Birdnest [Oneshot]

[h_itoshi]

Title: Birdnest
Fandom: Tegomass
Pairing: Massu/Tegoshi
Rating: G
Wordcount: 929
Notes: Inspired by Tegoshi's hair in some Tegomass dvd clip that I don't even know what it was. Also, actually written like a month ago.

Tegoshi is not the best planner, unfortunately. Or rather, he's pretty good at planning, he's just not very good at calculating the time things will take. Therefore, as he lets the kids at the kindergarten he works at play with his hair while he reads to them, he thinks that it doesn't matter, he'll have time to fix himself up before his shift ends and he has to leave for his date.

But then he gets lost in the story, a pretty long book with few pictures about two brothers in a valley of cherry blossoms, and doesn't really pay any mind to what the kids are doing. There are four of them since their parents work late, three girls and one boy, so he doesn't think the damage can be too bad anyway.

Then suddenly, a parent knocks on the door and Tegoshi stops reading, realizing how far he's gotten in the book and that his hair feels very fluffy as he greets the mother and lets her take her two daughters with her. She muffles a laugh in her hand and tells Tegoshi he looks really cute and that he's such a nice teacher letting them do that, and gives him a soft, warm smile when she leaves with her girls.

So Tegoshi hurries to look himself in the mirror, and his eyes widen when he sees what they've done, the two kids still there tugging at his sleeve and asking if he likes it.

He knows he's been brushed with the doll combs, and to be fair, he looks a little like a bird's nest, complete with dark and pale pink feathers braided into the strands.

"Of course I do." Tegoshi smiles down at them, and reaches up to touch one of the braids, and inwardly he panics a little because these are not braided by someone who knows how to braid, but by a small mind just twining strands together until they stick, and he's not going to get this out in less than half an hour. "It's really pretty."

The little ones cheer and hug each of his legs, and Tegoshi looks up at the watch, eyes widening even more as it says 16.50 and he's supposed to meet Massu in 40 minutes, in town. He tries his best the remaining ten minutes of work time to untangle some of the mess in his hair without the kids noticing, but it's hard when they keep their attention on him, and when he finally locks the door after a long day, he's resigned to the idea of just having to go like this and embarrass himself, vowing to teach the kids to braid properly.

At least he's managed to force some parts of his hair down enough for it to look as decent as possible considering the feathers and braids.

He gets a few weird looks on the train, but he's so busy working himself up to panic about if Massu's going to think he's crazy or ugly or ridiculous that he doesn't notice. It's their fifth date, so it's not like they're strangers, but they're not that comfortable with each other yet. Tegoshi continuously tries to tell himself that if Massu still likes him when he looks like this, he'll like him enough to be his boyfriend officially. It doesn't help against the panic at all though.

He's late, of course, which is embarrassing enough, so when he finally gets off the train and out to the exit they'd decided to meet by, his breathing is elevated from hurrying through the station and he doesn't look Massu directly in the eyes.

"Hey." He says sheepishly, focusing on Massu's soft dark hair and the white hood of his shirt. "Sorry I'm late."

"It's only a few minutes." Massu says even though it's at least fifteen minutes, unable to hide the amusement in his voice, and then reaches out to touch Tegoshi's hair. "You didn't have to doll yourself up for me."

"I let my kids play with it while I was reading to them, and I have no idea what they've done with those braids." Tegoshi whines, feeling a blush creeping onto his cheeks. "I just didn't focus on what they were doing."

Massu's hand slide from his hair to his chin, turning his head the slightest so he has to look him in the eyes, and Tegoshi automatically relaxes when there's nothing but amusement and affection looking back at him. "You're really really cute, do you know that?"

Tegoshi can't help but smile, but he has no idea what to say back so he just shrugs a little, internally feeling Massu's compliment warm him so much it's like he's standing in the sun.

"I had been thinking we could go out for dinner." Massu says, deep voice still full of amusement. "But now I think I'd like to eat at home and help you untangle that."

"Yeah, I might need help." Tegoshi admits with a small laugh, but mostly he's happy about being offered to see Massu's home, and being saved from walking around like this and pretend he's sporting a new fashion.

"Okay?" Massu asks, still smiling. "Let's go then."

And as Tegoshi sits on the floor before the couch watching some drama that's on, full and content and with Massu's legs on each side of him as fingers work methodically in his hair to untangle feathers and strands, he starts second guessing his decision to teach the kids to braid properly. In fact, he's thinking about letting them do his hair again.

~*~