SouRin Week: February 2016
Title: The Ring on Your Finger
Author: melonmachinery
Day/Prompt: Day 1/Paper – Never Met
Rating: T
Ch. Word Count: 2.5k
Side Pairings: Makoto/Haruka (not really mentioned until much later)
Summary:

Sousuke returns to Tokyo ready for his life to continue on in the same monotonous gray it had since his dreams stopped in their tracks, but something flashy catches his eye and he can't turn away.

A/N:

Well! I hope everyone's excited even though it's still a little boring right now... Things will definitely be happening in next chapter! I'll be posting an update every Tuesday until I finish!

Chapter 1: Seeing Red

Groggy and miserably hot, Sousuke kicked off his blankets and wondered the worth of opening up his eyes when his body was already telling him it was far before waking hours. His head ached and his mouth was dry and tasted disgusting. His eyes were caked together and he rubbed at them, trying to get rid of the feeling enough to open them. The way his bladder was screaming, he'd be getting up whether he liked it or not.

He opened his eyes, blurry as they were, and saw little in the room with the blackout curtains. Kisumi didn't care for the bright lights at night so while he took the room with no windows, all of the other rooms had dark and heavy fabrics to block out the light. His hand reached out into the darkness, feeling around for his phone. He felt the soft melt side of it and he followed it down to tug off the wire charger.

When the phone was finally in his hands, blinding him with its bright LED light, he saw the painful numbers that made him groan. It was fifteen after four. Moving in had him sleeping well past eleven and he never got much sleep in the night anyways, always waking up at odd hours of the night. He clicked the side button, grateful for the sudden blackness of the room, and dropped his arm against the bed.

Getting up in the middle of the night wasn't his choice, but he couldn't get back to sleep if he laid there unless he relieved himself first. He got up and shuffled in the darkness, putting a hand up when he got to the door and dragging it around until he found the doorknob. He opened it up and tried his best to be quiet as he walked down the hallway to the bathroom. When the door was securely shut he brushed his hands up the left side and found the light switch.

The lights of the bathroom came to life, and his eyes did their best to adjust to the sudden change. He was on autopilot, going to the bathroom, washing his face, brushing his teeth and washing out his mouth so that awful taste was gone. His stomach still ached, but the mourning breath was gone and so was the sand in his eyes. He contemplated the pros and cons of eating something at that time of night, before deciding his stomach could suffer and returning to his room.

When he hit the bed he tried to think of something that could distract him, something easy to think about that could put him to sleep. He thought of moving in, and how Kisumi hadn't changed much at all since the last time he saw him. Thoughts of his impending internship that would be starting in only two days came, but as soon as he thought of that he tried to think of anything else.

He thought of how the city wasn't much different than he remembered it, and it was still hard to navigate, but he found it a little more doable this time around, despite his long absence. The subway system was easier to use than he thought it might have been, and as long as he tried to stay off peak when he was going somewhere it wasn't that crowded.

While thinking about it, he thought of red hair, and the downward angle of upturned lips. He could see the dark hat that pulled the long strands close around the stranger's face, framing his high cheek bones. His jaw was surprisingly defined, and he wasn't that much shorter than him, but he was slouching against the wall.

He was a little surprised at himself for even thinking of the stranger, that he even remembered. The brief meeting of their eyes wasn't enough for him to picture it in his head, but the feeling it left him with bubbled up from his stomach and his face cracked into a smile, his cheeks feeling a little warmer than before. A rush of embarrassment for being caught staring, and joy from seeing the stranger's smile, no matter how practiced, rushed into him. A part of him wished he would see the stranger again, but the city is a big place.

~~xx~~

The small convenience store was nothing special, nothing new. The exchange with the cashier took all of five seconds, no pleasantries made, and he was on his way. The moment he stepped outside on the busy street he felt a cold wind nipping at his cheeks. People filled the streets, all on their way to some destination. A small amount of jealousy hit his stomach.

Kisumi had work, and he couldn't stand being in the apartment alone just yet. There was barely any food in the fridge anyways, and he didn't want to go full out shopping until Kisumi was there. He had a few allergies and an extraordinary picky taste in food, and Sousuke wasn't keen on buying something the other wasn't going to eat.

Walking was pleasant, it always had been ever since he was a boy, or maybe he just got used to it because he'd get lost and end up walking a great deal. Either way, the feeling of his legs rotating in a comfortable speed was pleasant. When he had to stop at a crosswalk waiting for the light to change with a rather large group of people his knee began to protest.

He tried to keep his mind off unpleasant thoughts that throbbed in his mind in time with his knee when he heard loud and unabashed laughter. His eyes followed the noise on instinct, and across the road he saw glimpses of red in between the cars. The older ladies next to him also took notice of the man across the street, whispering to each other about how rude the young were these days, laughing like horses.

The lights changed and the cars stopped, the people started walking.

As he approached he saw that it was the stranger he met on his first day back, talking on the phone in a respectful tone, though the laugh from earlier was quite loud. His voice was deep and pleasant, and carried even over the bustling noise of the street and clapping of heels and boots against pavement.

A tug in his heart made him want to reach and out to say something to the stranger who was now heading the opposite direction, but there was nothing to say to someone like that. There weren't words or ways to speak to someone you never met without sounding straight up bizarre or like a creep out of the woodworks. He wasn't sure if he wanted to embarrass himself like that over someone he'd never formally met, even if they were strikingly beautiful.

His moment passed as they passed each other, a few feet away, the man focused on the road ahead. Sousuke turned his own head forward and made it to the other side. He stopped for only a second when he heard the cars finally zooming pass to look back. With no signs of the man with red hair, he turned on his heels and tried to find his way back to the apartment.

~~xx~~

"Everywhere?" Kisumi repeated and Sousuke nodded, groaning as his empty stomach lurched with the train. He always tried to remind himself to eat something before getting on something that moves, but he hadn't realized that when Kisumi said they were going to go out to dinner, it was something they'd need to travel far for.

"I saw him the day I came, in the morning, and I saw him again on the street on the second day. And I just saw him again, yesterday, on my way back from work," he explained. Kisumi made a noise, holding his chin in his hand.

"That's not that unusual honestly," he hummed and Sousuke gave him a look of disbelief. "I'm serious! Maybe you two are just on the same wavelength! Maybe it's destiny."

"Sure, destiny," Sousuke mocked and Kisumi gave him a smile, hitting his shoulder.

"I'm serious Sousuke," he laughed. "Besides, this is the first time I've ever heard you interested in anyone. I thought you weren't into people, like at all. And just through looks! It must be destiny."

Sousuke shoved him, but pulled him back when he saw he lost his footing. Kisumi was a laughing mess and he tried to ignore his jests. He knew it was unusual, and Kisumi wasn't exactly wrong though he wasn't exactly right either. There were a few people he liked in college, but none of those worked out and they certainly weren't anything like the ever yearned for 'love at first sight'.

Still, there was a pull. He couldn't really stop thinking about the mysterious redhead. He wondered what his name was, if his personality was something to be proud of or ashamed of. If he was even interested in guys like Sousuke.

"We're getting off now," Kisumi cheered, grabbing his elbow and pulling him out onto the station floor. He didn't let go until they were up and out the exit, which Kisumi endlessly teased him about since he often got disorientated trying to get out of there and often went to the opposite of where he wanted to go.

When they were finally above ground the air was a little muggy, surprisingly, and there were quite a few shops and restaurants. Kisumi was nearly skipping down the sidewalk, he was going to his favorite place to eat, apparently. Sousuke was informed that he could only go one day a week because of work, but he went every week because he knew the owners.

He swerved off to the side and Sousuke followed, ducking into one of the nondescript restaurants, a pleasant smell hitting his nose. They were welcomed by a tall gentleman who led them back to one of the corners. It was actually decently sized considering it looked like a hole in the wall from the outside.

"Makoto, this is my friend Yamazaki Sousuke," Kisumi said, introducing them. Sousuke bowed his head a little knowing that this must of have been one of the owners he had been talking about. The other was a chef, or so his friend had told him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Yamazaki-san," the man said. "I'm Tachibana Makoto and I'm one of the owners of this shop."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Sousuke mumbled before taking a seat. The two talked and Kisumi laughed, ordering Sousuke a dish off the menu with a promise that he'd enjoy it. When the other man departed Kisumi sat down and smiled.

"Met him in college! Haru is the chef, he's an awfully unsociable type like you, but his cooking is amazing!"

Sousuke scoffed, smirking at his friend. Kisumi was the type who loved to tease people who didn't like him, he didn't know why, but it was probably half the reason they were friends in the first place. If the other hadn't bugged him so much back during grade school he probably wouldn't have even known he existed. Kisumi was just the type that weaseled his way into your heart and wouldn't leave.

Sousuke glanced around the restaurant's interior and that's when he saw a flash of red walking out of the kitchen with a platter of food balanced on one hand. His head snapped up so quick it was painful and whatever Kisumi was saying to him was going in one ear and out the other. The stranger's hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and he wasn't layered in jackets, but there was no mistaking that face. It was the man he had been seeing so often lately.

"Sousuke? Sousuke are you listening to me," Kisumi whined, shaking his arm. He looked back at his friend and tried to school his face to indifference but it was too late, Kisumi was already scanning the room. His mouth opened up in shock and Sousuke kept his eyes fixed on the table.

"Here are your drinks," a cheerful voice said, and Sousuke thanked him without looking up. "The food will be out shortly. Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Makoto, who's that?" Kisumi asked, pointing over Sousuke's shoulder. Sousuke swatted his hand down and was about to interrupt when the other had turned around to get a better look. He was groaning with irritation at how obvious they were being.

"Oh that's," Tachibana started, but paused and turned to them with a smile. "That's Matsuoka-kun. He doesn't usually work these shifts, but a part-timer just quit so he's been filling in."

"Is that so," Kisumi hummed, a sly grin on his face directed right at Sousuke.

"If there's anything food related," Tachibana warned, a polite grin on his face, "that you have questions about please let me know. Kisumi, please don't bother our employees."

"I'm not, I'm not," Kisumi laughed, putting up his hands. "No need to get so defensive Makoto, it's just that Sousuke has been seeing Matsuoka-kun around a lot lately, that's all."

Makoto looked at Sousuke and Sousuke felt like digging a hole in the ground and just dying. He couldn't even bring his eyes up to meet with the other, let alone defend himself against Kisumi's ridiculous antics. Makoto said some pleasantries before leaving to attend to another customer. Sousuke kicked Kisumi's shin, but the grin remained plastered on his face.

He couldn't taste the food when it came, and his eyes kept wandering though he tried best to keep them focused. Dinner went by in a blur, only glances giving hints of fiery hair, and ears only giving soft suggestions of a voice he was quickly falling for. Realistically he was being stupid, and there was no way you could fall for someone with just that, but he still felt that unbearably annoying tug.

"Thanks for coming," Tachibana said with a cheery smile. "It was nice meeting you Yamazaki-san."

Sousuke nodded, feeling a bit sheepish. Kisumi was whispering something in the owner's ear, who was giving him a shocked face and his mouth began to flap ridiculously. A smile cracked on his face when Kisumi started to laugh that contagious laugh of his, and then he saw red again.

There a few feet away was the mysterious stranger, Matsuoka, Sousuke reminded himself. Their eyes met and there was no mistaking it that the other seemed shocked. Sousuke felt incredibly embarrassed, as though he was standing bare in front of the other.

They looked at each other for a few seconds and then Sousuke's eyes fluttered away to Kisumi, heat rising to his cheeks quicker than the recent weather could make them. His shoulders drew up and he glanced at the stranger out of his peripheral, but saw that he was now turned, talking to a customer. Kisumi was leaving and Sousuke followed, though his eyes stayed fixed on the stranger until they left the building.

Maybe there was something a little different about this man.