KHR Rarepair Week 2020 (June 21 Start)

[warmskies]

1. Storm Day
Flameswap AU
Chikusa/Mukuro
"take a knife, cut the world in two"

2. Sky Day
Old Gods / Scars
Chikusa/Chrome
"warm ghosts, cold air"

3. Sun Day
Isekai AU
Chikusa/Everyone
"everyone gets hungry"

4. Lightning Day
Bookshop AU / Curses
Chikusa/Gokudera
"the falling is a process"

5. Rain Day
Platonic Cuddling
Chikusa/Ken
"not asking to be spotless (just asking for you)"

6. Cloud Day
Ten Years Later
Chikusa/Yamamoto
"glad to exist"

7. Mist Day
Historical AU
Chikusa/Hibari
"love (and corner men) are elusive"

8. Earth Day
Accidentally Saving the Day
Chikusa/Ryohei
"what it feels like to know a heart"

Comments

[warmskies]

 The paparazzi are kind of funny, Takeshi thinks. He's pretty sure that's not the frame of mind he should have for them, especially after Gokudera has yelled at him so much about it, but he can't help it. They swarm around him so desperately for any sort of juicy gossip, this Japanese all star who's made a big splash in the baseball world, and all Takeshi can really do is laugh about it. After all, what they think they want is some sort of basic gossip: maybe him going out to clubs, doing drugs, being caught with a girl or three. He knows some people on other teams who do that, and he doesn't judge them too much. Life is pretty short, after all. As long as they're not hurting anybody or messing up right before a game, it's fine if even one of his teammates decides to some weed.

What's funny is that the things that are actually worth talking about are things they'll never even remotely consider as possibility. Would anyone believe a happy-go-lucky baseball prodigy from Japan is a part of the Italian mafia? Takeshi thinks about telling them upfront, sometimes. Just for fun. Just to see. He knows they wouldn't believe him, partially because of his personality, partially because of how no one in the know would actually SAY they're a part of a criminal empire... but he'd like to see what would happen.

He doesn't, of course, mostly because he doesn't want to cause any real trouble for Tsuna, but also because Gokudera would blow faster than his dynamite if Takeshi tried something like that.

So he just entertains it as a funny daydream, for the most part, even as he smiles and laughs and occasionally buys reporters and paparazzi alike some coffee if they're anywhere near a shop. Yet even if his mafia life is something they couldn't imagine... There's something else that the reporters couldn't ever imagine, but that he knows they would jump on far quicker. That, he puts actual work into hiding. Fortunately, he has the perfect partner in crime.

Being in the Vongola means he has a lot of money to begin with. Being a superstar baseball player means he has even more money. The thing is, Takeshi doesn't really need all of that money. In his heart, he's always going to be the simple son of a sushi restaurant owner, the smell of the ocean carried with him while he helps prep the restaurant. So he tries to use up his money when he can. A lot of times it means donating to various charities, which only seems to make him more popular. Other times he uses it to send gifts from America to his dad, or any of his friends, especially Lambo who seems to love seeing all the cowboy stuff from places like Texas.

Then there are the occasions when he uses it to pay M.M.

She's a pretty nice lady, honestly! Sure, Gokudera seems to bitterly call her a gold digger, a mercenary who'd sell a heart of gold if it meant she could get a good price out of it, and every other Family or organization makes sure to hold her at an arms length so she doesn't have a chance to learn any secrets that she'd easily sell off to the highest bidder... But, really, Takeshi doesn't find her nearly that bad. He doesn't have that many secrets to hide, so he's not particularly bothered by her... and, honestly, he finds her refreshingly simple compared to the other kinds of deals that can go on in the underworld.

"See, you get it," M.M. sighs when he informs her of this fact one day, when she's picking out the exact look she wants to go with for their latest outing. "Honestly, why can't more men be simple and loaded like you, huh?"

All he does is laugh, and patiently waits for her to dress. He's not really sure, honestly, if by simple she means him or she means the job he occasionally hires her for. Because it is a pretty simple job! All she has to do is accompany him places and look like she's having a good time, and, well, the gossip machine takes care of the rest. M.M. doesn't mind being in the spotlight at all. If anything, she seems to enjoy it, and Takeshi, well, he finds it pretty funny that the "vibe" she decided ages ago to give off with him was "leather dominatrix". Gokudera yelled at him for that, too, when he first saw it pop up on websites and in papers... But Takeshi likes it.

It's not only because it's hilarious to read about, of course. People sure do seem to like gossiping about what a kinky sex life he must have! And then there's the really interesting fanfiction that he didn't realize existed in baseball fan communities... But if it's something outrageous like that, then no one is looking for the real things. They enjoy the spectacle too much to realize that M.M. is only his beard, his shield, meant to hide the person he really wants to be with.

Today is no different, with her snagging his wallet as soon as they arrive at the hotel he's staying in for the day now that the season is over before she swans off to go... well, he doesn't usually know, although sometimes he can guess based on the shopping bags she brings back with her. He knows that she tends to wait around fifteen minutes before leaving the building at all, just to keep the paparazzi guessing, and he appreciates that. It's just his attention is focused elsewhere, and it's on the person sprawled out on the couch of his luxury suite.

Takeshi can't help laughing, even as he makes sure to carefully lock the door behind himself. "Wow! You move really quickly! Did you break in like you always do, or did you figure something else out? I don't think you could have made it in through the windows like you did that other time."

With an earbud hanging out of one ear, Chikusa just slowly opens one eye to glance over at him. He always seems out of place in hotels like this, where only the most extravagant kinds of furniture have been picked out. You know, the kind that seem like they belong in some sort of movie or a painting, all extravagant curves and cushions more art than comfort, things which don't seem like they should be lived on so much as admired from afar. They're lavish. Chikusa, with his worn out pants and shoes that almost seem to be falling apart, doesn't belong in such opulent surroundings.

Takeshi loves him for that.