Chapter Text
Izumi smirked to himself as he finished off the last of the day's dance routine without a single misstep. There were perks that came with years of ballet, one of which was easy mastery of the usually simpler idol-style choreography. He had mastered their new routine the other day, actually, as had the rest of Knights, aside from Tsukasa. Unfortunately the other members had other things scheduled for the day so he - of course - was stuck practicing with their youngest.
"Kaaaasa-kuuuun," the male called out in his usual annoyed tone as he went to fetch a bottle of water to replenish himself. "It's getting late, let's wrap it up for today."
Tsukasa panted as he fumbled for what felt like the hundredth time of the practice session. It was frustrating, having his senpais learn the dance with ease while he continued to struggle. Sure, they had more experience, but normally it didn't take him this long to learn the choreography. Something about this particular routine was getting to him. The combination of the moves eluded him, and without fail he would mess up at least one part, if not more.
At the sound of Izumi's voice, he let out a sigh, frustrated that once again he couldn’t master the routine, but relieved he could finally relax. He finished the move he had been in the middle of performing, but when he brought his foot down, it suddenly twisted inward and he found himself falling.
"Ah-!"
Thankfully, he managed to not hit his head in the fall, but he immediately felt pain radiating from his ankle.
Izumi was already up on his feet when he saw the awkward twist of his kouhai's foot; he paid no heed to the splashy thud of the dropped water bottle as he quickly rushed over to Tsukasa. "You idiot-!" His scowl quickly dissipated, brows suddenly furrowed with worry and guilt at the thought of the redhead sustaining a serious injury under his supervision.
"... Are you okay? Does anything hurt... ?" the senior asked without so much as a waver in his tone - he still had an image to maintain after all. Silently, he gave the younger boy a quick glance-over before pressing a hand to his ankle to check for any abnormalities. Regardless, he should probably bring Tsukasa to the infirmary - his cheeky kouhai might try to play it off or something.
Tsukasa sat in silence for a moment, before offering what he hoped was a convincing smile. "I am quite all right, Sena-senpai... I simply tripped. Thank you for your concern."
'How embarrassing... I cannot get the choreography down, and now to injure myself...! Truly, this is a shame to my honor as a member of Knights...' He pulled his ankle away from his senpai's touch before putting his uninjured leg underneath himself and slowly standing. Tsukasa tried to inconspicuously test out his ankle, but when he was met with throbbing pain he shifted all his weight to his left side, hoping that he hadn't been too obvious.
'I've already been a burden to Sena-senpai today, making him waste his time on this practice session... I can deal with this on my own.’
Izumi only frowned, somewhat frustrated at Tsukasa's predictable response. 'Rely on your senpai for once you shitty brat.' The slight wobble in his kouhai's step did not go unnoticed to the senior and confirmed his growing suspicions.
"Don't lie to me, Kasa-kun." He gave the boy a piercing glare before adding dryly, "That's rude you know, soooo annoying~. Treating your senpai this way."
"Guh..." Izumi saw through Tsukasa so quickly. "It wasn't my intention to be rude... Please forgive me." Arashi often told Tsukasa he was rude without him even realizing it, but this time he had really thought he was being courteous...!
After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Izumi groaned in annoyance at what would be the best solution in this scenario - at least the other Knights were absent, though he supposed he’d have more options if the others were here. Damn them.
"Let's try and avoid adding any more unnecessary weight to that ankle okaaay~?" He sighed loudly before lowering himself to the ground and gesturing to his back. "Get on."
"Eh?" Tsukasa blinked down at his senpai, before what he was saying caught up with him.
"Please do not trouble yourself with this, Sena-senpai! I have already inconvenienced you enough today by having you attend this practice session, I would not be able to forgive myself if I became more of a burden... I will be able to manage on my own, please feel free to return home."
"Hah~?" Izumi turned to glance at the underclassman incredulously - 'is this kid for real?’ Despite the exchange only being a few seconds, he already felt his patience wearing thin.
"It'd be a bigger inconvenience to m-Knights if you worsened your injury you numbskull!" Another long sigh. "Let's just get you to the infirmary and get you checked, if Sagami-sensei gives you a pass then I'll let you do whatever from that point okaaay~?"
He briefly considered just picking up Tsukasa and tossing him over his shoulder by force, but decided against it since it probably would've been counterproductive if he ended up with another injury.
"Hurry up Kasa-kun or I’ll get mad~♪"
In the back of Tsukasa's mind a small, insidious voice wondered if it really would be an inconvenience to Knights if he couldn't perform. He obviously wasn't getting the routine right, and had shown little sign of improvement even with this extra practice. He needed to stop dragging the rest of his unit down...
But, there wasn't much time to linger on that thought. He murmured to himself, "You say that like you are not already mad," before shaking his head. "All right, Sena-senpai. I will be in your care..."
Tsukasa had never been carried on someone's back before, but he had often seen Ritsu being carried by that one Trickstar member. However seeing it in action didn't make actually getting on his senpai's back any easier. He gingerly wrapped his arms around Izumi, trying to place his arms in a certain way to make sure he wouldn't accidentally strangle him when he stood up.
"... Like this?"
"I'm not gonna break, don't be so tense," Izumi chided as he hooked his arms under Tsukasa's legs before standing upright. "And I'm not... That mad, okay?" He stood for a few seconds to adjust to the sudden difference in weight before heading out of the room. ‘I'm just... A sourpuss sometimes.’
It was a strange experience for Tsukasa. He was embarrassed at being treated like a child (and the fact that Izumi had seemed to hear his muttered comment), but on the other hand... It was nice to rest and rely on his senpai. His grip loosened slightly as he relaxed against Izumi's back and settled his chin on his shoulder.
Izumi mentally groaned at the fact that they should probably lock up the room since they didn't want anyone to steal their stuff while they were gone; however, since his hands were currently occupied...
"...... Kasa-kun." He stopped at the doorway almost reluctant to say his next words. "Fetch the keys from my pocket will you?"
"Eh? Ahh, r-right..." It was awkward to reach, not only because of the location, but because he had to release his grip to reach one arm down.
... Of course Tsukasa picked the wrong side first. He readjusted his grip and tried again, his face flushing deeper with every second it took to retrieve the keys. Tsukasa couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaped him when he finally fished them out of the older boy's pocket. He reached out for the door, pulling it closed and locking it.
"I... Will just hold onto these for now." There was no way he was putting them back into Izumi's pocket. Absolutely not.
Resting his chin back on Izumi's shoulder, Tsukasa allowed himself to shut his eyes. He was still exhausted from practice, and the warmth from Izumi's back was quite soothing...
"Hn." Izumi just gave a slight nod in acknowledgement before continuing toward the infirmary. If he was bothered by the exchange just now he didn’t show it - other than the slight tinge of pink that decided to grace the back of his neck. "If Sagami-sensei wants you to stay put then I'll go back for your things later so give me the keys then okay~?"
Too tired to vocalize, the redhead gave a small nod in response to the question, letting himself enjoy the silence. Not that he would ever dare to say it out loud (he had to maintain some of his pride, thank you), but despite all the times his senpai had bullied him, Tsukasa could not deny that right now he felt... Safe, was the best way to describe it.
It wasn't often that the two of them were the other's only company - they had no reason to be after all and Izumi wondered if Tsukasa felt intimidated by him - if prior accusations of 'devil' were anything to go by. Well, he did have a habit of bullying his underclassmen so it wasn't like he was without blame.
He wasn't the type to bother with small talk so he just continued down the hallway in silence (it wasn't that long of a walk anyway) - only to stop and stare at the CLOSED sign placed on the door of the infirmary. "Oh you've got to be kidding me...! Really?!"
"Huh?" Tsukasa glanced at the door, before realization dawned on him.
"Oh... Normally, even if Sagami-sensei is out, the infirmary is still open... Is it too late after school?" He hadn't been able to check the exact time before they had left the practice room, but he knew it was later than when most units ended practice.
Tsukasa quickly racked his brain for his possible options. His usual driver was taking a vacation this week, and Tsukasa had been walking to school. Both of his parents were out of town with their other drivers. He could call one of the other servants, but he wasn't even sure if any of them had a license, since they all resided in the Suou household with the family, and thus usually went out with one of the drivers... Making a decision, he spoke up again.
"... Thank you again for your help, Sena-senpai, but truly, I will be alright. Please put me down." Walking home would hurt a little, but it certainly wasn't impossible.
"Shut up Kasa-kun. Soooooooo annoying...!" Izumi couldn't help giving the door a hard kick in annoyance, which to no one's surprise didn't so much as budge. The infirmary looked dark inside so it was probably locked - there was no point in checking because he only wanted medical advice from someone more versed in the subject; it wasn't like they needed first aid supplies or anything like that.
"Do you have your phone on you? I'm not leaving you until someone comes pick you up."
Honestly, he didn't trust Tsukasa enough to let him wander around on his own. Especially when it was this late out. He was a nice kid sure, but he could be a bit of an airhead at times... And oddly unaware of things. Tsukasa was in his care for the day and he'd be damned if the underclassman had something else happen to him.
"No, my phone is in my bag..." He thought it over, but if Izumi was really not going to leave him until someone got him, it was best to come clean, even if his plan would probably get him yelled at.
"Even then, no one would be available to get me. I was just going to walk..." He had made the walk from school to home before, even near the same time of day (he could recall the time when he and Leo tried to 'summon a UFO' clearly). So it would just take a little longer than usual, it wasn't worth making a big fuss about.
Izumi turned to glare over his shoulder at the redhead. "Are you an idiot?! Even if you manage to walk with some pain what good does that do if it makes your injury worse?! What if you become unable to walk before you reach home? Then what?! You weren't even planning on grabbing your phone..." Oh he was livid and yelling now, but who can blame him when his kouhai was being stupidly... Careless. Dangerously so.
"Gah... So irritating... Really, you're such a brat," he hissed lowly as he tried to calm down the sudden emotions that flared up and twisted his stomach in knots - while he was relieved that Tsukasa told him of his dumb idea before attempting to execute it, part of him couldn't help feeling somewhat paranoid... His mind automatically jumping to worse-case scenarios that could've happened despite him knowing how unlikely and illogical they were.
"... I'll take you home after we grab our stuff."
Tsukasa winced. He had expected some backlash, but not this much. Honestly, Izumi could be a little frightening sometimes...
"I am certainly not an idiot! I will admit I forgot about my phone, but it is not like I am a defenseless child? ... Please Sena-senpai, don't bother yourself with this... Are we Knights not a unit of individualists? I believe practice is over, and therefore so is your obligation to me. I do not wish to continue to inconvenience you." Those words hurt him to say, but hopefully they were enough to get Izumi to stop worrying over him.
Izumi really wasn't in the mood to argue back and forth with his stubborn kouhai, so he just began to walk back towards the practice room.
"... No one said you were defenseless. However, when a soldier is weakened, there's nothing wrong with seeking back-up support - at least until you recover. Idiot.” He tacked on the insult for good measure since he felt like his prior words were getting a bit on the sentimental side.
"..." Tsukasa could see the reasoning in Izumi's words, but he also felt frustrated. Why couldn't his senpai see that he didn't want to be the baby that dragged down his unit? One day they would leave and he would have to have learned to take care of himself by then...
"If you don't like being around me that's fine. Just suck it up for now and put up with it until we get you home okay~? Then we can pretend this incident never happened." He stopped in front of the room, waiting for Tsukasa to unlock the door with an impatient tap of his foot.
Izumi's words gave Tsukasa pause. Izumi thought he disliked him? That couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, his senpai was quick to lose his temper often, but... He was still a dependable person, when it came down to it. Tsukasa thought on how to phrase his response as he undid the lock, opening the door slowly.
"Sena-senpai... I do not dislike being around you. You are one of my precious seniors in Knights, and I think you are very reliable. I know my inexperience has caused you trouble, and I merely wished to avoid causing you even more... I am truly sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. Outside of unit activities we Knights are not together often, but it is certainly not because I dislike your company."
In fact, one of the few times Tsukasa could recall spending time with his unit outside of idol activities was the impromptu holiday party they shared. Thinking of the holiday party dredged up another memory, something Ritsu had told him at the time - how the more Izumi cared for someone, the more he would get too involved and act in an unpleasant manner...
Tsukasa buried his face into Izumi's neck before muttering, "... Thank you for always looking out for me."
‘He doesn’t dislike me…?’ It was strange how much Izumi felt his heart swell at those simple words of reassurance. In fact, it took him by such surprise that he nearly stumbled with a faltered step - thankfully he caught himself in time, though it did nothing to cease the flush that decided to rise to his cheeks. He almost (but didn't!) swore under his breath when he felt Tsukasa press against the back of his neck.
"O-oi...!" He still managed a scowl at least - even if Tsukasa couldn't see it from where he was. "... You're annoying most of the time but," he paused, selecting his next words carefully. "You're worth more than the occasional trouble you cause."
Tsukasa could swear he felt everything slow for a moment when he heard those words. 'I'm worth more than the trouble I bring my senpais... Ah, I see. That is right, isn't it. If all I was to Knights was a nuisance, I would have been kicked out long ago, wouldn’t I?'
He could feel his throat constrict a little, tears pricking slightly, but he refused to let them fall. He had to maintain at least some dignity, else he was undeserving of the Suou name...!
Another pause - Izumi bit his lip. Should he say more or would it be best to just leave it at that? Being one of the top units, he knew that they pushed their youngest to extremely high, and probably harsh standards. The toll it must have on their first year... it only seemed appropriate to reassure his underclassman in turn.
"... Don't think of your inexperience as a bad thing. Everyone starts lacking experience at first. Your senpai included." He faintly recalled the song on his iPod he had listened to for the first time in so long on that day on the beach. "You'll get better. Waaay better than you are now." He cracked a small grin. "... And have a bit more faith in yourself Kasa-kun~. You may pale in comparison to your senpai but hell, you're in Knights for a reason you know~?"
To try and stave off his tears, Tsukasa attempted to shift the focus off of himself. "My senpai included? Even you, Sena-senpai?" He gave a small laugh. "It is hard to imagine Sena-senpai not being perfect as an idol... On stage you really give off the image of an ideal Knight." His voice was a little shaky, but hopefully not noticeably so.
"Mmhmm~. No one is born this talented you know. I had to work hard too~." Izumi retorted in his usual somewhat sarcastic tone. His voice softened when he admitted the latter - there was truth in his words after all. His singing voice was awful at first. It was only after many lessons and with great effort was he able to get to where he was now. Well, that and the words from...
'How nostalgic...' But now was not the time to dwell on the past - the redhead on his back was a reminder of that. He chuckled lowly to himself. 'You're the reason why the present Knights has begun to unite from their selfish stray paths... You got Ou-sama to come back - something I couldn't...'
"Hey Kasa-kun, I'm gonna set you down for a bit okay~?" Izumi warned as he carefully set the boy down. They didn't have too many things in the practice room, just their school bags and change of clothes... It shouldn't be too heavy for Tsukasa to carry. And they could just load it all on his motorbike so it was only a manner of carrying it there.
Tsukasa nodded as he was set down, making sure to rest his weight on his good side. Standing on his own again, he decided to try and assess the damage to his ankle. He bent over and rolled up his pant leg. The ankle was already swollen, and he could see the beginnings of a bruise forming. With a sigh, Tsukasa stood back up and gingerly put some of his weight on it. It hurt less than before, and it didn't buckle, so that was good. Honestly, he probably could have walked at least to the infirmary, but...
He watched Izumi as he gathered their things. 'It is all right to rely on my senpais, isn't it? One day, surely, I will make them acknowledge me as their equal, but for now... I will just enjoy being spoiled~.' He smiled, closing his eyes as he leaned against the wall.
'Hmm, but it is troubling that I have made Sena-senpai think I dislike him... Is it truly because we do not spend much time together besides our Knights obligations? I said we Knights are a group of individualists, but that was so I could stop inconveniencing him... I would much prefer we be trusted comrades on the battlefield.' Perhaps, in a way, this injury could be his chance to get closer to Izumi...