"Beachside" - continued from Part I
~ ~ ~
The car ride was fairly silent...which, needless to say, was a bit disconcerting...particularly considering the company.
Chichiri cast his fiery-haired companion a brief, speculative glance, found Tasuki gazing blankly out the window, humming absently along with the radio. Wondering what kind of trauma could POSSIBLY make Tasuki want to hum along with N'Sync, Chichiri at last elected to assist--he stretched forward, flipped the dial, and sat back contentedly.
Yes. Bohemian Rhapsody was definitely MUCH better...
Again, he cast a glance at his companion...and felt his frown deepen. Tasuki didn't even seem to have noticed the change. He still sat there, the violent morning wind sweeping wildly at his fiery hair, fingers lying limply in his lap, eyes staring blankly out at the passing scenery. And, still, he hummed--he'd switched tunes almost subconsciously, it seemed...
At last, Chichiri let out a soft sigh, pulled over to the side of the road and brought the car to a slow, practiced halt.
Jarred from his thoughts, Tasuki suddenly straightened in his seat, turned to frown at him. "Why we stoppin', Chichiri?" The young mechanic glanced warily down at his wristwatch, chewed for a moment on his lower lip. "We're both gonna be @(#*$&@$ late if we don't--"
"Don't worry about it no da," Chichiri interjected, unfastening his seatbelt and shifting to a more comfortable position in the seat. He reached forward, switched off the car with a soft click...and waited, in the silence, for the other man to say something. After a long, stretched out pause and a few heavy scowls from Tasuki, the twenty-year-old at last sighed, rested his arm against the edge of the window and spoke.
"Okay, okay," he conceded, casting the blue-haired professor a brief scowl. "You're wonderin' what's goin' on, huh?"
Chichiri blinked innocently. "Is there something going on na no da?"
The redhead's scowl deepened. "Don't @#$(*& play dumb, Chichiri. You know somethin's been buggin' me since we left the house...or why the hell else wouldya stop like this, huh?"
The older man shrugged. "Good question no da..." He paused, studied the other man in the soft, warming light of the morning sunshine. When he spoke, his voice was low and serious. "Tasuki. You know there's been something going on lately with Nuriko no da."
Tasuki nodded.
"Hotohori-sama is going to have a talk with him today...but, I wondered if you had any idea what was bothering him no da? I wouldn't ask...but, you two have always been close. Did he tell you anything no da?"
Tasuki shifted in his seat a bit uncomfortably, spent a moment tugging absently at the zipper of his duffel bag. At last, he sighed. "I don't @#($*&$ know what's up with him, Chichiri. Wish I @!#(*&@#$ did. It's startin' to get creepy. I mean, okay...last night, I woke up, middle o'the night, like I do sometimes, and I went out to the kitchen to get a glass o'water...and, Nuriko, man...I mean, he was sittin' there at the kitchen table, sleepin' with his head on his arm." The young man's voice dropped, and his eyes were wide and frenzied. "But, when I tapped him on the shoulder to wake 'im up, ya know, to send him to bed...he @#(*@#&$# screamed! It wasn't no loud scream or nothin'...I mean, he didn't wake anybody up. But, he @#$(*@#$ screamed, Chichiri!"
The blue-haired man frowned. "Did he seem frightened na no da?"
Tasuki nodded fervently. "He sure as hell did! Took me almost five whole minutes to calm 'im down enough to make 'im realize that I was me and not some monster come up from hell to suck out his brain! It was @(#*$&@$ weird, man...@(#*&$ weird."
"I wonder what it is," Chichiri said quietly, gazing up at the sun-flecked green of the skyline, a slight frown furrowing in the center of his smooth brow. Abruptly realizing something, he turned, raised a questioning eyebrow at his friend. "What was bothering YOU then, na no da?"
"What the hell do ya think!? Nuriko's drivin' me @(#*$&@$# crazy! What the @(#*$&$'s wrong with him!? I mean, damn @#$* @#($*&@#($*&@#(*$&@(#*$&@(*#$&(@*#$&@(*#$&@(*#$&@--!"
Eyes widening as he noticed a group of passing pedestrians running in the opposite direction rather quickly, Chichiri reached out a hand, clapped it against Tasuki's shoulder. "Anou...that's enough no da," he suggested, frowning apologetically at the fleeing pedestrians. When Tasuki at last seemed to come to the end of his string of obscenities, Chichiri let the hand drop from the younger man's shoulder, turned so he faced forward in the car. A glance at the dashboard clock told him what Tasuki had already mentioned earlier--they were both going to be late.
Sighing softly, the blue-haired professor twisted the key in the ignition, turned and rejoined the morning traffic. They'd been driving for a few moments in silence before he turned back to the redheaded mechanic, offered him a slight, hopeful smile. "Hotohori-sama will talk with him no da," he offered quietly. "You know Nuriko will listen to him of all people."
Reluctantly, Tasuki nodded...and they rode in silence for a bit longer. After awhile, though, Chichiri gradually became aware of the other man's gaze pressing against him...he turned, raised a speculative eyebrow. "Nani na no da?"
Tasuki studied him for a moment longer, then looked away, shrugged. "Nuthin'. I was just wond'rin' why you an' Nuriko always call 'im 'Hotohori-sama.' Seems kinda weird...even if he is a damn @#*(&@#$ millionaire..."
Chichiri smiled slightly. "He's not exactly a millionaire no da..." He shrugged, then, turned back to face the road. "It started a long time ago no da. Actually, it was Nuriko who started calling him that. I picked it up no da...because the three of us spent so much time together then."
Tasuki's dark eyebrows raised. "You and Hotohori and Nuriko??"
Smiling slightly at his companion's reaction, Chichiri nodded. "Hai no da. We grew up very near each other no da...and so, even though I was older, we were good friends."
Tasuki shifted a bit impatiently. "So, uh...anyway...the nickname?"
"Oh...hai. I don't remember exactly when Nuriko started using it no da...he was using it even before I became friends with them. But, from what I understand...Hotohori-sama had a way of acting like royalty when he was in the presence of others no da. Especially women no da. And, so, when Nuriko and Hotohori first met...Hotohori-sama thought Nuriko was a girl no da."
Tasuki snorted. "Like we ALL @*#$(&$ did..."
Chichiri smiled. "Hai. From what I've been told no da...he was always very chivalrous towards women then."
"Still @#(*&@$ is," Tasuki muttered.
"And, since he thought Nuriko was a girl no da...he was chivalrous to him, as well. Nuriko found it rather amusing I think...and, said he felt like he was being greeted by a king or prince when Hotohori said hello no da." A slight smile twitched at his lips. "We've all seen him do that before no da...when he says, 'Pleased to meet you,' and then reaches forward and kisses the girl's hand no da..."
The fiery-haired bandit scowled. "It's @#$(*@& disgusting, if ya ask me..."
"Anyway no da...sometime after that, Nuriko started calling him 'Hotohori-sama,' and he has ever since. And, I do it because..." He trailed off for a moment, frowned, then shrugged. "It sounds RIGHT na no da...somehow." He shook his head, smiled slightly. "Anyway no da. Now you know."
---
AUTHOR'S NOTE: More to come soon...fanfiction.net was being odd and not posting this anywhere for a long time...even though I uploaded it last night... *sweatdrop* So, let's hope that time will let this poor ficcie see the light of New Stories and New Chapters...anyway. :) Expect more from this fic soon in the future--it's hideously fun to write. :) So...er...feel free to leave a review...even if it's a bad one telling me I have bad hair and smell bad...b'cause, how else am I going to know these things if you don't tell me?? *cries*
~ ~ ~
The car ride was fairly silent...which, needless to say, was a bit disconcerting...particularly considering the company.
Chichiri cast his fiery-haired companion a brief, speculative glance, found Tasuki gazing blankly out the window, humming absently along with the radio. Wondering what kind of trauma could POSSIBLY make Tasuki want to hum along with N'Sync, Chichiri at last elected to assist--he stretched forward, flipped the dial, and sat back contentedly.
Yes. Bohemian Rhapsody was definitely MUCH better...
Again, he cast a glance at his companion...and felt his frown deepen. Tasuki didn't even seem to have noticed the change. He still sat there, the violent morning wind sweeping wildly at his fiery hair, fingers lying limply in his lap, eyes staring blankly out at the passing scenery. And, still, he hummed--he'd switched tunes almost subconsciously, it seemed...
At last, Chichiri let out a soft sigh, pulled over to the side of the road and brought the car to a slow, practiced halt.
Jarred from his thoughts, Tasuki suddenly straightened in his seat, turned to frown at him. "Why we stoppin', Chichiri?" The young mechanic glanced warily down at his wristwatch, chewed for a moment on his lower lip. "We're both gonna be @(#*$&@$ late if we don't--"
"Don't worry about it no da," Chichiri interjected, unfastening his seatbelt and shifting to a more comfortable position in the seat. He reached forward, switched off the car with a soft click...and waited, in the silence, for the other man to say something. After a long, stretched out pause and a few heavy scowls from Tasuki, the twenty-year-old at last sighed, rested his arm against the edge of the window and spoke.
"Okay, okay," he conceded, casting the blue-haired professor a brief scowl. "You're wonderin' what's goin' on, huh?"
Chichiri blinked innocently. "Is there something going on na no da?"
The redhead's scowl deepened. "Don't @#$(*& play dumb, Chichiri. You know somethin's been buggin' me since we left the house...or why the hell else wouldya stop like this, huh?"
The older man shrugged. "Good question no da..." He paused, studied the other man in the soft, warming light of the morning sunshine. When he spoke, his voice was low and serious. "Tasuki. You know there's been something going on lately with Nuriko no da."
Tasuki nodded.
"Hotohori-sama is going to have a talk with him today...but, I wondered if you had any idea what was bothering him no da? I wouldn't ask...but, you two have always been close. Did he tell you anything no da?"
Tasuki shifted in his seat a bit uncomfortably, spent a moment tugging absently at the zipper of his duffel bag. At last, he sighed. "I don't @#($*&$ know what's up with him, Chichiri. Wish I @!#(*&@#$ did. It's startin' to get creepy. I mean, okay...last night, I woke up, middle o'the night, like I do sometimes, and I went out to the kitchen to get a glass o'water...and, Nuriko, man...I mean, he was sittin' there at the kitchen table, sleepin' with his head on his arm." The young man's voice dropped, and his eyes were wide and frenzied. "But, when I tapped him on the shoulder to wake 'im up, ya know, to send him to bed...he @#(*@#&$# screamed! It wasn't no loud scream or nothin'...I mean, he didn't wake anybody up. But, he @#$(*@#$ screamed, Chichiri!"
The blue-haired man frowned. "Did he seem frightened na no da?"
Tasuki nodded fervently. "He sure as hell did! Took me almost five whole minutes to calm 'im down enough to make 'im realize that I was me and not some monster come up from hell to suck out his brain! It was @(#*$&@$ weird, man...@(#*&$ weird."
"I wonder what it is," Chichiri said quietly, gazing up at the sun-flecked green of the skyline, a slight frown furrowing in the center of his smooth brow. Abruptly realizing something, he turned, raised a questioning eyebrow at his friend. "What was bothering YOU then, na no da?"
"What the hell do ya think!? Nuriko's drivin' me @(#*$&@$# crazy! What the @(#*$&$'s wrong with him!? I mean, damn @#$* @#($*&@#($*&@#(*$&@(#*$&@(*#$&(@*#$&@(*#$&@(*#$&@--!"
Eyes widening as he noticed a group of passing pedestrians running in the opposite direction rather quickly, Chichiri reached out a hand, clapped it against Tasuki's shoulder. "Anou...that's enough no da," he suggested, frowning apologetically at the fleeing pedestrians. When Tasuki at last seemed to come to the end of his string of obscenities, Chichiri let the hand drop from the younger man's shoulder, turned so he faced forward in the car. A glance at the dashboard clock told him what Tasuki had already mentioned earlier--they were both going to be late.
Sighing softly, the blue-haired professor twisted the key in the ignition, turned and rejoined the morning traffic. They'd been driving for a few moments in silence before he turned back to the redheaded mechanic, offered him a slight, hopeful smile. "Hotohori-sama will talk with him no da," he offered quietly. "You know Nuriko will listen to him of all people."
Reluctantly, Tasuki nodded...and they rode in silence for a bit longer. After awhile, though, Chichiri gradually became aware of the other man's gaze pressing against him...he turned, raised a speculative eyebrow. "Nani na no da?"
Tasuki studied him for a moment longer, then looked away, shrugged. "Nuthin'. I was just wond'rin' why you an' Nuriko always call 'im 'Hotohori-sama.' Seems kinda weird...even if he is a damn @#*(&@#$ millionaire..."
Chichiri smiled slightly. "He's not exactly a millionaire no da..." He shrugged, then, turned back to face the road. "It started a long time ago no da. Actually, it was Nuriko who started calling him that. I picked it up no da...because the three of us spent so much time together then."
Tasuki's dark eyebrows raised. "You and Hotohori and Nuriko??"
Smiling slightly at his companion's reaction, Chichiri nodded. "Hai no da. We grew up very near each other no da...and so, even though I was older, we were good friends."
Tasuki shifted a bit impatiently. "So, uh...anyway...the nickname?"
"Oh...hai. I don't remember exactly when Nuriko started using it no da...he was using it even before I became friends with them. But, from what I understand...Hotohori-sama had a way of acting like royalty when he was in the presence of others no da. Especially women no da. And, so, when Nuriko and Hotohori first met...Hotohori-sama thought Nuriko was a girl no da."
Tasuki snorted. "Like we ALL @*#$(&$ did..."
Chichiri smiled. "Hai. From what I've been told no da...he was always very chivalrous towards women then."
"Still @#(*&@$ is," Tasuki muttered.
"And, since he thought Nuriko was a girl no da...he was chivalrous to him, as well. Nuriko found it rather amusing I think...and, said he felt like he was being greeted by a king or prince when Hotohori said hello no da." A slight smile twitched at his lips. "We've all seen him do that before no da...when he says, 'Pleased to meet you,' and then reaches forward and kisses the girl's hand no da..."
The fiery-haired bandit scowled. "It's @#$(*@& disgusting, if ya ask me..."
"Anyway no da...sometime after that, Nuriko started calling him 'Hotohori-sama,' and he has ever since. And, I do it because..." He trailed off for a moment, frowned, then shrugged. "It sounds RIGHT na no da...somehow." He shook his head, smiled slightly. "Anyway no da. Now you know."
---
AUTHOR'S NOTE: More to come soon...fanfiction.net was being odd and not posting this anywhere for a long time...even though I uploaded it last night... *sweatdrop* So, let's hope that time will let this poor ficcie see the light of New Stories and New Chapters...anyway. :) Expect more from this fic soon in the future--it's hideously fun to write. :) So...er...feel free to leave a review...even if it's a bad one telling me I have bad hair and smell bad...b'cause, how else am I going to know these things if you don't tell me?? *cries*
