Chapter Text
As the door fell shut behind him, the smile fell from Izumi’s lips.
He lingered there for a moment, then two...before his phone vibrated against his hip.
A reminder that he needed to check in soon.
Right, he had a flight to catch.
He dragged himself away from the room, from his home for the last few years, dragging a case behind him that was so much fuller than when he’d moved in. He’d left some things behind: a cologne that had too many memories of nights out with Leo, a plush toy they’d won at a fair that would be too big…
Most of his bedding.
Leo could use it now after all. He could have had the bed that he’d insisted on sharing with Izumi so many nights rather than rolling around in the loft. He could have that as a workspace.
It was better this way.
Really, the room had always been too small for two people anyway.
And this was what was better for Leo.
They were falling back into their old ways. Hearing Leo proclaim that he needed to earn Izumi’s love. That he had to provide him with jobs and honour. Knowing that Leo still only saw himself as worthy when he was a tool to be used…
It hurt…
It hurt so fucking much.
Izumi wasn’t going to be like the guys from Chess. He wasn’t going to use him for what he could provide and pat him on the back for it. Only offering him love when he was willing to provide something in return.
Leo was worth so much more than that. He was the sun and the moon personified, a bright figure that shone upon everyone and deserved to be admired in return. He was so good, so pure. Even if he didn’t see himself that way anymore.
But he needed to. He needed to learn to love himself, and Izumi wasn’t giving him that opportunity.
He probably could have stayed. Maybe even should have. If he’d just refused Leo’s help, he could have built work up by himself eventually. At least, he hoped so.
The problem would have been how easy it would be to fall back into old patterns. Oh, this show runner has worked with Leo before, so he’s offering me the job because he’d heard good things. Great! But then the next job would be the same, the one after that would want Leo’s input, etc.
The guy deserved all this recognition and love. He was a genius who deserved to be at the top of the pedestal.
All Izumi wanted to do was meet him up there in his own way.
As he climbed into the waiting taxi, he stared out of the window, wondering when the next time he’d see all these now familiar sights would be.
He wanted to come back to Florence one day.
The city was his dream, and he wanted to be a successful model here. But he needed to fix his career before he could do that.
When he came back, it would be with a clearer plan. He’d get his own place to live that wasn’t a share-house, and he’d be able to balance Knights and modelling jobs better.
And Leo could come with him...If he still wanted to.
He rested his head back against the headrest, catching his reflection in the window and seeing the tears streaking down his face. He reached up, tentatively, to wipe them away.
He shouldn’t be crying.
The tears didn’t stop, though.
Not when he got out of the taxi. Not even when he boarded the plane.
Not until he landed back in Japan. In a place where, if he were caught crying in public, it could be a news story that he couldn’t afford right now.
He could still check up on Leo. Make sure he was eating properly and getting to all his jobs. They still had phones after all. Or, well, Izumi did. Leo’s habit of losing his…
No, Izumi wasn’t going to worry about that. He’d email him if he had to.
For now, he needed to focus on himself. On finding jobs. On being the best he could be, both as a model and a member of Knights.
Things would be fine between them; they had to be.
If only he’d known what the future would bring. Maybe he wouldn’t have put on a smile as he made his way back to the dorms to continue his life in Japan.