Title: Lost and Found
Author: sllebswap
Characters/Pairing: Kobayashi Rindou and Tsukasa Eishi
Type: Continuous (InComplete)
Genre: Romance/General
Word Count: 3345
Rating: T (Contains content not suitable for children)
Disclaimer: Shokugeki no Souma belongs to Tsukuda-san.
Summary: Loss was like this. It was her stricken face, echoing in his mind. Her anguish, spearing through his chest. The memory of her, breaking in his arms.
Verse: Canon Divergent AU
Chapter Last Revised on: 23/03/18
drops of jupiter
"Listen, the secret to becoming a great chef is... meeting a woman that will make you want to give all the food you make to her. Look at my idiot son – finally did the sensible thing and married her, too! Hah! She will keep him in line for sure!"
Eishi had no idea what happened that he was now in the dubious company of one semi-inebriated Yukihira Joichiro, fellow Tootsuki alumnus and ex-Elite Ten member, many generations removed. The new Nakiri-in-law was certainly in high spirits…though the white-haired male could not understand why he was being picked out of all the guests milling around to be imparted this gem of wisdom to.
The younger man was not in a very comfortable place at the moment. Rindou had just given him the slip under the pretense of wanting to give her well wishes to the newlyweds, who at the moment did not look very much like a pair of blissful newlyweds, since they appeared to be arguing over something again in that noisy, semi-antagonistic manner that seemed to be their thing, right in the middle of the grand foyer with all their bemused/amused guests surrounding them. That was not something Eishi was very interested in, however. He had other concerns. For someone with really distinct red hair and a not very petite stature, the woman whom he had just lost sight of sure was ridiculously good at disappearing on him. She had, however, promised that she would be back, and so in the meantime, Eishi was stuck entertaining Yukihira's father…who was very quickly turning out to be every bit as eccentric as his son…if not even more.
"Yukihira-san," he started, in that automatic, cordially polite tone usually reserved for problem customers trying to stir up trouble at the restaurant, only to pause in wary disconcertment when Joichiro leaned over and peered closely at the distant looking young man standing before him. Of course he knew who the latter was. The name and face of Tsukasa Eishi was well known to just about every one within the culinary industry – theirs was a pretty insular and well-connected world. There was also something about the other's demeanor and expression that was quite nigglingly familiar.
"You remind me of someone I used to know," the ex-Second Seat pointed out suddenly. Someone who once used to be his kouhai; extremely talented, very polite, and soft spoken. That gentle, black and white-haired youth from so long ago was no more, not a trace of him left behind in the ruthless and cold man who was now Nakiri Azami and the father of his adorable daughter-in-law…but there was something in this young man that still reminded him of the teenager that Azami once was.
"…Maybe you need to meet a woman that will make you want to give all the food you make to her too," the older man decided, and Eishi just stared.
Then Rindou reappeared and the two men unanimously shifted their attention to her. Eishi's thoughts briefly derailed at the sight of her, even though he had already seen her in all her dressed up glory several times over the course of the evening. The gown she wore was sleek, off-shouldered and figure-hugging, with a mermaid train that flared elegantly from her knees to ripple gently on the floor, further accentuating her leggy, statuesque form. Draped in the exquisite creation of turquoise silk, softly shimmering chiffon and delicate, gossamer lace, she looked like a titian sea goddess stepping out of the frothing waves, complete with tousled wind-swept curls tumbling with wild abandon down her back, unforgettable kohl-lined gold eyes and painted ruby lips.
She was so beautiful, and his chest ached just watching her.
There was a small part of him that was still skeptical that this was real – that she was real and not a figment of his imagination and that she was right here with him.
But she was.
"Yukihira-oyaji! Congrats on your new daughter! Erina-chan's probably more excited to finally get to call you 'papa' than actually marrying Souma!" The redhead was holding a bottle of beer and she was more than happy to clink bottle necks with the older man in a celebratory toast. The two grinned at each other like old friends.
"Rindou-chan, you flatter this old man." Joichiro was smiling with delight, his gaze gentling with familial fondness as it settled briefly on his son and new daughter-in-law, still comically annoying the cookie out of each other some distance away. He returned his attention to his companions soon enough. "How was India? You were at Hyderabad and Mumbai recently, weren't you?"
Rindou's cat-slit eyes lit up happily at his question. "Ah, did Khanna-san mention me to you? I dropped by his place briefly and he stuffed me full with his delicious cooking before he even allowed me to leave. India was amazing, as always! I enjoyed the place so much I nearly missed my flight back here-"
She was animated and glowing with enthusiasm as she shared her experiences, and standing beside her, it was almost too easy to let the comforting familiarity of her bubbly excitement wash over him. He was staring at her again – she had been quieter and subdued earlier, when there was only just the two of them, the expanse of five years and an ocean of unsaid words drowning between them. But now, before someone else, she was back to that bright, cheerful self that he remembered her to be.
He wondered if they would ever return to that time, just the both of them.
Joichiro would be blind and completely oblivious to miss the way the young man before him was watching the young woman by his side.
Hoh. So that's how it is.
Not too long after, Dojima Gin appeared and exasperatedly towed the happy father-in-law away. Apparently, there were some guests who already had to depart from the festivities and the father of the groom was expected to station himself at the ballroom entrance to fulfill his hosting duties and help thank the guests for their attendance, not try to blend in amongst the crowd and skive off.
Rindou waved the two off happily enough, and then she peered at the quiet, white-haired man beside her. She didn't think that socializing was still very much his thing, but he had stayed close all the same and hadn't even interrupted or demanded that she drop everything to resume the conversation between them that had been left hanging instead.
His attention turned to hers, and she didn't know why, but her lips slowly twitched up, and she could not help but send him a tiny, lopsided smile. Hopeful. He didn't smile back at her, but he did continue to watch her with that inscrutable, sober expression on his face…and their gazes locked…and held.
…The years had been good to him, she could not help but think. Then again, he had always been a very attractive individual; impossibly pretty in his adolescence, and adulthood had only further enhanced that distant, regal beauty of his, sharpening his aquiline features, accentuating his high cheekbones and full, sculpted lips. He was distracting to look at this close up; the lavender hues of his eyes keeping her in thrall and drawing her even deeper, and she found herself instinctively swaying towards him, wanting to be closer…
"Now that's a beautiful face I haven't seen in a while," the light, familiar baritone that floated over immediately broke the spell between them. Rindou blinked, and she turned towards the source of the voice.
Eishi drew his hand back from where he was already beginning to reach for her, and slipped it into the pocket of his trousers instead as if he had always meant to make that action. He swiveled his head just in time to see one Isshiki Satoshi meander up towards them. The scion of the Isshiki clan was debonair and charming as usual, dressed sharply in a tailored Italian suit not very different from that of his own. The younger man nodded at him in acknowledgement, eyes gleaming as if he was sitting on a funny little secret.
"Tsukasa-san."
The white-haired chef was vaguely annoyed by all the people coming up to them, but he schooled his expression enough to return a cordial greeting.
"Isshiki."
The ex-Seventh Seat came to a stop before the pair with the strange tension floating between them, but he was polite enough not to mention it. Instead, he picked up the redhead's hand and bowed over her fingers, brushing a playfully elaborate, gallant kiss over the back of her knuckles.
"Hello, Rindou-senpai. Long time no see," he teased as he straightened again, and Rindou could not help but be amused by his deliberate antics as well.
"Isshiki, ya dork. We just ran into each other last year at Jeju-do – whaddya mean, 'long time no see?'" She drew her hand back from his English styled greeting to lightly swat the younger man upside his head, equally impish. While not very close, the two did occasionally cross paths every now and then. The chance encounter in the Korean peninsula had ensued because they had both happened to be trying to procure the exceedingly rare Jeju Black Cattle – and Rindou had certainly been happy to run into this kouhai of hers…even though he had fought her for the best cuts of the beef and she still owed him a kick in the gonads for stealing and running off with her prized filet mignon.
"Are you back in Japan for good now?" the brunette enquired with cursory curiosity, eyes still twinkling with good-natured mischief, but she merely shrugged and gave the same reply that she had given Eishi, earlier.
"Who knows?"
Those observant cyan hues flickered over to where the ex-First Seat was standing. For a moment, Satoshi was briefly puzzled by the latter's stoic presence…but it didn't take long for him to connect the dots. Something very much like surprised understanding briefly crossed Satoshi's expression as he studied the grim, almost unyielding stature of the older male. Like the staunch figure of a noble knight zealously protecting his Queen, he could not help but muse, lips quirking in a ghost of a smirk at his own fanciful notions.
…Though the man in question was starting to resemble a stone gargoyle more at the moment, what with the way he was glaring…
How the tables had turned; once upon a time, it had been her who had thrown everything away to protect him.
It didn't take long for Eishi to figure out something significantly aggravating. Well, significantly aggravating to him, that was.
For someone who had not stepped foot in Japan for years, she sure seemed to still be on very good terms with many of the movers and shakers of their world.
Many of the movers and shakers of their world…except for him, that was. There was also the fact that a good handful of them all seemed to allude to meetings with her in the recent past, and for the life of Eishi, he could not help but feel very vexed by that understanding.
So he was not good enough for her anymore?
Isshiki had finally the good sense to excuse himself, though not before amusing himself watching the ex-First Seat glower and act like a cagey…tiger, for a lack of better description. These days, the man was known to be something of an aloof Ice King, so it was rather amazing to see that he was capable of looking visibly irritated…and over something (someone) other than cooking, to boot.
It was astounding…though in hindsight, of course it would be Rindou-senpai of all people to pull out that kind of agitated emotion from him. Even back when they were all still students of Tootsuki, those two had always been particularly close. Isshiki was not privy to the details of the pair's relationship- though it did seem like there definitely was still something going on, judging by Tsukasa-san's edgy, possessive demeanor…and the usually discreet, reserved male wasn't even making any effort to hide it! Rindou-senpai was harder to read, but if the carefree, outspoken woman had truly minded her companion's hovering, she would have easily slipped away like she usually did.
That was one female that was impossible to get a hold of unless she actually desired to be caught.
…Isshiki silently wished Tsukasa-san all the best.
Once again, they were left to their own devices, and this time, Rindou turned straight to her mostly silent companion. She could see that he was quickly reaching the end of his tether. No doubt he was getting more and more impatient because after all this time, she was still making him wait.
"You don't need to tail me so closely, you know," she told him. "I already said that I'd be hanging around for a while yet."
He didn't reply, and she huffed with exasperation.
"You have become even weirder after all this time, Tsukasa," the redhead pointed out, and if anything, his silent gaze just grew even more pointed.
Whose fault is that?
She narrowed her eyes at him and placed her hands on her hips, lower lip turning out a hair in an indignant pout. His eyes lingered on the lush bow of her mouth, red like sweet, ripened raspberries.
"Hmmph. I don't think I appreciate your tone at all."
His brow lifted, lavender gaze lightening slightly as she stepped closer, his dark mood recovering significantly now that she was focusing those bright golden eyes on him. A small part of him was instinctively leery of just how easily she was affecting him; the rest of him was just too beguiled by her presence to care at the moment. If she was the fiery flame, then surely he would be the moth recklessly throwing himself headlong into her fire.
Someone had once told him that he was the king of delayed gratification, one of the best at denying himself whatever he wanted so long as it could further his ambitions. The flitting recollection was almost enough to make Tsukasa laugh bitterly. If only they could see him now. His principles, his self-discipline, his iron-willed resolve, they were buckling and unraveling before her.
He slowly, deliberately, leaned in towards her, and this close, she had to tilt her head back a bit just to maintain eye contact. This time, there was no pause or hesitation in her demeanor, and she did not flinch away from his direct stare.
This time, there was no mistaking that jolt of hyperawareness between them, this electrifying, dizzying connection that even she could not ignore, purposefully or otherwise. He watched as her eyes widened in slow realization, those slit-pupils dilating in a very alluring way that made him wonder what sort of expression she would show if he closed the rest of the distance between them and-
"…Why am I not surprised at all to see you two together?"
The familiar, obnoxious drawl that resounded behind him made his temple twitch in automatic response. Rindou, who had front row view of his piqued expression, looked momentarily bemused, then amused once she, too, figured out the identity of the voice.
The redhead poked her head to the side to peer around the White Knight's utterly still, silently irritated form, and immediately, a grin lit up her face. Unlike her companion, she was quite happy for the interruption. Or maybe it was relief? Tsukasa had been making her feel strange things all night long and she really wished that he would stop trying to intimidate her with his heavy stares and distracting proximity. She knew that he was mad at her (rightfully so) and that he could nurse grudges like nobody's business if he was particularly inclined, but what was with this weird hot-and-cold treatment that he was giving her? He had never been like this with her before and to say that she was ill-equipped to handle this side of him would be the understatement of the century.
As such, Rindou was practically all too gleeful to duck around him to tackle the lesser of the two evils.
"Kuga!"
The bicolored-haired male sauntered up, a smirk sitting firmly on his face as he strolled over to the other two. Whereas Rindou looked pleased to see him, behind her, Eishi was slower to turn around to meet the younger male, and his expression was barely enthusiastic, to say the least.
Oh, this white-haired senpai of his was still as poker faced as ever, but it was the little minute details that gave him away; the slightest narrowing of his lavender eyes, the faint, barely perceptible tightening of the corners of his mouth…
Eishi's irritation only grew anew once he saw that the ex-Ninth Seat did not seem the least surprised by Rindou's presence, too. In fact, judging by the way the two were easily bickering back and forth like they always used to, one could almost be led to believe that Rindou had never actually left.
Or maybe it was only him who had been the unwitting outsider all this time.
There was an odd sort of charged atmosphere going on here, and one that Kuga was starting to regret sticking his nose into. Rindou was obviously making use of his presence to avoid Tsukassan for some reason, and Tsukassan was starting to look quite displeased by the interference, as a result. Judging by the pointed way he was looking at Kuga, the older male was expecting the younger man to butt out, pronto.
It was also kind of funny (in a scary way) since it has been quite some time since he had seen Tsukassan's typically distant gaze light up with such quietly piercing ferocity.
No wonder Rindou was looking at just about everything but him. Kuga wondered if the White Knight knew that he probably should tone down on his intensity some. If he had known that he was going to get stuck between these two and their ever complicated, convoluted relationship, he would have made himself scarce this entire evening.
"So, Kuga- have ya toasted Yukihira and Erina-chan already? Maybe we should all head over to the bar to catch up and reminisce on old times," Rindou was saying, though just right behind her, Eishi had an expression that suggested he would strongly insist otherwise.
"I think Kuga hardly needs any catching up with you," the white-haired man interjected slowly, icily. "You two seem well acquainted as it stands."
The bicolored-haired male turned his head to address his senpai's sharp, peeved tone in muted surprise. His brow lifted silently – what; was the man seriously sulking?
He huffed in incredulous disbelief. This idiot couple-
"Tch, of course we are well acquainted. Who d'ya think I've been keeping tabs on you for?"
Rindou froze completely, and then now it was her turn to glower at the big mouth that was one Kuga Terunori. That punk. See if she would still bring him those ultra-rare, high grade wild grown Aji Charapita chili peppers again the next time she went adventuring in the Peruvian rainforests…but she would have to deal with him another time.
…Because now Eishi was staring at her like he was starting to figure out all the puzzle pieces, which did not bode well for her at all. Once Tsukasa had his head wrapped around an idea, he never let go.
His eyes slowly narrowed, and the redhead promptly decided that a tactical retreat would be a good idea, stat.
She tore her gaze away from his and pretended like he was invisible. "Oh look; is that Chapelle-sensei? I should go and say hi-"
She only managed one step before his hand snapped out and caught her wrist, keeping her from fleeing. His long, lean fingers easily encircled the slender circumference of her forearm, not tightly enough to hurt her, but he wasn't letting her go for anything anymore.
Eishi's expression was flat as he gazed upon Rindou.
"I think we should have that talk, now."
::owari::
Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:
This chapter is unedited, so read at your own risk! (I probably should put this warning pre-chapter, and post-chapter, ahaha…)
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-sllebswap