Shinesman ficbit
Oct. 16th, 2003 12:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sakon76I haven't written in this universe for a long time. But this drabble hit me upside the head, probably inspired by a HnG fic I read wherein Hikaru's father became an overwork statistic, and the friend I have who seems to be trying to turn herself into one. There are a few errors, but my manga's packed at the moment. Also, like my other Shinesman fic (though I'm not sure if they're in the same universe or not), this story has a Sasaki-Matsumoto-Kasahara three-way marriage in it. ^^
Hope thought of himself as a reasonable man. But he could be pushed too far, as evidenced by his reaction to the fact that after having worked three consecutive eighty-hour weeks, his Empress did not come home until a quarter to midnight.
On Christmas Eve.
Only Lafuure's hand on his arm prevented him from spilling his fury and pain into action, a restraint that in retrospect probably saved Hope's relationship with their mutual spouse.
Hiroya's eyes betrayed bone-deep weariness and pain as he was led to their bed. It was less than five minutes before he fell asleep, Lafuure's hand gently stroking his hair. She waited a few more minutes, until Hiroya's expression begin to ease, his body starting to relax beneath the covers, before standing. "I'll be in the living room," she told Hope. She closed the door behind herself.
Hope lay down beside Hiroya. His own hand crept to thread through the dark brown hair. Hiroya turned toward him. Hope's palm drifted across his cheek. Hiroya snuggled into the touch.
It was almost in spite of himself that Hope noticed the stress lines threading across his Empress' face. He smoothed them away, but they came back. He smoothed them away again. It did no good.
Matsumoto was burning himself out, and Hope's eyes hurt. He rubbed the back of his arm across them, denying his tears.
***
Lafuure had prepared a simple meal by the time Hope came out into the kitchen. Her Emperor was oddly subdued. She could tell that he'd been crying. When he sat down at the table he didn't raise his eyes to her, not even when she sat down across from him and murmured a blessing for the food. Still, he ate. She was patient, knowing that he would speak his mind to her sooner or later. They always spoke to one another where Hiroya was concerned. Sure enough, at the end of the meal he set down his chopsticks, muttered a thanks, and looked up to meet her eyes. Lafuure set down her chopsticks in anticipation.
"He's quitting that damn company if I have to kidnap him to make it happen," the Emperor of all the Voicean Empire said.
"He'll never agree to that," Lafuure pointed out. "He's a company man."
"I will not let him become an overwork statistic!" Hope shouted at her.
Lafuure stood and walked behind the Emperor. She wrapped her arms around him, forehead resting against the back of his neck. "You can't make that choice for him. It's not your right." The Emperor was tense in her arms. "He has his pride, too, Hope."
"He loves that company more than us," Hope growled.
"Differently," she argued. "You know how he feels about his father. And he's setting a good example for Yuuta-kun."
Hope relaxed, just a little. He, too, understood about fathers and little brothers.
"You can't take his freedom," Lafuure whispered, letting her own heartbreak spill in just a little. "He'll only resent us for that."
Hope sighed and relaxed more, his head falling forward. "You're right. We can't, can we?"
There was a long while where silence moved past like the slow hands of a clock.
"But just because we can't," Hope said suddenly, with the impish tone in his voice that indicated he'd found an idea that would get someone into trouble, "doesn't mean someone else can't." He straightened and twisted his head around so that he met Lafuure's eyes. A small smile curved his lips.
"Oh...?" Lafuure smiled back.
***
It was New Year's before hope found the right time to set his plan in motion. It began with a simple visit to Hiroya's division head and the threat of withdrawing from several mutually beneficial contracts if his Empress didn't receive some well-deserved time off. Things fell into place from there.
***
"Six weeks off...?" Hiroya blankly questioned Sakakibara. She nodded, a smile on her lips.
"The Right Trading Corporation recognizes all the work you've been doing for us in this last year, especially the last month," she said, "and is rewarding your for your diligence on our behalf. You've been doing outstanding work, Matsumoto."
"But--" he tried to protest.
"Also, we feel that this kind of reward will allow you to relax and keep your finely honed business edge," she continued. "Even the sharpest blade grows dull with too much rapid use."
"But--" he tried again.
"If you're concerned about the current contracts, both Hayami and Yamadera are fully briefed on them and quite ready to take on the projects."
"But what about Shinesman?!" Hiroya finally demanded.
She blinked. "What about it?"
"If I'm not there, Shinesman can't act as a full team!"
Sakakibara drummed the perfectly manicured fingers of her right hand across her desktop once. "There hasn't been anything coming up recently that Shinesman can't handle without you, 'Red'," she pointed out. "If, of course, a major emergency comes up, we'll call you in, but for the time being I feel perfectly confident in the others' abilities. Your leave of absence won't harm the team any."
"But...."
Sakakibara smiled. "Take some time off, Matsumoto," she urged. "Go back to Voice--I know you love it there. Consider it an observation of the success of the terraforming project, if you like. Give us an outsider's perspective on how well it's doing."
Hiroya nodded, confused. Everything she'd said was true, and there was no real reason he couldn't take the vacation now, but....
"You're dismissed, Matsumoto," she said. "Go home early to Sasaki-san and Hitomi-san for once."
Hope thought of himself as a reasonable man. But he could be pushed too far, as evidenced by his reaction to the fact that after having worked three consecutive eighty-hour weeks, his Empress did not come home until a quarter to midnight.
On Christmas Eve.
Only Lafuure's hand on his arm prevented him from spilling his fury and pain into action, a restraint that in retrospect probably saved Hope's relationship with their mutual spouse.
Hiroya's eyes betrayed bone-deep weariness and pain as he was led to their bed. It was less than five minutes before he fell asleep, Lafuure's hand gently stroking his hair. She waited a few more minutes, until Hiroya's expression begin to ease, his body starting to relax beneath the covers, before standing. "I'll be in the living room," she told Hope. She closed the door behind herself.
Hope lay down beside Hiroya. His own hand crept to thread through the dark brown hair. Hiroya turned toward him. Hope's palm drifted across his cheek. Hiroya snuggled into the touch.
It was almost in spite of himself that Hope noticed the stress lines threading across his Empress' face. He smoothed them away, but they came back. He smoothed them away again. It did no good.
Matsumoto was burning himself out, and Hope's eyes hurt. He rubbed the back of his arm across them, denying his tears.
***
Lafuure had prepared a simple meal by the time Hope came out into the kitchen. Her Emperor was oddly subdued. She could tell that he'd been crying. When he sat down at the table he didn't raise his eyes to her, not even when she sat down across from him and murmured a blessing for the food. Still, he ate. She was patient, knowing that he would speak his mind to her sooner or later. They always spoke to one another where Hiroya was concerned. Sure enough, at the end of the meal he set down his chopsticks, muttered a thanks, and looked up to meet her eyes. Lafuure set down her chopsticks in anticipation.
"He's quitting that damn company if I have to kidnap him to make it happen," the Emperor of all the Voicean Empire said.
"He'll never agree to that," Lafuure pointed out. "He's a company man."
"I will not let him become an overwork statistic!" Hope shouted at her.
Lafuure stood and walked behind the Emperor. She wrapped her arms around him, forehead resting against the back of his neck. "You can't make that choice for him. It's not your right." The Emperor was tense in her arms. "He has his pride, too, Hope."
"He loves that company more than us," Hope growled.
"Differently," she argued. "You know how he feels about his father. And he's setting a good example for Yuuta-kun."
Hope relaxed, just a little. He, too, understood about fathers and little brothers.
"You can't take his freedom," Lafuure whispered, letting her own heartbreak spill in just a little. "He'll only resent us for that."
Hope sighed and relaxed more, his head falling forward. "You're right. We can't, can we?"
There was a long while where silence moved past like the slow hands of a clock.
"But just because we can't," Hope said suddenly, with the impish tone in his voice that indicated he'd found an idea that would get someone into trouble, "doesn't mean someone else can't." He straightened and twisted his head around so that he met Lafuure's eyes. A small smile curved his lips.
"Oh...?" Lafuure smiled back.
***
It was New Year's before hope found the right time to set his plan in motion. It began with a simple visit to Hiroya's division head and the threat of withdrawing from several mutually beneficial contracts if his Empress didn't receive some well-deserved time off. Things fell into place from there.
***
"Six weeks off...?" Hiroya blankly questioned Sakakibara. She nodded, a smile on her lips.
"The Right Trading Corporation recognizes all the work you've been doing for us in this last year, especially the last month," she said, "and is rewarding your for your diligence on our behalf. You've been doing outstanding work, Matsumoto."
"But--" he tried to protest.
"Also, we feel that this kind of reward will allow you to relax and keep your finely honed business edge," she continued. "Even the sharpest blade grows dull with too much rapid use."
"But--" he tried again.
"If you're concerned about the current contracts, both Hayami and Yamadera are fully briefed on them and quite ready to take on the projects."
"But what about Shinesman?!" Hiroya finally demanded.
She blinked. "What about it?"
"If I'm not there, Shinesman can't act as a full team!"
Sakakibara drummed the perfectly manicured fingers of her right hand across her desktop once. "There hasn't been anything coming up recently that Shinesman can't handle without you, 'Red'," she pointed out. "If, of course, a major emergency comes up, we'll call you in, but for the time being I feel perfectly confident in the others' abilities. Your leave of absence won't harm the team any."
"But...."
Sakakibara smiled. "Take some time off, Matsumoto," she urged. "Go back to Voice--I know you love it there. Consider it an observation of the success of the terraforming project, if you like. Give us an outsider's perspective on how well it's doing."
Hiroya nodded, confused. Everything she'd said was true, and there was no real reason he couldn't take the vacation now, but....
"You're dismissed, Matsumoto," she said. "Go home early to Sasaki-san and Hitomi-san for once."
