Joumato Month
Summary: For Joumato Month on Tumblr. Drabbles pertaining to the prompts dedicated to the friendship and romance of Yamato and Jou.
Warnings (for this chapter): None
A/N: This was partially inspired by a field trip I had as a kid. Sitting alone, thinking about Animorph books, and forgot my lunch. A teacher shared his with me and knowing how badly teachers are treated/paid, I think it means more to me than ever. I wish I could remember your name, kind sensei.
Chapter Seven: How long have you been standing there?
Yamato opened his lunch box. He had to give his Dad a little father-son credit. He at least mentioned packing a lunch... but now there was an empty box. Not enough money for school lunch. Yamato set the box next to him.
"I think I'll cook from now on," Yamato sighed.
He looked across the playground. Field trips sucked. His classmates continued about their normal lives and any attempts to mingle reminded him of his third, fourth, fifth wheel status. Kids from other grades were just as bad, looking up at him pleading for advice or looking down at him for blond hair and blue eyes.
He taught himself how to play a bit of music on a blade of grass. He wouldn't bring his harmonica out in worry someone would take it, ruin it, or he'd lose it. He smiled as his mind drifted to another place. He closed his eyes and hoped that lunch would be over soon. Getting back to collecting shells on the beach and studying the barnacles was fun; although he had to admit he was more interested in the ships and urban legends than anything else.
He wondered, fleeting, if Dad would send him to sea camp that year.
Then, the blond opened his eyes. A kid stood a few feet away, looking just as awkward. He had his lunch tucked against his stomach and adjusted his glasses when a strong wind gust nearly knocked him off his feet. He was tall and from an older grade. Just another kid looking to give his gaijin face trouble.
"How long have you been standing there?" Yamato muttered.
"U-um, not long... I'm sorry."
Yamato watched as the boy adjusted his glasses again. He noticed some dark bruising behind the rim of the glasses.
"I don't care. If you want my lunch, my Dad forgot, so don't bother taking it."
"U-um, well, I have some, if you want to share. I-I'm not hungry anyway."
Yamato raised an eyebrow. The boy sat next to him. His lunch was a beautifully packed bento.
"Did your Mom do that?"
The boy looked down at his lunch. "No, Shin-Niichan made it for me."
"Oh," Yamato replied. He thought for a moment of his little brother. Hadn't seen him in about six months now... "Um... what's your name?" Yamato snatched a octopus shaped sausage and chewed quickly before this kid changed his mind.
"Kido, Jou. You?"
"...Ishida, Yamato..." The blond waited for that strange look. The 'Oh, you have such a Japanese name, but...'
"This field trip is fun. I barely got the permission slip signed."
"Me, too. I've learned to write Dad's name myself for now."
Jou blinked. "That's something, I guess. Kind of illegal..."
"It's either that or wake my Dad after a forty-eight hour shift or waking myself up at four in the morning to bother him."
"Yeah. My father... umm..." Jou raised a hand to his eye. "I just wanted to remind him this morning..."
Yamato thought it best to change the subject, like when distracting Takeru anytime he asked about their parents getting back together. "Thank you for the lunch..."
"You're welcome. You know, you're really cool. I didn't expect you to be sitting alone."
"I'm fine."
"The music was funny. I heard it and had to stay and listen."
Yamato flushed red. "It's dumb."
"That's why I was standing there, if you were wondering."
"...I'm glad."
