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Yuusuke is half-dozing over his homework when his phone vibrates. He ignores it. Thankfully his roommate Fukui is a heavy sleeper, so the quiet thuds as the phone knocks against the stacked books won't disturb him. The phone keeps vibrating, but Yuusuke doesn't bother to look over at it. Only one person ever calls him, anyway, since everyone else prefers email, and it's always fun to keep Toudou waiting. It might even help Yuusuke's mood, which has soured with the bad weather. They had to cancel practice. He glances at the window and the dark, stormy sky outside and frowns.
Still, it's as though Toudou infects the phone with his urgency; it skitters across the desk and bumps into Yuusuke's elbow. He straightens, brushing his hair out of his face and yawning. He squints at the phone as it bumps into his elbow again, almost like his grandmother's cat might headbutt him when she wants to be scratched under the chin.
"I guess you're on his side," he mutters, though he knows he's being ridiculous, and then grabs it before it can fall off the table. He answers the phone and says nothing, just waits.
Sure enough, he's greeted by an enthusiastic, "Maki-chan! How did your practice go? I have improved my time by .05 seconds, of course, and my coach says with this new regimen I'll get even faster--"
Yuusuke yawns deliberately into the phone.
Toudou's quiet for a heartbeat, like he's paused to stare, offended, at the phone. His voice explodes in Yuusuke's ear. "Maki-chan, you are so rude! I bet you didn't even cover your mouth--" Then his voice changes. "Unless you're not feeling well? Were you taking a nap? Is the Meiji coach working you too hard? Are you getting enough rest? You can't wear yourself out so early in the semester, Maki-chan!"
Yuusuke leans back in his chair. Some of his bad mood dissipates, just a little. He probably shouldn't be pleased by the concern in Toudou's voice, but he is, warmed by Toudou's worry. He imagines the small furrow between Toudou's eyes, his down-turned mouth. He lets himself smile.
"Don't worry. I'll be in perfect shape for our next race," he says. Toudou can be obtuse sometimes-- a lot of the time, like when he believed Yuusuke's lies at Inter-High-- but this he'll understand.
Sure enough, Toudou huffs out an exasperated breath that has a tinge of relief to the sound. Much calmer, he nevertheless still scolds, "Maki-chan, I cannot believe you'd let me worry like that! You're going to give me white hairs and ruin my beautiful looks. I'll be ugly and it will be all your fault!" He pauses. A hint of self-satisfaction creeps into his voice. "Actually, I'm sure I'd look distinguished with white hair, but that's not the point. Don't pretend you're sick and nearly give me a heart attack!"
What's annoying, Yuusuke thinks, is that Toudou's hair turning white probably would make his eyes seem even more intensely blue and help to give him a mature look. But Toudou's ego doesn't need stroking, so he doesn't say any of that out loud. Instead he changes the subject.
"If you hadn't insisted that we go to different universities, you'd be here and able to see I'm fine for yourself."
It's an old, well-worn argument by now, ensuing during nearly every phone call since they both started university. One would think that by now Toudou wouldn't fall for such an obvious ploy, but he immediately shoots back, impatiently, as though he thinks Yuusuke is being ridiculous, "Because we can't compete against each other and see who's best if we're on the same team! What's the point of racing if we can't race against each other?"
Yuusuke can't really argue with that.
It's the only reason that he agreed to go to Meiji and let Toudou go to Nippon, separated by an hour's train ride, so that they could race against each other after Inter-High before they both go pro. Still, evenings like these when he's tired and lonely, with most of his Sohoku teammates still in high school and Tadokorocchi and Kinjou off at other universities, and with his Mejii teammates still new and strange, he wishes that he argued harder and convinced Toudou to come to Meiji with him. He feels especially so on days like this one, where there hasn't even been the exertion of a good ride to take his mind off things.
Suddenly even Toudou's voice isn't enough. Yuusuke wishes he were here, close enough to touch. He remembers the soft, silky feel of Toudou's hair against his fingers, how warm Toudou's skin is, like he has an internal furnace somehow. Yuusuke drums a halfhearted beat against the tabletop. "So what's this regimen of yours?" he asks, trying to distract himself from the sullen gray clouds outside.
"Ah, ah, ah, I can't tell you that. You won't pry all my secrets from me, Maki-chan," Toudou says, his voice warm in Yuusuke's ear. He's doubtlessly making a scolding face at the phone. "Don't copy my exercise schedule. Find your own way to defeat me!"
Yuusuke doesn't bother pointing out that he wouldn't have known to ask about the regimen if Toudou hadn't mentioned it earlier. Still, he can picture the way Toudou is probably sprawled out on his bed, his free arm dangling over the side. Or maybe it's his foot dangling over the edge, twitching with restless energy. There's definitely a smile on his face, bright with anticipation for their next race.
Something tightens in Yuusuke's chest. He stretches out his legs, smooths his hair away from his eyes again. He says with studied casualness, "I was thinking of taking the train to Nippon next weekend, if you can afford time away from your studies."
Toudou snorts. "Please, I have looks, talent, and brains. Of course I can take a break from homework." Then he's quiet for a second. His voice lowers in a way that's still new. "Next weekend, you said? Do you need a place to stay? You're so annoyingly tall, you know, but I think you could still fit if we-- if we shared the bed...."
Yuusuke ducks his head a little, even though Fukui is snoring away and there's no one to see his flush. It wasn't until after Inter-High that Toudou, coming down from the adrenaline high of the race, caught hold of Yuusuke and kissed him. The kiss was at once a revelation and a conclusion, as though Yuusuke was waiting forever for that moment without realizing it, as though he knew it was going to happen as soon as they bumped into each other before that first race.
They spent the rest of the time before university racing each other through the mountains and stumbling their way into this new relationship, which isn't so very different from before, except there is now kissing involved and low-voiced whispers that burns Yuusuke's ears to think about. He clears his throat. "Yes. That will work."
"Well!" Toudou says. For once he seems lost for words. Then he laughs in delight, loudly enough that Yuusuke pulls the phone away from his ear. "Well! That's settled, then. I can't wait to show you the course here! You're bringing your bike, of course. We can race and then I might let you have some of these special protein bars my coach has been giving me, if you're nice--"
"So part of your special regimen are these protein bars?" Yuusuke remarks mildly, and allows himself another smile as Toudou bursts into scandalized admonishments of how dare Maki-chan trick him like that, he's not to mention those protein bars to anyone.
The scolding quickly turns into excited chatter about the course and the campus and then, in an eager, quiet whisper, a few other things Toudou had in mind for the weekend, if he could get his roommate to find another place to stay. His words are like a caress then, and Yuusuke allows his smile to broaden.
"It's a date," he says, and Toudou huffs at him, a poorly hidden grin in his voice, "Well, of course it is, Maki-chan. Haven't you been listening? Now, about the course...."