Fic: Happy
Fic: Happy
Author: Ashi
Genre: Feel-good Akame (is that even a genre?)
Rating: PG-14
Word count: 2,500
Disclaimer: Owns them not 'cept the plot
Summary: They are good friends.
A/N: Because I am not, hence, the title and, therefore, not funny fic. And because I am always compelled to write something like this whenever Kazuya gets low ratings. Written for Na-chan who is losing faith. And thanks so much, She, for giving me the go.
HAPPY
Nobody else probably noticed but Akanishi Jin could tell. He's been working with him for more than a decade and he could tell every nuance in Kamenashi Kazuya's expression. Unlike him who doesn't bother to hide being unamused or looking off in front of the camera, Kazuya had mastered the art of laughing and smiling and eyes glinting with a nary a hint that he felt anything but happy. Still, Jin could always tell. His friend wasn't happy.
“You got something tonight?” Jin asked as he stepped in with Kazuya on the way to the parking lot. It was past 2 in the morning and they have just wrapped up taping for their show.
Kazuya, lost in thought, started. He didn't expect Jin coming from behind him neither Jin's question. “Oh...ahm...I dunno...”
Jin gave a lopsided smile. Kazuya was probably planning to go to some secluded bar and drink by himself. That his friend drinks often was not surprising. They all do. But it's one thing to drink when out with friends, it's another to do it alone. “So what's bugging you?”
Kazuya gave Jin a sideward glance. “Nothing.”
Jin snorted. “Yeah, right.” He knows what's bugging Kazuya because it's bugging him, too. He thinks if there's anyone who deserves a break, it is Kazuya. He's never known anyone as diligent and disciplined as Kazuya but his friend isn't getting such breaks lately. “They're just numbers, Kazuya.”
It was Kazuya's turn to snort. “Easy for you to say. You got a blockbuster hit.”
Jin smiled. He wouldn't refute that. He had been in cloud nine since his first feature film hit the theaters and it was a box office success. Not to mention that he got himself a solo album that was selling well. He was on top of the world and he couldn't hide how he is brimming with happiness. “Well, I'm a star,” Jin jokingly swaggered.
Kazuya chuckled. “I'm happy for you, Jin.” He really was. He never doubted either that such will happen. Jin always had the natural talent and the passion for music. The very reason why Jin also has an artist temparement very few people understand. When Jin is happy, he is happy; when he is not, he is not. With Jin's emotions, there is no two ways about it.
“Why, thank you, Kamenashi-kun,” Jin playfully replied and curtsied.
“You're welcome, Akanishi-kun,” Kazuya retorted and bowed.
The two young men laughed together, finding funny their silly predicament of having to address each other formally in front of the camera.
When management first told them to do that, Jin and Kazuya were stunned. They looked at each other and bursted out laughing. And much to the consternation of their manager, in front of him they started calling each other “honey-chan” and “sweetie-kun.” Then they offered that they can, if management wants, call each other “asshole-chan” and “prick-kun” when in front of the camera. The two idols thought the management's directive was ridiculous but, in the end, they had to abide because they really had no choice.
“Seriously, Jin,” Kazuya said as they approached his car and he stopped. “I'm really happy for you.” Jin waved it off, obviously feigning embarassment which made Kazuya laugh again. “Humility doesn't become you.”
Jin adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder. Smiling, he asked, “You're jealous, aren't you?”
Kazuya scoffed. “Now, self-absorbed that is so you.”
Jin poked a finger on Kazuya's side, making the latter jerk away. “Admit it, you're jealous.”
“I am not,” Kazuya said, swatting away Jin's hand. But Jin kept poking his ribs and his laughter echoed in the almost empty parking lot.
Jin stopped poking and pouted. “Not even a little?”
“Okay, fine. I admit it,” Kazuya said. He raised his hand and gestured with his thumb and index finger about an inch apart. “Just this much.”
They stood looking at each other with happy smiles on their faces. Jin knew his band mate would lose the smile once they part ways. He enjoyed the sight and sound of a happy Kazuya and he didn't want it to end. “Let's have dinner. My treat,” Jin offered.
“What? Where?”
Kazuya was hesitating and Jin knew why. They have rarely gone out just the two of them. They rarely had the time. And perhaps, unconsciously, they avoided it because it was getting pretty tiresome being summoned by management whenever reports come out of Akakame sightings (“That makes us sound like UFO,” Kazuya would say, to which Jin would reply “Or Elvis alive.” And they would laugh and their manager would just frown).
“Come on,” Jin insisted. He took off his fedora hat and plopped it on Kazuya's head.
Kazuya chuckled and took the hat off his head. “Like this fedora isn't your signature hat,” he said, twirling the hat in his hand.
“Baka,” Jin said. “That's not for anonymity. That's my happy hat.”
Kazuya smiled. He couldn't help be infected with Jin's good mood. “Well, if you put it that way...” He combed back his dark hair with his fingers and replaced the hat on his head. He winked and fired a finger gun at Jin.
♥
The thing about Tokyo traffic is that it's either one of two things: heavy or heavier, no matter the time of the day. Which was why Kazuya was only too glad he acquiesed when Jin insisted they take his car, saying it was his treat all the way.
Kazuya slouched on his seat, shins resting against the dashboard and Jin's fedora on his knees. He thought Jin was really in a good mood because his band mate sat still when traffick wasn't moving and simply tapped his fingers on the steering wheel while humming. It took a while before Kazuya realized Jin was humming one of their songs.
“Jin, what does d-motion mean?” Kazuya asked, breaking the silence.
Jin turned towards Kazuya and smiled. He liked it whenever Kazuya ask him meanings of certain English words. Though his English vocabulary wasn't that extensive, he was better at the language than Kazuya. His 6-month stint in LA did help though he really didn't go there to study the language. He doubts anyone believed that. Definitely not Kazuya because the younger man knew the truth and, in fact, hated him for it. But when he came back, when the quiet animosity between them dissipated on its own, when months of cold-shouldering each other jut got tiresome, Kazuya's first move to try and make it okay again between them again was to ask him to translate in English the word “shinyuu”*.
And when they were back to being friends, Jin's answers to Kazuya's questions intentionally aimed to confuse his band mate, just to tease. “Demotion is the opposite of promotion,” Jin answered.
Kazuya frowned. “I don't get it.”
Jin laughed. “But in our song, it's d-motion, short for deco-motion. Now don't ask me what the hell deco-motion is.” Jin knew Kazuya had no idea either with the way the man's frown deepened.
Kazuya thought for a while then his face lit up. “I know what emotion is though,” he said, sounding like a proud child. He was ready to explain it to Jin, too, if quizzed. But Jin didn't.
“It's not emotion. It's e-motion as in e-mail,” Jin corrected, trying hard to keep his face straight.
“Huh?” was Kazuya's confused response, to which, Jin could not help blurt out laughing. Kazuya smirked and playfully knocked him on the side of his head. Jin just kept laughing.
The traffic moved. “Speaking of emotion,” Jin said, eyes on the road as he slowly manuevered his car behind a beat up red pick-up truck. “Who are you going out with?”
“Now?” Kazuya asked and Jin nodded. Kazuya thought for a while then he grinned. “You,” he said, earning him a quick glance from Jin. “You are taking me out to dinner now, right?”
Jin scoffed. “You're such a flirt.”
Kazuya just chuckled. “I'm not dating anyone in particular.” He hasn't been out on a real date for what seemed like ages. He had gone out with friends but even that had been scarce since the start of the new year.
“Not Aya-chan?” Jin asked, referring to Kazuya's co-star in his current drama.
“No.”
“Tegoshi?” Jin teased, earning for himself another knock on the head. “Takeshima-san?” Jin asked, referring to the actress who played the landlady in Kazuya's drama.
There was a pregnant pause before Kazuya replied with a soft “no” and only then did Jin realize what his question, asked in jest, implied. Jin knew he had touched a sore spot in his friend's heart so he decided to drop the subject.
But to Jin's surprise, Kazuya spoke up. “I saw her last December in one Christmas party. We said 'hi' and talked a little.”
Traffic was at a standstill once again, giving Jin a chance to look at Kazuya who had turned his head and was looking far away. He knew how much Kazuya loved her and how broken his band mate was when the relationship ended. But as Jin studied Kazuya's profile some more, he could tell with the softness of Kazuya's expression and the tiniest hint of smile in Kazuya's lips, that there was no bitterness.
“You know what, Kazuya,” Jin began. Kazuya turned to look at him. “The thing I really admired about you is that the one time you defied Johnny, it was for love. That was really a class-act, man!”
Kazuya's lips arched up into a real smile. He rested his temple on the window and looked ahead on the road. Kyoko. She will always have a special place in his heart because she was his anchor at a time Kazuya was lost. He was so young and everything was coming too fast, to soon. It drove crazy everyone in the band especially him and Jin. The two of them were more famous than the rest and their friendship cracked under the immense pressure. Kazuya had everything yet he had nothing. Then there was Kyoko. She made him feel like a man when he felt no better than a dolled-up boy toy. She was sensible and kept him sane.
And in the end, when he wanted to quit the business and she was his reason, she neither gushed nor did she call him a fool. She merely thanked him for the wonderful year and said it was time to stop. When Kazuya asked why, Kyoko only said, “Love when your are twenty is different from love when you are forty.” And somehow, Kazuya understood.
“Kyoko's a real class-act,” Kazuya said, voice wistful.
“Yeah,” Jin agreed. He never really got to know her because those were turbulent times for them. He and Kazuya drifted apart and they couldn't save each other. They groped at whatever they could to keep them afloat. He had LA and Kazuya had Kyoko. They survived and they both grew up after that.
“You should try it,” Kazuya said.
“Try what? Older women?” Jin blurted and regretted it, afraid he'd offend his friend.
But Kazuya just laughed. “Baka. I meant, being in love.” In response, Jin grimaced which made Kazuya laugh some more. Jin was a notorious player. He didn't hide it nor was even apologetic for it. In fact, he flaunted it. “Seriously, Jin.”
“What?”
“It isn't all that bad,” Kazuya said. “It's shit and stuff sometimes but it feels really good - floating around with head in the clouds and your heart going doki-doki.” He poked his chest with the fingers of both his hands then shook his shoulders when he said “doki-doki.”
Jin laughed at Kazuya's action. “Silly,” he said.
“You really ought to try it. It's worth it,” Kazuya said then he winced and added, “That sounded like a commercial endorsement.”
Jin watched Kazuya smiling, mirth glowing in his eyes. “Is it really worth it, Kazuya?”
“Yeah...” Kazuya answered. He turned towards Jin and his next words were suddenly lost when he found Jin staring intently at him.
Jin held Kazuya's gaze. He saw how his friend's eyes, riveted at his, lost the mirth and became confused. He saw how the light-hearted smile wavered. Then he saw how Kazuya's eyes questioned and Jin wondered if his answered clearly.
A loud honking from behind them jolted them both. Jin quickly looked away, turned towards the road, shifted gear and his foot slowly let go of the brake pedal. Traffic had suddenly cleared.
♥
They ended up having dinner in an old Chinese noodle house tucked somewhere in a marketplace alley. It was even made more obscure at 3 in the morning when deliveries of wet goods and frantic vendors haggling prices flood the street.
Jin said he chose the restaurant because no one would suspect they'd be eating in such a place. Kazuya retorted that it was Jin's flimsy excuse for being such a cheapskate. Though Kazuya must concede the food was good. That and Jin's company made Kazuya ignore the fact that the restaurant was dingy. And after dinner, they even managed to stand in front of the diner for a while and watched the bustling street as they took turns on Jin's last stick of cigarette.
All in all, Kazuya had a great time. And he told Jin this when they reached the basement parking of his apartment building.
“Thanks, Jin,” Kazuya said.
“No prob,” Jin said. He watched Kazuya get off the car and walk away. He was glad he made Kazuya happy that night. It was the least he could do. It was the least he could get.
Half-way towards the elevator, Kazuya stopped, turned around and hurriedly walked back towards Jin. He took off the fedora and handed it to Jin. “Thank you. It worked.”
Jin briefly laughed. He took the hat, looked at it then at Kazuya. “Goodnight, Kazuya.”
“Goodnight, Jin,” Kazuya said. He didn't move though. He remained standing there, his forearms resting on the car's roof. “Thank you. Really. I needed this,” he said. He dropped his gaze for a moment and in a low voice, added, “It's worth it.” Jin frowned and cocked his head. “Being in love and all the shit that goes with it? It's worth the risk.” He locked eyes with Jin for several seconds before he turned and walked away.
Jin sat silent, watching Kazuya's retreating back. Jin watched until Kazuya stepped inside the elevator and turned around. And when the elevator door closed with Kazuya holding his gaze and lips turned up in a soft smile, Jin could tell - he was sure - that he had made Kazuya happy. Just as Kazuya had just made him happier.
The End
*shinyuu - bestfriend