Fic: "Heatstroke" - Beach Boys
No, not the band, the show I screencapped the other day. So only about three people are ever likely to read this, but I'll post it here, anyway.
Everyone should download "Beach Boys!"
Title: Heatstroke (What a misleadingly porny title...)
Pairing: Kaito/Hiromi (well, duh)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,767
Summary: Kaito finally starts to notice Hiromi, but in a completely unexpected way.
Surprisingly, it wasn't until that trip to Tokyo in the middle of August that Kaito started wondering if the ocean air had been wreaking some serious havoc on his sanity.
How many times had they pushed that damn car along some damn country road for miles because its idiot driver couldn't seem to figure out that an empty petrol tank signals the need to stop and get more petrol? And yet, this was the first time he'd caught himself looking over the roof of the car at said idiot, watching beads of sweat slide down a smooth jaw. Every panting breath made Hiromi's throat muscles contract, his tanned skin glistening in the light of the merciless sun. Once in awhile he would take one hand off the car to drag the back of it across his dripping forehead, face tipped back and full lips slightly parted...
Kaito whipped around to stare at the road again so suddenly that he got a crick in his neck. He hissed in pain.
Hiromi glanced over at the sound. "Ne, you okay?"
Kaito glared, embarrassment and confusion making his voice harsher than usual. "Okay? While pushing a car in the summer heat with an idiot who's made me do the same thing three times in two months? Yes, I'm doing just fine!"
Hiromi's lips stuck out in a pout. "Hey, I'm not the only one who drives this car, you know! Who took it to the market yesterday, huh? Who said we should just drive to Tokyo when I wanted to take the train for once?"
Kaito just rolled his eyes and tried to tune out the attack like he always did.
"Hmph." Hiromi frowned and looked back at the road. "Besides. I didn't make you push it the first time. You offered."
Right, he had offered. Sometimes, when he was being honest with himself, he still wondered why.
***
Miraculously, the tiny mechanic's shop that they found somewhere outside Funabashi had a vending machine that dispensed cold tea. Kaito tossed a can to Hiromi and flopped down into the second of two plastic chairs with a sigh.
"Arigatoooou." Hiromi cracked open the tab and threw his head back to take several long gulps, his Adam's apple bobbing with each one. With a loud, satisfied sigh, he brought the can down and looked over at Kaito. Who only then realized he was staring at Hiromi. Must have been the heat. It was melting the part of his brain that was in charge of motor function.
Hiromi raised his eyebrows. "Something on my face?"
Kaito blinked and studiously concentrated on the little television perched on a precarious-looking stand across from them. "Just your big mouth." He took a swig of his tea.
"Eeeh? Bitchy today, aren't you? I already apologized, you know. At least one of us has to be mature. Figures it has to be the sempai here."
Kaito just snorted and kept his eyes on the TV.
Following his gaze, Hiromi looked at the screen for a few seconds. He jiggled his knee a bit, then stopped. Passed his tea can from hand to hand, back and forth. Made several little popping noises with his lips. Stretched back in his seat like a cat, arms above his head and feet stuck out in front of him.
Kaito finally couldn't take it anymore. "If you stop moving so much, you'll get cool faster."
Hiromi made a face, then stood up and headed for the tiny fan across the room. "Better idea."
Even his legs must have been sweaty, because his loose exercise shorts were clinging in the back. His ass was clearly outlined by the thin material as he strolled away from the chair and then bent over at the waist to stick his face right in front of the whirling fan.
Kaito shot up out of his chair, mumbled something about seeing how much longer they would have to wait, and practically ran out of the waiting room.
***
All during the two-day trip, Kaito felt himself acting more like he had before he'd quit his job. He was quieter, less open, shorter with Hiromi when the other man acted friendly. He didn't really like it, but it was the only way to deal with those confusing moments of fascination with his friend. Of course, Hiromi seemed to notice that something was off. But for once, he didn't say anything, only throwing Kaito the occasional odd look. They managed to make the delivery, spend one night in a hotel, and drive back to the Diamond Head without major incident.
All through the following week, though, Kaito made every effort to avoid Hiromi whenever possible. When Hiromi made breakfast, Kaito offered to go to the market. When it was Hiromi's shift at the yakisoba stand, Kaito helped Makoto with the housekeeping. Every night, Kaito found some task that kept him working until Hiromi had gone to sleep in their shared room. Hiromi must have noticed, since he always noticed these kinds of things, but he never made any indication of it beyond the occasional raised eyebrow. So the time passed, with Kaito trying desperately to ignore a growing feeling of loneliness.
The avoidance method wasn't foolproof, however. He still had to walk through the kitchen every morning where Hiromi cooked, domestic and mature-looking in a white apron. The yakisoba stand was clearly visible from the inn, giving him a constant view of Hiromi flirting with the tiny girls in their tiny bikinis, his tanned arm muscles flexing as he flipped them their change with a grin, his eyes sparkling playfully. And of course, Kaito couldn't help but gaze at the man sprawled out on a futon in their tiny bedroom, face serene in sleep. It was all he could do not to lean down and touch the slightly parted lips, stroke the soft waves of hair, find out if that skin felt as smooth and supple as it looked.
Denial had become utterly pointless by the time Monday rolled around. He had a feeling it would just drive him even crazier than he already felt to keep up that charade with himself. As he stood in the driveway with Hiromi that evening during a rare moment of forced proximity, waving goodbye to the taxi carrying their weekend customers away, Kaito was a mess of nerves and mixed emotion. It was starting to make his head hurt, so he told Hiromi he was going to bed early and headed inside. Lying on his futon, though, he found it impossible to sleep. What the hell was he thinking? For one thing, he'd never been attracted to another guy before. Well, okay, there had been that one time in college, but he was pretty sure he'd been drunk then. But even if he hadn't been and he was somehow not quite as straight as he'd previously believed, this was Hiromi, the guy who talked way too much and was kind of horrible at comforting people and was too irresponsible to refuel his own damn car.
And yet, there were times when he said the wisest things, little moments of seriousness that appeared unexpectedly, like rare pearls in clutches of oysters. Why was that so shockingly humbling?
Soft guitar music filtered through Kaito's ruminations from outside the window. Realizing that he wasn't going to be sleeping any time soon, he slowly got up and walked out to the front porch, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible so as not to give away his presence. He didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment.
He'd been expecting the old man to be the one playing, so when he saw the dark head below the porch railing, he froze. Hiromi was turned at an angle that made half of his face visible to Kaito but which kept him from seeing onto the porch. The joking expressions that usually dominated his features were absent as he plucked at the guitar, picking out a soft melody that Kaito didn't recognize. He looked relaxed and content, his face shining in the moonlight reflected off the sea.
The song seemed to end after a minute or two, and Hiromi suddenly looked up at Kaito, who stood very still, caught by surprise.
"That song always reminds me of the end of summer. Don't know why. Maybe it came out around that time of year, I can't remember. It always makes me a little sad, though." Hiromi smiled up at Kaito, but for once, the expression didn't reach his eyes.
Kaito couldn't really retreat into the house without seeming too weird, so he gave up keeping a safe distance and went to sit next to Hiromi. "Baka. Why do you play it if it makes you sad?"
Hiromi shrugged. "Sometimes I don't mind being a little sad." He turned his head to look at Kaito. "Sometimes I can't help it. Especially when certain people decide to avoid me for an entire week. Makes me wonder if I smell bad or something."
Kaito sighed. "I haven't really...I mean, I don't want..."
"I know. Daijobu, Kaito-kuuuun." Hiromi flashed him a quick grin, then looked back at the ocean. "Ne, Kaito. Would you beat the shit out of me if I kissed you right now?"
Kaito stiffened, jerking his head to stare at Hiromi, who looked back at him with a sheepish smile, honest as always.
"Ah, sorry, forget I said anything. I always talk too much."
"Baka." And Kaito leaned over, grabbed Hiromi's chin to turn his head, and kissed him firmly on the lips. Hiromi's eyes widened in surprise, then closed. His lips moved against Kaito's, then parted to allow his tongue to dart out and lick along Kaito's mouth. After one last second of hesitation, Kaito gave in and deepened the kiss.
After a minute, Hiromi pulled back, leaving Kaito slightly dazed. He grinned at Kaito's expression, then reached up to run his thumb over Kaito's swollen lips. "You know, it's sad that summer's ending, but that also means it's the beginning of a whole new season. It'll be fun to see what happens."
All Kaito could do was stare, and then all of a sudden, Hiromi laughed. "Get it? I talked about the seasons like they're a metaphor for life!" His eyes twinkled in the moonlight.
Kaito expelled a breath of laughter. "Baka." Then he put his hand on the back of Hiromi's head, where the hair really was as soft as it looked, and pulled him in for another kiss.
Everyone should download "Beach Boys!"
Title: Heatstroke (What a misleadingly porny title...)
Pairing: Kaito/Hiromi (well, duh)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,767
Summary: Kaito finally starts to notice Hiromi, but in a completely unexpected way.
Surprisingly, it wasn't until that trip to Tokyo in the middle of August that Kaito started wondering if the ocean air had been wreaking some serious havoc on his sanity.
How many times had they pushed that damn car along some damn country road for miles because its idiot driver couldn't seem to figure out that an empty petrol tank signals the need to stop and get more petrol? And yet, this was the first time he'd caught himself looking over the roof of the car at said idiot, watching beads of sweat slide down a smooth jaw. Every panting breath made Hiromi's throat muscles contract, his tanned skin glistening in the light of the merciless sun. Once in awhile he would take one hand off the car to drag the back of it across his dripping forehead, face tipped back and full lips slightly parted...
Kaito whipped around to stare at the road again so suddenly that he got a crick in his neck. He hissed in pain.
Hiromi glanced over at the sound. "Ne, you okay?"
Kaito glared, embarrassment and confusion making his voice harsher than usual. "Okay? While pushing a car in the summer heat with an idiot who's made me do the same thing three times in two months? Yes, I'm doing just fine!"
Hiromi's lips stuck out in a pout. "Hey, I'm not the only one who drives this car, you know! Who took it to the market yesterday, huh? Who said we should just drive to Tokyo when I wanted to take the train for once?"
Kaito just rolled his eyes and tried to tune out the attack like he always did.
"Hmph." Hiromi frowned and looked back at the road. "Besides. I didn't make you push it the first time. You offered."
Right, he had offered. Sometimes, when he was being honest with himself, he still wondered why.
***
Miraculously, the tiny mechanic's shop that they found somewhere outside Funabashi had a vending machine that dispensed cold tea. Kaito tossed a can to Hiromi and flopped down into the second of two plastic chairs with a sigh.
"Arigatoooou." Hiromi cracked open the tab and threw his head back to take several long gulps, his Adam's apple bobbing with each one. With a loud, satisfied sigh, he brought the can down and looked over at Kaito. Who only then realized he was staring at Hiromi. Must have been the heat. It was melting the part of his brain that was in charge of motor function.
Hiromi raised his eyebrows. "Something on my face?"
Kaito blinked and studiously concentrated on the little television perched on a precarious-looking stand across from them. "Just your big mouth." He took a swig of his tea.
"Eeeh? Bitchy today, aren't you? I already apologized, you know. At least one of us has to be mature. Figures it has to be the sempai here."
Kaito just snorted and kept his eyes on the TV.
Following his gaze, Hiromi looked at the screen for a few seconds. He jiggled his knee a bit, then stopped. Passed his tea can from hand to hand, back and forth. Made several little popping noises with his lips. Stretched back in his seat like a cat, arms above his head and feet stuck out in front of him.
Kaito finally couldn't take it anymore. "If you stop moving so much, you'll get cool faster."
Hiromi made a face, then stood up and headed for the tiny fan across the room. "Better idea."
Even his legs must have been sweaty, because his loose exercise shorts were clinging in the back. His ass was clearly outlined by the thin material as he strolled away from the chair and then bent over at the waist to stick his face right in front of the whirling fan.
Kaito shot up out of his chair, mumbled something about seeing how much longer they would have to wait, and practically ran out of the waiting room.
***
All during the two-day trip, Kaito felt himself acting more like he had before he'd quit his job. He was quieter, less open, shorter with Hiromi when the other man acted friendly. He didn't really like it, but it was the only way to deal with those confusing moments of fascination with his friend. Of course, Hiromi seemed to notice that something was off. But for once, he didn't say anything, only throwing Kaito the occasional odd look. They managed to make the delivery, spend one night in a hotel, and drive back to the Diamond Head without major incident.
All through the following week, though, Kaito made every effort to avoid Hiromi whenever possible. When Hiromi made breakfast, Kaito offered to go to the market. When it was Hiromi's shift at the yakisoba stand, Kaito helped Makoto with the housekeeping. Every night, Kaito found some task that kept him working until Hiromi had gone to sleep in their shared room. Hiromi must have noticed, since he always noticed these kinds of things, but he never made any indication of it beyond the occasional raised eyebrow. So the time passed, with Kaito trying desperately to ignore a growing feeling of loneliness.
The avoidance method wasn't foolproof, however. He still had to walk through the kitchen every morning where Hiromi cooked, domestic and mature-looking in a white apron. The yakisoba stand was clearly visible from the inn, giving him a constant view of Hiromi flirting with the tiny girls in their tiny bikinis, his tanned arm muscles flexing as he flipped them their change with a grin, his eyes sparkling playfully. And of course, Kaito couldn't help but gaze at the man sprawled out on a futon in their tiny bedroom, face serene in sleep. It was all he could do not to lean down and touch the slightly parted lips, stroke the soft waves of hair, find out if that skin felt as smooth and supple as it looked.
Denial had become utterly pointless by the time Monday rolled around. He had a feeling it would just drive him even crazier than he already felt to keep up that charade with himself. As he stood in the driveway with Hiromi that evening during a rare moment of forced proximity, waving goodbye to the taxi carrying their weekend customers away, Kaito was a mess of nerves and mixed emotion. It was starting to make his head hurt, so he told Hiromi he was going to bed early and headed inside. Lying on his futon, though, he found it impossible to sleep. What the hell was he thinking? For one thing, he'd never been attracted to another guy before. Well, okay, there had been that one time in college, but he was pretty sure he'd been drunk then. But even if he hadn't been and he was somehow not quite as straight as he'd previously believed, this was Hiromi, the guy who talked way too much and was kind of horrible at comforting people and was too irresponsible to refuel his own damn car.
And yet, there were times when he said the wisest things, little moments of seriousness that appeared unexpectedly, like rare pearls in clutches of oysters. Why was that so shockingly humbling?
Soft guitar music filtered through Kaito's ruminations from outside the window. Realizing that he wasn't going to be sleeping any time soon, he slowly got up and walked out to the front porch, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible so as not to give away his presence. He didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment.
He'd been expecting the old man to be the one playing, so when he saw the dark head below the porch railing, he froze. Hiromi was turned at an angle that made half of his face visible to Kaito but which kept him from seeing onto the porch. The joking expressions that usually dominated his features were absent as he plucked at the guitar, picking out a soft melody that Kaito didn't recognize. He looked relaxed and content, his face shining in the moonlight reflected off the sea.
The song seemed to end after a minute or two, and Hiromi suddenly looked up at Kaito, who stood very still, caught by surprise.
"That song always reminds me of the end of summer. Don't know why. Maybe it came out around that time of year, I can't remember. It always makes me a little sad, though." Hiromi smiled up at Kaito, but for once, the expression didn't reach his eyes.
Kaito couldn't really retreat into the house without seeming too weird, so he gave up keeping a safe distance and went to sit next to Hiromi. "Baka. Why do you play it if it makes you sad?"
Hiromi shrugged. "Sometimes I don't mind being a little sad." He turned his head to look at Kaito. "Sometimes I can't help it. Especially when certain people decide to avoid me for an entire week. Makes me wonder if I smell bad or something."
Kaito sighed. "I haven't really...I mean, I don't want..."
"I know. Daijobu, Kaito-kuuuun." Hiromi flashed him a quick grin, then looked back at the ocean. "Ne, Kaito. Would you beat the shit out of me if I kissed you right now?"
Kaito stiffened, jerking his head to stare at Hiromi, who looked back at him with a sheepish smile, honest as always.
"Ah, sorry, forget I said anything. I always talk too much."
"Baka." And Kaito leaned over, grabbed Hiromi's chin to turn his head, and kissed him firmly on the lips. Hiromi's eyes widened in surprise, then closed. His lips moved against Kaito's, then parted to allow his tongue to dart out and lick along Kaito's mouth. After one last second of hesitation, Kaito gave in and deepened the kiss.
After a minute, Hiromi pulled back, leaving Kaito slightly dazed. He grinned at Kaito's expression, then reached up to run his thumb over Kaito's swollen lips. "You know, it's sad that summer's ending, but that also means it's the beginning of a whole new season. It'll be fun to see what happens."
All Kaito could do was stare, and then all of a sudden, Hiromi laughed. "Get it? I talked about the seasons like they're a metaphor for life!" His eyes twinkled in the moonlight.
Kaito expelled a breath of laughter. "Baka." Then he put his hand on the back of Hiromi's head, where the hair really was as soft as it looked, and pulled him in for another kiss.