A/N: I finally decided NOT to do a sequel to 'The Risks We Take'. Instead this will compensate for it! This collection will be a series of one-shots featuring the cast of "The Risks We Take" and their everyday life after the events in the story. Depending on whom everyone wants to read about, a chapter dedicated to any couple or person can be accommodated! Since this is the first chapter, I've chosen the main four (Matsuma, Ryo, Ryoma, and Fuji) to open!
Read and Review as usual to support me! Don't forget to tell me whom you want to see in the next chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own PoT characters only my OC's!
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The Subtle Ways of Life
Rated: T(Although some themes might be M)
Summary: A collection of One-shots featuring any character from "The Risks We Take"
Story I: Fuji's Influence
Summary: Jun gets a taste of what daily life in the Echizen Household is like.
"Do you always like to show up at the weirdest times?" Ryo asked Jun.
"I just felt like seeing you today…" Jun said with a small smile.
"Stop." Ryo commanded. "Every time you come here, you get that same creepy smile Fuji-san has…"
"It's not that creepy Ryo-chan…" Fuji mused from where he sat in the living room. He casually had an arm draped on Ryoma while Ryoma stroked Karupin. "Besides it's New Year's eve…a day to spend with your lover Ryo." Fuji finished with a smile.
"I don't have one!" Ryo announced as he walked back to the TV to continue his game on his new Wii Fuji and Ryoma had bought for him.
Just as Matsuma joined him for a round of tennis on his Wii, the phone rang.
"Get it Ryo," Ryoma and Fuji uttered at the same time.
"Why?" Ryo asked turning towards his 'parents' only to find them thoroughly intrigued in feeding each other. With a sigh, he paused the game and ran towards the dining room to grab an apple and answer the phone.
"Echizen…" Ryoma muttered taking a bite out of his apple.
"Ryo?"
"Aa…" Ryo answered recognizing Inui-sensei's voice.
"Is your brother home? I want to talk to him about a tennis schedule…"
Ryo glanced into the living room to see Fuji sliding a big slice of apple past Ryoma's lip with a smile.
"He's happily being fed through the mouth at the moment with a big one…" Ryo said bluntly.
"You…you're watching them?" Inui asked incredulously.
Moving Matsuma's arm off his waist when Matsuma came for an apple as well he turned his attention back to answering Inui.
"Well they are doing it in front of me…"
"Then shouldn't you be… not paying attention?" Inui asked uncomfortably.
Ryo lifted a brow although he knew Inui-sensei couldn't see. "Well they are making so much noise but I'm not bothered, I'm playing with Matsuma anyways."
"You-…… I'll call back tomorrow."
Ryo merely sighed. Well it must not have been too important if he could call back tomorrow.
Matsuma on the other hand had a pretty good idea why their teacher had hung up. Ryo was way too vague and blunt in his description for Inui-sensei to understand that Fuji-san and Echizen-san were eating apples.
"Come on!" Ryo merely said walking back to their game. Matsuma followed after him.
"Did you know how wrong that sounded?" Matsuma asked Ryo who merely shrugged.
"Che! Okaa-san would've said that same thing!" Ryo said gruffly.
xXx
Matsuma sat next to Ryo as they watching a tennis match on TV. Echizen-san had taken Karupin up for her bath and Fuji-san was cooking a bit of lunch for them. Although the tennis match Ryo and he was watching was quite interesting, he was more interested in staring at his Ryo's facial emotions when the players missed an easy shot or did something amazing. Through Matsuma's daydream though, he distantly heard the phone ring and Fuji-san pick up.
"Yuuta…"
A muffled groan suddenly escaped Ryo's lips as he turned up the volume on the TV, it seemed Ryo was quite accustomed to Fuji and Yuuta's conversations.
"Ryo…too loud, I can't hear Yuuta's cute voice." Fuji informed with a spreading smile.
Although the smile was not directed at him, Matsuma still felt the slight chill run up his spine. He still couldn't believe how easy it was for Fuji-san to influence them.
"Do you not like Fuji-san talking to his brother?" Matsuma leaned over to ask Ryo.
"Of course…because somewhere in the conversation-"
"Ryo is being cute as ever… just the other day Ryoma and I dressed him up in his teddy bear pajamas I picked out…"
Ryo groaned aloud as he reached over to cover Matsuma's ear. " You don't want to hear everything!"
Matsuma merely grinned and touched his forehead lightly against Ryo's.
"Baka!" Ryo said suddenly as he pulled away before Fuji could see….
Too late! Fuji was standing by the doorway with an all-knowing smile watching them.
Although Ryo refocused his attention back to the tennis match not looking at Matsuma or Fuji, Matsuma merely smiled back at Fuji as he talked to his younger brother. Out of the corner of Matsuma's eye, he saw Echizen-san come downstairs and head into the kitchen.
Due to his lifestyle, this was all unfamiliar to him. Usually he ate alone or with his sister for all three meals of the day since his parents usually dropped by at odd times only. He wasn't used to the carefree ways of Fuji-san and Echizen-kun either…. They teased and played with Ryo however they liked but Matsuma couldn't remember any incident when his father would tease him light-heartedly or give him hugs and ruffles on the head…
Matsuma Jer was not a man to joke… and when he did it was awkward to Jun. He wasn't one to smile much either; those were reserved for special moments and his wife…
One time Jun had overheard one of his father's executive telling his assistant that his father was thoroughly being controlled by his mother…of course that executive didn't last past that week after Jun discovered his father had been right behind him listening as well.
Although everyone and Jun knew that Matsuma Jer was being cuckolded by Matsuma Asuka, anyone who dare mentions it out loud would be thoroughly punished. After all, Jer had his pride as well and Asuka wasn't a mom to flaunt her power.
Strangely interested in the events of the kitchen, he watched as Fuji sat in the dining room while Echizen-san approached the small pan that was still steaming with 2 fish to pick at one of them with a spoon. It seems Echizen-san wanted a taste before anybody. Matsuma supposed Fuji saw Matsuma's smile directed at the kitchen because he turned quickly and also saw the contents going down Echizen's mouth.
"Ryoma!" Fuji breathed out.
Too late, it seemed Echizen-san already got a good mouthful before he realized it was lavished with wasabi seasoning…a lunch for Fuji-san.
Matsuma suppressed a smile and laugh as he watched Echizen-san jump for water all the while trying to find a cup.
Meanwhile Fuji had already entered the kitchen as well. Fuji groaned loudly as he watched Ryoma choke on water and the fish he hadn't fully swallowed of spit out yet.
"Ryoma-baby, you have to swallow slowly or it'll be quite thick going down…" Fuji breathed out as he pats Ryoma on the back. "Serves you right for wanting a taste so bad- eh? Yuuta? Yuuta?"
Matsuma grinned as he turned his attention back to the TV set. It seemed Yuuta had no wish to know what Echizen-san had swallowed…especially after Fuji had worded it!
xXx
It wasn't until later when Matsuma found out exactly how blunt, yet revealing Fuji's influence could influence everyone in the Echizen household.
Fuji had volunteered all of them to do a "family" project and move a table upstairs because HE needed it. Ryo and Echizen-san, of course needed a dose of the smile and sweet threats from Fuji-san before their complaints were shut off.
As if on cue, as soon as they reached the stairs, the phone rang.
"Get that sweetie!" Fuji said as he pulled the table up the stairs with Ryo while Ryoma and Matsuma pushed.
"What Momo?" Ryoma said after checking the number on the caller ID.
As they continued a stream of tennis advice to one another, we made it to the top of the stairs before we ran into trouble turning the table to fit into the hall from the stairs.
After the third time we failed, Echizen-san's patience snapped.
"Push it further and harder Syuusuke! Lift your leg to the side Ryo or else Syuusuke will jam the side into you…. Matsuma, hold my side while I push harder…"
Matsuma smiled as he heard the click of Momoshiro-san hanging up. If it was him on the other line he would've thought wrong as well with the wording Echizen-san decided to use. It seemed Fuji syndrome was well rounded in this household!
xXx
Later
"Jun-chan!" Himiko sang out as she knocked on Ryo's bedroom door. "Time to go home!"
"Aa…" Matsuma said opening the door a bit to tell his sister to wait. He saw Himiko raise a brow when he had no shirt on.
"Ryo, I need my boxers and shirt…"
Ryo groaned, "5 more minutes…"
"I have to go now… just lift your hips, it'll be quick"
"Iie… I don't want to-"
"Jun-chan!" Himiko finally said unable to contain her curiosity.
"MOU!" Himiko said before leaving the room, "With what I heard I thought… MOU!"
Jun merely smiled as he lifted Ryo's hip a bit to pull his clothes out from under the sleeping Ryo.
It seemed even the influence was extending to him…
A/N: I hope you enjoyed that little story! Although I have no idea who to write about next! Perhaps everyone can tell me whom they want to read about next in the review as well?