Don't be stupid!"
"Then what the hell!"
He headed back to his bed, moving more confidently now that his eyes were used to the dark. Shin reached beneath his bed and grabbed the electric torch he was certain was still there. He switched it on. The batteries were low, but the weak light was more than enough to see. Shin padded toward the bathroom and unceremoniously opened the door.
Kumiko had arrived at his apartment that evening in a foul mood; one Shin rarely saw on her. While she was quick to rile, true anger was hard to instigate. Kumiko was very good in keeping her head; however, there were certain buttons that when pressed, sent Kumiko into towering rages. Of course, they were controlled rages, which only made them, and her, more dangerous.
All she had said was: "I can't be at home right now. I just can't..." Shin had not bothered asking for details, nor had he said much of anything to her for the rest of the evening. Not that there had been opportunity to strike up a conversation. Upon arrival, Kumiko had kicked off her shoes, dumped her overnight bag on the bed and sequestered herself inside the bathroom. Shin had heard the tub filling with water soon after. He had left her alone. After all, if she needed an hour long bath to soak out the shitty mood, then who was Shin to interrupt?
He leaned against the door jab and shined the light directly into Kumiko's face.
She squinted against the bright light and automatically raised a hand to block it. She glared in his general direction. "Oi!"
"The electricity went out for the whole area," Shin said blandly, though he did shift the beam of light and aimed it at the wall over her head. "You might want to get out before you end up cracking your head in the dark."
Kumiko leaned back against the tub with a little groan. "It might help."
"Head bothering you...?"
"Yeah."
Shin eyed her for a moment, taking note of her loose shoulders. Her forehead was no longer furrowed and her lips were relaxed. That spoke much of her improved mood. Shin balanced the torch on the vanity. The low light gently illuminated the bathroom. "I just warmed up the leftover Korean BBQ. Come out and I'll crack your neck or something."
"It's not my neck that's bothering me, but thanks anyways," Kumiko said, her lips pulled into a small smile. "I'll be out in a bit."
Shin stopped at the threshold and smiled invitingly. "Or I can help you dry up...or get wet again..."
Kumiko rolled her eyes, her smile growing wider. "Pervert."
He left the bathroom, feeling oddly reassured.
A careful search of his drawers unearth some candles. Shin stared at them in mild confusion. He lit them up with his Zippo, all the while wondering when he had acquired four fat candles. He set them on the low table and then went to collect their dinner from the microwave. Kumiko came out just as he was taking a seat, his hands already reaching for the container of japchae.
"That," Kumiko began emphatically, "is exactly what I needed."
Shin hummed, mouth full of noodles. Kumiko let out a please sound and unexpectedly, sat down next to him and pressed close to his side. He swallowed his mouthful and watched Kumiko as she made herself comfortable. She curled her legs slightly beneath her and leaned her weight a little against him. She didn't immediately reach for the daeji bulgogi like he had half expected her to, doing as she usually did and devouring it in half a second. Kumiko loved spicy pork.
Yet the food remained untouched. Shin was instantly on alert. He put his chopsticks and the takeout box down. Obviously, all was still not well.
Shin was about to prod her for answers, when Kumiko unexpectedly beat him to it.
"I don't want to talk about it," she said, her voice quiet and melancholic. She leaned her head on his shoulder and curled herself a little more toward him. Shin automatically shifted his body to accommodate her. Her damp hair was soaking the material of his shirt. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her a little closer.
"Okay," he said softly, taking his cue from her and keeping his voice low, too.
"I mean," Kumiko began, sounding hesitant, "it's not like I don't want to tell you. I just...can't right now or else I might explode...again."
He gave her a gentle squeeze. "Nah, I understand."
Kumiko sighed soundlessly and said even more quietly. Shin strained himself a little to catch her words. "Unless you know how to make my grandfather be less of a complete asshole."
Shin smirked into the crown of her head. "Sorry, but that's a terminal disease. No cure for that."
"That's what I figured."
There were quiet then, both just taking in the feel of the other; the warmth between their bodies. They normally didn't have a moment to be like this, to relish the simple joy as being in each others presence. Their schedules lately had kept them apart most nights. Sure, they often spoken on the phone; however, that could not replace basic human interaction. Sometimes, Shin missed the smell of Kumiko's hair, the feel of her soft skin, the sight of her eyes glittering as she spoke animatedly about her delinquent kids.
Shin expected them to remain that way, their takeout slowly congealing into something he would have to throw out. Then Kumiko said: "You know, this is rather romantic."
Shin looked around them and belatedly realized: with the room in darkness and the candles burning gently on the low table, it was sort of romantic. Sure, they would have to replace the beer with glasses of wine and there would have to be something soft playing in the background, and not the distant sound of a car alarm that was still blaring. Seriously, why wasn't anyone checking on that...?
"I suppose," he said after a beat.
"All we need is music and it'll be perfect," Kumiko said, unknowingly echoing his thoughts.
Shin considered it for a moment, and then acting on impulse, he reached for his book-bag, laying just underneath the table. Kumiko watched him curiously as he pulled out his iPod and started to laugh softly when he began scrolling through his playlists.
"Any requests?"
Kumiko wrapped her arms around her raised knees and smiled shyly at him. "You pick."
His choices in romantic music was pathetic; however, he did have one song he was sure Kumiko would like.
After all, it was one of her favorites.
As the guitar strings sounded, echoing softly in the candlelight, Shin watched Kumiko's face; caught the moment she recognized the song.
"Shin..." she breath out, her eyes fluttering closed as the words started. They were a mixture of English and Japanese lyrics, which had surprised Shin. Kumiko's English was, simply put, crap and he suspected she only understood a word in ten.
{{Wherever you are, I'll always make you smile/wherever you are, I'm always by your side}}
"I may have," Shin began, shifting closer as he did. He leaned forward, waiting until Kumiko opened her eyes and looked at him before continuing; "snooped a bit around your room a while back and found your secret CD collection."
"They ain't a secret," she murmured. He leaned closer, until their breath mingled between them; their lips were brushing petal soft against each other.
"It is when most of them are love songs."
"I'll kill you if you tell anyone."
"I won't if you don't tell the guys I have this on my playlist."
Kumiko smirked a little and drawled: "Red, we gots ourselves an understandin'."
"Shall we seal the deal?"
"S'only way to make it official."
The miniscule distance disappeared between them and they sealed the deal with a kiss.