Tsugaru considers art and music to go hand in hand; it's a simple concept for him to understand as his stereo gently replays Pachelbel's Canon, inspiring stroke after stroke of the painbrush he holds delicately between his fingers. He's not yet thought of a title for this piece- but it can go nameless for now. After all, it's a long stretch between beginning and completion, and Tsugaru can already tell that the swirl of bluegreenviolet that is slowly turning into the ocean will take him a little longer than usual.
He's just dipping his brush into aquamarine with a relaxed sigh when a frantic knock sounds upon his door. Frowning slightly (Tsugaru does not particularly enjoy being interrupted when he's creating like this), the blonde man lays his brush down gingerly, standing up to shut off the tune that is serving as his muse. Before he can even open the doorway the knock comes again, insistent. He guesses it must be something important.
"Tsugaru," it's Tsuki calling on him, and his gaze trails down to the limp feline cradled in the other male's arms, "I tried to take it to the vet, but they were closed for some reason and, and I don't know what to do-"
"Bring it inside," Tsugaru says, eyeing the scrape along the cat's side. Chunks of fur are missing. Tsuki hurries to do as he's told, following Tsugaru into the bathroom. The other animals can smell the blood, some slinking to hiding places and others coming to curiously investigate.
Tsugaru is known by many only for the sheer amount of animals accumulated in his residence, but he figures it's better to be known for something good rather than something bad.
"Will it be okay?" Tsukishima inquires anxiously.
"Yes, she'll be fine," Tsugaru assures him. This is not a rare occurance- Tsukishima has a knack for stumbling across injured animals, the vet's office close by has a knack for being closed at all the wrong times, and the artist has a knack for stepping in to fill their shoes. He knows that he'll end up taking in this stray, as he always does, but it doesn't bother him one bit.
As soon as he's done bandaging the mrrowling cat's wound and making sure it's not in danger of infection, Tsugaru examines Tsuki's flustered appearance. Just about to lightly comment that a cup of tea does wonders for one's frazzled nerves, he abruptly realizes that the feline that has fallen asleep in his sink is not the only one bleeding.
He motions to Tsuki's cut up knee. "What happened?"
"Huh?" The younger of the two blinks, "O-Oh, that...I forgot until you mentioned it. I kind of...tripped over the cat when I first found it it," he admits with a sheepish laugh and a guilty countenance.
Tsugaru smiles gently. "I'll take her to the vet tomorrow, but she's fine for the time being. Now, you'll need to be fixed up to, hm?" He pats the counter of the sink.
Tsuki averts his eyes with a slight flush. "S-Sorry," he apologizes as he obeys the unspoken suggestion uncertainly. Tsugaru is immediately running his fingers over the gash, gauging how much attention he'll need to gift it. The man seated on the sink flinches away instinctively with a mild grimace.
"It's not bad; it might sting a little when I wash it, but if you put some salve and a bandage on it and then let it air out tonight, you should be fine."
"I...I might forget, though..." Tsuki braces himself as Tsugaru wets a washcloth and drizzles a bit of handsoap on it.
"Do you have work tomorrow? You can stay over, if you like," offers Tsugaru. He carefully massages the scrape with the small towel, also keeping one eye on the snoozing feline in the other basin he's not using at the moment. "You can help me bring her to get patched up, too."
"I have work tomorrow, b-but not until four," Tsuki replies hesitantly. Tsugaru offers him a nod and opens the drawer directly behind the other's ankles, retrieving his first aid kit and proceeding to peruse for a square-shaped bandage and a plastic container of salve.
Once Tsuki's wound has been treated properly, he goes to check on the cat again. "I still need to take care of the other animals; would you mind helping?"
"I don't mind," Tsuki says honestly, easing himself down from the counter.
Tsugaru flicks a lighthearted smile at him. "Then, I'll go take care of the dogs."
"I-I'll get the cats, then."
It takes them about an hour to get everything done (they have not only dogs and cats, after all), but the time flies for Tsugaru because this is his comfortable routine of caretaking, and he's a little faster at it than Tsuki is. The other blonde aids his friend in refilling dishes and showering attention on the animals; Tsuki is better with them than he gives himself credit for, as Tsugaru has to remind him every time he apologizes for doing something right. Later, they sit in Tsugaru's painting studio, the artist stroking the fluffy ears of a husky sprawled across the floor beside him.
"Is this what you're working on now?"
Tsugaru follows Tsuki's gaze curiously. "Oh, yes. I just started a little while before you came over."
"Oh, then...I-I'm sorry, I bothered you while you were working," apologizes Tsuki in distress.
"For good reason," Tsugaru reminds him mildly. Where else could he have taken the cat?
Pausing, Tsuki is thoughtful for a moment. "I guess so," he relents finally. Tsugaru lets out a sigh, relaxing, enjoying the human company. "U-um, so...I got a new job," Tsuki admits, a small, pleased smile settling onto his lips.
"Really? Where?" Tsugaru inquires, genuinely curious. Tsuki has fancied working in an office for a long time now, an unsurprising factor to Tsugaru. The younger of the pair is incredibly terrified of most people and is probably better suited for working inside, what with his innate ability to get lost at every turn. Unfortunately, it just so happens that he has gotten stuck with the job of delivering letters and packages. Many of those letters and packages have arrived late.
"It's really close to my old one, so I can't get lost on the way," explains Tsuki, "It's a mortgaging job."
"Money lending?"
"Y-yeah. I'm alright with math, so..."
"I'm happy for you," Tsugaru says, reaching over to ruffle Tsuki's hair, "I'm sure you'll do great."
"You think so?" Tsuki appears relieved. "But...what if the people there don't like me?"
Tsugaru chuckles sofly, "Of course they'll like you. I don't see how they couldn't."
A slow blush conquers Tsuki's cheeks, just dark enough to be starkly noticeable. "Ah...th-thank you. I'll try my best."
"That's all they could ask of you." And here, another part of Tsugaru's routine. He likes listening to Tsuki, likes being depended upon, likes hearing about his friend's life.
He thinks that maybe this is what it feels like to be an elder brother.
"Should I take the bandage off yet?" Tsuki asks anxiously.
Tsugaru shakes his head. "Not unless you're ready to go to sleep." It's six o'clock, the time for family men to return home to dinner.
"Oh, alright," says Tsuki sheepishly. "N-not yet."
"Hungry?" Tsugaru stands in order to scope out the food possibilities in his kitchen, creaking across the cream-colored carpeting. The flooring is stained from paint in a few places, and while the flooring might not have been the best choice for a studio, Tsugaru can't bring himself to give up the view from the window.
"Do you have any Western food?" Tsuki scrambles up from his chair hurriedly with his request.
"I might; we'll just have to see."
As it turns out, Tsugaru does indeed have Western food, although it isn't a lot. Thankfully the single box of spaghetti and the half-empty can of tomato sauce he finds is enough for the both of them to share; Tsugaru doesn't eat Western as often as Tsuki does and lacks the assortment that others might have. When they're finished the younger of the men generously offers to wash out the dishes. Seeing that Tsuki just wants to be useful somehow (he always feels like he's mooching off Tsugaru when he stays over like this), the artist relents and allows him to pick up the empty plates and glasses.
"What do you feel like doing next?" Tsugaru inquires over the sound of running water. At least three dogs are sprawled on the floor around his feet, sighing, disappointed that neither of the humans have succumbed to their whines and begs for the meal. They thump their tails against the ground lazily all the same.
Tsuki replies just as Tsugaru bends to run his fingers through one of the canines' smooth fur. "Um...you were working when I came in, right? We can go back to your studio so you can finish for today, if you want."
"That would actually be great," Tsugaru admits with a smile and a quiet observance that he hasn't gotten near as much done as he'd aimed to. It doesn't really bother him, per se- it's simply the fact that he makes a living off of his work, and he knows that Tsuki knows at least the second half of this. "I'll go ahead, then," he says mildly, standing in order to travel back into his studio.
"Okay, I'll meet you there when I'm done," Tsuki answers as he scrubs a plate almost too energetically. He shoots Tsugaru a bashful grin. Tsugaru's lips drift upwards in return and he sweeps out of the room, yukata wisping behind him like some sort of spring wind.
Once back inside the partition he's put aside for his painting, he inhales noiselessly, taking in the scent of the paint and the canvas and the inspiration he finds in the combination. He's always heard that when people enjoy something they enjoy the smells associated with it, and seeing as Tsuki seems to wrinkle his nose inconspicuously at the overbearing odor of the materials, it must be true. Tsugaru thinks that it's just as pleasing as the scent of cinnamon, or vanilla.
Pushing these silently joyful introspections away for the time being, Tsugaru gently plucks up the brush lying on the easel he's abandoned, frowning at the dried pigment interweaved in the bristles. He'd forgotten to wash it out, what with Tsuki's sudden visit, and he carries the thin tool over to the small sink he'd installed years ago now and twirls the circular handle on it. A little bit of the water that trickles forth runs down the paintbrush and onto Tsugaru's hand; he calmly ignores it until he's rubbed out the excess paint from the coarse fringes. The droplets are then swiped away by a careless hand, disremembered as Tsugaru grabs a paper towel from the surface next to the faucet and dries the bristles of the brush.
Tsuki peels the door open softly to discover Tsugaru just getting started. He tries not to draw attention to himself as he comes inside, sitting down on a clean patch of the carpet. Tsugaru doesn't know why he likes watching him paint so much, but Tsuki never says a word and his stare is never unnerving or distracting, so the artist is perfectly fine with letting him observe.
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Original Prompt:
"Tsugaru/Tsukishima- bromance-turned-romance
Tsuki and Tsugaru's relationship has always been the same, with Tsuki confiding in Tsugaru and Tsugaru lending a comforting ear. However, the older blonde is shocked when Tsuki suddenly confesses that he's in love with Tsugaru.
Fluffyness, please. -heart-"