Sushi Girl
Notes: This project is for raesigns, Spamishrice and my amusement. All three of us are suckers for 8096 (YamamotoChrome) since it's our sugar-coated crack pairing. This will be on-going and a bit more upbeat/light hearted than my other works. In short, don't expect a lot of angst/drama, just some good romcom fluff.
Setting: Post Shimon arc, but will have flashes of spoilers from that arc so be prepared.
Chapter One:
Summer Job
Her skin started to itch with the onset of sunburn. Parched with thirst and beginning to see strange hallucinations, which were not of her making; rise up from the heated concrete sidewalk, needless to say the girl was miserable. Summer had only started, yet Chrome for one was suffering from the change in temperature.
All but wilting to the bus stop bench, Chrome kept a cool water bottle pressed against her forehead while eyeing the dwindling funds in her pocketbook. It was the only reason she decided to venture away from the cool building of Kokuyo Health Land.
In the past Chrome received an 'allowance' of five-hundred yen from Mukuro-sama's bank account. But after many an encouraging word from Kyoko-san and Haru-san for her to eat better, Chrome soon discovered a healthy diet cost more than her funds could cover.
And it wasn't just food. Despite the eye patch and skull decorations, Chrome was a girl too. She'd blush and stare longingly at the pretty things in shop windows, just like anyone else her age. Yes, the clothes were expensive, impractical and she'd never look like a girl on a magazine cover. But…just once, she wanted to wear something other than the Kokuyo Middle uniform. Something wholly hers…
Chrome jerked up after feeling her head drop a little. After rubbing her left eye, she examined how much water was left in the bottle. Little under half, making Chrome unsure whether she should just drink the rest and allow her forehead to burn up or just say to 'heck with it all' and simply splash herself with the contents.
Another jerk of her head, the heat was making her feel unnaturally light and lethargic. Chrome glanced to a wrist watch, then back to the stop schedule. She had another thirty minutes to wait.
'So hot…and tired…' the girl thought, dozing off again in the summer heat.
"See ya!" he said with a wave to his departing teammates, before mounting his bicycle. Takeshi peddled down the street, in a rush to get back home, but applied the brakes when he came upon something odd. At first, it looked like a person sleeping on a bench. Odd, but nothing to trouble himself with, until Takeshi came close enough to see who it was, at that moment he braked hard and hopped off the bike. Chrome was leaning precariously to her right, about to fall right of the bench, water bottle beside her tipped over and empty.
"Hey…" he began, a hand resting on Chrome's right shoulder to wake her up. The girl's head lulled to her left, scaring the Rain Guardian because she looked very pale and her forehead covered in sweat.
Swallowing thickly, Takeshi looked around then down to Chrome's exposed middle, but from this angle couldn't tell if it had sunken in or not. Knowing the girl would be mortified if she woke up to find him doing this, Takeshi still bit the bullet and plucked Chrome's green top up a little more.
Everything seemed okay, no crater-like indentation; so she probably wasn't missing any organs. Still didn't change the fact Chrome looked very unwell and hadn't woken up.
Her hands felt clammy and cold to the touch. Concerned, Takeshi did his best to lift Chrome off the bench. Her arms flopped lifelessly on his shoulders, his arms tucked under her knees, only to turn to the bicycle and realize it wasn't going to work out.
"…looks like we're talking a long walk then." Takeshi said aloud.
Chrome woke up feeling something wet and cold pressed to her forehead. Since the cloth covered her left eye, she couldn't see for a moment. After pulling the white towel away, Chrome found herself staring at a ceiling, watching the rotating blades of a fan.
Easing to sit up, Chrome noticed she was laying on a sofa in a living room she didn't recognize. A small t.v to her right. Books and magazines littering a center table…pictures on the wall of a grinning boy at various ages but always in a baseball uniform. She no longer had to guess whose house this was, but the questions of how she got there and why persisted.
Luckily, Chrome had the chance to ask him in person because Yamamoto walked in holding a bowl of ice cubes and another towel.
He smiled, "Glad to see you're awake, I was starting to get worried."
Unsure what to say in this situation ('I'm sorry', instantly sprang to mind, but then again he didn't have to help her in the first place), Chrome simply scooted over on the sofa to allow him a place.
Silence hung heavy in the room. After a minute or so, Takeshi took a stab at conversation.
"So I couldn't help but notice…"
"That I fainted at a bus stop?" Chrome offered.
"…well there's that, yeah" he replied, awkwardly rubbing the back of short black hair.
"I also wondered why you were in Namimori. There isn't any meeting or training with the kid."
Chrome twisted the ends of the towel in her hands. "I…" she began hesitantly, "I was looking for a job."
"Oh, for summer break?" She nodded. "Hm, don't know of a lot of places still hiring, plus you're…what thirteen?"
Chrome ducked her head and nodded again.
"Not a lot of places would hire you at this age." Takeshi considered. "Do you need money right away?"
"N-not really" more towel twisting. Why was it so difficult to talk to him? He helped her out, yet Chrome felt so cornered and agitated.
"I wanted the extra money…for more food…and things" the girl finished lamely.
Without hesitation, Takeshi offered "If you needed food Chrome, you only have to ask. My dad doesn't mind…"
Chrome looked up, shaking her head from side to side. "No! I…want to earn it, besides…Boss offers us food when there's extra at his house."
The female Mist Guardian held off saying she didn't want to keep being a 'charity case'. Yamamoto-san was nice and all, but even Chrome had things she wanted to accomplish on her own, without being a burden.
Leaning back on the sofa, though careful to keep to his side, Takeshi thought for a moment. Then, he stood up.
"Wait right here, Chrome."
He was asking for the impossible though, because Chrome took his flight as a sign she had overstayed her welcome. Deciding to quietly slip out of sight, Chrome folded the towel and left it on the table before gingerly stepping down the stairs to a bottom floor.
The girl blinked as she found herself standing in a sushi shop. She knew Yamamoto's father was a sushi chef, but she never imagined their house was connected to his place of business.
She could see the front door, quietly edging towards it until she heard voices from the kitchen.
"No, Takeshi. Never again!"
"Please? She needs the money and…"
He was interrupted by the owner. "Thirteen? Are you trying to get this business closed down?"
"…not really, but Dad she could really use the money. And it won't be for very long, just until summer break is over."
"I remember the last time your 'friends' tried to help out around here to pay for their bills. I lost more money that day than ever before. So, the answer is 'no'."
"That was Tsuna and Gokudera though. She won't mess up the place, I promise. You probably won't even notice she's around most of the time."
Even from where she was standing, Chrome heard a very heavy sigh from the sushi chef. "You…fine. I'll talk to her."
"Thanks. I'll go upstairs and tell her."
"I said I'd talk to her, Takeshi. I am not going to offer some girl off the street a job just because you beg."
"Understood" Takeshi said, however even Chrome could hear he sounded more upbeat now that the argument was over. She moved to scramble out the front door, but wasn't fast enough because the Rain Guardian spotted her as soon as he opened the kitchen door.
"There you are!" Chrome found herself frozen in place then gently tugged forward with Takeshi's grip on her right wrist. Pulled into the kitchen, Chrome found herself standing before Yamamoto's father.
The man frowned, arms crossed over his white apron and short-sleeve shirt, looking her up and down. Keenly aware of her short skirt, crop top and skull decorations; Chrome swallowed but it did little to clear her dry throat.
"So, my son is doing his best to convince me that I need a second hand in the kitchen."
"Well, you do. I'll be busy with taking high school exams before the summer is over, plus the baseball tournament…"
Takeshi went quiet when his father closed his eyes and raised a right hand. "Let her speak for herself."
'Oh anything but that' Chrome thought, her insides clenching with dread. She felt tongue tied before even opening her mouth.
"This isn't a charity, you understand. I'm trying to run a business, so I don't take kindly to slackers."
Chrome nodded, yet the sushi chef looked to his son.
"She can talk, right?"
The purple-haired girl cringed a little, but Takeshi laughed, "Yes, when she wants to, but Chrome is kind of shy."
"If she works here, the girl will need to interact with customers, otherwise I have nothing for her to do aside from washing dishes and clean up."
"What? You won't teach her how to make sushi?" Takeshi inquired.
Unlike his offspring, Tsuyoshi was hardly amused, "No. Call me 'old fashioned', but sushi chef are men. Always have. Always will be, so you're getting this shop when you're old enough…"
Chrome tried to rein in any expression of shock or surprise. She did, however; glance at Takeshi. He showed no change, still smiling. Not a hint that he had no intention of taking on the family business.
Feeling awkward at being caught in the middle of knowing a secret, yet unable to mention it; Chrome tried her best to communicate.
"Yamamoto-san…I…I'd be honored to work here." Even though it looked like the chef was against it, Chrome wanted to try. If nothing else, it would make the Rain Guardian happy because he was honestly trying to get her hired.
The sushi chef was still frowning at her though. Chrome was ready to take a step back and try to leave as quietly and politely as possible, but stopped when the older man lowered his hands.
"Be here at eight tomorrow morning. On time and try to wear something more…just more" he gestured to her uniform.
Chrome lurched forward a little when Takeshi patted her shoulders.
"See? You won him over" he praised. 'Actually, that was all your doing.' Chrome thought.
Takeshi walked with her to the bus stop, forcing himself every step of the way not to fuss over her. Fussing was more of Tsuna's territory anyway, but he still felt concerned that her color hadn't come back. So, he kept pace with her and watching Chrome whenever she wasn't looking.
About halfway to the bus stop, Chrome bit her lip before asking, "What's he like?"
"Who? My dad?"
The Mist Guardian nodded. Takeshi thought for a moment, "He's strict, works very hard at his job so he expects everyone else to put in the same effort, but I'd say he's an okay boss."
He took her frown to mean Chrome was anxious about tomorrow. "Hey, don't look so down. You'll be fine" Takeshi encouraged.
"If you say so…" Chrome muttered. It all seemed so juvenile now. Coming out in the heat of the day, passing out and being a burden –a status quo she was trying to correct- only to have Takeshi angle his way into getting her a job.
By the time they arrived, a bus had already pulled up.
"I'd better let you go or you'll miss it. See you tomorrow, Chrome."
She bit her lip again, suddenly getting the feeling of being in over her head. Even if it was what she asked for, Chrome instantly had doubts. Her only hope was the Rain Guardian wouldn't regret speaking up on her behalf.
Notes: An awkward start I know, but I promise it will get better overtime. Takeshi is kind of hard for me to write since I'm used to writing snarky-broody-assholes of the male variety. Still, he's one of my favorites so I'll do my best to keep him (and Chrome) as close IC as possible.
Thanks for reading.